39: The Business Side of Farming: Lessons from The Farmer’s Office | Julia Shanks

About this episode

Julia Shanks discusses the importance of business skills for small-scale farmers and shares actionable financial advice.

In this episode, we sit down with Julia Shanks, consultant, teacher, and author of The Farmer’s Office , to talk about the crucial role of business acumen in small-scale farming. We dive deep into financial management practices, routine bookkeeping, using QuickBooks, and how to properly deal with debt as a small farm business owner. Julia stresses that farmers are entrepreneurs who must understand their numbers, especially profit, not just revenue, to create sustainable, fulfilling farms. You’ll get loads of actionable advice, relatable stories, and examples of small farm owners who are financially successful and happy. Learn more about Julia’s books, courses, and more at The Farmer’s Office Timestamps [2:47] Contrast of business savvy farmers vs. those who ignore their numbers [6:00] Why frequent financial tracking and setting profit goals are essential. [19:38] Julia's journey from aviation and culinary arts to farm financial consultant. [28:10] Advice for new farmers: starting with a clear desired take-home income. [32:14] Navigating cyclical cash flow and the challenge of building a financial runway. [44:28] Deciding what to grow: prioritizing personal goals over sheer…

People in this episode

Host: JM Fortier

Guest: Julia Shanks

Topics covered

• business acumen in farming
• financial management
• bookkeeping
• debt management
• sustainable farming
• entrepreneurship

Keywords

• small-scale farming
• financial tracking
• profit goals
• cash flow
• debt stress
• cost of production

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Farmer’s Office

More episodes of The Market Gardener Podcast

• 50: Why This Top New York Chef Is Dreaming Of Farming | Caroline Hahm · June 4, 2026 · 2h 13m
• 49: Is Social Media Over Romanticizing Farming? (Or Is That Actually A Good Thing?) | Jessica Paige @Jessithefarmer · May 21, 2026 · 1h 39m
• 48: Eating Seasonally & Local: Why It Matters More Than Ever | JM Fortier · April 9, 2026 · 46 min
• 47: Celebrity Chef Chuck Hughes On The Return Of Real Food: Why Great Chefs Are Going Back To The Farm · March 26, 2026 · 2h 9m
• 46: Can 'Organic' Food Be Trusted Anymore? The Fight For The Integrity Of Organic Farming | Linley Dixon · March 12, 2026 · 2h 6m
• 45: Raising Livestock The Ethical Way: Lessons On Life & Death On The Farm | Tara Couture · February 26, 2026 · 2h 5m