Podcast

Bevin Cohen of Small House Farm shares his unexpected journey into seed production, the importance of rare and unusual seeds, and some of the unusual value-added products they take to market, including seed oils and apothecary products. The discussion with host April Parms Jones highlights the connection between seeds and community, the significance of regionally adapted seeds, and the value of growing unusual varieties. He also talks about the significance of seed saving for his farm, the cultivation of local food, and the journey of producing sunflower oil.

Mark and Kristin Kimball pioneered the full-diet CSA model when they founded Essex Farm back in 2004. Now 20 years later, they reflect on where they’ve been and where they’re headed with host Katie Kulla. Katie is especially well positioned to ask them about the joys and challenges of a full-diet CSA, since she transitioned her farm from a more traditional CSA model to a full-diet CSA for a few years, inspired directly by the Essex Farm model. Mark and Kristin share their journey into farming, the challenges and successes of running a year-round farm, and the details of the full-diet CSA model they have developed.

With thousands of farmers dealing with the uncertainty of the federal funding freeze, we wanted to hear from farmer Gale Livingstone about how the freeze has affected her farm, and some strategies she’s employed to deal with the disruption. She’s been able to leverage her CSA network and extended farm family through her farm store and email newsletter which are managed by Farmhand. Ari Memar, founder and CEO of Farmhand, tells us about how the Farmhand network has been able to help farmers deal with all kinds of disruptions, from the funding freeze to natural disasters.

Having started several farms before their current Lovin’ Mama Farm in Amsterdam, New York, we hear from Corinne Hansch and Matthew Leon what they learned from their previous farms, and what they did differently this time. They discuss their journey from California to New York, the challenges of adapting to a new climate, and ways they are trying to find work-life balance on a busy, year-round farm.

This week we hear from Sarahlee Lawrence, who runs a full-diet CSA plus events like longtable dinners on the farm she grew up on in the town of Sisters, Oregon. She took the livestock elements her parents pioneered, and added vegetables and more, so they can fill out the menu year-round for their full-diet CSA members and farm-to-table dinner events. Which is all the more impressive due to the fact that the central Oregon high desert climate is not an easy one to grow in, with little precipitation and frost a possibility almost any day of the year.

This week we hear from Graham Christensen about the wide range of regenerative practices he’s using on his family’s farm in Nebraska. Graham and host April Parms Jones discuss the importance of ecological farming practices for profitability as well as sustainability, the legacy of family farming, and the methods he is implementing on his family’s 800-acre farm that was founded in 1867. He shares insights on keeping farms in the family, the challenges faced by farmers today, and the work being done through Regenerate Nebraska to build community connections and advocate for sustainable food systems.

Jacqueline Jackson, owner of Mattie's Garden, shares her journey from a successful banking career to establishing an urban farm in Birmingham, Alabama. She and host Katie Kulla discuss how Jacqueline started thinking about growing food instead of banking, and the careful planning that led to her leaving her job and starting her own farm. They also talk about the sustainable growing practices she uses, what a food desert is and how local farming can help reduce food insecurity.

How farmers can integrate solar panels with growing crops, so they can effectively harvest the sun in two different ways, is the subject of this week’s podcast with Elise Couillard and host April Parms Jones. They explore the benefits of solar for farmers, including financial savings, sustainability, and the ability to create microclimates that may improve the growth of certain crops. Elise shares her journey into the solar industry, the importance of tailoring solar solutions to individual needs, and the economic advantages of solar energy. The discussion also highlights the significance of community support and collaboration in adopting solar technology, as well as the integration of minimalistic living with solar energy.

How does one go from Shakespearian acting to starting a company making regeneratively-grown heirloom-grain pancake mixes? Well, it involves an appearance on Shark Tank, eating pancakes five times a week for years, the pandemic, and so much more than we have room for here.

Jim Crawford founded New Morning Farm in Pennsylvania in 1976, starting and selling at multiple markets in Washington, D.C. He and his wife Moie are now semi-retired, having run the farm until they transitioned it to new ownership in 2019. They also founded the Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative that helped growers in rural Pennsylvania aggregate produce to reach the Washington, D.C. wholesale market.

Romondo Woods of the Urban Youth Agriculture Farm in Detroit, Michigan, tells us about how he is producing food for the city, while at the same time giving children hands-on experiences at the farm. Romondo started the farm a decade ago and has been scaling up ever since in order to make it a growing source of produce for the city. In addition to letting kids know where their food comes from, they are helping make Detroit a leading example of how cities can implement natural farming practices that make the city a healthier place for people to live.

In this conversation, host Rebecca Kutzer-Rice speaks with Matt Dell, co-owner of Treadlight Farm, about their journey into organic flower farming, the transition from retail to wholesale, and the unique challenges and strategies involved in scaling their business. Treadlight Farm focuses on uncommon flower varieties, and Matt discusses how they built relationships with wholesalers, and the techniques they use to manage production effectively.

Corinna Bench learned digital marketing by doing the marketing for her family’s farm, Shared Legacy Farms. They grow certified organic vegetables for a 400-member CSA in Ohio, and Corinna offers classes and coaching for farm marketing through MyDigitalFarmer. Whether your goal is to get more people to your market stand or sell out your CSA by the New Year, don’t underestimate the importance of marketing to grow your business! In this interview, we talk about what she has learned from running her own farm’s marketing campaigns.

Rogue Farm Corps grew out of the age-old network of farmer-led apprenticeships, to help make the apprenticeship system compliant with modern labor laws and fulfil its educational component, while continuing to give people real-world farming experience on the way to starting their own farms. In the process they’ve added many opportunities in addition to traditional apprenticeships, forming a robust training program to the benefit of beginners and current farmers alike.

Pete Russell used his experience in the food industry to design Ooooby, a sales platform for farmers to sell directly to the public. Their goal is to put local, ecologically sound growers back at the heart of the food system. Ooooby integrates all the apps one would use to build an online farm store into their software to simplify the process for farmers and offer a seamless experience for the customer.