ABOUT
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The OwnerChris Blanchard provides consulting and education for farming, food, and business through Flying Rutabaga Works. As the owner and operator of Rock Spring Farm since 1999, Chris raised twenty acres of vegetables, herbs, and greenhouse crops, marketed through a 200-member year-round CSA, food stores, and farmers markets. Prior to 1999, Chris managed student farms, worked as an intern, packing house manager, plant breeding assistant, and farm manager, and provided consulting for a major organic processor, in California, Wisconsin, Maine, and Washington state. His workshops, writing, and consulting throughout the country about farm business concepts, food safety, organic vegetable production, and scaling-up have gained a reputation for fresh approaches, down-to-earth information, and honesty.
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The CompanyPurple Pitchfork is an educational and outreach organization dedicated to helping farmers and their farm businesses. We provide consulting, coaching, speaking, and writing in the areas of effectiveness and productivity, marketing, business planning and development, post-harvest handling, food safety, greenhouse crop production, and more.
Why Purple Pitchfork? As Chris’ education and consulting venture, Flying Rutabaga Works, grew and expanded, we realized that we needed a bigger tent to put it under. Everybody uses a pitchfork at some point in farming, whether it’s to spread mulch across a garlic field, or to pitch hay for the sheep; we decided that made a fitting symbol for the big tent we are seeking to build in the organic, sustainable, and local community. (Plus, purple is just a cool color. And, alliteration.) |
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The ClientsChris has worked with clients from coast to coast in the United States and Canada. Chris’ clients have included organic and sustainable market farms from 1 - 160 acres throughout the country, national organic processors, a grass-fed beef marketing company, University-run student farms, non-profit educational organizations, food hubs, economic development agencies, and community service organizations. For a complete list, please visit our client page.
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