In this episode, Jordan and I discuss the importance of economics, marketing, and storytelling in agriculture.
Jordan Green is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served multiple deployments before completing a five-year tour of duty in 2009 and transitioning into full-time farming with his wife, Laura.
Together, Jordan and Laura founded J&L Green Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where they raise pasture-based pork and poultry and 100% grass-fed beef on 500 acres, marketing their food directly to consumers.
Key Topics
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Why cheap food threatens the survival of American farms
00:03:00 Inside poultry houses: dust, ammonia, and farmer servitude
00:08:00 Contracts, mortgages, and the trap of industrial poultry farming
00:17:00 Apprenticeship at Polyface and scaling pasture-based livestock
00:24:00 The reality of death and livestock farming behind the scenes
00:29:00 Joining the Marines and balancing military life with farm dreams
00:36:00 Starting J&L Green Farm with land, capital, and a Polyface contract
00:40:00 Surviving the 2008 housing crash while building a farm business
00:42:00 Why marketing is the hardest but most crucial part of farming
00:49:00 The clash between fast tech and slow ecology in food production
00:55:00 Building customer relationships, not flash sales
01:00:00 Why most farms aren’t welcoming to the public and how J&L differs
Connect with Jordan, J&L Farm: