Have you ever dreamed of owning a large land and starting your own farm?
While some dream of living in the city, others want to go back to cultivating land and harvesting produce.
If you dream of being a farmer, you might have already done some research about farming.
Most probably, you also enjoy watching vlogs about gardening and farming.
After all, before venturing into gardening or farming, one needs extensive research and knowledge.
Kevin Espiritu founded the world’s most-followed gardening brand and online garden store.
He called it Epic Gardening.
He is self-taught and has shared gardening content on social media like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for over 10 years.
His YouTube videos are full of helpful tips.
He also features amazing people who have dedicated their time and effort to gardening.
Last May 19, 2023, Kevin featured a friend of his that he met five years ago.
Meet Andrew, the owner of Indian Summer Farm.
His farm is located in the foothills of San Diego, California and Kevin said that when they first met at a farm-to-dinner event, Andrew told him about his one-man farm that was a little over an acre.
Many people own a farm like Andrew, but what sets him apart is that he does all the work himself.
Aside from that, he works around 35 hours a week and grosses 6 figures a year.
Andrew grows lettuce, carrots, broccoli, strawberries, spinach, green garlic, habaneros, kale, chard, and eggplants.
The best part?
He harvests all of them by hand.
Kevin asked how he started and if had any type of method.
We all know how hard it is to prep a land for farming, and maintaining it.
That has got to be really challenging.
Andrew can work less than the average employee and earn good money.
This is where Andrew explained that when he got to the land, he started building the rows.
For starters, he first worked on 20 rows, and the following week, another 20.
He got the hang of it and was able to cultivate the soil for good produce.
In his second year of farming, he started coming down to the backside of the farm.
By the third year, he was able to open another 20 rows.
According to him, he wanted to make sure that he added new rows or new projects, such as hoop houses, each year.
As Kevin and Andrew were inspecting the rows, they talked about the challenges of keeping a good harvest.
Andrew said that some of the soil was drained and rocky, so he needed lots of compost to help him prep the soil.
He would use about 30 yards of compost yearly and would do it 2-3x a year.
Andrew also said that he keeps journals to help him track his crops.
What does he do with all the produce?
He sells them at farmers market and of course, their daily consumption.
Andrew plans to create a small farm stand so he could sell his produce near his home as well.
What’s his overall secret?
“I keep things a little wild. I don’t keep it tip-top tight,” Andrew shared.
He doesn’t mind if there are weeds on his farm.
In fact, he thinks they are beneficial for his farm too.
Aside from that, he says that he doesn’t have any outstanding loans.
If he doesn’t have cash, he won’t buy it.
He enjoys his farm and his daily tasks, and for him, each day is productive and fulfilling.
Curious about how his farm looks? Be inspired and watch the full feature below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
