🎥 And What They Taught Us
When you’re just starting out — whether it’s farming, a business, or any big life leap — it’s easy to believe there’s a “right” way to do things. That if you just follow the steps, success will follow. No mess. No failure.
But the truth is this: mistakes aren’t breakdowns — they’re part of the process. They teach us, shape us, and define our direction far more than perfection ever could.
Today, we want to share five of the biggest mistakes we made in our early farming years, and — more importantly — the lessons we pulled from them.
Mistake #1: Trying to Do Everything at Once
In our first season, we thought variety meant value.
🔹 12 different crops
🔹 5 new projects in one summer: microgreens, greenhouse expansion, farm box delivery, cheese-making, and a pop-up at the local market
🔹 Selling at markets, online, direct-to-door, and more — all at once
The result?
We were exhausted, stretched thin, and constantly chasing our tails.
We were busy, but we weren’t making progress.
đź’ˇ What It Taught Us:
- Doing less, better beats doing everything halfway.
- You gain more trust by being consistent with 3 crops than by offering 10 erratically.
- Focus builds credibility.
Mistake #2: Ignoring the Numbers
At first, we kept everything “in our heads.”
How much did seeds cost?
What was our cost per box?
Which crop was most profitable?
We didn’t know — we just felt our way through.
It wasn’t until we looked back at one season and realized we were losing money on one of our favorite crops that it hit us.
đź’ˇ What It Taught Us:
- Farming is also a numbers game.
- A simple spreadsheet can save a season.
- Respect your work enough to know what it’s worth.
Mistake #3: Being Afraid to Raise Prices
“What if people stop buying?”
“Will we seem greedy?”
“We’re just starting out — can we really charge that?”
So we undercharged, added bonuses, gave discounts — and still couldn’t cover our costs.
đź’ˇ What It Taught Us:
- Value isn’t just about price — it’s about perception and relationship.
- Your real customers will stay when they understand the “why.”
- When you honor your own worth, others do too.
We now price transparently and talk openly with our customers. Respect goes both ways.
Mistake #4: Hiding Behind Perfection
We thought we needed to wait until we had:
— the perfect greenhouse,
— glossy packaging,
— beautiful branding…
Only then would we be “ready” to post online or share our story.
So we stayed quiet.
Posted once in a while.
Held back from showing the real us.
đź’ˇ What It Taught Us:
- People connect with people — not perfection.
- You don’t need a perfect backdrop. You need a true voice.
- The sooner you start showing up, the faster your community will find you.
Now we post from the field, the mess, the process. And it’s what people connect with the most.
Mistake #5: Skipping Rest (Over and Over Again)
“Just a bit more to finish.”
“We’ll slow down after the season.”
“Next month we’ll take a break…”
Familiar?
We worked 12–14 hour days.
No weekends. No real pause.
Until we hit a wall. Burnout. Total shutdown.
đź’ˇ What It Taught Us:
- Exhaustion isn’t a badge of honor — it’s a warning sign.
- Breaks make us better farmers, business owners, parents, partners.
- The farm won’t fall apart if we take a Sunday off. But we might if we never stop.
We now schedule rest like we schedule planting.
It’s a non-negotiable.
What We’d Tell Our Past Selves
If we could sit down with our rookie selves, we’d say:
Do less. Do it with love.
Respect yourself, your land, and your time.
Mistakes don’t mean failure — they mean you’re learning.
And don’t forget to pause and watch your greens grow. That’s the real joy.
5 Things We Know for Sure Now
- 🎯 Focus beats frenzy
- đź“Š Data is your friend
- đź’¸ Price what your work deserves
- 📱 People want your story, not your perfection
- đź’¤ Rest is part of the work
Why Sharing Mistakes Matters
When we started, all we saw online were perfect farms, perfect baskets, perfect lives.
But reality? It’s moldy trays, missed deliveries, broken tools, and frozen crops.
The first time we shared a fail on social media, something incredible happened:
— people thanked us,
— others said “same here,”
— and new followers showed up — not in spite of the mistake, but because of it.
Because real is relatable.
Final Thoughts
Mistakes don’t make you a bad farmer, business owner, or person.
They make you honest.
They make you human.
Every mistake becomes a story — and when you learn from it, that story becomes a strength.
We’re not perfect.
We’re growing — literally and figuratively.
We mess up, we learn, we keep going.
And if you’re reading this?
Chances are, you’re growing too.
Which means — we’re already in this together 🌱