If you sell eggs at the end of your driveway, bring your products to a farmers market, or have people visiting your property, are you actually covered?

In this episode of Dirt & Drive, I sit down with insurance broker Cheri Martinen to walk through the different types of insurance homesteaders, farmers, and small business owners need to think about. We cover what to consider when you're selling at farmers markets and vendor events, running a farm stand, or making a product you sell in person or online.

We also get into the situations people rarely think to ask about: insuring your tractor and equipment, renting out an Airbnb on your property, hosting weddings and events, and running seasonal attractions like a pumpkin patch. Cheri breaks it all down in plain language, without the jargon.

If you're building a homestead, growing a farm business, or just getting started with a farm stand, this episode will help you ask the right questions before something goes wrong.

In this episode we cover:

• Insurance for selling at farmers markets and vendor events
• Coverage to think about for farm stands and products you make and sell
• Protecting equipment like tractors
• Insurance for Airbnbs, weddings, and events on your property
• Coverage for visitors and seasonal attractions like pumpkin patches
• The insurance industry's "dirty little secret"

🛡️ Connect with Cheri Martinen:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575834316721

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheri-martinen-a6002725/

Instagram handle – cheri_martinen

Amazon Books - https://amzn.to/4ATk4to (affiliate)

Cheri Martinen – cherimartinen.com

Bancorp Insurance – Bancorpinsurance.com

🎙️ Follow Dirt & Drive:

https://www.youtube.com/@dirtanddrivepod

https://instagram.com/dirtanddrivepod

https://tiktok.com/@dirtanddrivepod

🐉 Follow Dragon Creek Ranch:

Shop Tallow: http://dragoncreek.org

https://facebook.com/dragoncreekranch

https://instagram.com/dragoncreek.ranch

https://tiktok.com/@dragoncreekranch

https://www.youtube.com/@Dragon_Creek_Ranch

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who’s building something from the ground up.

Dirt & Drive Podcast: Real conversations about building a business, working the land, and creating something that lasts.

Before you head out to pasture, remember, this is just people sharing opinions not medical, legal, or business advice. The opinions expressed here don't necessarily reflect the views of the host, Dragon Creek Ranch, or the Dirt & Drive Podcast. Always remember to do your own research. It's ok to get your hands a little dirty, but keep your rap sheet clean.

We sometimes share affiliate links to products mentioned and recommended in our podcast episodes, and if you click the link and purchase we make a small commission. All opinions are our own. Thanks for listening! This episode is for educational purposes only and isn't professional insurance advice. Talk to a licensed agent about your specific situation.

At what point does a vendor selling candles at craft fairs decide it's time to open an actual store? For Janet, owner of Dixie Delight Country Produce Store in Hiram, Georgia, that leap came after years of building her candle business one festival at a time.

In this episode of Dirt & Drive, Janet walks us through that transition - from a table at craft fairs and vendor events to owning a full storefront filled with local produce, meats, honey, sourdough, pottery, and dozens of other local vendors. We also talk about a major setback along the way: the county took her original building through eminent domain, forcing her to start over. Today, she and her team operate out of the big red building on Bill Carruth Parkway - the one you can't miss, with a yard full of concrete statues and birdbaths out front.

We dig into how she made the shift from making everything herself to curating a store full of other local makers and farms, and what it actually takes to manage a business like this day to day.

If you've ever sold at a market or craft fair and wondered what it would take to open your own store, this episode walks through exactly what that transition looks like.

In this episode we cover:

Going from selling candles at craft fairs to owning a full retail store
Surviving eminent domain and rebuilding the business from scratch
Transitioning from making everything yourself to working with local vendors
What it takes to manage a store with dozens of local products under one roof
What life inside Dixie Delight Country Produce Store looks like today

🍎 Follow Dixie Delight Country Produce Store:

https://www.facebook.com/dixiefarmersmarket

https://tiktok.com/@dixiedelightproduce

https://instagram.com/dixiedelightproduce

🎙️ Follow Dirt & Drive:

https://www.youtube.com/@dirtanddrivepod

https://instagram.com/dirtanddrivepod

https://tiktok.com/@dirtanddrivepod

🐉 Follow Dragon Creek Ranch:

Shop Tallow: http://dragoncreek.org

https://facebook.com/dragoncreekranch

https://instagram.com/dragoncreek.ranch

https://tiktok.com/@dragoncreekranch

https://www.youtube.com/@Dragon_Creek_Ranch

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who’s building something from the ground up.

Dirt & Drive Podcast: Real conversations about building a business, working the land, and creating something that lasts.

Before you head out to pasture, remember, this is just people sharing opinions not medical, legal, or business advice. The opinions expressed here don't necessarily reflect the views of the host, Dragon Creek Ranch, or the Dirt & Drive Podcast. Always remember to do your own research. It's ok to get your hands a little dirty, but keep your rap sheet clean. Thanks for listening!

She was looking for goats. Instead, someone online was trying to give away a few alpacas... and Laura said yes. That one decision turned into L&R Alpaca Haven Farm, a full-blown alpaca rescue and breeding operation in Douglasville, Georgia.

In this episode of Dirt & Drive, I sit down with Laura to talk about how her farm grew from a spontaneous rescue into something much bigger. We cover what it actually takes to care for alpacas day to day: feeding, health, and handling their wool, and how rescue work is different from simply running a farm to turn a profit.

We also dig into how she funds it all: applying for grants, partnering with local businesses for fundraising, and hosting events right on the property! Including alpaca yoga, glass blowing, sourdough bread classes, art classes, and seasonal events throughout the year. If you've ever wondered what it takes to run an animal rescue as a real, sustainable business... or you just want to know what alpaca yoga is actually like... this episode has it all.

In this episode we cover:

• How L&R Alpaca Haven Farm started with a spontaneous "yes" to free alpacas
• The difference between running a rescue and running a farm for profit
• Daily care: feeding, health, and handling alpaca wool
• Finding grants and fundraising through local business partnerships
• Hosting events like alpaca yoga, glass blowing, and sourdough classes to fund the rescue

🦙 Follow L&R Alpaca Haven Farm:

https://www.silverliningsanimalrescueinc.org/

https://www.facebook.com/LRAlpacaHaven

https://www.instagram.com/lralpacahaven


🎙️ Follow Dirt & Drive:

https://www.youtube.com/@dirtanddrivepod

https://instagram.com/dirtanddrivepod

https://tiktok.com/@dirtanddrivepod

https://www.tiktok.com/@lralpaca

🐉 Follow Dragon Creek Ranch:

Shop Tallow: http://dragoncreek.org

https://facebook.com/dragoncreekranch

https://instagram.com/dragoncreek.ranch

https://tiktok.com/@dragoncreekranch

https://www.youtube.com/@Dragon_Creek_Ranch

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who’s building something from the ground up.

Dirt & Drive Podcast: Real conversations about building a business, working the land, and creating something that lasts.

Before you head out to pasture, remember, this is just people sharing opinions not medical, legal, or business advice. The opinions expressed here don't necessarily reflect the views of the host, Dragon Creek Ranch, or the Dirt & Drive Podcast. Always remember to do your own research. It's ok to get your hands a little dirty, but keep your rap sheet clean. Thanks for listening!

#AlpacaRescue #AlpacaYoga #DouglasvilleGA #AnimalRescue #GeorgiaFarm #DirtAndDrive