22. Developing a Holistic Farm with Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm

Daniel Brisebois is a founding member of Tourne-Sol co-operative farm which grows vegetables and seeds outside of Montreal, Quebec. In this interview, Dan shares how his role on the farm has evolved as the farm has grown, how the cooperative management model works, and how farms need to focus on running their numbers which can easily be done with spreadsheets.

In This Episode:

>> The 3 different types of farm stress and how to manage them

>> Why working on other farms as you start is so key for a great education

>> Dan’s physical planning process that sets him up for success every day

>> Why even in the crazy busiest times it’s so important to step back, spend time with friends, family and get perspective.

>> How Tourne-Sol consistently finds excellent workers to help their farm grow

Quotes from the episode:

“We’ve never been in a time with more information available but none of that replaces actual experience, I think it supplements it.”

“There is no one way to farm, no one system that fit everything.”

“Farmers frequently take better care of their BCS than their bodies.”

“I need to have time to spend with my brain.”

About the Guest

Dan is a founding member of Tourne-Sol co-operative farm where he now leads the seed team.
He loves solid farm planning and great management and is a spreadsheet maniac.
There’s a soft spot in his heart for Brassica rapas, hot peppers and anything crossed up. But he’ll grow anything to seed at least once.