Q&A: ‘Lean Farmer’ Ben Hartman on Boosting Profits with Less Work

May 23, 2016 | Anne Meyer Byler

Eliminating waste on a farm frees up capacity to focus on tasks and innovations that can enhance efficiency and increase the odds of economic viability. It’s what Ben Hartman and his wife Rachel of Clay Bottom Farm in northern Indiana have been practicing for the last four years or so and the results have been dramatic with increases in profit and quality of life.

To explain their methodology in the name of helping struggling small farmers across the country find a better, more waste-free and profitable way to farm, Ben wrote The Lean Farm: How to Minimize Waste, Increase Efficiency, and Maximize Value and Profits with Less Work, published in September of 2015. Seedstock recently caught up with Ben to discuss his “lean farming” philosophy, how he applies it to his farm and the positive results he has seen. Read More