Episodes

Healthy food should not be a privilege, yet more than 23 million Americans don't have access to fresh food. Maura "Mac" Russell is working to change this statistic, all while balancing her career as a consultant, and being a mom of four. Through Ad Astra Farms, Mac takes on food justice in the community, healthy food production and education, and the persisting trauma that many Black Americans associate with farming. This first episode of One Bite is Everything takes on personal health, community well-being, the environment, and more. Tune in until the end for some funny surprises you will relate to! Follow/Subscribe to the show. Leave a review.

On today’s episode of Talk Farm To Me, we hear from first generation farmer Kelley Babbin, owner and operator of Howling Flats Farms in Canaan, Connecticut. Kelley has made it her mission to create an environment of sustainable agriculture, while nurturing the land she grows on. Using sustainable practices to give her animals the utmost love and care, making for happy animals that live harmoniously with the land, Kelley has created an online marketplace to sell her meat to consumers that are loo...

We believe in farmers being taken seriously. They are the backbone of our society after all, right? Then why are more and more farmers becoming silenced and marginalized? To answer this question and spread awareness about this topic, we have invited podcast host, author, and law and government teacher, Sharon McMahon, to shed light on how America is failing its farmers, and what we can do to change that. Sharon has a deep knowledge of the monster farmers are up against when it comes to legislation, farm bills, and the oligopoly of big ag phasing out small family farms. She brings the conversation back to the American government and law makers to enforce checks and balances so the farmers get the respect they deserve, with the health of the consumers in mind. This is an important conversation with tons of information about the way the government and laws are structured that will put the farming industry and the direction it is going into perspective. Something we all need to pay attent…

Sal Gilbertie has had some luck -- good luck and bad luck -- that catapulted him into a career in growing organic herbs. Sal’s love for healthy soil and organic farming shines through in this episode, where he details his experience of deciding to grow organically when it wasn’t as common or popular as it is now. Sal has a deep knowledge of what it takes to be 100% organic, in a world where pesticides are still very much being used as the easier, cheaper option, yet making people very sick. Thi...

When you think of farming, Alaska isn’t the first place that comes to mind. However our guest on today’s episode is an Alaskan dairy farmer on Kodiak island, who is an advocate for small farms staying small, especially in Alaska where most of the food that is consumed is grown elsewhere and shipped in. Kelli Foreman grew up on a small farm in Nebraska, so she has always been familiar with the benefits of small family farms, but it wasn’t until she started a small farm herself, on a remote islan...

It’s not uncommon that farmers are hit with financial issues constantly. Farming isn’t cheap and requires a lot of grit to push through the uncertainty that comes with farming. What non-farmers might not realize is that something as seemingly arbitrary as improper fencing can make or break a farm. This was the case for our guest on today’s episode, and she is here to tell her story! Rancher Charity Epperson from Wild Things Ranch in Sonoma County, California, raises specialty sheep, lamb, and p...

On this episode, we meet one of the 2023 For Farmers Grant awardees, Scott and Delissa Mainord of Mainord Family Farms, located in East Prairie, Missouri. Mainord Family Farms is a produce farm, where they mainly grow watermelon and pumpkins, after working their day jobs. Scott and Delissa were looking to expand their pumpkin varieties and needed an extra financial boost to grow specialty pumpkins, which they received through our For Farmers Grant after being nominated by a family member, and they are here to talk about it! Tune in to hear Scott and Delissa’s story, and how they manage to run a farm in their busy lives!

Rachael Stewart | Stewart Pastures On today’s episode of Talk Farm To Me, we are joined by an incredibly strong and brave, first generation farmer, who took a chance on herself, no matter the hurdles, to own and operate an off grid livestock farm in Arizona. Rachael Stewart went from a life in fitness to life on the farm, taking her passion for good nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle, and putting it into action by growing and processing her own livestock. Rachael’s story is nothing short ...

Did you know that 99% of poultry farmers don’t own their own birds? When we learned this statistic from our guest on today’s show, it completely shocked us. Unfortunately, many family farmers across the US have their arms tied due to financial constraints where large corporations have swooped in to take advantage of their situation and hire family farms on contract, leaving farmers with little to no control over their compensation, how they farm, and the longevity of their farms. Our guest on ...

What you need to know about your meat and the Prime Act with Liz Reitzig How often do we, as food consumers, think about how and who is cultivating, harvesting, and distributing our food? Or, on a deeper level, do we ever think about how our food choices and consumption is affecting the health of our soils? The answers to these questions are probably similar across the board, no or very little, but that’s what our guest on today’s episode wants to change, and she has been incredibly successful i...

On this episode of Talk Farm To Me, we invite farmers Laura & Mike Ellis from Mt. Hope Farms to talk to us about their fifth-generation farm in Oregon and how they have created a successful business by bridging the gap between the old ways and new ways of farming. Known for their award-winning Oregon fruit spreads, table grapes, and specialty crops, Mt. Hope Farms has gone through a substantial amount of evolution during their five generations of being on this farm, which historically isn't the...

In this episode, Charmaine La Fortune, a passionate urban farmer transformed two vacant city lots into a small garden that’s now a thriving center for community, education, and wellness. The Giving One Tenth Garden is not only reducing food insecurity in this Newark community, but addressing the needs of the community with a diverse selection of crops, health screenings, and more. Charmaine was the recipient of a For Farmers 2022 Grant, which allowed the garden to expand its impact and provide ...

In this episode, PJ Haynie, Virginia row crop farmer and founding member of the National Black Growers Council, escorts host Dana DiPrima on a journey through his agriculture industry experience to shed light on the unique challenges and triumphs of minority farming. The number of American farmers has been in decline for a long time but the number of Black farmers has dwindled at a much higher rate than white farmers. Why is that? PJ offers his insights on the factors hindering the Black farmin...

In this episode, Christmas tree farmer Ashley Latta of Tuckaway Tree Farms joins host Dana DiPrima with a look behind the scenes of the farm, including their selection of species and strategic pruning for health and aesthetics. Plus, she shares tips on how to keep Christmas trees fresh and options for recycling them after the holidays. Also, find out what the farm does when it’s not selling Christmas trees. At Tuckaway Tree Farms, it’s not just about growing crops but providing an experience pe...

If you care about preventing superbugs, like influenza or an epidemic where medicine is ineffective on humans, you are going to want to hear what Steve Roach of FACT, the Food Animal Concerns Trust, has to say. How your animals are raised and confined affects your health whether you eat meat or not! Have a listen and share the episode with everyone you know! The way we raise animals -- in CAFOS (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) and with systemic antibiotics -- has a bigger impact on you ...

Episode Summary In this episode, we explore the remarkable journey of a woman who has made groundbreaking contributions in animal welfare and autism advocacy. Discover Dr. Grandin's unique insights into farming, animal welfare, and breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry. Key Takeaways - Temple Grandin's pioneering work in animal behavior and welfare has revolutionized the livestock industry. - The importance of understanding and accommodating neurodiversity in the workplace and society...

In this episode, you meet Caitlin Arnold Stephano, Farm Aid's Hotline manager. She fields over 800 calls a year -- often 70 a month -- from farmers who want to talk about their struggles and find resources that can help. In this episode, we explore the current day edition of Farm Aid, a still annual concert initiative founded by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews in 1985, which continues to raise funds and awareness for family farmers facing economic difficulties. Th...

In this episode of “Talk Farm to Me,” host Dana DiPrima sits down with Michaela Mann, a Nebraska rancher and co-owner of D&D Beef. Together, they explore the diverse practices of raising and feeding cattle, debunk common myths surrounding cattle farming, and discuss the challenges faced by ranchers in the agricultural industry. Michaela highlights that ranchers have different approaches to raising and feeding their cattle, which are influenced by location, climate, and available resources. List...

Walnuts. The most delicious walnuts. They can lead you down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole on your darkest days, but can also make you scratch your head about why things are the way they are. Do we accept them as "the way we do things?" Or do we try something new? Fourth-generation walnut farmer Kaben Kramer and his wife Jenn are trying new things and making a go of it. But a look at the history of the farm since 1980 and the industry numbers are really head-scratching. Here are the links I...

Meet Rick Clark, a soybean and corn farmer in Indiana. Rick is a leader in regenerative farming. In this episode, we'll hear about Rick's journey from conventional farming and over-tilling to increasing cover crops and decreasing chemical inputs. Rick Clark is digging in and putting things right on his 7000-acre farm. Back to the way his ancestors did it. Rick's vision, studiousness, and data collecting have driven him to step further and further from conventional farming practices. His work is...

Morgan and Jake couldn't convince their friends to farm seaweed, so they did it themselves. Now others are getting in the game too. From pinchy lobsters to sultry seaweed, Morgan and Jake have pioneered a sustainable new business that yields slimy green harvests for bath products, fertilizer, and delicious condiments and snacks. Not only is seaweed delicious and skin-softening, but it cleans the ocean, and sequesters that elusive carbon, too. Can you imagine how it's done? Does it sound romant...

Ever had a family joke that went too far? Paul has. And now he's knee-deep in chicken feathers. From the US Marine Corps to first-generation farmer, Paul is more innovator than farmer in some ways. I'm thinking he could probably do anything as long as it's really challenging. This is the story of Pasturebird and the journey from 50 to 1 million chickens, a week. Two other Talk Farm to Me episodes are referenced in this episode. 1) Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms and 2) Will Harris, White Oak Pas...

Take what you're doing right now and turn it on its head. I mean completely change the way you do it. Now add 1,000 external factors that Mother Nature throws at you and do it all on a horse, in the mountains. Well, that's what Glenn did. With seven daughters. And big ideas like possibility, and how to listen to the land, and observe everything. He challenged all the paradigms. And he's here to tell all about it. He's so inspiring and a total whirlwind of an innovator. Meet Glenn. You're going t...

From 5,000 Sugar Maple trees deep in the heart of Vermont's northeast kingdom to the Greenmarket in New York City's Union Square, sugar makers Stephan and Howie Cantor have dedicated the past 36 years to the ebb and flow of sap and market-shopping New Yorkers to bring a little more sweetness to the world. Through 9/11 and constant 6 1/2 hour commutes, the Cantors have persisted. Hear all about the sugarbush and what it yields. You will want to rush to the kitchen to make pancakes. xo Farm Girl ...