From the Field
The Fincabout Blog
Stories from the soil, science behind the seeds, and hard-won wisdom from farmers who've been there. Grab your coffee and dig in.
On-Farm Composting: Turn Manure and Crop Waste into Fertility
On-farm composting turns manure, bedding, spoiled hay, leaves, and crop waste into a steady source of organic matter. Done well, it improves soil life, reduces waste headaches, and helps you keep more fertility cycling on the farm.
Farm Drainage Basics: Fix Wet Fields and Muddy Lanes
Poor drainage quietly steals yield, damages soil structure, and turns simple chores into mud wrestling. This practical guide shows how to read water on your land, choose surface or subsurface fixes, and map drainage into your farm layout before problems grow.
Farm Road Design: Durable Access Roads and Lanes
This farm road design guide helps you plan durable access for equipment, livestock, deliveries, and emergency vehicles. Build routes around drainage, turning space, gates, surface choice, and maintenance before muddy shortcuts become permanent.
Small Farm Biosecurity Plan: Quarantine Basics
A practical biosecurity plan does not have to be fancy or expensive. With a few clear rules for quarantine, visitors, chores, wildlife, and cleaning, small farms can help reduce the chance of disease reaching their animals.
How to Build a Practical Farm Safety Plan That Works
A practical farm safety plan helps protect people, animals, equipment, and the future of the farm. This guide walks you through hazard mapping, risk ranking, equipment rules, livestock handling, chemical storage, visitor safety, and emergency steps you can put to work this week.
High Tunnel vs Greenhouse: Which Fits Your Farm?
High tunnels and greenhouses both extend the growing season, but they differ in cost, labor, permits, climate control, and crop fit. This guide gives you a practical side-by-side comparison, worksheets, and maintenance tasks to help choose the right structure for your farm.
Crop Rotation Planning: How to Build a Rotation That Improves Soil and Reduces Pest Pressure
Good crop rotation planning is less about making a perfect chart and more about giving soil, pests, and plant families enough time and variety to stay in balance. This guide walks through practical rotation models for raised beds, market gardens, and field blocks, with cover crops and recordkeeping built in.
Small Farm Cold Storage: Keep Produce Fresh After Harvest
Good cold storage turns harvest-day quality into market-day quality. This practical guide covers crop storage needs, cooler sizing, wash-pack flow, food safety, monitoring, energy planning, and budgeting for small farm cold storage.
Farm Fencing Guide: Materials, Layouts, and Livestock Tips
A practical farm fencing guide for matching fence materials and layouts to cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, poultry, alpacas, and guardian animals. Plan perimeter fences, cross-fencing, gates, water access, predator protection, and a realistic budget before animals arrive.
Understanding Soil pH and How It Affects Every Crop You Grow
Learn how soil pH controls nutrient availability, why most gardens need adjustment, and exactly how to fix it for optimal crop growth.
Farm vs Homestead vs Garden: Which Is Right for You?
Understand the real differences between farming, homesteading, and gardening to choose the path that matches your goals and lifestyle.
Succession Planting: How to Harvest Continuously All Season
Master succession planting techniques to eliminate feast-or-famine harvests and deliver a steady supply of produce from spring through fall.