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Second Careers: Organic Farmers

They grew a new farm

Organic Famers Nikki Ausschnitt and Steve Krieg in their garden
Sam Comen

NIKKI AUSSCHNITT, 72 AND STEVE KRIEG, 65 | $100,000 sales per year

"We reap the rewards of the great outdoors."

Organic Famers Steve Krieg and Nikki Ausschnitt
Sam Comen

Home: Yorkville, Calif.

Previous Life: Visual artist (Nikki) and attorney (Steve)

How they did it: We sold the surplus from our kitchen garden to the farmers market; then we got serious about going commercial.

What they learned: Produce we couldn’t sell would often go to waste. This taught us the value of adding preserved foods like jams.

What you need to know: Financial planning is very important. We pay employees and cover most costs, but live off other income.

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