a lot of folks learn by interning at other farms. the marketing side is the more difficult part of this. volunteering at other nearby market gardens is a good way to learn. you should expect to get some of the harvest where you volunteer. try to volunteer with a successful market gardener so you can also learn marketing. good luck!

If you're not already doing so, take lots of notes. I use Google docs, but there are other programs available and some people handwrite. Make note of weather conditions, how much you planted, pest problems, what you did about problems and how well your solution worked, when you began harvesting, amount of harvest, fertilizer application, etc. Don't expect to remember everything. Notes are beneficial for any gardener but particularly for a market gardener, since you'll need to consistently produce a large amount of high quality produce.

This is a good time to try different varieties, so you can see what types produce well for you. Do some market research (i.e. visit the farmers market and roadside stands) to see what niche of produce is saturated with vendors and which could still be profitable.

I think it's great that you're taking the time now to learn. So many of us don't know what we want to do until much later and then are clueless of how to start.

Thank you KingsTable. I'll start taking notes. That's a good tip! I know that when we visit the Farmers' Market this summer, I'll certainly be taking notes.

I do think getting an internship at a local farm could be helpful as Randy suggested, especially for the marketing side of things.

Jacob - somewhere in the Veggie Tales thread I must have missed that you are 16! You seem much older and wiser than most 16 y.o.s that I know. I don't have Market Gardening experience but my recommendation would be to gain as much experience as you can via volunteering, interning, or just getting in front of and ask questions of other local market gardeners.

I'm sure you know of all the podcasts, youtube, and social media outlets. There is plenty to be learned from those but in my experience you kind of have to listen to lots of 'fluff' in between some really good information. Bring your headphones with you next time your weeding, harvesting, or just spending time in the garden (or doing anything really) and listen away. I've been listening to Diego Footer's podcasts (Farm Small Farm Smart) recently on the way to and from work - its good stuff. He focuses a lot of his attention on the farmers background and storylines as to how they came to be.

Good luck on all your plans, don't give up your dreams. In my view, there's never been a better time to be in your shoes, a young entrepreneur with a goal of jumping into the agricultural market

Kevin, for some reason I seem to get that a lot lol.

Ive watched some of Diego Footer's YouTube videos, but never have listened to many of his podcasts. I'll have to check into them more. Good point on the podcast. A lot of good info hidden away in there!

Thanks for the tips!

I've been taking a lot more notes of my garden recently in a little notebook. Largely experiments being compared and noted. E.G., I'm mixing up different potting mixes of my own and comparing them to commercial mixes and improving upon them to make them as cheap as possible without compromising quality. This is all being noted. I imagine it'll help a great deal in the future. Same with planting dates, frosts, weather, etc.

In regards to budget (finding cheaper ways to grow my vegetables, like in the potting mixes above), I sometimes joke that I'm a bit lucky being 16. I have a pretty limited budget, even with different jobs I pick up with neighbors; this forces me to find cheaper ways, a benefit in my opinion.