In three short decades between 1987 and 2007, the US lost nearly 100,000 small commercial dairy farms. The trend continues.In New Jersey, where the Lynesses now farm dairy, only 37 dairies remain. But there they are -- Dan and Sarah -- forging ahead with a love for Holsteins and Jerseys, and a pass…
From "hocus pocus," to focus, herbalist and farmer Shannon Mayernik and I discuss farming herbs, the most sought-after remedies and the important role of the kitchen in the farm to table movement. Don't miss this holistic conversation about your own wellbeing. xo, Farm Girlwww.mayernikkitchen.com a…
What if a flower farm is more than just that? Flower farms grow flowers and the ones in the US -- big and small -- are making a resurgence in an industry that is mostly imports. How does that change things? Flowers that don't ship well are yours for the picking -- hyper locally -- for instance. And…
Want some beer with your burger? 🍺 🍔 Meet Rob. He puts a little beer IN your burger. For real. But with Barley Beef in Bend, OR and rancher Rob Rastovich, the beef in the beer is only a small part of the story. Are you interested in technology? Business acumen? What it really takes to put a burger …
All farms have day to day problems. But then other serious problems crop up and throw a wrench in everything. No matter your current understanding of farms, this is an episode that sheds a light on what can happen to big or small farms if there's an interruption in the processing chain. Follow alon…
Sharon Burns-Leader is the co-owner of Bread Alone, a pioneering organic bakery that sells its baked goods at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City. She serves on GrowNYC’s (the organization that oversees the market) Farmer and Community Advisory Committee. That’s where we start, but quickl…
A new series of episodes will feature the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City and the farmers and other producers who sell there. What an interesting combination — one of the biggest and most famous cities in the world and farmers and producers from within 250 miles. Here Talk Farm to Me dive…
Farmer Will Harris transformed his third generation family farm from a monoculture factory farm to a regenerative multi-species farm that is no longer dependent on commodity structures or industrial fertilizer. He learned a thing or two along the way that he's willing to share.Farmer Will Harris wr…
Farmer Franchesca Duval of Alchemist Farm in Northern California is pioneering humane practices for poultry hatcheries. She is working with her community to make sure the rooster chicks are going to good use for food. She thinks about the whole ecological and humane spectrum of raising birds. Alche…
Hold on to your mushroom caps, folks. We are going straight into the mushroom world today. Mushroom farmer Matt Hall really wears a scientist hat in his work growing Maitake and Shiitake mushrooms for restaurants and retail outlets. But he's got a lot more going on in the laboratory that just might…
Meet farmer Nicole Vernon of Vernon Family Farm in Newfields, New Hampshire where she and her husband, Jeremiah, are raising pastured meats and three young daughters. The Vernons produce 20,000 pastured hens a year and that is not even enough to keep up with demand. Join me -- your host, Farm Girl …
Maria Stewart is a dairy goat farmer. At Gorgeous Goat Creamery she processes her goats' milk, makes cheese and soap. She sells her products off the farm and at seasonal farmers markets. She welcomes visitors for farm tours. Maria is a 24-7, 365-day a year farmer AND also a scientist with a full-ti…
Farmer Kamal Bell and your host, Farm Girl, go back in history to Kamal's farming roots and look forward into what could be. Instead of food deserts and discrimination, a more sustainable world where young people lead the charge. Sankofa Farms in Efland, NC is supremely conscious of the depth of th…
This episode is the first in a series of several about the dairy industry, dairy farmers and their bovine producers. It's a 101 of sorts. In this episode you'll meet a lifelong dairy farmer from New York state, Rich Dirie of Dirie's Dairy Farm. Rich speaks frankly about his farm, how it started and…
Meet Sam Lustig, a jack of all trades on the business side of Swanton Berry Farm in Santa Cruz, California. Sam talks drippy, sweet, red-in-the-middle strawberries, why it's important that they are organic and why it's just as important as the fact that Swanton Berry Farm's Latino farmworkers are t…
Meet vegetable and cannabis farmer Ashton Zubal of Farmstock Farm in Kingston, NY. Ashton dishes on working with friends (the not so good side!), growing 365 days a year, the challenges of finding a consistent marketplace (and what he's doing to fix that), new products, the dream of autonomy and wh…
It's a deeply American story. Two veterans raising American Bison. Join your host, Farm Girl, in a spirited conversation with Liz about her majestic herd, how her service prepared her for farming, her seriously straight talk on harvesting animals and how to be an honest carnivore. You will fall in …
Meet Kune Kune pig farmer Jessica Kirksey of Little D's Farm in Grand Saline, Texas. Jessica dishes on pig breeds, breeding, harvesting, pig personalities and more. She really knows her stuff and shares her passion for pork! I’m pretty sure she could convince pretty much anyone of the benefits of t…
Meet Welsh sheep farmer Joe Evans who, together with his wife, raises sheep and lamb in the hills of Andes, NY. Joe tells us about the best and worst of farming, how to sequester carbon through rotational grazing, what misconceptions about farmers he'd like to change, what government can do for far…
Meet 5th generation dairy farmer Kyle Clark who farms dairy in Delhi, New York with his father and with wisdom from his grandfather. Kyle dishes on working with family, feeding cows, taking care of the land, starting a creamery and what he'd do differently if he could. And after a tough day, what d…
Dairy farmers are dumping milk. Do you know why? In this episode we meet two dairy farmers -- from Wisconsin and Florida -- to explore the root causes of the dairy crisis and to find out what we can do about it. Along the way we do milk math, have a few laughs (actually!) and learn that headlines s…
Farmer Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm -- the gold standard in sustainable agriculture -- dishes on what's wrong with big business farms, supermarket supply chains and what's right with small entrepreneurial farms. Find out what you can do to get in on the food security action and reap the benefits o…
Farmers are working overtime to connect with new markets. They are altering business practices. They are also heading into their busiest growing and harvesting season. On top of all that, they need help. They are struggling and have unexpected expenditures to cover. Who's there to help? Join Talk F…
Food insecurity as a result of COVID has spurred folks to hoard supplies and food. But it's also had another effect. Consumers are scrambling to get into a local farm share. They are planting gardens of their own, raising chickens and even homesteading. The result is a closer connection to farmers …