Clawson Greens
Tetonia, Idaho | EST. 2017
Farmer
David Ridill
No. of Farms
Two
Business Model
Restaurants
Area served:
Teton Valley, ID & Jackson, WY
Main crops
Mixed lettuces, wasabi arugula, rainbow Swiss chard & red-veined sorrel
About Clawson Greens
Dave Ridill never intended to become a hydroponic farmer, but a month spent in drought-ravaged Central Valley California opened his eyes to the many flaws in our traditional food system. Especially in the mountains of Idaho, the complicated food shipping structure failed time and time again as winter weather caused delays and the grocery stores were depleted of fresh goods. With two fellow Tetonians, Dave set out to create Clawson Greens, pitching local, hydroponic, year-round fresh food to the many restaurants and ski resorts in the area. Now he owns two farms, both of which are in full production to meet the demand.
“For the most part, we have a pretty decent selection, but sometimes it gets pretty scarce, especially in the wintertime because we can’t get trucks in: the highways can shut down for days at a time and food starts to dwindle.”
- Dave Ridill, Clawson Greens, Photo: Camrin Dengel, Teton Valley Magazine
Learn more about Dave’s farming business
Clawson Greens Webinar
Dave joined us on a live webinar to share the incredible story of Clawson Greens. He goes into complete detail about how he and his partners came up with idea to start farming, how he was able to pre-sell 120% of his first farm before even buying it, and how he has pivoted his business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clawson Greens Farmer Spotlight
No time for a whole webinar? Hear directly from Dave in our farmer spotlight: he explains the business origins, why he chose to sell to restaurants, his strategies for finding new customers, and much more.
Business Tools: Profit-First Accounting
Dave had no previous business experience before starting his farm. While he learned a lot from his partners, what really helped him become financially successful was a concept called ‘Profit-First Accounting’ which prioritizes profits over expenses to keep the business lean. For those who are interested, Dave recommends this video (left) and this book.
Create a successful small farm business
Like Clawson Greens, many Freight Farmers sell to restaurants. Chefs and restaurant managers are very interested in sourcing farm-to-table, and your ability to grow year-round helps them stabilize their costs while getting great quality every time. However, other customer markets can be equally successful! The two most common other than restaurants are grocery stores and direct-to-consumer/CSA programs.
Past Webinars
Serving a Network of Farm-to-Table Restaurants
Listen along as we chat with food-industry veterans and prolific urban farmers Thomas and Aaron of Hammock Greens in Miami. During the interview we discuss everything from forming a good partnership, creating the perfect mix, scaling quickly, and more.
Supplying a Local Grocery Store
We talk with Steve of Enlightened Crops about how he discovered his passion for farming, how he broke into the local grocery market, and what he hopes to bring to the Grand Rapids, MI community.
Running a Successful CSA
Sarah of Oasis Spring Farm shares her story of how she started a successful year-round CSA in highly-season Nashua, NH. She explains her creative strategy to find customers, how she determines her CSA crops and pricing, and much more.
Helpful Guides
How to Keep Your Small Business Profitable During COVID-19
COVID-19 has disrupted countless industries, but the food and restaurant industry is amongst those that are hardest hit. With the closures of restaurants, many small farmers have to get creative with how to stay in business–we’re summarizing the most effective strategies!
Starting a Farm in 9 Simple Steps
Regardless of who you are and where you’ve been, you have arrived at Freight Farms because you believe in making waves, disrupting the food system, and providing fresh, local, and delicious produce year-round.
Get in touch
We would love to hear from you about your farming project. Contact us for customized information tailored for your unique needs.