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Episode Summary
One goal that many market gardeners have is to become financially independent. And for that to happen, sometimes there needs to be some sort of supplemental income coming from outside the farm. Managing both can be tricky but doable. If you add on homeschooling your children on top of managing the business and an off-farm job, what can you do to efficiently manage your time and energy?
In this episode of Carrot Cashflow, we’re talking to farmer and homesteader Tony Barlow of Barlow Roots Market to share what it’s like handling a home-based job, managing a market garden business, and homeschooling his children on top of working towards financial independence.
Today’s Guest: Tony Barlow
Switching gears from meteorology work to homesteading and farmwork, Tony Barlow now runs Barlow Roots Market in Hudson, Wisconsin with his wife and three children, all while working a home-based job and striving towards financial independence.
Relevant Links
Barlow Roots Market – Website | Instagram | Facebook
Barlow Roots Homestead – YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
In this episode of Carrot Cashflow
- Diego introduces the episode’s guest, Tony Barlow (00:47)
- What it’s like operating a farm business while working another job (01:58)
- Making it work: homeschooling three children, and running a home-based business (04:06)
- Juggling all the different workloads (05:33)
- Where the off-farm job sits on the necessity scale (07:15)
- The importance of making a profit (10:33)
- Funding a child’s Roth IRA (13:42)
- Explaining the concept of an investment fund to children (16:57)
- What financial independence looks like for Tony Barlow (18:56)
- Choosing where funds go: lessen debt or increase investment? (21:37)
- If the farm wants to grow, the farm has to pay for that growth (23:47)
- Goal setting for the farm (26:10)
- Selling solely through a farm stand and collaborating with a CSA farm (30:35)
- What makes for a good location for a farm stand (33:03)
- Getting word out about the farm stand (33:49)
- What Barlow Roots Market’s self-serve farm stand looks like (35:14)
- How well has the honor system been working so far? (39:15)
- Maintaining your relationship with your customers when you have an honor system farm stand (40:55)
- Words of encouragement from Tony Barlow (42:51)
- Starting a farm with $2,000: where did Tony spend it on? (45:25)
- Some first steps to take toward financial independence (47:21)
- Resource recommendations: A Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins (49:29)
- You don’t need a financial advisor to manage your money (50:18)
- Where to learn more about Tony Barlow and Barlow Roots Market (53:40)
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