Farmers are now dealing with the impacts of the climate crisis on a daily basis. Experts predict weather events including droughts and flooding will only get worse. Young and beginning farmers, especially BIPOC farmers, are feeling those impacts the most. Are there opportunities to advance water and climate action and justice through the 2024 Farm Bill? We interview Abi Fain, Chief Legal and Policy Officer at the Intertribal Ag Council. And we’ll talk to young farmers building solutions to address water access and climate issues. Check out the Intertribal Agriculture Council hereLearn more about the USDA’s EQIP program here and the crop insurance agent training program Abi mentions hereMore information about the Small Farms Conservation Act and the Farmer to Farmer Education Act can be found here and hereConnect with the farmers featured in this episode. Visit Cloverleigh Farm, Hollenbeck's Cider Mill, San Juan Ranch, and BluRok FarmThe Farm Report is hosted by Leigh Ollman and Alita Kelly, produced by Leigh Ollman, Evan Flom and H Conley, and edited by Hannah Beal and H Conley. Audio engineering is by Armen Spendjian and H Conley. Music is by Breakmaster Cylinder and JangwaLearn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here and consider becoming a member. Click here to take action on the farm bill and other important policy issues.The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

Why should our next generation of farmers – and just about everyone who eats – care about the farm bill? Celize Christy, an Organizer at HEAL Food Alliance explains the basic details on what’s in the legislation, how it gets written, and how it impacts you. Then, Young Farmers’ Policy Campaigns Co-Director Vanessa Garcia Polanco lays out the path forward in terms of the most important issues this time around. And we talk to farmers KD Randall and Matt Hollenbeck about what they need from their policymakers in D.C. Guest BiosCelize Christy, Organizer, HEAL Food AllianceAs an Organizer at HEAL Food Alliance, Celize facilitates connections among members, campaigns, and programs building collective power through HEAL's multi-sector, multi-racial coalition. Celize comes to HEAL's campaign and policy work by coordinating farmer-led education programming, advocating for BIPOC farmers in Iowa, and coalition building and organizing with sustainable agriculture organizations. At HEAL, Celize isn't just an organizer; she's a passionate agent of change, weaving connections and networks that celebrate the multifaceted voices of our food and farm systems. Read her full bio.Vanessa García Polanco, Policy Campaigns Co-Director, National Young Farmers CoalitionVanessa Garcia Polanco co-designs the strategy and implementation of Young Farmers’ policy campaigns, ensuring we are pursuing and advocating for equity-driven, farmer-centric research, policy, and programmatic interventions. She serves as the organizational council member and co-chair of the Farming Opportunities & Fair Competition Committee of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. She has previously worked with Food Solutions New England, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension, and the Executive Office of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She is an alumna of Michigan State University and the University of Rhode Island. She is a James Beard Foundation Scholar, AFHVS Innovation Leader, and an Emerging Leader in Food and Agriculture. As an Afro-Dominican immigrant, she brings her experiences and identities to her policy and advocacy activities.KD Randall, Farmer, Home Grown Farm + Young Farmers Land Fellow@farmerinthekellsKellsRandallMatt Hollenbeck, Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill + Young Farmers Land FellowMatt Hollenbeck lives and farms in Virgil, NY and is the 4th generation steward of Hollenbeck's Cider Mill. He has been a factory worker, cubicle jockey, geologist, outdoor adventure guide, worked on a small organic csa farm, a butcher shop, and many other varied jobs before settling into continuing his family's 90+ year old ag processing business. He's a first generation orchardist with impostor syndrome, a staunch and vocal advocate for rural issues, smallholder agriculture, and appropriate technology. Matt is also a firm believer that family is the most important part of a family business. And a luddite to boot!Check out HEAL Food Alliance’s farm bill priorities here.Learn more about Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill here.Follow KD Randle @farmerinthekellsLearn more about the USDA’s EQIP program here, and the NRCS program here.The Farm Report is hosted by Leigh Ollman and Alita Kelly, produced by Leigh Ollman, Evan Flom and H Conley, and edited by Hannah Beal and H Conley. Audio engineering is by Armen Spendjian and H Conley. Music is by Breakmaster Cylinder and JangwaLearn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here and consider becoming a member. Click here to take action on the farm bill and other important policy issues. The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

Join us for a special series of The Farm Report in collaboration with The National Young Farmers Coalition that's all about The Farm Bill. Tune in to hear from farmers, policymakers, organizers, and food advocates about all the ways the farm bill directly impacts our lives - whether we realize it or not. We’ll break down farm policy and talk to young farmers about what hangs in the balance for them as another Farm Bill gets made. Join our coalition to shift power and change policy for the next generation of growers and land stewards. The future of good food depends on it. The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

Humans have used fermentation to preserve crops and add flavor and health benefits to their diets for thousands of years. Since 2015, Sarah Conezio and Isaiah Billington have been putting their own stamp on that age-old tradition with Keepwell Vinegar. Together, they partner directly with small, organic farms to turn apples, ginger, and persimmons into specialty vinegars, farro into miso, and soybeans into soy sauce, bottling the Mid-Atlantic’s seasonal bounty. Home cooks and the best chefs in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Philadelphia—and increasingly far beyond—now use their products. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to the Keepwell founders about making vinegar, working with farmers, and why they do what they do.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

Whether they’ve grazed on grass their entire lives, been raised in an organic system, or lived on a conventional dairy farm, the vast majority of dairy cows get sold into the commodity beef system when they’re retired and get integrated into the same cheap meat supply. With Butter Meat Co, Jill Gould is betting on a different model. By selling retired organic dairy cows directly in her local community in Western New York and online, she’s working to get struggling organic dairies higher prices for their animals while getting more flavorful and environmentally friendly beef to consumers. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Gould about eating beef from dairy cows, the economic proposition for farmers, and what the model might mean for the planet.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

America’s farmers are aging rapidly, and those looking to sell their land are finding no shortage of buyers. Billionaires, global corporations, investment firms, and developers are all buying up farmland for profit at a quick clip, driving up prices and making it nearly impossible for young and beginning farmers without accumulated wealth to afford their own acreage to plant and harvest. “Farmers Need Equitable Access to Land Now” is the message behind the National Young Farmers Coalition’s One Million Acres for the Future Campaign. In this episode, NYFC Land Campaign Director Holly Rippon-Butler talks to host Lisa Held about the factors driving land access challenges, historic and ongoing injustices that make accessing land even more difficult for BIPOC farmers, and the long-term policy solutions NYFC is pushing for.Photo Courtesy of National Young Farmers Coalition.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

Adrien de Botin and his wife Carolina Prioglio are the husband-and-wife founders of Maison/Made, and to make the certified biodynamic skin-care products that they sell, they grow their own medicinal herbs on a family farm in Burgundy and have built a network of small farm suppliers around the world. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to de Botin about the couple’s efforts—from the specifics of biodynamic practices and why they matter, to how biodynamic farming, a system focused on minimizing inputs, building healthy soil, and working with local ecology, compares to systems like organic or regenerative agriculture.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

Over the past decade, hummus has exploded in popularity in the U.S, but compared to the many brands that now line shelves at every supermarket, Little Sesame is doing things differently. The Washington D.C. fast casual restaurant, which now also sells its hummus at Whole Foods and other stores in the region, gets all of its chickpeas from a single Montana farmer who is pushing the envelope on climate-friendly farming with his organic, regenerative practices. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Nick Wiseman, co-founder of Little Sesame, and Casey Bailey, regenerative farmer, about their unique partnership, how chickpeas are grown, why they’re a particularly beneficial crop in terms of climate impact, and more.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

While USDA-certified organic food still accounts for a small fraction of total U.S. food sales, it’s now big business. In 2020, data from the Organic Trade Association showed sales of organic food rose at a record rate to a new high of $56.4 billion, and as the industry has become more lucrative, fraud and cheating have increased. The Cornucopia Institute is a non-profit watchdog organization that has been working to hold companies and the USDA accountable to organic’s original ideals around soil health, animal welfare, and more. In this episode, host Lisa Held speaks with executive director Melody Morrell about the organization’s organic scorecards, a new Living Soil campaign, and what’s happening at the USDA right now to close loopholes and strengthen the standards.Correction: In this episode, Melody Morrell's statement that 25 operations produce 75% of the organic milk in the country is false. The correct statistic is: 22 operations produce 25% of the organic milk in the country.Photo Courtesy of Cornucopia Institute.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

When Alice Waters opened her trailblazing California restaurant Chez Panisse in 1971, she launched what would become a movement around truly seasonal cooking and eating that could support farmers, communities, and the environment. In 1995, Waters also started the Edible Schoolyard Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching children about food and transforming the public education system. To mark the Edible Schoolyard Project’s 25th anniversary, in this episode, host Lisa Held talks to executive director Angela McKee-Brown about the organization’s history and original school garden, how it has grown its programming to reach thousands of schools around the world, and what the future of edible education looks like.Photo Courtesy of The Edible Schoolyard Project.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

On September 23, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization is hosting the first UN Food Systems Summit, with a goal of “setting the stage for global food systems transformation.” In this episode, Ruth Richardson, the executive director of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, talks to host Lisa Held about the significance of the Summit, some of the controversies surrounding it, and what she thinks global food systems transformation should look like—from a shift toward agro-ecological practices in farming to calculating the true costs of food.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

Extra virgin olive oil is a delicious, healthy, pantry staple. It can also be a luxury product for special dining experiences. However, most olive oil in the world is low quality and highly processed. What does producing a truly great extra virgin olive oil—from farm to bottle—actually involve? Armando Manni is the founder of Manni Organic Olive Oil in Tuscany, and his high-antioxidant, long-lasting, organic oils are used by some of the best chefs in the world. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Manni about how production practices impact the quality of the oil, the challenges of organic, utilizing olive waste, and how climate change is impacting olive groves.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

Cover crops are good for soil health, water quality, and climate resilience, and while more farmers are planting them compared to a decade ago, the number of covered acres is still miniscule compared to the amount of cropland that goes bare each winter. Now, a new analysis from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that in crucial Midwest states, increases in cover crop planting might be plateauing. In this episode, EWG director of spatial analysis Soren Rundquist joins host Lisa Held to talk about the report, its significance, and how spatial data can contribute to our broader understanding of agricultural climate solutions.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

Lindsey Lusher Shute began working on the concept for GrownBy during her time at the National Young Farmers Coalition, because young farmers expressed a need for better technology that could help them sell their food. Now, after testing the platform during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic on her own farm in the Hudson Valley and several others, the app is up and running with 160 farms around the country. In this episode, Lusher Shute talks to host Lisa Held about how GrownBy works, a cooperative model that means farmers retain power and profits, and the digital future of the local food marketplace.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

After observing how much the quality and variety of produce sold in grocery stores differed in neighborhoods across St. Louis, Tyrean Lewis started Heru Urban Farming to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to food apartheid communities. In this episode, he talks to host Lisa Held about growing the farm to four different plots in the city, how his family’s history in agriculture inspires and guides him, and bringing local young people onto the farm for job training and healing.Image courtesy of Heru Urban Farming.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

The American agricultural system was built based on the enslavement of African people, and since emancipation, systematic discrimination against Black people within agriculture has persisted. In 1920, close to 1 million Black farmers made up about 14 percent of America’s farmers. In 2017, less than 50,000 Black farmers remained, making up just over 1 percent. In this episode, Dania Davy joins host Lisa Held to talk about the impacts of land loss, her work helping Black farmers and families keep their homes and land, and whether new policies in Washington will have a meaningful impact on the ground. Davy recently joined the Federation of Southern Cooperatives as the director of land retention and advocacy.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people began buying more local food directly from small farms in their communities, and some farmers scrambled to meet increased demand. A year later, as planting kicks off for the 2021 season, they’re asking: What now? Will customers keep coming back? Will they go back to old grocery habits? In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to farmer Becky Fullam—of Old Ford Farm in New York’s Hudson Valley—about what the past year has been like and why she’s hoping customers continue to support small farms like hers long after the pandemic is behind us.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

From massive venture capital-funded vertical farms and rooftop CSA operations to community gardens and windowsill pots, what does growing food in cities look like? And, more importantly, why are people doing it? That’s the focus of Fields, a new podcast on Heritage Radio Network. In this episode, Lisa Held interviews Melissa Metrick and Wythe Marschall, the hosts of Fields, about how they got interested in urban agriculture and the kinds of stories they’re digging into as they explore urban farming’s broad, evolving landscape.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers, representing more than 1,800 farmers in 34 US States, most in dairy. You’ve likely seen their milk, yogurt, and cheeses at the grocery store. This month, the company released its 2021 Impact Report. In this episode, Nicole Rakobitsch, Organic Valley’s director of sustainability, joins host Lisa Held to talk about some of the environmental initiatives and metrics in that report—from renewable energy projects to carbon farming.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

President Joe Biden took office 21 days ago, and the White House is already making moves that will affect food and agriculture. Plus, the shift in Congress means it’s also a new chapter for food and farm legislation. In this episode, Eric Deeble—policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)— joins host Lisa Held to talk about what’s ahead. They discuss address racial equity, climate action via conservation programs, and much more. Image courtesy of Zoe Schaeffer via Unsplash.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

The Pasa conference is one of the year's most popular events for sustainable and organic farmers—in Pennsylvania and beyond. As it kicks off (digitally), executive director Hannah Smith-Brubaker talks to host Lisa Held about the important topics represented this year and how the state of Pennsylvania is supporting agriculture in unique, forward-thinking ways.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

Most capital invested in agriculture in the U.S. flows to large, commodity farms. For smaller operations that don’t fit the conventional mold, it can be difficult—if not impossible—to get a loan. Steward aims to change that by connecting online investors to small- and mid-size sustainable farms. In this episode, founder and CEO Dan Miller talks to host Lisa Held about how the company is serving farmers and funding the production of better, environmentally-friendly crops, from vegetables grown on an urban farm in Detroit to organic hemp grown in rural Southwest Oregon.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

Forecasts point to the market for plant- and cell-based meat alternatives exploding over the next decade, largely because of the sustainability claims companies make when marketing these food products. But while it’s true that diets that include more plants and fewer animal products (especially beef) have climate benefits, burgers and nuggets engineered and processed to mimic meat have different environmental impacts than a bowl of rice and beans. And there’s been very little research so far to investigate what those impacts are and how they actually compare to meat from farmed animals. In this episode, Raychel Santo, a senior research program coordinator at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future talks joins host Lisa Held to discuss her new study that “provides the most comprehensive review to date of the greenhouse gas footprints, land use, and blue (i.e., irrigation) water footprints of plant-based substitutes and cell-based meat.Image courtesy of @likemeat on Unsplash.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

Centralized, uber-efficient, industrialized agriculture is often presented as necessary to “feed the world.” In his new book, Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It, veteran food, agriculture, and climate journalist Tom Philpott argues the opposite: that “industrial agriculture, as currently practiced, threatens the food security of everyone who now relies on it for sustenance.” In this episode, he talks to host Lisa Held about his reporting on the US’ resource-consuming systems—from a water crisis in California’s Central Valley to soil loss in the Midwest’s corn and soy fields—and what more resilient systems might look like.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

Producing food requires land. As a result, forests are often razed to make space for crops or animals, creating environmental tradeoffs. But what if there were a middle ground between forest and farmland? In this episode, host Lisa Held explores the concept of agroforestry with Jacob Grace, a program manager at the Savanna Institute based in Madison, Wisconsin. They discuss varied agroforestry practices like alley cropping and silvopasture, potential environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration, and barriers that currently prevent more farmers from adopting the practices.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

Vital Farms started on a Texas farm with 20 chickens. This year, the pasture-raised egg company went public. In between, the company bucked the typical model of scaling up in animal agriculture by building a network of small farms that all keep their hens outside on pasture, rather than building bigger, more concentrated, confined farms. In this episode, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco talks to host Lisa Held about what that approach looks like, from contract farming to “conscious capitalism.”Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

When it comes to election day, political pundits love to discuss which way “farmers” are going to vote. In the case of this election, the prevailing idea is that most farmers—especially commodity growers in the Midwest—will vote for President Trump. Many will. But farmers are a diverse group with diverse political opinions. In this episode, Ohio farmer and political organizer John Russell offers one unique perspective from the field. Russell is working with a super PAC called Rural Vote to promote Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the right choice for farmers, a more resilient food system, and rural communities. He shares his observations and opinions with host Lisa Held.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

This week The Farm Report is proud to present Jupiter's Almanac. On this inaugural episode, host Matthew Raiford introduces himself, along with his family history and the history of his farm. These lineages go hand in hand, dating back nearly 150 years ago when Matthew’s great-great-great grandfather, Jupiter Gilliard, bought Gilliard Farms. Matthew and his partner Jovan Sage share what the land is like today and discuss both how they care for it and keep its legacy alive. The second half of the show dives into the history of Coastal Georgia, Gullah Geechee culture, and the foodways Matthew has inherited. Plus Jovan shares a recipe for a delicious hibiscus spritzer. Find Jovan’s hibiscus tea at sageslarder.com and check out the Gilliard Farms’ Gullah Geechee Gin here.Subscribe to Jupiter's Almanac wherever you get your podcasts (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS). Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

Reverend Dr. Heber Brown, a Baltimore pastor, community organizer, and beginner farmer, started the Black Church Food Security Network in the wake of the city’s Freddie Gray uprisings in 2015. Since then, he’s been connecting farmers and faith communities in an effort to empower more Black communities to grow their own food on church-owned land. Five years later, in the midst of another pivotal moment in the movement for Black lives, host Lisa Held talks to him about what the network has accomplished so far and the importance and future of food sovereignty as it relates to racial justice.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.  

J.I. Rodale wrote “healthy soil = healthy food = healthy people” on a blackboard in 1942, and that has been the mantra at the Rodale Institute, created in 1947, ever since. In this sitdown at Rodale’s research farm in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, host Lisa Held talks to CEO Jeff Moyer about how that history contributed to evolving ideas around organic and regenerative agriculture, the Institute’s most impactful research projects, and more. Think of it as a big picture check-in to assess if and why “organic” food and farming matters—now and for the future.Image courtesy of Rodale Institute.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

Despite challenges like shuttered farmers' markets and restaurants, a shortage of meat processors, and the scramble to move sales online, small and mid-size farmers have demonstrated real resilience during COVID-19, even as other parts of the food system shut down. In a recent online panel produced by the James Beard Foundation and Civil Eats, host Lisa Held spoke with farmers and leaders around the country to explore how the pandemic has affected regional food systems and what it all means for the future. The conversation features Cornelius Blanding, Executive Director of The Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Dena Leibman, Executive Director of Future Harvest, Lindsey Lusher Shute, CEO/Farmer/Co-Owner of Farm Generations and Hearty Roots Community Farm, and Wendy Johnson, Farmer/Co-Owner/Manager of Jóia Food Farm and Center View Farms. This panel was part of a James Beard Foundation webinar series to support the food and hospitality industry through COVID-19. To listen to additional conversations, visit https://www.jamesbeard.org/industry-support-webinars.Image courtesy of Jóia Food Farm.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Farm Report by becoming a member!The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

Jamila Norman had a vision to “just find green patches of land in the city and turn them into farms”—and she made it a reality. In this episode, Norman talks to host Lisa Held about how, today, she packs maximum vegetable production into Patchwork City Farms’ 1.2 acres in Atlanta, Georgia, how the farm has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the Black Lives Matter movement has led to greater visibility and support for Black farmers.In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.Keep The Farm Report on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Image courtesy of Patchwork City Farms.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

Chefs in Baltimore and Washington D.C. have always been Karma Farm’s best, and primary, customers. So what happens when restaurants shut down? In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to farmer Jon Shaw about how his diversified vegetable farm in Maryland has been affected by COVID-19 and about the farm’s other innovative attributes, like vegetables grown using organic practices in healthy soil outside, paired with hydroponic lettuces and herbs grown inside.In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.Keep The Farm  Report on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. The Farm  Report is powered by Simplecast.   

This week we're presenting the first episode of Behind the Label with American Humane, a new series from Heritage Radio Network. Behind the Label with American Humane takes listeners from the grocery store aisle to the farm – explaining what it means for broiler chickens at Springer Mountain Farms, and all animals, to be raised humanely. Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane, the country's first national welfare organization, chats with Lisa Held, a seasoned agriculture reporter, about humane standards on the farm. Together, they bring together scientists and welfare experts to answer questions on the science behind welfare standards, the farm auditing process, and how humane food arrives at a grocery store near you.Subscribe to Behind the Label with American Humane wherever you get your podcasts (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS)  In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.Keep The Farm Report on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment—and therefore food insecurity—has skyrocketed. At the same time, farmers that sell their food at farmers markets have faced multiple economic challenges, as they lost sales to restaurants and some markets shut down in the name of social distancing. Amy Crone has worked on multiple initiatives that help connect food insecure families that receive federal food benefits like SNAP to their local farmers' markets. In this episode, she talks to host Lisa Held about MarketLink, which allows farmers to access the technology they need to accept electronic payments and federal nutrition benefits, and SNAP incentive programs like Maryland Market Money, which allows low-income families to buy even more fresh, healthy food at markets.In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.Keep The Farm Report on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

The Occupy Wall Street movement introduced Tobias Fox to different ways of thinking about the world and what he wanted to do with his life. He took that inspiration and started growing food in community gardens in Newark, New Jersey. Today, his organization, Newark Science and Sustainability, works on urban agriculture, renewable energy, nutrition and wellness, and much more—to help create self-sustaining and environmentally-friendly communities. In this episode, he talks to host Lisa Held about what urban agriculture in Newark looks like, his “glocal” philosophy, how his work has been affected by COVID-19, and how his work intersects with the current movement for racial justice.In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.Keep The Farm Report  on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast. 

Most eggs in the United States today come from farms that crowd hundreds of thousands of laying hens indoors. Handsome Brook Farms does things differently. In this episode, CEO Jordan Czeizler talks to host Lisa Held about how the company built a network of small, organic, farms producing pasture-raised eggs, many of them owned by Amish and Menonnite farmers. They also get into why egg prices soared during the pandemic and how Handsome Brook’s operations have been affected by COVID-19.HRN will be donating 10% of our membership drive proceeds from now until June 15 to the Philando Castile Relief Foundation. Visit heritageradionetwork.org/donate to make your gift.Image courtesy of Handsome Brook Farms.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

Since the pandemic hit, the industrial meat system has been upended. That's made things interesting for small livestock producers selling into local markets. In this episode, Publican Quality Meats head butcher Rob Levitt talks to host Lisa Held about how his shop and the farmers he works with have adjusted to increasing demand for sustainable meat since COVID-19. Image courtesy of Clayton Hauk.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

When schools in Birmingham, Alabama shut down, Jones Valley Teaching Farms’ executive director Amanda Storey had to figure out how to best utilize the organization’s seven teaching farms. In this episode, Storey talks to host Lisa Held about how the team pivoted to produce even more food to be distributed to families in the surrounding communities, and how they’re figuring out innovative ways to get farm-based lessons to students at home.Image courtesy of Jones Valley Teaching Farm.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

In Connecticut, Mike's Organic Market sources fresh food from small farms to sell to local eaters. Now, in the face of COVID-19, founder Mike Geller is ramping up delivery options and CSA boxes to get more fresh food to people at home and support farmers. In this episode, Geller talks to host Lisa Held about how farmers in his area are faring and whether an increased interest in buying local food will extend beyond the coronavirus shutdown.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

The pandemic drags on, so this is the episode in which we talk about one of the few things that really helps: chocolate. The Farm Report's 2020 season is focused on how farmers and others in the food system are adapting to the new reality of COVID-19. In this episode, Tim McCollum, CEO of Beyond Good, joins host Lisa Held to talk about how his company works directly with cacao growers in Madagascar, what fair and sustainable cacao farming supply chains look like, and how their company has weathered the coronavirus storm.  The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast. 

At its five hydroponic greenhouse farms, BrightFarms grows a lot of “salad.” And while the coronavirus pandemic has hurt many farm businesses, it has increased demand for the company’s leafy greens. “We wake up with a sense of purpose,” says founder Paul Lightfoot. In a conversation with host Lisa Held, he talks about keeping the farms running and employees safe in the face of COVID-19 and about how their model allows them to feed Americans at a time of crisis while continuing to grow the business.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

New York is now considered the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US, but GrowNYC has kept Greenmarkets open while adjusting operations to continue to serve the city’s residents and farmers. In this episode, GrowNYC’s director of farmer assistance, Christopher Wayne, talks to host Lisa Held about how the organization has been getting fresh food to New Yorkers throughout the crisis, implementing safety measures at markets, and supporting its network of farmers.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast. 

“We view the vegetable as our North Star,” says Noah Robbins, founder of Ark Foods. But lately, that star has been leading them in more unpredictable directions. In this episode, Robbins and Ark Foods COO Eduardo Mestre talk to host Lisa Held about how their business—which includes farming speciality vegetables like shishitos and selling veggie bowls to retailers like Costco—has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the resilience of farmers, and more.Image courtesy of Ark Foods.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

In this episode, recorded at an empty Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore, host Lisa Held talks to chef, restaurateur, and local food advocate Spike Gjerde. They discuss how the shuttering of restaurants like his is affecting farmers, food workers, and many others across the robust regional food system.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Emma Jagoz started Moon Valley Farm in the suburbs outside of Baltimore, MD because she wanted a cheaper source of fresh, organic vegetables for her family. Starting with a garden, she bartered for small plots of land and grew the farm until it spanned 15 acres in different locales, with 250 CSA members and top chefs in Baltimore and Washington, DC among its customers. Now, she’s moved the operation to a new, permanent location near Frederick, MD. In this episode, she talks to host Lisa Held about her journey from concerned mother to farmer and entrepreneur, and the lessons she’s learned about building a sustainable farm business along the way.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast. 

Jamie Ager’s family has been stewarding the land that is now Hickory Nut Gap Farm in the mountains of Western North Carolina since 1916. In this episode, he talks to host Lisa Held about his family’s legacy of supporting a thriving farm economy in the region and how he’s carrying on the tradition with Hickory Nut Gap Meats, a company that now aggregates pasture-based meats from multiple farms in the area.Image courtesy of Hickory Nut Gap Farm.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

With the rollout of rules related to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), many produce growers are now subject to food safety regulations for the first time. Some of those regulations seem like common sense, and others can be downright confusing. In this episode, National Young Farmers Coalition business services director Cara Fraver talks to host Lisa Held about “A Small Farmer’s Practical Guide to Food Safety,” a resource created to help small farms navigate the new safe-produce landscape.Image courtesy of National Young Farmers Coalition.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

“These chemicals are not emerging, it’s our awareness that’s emerging,” Rober Bilott says. Bilott, a lawyer who exposed the fact that DuPont had been polluting the environment and drinking water with “forever chemicals” for decades—deserves credit for that fact. His story is the subject of a new book, Exposure, and the recent film Dark Waters, starring Mark Ruffalo. In this episode, he delves into pieces of that story, from the West Virginia farmer who first came to him for help with his sick cows to the ongoing battle to regulate and replace PFAS, which are now known to be linked to various health effects and are prevalent in soil, water, food packaging, and other consumer products around the world.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming has been working on building local, sustainable food systems for 20 years, via farmer training, agricultural coalitions, and more. In this episode, Glynwood president Kathleen Finlay talks to host Lisa Held about what that work looks like locally and how the center’s programs apply to national food system issues, like a new pilot program to help low-income families access CSA memberships and bringing together women leaders in regenerative agriculture.Image courtesy of Eva Deitch.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast. 

Farmworker justice groups are split in terms of supporting or opposing this new piece of legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for some undocumented workers, mandate farmers electronically verify worker legal status, and make changes to the H-2A guestworker program. In this episode, California writer and photojournalist David Bacon (author of In the Fields of the North) joins host Lisa Held to talk about his reporting on the proposed bill and how the history of farm workforce programs in the US provides insight into the future.Image courtesy of David Bacon.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

Future Harvest is the Mid-Atlantic’s most influential sustainable agriculture organization. Last week, it held its annual conference, titled “Farming for our Soil, Livelihood, and Community,” and close to 800 farmers and advocates from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and Washington DC attended. In this episode, executive director Dena Leibman joins host Lisa Held to talk about the big takeaways from the conference, current Future Harvest programs like the Amazing Grazing directory, and both the challenges and opportunities farmers in the Mid-Atlantic face.The Farm Report  is powered by Simplecast.  

Arnold Coombs’ family has been tapping trees in Vermont and making maple syrup for seven generations. Today, Coombs Family Farms sources maple from 3,000 small family farms. Mark Isselhardt is a maple specialist at the University of Vermont extension school, where he studies maple production. In this episode, both maple experts talk to host Lisa Held about the sugaring tradition, what modern, commercial production looks like, how farmers can diversify their income with maple, and the environmental impacts of maple production in the era of climate change.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

Chris Damico is the founder of Farm’d, a platform that connects local farms to restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia. In this episode, Damico talks to host Lisa Held about how the platform simplifies supply chain logistics to help farmers sell their food into local markets, the value of regional food systems, and how he plans to replicate the model in other cities in the future.The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.Photo Courtesy of Farm'dThe Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

This year, the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture launched a Regenerative Farming Fellowship program in partnership with the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC). In this episode, two of the farmers from the inaugural cohort—Drew Blankenbaker, a vegetable farmer in Montana and the founder of The Farmland Company and Kelly Placke, herd manager at organic grassfed dairy Placke Organic Acres in Wisconsin—join host Lisa Held in studio, along with NYFC co-executive director Sophie Ackoff. They discuss how they’re implementing regenerative practices on their farms, the economic and climate-related challenges they face, and what the term “regenerative” means to them.The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Animal welfare activist Leah Garces, the current president of Mercy for Animals, has been fighting against industrial animal agriculture her entire career. In this episode, she talks to host Lisa Held about her new book "Grilled: Turning Adversaries into Allies to Change the Chicken Industry," in which tells the story of working with farmers and chicken companies to make incremental changes in the system. They discuss distrust between farmers and activists, how farmers might participate in a new market for plant-based foods, and more.The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

“No farms, no food,” is a slogan American Farmland Trust (AFT) popularized to describe the importance of its farmland conservation programs. Its newest program that speaks to that mission is Farmer Batch, a collaboration with Greek yogurt maker Chobani. Based on a portion of sales from special Farmer Batch yogurts, AFT will offer grants to struggling dairy farmers to help them manage farm transitions, work on business planning, and more. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to AFT vice president of programs David Haight about how the grants will work, why he thinks they can help farmers stay on their land, and why Chobani is engaging in charity for farmers rather than paying them more for their milk.The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast. 

Gail Taylor started Three Part Harmony Farm three and a half miles from the White House. In the process, in addition to growing plenty of organic vegetables for the residents of DC, she also helped pass city legislation to make it easier for others to start urban farms in the nation’s capital. In this episode,Taylor talks to host Lisa Held about her farm, her approach to agroecology, and the effects of DC’s local “Farm Bill.”The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

The fourth-generation Oregon rancher worked in environmental policy before she moved home and converted her family’s ranch to a grass-fed cattle operation based on the principles of holistic management. Now, she’s partnered with other ranches nearby to create a new supply chain for grass-fed beef. In this episode, Carman talks to host Lisa Held about building soil health to restore grasslands and store carbon, partnering with restaurant chains like Dig to grow the market for grass-fed beef, communicating around the role livestock play in healthy ecosystems, and the rural-urban divide.The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

According to The Washington Post, the number of dairy goats in the US is now climbing quickly. But Suzanne Behrmann, owner of Shepherd’s Way Creamery, got into milking goats a long time ago, simply because she liked them. Now, her farm has a herd of 14, and she sells her artisanal goat cheese at farmers markets in West Virginia and Washington DC’s famed Dupont Market. In this episode, Behrmann is in DC to attend Freshfarm’s annual Feast, and she talks to host Lisa Held about what it takes to run a goat dairy, setting up an on-farm cheesemaking operation, and her experiences selling at farmers markets.The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue recently made a lot of farmers angry. At a time when small dairy farms are going out of business at unprecedented rates (and small farms producing other crops are also struggling), Perdue made a comment that suggested the situation was par for the course. “In America, the big get bigger and the small go out,” he said. This week, host Lisa Held is joined by three guests—Brenda Cochran, dairy farmer and president of Farm Women United, Russell Diez-Canseco, president and CEO of Vital Farms, and Jordan Treakle, policy director at the National Family Farm Coalition—to discuss Perdue’s comments, what current challenges faced by America’s small farmers really look like, and what can be done to help small farms survive.Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Why take a “wild” approach to farming? Nancy Hayden has been co-owner of The Farm Between in Jeffersonville, VT for 28 years, and she’s the co-author of the new book, Farming on the Wild Side: The Evolution of a Regenerative Organic Farm and Nursery. In this episode, she joins host Lisa Held to talk about the agricultural benefits of wild spaces, agroforestry and other climate-friendly farm practices, and the economics of making a small, regenerative organic farm successful.Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Dave Herring is the executive director of Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment, a demonstration farm, training center, and campground on 600 acres of preserved coastal land in Freeport, Maine. In this episode, he talks to host Lisa Held about a new initiative —OpenTEAM—launched in collaboration with partners like Stonyfield Organic and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Herring outlines a vision for the project in which farmers will utilize the platform to build up data that can then be used to improve regenerative agriculture practices, to ultimately help mitigate climate change. The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.Photo Courtesy of Wolfe's Neck Center.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast. 

While many forms of aquaculture have wreaked havoc on ecosystems, fisherman-turned-ocean farmer Bren Smith says farming the world’s oceans could help solve the climate crisis—if we do it right. In the wake of the dire report on the state of the oceans from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), host Lisa Held talks to Smith about his method of 3D restorative ocean farming (which requires zero inputs and can sequester carbon), his new book, Eat Like a Fish, and how he’s training other young farmers to grow food at sea, via his non-profit organization GreenWave.The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Many common agricultural pesticides have been making headlines recently, from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) reversing a ban on chlorpyrifos to multiple lawsuits in which juries have awarded millions of dollars to individuals who claim glyphosate (Roundup) caused their cancers. In this episode, expert Erik Olson, of the NRDC, explains the health risks and environmental impacts of some of these talked-about farm chemicals and talks to host Lisa Held about current EPA policy related to pesticide regulation.The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Little Wild Things Farm produces soil­-grown microgreens, shoots, and edible flowers in the heart of Washington, DC. Its produce can be found at the biggest markets and in top restaurants throughout the city. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to founder-farmer Mary Ackley about her journey as a first-generation farmer, the rewards and challenges related to growing and selling specialty produce in an urban environment, and DC’s urban farming landscape. The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Before the news of the fires in the Amazon drew national attention, environmental organization Mighty Earth was calling out American agricultural giant Cargill for its contributions to deforestation in South America, among numerous other environmentally destructive practices. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Mighty Earth CEO Glenn Hurowitz about the scathing report the organization released (and the New York Times covered) in July—Cargill: The Worst Company in the World. They discuss why Cargill is such a standout offender when it comes to environmental degradation, how industrial animal agriculture contributes to deforestation and other issues, and what can be done. The Farm Report is a Heritage Radio Network show, recorded live on Full Service Radio at the LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan, Washington DC. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Chris Starkus owns Lost Creek Micro Farm in Denver, Colorado, where he is a beekeeper and grower of vegetables. He’s also the executive chef at the restaurant Urban Farmer, where he’s created a “locally focused, sustainably sourced steakhouse menu influenced by the bounty of Colorado.” During a trip to New York City to cook at the James Beard House, Starkus stopped by the studio to talk to host Lisa Held about his own farm, how he supports other farmers in Colorado as a chef, and what agriculture looks like in and around Denver. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

This week's show is a special collaboration between The Farm Report and Cutting the Curd. Together, host Lisa Held and fellow Heritage Radio Network host and producer Elena Santogade talk to farmer and cheesemaker Celeste Nolan. Nolan and her husband purchased a family dairy farm 15 years ago. After struggling to sustain the farm business based on fluid milk production alone, they added cheesemaking to the operation. The Nolan family’s farm and cheese will soon be featured on Farmsteaders, an episode of PBS's POV series. In advance of that portrait, Nolan talks to Held and Santogade about the realities of revitalizing and running a dairy farm, how making cheese fits into the farm’s economic and day-to-day picture, and more. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Created by renowned chef Dan Barber, breeder Michael Mazourek, and seedsman Matthew Goldfarb, Row 7 is “a seed company grounded in the notion that deliciousness might just change the world.” In this episode, host Lisa Held sits down with Mazourek to talk about how the company has been working with a network of chefs and farmers to develop vegetables like the Badger Flame Beet and the Purple Beauregarde Snow Pea. They also tackle why breeding for flavor can produce more nutritious vegetables, how to breed plants for resilience in the face of climate change, and what seed farming really looks like. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Jonathan Sumner has a unique job for a farmer. At Riverpark, one of celebrity chef Tom Colicchio’s restaurants, he runs what is likely Manhattan’s biggest outdoor farm, organically growing around 100 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and flowers in 3,200 milk crates. His predecessor, Zach Pickens, now runs Farm Tournant in upstate New York and provides the restaurant with whatever the city farm can’t grow. In this episode, Sumner, Pickens, and Riverpark executive chef Andrew Smith to host Lisa Held about the unique design of Riverpark’s farm and how the farmers and chefs work together to craft menus that revolve around the harvest, both in the city and upstate. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

“Brownsville is a food desert,” one student says while standing against a backdrop of dozens of giant cucumbers ready to be harvested. “We want to help the community by giving them healthy food access.” In this episode, student farmers give host Lisa Held a tour of the hydroponic farm they built inside an empty classroom at their Brooklyn middle school, where 25,000 pounds of produce now grows annually. After the tour, Teens for Food Justice president Katherine Soll is in studio to talk about what went into building the farm, how it has impacted the students and community, and how it fits into the bigger picture of the organization’s work. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Meriwether Hardie is the chief of staff at Bio-Logical Capital, where her work focuses on developing new models for regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and climate-positive land use. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Hardie about how the company invests in farms and projects that “un-scale” the food system, how small farms and diversified, regenerative agriculture operations can compete for investment when up against commodity agriculture and ag-tech operations, and her upcoming participation in “The Innovative Farmer” summit at Slow Food Nations, the food and agriculture festival happening in Denver, Colorado July 19–21. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Naomi Starkman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Civil Eats, a “daily news source for critical thought about the American food system” that is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Starkman about how agriculture and conversations about farming have changed over the past decade, how media companies should be covering agriculture and the many important issues it intersects with, and what she thinks the next ten years have in store for farmers and eaters. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Shenandoah Valley Organic sells USDA-certified organic chicken grown on a network of small farms. In this episode, host Lisa Held sits down with Jefferson Heatwole, chief sales and marketing officer, and Jason Daugherty, a fourth generation farmer who raises chickens for SVO. They discuss how the company’s “Farmer Focus” model is designed to give growers more power in an industry known for taking advantage of contract farmers, their “Farm ID” program that traces each chicken back to the farm it was raised on, and more. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Founded by former Blue Apron co-founder and COO Matthew Wadiak, Cooks Venture is a “next generation food company committed to regenerative agriculture and a truly transparent supply chain for the future.” The company launched March of 2019 and its “pasture-raised, slow-growth, heirloom” chickens hit the market soon after. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Wadiak and EVP and farmer Blake Evans about the overall agricultural model, Cooks Venture’s chicken farming practices, and the company’s bigger plans to impact the food system and address the climate emergency. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

In this episode, Saveur editor-in-chief Stacy Adimando joins host Lisa Held to talk about the magazine’s recently released “Grower’s Issue,” which features stories of the intricacies of hop farming in San Diego, how India’s saffron farmers are suffering during a multi-year drought, and how sheep farming could revive rural regions of the US that once relied on coal mining. According to Adimando’s Editor’s Note, “When you look at the world farmer-first, you’ll find a story behind every bite.” It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

For more than 20 years, Just Food has been at the forefront of building a sustainable regional food system in New York City and advocating for the same elsewhere, via developing CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) networks that create long-term relationships between small farms and city eaters. Now, the organization is sharpening its focus to hone in on cultivating a food system rooted in racial, social and economic justice. In this episode, Lisa Held talks to executive director Qiana Mickie about what’s changing and why, whether CSAs are still one of the best models to connect growers and eaters in ways that prioritize equity and sustainability, and how organizations can work to enable more people from underrepresented groups to succeed as farmers in a field that is still dominated by aging white men. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate Image Courtesy of Verta Maloney The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

It’s been almost a decade since New York City legalized beekeeping, and the city is now buzzing with activity. There are hives at rooftop farms, community gardens, and schools in all five boroughs. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Brooklyn Grange Farm’s head beekeeper Geraldine Simonis and City Growers beekeeper and educator Renel Saint Jour about what beekeeping in an urban environment looks like, how city bees benefit urban farms and other green spaces, and whether cities can contribute to reversing the worldwide decline of pollinators. Photo Courtesy of Brooklyn Grange The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Tom Gamble is a third-generation farmer, and while he’s the first in his family to make wine, he founded Gamble Family Vineyards with a mission to carry on his family’s farming legacy in the Napa Valley. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Gamble about Napa’s agricultural history, what sustainable farming practices look like at a vineyard, and how he’s one of the region’s farmer-winemakers promoting efforts to preserve and protect Napa farmland via programs like Napa Green Certified and Fish-Friendly Farming. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Debuting in theaters on May 10, The Biggest Little Farm is a film that follows two urban professionals, John and Mary Chester, as they leave Los Angeles on a mission to build a farm that exists in harmony with nature. Eight years later, the pair owns and operates Apricot Lane Farms, a thriving diversified, organic, biodynamic farm. In this episode, farmer and filmmaker John Chester joins host Lisa Held in the studio to talk about the challenges they faced as new farmers (from foxes and snails to depleted soil and wildfires), the process of making a movie while building a farm, and lessons they learned about building systems alongside the brutality—but also wisdom and intricacies—of nature. Photo courtesy of Apricot Lane Farm. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Due to intensive, extractive agriculture techniques, soil across the United States is incredibly depleted. Healthy soil, on the other hand, produces nutrient-dense food, requires less chemical fertilizer (and therefore helps prevent water pollution), and sequesters carbon (which helps reverse climate change). Kiss the Ground is one organization that is calling attention to that fact by “inspiring participation in the regeneration of the planet, starting with soil.” In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to executive director Lauren Frances Tucker about the fascinating science of soil and the methods that Kiss the Ground believes will be effective in restoring soil across the country (and around the world). The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Over the past 40 years, ownership of the American food supply chain has become concentrated in the hands of a continuously shrinking number of giant multinational corporations. In a new report, the Open Markets Institute details the degree of consolidation in agriculture and its related industries, from seed and chemical inputs and farm equipment to meat processing to grocery sellers. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to one of the report’s authors, Claire Kelloway, about the scope of consolidation, the consequences for farmers, farmworkers, and rural communities, and potential solutions. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

On April 26, Portland, Maine kicks off its first annual Seaweed Week to celebrate the harvest and showcase seaweed’s culinary versatility, from kelp purees to seaweed beers. While seaweed aquaculture was non-existent in the US just a decade ago, it’s now on the rise, and Maine is at the forefront of the growing industry. Heritage Seaweed founder Josh Rogers sits down with host Lisa Held to discuss what kelp farming looks like, how it can contribute to a more resilient, sustainable food system, and why Maine is becoming the country’s hub for seaweed aquaculture. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

When she isn’t responding to farmers’ emergency texts about fennel, director of supply and sustainability Taylor Lanzet is lining up producers and streamlining logistics at Dig Inn, a New York-based fast casual restaurant chain with a strong focus on sourcing from local farms. Meanwhile, Lanzet works alongside farmer Larry Tse, who runs the restaurant’s organic farm 60 miles north of the city. In this episode, host Lisa Held sits down Lanzet and Tse to talk about what growing and sourcing local, farm-fresh food at high volumes for a fast casual restaurant chain looks like, what the value of the model is, and the biggest challenges. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Farm Forward is the rare animal rights group that doesn’t advocate for veganism. Instead, its programs focus on ending animal suffering on factory farms and developing agricultural systems and markets that prioritize animal welfare. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to executive director Andrew deCoriolis about the organization’s work—from establishing farm standards and educating consumers to getting high-volume buyers like institutions and fast food companies to commit to buying better meat. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Peter Stein started Peeko Oysters—an oyster farm on Long Island’s North Fork—in 2016, after leaving a corporate job. Three years later, his oysters are served at top New York City restaurants like Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, and Le Bernardin. Host Lisa Elaine Held sits down with Stein to talk about what oyster farming looks like (in terms of the landscape, methods, and labor), how to grow the most delicious, chef-coveted oysters, and why oysters are an environmentally friendly food. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

In February, legislators proposed the Green New Deal, “a sweeping attempt to reorient energy production and shift public resources in an urgent bid to make the U.S. carbon-neutral by 2030.” Award-winning journalist Christopher D. Cook, author of Diet for a Dead Planet: Big Business and the Coming Food Crisis, reported on what the plan might mean for food and agriculture in the United States for Civil Eats. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Cook about what he found: Are policymakers starting to take the impact of food production on the environment seriously? How might government policy address food system drivers of climate change? And if the legislation doesn’t go anywhere, are there other ways in which legislators will attempt to tackle the issue? The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Bob Quinn was born into a family of farmers who grew wheat and raised cattle in Montana. After he left home to get a PhD, he returned to take over the farm and started doing things differently. He transitioned the farm to organic production and began milling his own grain whole in the 1980s. He also began growing an ancient variety of wheat that is now sold around the world as KAMUT. His book, "Grain by Grain: A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural Jobs, and Healthy Food," comes out in March. Host Lisa Held sits down with Quinn to talk about the book, what he’s learned over decades of growing organic grain, why he chose to bring back ancient khorasan wheat, and more. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Who are the people growing our food, and what are their experiences? How, as informed eaters, can we make food choices that lead to fair wages and safe, humane working conditions? In conversations about building a sustainable food system, these questions are often ignored or overshadowed by other issues; in this episode of The Farm Report, they are front and center. Join host Lisa Held as she leads a panel discussion on agricultural labor in front of a live audience at Brooklyn’s Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD), featuring Coalition of Immokalee Workers senior staff member Gerardo Reyes Chavez, Rev. Noelle Damico of the Alliance for Fair Food, "Labor and the Locavore" author Margaret Gray, and Jody Bolluyt, a farmer at Roxbury Farm. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Hemp played an important role in America’s history—it was grown by many of the founding fathers, and the Declaration of Independence was drafted on hemp paper—but its production has been restricted since 1937. That changed with the passage of the Hemp Farming Act, which was attached to the 2018 Farm Bill and legalized hemp farming, processing, and selling in the US. Now, hemp is set to become an important American agricultural crop once again. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Joy Beckerman, president of the Hemp Industries Association, about the growing market for hemp (especially for CBD) and how it will affect farmers. Then, she’s joined by Tara Caton, the director of the Rodale Institute’s Industrial Hemp Trial, to discuss growing hemp, and how as a crop it has the potential to suppress weeds, add diversity to crop rotations (and therefore build soil health), and boost farmers’ bottom lines. Photo courtesy of Rodale Institute The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

He’s on the board of Tesla and SpaceX, but Kimbal Musk’s current tech entrepreneurship is focused on food and farming, not transportation. Musk (who is Elon Musk’s brother) is the co-founder and executive chairman of three companies that approach food and agriculture from different angles: Square Roots, a vertical farming company that grows hydroponic herbs in shipping containers, the Kitchen Restaurant Group, which operates farm-to-table restaurants, and Big Green, a non-profit that builds learning gardens in classrooms. Host Lisa Elaine Held talks to him about his approach to local food systems, the role of technology in farming, how indoor growing systems might impact the environment and food safety, and more. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

In this episode broadcast from Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, farm director Jack Algiere offers a tour of the greenhouse and answers questions big and small about his approach to farming. He talks about his holistic approach that starts with healthy, living soil, experimenting with new crops, working with chef Dan Barber as “collaborating artists,” and thinking about animals in a way that starts with their capacity to service ecosystems. Algiere and host Lisa Held also discuss topics like the term agroecology and how local, regional food systems could prevent food waste. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

"Whether it’s a salad, a hamburger or your morning egg sandwich, your meal has an impact on the environment and on the welfare of animals, food/farm workers and people." That message is at the core of the new website FoodPrint, a platform designed to educate eaters about how agriculture and other links in the food supply chain impact people and the planet. Director Jerusha Klemperer joins host Lisa Held to talk about the site's goals, its detailed reports on farming and environmental impact, and what a sustainable diet really looks like. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

In this live audience broadcast from the Brooklyn Podcast Festival's Smart Cities series, host Lisa Held talks to two urban agriculture pioneers: Brooklyn Grange co-founder Anastasia Cole Plakias and Gotham Greens co-founder Viraj Puri. They discuss how urban agriculture has changed and expanded over the past ten years, the environmental and community benefits of growing food in cities, and how cities can support and incentive urban farming. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

At a time when the average age of the American farmer is approaching 60, the future of the food system depends on growing and supporting the next generation of growers. In this special season finale episode of the Farm Report, host Lisa Held sits down with four young farmers during the 2018 Young Farmers Conference at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. From Davon Goodwin, a United States Army veteran who was wounded in action and turned to farming in North Carolina for healing, to Ana Elisa Perez, who practices agroecology to restore soil and build food sovereignty on the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico, they share their unique experiences as young farmers and the knowledge they want to pass on to other young people considering taking up farming as a profession. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast Photo Credit: Katrin Björk

With funding from New York State, American Farmland Trust (AFT) recently launched its most ambitious program to help young farmers access land and conserve farmland statewide. The program is modeled after the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network and is aimed at connecting landowners—especially retiring farmers—to young farmers via online listings and resources, on-the-ground support and guidance, and financial assistance. Host Lisa Elaine Held talks to AFT's New York Policy Manager Samantha Levy about how the program will work, what she anticipates the challenges will be, and why she thinks it is a successful model for getting more young people on land to start farming. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

Aquaponics is a system that pairs produce growing with raising fish. At Oko Farms in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Yemi Amu operates the largest outdoor aquaponics farm in New York City. Amu sits down with host Lisa Held to discuss the benefits and challenges of producing food using aquaponics, how Oko Farms is contributing to healthy food access in local communities, and how she’s teaching both kids and adults how to follow her lead. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

At Soul Fire Farm, Leah Penniman has been leading a farm-based movement to uproot racism in the food system and seed community food sovereignty for years. Now, her first book, Farming While Black, digs into the injustices built into the food system and offers resources for others to follow her lead in addressing them—by growing both food and activism. Penniman calls it "a reverently compiled manual for African-heritage people ready to reclaim our rightful place of dignified agency in the food system." She sits down with host Lisa Held to talk about the book and the overall mission. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

In Newark, NJ, AeroFarms is producing greens using unique growing methods inside massive warehouse farms. Co-founder Marc Oshima sits down with host Lisa Held to talk about the approach, how it compares to traditional agriculture in terms of environmental impact, debates over soil vs. hydroponic growing, and the company's plans for future farms. Powered by Simplecast

The first apple trees were planted at Hicks Orchard, about 200 miles north of New York City, in the 1880s. Since, then multiple generations have grown apples, pears, cherries and plums to sell directly to visitors on the farm. In 2005, Slyboro Cider House was established at the farm, and its heritage ciders are becoming more widely available thanks to online seller Cider in Love. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to cider maker Dan Wilson about the process of cider making, including growing and fermenting fruit, how farm practices affect the final product, and how cider is boosting New York’s farm economy. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

James Peisker and Chris Carter opened butcher shop Porter Road in order to get better meat from local farms in Kentucky and Tennessee to more restaurants and home kitchens in Nashville. Recently, they launched an online shop to sell their meat across the country. In this episode, host Lisa Held sits down with Peisker and Carter to talk about how they work with farmers raising animals on pasture, their standards for high-quality meat, why they opened their own processing facility to solve a farm-to-table supply chain challenge, whether selling online negates the benefits of supporting local farms, and how they’re getting customers to embrace less popular cuts of meat so they can sell whole animals and waste less. Powered by Simplecast [1]https://porterroad.com/ [2]https://porterroad.com/pages/about

Agricultural workers play a critical role in feeding people around the world. According to a new United Nations report, “they are, however, among the most food insecure, facing formidable barriers to the realization of their right to food, often working without labour and employment protections and under dangerous conditions.” Host Lisa Held speaks with labor organizers—Emma Kreyche, from Worker Justice Center of NY, and Suzanne Adely, from the Food Chain Workers Alliance—about that paradox and the many issues that impact farmworkers’ ability to feed themselves and their families, from low wages and flawed guestworker programs to lack of access to social services and drivers’ licenses due to immigration status. Powered by Simplecast https://simplecast.com/podcasts [1]https://northstarfund.org/people/emma-kreyche/ [2]http://www.wjcny.org/about-us/staff [3]http://foodchainworkers.org/

Is goat meat inherently more sustainable than other meats? Host Lisa Held sits down with James Whetlor, founder of Cabrito and author of the book Goat: Cooking and Eating. They discuss his model of using goats from the dairy industry for meat to cut food waste, and why he thinks getting more people to eat goat would be good for the food system. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Host Lisa Elaine Held sits down with writer-researcher Siena Chrisman to talk about her recent reporting on the dire economic realities facing farmers and rural communities across the United States. They discuss the stories and statistics that filled Chrisman’s Civil Eats story “Is the Second Farm Crisis Upon Us?” and how understanding the history of the 1980s farm crisis is crucial to figuring out the factors currently at play. They also discuss solutions: What are government officials, policymakers, advocates, and farmers doing to address the issue?

Some organic farmers, including Long Wind Farm’s Dave Chapman (a Vermont tomato grower), started growing food decades ago as part of a back-to-the-land movement focused on building healthier soil and communities. Now, they feel that the integrity of organic agriculture is being undermined due to developments like hydroponic production and factory-farm animal systems (CAFOs) being certified USDA organic. Host Lisa Held talks to Chapman about his views on organic farming, the recent protest movement he helped start (Keep Soil in Organic), and the Real Organic Project, a new certification standard being developed by organic growers. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

Why build a massive vault into permafrost on a remote island between Norway and the North Pole? To safeguard sorghum and sweet potatoes, of course. On this episode, host Lisa Held sits down with executive director Marie Haga and Tender Greens founder Erik Oberholtzer to talk about the Crop Trust’s new Food Forever program, an initiative designed to educate people around the world about the importance of crop diversity for the long-term stability of the world’s food supply. They discuss why agricultural biodiversity is disappearing, why the loss of crops is catastrophic, how farmers, chefs, and eaters can participate in saving crop diversity, and how saving seeds in the vault is “the ultimate insurance policy.” The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

United States Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) is a former organic farmer and currently serves on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. She's been a longtime advocate for policies that support farmers and contribute to building a healthier, more sustainable food system—in her home state of Maine and across the country. With the Farm Bill deadline of September 30 fast approaching, host Lisa Held caught up with Rep. Pingree to talk about the Farm Bill programs she's been working on—like the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP)—and other pressing policy issues facing farmers right now. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

When it comes to beef, farmer Ridge Shinn has been on a mission to get other producers and eaters to see the “big picture” for decades. “It’s the local and global perspective of our company—the awareness that soil health is the foundation of human health, and that restoring soil fertility and structure is key to solving many of today’s most confounding problems, including droughts and floods and climate change. It’s also my conviction that each region should be producing its own food, and that 100% grass-fed beef can revive the agricultural economy in the Northeast as well as benefit the environment.” In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to Shinn about the new company he created—Big Picture Beef—to help move that perspective forward, how he’s helping farmers transition from grain- to grass-finishing, the market impacts of imported grass-fed beef, the environmental benefits (like carbon sequestration) of rotational grazing, and more.

While the growth of farmers markets and CSAs have helped small farms sell their food locally over the past few decades, both models come with challenges that have become increasingly apparent. Hudson Valley Harvest and Local Roots NYC are two businesses that have introduced new channels for farms to sell their food to local eaters and rebuild regional food systems in the process. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to farmer Paul Alward about how his experiences in the field informed the model for Hudson Valley Harvest and to Wen-Jay Ying about how she created a new kind of CSA after witnessing common barriers to consumer buy-in. They discuss their experiences figuring out what works and doesn't work in terms of getting more local food to local eaters in order to support farmers as efficiently as possible. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

For the season premiere of The Farm Report, host Lisa Held sits down with New York City Council Member Rafael Espinal. Born in East New York, Espinal is a lifelong resident of Brooklyn and currently represents the 37th district, which includes Bushwick, Brownsville, Cypress Hills, and East New York. As a Council Member, Espinal has taken on urban agriculture as one of his primary issues. In August 2018, with the support of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, he introduced a new package of legislation that would create a comprehensive urban agriculture plan to promote and support farming across the five boroughs. Together, Held and Espinal discuss the community, economic, and environmental benefits of urban farming, what city government can and should do to encourage it, how to balance the interests of different players—from community gardens to venture capital-backed hydroponic farms—and how New York City’s path towards urban agriculture legislation fits into a larger trend of local governments across the country figuring out how to manage, support, and grow farming and gardening within city limits. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

On this special episode of The Farm Report, outgoing host Erin Fairbanks hands the reins to Lisa Held, who will be taking over the show this fall! The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks takes a trip north to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, where she sits down with Brad Matthews and Jeffrey Minard to talk about how they make purchasing decisions for the school. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

In this first half of this episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks speaks with Becca Rimmel, co-manager of the Ithaca Farmers Market. Becca's experience as a professional naturalist led her to begin questioning the origin of the food on her dinner plate, and how food choices affected the landscape around her. Through this curiosity, she began exploring her own bio regional food system, completing her Masters in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College in 2016, and beginning as the manager of the Ithaca Farmers Market shortly after. When she’s not managing the Ithaca Market, she’s working to build her own business, Bottomland Farm. After the break, we hear a recording from Erin's visit to Fishkill Farms in September. Owner/operator Josh Morgenthau walks us through the history of his family business. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

On this week's episode of The Farm Report, June Russell joins host Erin Fairbanks to share a bit of what's exciting in the world of grains. June Russell is the Manager of Farm Inspections and Strategic Development for Greenmarket, a program of GrowNYC. Greenmarket is the largest network of farmers’ markets in the country with fifty five locations within the City’s five boroughs. It provides retail outlets for nearly two hundred and thirty local farmers, fishers, and bakers who sell what they grow, raise, catch, and bake themselves. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

On an all new episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by farmers Steve Burnett and Austin Maness. Steve Burnett is an extremely well-respected organic farmer of Burnett Farms in Delaware County, an active member of the community, and an advocate for the county, the region and farming in general. A marketing ex-pat from NYC, Steve has been described as a true ambassador for the county, with endless reasons to support local farmers & producers and, most importantly, enjoy all the agritourism that the Great Western Catskills has to offer. Austin Maness is the COO of Harvest Returns, a one-stop shopping site for agriculture investors and farmers who need to raise capital. In his role, Maness manages all facets of the company’s logistics, deal flow, and human resources. The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Aislynn Campbell, Executive Director of GROW Local South Texas, Sue Beckwith, Executive Director at Texas Center for Local Food, Justin Butts of Four String Farms, and Nicole DeMeo, COO & spokesperson for Barnraiser. Barnraiser is a social marketplace that makes it easy to discover, share, and fund online, the people changing how we farm, eat and live. They are hosting a major crowdfunding campaign for Texas Center for Local Food along with seven partner organizations to aid in the relief and recovery for farmers and ranchers impacted by the massive disaster caused by Hurricane Harvey. ** DONATE TODAY (all donations are tax deductible): https://www.barnraiser.us/projects/texas-farmer-rancher-disaster-relief The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast

On the season premiere of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Loren Cardeli, president and founder of A Growing Culture, an organization that supports smallholder farming across the globe through research, collective learning, and advocacy. Loren is a leader in a small but growing movement of farmer-centric organizations. He believes the key to sustainability lies in returning small-scale farmers back to the forefront of agriculture. Along with his colleagues in the movement, he promotes farmer-led research, extension, and outreach, helping to create sustainable, self-driving futures.

On an all new episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Susan Streit Sherman. Susan is the author of the blog Crate Cooking, a journal of how she seasonally shops, cooks and eats in the small Greenwich Village studio apartment she shares with her husband and young daughter. She has worked as a private chef, a line cook, an assistant food editor at Martha Stewart, recipe tester, farm inspector, food stylist, and teacher, just to name a few.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Gabriele Ludwig, Director of Sustainability & Environmental Affairs for the Almond Board of California. In her current position, she has been instrumental in the development of the California Almond Sustainability Program, and continues to encourage a diverse range of research on almonds and environmental issues.

On the season finale of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, and author of the new book The Whole Foods Diet. Mackey's mission in writing it, along with Drs. Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman (the bestselling authors of Forks Over Knives), was to distill the huge body of science, research, and advice into one undeniable consensus: that a whole foods, plant-based diet is the optimum plan for health and longevity.

This week on The Farm Report, co-hosts Challey Comer and Maria Rojas are joined by Sarah Gray Miller, the Editor-In-Chief of Modern Farmer, to discuss an article from the magazine's most recent issue titled "The High Cost of Cheap Labor." New immigration orders will greatly impact the food world, and this piece is an in-depth look at the facts and history of farm workers in the U.S., as well as a frank discussion with farmers that these policies affect.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by "Gangsta Gardener" Ron Finley an environmentalist & entrepreneur Nell Newman. Ron Finley is a creative phenomenon: a gangsta horticulturalist, with a strong vision for community gardening and the eventual creation of "a school of nourishment and change." Nicknamed the “Gangsta Gardener” and the “Renegade Gardener”, Ron Finley planted organic vegetables in the parkway in front of his South Los Angeles home and a revolution was started. Ron’s belief that gardens build communities has blossomed into a quest to change how we eat and the eventual founding of the Ron Finley Project, an organization dedicated to changing culture and growing people. Nell Newman co-founded Newman's Own® Organics: The Second Generation® with her father, Paul Newman in 1993. An ardent supporter of sustainable agriculture, Nell is a sought after speaker and has participated in numerous panels, sharing her commitment to organic food and products made from organic ingredients. Nell established the Nell Newman Foundation in November of 2010 with the goal of carrying on her father's legacy of charitable giving, coupled with her passion for the environment. She pursues many philanthropic opportunities in the world of sustainable agriculture and conservation – including helping Ron Finley raise money to build an urban garden in South Central L.A.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks welcomes John Flahavan, the sixth-generation CEO of Flahavan's Irish Oats. The first family connection to the Flahavan’s name can be traced back to about 1785 when Thomas Dunn took over the mill. Dunn was the great-great-great-grandfather of John Flahavan who is the Managing Director of the company today. After the break, we're joined by Meryl Williams, star of the forthcoming short film Biophilia. Meryl plays the lead role of Rachel, an herbalist/farmer who convinces her boyfriend to leave Brooklyn and make a go of farming on his family's abandoned sheep ranch, but things don't go well and she finds herself increasingly isolated under his controlling influence. When an animal dies under her watch, she is forced to take care of it alone and in so doing, grows a thicker skin.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin and Challey are joined by Greg Wade and Will Travis. Greg Wade is the Head Baker at Publican Quality Bread in Chicago, IL where he collaborates with chefs de cuisine, farmers and retail owners to develop breads. As Publican Quality Bread’s Head Baker, Greg oversees the bread program for all of One Off Hospitality Group, with a focus on whole grains and fermentation. Apart from his day-to-day leadership, Greg is an active member of the local, regional and national farming communities – every July, you can find him leading a two-day Bread Camp along with Marty and Will Travis at Spence Farm in Fairbury, IL. Will Travis is an 8th generation farmer from Spence Farms in Fairbury, IL where he works the land with his father Marty Travis and his wife Kris. They raise a large variety of products on the farm, everything from fruits and vegetables to Dexter cattle for beef, as well as small grains that are milled onsite. In 2003, Spence Farms began marketing directly to restaurants and now market and deliver products for more than 50 small family farms in central Illinois. Greg and Will's work are profiled in the documentary Sustainable available at http://sustainablefoodfilm.com/ and streaming on Netflix. And in the second half of the show, Chad Hendrickson of Lakewood Vineyards is in studio to transition the conversation from grain to grapes!

What does it mean to be a small scale olive oil producer in 2017? Lorenzo Caponetti joins us from Italy to talk about his family's vineyards, the challenges of organic production and why American chef's like Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern and Untitled at the Whitney can't get enough of his oils.

Did you know 80% of the flowers you buy are grown abroad? Local flower expert Molly Culver joins Erin to discuss the do's and don'ts of your Valentine's day bouquet buying. Yes, locally-grown flowers DO grow in February, even in the Northeast.

This week's episode of The Farm Report is focused on immigration and agriculture. Guest host Challey Comer is joined by Maria Rojas from GrowNYC and Mary Jo Dudley from the Cornell Farmworker Program. While there are many aspects of immigration to discuss, today's conversation is focused on community aspects of the issue. We learn about farmworker communities, employment experiences, and regulations that impact this integral part of the agricultural industry. Mary Jo Dudley is the director of the Cornell Farmworker program and a faculty member of the Department of Development Sociology at Cornell University. Her research is focused on immigrant workers, farmworker empowerment, migration from Latin America to the U.S. and immigrant communities within the U.S. Through her work in the extension system, she provides education on health and safety for farm operators and workers, planning assistance related to state and federal laws that impact farmworkers and workshops to improve communications between farmworkers, their employers, and members of communities in wich they live. More information on the program is available at farmworkers.cornell.edu Maria del mar Rojas is the beginning farmer program manager at GrowNYC. In this role, she provides direct technical assistance and organizes trainings to beginning and immigrant farmers who are part of the Greenmarket network. This work is part of GrowNYC's Farm Assistance Retention and Management program, FARMroots. More details on FARMroots is available at www.grownyc.org/farmroots

This week's episode of The Farm Report focuses on women as advocates for agriculture. Erin Fairbanks and Challey Comer are joined by Cindy Gieger. Cindy farms with her family in Jeffersonville, NY where they manage a 75-cow dairy. Her family has farmed in the region for years and Cindy has been an important connector of diverse groups within the farming community of her region. These local relationships led to her involvement in the Sullivan County Farm Network, a group that promotes local food and supports the needs of the farming community. This advocacy work led to Cindy's election as a member of the Sullivan County Legislature on which she served as Chair of the Agriculture & Sustainability and Family & Health Services Committees. Following their interview with Cindy, Erin and Challey will discuss ways those who care about food and agriculture can get involved in their local communities. They'll respond to the call to action from the Women's March and they'll recap their experiences after traveling to the Capitol this weekend.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Ben Machin of Redstart Natural Resource Management in Vermont, which provides forest management, invasive species management, ecosystem restoration, and land use consulting services to landowners and property managers. Prior to joining Redstart Forestry in 2001, Ben was employed as a firefighter/smokejumper with the USDA Forest Service, parachuting and fighting fires from Alaska to Arizona. In addition to his work as a partner of Redstart, Ben is the land management consultant for the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, VT.

On the season premiere of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks introduces her new co-host, Challey Comer! Challey is a sustainability manager for Blue Apron, and has devoted her career to research, development and promotion of the agriculture industry. Tune in to hear them discuss their small town upbringings, Challey's background in engineering and farming, what the presidential transition means for the agriculture industry, and more!

On an all new episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Jim Campbell – Scotsman, Virginia farmer, and the CEO of New Country Organics, a leading producer of certified organic, soy-free feed and livestock minerals in the eastern United States. Recently, the company announced its acquisition of a nearly century-old Lubbock, Texas feed mill and facility, in order to expand the accessibility of its freshly-milled certified organic products throughout Texas and the southwestern United States.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by John Wilkes, a former farmer from the English county of Shropshire, who has consulted and written for various publications including the UK’s Farmers Guardian newspaper and The Sheep Site. Tune in to hear them discuss the proposed agricultural policies of the major party presidential candidates, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), women's issues in agriculture, broadband internet access in rural areas, and more!

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Ronny and Beth Drennan of Broadbent Country Hams. The Broadbent family started curing hams and bacon commercially in Cadiz, Kentucky, in 1920. In 1999 the Broadbent family sold the business to Ronny and Beth Drennan. The Drennans, who were in the furniture business, had always heard of Broadbent Hams and saw an opportunity. It took some time to learn the ins and outs of the curing business, but Smith Broadbent has been there to help. Today, Ronny and Beth carry on the Broadbent tradition of quality, and they have won enough awards to live up to the founder’s name. After the break, this week’s EscapeMaker segment features Matt Bowers of Four Fights Distilling in Corning, NY. On a scale of 1 to 4, how many fights were you going to get into after drinking a pint of moonshine? Bottom of the barrel rated 1, while the cleanest and strongest shines were rated at 4. So in keeping with tradition, while representing dedication to quality, the name Four Fights Distilling was chosen. If you’d like to visit any of the craft brewers or cider makers interviewed in The Farm Report, checkout EscapeMaker.com to book a 1 or 2-night all-inclusive craft beverage package with tours tastings and lodging.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Charles Rosen of Ironbound Farm and Sabine Hrechdakian of Wassail to talk cider! Tune in to hear them touch on restoration agriculture, stewardship, apple varieties, and more! After the break, this week’s EscapeMaker segment features Brian Facquet of Prohibition Distillery in historic Roscoe, NY, where you can fish like you’re in Montana and drink like you’re in Kentucky, all just a two hour drive from Manhattan. If you’d like to visit any of the craft brewers or cider makers interviewed in The Farm Report, checkout EscapeMaker.com to book a 1 or 2-night all-inclusive craft beverage package with tours tastings and lodging.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Luke Holden, founder and CEO of Luke's Lobster, and Eric Knight, a fisherman who Luke's Lobster has purchased from in the past. Luke Holden grew up in Cape Elizabeth, Maine—a third-generation lobsterman who started learning the trade at age 13. When he moved to New York to pursue a career in investment banking, he was remiss to find that every lobster roll available was overpriced, drowning in mayo, and diluted with celery. He craved a real Maine-style roll and simply couldn’t find one. In 2009, Luke turned to his roots and longstanding relationship with the Maine lobstering community to cut out the middleman and bring Maine lobster to the heart of NYC. Today, Luke spends the majority of the year in Maine, where he maintains relationships with fishermen and oversees production at Cape Seafood. He also sits on the boards of the Maine Lobster Institute, the Maine Lobstermen Community Alliance, and the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. After the break, this week’s EscapeMaker segment features John Ingle of Heron Hill Winery. Heron Hill is among the leaders in recognizing Riesling as the flagship varietal of the Finger Lakes region, and was chosen as one of the ten most spectacular tasting rooms in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Alon Shepon, a sustainability expert in the Weizmann Institute of Science. Shepon was part of a research team that spent five years studying and measuring five main sources of protein (dairy, beef, poultry, pork and eggs) to calculate the environmental costs per calorie and per gram. The findings, which were recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that, among other things, beef is measurably the most environmentally draining livestock on the market. After the break, this week's EscapeMaker segment features John McCarthy, executive chef and owner of The Crimson Sparrow in Hudson, NY. The Crimson Sparrow builds on all of John’s reverence and experience in cooking with Asian flavors, and utilizing French technique. Their tasting menu is a foray into all of these complex, rich and unexpected flavors, and changes approximately every two to three weeks to reflect seasonality. If you’d like to visit any of the craft brewers or cider makers interviewed in The Farm Report, checkout EscapeMaker.com to book a 1 or 2-night all-inclusive craft beverage package with tours tastings and lodging.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by the team from the Zia Green Chile Company. Green Chile is extremely deep rooted in the state, economy, and culture of the state of New Mexico. It brings over $400 Million annually to the state's local economy, according to the governor's office. At Zia Green Chile Company, all of the chiles are sourced directly from Hatch Valley, New Mexico, making them New Mexico Certified and supporting New Mexico Agriculture. And in this week's Escapemaker segment, Erin chats with Lucille Munz, the Farm Director at Hilltop Hanover Farm. If you’d like to visit any of the craft brewers or cider makers interviewed in the Farm Report, check out EscapeMaker.com to book a 1 or 2-night all-inclusive craft beverage package with tours tastings and lodging.

On the season premiere of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Nate Hodge, co-founder of Raaka Chocolate, and filmmaker Tim Shephard. The two are working on a documentary film project called Setting the Bar, which examines rare varieties of cacao in Peru. The film follows these passionate people who have dedicated their life to a better tasting and more sustainable chocolate bar. Their stories are fascinating, their dedication contagious and their final product, delicious. Plus, the first in our new series of EscapeMaker segments, profiling craft producers in New York state, with brewmaster Josh Hughes of Roscoe Beer Company. If you’d like to visit any of the craft brewers or cider makers interviewed in the Farm Report, check out EscapeMaker.com to book a 1 or 2-night all-inclusive craft beverage package with tours tastings and lodging.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Holly Chute, the Executive Chef for the Georgia Departments of Agriculture and Economic Development. In this role, Holly represents the state’s largest economic sector, while serving as a liaison between Georgia’s farmers/commodity producers and the food Service Industry. She is one of the most visible faces of the popular Georgia Grown Program and appears regularly at Festivals and community events. Prior to this, Holly was Executive Chef of the Georgia Governor's Mansion under six administrations, which led one political observer to remark "Georgia Republicans and Democrats can agree on at least one thing: Holly's cooking."

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks welcomes Dr. Calvin Lamborn to the studio. As a young breeder, with a PhD. in plant breeding, and a keen curiosity, Dr. Lamborn crossed a rogue garden pea with a snow pea. By chance, he observed an off type pea "rogue" which had thicker pod wall flesh than normal. Calvin’s first thought was that this thicker pod flesh would improve the quality of the snow pea pods. The unexpected outcome was a new class of edible podded pea, which you may have heard of, called the Snap Pea. Since then, Calvin's Peas have earned prestigious honors and awards in the trade as well as acclaim from top chefs across the country. At 82 years of age, Calvin continues to breed new peas, and has exceeded his expectations of what was possible with peas from when he first began.

This week, The Farm Report moves to its new time slot (1o a.m. on Thursdays!), and host Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Viraj Puri, the co-founder and CEO of Gotham Greens, an urban agriculture company founded in Brooklyn, New York, that grows produce year-round in rooftop greenhouses. Gotham Greens is a worldwide pioneer in the field of urban agriculture and a leading regional producer of hyper-local, premium-quality, greenhouse grown vegetables and herbs. The company has built and operates over 170,000 square feet of technologically advanced, urban rooftop greenhouses across 4 facilities in New York City and Chicago. Viraj co-founded Gotham Greens in 2009 and serves as CEO. He has developed and managed start-up enterprises in New York City, Ladakh, India and Malawi, Africa focusing on sustainable agriculture, green building, renewable energy, and environmental design.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Dave Simonds and Sarah Gardner, the director and producer, respectively, of the new film Forgotten Farms. New England’s dairy farmers remain the backbone of the region's agriculture but fight for survival in an age of baby greens and artisan cheese. In our enthusiasm for the new food movement, many of us have forgotten that 75 years ago traditional New England dairy farmers were at the center of a thriving local food economy. Forgotten Farms examines class divisions and cultural divides in New England's farm and food communities. Watch the trailer here.

On this week's special edition of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Health-Ade Kombucha co-founder Daina Trout. Tune in to hear them discuss the evolution of the company, Trout's plans for the future, and a live on-air tasting of a selection of Health-Ade flavors.

Today on the Farm Report, two chocolate experts call in to tell Erin all about what gives chocolate the "fine" label. Pam Williams and Dan Pearson founded Ecole Chocolat and Marañón Chocolate, respectively. Both of today's guests helped found the Fine Chocolate Industry Association and its recent initiative the Heirloom Cacao Preservation, which seeks to save pure cacao beans from extinction. Pearson discovered a source of 40% white cacao beans while working as a businessman (and sourcing bananas) in Peru. He learned of the bean's rarity after sending it to the USDA for genetic testing, and has since teamed up with Pam to raise awareness on the possibility of such fine beans' extinction.

This week on The Farm Report, we present the "So You Want to Be a Farmer" panel from this year's Cherry Bombe Jubilee. The panel discussion featured Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm, Katie Baldwin and Amanda Merrow of Amber Waves Farm, Molly Culver of The Youth Farm, and Laura Ferrara of Westwind Orchard, and was moderated by our very own Erin Fairbanks.

This week on The Farm Report, we bring you a special field piece recorded at AeroFarms in Newark, New Jersey. Vertical farming is the practice of producing food in vertically stacked layers, vertically inclined surfaces and/or integrated in other structures, and AeroFarms is the largest vertical farm in the world. Their state-of-the-art aeroponic growing system uses a patented technology that allows us to grow food indoors without sun or soil, using 95% less water than in the field. Tune in for a tour of their Newark Farm facility, a 30,000 square foot former paintball and laser tag arena.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Kate Greenberg, the Western Water Program Director for the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC). Kate organizes young farmers and ranchers across the West, advocates for supportive policy, and promotes land and water stewardship. Prior to joining NYFC, Kate worked on vegetable farms, managed Western environmental policy field programs, and restored riparian habitat in Mexico’s Colorado River Delta. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Quivira Coalition and the farmer-owned Southwest Farm Fresh Cooperative and lives in Durango, CO. Read the new western water report "Conservation Generation" here

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Anastasia Cole Plakias, co-founder and Vice President of Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm. As a managing partner of Brooklyn Grange, she has run the business’ sales department, created its events program, and manages the farm’s communications and external affairs. Anastasia also channels her love of food into weekly CSA newsletters, chock full of fun vegetable trivia and cooking tips, which were spun off to the Heritage Radio Network series, Anastasia’s Fridge. Her new book is titled The Farm on the Roof: What Brooklyn Grange Taught Us About Entrepreneurship, Community, and Growing a Sustainable Business.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Matt Nielsen, the chief operations officer for Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Inc. and Managing Director of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas International BV. Matt began working in the family business when he was 15 years old, sweeping floors and cleaning tanks; today his responsibilities include overseeing all operations at the company's headquarters and manufacturing facility in Waukegan, Illinois, as well as its manufacturing facility in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

On the season premiere of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks returns to hosting duties! She sits down with Kamal Mouzawak, who started Souk el Tayeb, the first farmer’s market in Beirut, Lebanon. Souk el Tayeb promotes unity around a common respect for food, land, and agricultural traditions. It aims to preserve food traditions and the culture of small farming in Lebanon, to protect the interests of the small farmers and producers and to enable them to compete with industrial and globalized food trade. The literal translation of Souk el Tayeb means “the good market” – both good in taste and character.

Most food starts with a seed tucked in the soil. But where do seeds come from? This week on The Farm Report is a special glimpse into part of the seed supply chain. Host Holli Cederholm takes listeners on a tour of Territorial Seed Company in Cottage Grove, Oregon, with stops at their packing facility and trial farm.

When discussing farm labor, some complex issues come to the table: the history of the labor movement, immigration, fair wages for farm workers, fair prices for farmers... This week’s episode of The Farm Report offers context to these issues with two guests from different big agricultural states. Bryan Little, the Director of Employment Policy for the California Farm Bureau Federation, and Elizabeth Henderson, an organic farmer and Board member for NOFA-NY, both contribute to the conversation.

Have a quail of a time with Brittney Miller of Manchester Farms in Columbia, South Carolina! Owner of her family quail farm, Brittney has a lot to say about this old school bird and her passion for bringing farrow quail to more dinner tables as an easy and healthy protein that many chefs have long embraced. Spread out over 380 acres, Manchester Farms produces 80,000 quail per week that are growth-promotant and hormone-free, following the same husbandry practices that Brittney’s father practiced in the 1970s. Learn what it takes to live a day in the life of a quail farmer.

Andre Leu, President of IFOAM – Organics International, the only global umbrella organization of the organic world, joins host Holli Cederholm on The Farm Report for a briefing on climate change and agriculture. Leu was on-site in Paris for the COP21 Climate Conference in late 2015, and shares his thoughts on the new international agreement on climate change, and on why utilization of land is really a big deal for curbing climbing carbon in the atmosphere. An organic farmer with more than 40 years of experience in organic agriculture, Leu also distills the Myths of Safe Pesticides from his 2014 book of the same name.

This week, one hundred Cabot Creamery dairy farmers descend upon Metro New York as part of their second ever Farmers’ Gratitude Tour. Among them is Jenni Tilton-Flood of Flood Brothers Farm in Clinton, Maine. She called into the Heritage Radio Network studio in between delivering “random acts of cheddar” to discuss Cabot’s cooperative structure and what it means for its 1,200 farmer-owners spread across New England and upstate New York. “As a farmer, we really take pride in the fact that our hard work helps to feed our neighbors, and really does help feed the world.” [4:00] – Jenni Tilton-Flood  

Lindsey Lusher Shute is the co-founder and executive director of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC). She joins host Holli Cederholm for a discussion on the biggest barriers that young farmers face today, and how NYFC is supporting practices and policies that will help farmers now and in the future. “What we’re advocating for is that full time farmers are able to access [student loan forgiveness] programs like these other professions.” [3:10] – Lindsey Shute  

Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Joyce Farms is a family-run operation  dedicated to raising high-quality all-natural meats–including poultry, beef, and game – for chefs, artisanal butchers, and educated consumers across the United States. Among their offerings of heritage breed poultry is the world’s best chicken: the Poulet Rouge Fermier, a French farm chicken. Brothers Ryan and Stuart Joyce, the third generation of the Joyce family to be involved in the company, join host Holli Cederholm for a peek into the process of raising heritage chickens in accordance to France’s Label Rouge program. “There really is a simpler way of farming, it’s going back to the old way.” [13:20] – Stuart Joyce  

Holli Cederholm was on-site at Organic Seed Alliance’s 8th Organic Seed Growers Conference in Corvallis, Oregon, on February 5-6, 2016, for a special episode of The Farm Report. After a full day of workshops and panel presentations on everything organic seed, Cederholm caught up with Lane Selman of Oregon State University and Chef Timothy Wastell of Sweedeedee in North Portland to explore a unique collaboration between plant breeders and chefs, enabled by the Culinary Breeding Network. The Culinary Breeding Network (CBN) is comprised of plant breeders, seed growers, fresh market farmers, chefs and produce buyers engaged in developing and identifying varieties and traits of culinary excellence for vegetable crops in the Pacific Northwest region. Cederholm also attended a panel on “Community Plant Breeding: Engaging Stakeholders Across the Food System from Eaters to Breeders,” and recorded a segment with organic plant breeder Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed in Philomath, OR, in order to round out the dialogue.

As part of HRN’s lead-up to the Charleston Wine + Food festival, Chef Craig Deihl joins The Farm Report this week to tuck into meat that matters. Deihl is the Executive Chef of Cypress in Charleston, SC, and founder of the restaurant’s in-house charcuterie program, the Artisan Meat Share. Deihl is passionate about preserving meat and the requisite skills of the craft, from the farm to the butcher, and is a founding member of the Butcher’s Guild. Through a partnership with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and Carolina Heritage Farm, Deihl became the first chef in over 100 years to utilize the rare American Guinea Hog. This seems like an awfully long time between meals, and Deihl explains the gap by diving further into what conservation looks like in the kitchen.

Deb Soule, herbalist and founder of Avena Botanicals in Midcoast Maine, joins The Farm Report to talk about her practice as an herbalist and biodynamic grower. Deb also delves into the challenges herbalists face in of complying with the FDA–which regulates herbs as part of a broad category of dietary supplements–including touching upon the tools necessary for helping future herbalists and small-scale herb producers navigate FDA regulation.

Lori Flores, PhD, Assistant Professor of History at Stony Brook University (SUNY), joins The Farm Report to discuss her book: Grounds for Dreaming: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the California Farmworker Movement. Grounds for Dreaming is “a sweeping critical history of how Mexican communities in agricultural California fought for equality and respect in a hostile climate of labor repression and xenophobia.” Flores, and host Holli Cederholm, explore the history of the farmworker movement in the U.S., while taking a pulse on present day farmworker conditions and the need for immigration and labor policy reform. “The Farmworker Justice Movement has more to accomplish and we need more attention and support paid to this issue.” [18:45] “When you go to the farmers market ask about the workers too, not just the conditions that the food is grown.” [30:00] –Lori Flores on The Farm Report  

The Farm Report is back for 2016(!), hosted by guest host Holli Cederholm. She starts off the season as most farmers and gardeners do: by turning to their favorite seed companies. The Hudson Valley Seed Library in Accord, NY, was initiated in 2004 as one of the first seed libraries in the country. Over time this borrowable seed collection grew from the catalog of the Gardiner Public Library to what it is today: a small farm-based for-profit seed company. Ken Greene, its Managing and Creative Director, joins The Farm Report for a look into the world of seed sourcing and the value of education for seed operations. “If I learn how to save seed in my little garden, then whatever seed I save I’ve removed myself from the system I don’t want to be a part of.” [4:00] –Ken Greene on The Farm Report  

Wrapping up another great season, Erin Fairbanks introduces listeners to the new guest host of The Farm Report starting in 2016: Holli Cederholm.  Holli Cederholm’s involvement in organic agriculture spans over a decade—starting with farm apprenticeships wedged between completing a B.A. in environmental writing from Unity College. In 2010-2014, she focused on celebrating  the diversity of vegetables grown exclusively from open-pollinated seed with the operation of her own Proud Peasant Farm. During this time, Holli also cut flowers, tinctured herbs, put by the season’s bounty, fermented small batches of tempeh, and accompanied her herd of home-dairy goats for regular jaunts in the woods. She currently works as the general manager of a national agricultural non-profit dedicated to organic seed growers, and is seeking a permanent place to plant seeds and sow stories.  Stay tuned for the next radio season as Holli digs into the nitty-gritty of agriculture with the people producing our food! “I always love interacting with other farmers, whether they are producing the same crops as me or doing much larger acreage, it’s just that connectivity.” [23:30] –Holli Cederholm on The Farm Report

Continuing a close look at Christmas trees, Erin Fairbanks welcomes Lars Crooks to _ The Farm Report _ from Tuckamony Farm, one of the oldest family operated Christmas tree farms in the country.  His great grandfather planted the first crop of Scots Pine and Norway Spruce in 1929 and first opened for season in 1934 and operated the farm for twenty five years before he passed the business to Lars’ grandfather.  Offering insight on the varieties of trees that make the best holiday staples, Lars also discusses the environmental nuances surrounding this type of agriculture and how the climate has affected the trees.  Erin then introduces a segment taped at Brooklyn’s Fort Greene market, featuring GreenMarket Program Director Michael Hurwitz and Hudson Valley-based farmer Charles Hurd talking more about Christmas trees.  Rounding out the show, Erin welcomes Giovanni Borghese for the EscapeMaker.com portion of the show, hailing from Castello di Borghese, recently chosen as the best winery on Long Island by Long Island Press.  Tune in for a festive show!

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree… Ever wonder where your Christmas tree comes from? _ The Farm Report _ gets the scoop this week as Erin Fairbanks is on the line with Mary Jeanne Packer of the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York talking all things evergreen.  Founded in 1953, the mission of the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York (CTFANY) is to empower members in the development of the real Christmas tree industry.  Seeking to educate about the real tree industry and enable the public to purchase and enjoy the benefits of farm fresh and fragrant real Christmas trees and evergreen products, Mary Jeanne stresses the importance of protecting the environment with these trees as well as enhancing the contributions of the Christmas tree industry to New York’s economy. “People still have it in their minds that it’s not good to be cutting tress. In fact, young trees like this are really where that oxygen benefit is coming from. A mature forest does not produce nearly that amount of oxygen because a mature forest is growing more slowly, so it’s fast-growing 6, 7, 8 year old trees that are making that oxygen.” [8:01] –Mary Jeanne Packer on The Farm Report  

Tune in for this special episode of _ The Farm Report _ for a preview of the upcoming show, _ The B-Side _, where hosts Jennifer Leuzzi and Erin Fairbanks talk with some of their favorite people in the culinary world about the other things that make them tick.  Talking to a trio of fighting foodies about Muay Thai: Dig Inn CEO Adam Eskin, Top Bartender Joshua Brandenberg , and Personal Trainer and Pro Fighter Elijah Clarke, the group goes in-depth about the fighting style as well as principles they’ve adopted into their businesses and more.

Tune in for a special partnered episode of _ Eating Matter _s and The Farm Report as hosts Kim Kessler and Erin Fairbanks are on the line with the United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary, Krysta Harden.  Recently announced, the Department of Agriculture announced a commitment to prioritize $5.6 billion over the next two years within USDA programs and services that serve new and beginning farmers and ranchers. Deputy Secretary Harden also announced a new, tailored web tool designed to connect burgeoning farm entrepreneurs with programs and resources available to help them get started.  With the the American farmer reaching on average 58 years old, the next generation of farmers and ranchers is imperative to the future of feeding the country.  What are the challenges for new farmers?  How has the role of women evolved in farming?  How is the USDA looking to help? “We don’t need more farmers markets we meed more people shopping at farmers markets.” [17:00] –USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden  

This week on _ The Farm Report _, Erin Fairbanks is in studio with Edie Mukiibi, Vice President of Slow Food International, and Richard McCarthy, Executive Director of Slow Food USA.Edie Mukiibi was born and raised in the rural parts of Mukono District in Central Uganda. He attended a nearby rural school for his primary and secondary education. Agriculture was used as a form of punishment in both schools: experiencing firsthand the practice of shaping a young person’s attitude towards agriculture. Mukiibi graduated from Makerere University with honors in Agricultural Land Use Management in 2009, where he has also worked as a teaching assistant in the Soil Science Department. In 2006, Mukiibi founded Developing Innovations in School and Community Gardens (DISC), a project aimed at promoting community engagement and agricultural sustainability among the youth. Mukiibi’s involvement with Slow Food began in 2008. It was stimulated by a drought in Uganda whose destabilizing impacts were made far worse by the widespread mono-crop planting of a maize hybrid. By contrast, he argues, traditional agricultural practices provide stability: “If one takes a classic African farm, one finds there are fruit trees, vegetables…it’s thanks to this model that, over the years, Uganda has never known famine.” In 2014, at the age of 28, he was named Vice President of Slow Food International. With this recent appointment, Mukiibi helps to steer the work of the global network and to grow Slow Food’s 10,000 Gardens in Africa project.  Edie goes on to share with Erin misconceptions about Africa and how he strives to change these for the better. Richard McCarthy also joins the show and embodies the phrase “think globally; act locally.” He joined Slow Food USA as Executive Director in January 2013, having previously served as Executive Director of Market Umbrella, an internationally recognized non-profit mentor organization for farmers markets, community building and sustainable economic development. After Hurricane Katrina, Richard played a key role in restarting the local agricultural economy in the New Orleans area, aiming to help provide returning residents with a sense of normalcy and resilience through the revival of farmers markets. Stay tuned to the end of the show to hear the EscapeMaker segment featuring Chris Harp from Honey Bee Lives! “

This week on _ The Farm Report _, Erin Fairbanks kicks off another jam-packed show with guest Eric Gustafson, CEO of Coast Packing Company, the number one supplier of animal fat shortenings in the Western United States. Explaining how animal fat shortenings are all about making food taste better, Eric goes on to point out that animal fats need to be part of the diet of health-conscious.  Proud to say that none of their products contain potentially toxic artificial trans fats, he shares that his family’s business is looking to keep the industry vibrant for the future of not only their company but also their consumers.  After the break, Erin is on the line with Steve Rosenberg of The Scenic Hudson Land Trust, of which they discuss the protection of Hudson Valley lands for public enjoyment. Since joining the organization he has led the group in safeguarding thousands of acres of land and has helped create or improve many of Scenic Hudson’s numerous parks and preserves along nearly 200 miles of the Hudson River. In addition, the program converts neglected urban waterfront sites into more publicly beneficial uses, preserves productive farmland and protects views from historic sites. Stay tuned for the EscapeMaker segment featuring Ron Samascott from Samascott Orchard.   “The fat we render on the edible side can be used for food, cosmetics, soaps, oleochemical manufacture, biodiesels… there are a wide variety of uses.” [7:30] –Eric Gustafson on The Farm Report  

John McDowell and Jerry Cosgrove join host Erin Fairbanks to continue the discussion on Harvesting Opportunities in New York, a conference organized by American Farmland Trust to be held November 4th, 2015.  

This week on _ The Farm Report _, host Erin Fairbanks is talking grain with some of the folks who know it best from the Maine Grain Alliance plus author of “The New Bread Basket,” Amy Holloran.  Speaking with President of the Maine Grain Alliance, Amber Lambke, head miller, Erik LeVine, and Matthew DuBois, owner of The Bankery, Erin brings up the topic of ancient grains being the next “it” food item to join the ranks of artisan coffee and kale, according to recent media claims.  What would it take to reinvigorate local grain economies?  How is grain season looking this year? What are the ancient grains that are making a come back?  Tune in for answers and to hear from Amy Holloran with highlights from her new book on this very topic. “I think grains are sexy right now and part of that is coming from the fact that… I think it’s new to the consciousness of folks that care about where their food comes from, that grains could come from their regions too.”  [4:18] –Amber Lambke on The Farm Report  

This week on _ The Farm Report _, Erin Fairbanks is joined on the line by David Haight of the American Farmland Trust, making another guest appearance talking all things agriculture in New York State.  Since joining American Farmland Trust in 2001, David Haight has worked with more than 20 local governments to establish agricultural economic development and farmland protection plans. He aids state and federal legislators as they work on agricultural and land conservation legislation and has helped coordinate projects that have permanently protected more than 4,000 acres of New York farmland. Haight helped to author AFT’s Guide to Local Planning for Agriculture in New York and New York Agricultural Landowner Guide to Tax, Conservation, and Management Programs. His previous work experience includes evaluating the fiscal impact of land conservation for the Vermont Land Trust and work as an outdoor educator in New York’s Catskill Mountains. He holds a B.A. in environmental studies and political science from Binghamton University, an M.S. in natural resources planning from the University of Vermont, graduated from New York’s LEAD program and serves on the Land Trust Alliance New York Advisory Committee.  For the EscapeMaker.com segment, Erin speaks with Becky Wilklow of Wilklow Orchards all about fall apple picking, hard cider, and what their apple season has been like thus far!

It’s Goatober and Erin Fairbanks is celebrating with an in-depth chat with Mark Baustian of West Hill Farm who raises Boer goats for meat.  Mark shares his passion for bringing goat to the domestic meat market and divulges how he and his wife became goat farmers.  He also points out that while most people think milk and cheese when they think of goat farms, goat is actually the most widely consumed meat in the world. Conversation evolves from supplying NYC halal carts to the globalization of food production and what Mark sees in the foreseeable future for goat.  Stay tuned for the tail end of the show for the EscapeMaker.com segment featuring Beth Linskey of Beth’s Farm KitchenJams and Preserves.   “More and more, we’re finding that if we can put goat meat in front of people they like it.” [33:00] “I’m not predicting that goat will ever replace pork or beef, but there is a lot of scope for it to grow.” [35:00] –Mark Baustian on The Farm Report  

Tune in to this week’s episode of The Farm Report as host Erin Fairbanks has a quail of a time with Brittney Miller of Manchester Farms in Columbia, South Carolina.  Owner of her family quail farm, Brittney talks about this old school bird and her passion for bringing farrow quail to more dinner tables as an easy and healthy protein that many chefs have long embraced.  Spread out over 380 acres, Manchester Farms produces 80,000 quail per week that are growth promotant and hormone free, following the same husbandry practices that Brittney’s father practiced in the 1970s.  What’s the day to day like as a quail farmer? How does the quail industry differ from the chicken industry? What is Brittney’s take on the recent bird flu epidemic in the Midwest? Tune in for answers plus to hear from Steve Clark from Prospect Hill Orchards in the EscapeMaker.com segment! “You can’t just say you’re a farmer, you have to be a business person as well.” [7:00] “One quail egg equals the nutritional value of five chicken eggs.” [22:00] –Brittney Miller on The Farm Report

The Farm Report is back for the new fall season! Host Erin Fairbanks is in studio with long time confidant and Heritage Radio Network Board Member, JoAnn “Flash” Fleming. This season on The Farm Report expect to hear more on the topic of numbers, which happens to by JoAnn’s specialty as a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Valuation Analyst, and Certified Fraud Examiner. Tune in for a thorough preview of the upcoming season and a conversation revolving around dairy, agriculture, The Farm Bill, and more numbers! This program was brought to you by EscapeMaker.com. “Every company suffers from some kind of theft or some kind of fraud.” [14:30] –JoAnn “Flash” Fleming on The Farm Report  

On the season finale of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by Dan Purdy and Vicky Purdy, the team behind Purdy & Sons – a farmhouse, butcher shop and processing facility. Purdy & Sons has been serving the Upstate New York area for almost 50 years, combining traditional commitment to superb quality in meats and food with modern, reliable, and safe methods of processing and customer service. Hear about the history of the operation and get a peek behind the life of a team that knows what’s what when it comes to getting food from farm to plate. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Sales is very easy to me. It’s all about knowing people, caring for them, making sure you do what you say you’ll do. It’s that simple” [08:00] “I’m a perfectionist. I need to make sure I see things go in a way I’m proud about. It’s my family’s heritage and my family’s name – everything we produce, our name is on it. It’s vital to me that when a product hit a person’s plate there is total satisfaction.” [33:00] –Dan Purdy on The Farm Report

What makes Bristol Bay salmon so special? Find out on a brand new episode of The Farm Report. Host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Chef William Dissen, chef/owner of Market Place Restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina and fisherman Chris Nicholson to talk about Alaska’s Bristol Bay and the salmon that run there. Chef Dissen won a scholarship through Chef’s Collaborative to visit the Bristol Bay fisheries and shares his takeaways from the experience. Chris Nicholson has been fishing the area for years and adds his insights to the conversation. He also gives listeners an explanation of the Pebble Mine situation threatening the Bristol Bay region. This program was brought to you by Tabard Inn. “In my career as a chef, I’ve seen grouper that 10 years ago used to be 30 pound fish on average now coming in as a 5-6 pound fish. You really have a connection with that when you’re ordering it and filleting it on a daily basis and realizing something is happening here.” [06:00] “Bristol Bay feels like the edge of the world. Using adjectives like raw, epic and natural are an understatement.” [14:00] –William Dissen on The Farm Report

It’s hard to think about beer these days without thinking about hops. The runaway craft beer market’s convergence with the ever-expanding local foods movement is helping to spur a local-hops renaissance. The demand from craft brewers for local ingredients to make beer―such as hops and barley―is robust and growing. That’s good news for farmers looking to diversify, but the catch is that hops have not been grown commercially in the eastern United States for nearly a century. Learn more on a hoppy episode of The Farm Report as Erin Fairbanks is joined by Laura Ten Eyck and Dietrich Gehring, co-authors of The Hop Grower’s Handbook: The Essential Guide for Sustainable, Small-Scale Production for Home and Market. Jimmy Carbone, host of Beer Sessions Radio is in the studio as well! This program was brought to you by Route 11 Potato Chips. “Hops puts flavor in your glass. Everybody identifies craft beer with hops – and it’s what took people away from commercial beer without any flavor.” [06:00] –Jimmy Carbone on Beer Sessions Radio “New York was the epicenter for growing hops in the late 1800’s. In 1880, 80% of the hops grown in the country were grown in New York State, many of those being grown int he area around Cooperstown.” [09:00] –Laura Ten Eyck on The Farm Report

Happy birthday blueberries! This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks chats with Amelie Aust of Fall Creek Nursery all about blueberries. Fall Creek supplies the majority of blueberry growers around the world with blueberry plants; Amelie is also president of the Blueberry Family Health Foundation, a nonprofit vehicle started by blueberry families for the industry to combine its resources to prevent type-2 diabetes in children. Later in the show, hear from Liz Neumark, founder and CEO of New York catering company Great Performances. This program was brought to you by Rt. 11. “The thing about blueberries, once a plant is established – it should produce for 10, 15, 20 years! If you start with a really robust healthy vigorous disease free true to type blueberry plant – it pays dividends long term. If you start with quality, you get quality.” [08:00] –Amelie Aust on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is kicking off the show with Meghan Filbert, on the line from the Practical Farmers of Iowa who has been doing a lot of work in the response to avian influenza in Iowa. Talking about what is called the largest outbreak of avian influenza or bird flu, Meghan shares protocol for handling and containing the deadly strain of the virus, mentioning that humans are at low risk to contracting it. Further detailing the bird flu conversation, Erin talks with John Wesselius, a poultry farmer of The Cornucopia, a small family farm in rural Northwest Iowa raising better-than-free-range broiler chickens as well as marketing Certified Naturally Grown vegetables. John takes listeners through his typical day checking on his chickens, relays the importance of farm scale size to healthy birds, what the situation was like once the avian influenza was found in his general area, and what the media is getting right and wrong about the outbreak. In the last segment, Elizabeth Ryan from Breezy Hill and Stone Ridge Orchard is on the line with Erin talking about her intriguing background with a degree in Pomology from Cornell University as well as many of the great things going on at the orchard! This great adventure and more is all thanks to our friends at EscapeMaker.com. “To date, we know that in Iowa 6 backyard flocks have been affected with bird flu, about 4700 birds, versus 77 commercial operations have been affected with 33.7 million birds – two completely different scales we’re dealing with.” [13:00] —Meghan Filbert on The Farm Report “Smaller might be better sometimes.” [30:50] —John Wesselius on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks welcomes Courtney Epton, Director of Education at City Growers to the program. City Growers connects urban communities with agriculture, food and environment through farm education and advocacy in order to foster a culture of health and sustainability. The organization highlights its programs for children and teens at Brooklyn Grange, the world’s largest soil rooftop farms. With a background as a veteran NYC public school teacher, Courtney shares that she cannot imagine a better place for kids to learn than up on the Brooklyn Grange’s two rooftop farms and loves to see students teaching themselves through observation, and teaching each other through investigation and inquiry. Passionate about advancing City Growers’ mission of fostering a sense of ecological understanding and stewardship among NYC’s students, she sits down with Erin discussing City Grower’s reaches and wishes for the year including students’ farm knowledge being used at home, inspiring kids to think about the intersection between the farm and what they eat, plus how details on their Honeybee Workshop where students to use their five senses to explore the intricate world of a bee colony. At the tail of the episode, tune in as Erin speaks with Abby Paloma, founder of Farm to Yoga via our friends at EscapeMaker.com. This program was brought to you by EscapeMaker.com. “The food doesn’t come from the grocery store, it comes from a place similar to this but different in lots of ways. We also want to promote healthy eating habits and pro-environmental experiences for the kids.” [15:20] “Kids don’t always make the jump to can urban farming feed the world but they are thinking about: Why is this here? Why is this important? Are they organic here? Are they using pesticides? Why do large farms use pesticides? Why is a that a decision people make?” [28:20] —Courtney Epton on The Farm Report

June is National Dairy Month and The Farm Report is celebrating as host Erin Fairbanks chats with Beth Chittenden of Dutch Hollow Farm. Dutch Hollow Farm is owned by the Chittenden family and is a Registered Jersey Dairy Farm that milks about 600 cows and has about 1,000 cows total. Beth shares the details surrounding the breed of cows used on the farm as well as how their milk is used once it leaves the farm. Beth goes on to explain how Dutch Hollow Farm holds animal husbandry in high regard and how they try to breed for polled cows (naturally born without horns). Also, Beth recently took a group of teen and pre-teen dairy farmers into NYC where they explored Beecher’s Handmade Cheese to watch cheese being made and how NYC people see dairy in the dairy case, plus checked out the dairy case competition in “milk” (soy, almond milk, etc). NYC, as Beth elaborates on, is the most important and largest market for fluid milk for NY dairy farmers so it is necessary to educate the city on the benefits of dairy milk. After the break, Erin welcomes Mark Doyle of Fishkill Farms to the program as a highlighted adventure from our friends at EscapeMaker.com. Mark gives listeners a brief history of the farm and how Fishkill Farms has grown from a conventionally farmed apple orchard in need of new trees and new tractors, into a diversified, ecological farm with new orchards and infrastructures. This program was brought to you by EscapeMaker.com. “We are the largest or second largest herd in Jersey State. Our milk is primarily used for making dairy products like cheese… rather than being consumed as whole milk.” “If we don’t have a market then why do we need a farm?” “When you ask somebody between milk they don’t really know the differences between dairy milk and milk alternatives and where it all comes from… we need to convey that to [customers].” —Beth Chittenden on The Farm Report

This week’s episode of The Farm Report comes to you on the road as host Erin Fairbanks is in Denver, Colorado attending the Slow Meat 2015 symposium and fair taking place through June 6. Giving listeners insider tidbits from the gathering, Erin lays out the dense schedule of throughout the weekend and what she’s looking to gain from being in attendance. Look out for recordings of the discussions and panels coming soon to Heritage Radio Network’s homepage! In the second half of the show, Erin speaks with Vera Chang of Shelburne Farms in Vermont about summer happenings on their campus and how easy it is to get in touch with your food while on the farm for a visit. This program was brought to you by EscapeMaker.com. “What are the next steps? Really identifying where critical control points and what we can do to affect change in creating a space for meat that is more environmentally sound and is more delicious, and of course more humane.” [7:20] “When we think about meat, what I keep coming back to is: what are we willing to give up… and what do we get when we take a step in the right direction of a more just meat system.” [10:30] —Erin Fairbanks on The Farm Report

Keeping strong with the exploration of the meat industry in collaboration with Slow Food USA, on The Farm Report this week Erin Fairbanks is on the line with Gabriel Krenza of both the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Green Sports Alliance. Talking about his role in expanding and enhancing the NRDC’s food network and relationships as well as developing strategy for the sports industry on the issue of healthy food options for fans, Gabriel updates listeners on the current issues that the NRDC is working on in the food space plus weighs in on Walmart and Sam’s Club recent stance to encourage meat and egg suppliers to curb antibiotic use along with adopting more humane treatment of animals. Leah Garces of Compassion in World Farming joins the show sharing a detailed look at the Walmart news, stating that this headline comes in a year when retailers and restaurants across the United States are moving away from closed confinement systems such as gestation crates, battery cages, and veal crates and are adopting overarching farm animal welfare policies for the first time. Recently, food service giants such as Nestlé, Starbucks, and Aramark actually released similar policies. Rounding out the show, Erin speaks with Steve Pennings of Pennings Farm via our friends at EscapeMaker.com. Steve tells all the great things to do at his family’s farm this summer into the fall seasons from the garden center, cafe, petting zoo, to tasting some craft brews or their own cider! This program was brought to you by EscapeMaker.com. “What’s fascinating about the livestock industry is that it really does transcend so many different issues; whether it be land use, water quality, climate, also government subsidization and where different government resources go to support it.” [9:25] —Gabriel Krenza on The Farm Report “What we’re talking about doing in the US is a legislative minimum in the EU but that doesn’t mean that it’s not hard and that companies don’t need help and don’t need support getting to that minimum, and that’s what we’re here to do.” [39:53] —Leah Garces on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is on the line with Corey Blant and Nelly Burgos of Added Value located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. A non-profit organization promoting the sustainable development of Red Hook by nurturing a new generation of young leaders, Added Value works toward this goal by creating opportunities for the youth of South Brooklyn to expand their knowledge base, develop new skills and positively engage with their community through the operation of a socially responsible urban farming enterprise. Sponsor EscapeMaker.com makes visiting this unique operation possible! After the break, Erin introduces listeners to a fellow HRN show, Inside School Food, and its latest episode “Locavore Mayor Takes on Lunch.” Tune in for this hybrid version of The Farm Report! This program was brought to you by EscapeMaker.com. “We made a great opportunity for the students to understand the food and then enjoy the food.” —Ron Adams highlighted on The Farm Report

On this special reprise episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks has Sydney Phelps on the line from our friends at Bonnie Plants chatting about their free app, Homegrown with Bonnie Plants. Ideal for new gardeners, the app provides in-depth information on topics like container gardening, fertilizing, and what to do in a drought (like what California customers are experiencing) that can steer you to having a fruitful and tasty garden. With 65 locations across the country, Sydney explains that when you’re dealing with Bonnie Plants, their products are grown suited for the conditions in which the consumer lives and are heartier with attention to what customers want from region to region across the country. Touching upon many topics to inspire green thumbs everywhere, this is a conversation not to be missed as summer approaches! This program was brought to you by EscapeMaker.com. “We wanted something to make something that would be easy for novice consumers to find something and catch on and try it, as well as kids. So, we thought, let’s do a pizza garden so we gave all the ingredients of things you need to make a pizza that you can grow in a raised bed garden.” [11:30] “I thought something was really going on with my parsley when I got into herb gardening, it was just getting eaten and I didn’t have a clue as to what was going on but I realized when I saw a caterpillar going through its transformation!” [16:09] —Sydney Phelps on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is adding to the series exploring the meat industry in collaboration with with Slow Food USA as they prepare for Slow Meat 2015, a symposium and fair taking place June 4-6 in Denver, Colorado. On the line with Jose Oliva of the Food Chain Workers Alliance, it is a coalition of worker-based organizations whose members plant, harvest, process, pack, transport, prepare, serve, and sell food, organizing to improve wages and working conditions for all workers along the food chain. The Alliance works together to build a more sustainable food system that respects workers’ rights, based on the principles of social, environmental and racial justice, in which everyone has access to healthy and affordable food. Jose discusses the Alliance’s progress as well as the work that still remains to bridge the gap between restaurant workers and a livable wage, plus why they support the Slow Meat message. After the break, Kris De la Torre of EscapeMaker.com joins Erin in the studio talking about upcoming events involving interactions with farms and agro-tourism. Do you have plans this weekend? Tune in for some great ideas occurring throughout the summer! This program was brought to you by EscapeMaker.com. “When we talk about the food system from an economic system perspective we are talking about the largest private sector employer in the United States with well over 20 million workers… it’s about 50 percent of American that have worked or will work in a restaurant.” [11:25] “The way that pricing is structured right now it incentivizes large, corporate-owned factory farms and it penalizes smaller, medium sized farms.” [16:28] —Jose Oliva on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks keeps on with her series exploring the meat industry in collaboration with Slow Food USA as they prepare for Slow Meat 2015, a symposium and fair taking place June 4-6 in Denver, Colorado. Talking with Mary McCarthy, Director of Operations at Heritage Foods USA about their involvement with Slow Meat and explains that Heritage Foods USA is a mail order meat company specializing in non-commodity rare and heritage breeds of pork, beef and poultry, and celebrates healthy animals of sound genetics that have been treated humanely and allowed to pursue their natural instincts. Mary elaborates that there are dozens of varieties of cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. Each type looks different, acts different, tastes different, and comes from a different agricultural tradition, but from the perspective of the boardroom, there is little incentive to raise these beasts, even though many of them are renowned for their taste. Ultimately, we have to keep rare and heritage breeds viable by creating an active market for them. In the second half of the show, co-producer for this particular series, Megan Larmer, joins Erin in studio. She is the Associate Director of Strategic Initiation at Slow Food USA and recaps how she came to be involved in the meat realm and dishes out exciting appearances and panels to expect from Slow Meat 2015. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. “If we can get back to some of these rare breeds I think traditional farming practices of the grazing and the pasture raising will come off a lot better because the animals can do it better than if you stick with the modern breeds on old practices – that doesn’t work very well.” [4:34] —Mary McCarthy on The Farm Report “We [Slow Food] work to coordinate the various chapters and members, chefs and farmers that are working toward a world in which all people have access to food that is good, clean, and fair.” [23:45] —Megan Larmer on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks continues her series exploring the meat industry in collaboration with with Slow Food USA as they prepare for Slow Meat 2015, a symposium and fair taking place June 4-6 in Denver, Colorado. Robert Nathan Allen of Aspire USA joins Erin on the line from Austin, Texas and explains that the company seeks to create, process, and sell the highest quality, farm-raised edible insects worldwide. Touting that the United States is in the minority of countries around the world that are eating highly nutritious insects, Nathan gives a great run down of how they set up their farm plus the efficiencies of the cricket farm as compared to a typical livestock farm. Nathan takes Erin through Aspire USA’s method of capture for production, which is quick and humane as crickets de-animate within moments of being placed in a freezer and how Aspire USA is dedicated to raising healthy, tasty, and happy crickets. Discussing the differences between cricket powder and cricket flour, the input versus output of cricket farming, the safety concerns of edible insects, plus ways in which cricket and cricket products can populate the market. Tune in for an interesting conversation! This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. “When you have insects that are grown specifically for human consumption on a high quality diet, you get really good flavors there.” [6:59] “They’re [crickets] more feed efficient than other livestock options, they use a fraction of the water of other livestock options, and they product a fraction of the greenhouse gases.” [10:44] “The beauty of edible insects is that we mitigate a lot of the potential harms that we’ve seen so far, so for instance… mad cow disease, avian flu, swine flu… there is no risk of that sort of transmission.” [31:30] —Robert Nathan Allen on The Farm Report

This week on a bonus episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is continuing her series exploring the meat industry in collaboration with with Slow Food USA as they prepare for Slow Meat 2015, a symposium and fair taking place June 4-6 in Denver, Colorado. Slow Meat brings together producers, butchers, thought leaders and eaters of every ethos to address the conundrum of industrial animal husbandry and to celebrate the alternatives. Guests Sophie Grand and Samantha Garwin of Fleisher’s Pasture-Raised Meat share how they became involved in the meat industry and that they pride themselves in educating customers on the quality and standards of their products. Fleisher’s is an old-fashioned butcher shop that carries only pastured meats from animals raised on small, local, sustainable farms. Sophie and Samantha explain that their animals have never been given antibiotics or hormones and have a strictly vegetarian diet as well as the details behind particular labels such as the certified organic products. Tune in as the guests answer the hard hitting questions and chat about the upcoming Slow Meat 2015 symposium and fair. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. “We are an education driven company… so having access to great meat and being able to practice what we preach is really wonderful.” [5:55] —Sophie Garwin on The Farm Report “The sourcing is absolutely crucial to what we do and its not just the sourcing it’s bringing some transparency to our customers so they know exactly where it’s (meat) coming from.” [8:52] —Sam Grant on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks welcomes back Rodney Dow to the show talking more on honey and honey bees! Jumping right in, Erin asks how exactly a beekeeper procures flavored honey such as buckwheat, acacia, alfalfa, and orange blossom. As it turns out, terroir is not only a term frequently used in wine but is also applicable to honey, as the location where the bees collect nectar drastically flavors the honey. Natural honey flavor is also affected by the season in which it is collected. Erin inquires how to tell a good queen bee from a bad queen bee and gets the full breakdown on the bee reproductive and life cycle. After the break, Rodney talks the technical process for safely and efficiently extracting the precious honey from the hive. Tune in for another great episode! This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. “Good queens produce a lot of eggs and bad queens don’t.” “In the cast of characters you have the queen, the drone, and the unfertilized females: the worker bees.” —Rodney Dow on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is kicking off a series exploring the meat industry in collaboration with with Slow Food USA as they prepare for Slow Meat 2015, a symposium and fair taking place June 4-6 in Denver, Colorado. Slow Meat brings together producers, butchers, thought leaders and eaters of every ethos to address the conundrum of industrial animal husbandry and to celebrate the alternatives. Guest Carrie Balkcom is a member of the Slow Meat steering committee and is the Executive Director of the American Grassfed Association (AGA) which supports producers and consumers of grassfed meats through education, marketing, research, and government relations. Carrie gives the breakdown of one of AGA’s earliest priorities working with the USDA to establish a legal definition for grassfed and to implement a labeling program to help producers receive a premium for products meeting the definition, while providing a service to consumers wishing to buy grassfed products. The USDA introduced their definition in 2006, and AGA’s producers and board decided to develop a more stringent standard. The AGA certification program and standards were then introduced in 2009. After the break, Erin gets the details surrounding American Grassfed’s relationship with Slow Food USA and what a successful future for the industry ideally looks like. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. “You’ll hear this frequently is that all animals are grassfed… until they’re not.” [7:36] “We had to differentiate that the animals we’re talking about were never put into confinement feeding operations – never given grain. Grain is something a ruminant animal is not designed to eat.” [8:06] “As far as feeding the world, we need to give the world the tools to feed itself.” [35:00] —Carrie Balkcom on The Farm Report

This week on a brand new The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks kicks off the show welcoming Sara Brito, Executive Director Chef’s Collaborative to the show talking details of the upcoming Meat Matters event. Erin then welcomes Rodney Dow of Glynwood Farm and President and CEO of The Dow Corporation, to the program talking about honey bees. From his informative upbringing to explaining the basics about honey bee hive maintenance, Rodney relates the importance of apprenticing first before totally delving into beekeeping. Throughout the interview, Rodney shares a strong appreciation of honey bees’ role in the world with fascinating tips from ideal hive location to necessary equipment, disease control, plus a breakdown of bee activity by season. Looking to get into beekeeping? Check out workshops led by Rodney all about bee related topics. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Unfortunately people talk about bees and they categorize everything which is hornets and wasps into calling them bees. Bees are nectar collectors. When they are outside the hive they have no interest in stinging you.” [10:50] “It’s about the bees, not about how much hone you get out of them.” [32:50] “Working with bees is life long passion because you can always learn something new.” [33:40] “Honey is the only natural food that never spoils!” [40:45] —Rodney Dow on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks welcomes journalist David Gumpert to the show for a candid conversation about raw milk. Raw milk is considered milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized and has become the subject of contentious debate. David is the author of “The Raw Milk Answer Book” which raises raises difficult questions surrounding this controversial food – about the risk of getting seriously ill, whether it should be fed to children, the credibility of European research indicating raw milk has important healing powers – and answers them in calm, non-ideological terms, understandable to beginners and experienced drinkers alike. So, what’s the real story here? Tune in as Erin and David parse through the history, politics, science and practicalities of raw milk. This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham. “Raw milk can be risky, can be dangerous, if it’s not produced safely.” [5:35] “Part of the problem with this arena of raw milk is the data is very difficult to examine in a clear way.” [23:50] “We now have about half a dozen studies out of Europe that suggest raw milk imparts benefits, especially to children, it imparts protection against asthma and allergies.” [29:50] —David Gumpert on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks takes listeners along for a trip to Cain Vineyard & Winery in California. Cradled in a spectacular bowl overlooking the Napa Valley from the crest of the Spring Mountain District, Cain Vineyard & Winery is dedicated to the creation of three Cabernet blends, each drawn from its own unique vineyard sources, each with its own distinctive signature. The conversation with friend Kate Hardwick and winemaker Chris Howell covers topics from precipitation patterns, climate change, scientific research, all pertaining to the Napa Valley, to tracking how the Cain grapes grew last year and chatting about pruning techniques. After the break, Chris shares his personal thoughts on how wine should truly be enjoyed and its relationship with food. Tune in for a very special show! This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “The beauty of wine is that the most interesting wines do reflect the place where the grape vines grow.” “Wines are meant to be drunk and, only in my world I’ll say, with food. Wines are not a cocktail.” “People take wine too seriously! Wine can remind of were the grapes gorw, the eatrt, the soil and ask us to think about our connection to the earth.” —Chris Howell on The Farm Report

Kicking off another episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks opens up with an update about the Craig Watts VS Perdue Chicken story we’ve been closely following before officially welcoming Todd Erling on air. Todd is the Executive Director of the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC), which focuses on the development, promotion, enhancement and retention of the agricultural industry and its associated economic and environmental benefits within New York’s Hudson Valley. Talking to Erin about how exactly they go about their business as well as why it’s so important to keep the Hudson Valley a strong agricultural region, Todd also comments on the recent support they’ve received from Governor Cuomo’s office to target investment in the Kingston Food Hub. In the second half of the show, Erin welcomes Larissa Walker, Pollinator Campaign Director for the Center for Food Safety. Discussing why honeybees and other pollinator species are vital to our food systems, Larissa gives Erin a picture of what’s going on in that arena and what we can do to help raise awareness about the decline of honeybees due to widespread pesticide usage. This program was brought to you by Underground Meats. “We recognize that agriculture and food systems are really about rural urban relationships and the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation has taken it upon ourselves to start highlighting this rural urban opportunity.” [12:35] —Todd Erling on The Farm Report “It’s estimated that pollinators, specifically bees, are responsible for 1 in every 3 bites of food that we eat.” [29:19] “We think of honeybees and monarch butterflies indicator species, so if they are not doing well it is usually indicative of a larger environmental problem.” [39:10] —Larissa Walker on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is chatting with Steven Wood of Poverty Lane Orchards and Farnum Hill Ciders from about the new Arctic Apple, a genetically engineered creation of scientists working for the Okanagan Specialty Fruits company in British Columbia. Recently approved for sale by the USDA, they are seemingly identical to any other apple available at a grocery store, with one key difference: they don’t brown after being cut. Steven gives his thoughts on the new apple and explains how it may affect the global market for apples, plus questions if this is the right direction for research to proceed. After the break, Erin is joined by HRN host of The Whole Shebang, John Wilkes to discuss unmanned aerial vehicles as they are gaining popularity in the agricultural realm. Recently writing an article for The Farmer’s Guardian, John relays that the FAA recently released an official proposal for usage and that those who want to use the flying craft for business were generally encouraged by the FAA’s proposal. Tune in for another jam packed show! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “It’s taking the place of a lot of apple research that’s ultimately aimed at actually understanding the world we live in instead of trying to manipulate it to make it easier for us. We don’t understand enough about what we already have.” [12:00] “If people won’t buy brown apples and somebody breeds brownness out, I’m not going to be the one to object, except that we should be paying more attention to more important things.” [18:00] —Steven Wood on The Farm Report

This week on a brand-new, jam-packed episode of The Farm Report host Erin Fairbanks kicks off the show chatting about the recently released Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover and its quaint farm setting before delving into a discussion with Julie Gouldener of Food & Water Watch, a non-governmental organization and consumer rights group which focuses on corporate and government accountability relating to food, water, and fishing. Julie takes listeners through some timely food legislation moving through both the house and senate to keep an eye on, known as the Bay Tax Equity Act and the Farmers’ Rights Act. Erin also speaks with Erica Dorn, a consultant for the Food + Enterprise Summit 2015, to highlight what attendees can expect to learn from the upcoming summit as well as her experiences working with community supported agriculture programs (CSAs). Wen-Jay Ying, the Program Director and Founder of Local Roots NYC, a mission driven organization that creates a local food culture through an alternative CSA model is also brought into the conversation with both guests sharing details about their CSA experiences. Erin gets Erica and Wen-Jay’s thoughts on growing a business, how to divvy up time spent working on your business, plus how they manage their least favorite tasks and making work more efficient. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “[The Farmers’ Rights Act] is meant to bring some equity and some balance into a system that we view as pretty broken, which is the poultry industry on the Eastern shore. I’m talking about the handful of large institutions like Perdue, not the small family farmers or contact farmers that work with them.” [4:30] —Julie Gouldener on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is talking agriculture from a spread of angles in this jam packed show. Welcoming farmer Craig Watts to the program in the first segment, he tells Erin his experiences as a producer for Perdue Chicken. He tells Erin that he became a chicken farmer because his parents had been farmers and that when a representative from Perdue came his way touting how lucrative chicken farming might be, he decided to go with it. Being paid via a chicken weight system, Craig relates to Erin his problems with the chicken industry and the lack of respect for the farmer and consumer. Recently, Craig took a bold step and made a video in cooperations with Compassion in World Farming, in which he escorts cameras into his broiler barns revealing chicken leg deformities, ulcerated bellies from barn litter soaked with urine, and chicks too frail to eat or stand. With this in mind, Craig gives Erin his in-depth view of the chicken industry and what’s in store for his and his farm’s future. After the break, Sam Filler, who works with Governor Cuomo in Empire State Development, fills Erin in on the upcoming FOOD+ENTERPRISE events and the big issues surrounding it. Founded in 2013, FOOD+ENTERPRISE is a social impact, mission-driven event dedicated to promoting understanding and collaboration amongst multiple stakeholders – farmers, entrepreneurs, consultants, funders and investors – who aim to finance a better local food system. Sam is participating in a talk entitled “Anatomy of a Deal,” a panel looking at the NYS Brewers and the key players involved in making it a success. Brewers, government leaders, restaurateurs and industry experts plan to weigh in. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “The birds are designed to do exactly what they’re doing: stand up, take a bite, sit back down.” [20:55] “We cant forget our mid-size family farms out here that are carrying a lot of the weight.” [25:15] —Craig Watts on The Farm Report “I’m working directly with the trade associations for beer, wine, spirits, and cider to help them better market themselves and really tell the story of about what makes New York State products of high excellence.” [43:40] —Sam Filler on The Farm Report

Ever wondered how chia seeds really grow? On The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks gets the scoop from guest John Foss, Founder and CEO of The Chia Co. The Chia Co. is an Australian company specializing in the sustainable farming and development of Chia Seed and Chia Products. John relays to Erin how in 2003, he made the courageous decision to walk away from his highly successful wheat farm and focus on changing the way the world eats. As a commodity wheat farmer, John had found himself becoming increasingly disenchanted, watching as his healthy grains were processed and added to highly refined, sugary breakfast foods. He explains that while chia is little known, the tiny seed offers the world’s highest plant-based levels of omega-3, dietary fiber and protein, alongside a host of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Taking Erin through the basics of growing and producing chia and the thinking behind its sustainable farming just before and after the break, John relates how his little idea gradually expanded into a global focus. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “I became very frustrated with the lack of connection between what we were doing on the farm and the consumers eating the food.” [2:30] “We sun ripen. We never apply chemical to the crop… The way it’s grown is the way it’s eaten.” [13:55] “It’s about making a difference and growing the best quality [chia] over the long run.” [25:55] —John Foss on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is getting some expert opinions on recent newsworthy stories coming from the animal welfare world, most notably the January 19, 2015 New York Times article “U.S. Research Lab Lets Livestock Suffer in Quest for Profit.” First talking to Paul Shapiro about the article and related issues, he is the Vice President of Farm Animal Protection of the Humane Society of the United States, and has played an integral role in numerous successful legislative and corporate campaigns to improve the plight of farm animals. In his role overseeing efforts to pass state laws and corporate policies, he works with lawmakers and major food retailers alike to implement animal welfare reforms in the agricultural industry. After the break, Erin chats with Sam Edwards of S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, a purveyor of Virginia Country ham, bacon, sausage and other specialty foods of the American South to get his reactions to the recent animal welfare questions raised by the New York Times article and food safety as it relates to pork. Tune in for a detailed discussion on these important issues. This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “Too often in America’s meat, ag and dairy industry, suffering is the norm for these animals. We’re waging a global effort to give a voice for farm animals.” [8:48] “You can’t underestimate the importance of hearing from farmers on these issues because they will be the ones changing something to meet the new Starbucks demand” [19:27] “The meat industry is so reliant on federal handouts that it takes huge numbers of taxpayer dollars to fund this Meat Industry Research Center […] The meat industry can’t pay for its own R&D but has to reply on the government? […] Why should it get that kind of handout? […] It’s a kind of industry that loves to tout libertarianism but when it comes to wanting socialism in the form of government hand out, they have their hands cupped and out.” [23:10] —Paul Shapiro on The Farm Report “In the USDA world I live in – there’s zero tolerance. Everything is checked. If everything would be checked in the US why wouldn’t the same rules apply for an imported product? I can’t answer that.” [34:13] “There’s 5,000 years of history of doing dry cured meats correctly not causing any food borne illnesses.” [38:21] “The marketplace drives what we sell. When started developing connections with companies like Heritage Foods USA to buy fresh pork that was certified humane, we did it just because the chefs or store we ultimately sold the product to demanded that.” [47:03] “A happy pig, in our mind, seems to taste better.” [48:38] –Sam Edwards on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is taking a closer look at farming and waste with guests Leah Retherford of Queens Farm and Josh Treuhoft of Salvage Supperclub. Leah gives Erin the background of Queens Farm as well as her role in New York City’s largest remaining tract of undisturbed farmland. The farm encompasses a 47-acre parcel that is the longest continuously farmed site in New York State and includes historic farm buildings, a greenhouse complex, livestock, farm vehicles and implements, planting fields, an orchard and herb garden. Josh explains the concept of the Salvage Supperclub, which includes serving past-prime food to diners inside a scrubbed down dumpster. Erin talks to Leah and Josh about how consumers should really be thinking about food waste all the way down the chain and trying to get past the mere appearance of a bruised apple or a misshapen tomato and realize that this produce can still go on to be made into something delicious. Leah shares how she plans for a decrease in waste on the agricultural side of things and how Queens Farm decides to grow particular crops to also prevent waste. Tune in for a great episode that is sure to make you think about ‘ugly’ produce in a new light. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “[I thought] what if we could create exciting, interesting food experiences for people using food that would go to waste commonly to show people that there’s actually this world of food that’s still edible and can still be great.” [7:10] —Josh Treuhoft on The Farm Report “Something like turnips or radishes, we’ll harvest them for a market day, and inevitably there are roots or leaves that aren’t up to our standards of something that we are going to sell. But a lot of times those things are still completely edible.” [18:10] —Leah Retherford on The Farm Report

Erin Fairbanks kicks off the 2015 season of The Farm Report talking about the recent overturning of the Californian ban on foie gras. Welcoming Rick Bishop of Hudson Valley Foie Gras to the show to discuss the ongoing animal welfare issues surrounding the process. Foie gras is the fattened liver of a waterfowl (either duck or goose, but in Hudson Valley Foie Gras’ case, only duck) produced by a special feeding process. It results in a product that is at once velvety and meaty, and has been around for centuries. Rick shares how Hudson Valley Foie Gras sets itself a part from other foie gras producers and their efforts to treat their ducks with exceptional care and respect. Erin and Rick go on to dissect the unique physiology of ducks and how it facilitates the hand feeding procedure that Hudson Valley Foie Gras uses. After the break, Erin brings Ariane Daguin of D’Artagnan, a well-known seller and manufacturer of pâtés, sausages, smoked and cured charcuterie, all-natural and organic poultry, game, free-range meat, foie gras, wild mushrooms and truffles, on the show to give her thoughts on the developments in the foie gras world. She goes on to say that foie grois is an important part of elevated food and should be respected as such. Tune in for more! This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “It’s a normal and reversible process for a duck to store fat on its liver.” [11:50] —Rick Bishop on The Farm Report “Foie gras is one of the important things in gastronomy, and gastronomy is one of the pleasures in life. We call it being a ‘foodie’ but we need this to create stimulation… without it, you lose a color of the palate.” [31:45] “At the end of the day we need to focus on raising animals the right way.” [34:35] —Ariane Daguin on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks kicks off the last show of the year recapping 2014 with David Haight of the American Farmland Trust. Since joining American Farmland Trust in 2001, David has worked with more than 20 local governments to establish agricultural economic development and farmland protection plans. He aids state and federal legislators as they work on agricultural and land conservation legislation and has helped coordinate projects that have permanently protected more than 4,000 acres of New York farmland. Talking about the recent ban on fracking that NY Governor Cuomo put into action, David offers great insight on the issue before telling Erin some of the highlights that the American Farmland Trust has seen in the past year. David goes on to say that 2014 has been a milestone year for beginning farmers to be able to not only find a farm, but to keep the trade alive. After the break, David shares with Erin the accomplishments of the Farm to Institution New York State (FINYS) partnership made up of agricultural, public health and economic development partners who have come together to strengthen New York’s regional food economy and improve the health of its citizens. Tune in to hear what’s in store for the new year in agriculture! This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “Well managed farms provide real water quality benefits when compared to, for example, subdivisions and housing developments. Once you pave over land it causes a lot quicker run off… like fertilizers and chemicals… pollutants [that] can get into our water supply.” [8:00] “One thing to look forward to is a new campaign ‘No Farms No Food: Join the New York Movement.'” [28:40] —David Haight on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is talking scallops with Togue Brawn from Maine Dayboat Scallops. Having worked in and around Maine’s fishing and seafood industry for over 20 years, she obtained a Master of Science in Marine Policy in 2002. Basically, Togue knows what she’s talking about – the fishery, the management, and the product. Starting from the basics, Togue explains the differences between a scallop fresh out of the water versus what consumers find in the grocery store, as well as which parts of the scallop are typically used in the United States versus around the world. Togue goes on to give Erin a rundown on diving for scallops and the current market for the popular bivalve. After the break, the scallop seasonality is discussed, where Togue states that the Federal Fishery has year-round scallops, while fishermen abide by set seasons and weight limitations. Tune in for a great talk on the scallop! This program was brought to you by Brooklyn Slate. “What really matters is how quickly they [scallops] come to market and how they are treated at market.” [16:00] “Right now about 80% of the value of Maine’s fishing comes from lobster. We’re largely dependent on the lobster resource, but that’s not how it used to be.” [25:40] —Togue Brawn on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is getting in the spirit of the holidays! Talking to Louis DeLucia of NYC Trees she gets the scoop all on their Christmas tree ordering and delivery service that boasts local trees. Native New Yorkers, business partners, and brothers, Harold and Louis DeLucia are also experts in providing access to farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, and fresh-cut flowers from their family farm as well as neighboring family farms to various areas across the city. Through these relationships, Louis explains that they saw an opportunity to support neighboring Christmas tree farms, by providing their city customers with homegrown Fraser Firs. After seeing the numerous tree stalls that pop up during the holidays stocked with second-grade trees usually farmed in Canada or the Carolinas, the brothers recognized the need for local, quality Christmas trees at an affordable price. NYC Trees eliminates the hassle of Christmas tree shopping in New York City. Louis goes on to chat with Erin about the importance of sourcing local business, maintaining the trees’ farmland, and how NYC Trees is giving back this holiday season. Tune in for a seasonally appropriate and important episode! This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “It was my brother’s vision and I was against it, I didn’t see it going anywhere. It has really mushroomed and… people appreciate the convenience and the service to get the Christmas tree up three or four flights of stairs in the service elevator on time.” [5:58] “So you want a tree that smells good, that looks full, and has a great needle retention, and just by coincidence, most of the local farms raise Fraser Firs in New Jersey.” [6:56] —Louis DeLucia on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks welcomes Nicolette Hahn Niman, author of “Defending Beef: The Case for Sustainable Meat Production” to the show. Kicking off the show talking about Nicolette’s background and how she became involved with ranching cattle, she elaborates exactly why beef is in need of defending. Nicolette’s take is that for decades it has been nearly universal dogma among environmentalists and health advocates that cattle and beef are public enemy number one. She asks if the matter really so clear cut? In “Defending Beef,” Nicolette argues that cattle are not inherently bad for either the Earth or our own nutritional health. In fact, she discusses with Erin that properly managed livestock play an essential role in maintaining grassland ecosystems by functioning as surrogates for herds of wild ruminants that once covered the globe. Grass-fed, small-scale farms can and should become the basis for American food production, replacing the factory farms that harm animals and the environment. While no single book can definitively answer the thorny question of how to feed the Earth’s growing population, Nicolette explains that, whatever the world’s future food system looks like, cattle and beef can and must be part of the solution. Tune in for an interesting discussion! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “There are many wonderful water intensive foods but that suggestion you hear over and over again that beef is some water guzzler and some outlier, that’s just not true.” [20:00] “I think the reason why beef has been the favorite target of sensational journalism because it was the most consumed meat in the United States and considered the most desirable.” [23:00] —Nicolette Hahn Niman on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is bringing up the subject of heritage breed rabbits with Taylor Naples, Chef de Cuisine at Craft, and Patrick Beck, owner of New England Grass Fed. New England Grass Fed is dedicated to producing the finest 100% grass fed beef, pork and silver fox rabbit with the help of their local grazing partners. Their animals are raised with respect and grown to their highest potential, while accepting the gift of animals’ lives with gratitude. Patrick specifically raises the silver fox breed of rabbit and shares with Erin the story behind this decision as well as other interesting facts about this heritage breed. Craft is just one of the many restaurants that New England Grass Fed supplies rabbit for, and Taylor explains that the product is superior in quality due to the way Patrick raises the animals. After the break, Taylor takes listeners through a step by step process of preparing the rabbit served at Craft as well as his thoughts on other preparations. Patrick shares plans for the future of the silver fox breed and the sustainable nature of harvesting rabbit. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “I saw rabbit as a totally understated protein absolutely absent from the line up of most chefs.” [3:50] “They [silver foxes] are special rabbits and we are honored to have them in the hands of someone like Taylor.” [23:40] —Patrick Beck on The Farm Report “Rabbits and mustards go together very well… it’s a more fun chicken.” [21:15] —Taylor Naples on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is on the line with Will Harris from White Oak Pastures. White Oak Pastures is a small family owned farm located in southwest Georgia where their cattle freely roam the certified organic, 1,000 acre farm and eat native Georgia grasses. The Harris family recently built an on-farm, zero waste production facility. The Harris family has raised cattle on this Georgia farm since 1866. For five generations, environmental sustainability and humane treatment of our animals have been among the core values of their family. Offering customers grassfed beef and other products that are local, artisan, sustainable, and humane, Will shares his thoughts on farming and White Oak Pastures’ responsibility to its consumer with Erin, plus an educated opinion on holiday turkeys. This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is getting into the spirit of Cider Week! Welcoming guest Steve Wood of Farnum Hill Cider to the program, he is noted as a great apple grower, bug and fungus expert, cider fermenter, blender, and advocate to fellow-orchardists. Talking to Erin about the evolution of the cider business including the range of apples grown in the orchards, Steve shares the uses of varieties of apples, some of which are actually not meant for eating, rather meant for cider production. After the break, Erin and Steve discuss the up and coming market for those venturing into cider production. Steve points out that the apple market is on the precipice of becoming similar to that of the wine industry where growers grow fruit for the content on the inside versus its outer appearance, highlighting that great apples are not necessarily only shiny red or green. Tune in for a great talk on orchards, cider, and a case for unique apples. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “I’ve been growing apples at the same orchard since 1975.” [4:07] “Apple growing is one step down from forestry.” [8:15] “There are going to be real cider regions soon and we are very excited about that.” [17:20] —Steve Wood on The Farm Report

On today’s episode of The Farm Report. Erin speaks with Eric Swafford and Adam Price on the new State Agricultural Councils (under The Humane Society of the United States) in Oklahoma. The Councils support farmers and ranchers who give proper care to their animals and promote environmentally sustainable agriculture. This provides a real opportunity to spread humane farming and agriculture across the state of Oklahoma. This show is brought to you by Heritage Foods USA “We also work to educate farmers who want to move from an industrial methods to a more humane method of farming” [15:00] “There are 4 principles that The Humane Society of the United States is against”. [17:00] —Eric Swafford on The Farm Report “There’s been so much awareness raised over the last 5-10 years about how we raise meat to feed the American population.” [30:00] —Adam Price on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks welcomes Farmer Yon, aka Yonnette Fleming, Founder of The Hattie Carthan Market, to the show. At the top of the show, Farmer Yon explains that The Hattie Carthan Community Farmers Market is a grassroots community revitalization project in Central Brooklyn, NYC, founded in 2009. The market, as well as the organization’s many facets, seeks to create a healthy community where each member has access to fresh food and the resources required to grow and distribute it in the Bedford Stuyvesant community. She goes on to explain how she initially saw a need for more urban agriculture and how she took it upon herself to engage the neighborhood and its youth to help the market flourish from the ground up. After the break, Erin and Farmer Yon discuss the notion of the farmer and chef and how these interconnected figures tend to be kept separate. They discuss ways to possibly rectify this discrepancy in order to enhance all aspects of the farm to table experience. Tune in for a wonderful conversation and to learn how to volunteer with the organization! This program was brought to you by Rolling Press. “In order to be sustainable, sustainability has to do with the perpetuation of practices.” [6:49] “With the creation of the new farm I was able to build my curriculum so that the youths may begin wrapping their heads around herbalism, and in a natural way.” [9:20] —Farmer Yon on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks welcomes Caleb Sisco, Founder at Farming Rust Foundation. Raising awareness about the phenomenon known as roya, or coffee rust, Caleb seeks to establish a portal for the voices of coffee farmers. The Farming Rust Foundation has been working closely with organizations and people directly involved with coffee farming communities. Through these relationships, Caleb explains that he wants to share these stories that might otherwise not be heard. The foundation also seeks to engage coffee companies to give back to coffee farmers. After the break, Caleb explains the farming details that surround roya infected coffee and theories of how coffee rust can be prevented. As it turns out, there are many researchers hard at work to come up with coffee rust resistant coffee beans. Tune in to hear the facts behind roya and how it could affect your morning joe! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “The US is a consumer nation. We care about consuming the product, not necessarily where it comes from.” [13:40] “If coffee rust gets too far gone, then we may lose our crops. It’s kind of going the way of the dodo.” [28:30] —Caleb Sisco on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is talking cheese! On the line with Laurie Davis, Coordinator of Adirondack Harvest, a non-profit organization operating as a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Essex County, NY, it’s the largest local food initiative and brand of the Adirondack region. Laurie explains that the mission of the harvest envisions a picturesque and productive working landscape connecting local farmers to their communities and regional markets. The organization seeks to increase opportunities for profitable production and sale of high quality food and agricultural products and to expand consumer choices for locally produced healthy food. Erin next speaks with a few of the vendors associated with the Adirondack Harvest Essex County Cheese Tour, including Asgaard Farm & Dairy. Asgaard Farm & Dairy has been producing award-winning farmstead goat cheeses since 2008. Co-owner Rhonda Butler joins the show via phone and shares with Erin that their core products include fresh chevre, soft ripened cheeses in the tradition of France’s Loire Valley, aged raw-milk feta and aged raw-milk tomme. Rhonda also explains the ins and outs of the farm operations, especially dealing with the farm’s goats. Passing the phone to Steven Googin of North Country Creamery at Clover Mead Farm, Steven chats with Erin about the second year operating the farmstead creamery. Notably, he mentions this past spring they opened the Clover Mead Cafe and Farmstore, which allows customers to purchase goods directly from the creamery as well as other local producers. Rounding out the conversation, Erin welcomes Margot Brooks of Sugar House Creamery, who relays that while this is the first year of operation, they are currently producing four different types of cheeses, two of which are made with pasteurized milk while the rest are made with raw milk. Tune in for an extra-cheesy episode and to hear all the details associated with the Adirondack Harvest. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard and Winery. “One of the charms of the Adirondacks is that so much of the land is either used for recreation or for agriculture or lumber, and that was one of the original visions of Adirondack Harvest: to keep the land working.” [2:39] —Laurie Davis on The Farm Report “We started raising pigs, mostly because whey is a bi-product of cheese making and one has to do something with that whey… we get feeder pigs every spring and raise them largely the whey we produce from the creamery.” [14:17] —Rhonda Butler on The Farm Report “I used to have a little black market, raw milk ring back in the day but I wanted to come to the other side and do it the right way.” [22:23] —Steven Googin on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report concludes the three part series on the sheep and lamb industry. Guest-host Talia Ralph fills in for Erin Fairbanks today and is joined by the co-producer of the series, John Wilkes. The first guest is Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO of English Lamb and Beef Executive. EBLEX exists to enhance the profitability and sustainability of the English beef and lamb sector. He talks about sheep in the global markets and how, for instance, the UK sheep sector could be affected should the American market open up. John also asks Jean-Pierre about how the possible outcome of the Scottish referendum could affect the lamb and sheep industry. After the break, Talia and John speak with Cody Hiemke who is a lamb buyer with Niman Ranch in San Francisco. Cody gives a great overview of where the US industry is currently and what to expect from the sheep and lamb industry in the future. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “We need to keep lamb in the forefront of consumers’ minds.” [7:40] —Jean-Pierre Garnier on The Farm Report “Here in the Midwest and out east, there’s a lot of demand for the direct market of lamb.” [28:00] —Cody Hiemke on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks picks up where she left off last week with the second part of the series on the sheep and lamb industry. Opening the show with the co-producer of the series, John Wilkes, a US based livestock consultant, writer and speaker with a background as a UK sheep and beef producer and farmer, the two talk technology in the sheep realm and how it has ultimately helped the industry. Despite the initial negative connotations that might be associated with using such technology like an ultrasound with livestock, John explains that this technology can be very helpful to aid in pregnancy detection and the problem comes in with whether it is legal state by state for anyone other than a licensed veterinarian to perform the procedure, though it is noninvasive. After the break, Erin welcomes Dr. Bret Taylor, Animal Scientist of the USDA Agricultural Research Center, who adds to the discussion of technology in the sheep and lamb industry. Talking about his work with the Sheep Experiment Station, he shares that it is in place to develop integrated methods for increasing production efficiency of sheep and to simultaneously improve the sustainability of rangeland ecosystems. Tune in for another sheep and lamb-centric episode! This program has been brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “The main thing is estimated breed values, and using the technology of ultrasound to take measurements of the animal as it’s growing at various points in its life to ascertain the amount of meat that it’s carrying.” [2:23] “The estimated breed value gives indication of that animal’s sire, or the producer of that animal, if it is looked to improve the breed and have characteristics which you would find acceptable and look to improve your production.” [3:05] — John Wilkes on The Farm Report “The US Sheep Experiment Station… was actually the USDA’s answer to begin solving many of the sheep industry’s as far back as 1915.” [18:42] “It’s not the lack of understanding the technology, I think the majority of sheep producers that I visit with… think it’s the coordination of those [technological] efforts. We know that those technologies are extensive and expensive.” [26:53] — Dr. Bret Taylor on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks kicks off a multi-part series on the lamb and sheep industry, first welcoming John Wilkes, a US based livestock consultant, writer and speaker with a background as a UK sheep and beef producer and farmer to the program. Opening the show with a brief history of the sheep’s rise and fall, John explains the significance of sheep in the histories of both the United States and United Kingdom, as well as around the world. John also explains some basic terminology, talking the differences between lamb and sheep, the true definition of mutton, along with the differences between wool and meat breeds. After the break, Erin is joined by Keith Martin of Pure Bred Lamb and Elysian Fields Sheep Farm. Located on 200 acres of farmland in Greene County, Pennsylvania, Keith is the supplier of sheep to notable chefs, like Thomas Keller. Due to observing the natural lifecycle of sheep flocks and thus changing his initial style of farming, Keith goes into detail about his patented system, Safe Alternative, that describes this manner in which his sheep are raised. Tune in for an info-packed episode, ewe won’t be disappointed! This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “In histories of both countries (US & UK) sheep have played a major part.” [6:57] “Lamb is an animal that doesn’t see its first birthday… which means that they are killed at their prime when the meat is at its best. ” [11:20] — John Wilkes on The Farm Report “I had to make a change… I looked around me at that time and to those that I respected most… and they were all farmers.” [23:09] “I began to notice, through observation, what their needs were. We call that today ‘the voice of the lamb.'” [27:52] — Keith Martin on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks takes on a solo show inspired by the recent profile of Vandana Shiva, international anti-GMO and anti-globalization advocate, in the New Yorker written by Michael Specter. In response to the piece, Erin previously spoke with the long time anti-GMO advocate Jim Gerritsen as well as reporter Tom Philpott to expand on this issue. In the second half of the show, Erin talks about a situation concerning an invite from Conde Nast Media Group to take part in a video series focused on food topics. What was not widely mentioned was that Monsanto was underwriting for the project. Seemingly a conflict of interest between the discussion topic and underwriter, Erin shares her thoughts on the ordeal and how such media outlets should be more transparent. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “The really big problem is that nowhere… was it made clear that the project was being underwritten by an organization that is such a divisive player in the food world. Nowhere did it say that Conde Nast was working with Monsanto on this cool food project.” [24:00] — Erin Fairbanks on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks welcomes Manolia Charlotin, Managing Editor of Feet in 2 Worlds, Tamara Dawson, Director of Programs at the Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger (BSCAH), and Jenae Joseph, a Green Team Leader for BSCAH. Talking about the amazing things that are happening in NYC’s own backyard, Manolia, Tamara, and Jenae share the background, current operations, and community impact that the Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger has had since its inception in 1998. Delving deeper into the notion of a food pantry, the group discusses that many times donated food goes to waste because patrons aren’t sure how to cook certain items. The BSCAH, led by Dr. Melony Samuels, aims to change the views of the typical food pantry and community gardens, making fresh, local produce affordable and accessible to the masses. Tune in for an informative and motivating discussion! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard and Winery. “When a client enters the pantry, we provide them with food in a dignified aspect. The pantry is not set up like a typical pantry where you get online and receive a bag of food, but it’s set up in a supermarket style pantry.” [7:36] “She (Dr. Melony Samuels) was very determined that she wanted to meet the needs of the community.” [23:08] —Tamara Dawson on The Farm Report “In these gardens, young people all the way up to seniors are learning how to grow naturally. Their hands are in the dirt.” [35:52] —Manolia Charlotin on The Farm Report

Christophe Hille, Fleisher’s Meat’s CFO, and Kathleen Harris of Northeast Livestock Processing Service Company join Erin Fairbanks for another episode of The Farm Report. Kathleen works with farmers to help market their products and also aids in process facilitation. She believes consumers should be aware of the meat they purchase and encourages them to get in touch with their local farmers or ensure that the business they deal with communicates directly with the local farmers. That’s where Christophe’s company comes in. Fleisher’s Meats was founded in 2004. Inspired by traditional butcher shops, Fleisher’s offers meats that are free of hormones and antibiotics. Their products are sourced locally and, thus, support the local agricultural economy. He also gives insight on how to develop and sustain business. This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “…Because we are owned and operated by a board of directors, who are all famers, who have an altruistic attitude about serving their fellow farmers, we do not market in areas where they can market for themselves. We only market in areas that are probably too big for them to do on their own…” [06:00] “…you see more women in agriculture, you see different ethnicities involved in agriculture, it is not just the way it used to be and what’s happened with that, is their enjoyment of grass based farming and all the things that go with that and producing a more natural, less chemical dependent type of type of product and those are the farmers that we’re working with…” [15:00] “…there’s an issue of scale in all these businesses and people need to understand scale. Scale isn’t necessarily something that is always the larger industry’s fault.” [20:00] Christophe Hille & Kathleen Harris on the Farm Report

Meet Sarah Teale, documentary filmmaker and founding member of Adirondack Grazers Cooperative, a group of beef producers from small to mid-scale, family farms in New York and Vermont that naturally raise and finish beef. The Co Op’s mission is to maximize member revenue by developing sales in wholesale and specialty markets not easily available to individual farmers. Tune in as Erin Fairbanks chats with Sarah on a brand new episode of The Farm Report. They discuss the co-op model, it’s successes and shortcomings, and the distribution challenges that small farmers face in 2014. Sarah is also creating a documentary film to tell the story of Adirondack Grazers and simultaneously highlight the loss of family farms in today’s agricultural landscape. Learn how serious this issue is as Sarah describes just how much farmland is being lost today and what we need to do to reverse the trend. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “For us – wholesale is what we can manage. If it comes to managing small pieces of beef for individual restaurants we can’t handle that, it’s too much work.” [06:00] “The nice thing about a co-op is that we can encompass any size farm because we’re a group.” [07:00] “There needs to be a bigger more cohesive transportation system in place and that’s what we’re working on next.” [13:00] “New York state is losing a family farm every three days. It’s scary. It’s been a disaster for a while but it’s getting really bad.” [19:00] “I think co-ops work quite well. We’d like to be a model for other people if they want to do it. We’re writing a how-to and we can hand over the information.” [25:00] –Sarah Teale on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin ushers in blueberry season! She welcomes Ed Flanagan, CEO of Wyman’s of Maine to the program. Wyman’s of Maine is a family owned company that specializes in the growing and marketing of wild blueberries. At the top of the show, Ed explains that Wyman’s of Maine believes in the Japanese philosophy known as “kaizen,” roughly translated as continuous improvement. Simply put: Wyman’s has to do all they can to grow their business. Erin and Ed then delve in to discuss the details of the blueberry business, beginning with the distinctions between the wild and cultivated blueberry, Wyman’s approach to the growing season, as well as the topic of honey bees and how vital they are to the business. With concerns such as colony collapse disorder, a strange phenomenon where worker bees abruptly disappear, Ed explains how Wyman’s had to research, adapt and become invested in bee-keeping to further sustain their livelihood. Grab a smoothie and tune in for a great discussion on the super fruit! This program was sponsored by Fairway Market. “A wild blueberry is much smaller, about three times smaller, than a cultivated blueberry. Generally, the flavor of a fruit is condensed around the skin, so in a handful of wild blueberries you’re going to get more flavor.” [7:14] “We aspire to get to that point someday where we absolutely need no preventative chemicals.” [12:50] “What happened for us that was pretty good luck was right about the time that blueberries were being regarded as a healthy food was just about the same time that people started drinking smoothies.” [19:45] “We are out of business if there are no honey bees to put in our fields.” [26:26] —Ed Flanagan on The Farm Report

How is farming tied to carbon and how does carbon keep life on earth possible? Find out on a very elemental and scientific episode of The Farm Report as host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Courtney White, the author of Grass, Soil, Hope. A former archaeologist and Sierra Club activist, White dropped out of the ‘conflict industry’ in 1997 to co-found the Quivira Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to building bridges between ranchers, conservationists, public land managers, scientists, and others around the idea of land health. On today’s show, Courtney explains what makes carbon such an essential part of the soil (and the earth) and introduces some alternative methods of farming that could help bring more carbon into our soil. The answer is biological farming – not chemical farming, and Courtney makes a clear case for out of the box thinking when it comes to our land and soil. Tune in and learn about the real issues in the ground and on the minds of sustainable agricultural thinkers everywhere. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “How carbon gets cycled is extremely important to maintaining life on this planet!” [02:45] “We want biological farming not chemical farming.” [05:16] “If we want to store more carbon we have to stop killing the fungi in the soil.” [07:36] “If you have a practice that increases plant vigor and makes plants happy, you’re storing more carbon in the soil.” [12:40] “Changes start in the margin, ideas start on the outside and move in over time…but how do you get them to speed up that journey to the center? That’s tough. We need policy changes and we have such a dysfunctional political system right now” [20:42] –Courtney White on The Farm Report

Get ready to learn a whole lot about grains on a special episode of The Farm Report. Erin Fairbanks is joined by Amber Lambke, Executive Director of the Maine Grains Alliance and host of the annual KNEADING Conference. Amber knows her grains and talks about everything from infrastructure to economics. The Maine Grains Alliance’s mission is to preserve and promote grain traditions, from earth to hearth. They provide opportunities to learn and share how best to grow and use grains, using a combination of traditional, innovative, and sustainable techniques. The KNEADING conference brings together farmers, professional and home bakers, chefs, cooks, grain researchers, maltsters, food entrepreneurs, and wood-fired oven enthusiasts to educate one another about the art and science of growing and milling grains and baking artisan breads. Over the next 5-10 years the landscape of grains will change dramatically. Find out why on The Farm Report. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “What we’re finding is that grains make a lot of sense in a diversified crop rotation. Many farmers starting to sell us grains also sell other things.” [7:13] “We lost grain production to an economy of scale that made it cheaper to grow high yielding varieties of grain in the midwest.” [9:19] “In the US right now the percentage of organic grain production happening is still less than 1% of the grain production in our country. We have an opportunity in New England to stay focused on organic and non-GMO grain production.” [12:17] “Over the next 5-10 years the landscape of grains will change dramatically. We’re not just buying white flour, we’re paying a lot more attention to what we’re buying.” [24:53] –Amber Lambke on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks speaks with Doug Fine, author of the book Hemp Bound: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the Next Agricultural Revolution. In an interesting discussion about the controversial substance that has been outlawed in its time among many states, Erin and Doug discuss the benefits of hemp and why hemp production should be something that is encouraged throughout the country. From the ground up, Doug walks us through the details of the hemp plant itself to his thoughts on the rebuilding of the hemp seed’s biodiversity. With many uses that the average consumer might not recognize, such as material for clothing as well as houses, he goes on to share that with more production, hemp could help the country’s farmers by offering a viable, profitable product to grow and sell. Tune in to find out more on why the stereotypes that surround hemp might need to be re-examined. This program has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard and Winery. “Hemp is any variety of the cannabis plant that is 0.3% THC or less… Unless you get high smoking broccoli or corn, no, you can’t feel psychoactive effects from hemp.” [2:13] “Hemp seed oil, which is extremely profitable, is an omega superfood. I put it in my morning shake every day. It basically does what flax oil or cod liver oil does, in terms of high proteins, in some cases better.” [19:17] — Doug Fine on The Farm Report

Tune in to a special episode of The Farm Report as Erin Fairbanks talks labor and workers rights with author and activist Margaret Gray. Margaret is the winner of the 2014 Association for the Study of Food and Agriculture Book of the Year Award as well as the author of Labor and the Locavore, which focuses on one of the most vibrant local food economies in the country, the Hudson Valley that supplies New York restaurants and farmers markets. Based on more than a decade’s in-depth interviews with workers, farmers, and others, Gray’s examination clearly shows how the currency of agrarian values serves to mask the labor concerns of an already hidden workforce. Margaret also explores the historical roots of farmworkers’ predicaments and examines the ethnic shift from Black to Latino workers. With an analysis that can be applied to local food concerns around the country, this book challenges the reader to consider how the mentality of the alternative food movements implies a comprehensive food ethic that addresses workers’ concerns. Tune in for an incredibly insightful conversation on the state of workers rights in the farming community. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “I never would have anticipated that my book would become a food studies book. It was a little more academically oriented around social movement issues but then I saw an amazing opportunity to have a conversation with people interested in food.” [3:20] “The farmers I talk to are very explicit [in saying] ‘We don’t want American workers and we don’t want our Latino workers to be Americanized.’ Some of the structural issues are around the way laws are designed and the power dynamics around the farms. ” [21:00] “The intimacy that we have from buying from small local farmers translates in a way into the relationships those farmers have with their workers.” [22:00] –Margaret Gray on The Farm Report

What does micro-dairy farming look like? Find out on a brand new episode of The Farm Report. Host Erin Fairbanks is joined by Steven Judge, Founder, President, CEO of Bob-White Systems, Inc. Bob-White Systems, a company established in Vermont, serves the rapidly emerging micro-dairy market. They offer equipment, supplies, technology, and resources to enable dairy farmers to build appropriately scaled and community based sustainable businesses. Tune in and get some incredible insights into the world of micro-dairy farming, the world of milk production , regulation and the future of dairy distribution technology. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. “Micro-dairy farming is 10 animals or less on a dairy farm. The concept is to keep your operation at a scale where you can sell all your milk directly to consumers and maintain control of your milk and its price.” [02:00] “The current [dairy] delivery system is largely obsolete, especially in these days when energy costs are so high. It deserves a re-think – we can make some improvements.” [05:00] “US Dairy farmers are extremely intelligent and efficient – they can produce a lot of milk for not much money and as a result the milk supply in this country is in a constant state of over supply.” [28:00] –Steve Judge on The Farm Report

On a special episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by none other than Patrick Martins, founder of Slow Food USA, Heritage Foods USA and Heritage Radio Network. He’s also the author of The Carnivore’s Manifesto: Eating Well, Eating Responsibly, and Eating Meat. The book features fifty ways to be an enlightened carnivore, while taking better care of our planet and ourselves. We have evolved as meat eaters, proclaims Patrick Martins, and it’s futile to deny it. But, given the destructive forces of the fast-food industry and factory farming, we need to make smart, informed choices about the food we eat and where it comes from. Tune in as Erin and Patrick chat about the book, the inspirations behind it, and the goals it sets out to accomplish. From seasonal meat to sustainable food production, get a candid and insightful look at the future of food. This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures. Music by Idgy Dean. “Our greatest wish is that more farms produce more of America’s food.” [3:00] “If you don’t shop at five different stores for your food, you’re probably not doing it right.” [22:00] “You can go to a food truck now and eat a dish as if you were at Jean Georges.” [25:00] — Patrick Martins on The Farm Report

In October 2013, Storm Atlas devastated livestock farmers in South Dakota, killing over 40,000 head of cattle. This was an unprecedented loss, and farmers in the region are still picking up the pieces and recovering. On a special episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks checks in Silvia Christen of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association who details the events and response that followed the storm and gives an update on the current state of livestock farmers in South Dakota. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Once we realized how much death there was, the next priority was finding the animals who survived and making sure we took care of them.” [14:00] “We had carcasses on highways. We had dead animals littering our landscape. We had live animals that still needed to be taken care of that were the main priority, and yet there was still so much work to be done.” [18:00] “It’s important for people to understand where beef comes from. In South Dakota – we’re the first step in that supply chain. We are growing the calfs that go on to be the beef you see in the grocery store.” [23:00] “I hope people who enjoy their beef and like a good steak will stick with it and purchase beef products because that’s what will help us rebuild” [24:00] –Silvia Christen on The Farm Report

Today on The Farm Report, Erin speaks to tea expert Sarah Besky, professor at the University of Michigan, about tea plantations and how tea workers often get into the world of tea production. Sarah also tells us about how the culture of tea production differs from country to country across the world. After the break, Erin speaks with Peter Rosenblum, professor at Bard College, about some of the darker aspects of tea plantations around the world. This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. Today’s music provided by Takstar. “Tea is not the same everywhere…because it’s made different by the context it is in. And similarly justice doesn’t mean the same thing everywhere.” [15:35] –Sarah Besky on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin speaks with family farmer Richard Oswald from the Missouri Farmers Union about how large corporations have been slowly taking over the farming industry, pushing family farmers out. Later, Richard describes how farming has evolved based on changing values throughout the world. This program has been sponsored by Paradise Locker Meats. Today’s music provided by Takstar. “We have a hard time growing meat like we used to, because large corporations have taken over.” [3:05] “For a farmer to be successful, he has to be able to compete.” [11:50] “Livestock doesn’t last forever, plants don’t last forever, but the land lasts forever.” [29:30] –Richard Oswald on The Farm Report

On this episode of The Farm Report, Erin interviews Scott Chaskey of Quail Hill Farm. Scott is the author of (among other titles) This Common Ground and most recently, Seedtime. Today, he and Erin discuss his newest book and the world of seed farming. This program has been sponsored by Squarespace. Today’s music provided by The Hollows. “The unusual thing about this farm is that…our members actually come 2 days a week and harvest all their own food.” [4:15] –Scott Chaskey on The Farm Report

Erin speaks with Ed Staehr this week, the Executive Director of NY FarmNet, an organization that helps farmers with a wide range of farm business or family issues. Ed describes some of the many ways that NY FarmNet does this, such as helping with inheritance concerns, making the best of resources, strategic planning, and much more! This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. Today’s music provided by The California Honeydrops. “There’s a great deal of trust in the farming community with NY FarmNet, because they know when they call the office they’ll always speak to a live voice, and we staff our on-call 24/7.” [29:00] –Ed Staehr on The Farm Report

Today on The Farm Report, Erin interviews Richard McCarthy from Slow Food USA about the Slow Meat conference that Slow Food is having at the University of Denver this summer. After the break, Erin brings in Joe Maxwell of the Humane Society to further discuss the goals of Slow Meat and some of the biggest issues it will address. Tune in for the whole interview! This program has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures. Today’s music provided by Pamela Royal. “Meat is a divisive issue. When I think of the last 20 years of my work in food, there was a sense of discovery among many of us coming to food issues from a variety of backgrounds and there was a great deal of learning that has occurred.” [5:40] –Richard McCarthy on The Farm Report “As a country, we just can’t afford the cost of this cheap food and cheap meat.” [23:05] –Joe Maxwell on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin interviews Alice hill from Beaver Creek Ranch. Alice tells us about pheasant hunting in Kansas, which used to be the pheasant hunting capital of the world! This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. “You’ve gotta be kinda tough to survive out here!” [5:30] “In the 1950s, Kansas was considered the pheasant hunting capital of the nation.” [8:10] –Alice Hill on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin speaks with David Haight from The American Farmland Trust about the Census of Agriculture. David tells us some of the most important statistics that the census gathers, and how this information can be so helpful to farmers across the country. This program has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures. Today’s music provided by Obey City. “We’ve lost 425,000 acres of farmland due to development in New York…about an acre a minute nationally.” [11:50] –David Haight on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin interviews Nancy Bruns and Lewis Payne, founders of JQ Dickinson Salt-Works, located in Malden, West Virginia. Nancy and Lewis tell us about how their company was founded over 200 years ago, and how the aquifer below the land in Malden is essential to the production of their product. This program has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Images from JQ Dickinson Salt-Works “It’s a very bold flavor, yet balanced. It’s delicious, as we call it!” [8:50] “If you salt your own food rather than eating processed foods, you’re going a long way to being a healthier person.” [30:30] –Nancy Bruns on The Farm Report

This week we welcomed Jerry Caldari into the studio. Jerry is one of the architects behind Brooklyn Grange, an urban farm located on the rooftop of a 6-story industrial building. Jerry tells us about how large a scale this rooftop farming project was from an architectural standpoint, and expresses his optimism about the future of urban farming. This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market. Today’s music provided by Takstar. “Brooklyn Grange wasn’t a science project, it was a business plan with a business model.” [4:00] “I’m excited that you can grow things to eat in the city.” [21:45] –Jerry Caldari on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin interviews Will Harris from White Oak Pastures about running his farm in Bluffton, Georgia. Will tells us about how genetics have affected the animals raised at White Oak Pastures, as well as the difficulties of keeping meat production costs under control. This program has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Today’s music provided by Shadowbox. Image from White Oak Pastures “Cows were born to roam and graze; hogs were born to root and wallow; chicken were born to scratch and peck. All these are instinctive behaviors that are inborn, and when we create the factory farm environment, we deprive these animals of that opportunity.” [14:15] Will Harris on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin speaks with Andrew Novakovic, E.V. Baker Professor of Agricultural Economics and Management at Cornell University. Andrew tells us about what dairy farming was like 30 or 40 years ago, and explains how the industry has become so much more exciting in the last 20 years. This program has been sponsored by Regional Access. Today’s music provided by Shadowbox. “Just about every dairy product is produced at some level in every dairy state.” [16:10] “Roughly 15% of the milk made in the U.S. is sold overseas in some milk product.” [21:40] Andrew Novakovic on The Farm Report

Erin Fairbanks digs into the lamb business with David Piestch of the Australian Lamb Council on this week’s edition of The Farm Report. Tune into this episode to hear why Australians eat twenty times more lamb than people in the United States, and the roots of the industry in wool. Find out what types of Australian lamb carcasses are shipped to the United States based on the cuts that Americans prefer. Why are most Australian lambs raised on pasture? Does Australian lamb importation affect the bottom line of local producers in the States? Tune in to this episode for more on global trade, and how larger scale production can ensure a certain consistency of product. Thanks to our sponsor, White Oak Pastures. Music provided by Idgy Dean. “We eat about twenty times the amount of lamb in Australia than you do in the United States.” [3:30] “While people love producing lamb, it’s not the most profitable thing in the world, especially with seasonal conditions… But our farmers are proud to produce pasture-raised lamb and ship it all over the world.” [7:00] — David Piestch on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin calls Mike Fedison, the Assistant Manager at Hilltop Hanover Farm in Westchester County. Mike’s farm participates in multiple educational programs with high school and college students which helps promote and preserve agriculture in the Westchester area. Later, Mike shares with us his feelings about running a farm on your own vs being part of a larger team. This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. Today’s music provided by Idgy Dean. Image from Hilltop Hanover Farm “There’s a lot of advantages to being part of a larger organization – I’m interested in education and teaching as well, so I can do that, whereas when I was on my own little farm there just weren’t any hours left in the day for that.” [21:35] “The idea behind is all these classes is maybe you can shortcut your way to experience and you can get to the point where you’re understanding a little more about the progressions of the seasons and some of the bigger picture things a little bit quicker than if you just leap right in to things. ” [23:45] Mike Fedison on The Farm Report.

On this week’s episode of The Farm Report, Leah Eden interviews Laura Ten Eyck, a hop farmer at Helderberg Hop Farm in upstate New York. Laura tells us about her farm’s introduction to growing hops for commercial production. She describes for us what it takes to plant and harvest hops, as well as the unique needs of a hop plant. This program has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures. Music provided by Obey City. “One things hops really don’t like is a lot of moisture. They need a lot of water but they not a humid climate.” [6:40] “A full acre has about a thousand hop plants growing on it.” [16:50] Laura Ten Eyck on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks brings in Hannah Beal from Heermance Farm. Hannah describes her introduction to farming, as her interest bloomed when she was 16-year-old. She then talks about her experiences working on a vegetable farm, and assembling an ideal team to work with. This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. Music provided by Obey City. “I ended up working on a farm in Cabot Vermont, and pretty much fell in love with it.” [7:50] “It was really exciting to be able to talk to so many people who are interested in farming.” [18:40] — Hannah Beal on The Farm Report

In this episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks brings in guest Shirley Richardson. Shirley started Vermont Chevon when she saw a window of opportunity to compete with the millions of pounds of goat meat that are imported into the US every year. Erin also speaks with Matt Birong, Chef and owner of the Three Squares Cafe in Vergennes, VT, and the three discuss why Matt has enjoyed using Shirley’s goats in his restaurant. This program has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch. Music provided by Idgy Dean. a “About 80% of the goats born on a dairy farm every year are considered a waste product.” [05:45] — Shirley Richardson on The Farm Report “Consistency is key. You want to know what you’re getting without it being a crapshoot every time.” [18:55] — Matt Birong on The Farm Report

On this week’s episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks speaks with Bill Savage, owner of Pungo Creek Mills in Painter, Virginia. In 2007, Bill purchased a bushel of Indian corn from a man whose grandfather had been growing it since 1870 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. After considering marketing the Indian corn for cornamental purposes, he and his father realized when grinding the corn that it made a unique, sweet-smelling cornmeal. After trying the cornmeal, his family decided that this would be the route he would take with marketing and Pungo Creek Mills was born. Hear directly from the farmer himself who runs his small business, and believes that the traditional ways of making corn, equals better tasting corn. Find out how you can receive Bill’s great tasting corn in your home or market today! This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. Music by Idgy Dean. source: http://www.pungocreekmills.net/ “It’s nice to keep that small farm dream alive. If you put your heart into it, you come out with a product that’s a whole lot better than the others that use mechanization.” [13:10] “I’d rather do a lot of small batches than a lot of big ones. It helps me keep a handle on the market.” [31:10] — Bill Savage on The Farm Report

Symbiosis is a beautiful thing in the food world. This week on The Farm Report, Erin Faribanks is joined in the studio by Andrea Cascun, co-owner of Cascun Farms, and John Karangis, Executive Chef with Union Square Events. Recently, Cascun Farms and Union Square Events teamed up in order trade resources. Cascun Farms provides Union Square Events with chickens, and in return, they collect the pulp from Union Square’s Creative Juice production to use as animal feed! Tune into this episode to learn how Andrea and Cascum Farms use rinds, pits, and other waste to feed chickens and pigs. Does the pulp affect the flavor of the chicken or pork? Find out why John and his team find it important to recycle their food waste in a way that supports small farms! This program has been brought to you by The International Culinary Center. Music by Obey City. “Having someone who appreciates the care that we put into our product- that’s something that’s really important to us. It makes for a perfect fit.” [9:00] — Andrea Cascun on The Farm Report “Things with lots of spice like kaffir limes, chiles, or jalapeños- you don’t want to feed them to chickens. They will impart too much of a flavor in the poultry.” [19:30] — John Karangis on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks gets hyper-local with Ben Flanner of the Brooklyn Grange! The Brooklyn Grange hosts two rooftop farms in Queens and Brooklyn and produces vegetables for local markets. Tune in to hear Ben discuss what he learned from his third growing season at the Grange. How do the physical constraints of rooftop farms dictate how and what urban growers can produce? Later, hear Erin and Ben talk about the future of urban agriculture, and how Bill de Blasio’s election could change the food landscape. What does Ben hope the new administration will offer to the food movement? Tune into this episode of The Farm Report to find out! Thanks to our sponsor, White Oak Pastures. Music has been provided by Sleepies. “Land is always our constraint… Our constant challenge is to grow a super high quality product within the space of a roof.” [10:00] “I think there’s a lack of a community hub in our area and time… we’re hoping to fill a little bit of that void.” [21:15] — Ben Flanner on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks talks with Nicole Vitello, Banana Coordinator at Equal Exchange. On this episode, Nicole talks about the food and fair trade industry, and how large corporations are easily able to control the market, leaving the consumer with less choices, the farmer with less profit, and an upbringing of unnatural products. This has been an ongoing issue especially within the world of avocados, which have risen in demand throughout the United States. Learn more about the behind the scenes of avocado production, from their regulations and inspections, to their arrival at your local market on today’s episode of The Farm Report! This program has been sponsored by Cain Vainyard & Winery “You’re starting to see better avocados out there. Volume is driving these imports, and you can [now] basically get fresher supply continually.” [30:10] — Nicole Vitello on The Farm Report

Jack Inslee takes the wheel for this week’s edition of The Farm Report to talk oyster farming with Chris Sherman and CJ Huck of Island Creek Oyster Farm. Tune into this program to learn about shellfish aquaculture, and why it’s the only form of protein production that actually benefits the environment. Learn how Chris and CJ seed oysters in Duxbury, and how the hand of the grower affects the final product. How can one distinguish a spoiled oyster from a safe one? How did Island Creek get their oysters into the White House? Learn about Island Creek’s philanthropical work and more on this week’s edition of The Farm Report! Thanks to our sponsor, Fairway Market. Music has been provided by Obey City. “There’s this kind of identity crisis going on where a lot of the people growing oysters were fisherman, and now they’re having to become farmers.” [4:20] “As opposed to most protein production, oysters actually net an environmental benefit.” [7:15] — Chris Sherman on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks talks with Mari Omland of Green Mountain Girls Farm about the resurgence of agritourism. Hear why Mari left her work in conservation non-profits in Washington, D.C. for her native Vermont to begin farming. Hear why Mari believes that experiences on farms are just as important as the food they produce. Find out how Green Mountain Girls Farm provides educational visits, and hopes to reinvigorate the farming community. How does Green Mountain Girls Farm fit into the Vermont farming heritage? Find out how the Vermont farming community has supported upstarts like Green Mountain Girls Farm through extension programs and more! Eat. Stay. Farm. Today’s program has been sponsored by Tabard Inn. Music has been provided by Shadowbox. “My greatest optimism relates to the amount of people who seek significant things from farms.” [9:50] “There’s something healing that comes from being around things that are growing… the food interest is just the tip of the iceberg; we want to eat the view, as well.” [11:00] — Mari Omland on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is exploring the homesteading lifestyle! Hear from Gloria Varney of Nezinscot Farm- the first certified organic dairy in Maine! Learn why Gloria lost interest in her academic pursuits and began to focus on growing and producing her own food. What role does technology play in the life of a homesteader? Tune in to find out about Gloria’s other work against the prevalence of GMO crops. Later, herbalist and botanist Dawn Combs of Mockingbird Meadows calls into the program to talk about her ideas regarding the intrinsic link between food and medicine. Why did Dawn leave the corporate world to practice herbal medicine? Find out why both Gloria and Dawn believe that more people should be growing their own food at home in order to learn more about our food system. This program has been brought to you by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Music has been provided by Ball of Flame Shoot Fire. “When people come into the store, I tell them they are entering my classroom. It offers and opportunity to learn where their food is coming from.” [4:45] “You don’t need a lot of acreage to create food.” [8:20] — Gloria Varney on The Farm Report “A big message of our farm is to encourage people to take charge of their own health.” [20:00] — Dawn Combs on The Farm Report

Learn how GrowNYC’s Greenmarkets are distributing regional produce on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! Erin Fairbanks chats with Olivia Blanchflower of Greenmarket Co. about their mission to get products from small to mid-sized farms into local corner stores and bodegas. Find out why Greenmarket Co. is joining other produce wholesalers in Hunts Point in the south Bronx. Learn about the organization’s dedication to transparency and food access. What surprising institutions have recently supported Greenmarket Co.? Later, find out how the organization works financially, and how national harvests affect local prices. This program has been brought to you by The International Culinary Center. Music has been provided by SNOWMINE. “Only about 2% of the food that Americans eat is through farmers’ markets.” [2:10] “We saw a lot of business in areas that we didn’t expect. One of these areas was in the form of institutions in the city, such as senior centers.” [13:30] — Olivia Blanchflower on The Farm Report

Learn about the Maine blueberry industry on this week’s episode of The Farm Report with Professor David Yarborough! Erin Fairbanks chats with David via the phone lines to discuss the differences between wild and cultivated varieties of blueberries. Tune in to learn how Maine growers manage pests and weeds, and how the former glacial landscape shaped Maine into a prime blueberry-growing region. What types of technologies are used to harvest blueberries? Find out how integrated fields with genetically-diverse berries prevent against blight and crop failure. Hear how exports from other countries affect the Maine growers’ incomes, and why the blueberry’s nutritional benefits and antioxidants have made it a leading seller for farmers. Don’t miss this week’s fascinating berry-filled episode of The Farm Report! Thanks to our sponsor, Fairway Market. Today’s break music was provided by The Hollows. “Blueberries do very well at a low pH. Not many weeds do well at a low pH, so we’re adding sulphur to the soil. So basically, the blueberries have an advantage over the weeds.” [14:20] — Prof. David Yarborough on The Farm Report

Today on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks catches up with frequent guest and Greenmarket fixture Mike Yezzi of Flying Pigs Farm. Tune into this episode to learn about the history of the farm, and why Mike decided to raise English rare breed hogs in a small farm setting. Find out why pigs are never wholly grassfed, and the demand for calories when raising pork. Hear Mike’s opinions regarding organic certification, and why he chooses to care for his sick pigs using modern medicine. Upstate New York’s agricultural history allows for a tight-knit infrastructure; how has the mix of farming styles in New York allowed for farms of all sizes to thrive? How does Mike move less-than-desirable cuts? How can you find Flying Pigs Farm’s pigs at the upcoming Pig Island? Find out all of this and more on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! This program has been brought to you by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Thanks to Obey City for today’s music. “Pigs are single-gutted animals, and cows are ruminant animals. They have more than one stomach. Single-gutted animals don’t digest grass as well; it has to do with how the grass ferments in the stomach.” [6:50] “The mix of larger farms and small farms (like mine) in Washington County help keep the agricultural infrastructure in place.” [18:15] — Mike Yezzi on The Farm Report

Margot Brooks started her farming career as a cheesemaker at Consider Bardwell Farm in West Pawlet, Vermont and then decided to start her own operation, Sugar House Creamery – an old Adirondack dairy farm that her and partner Alex Eaton have turned into a farmstead creamery. On this week’s episode of The Farm Report, tune in as host Erin Fairbanks chats with Margot about the process of starting your own small farm operation. Discover what Margot needed to consider in opening her own micro milk, dairy and cheesemaking operation. Now that she’s up and running – hear what the next steps are in developing the infrastructure and building the business. Get an inside look at an agricultural startup from a woman making all the right moves! This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “When you have animals, you have situations that arise and it would be really nice to be able to go next door and borrow X, Y or Z from a neighbor – but here we can’t at all so it makes it harder to deal with [problems]. We’re learning we have to plan into it and stock up more and anticipate future needs we might have. It’s more costly.” [14:00] “Conventional lenders don’t want to lend to farms – they don’t understand them or feel comfortable doing it.” [21:00] –Margot Brooks of Sugar House Creamery on The Farm Report

Beverly Bell discusses food sovereignty in the book she co-authored, Harvesting Justice. This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks talks with Beverly about the need to democratize the food system so it serves social interests and not those of corporations. Tune in to learn about food aid, and how it has the potential to wipe out local food economies in developing nations. Hear about the phenomenon of food deserts, and how food justice activists are making CSA shares accessible to low-income communities. Find out about Beverly’s work with Other Worlds, an organization that supports women’s rights and agriculture across the world. Fight for your right to eat good food; tune into this week’s installment of The Farm Report! Thanks to our sponsor, S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Thanks to Dead Stars for today’s break music. “Food sovereignty is about the people of all countries being able to create their food system… It’s about democratizing food.” [11:20] “Women have far less access than men to economic means for survival.” [28:00] — Beverly Bell on The Farm Report

Find out how Justin Rashid and American Spoon Fruit are preserving summer fruits on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! Erin Fairbanks chats with Justin about American Spoon Fruit’s line of preserves. Learn about the terroir of lake-area Michigan, and why some of the best fruits in the world come from that location. Find out how American Spoon Fruit helps fruit growers by buying specific selections of their crop. Learn what fruit varieties have fallen out of favor, and why Justin believes these heirloom varieties are culturally and culinarily important. Learn more about the science behind preserving on this week’s edition of The Farm Report! Thanks to our sponsor, Cain Vineyard & Winery. Today’s break music has been provided by PEELS. “I’m thrilled, and pretty much amazed with what has happened recently in agriculture. When Larry and I started this company, what we were doing was considered kind of ‘odd’… agriculture in American was the past. And now it seems to have such a thriving future prospect.” [8:30] “The trick with preserving is trying to get the product, the lid, the jar, and the headspace at sterilization temperatures, but then when the jar seals, you have to get that heat out. [24:00] — Justin Rashid on The Farm Report

Sarah Teale of the Adirondack Grazers Cooperative is committed to producing healthy grassfed beef, using localized distribution, and connecting chefs to quality products. On this episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks welcomes Sarah to the studio to talk about the history of Upstate New York farming. Learn about the state’s roots in dairy, and why so many farmers are also taking up beef production. What are the criteria that the Adirondack Grazers Cooperative use to judge the quality of beef producers? Find out how the cooperative operates using a method that provides equality amongst its members and allows for farmers to get high prices for their meat. Hear about the importance of transparency within the cooperative, and how their extensive network of truckers, butchers, and more has made the Adirondack Grazers Cooperative a successful effort. Thanks to our sponsor, Consider Bardwell. Today’s music has been provided by takstar. “There are different breeds that are better for dairy, and there are others that are better for beef. There are certain breeds that also lend themselves to grassfed beef.” [6:45] “Slaughterhouses are a real challenge in meat production. There are many states that don’t have hardly any slaughterhouses.” [13:00] “New York loses a farm every three days.” [27:05] — Sarah Teale on The Farm Report

What has the same amount of caffeine as coffee with twice the antioxidants of green tea? Guayusa! This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Dan MacCombie and Tyler Gage, co-founders and co-CEOs of Runa. Runa is a company that makes guayusa-based beverages by working with Ecuadorian farmers, providing a fair price and sustainable business for indigenous people. Tune into this episode to learn about the life cycle of the plant, and how its natural rhythms provide a steady harvest for farmers. How do Dan and Tyler ensure equity for their workers? Find out the importance of preserving traditions by providing a market for native people. Learn why Runa takes certain certifications so seriously, and how applying for these labels changes perspective on production. Thanks to our sponsor, Hearst Ranch. Thanks to EULA for today’s music. “If we can’t find markets for native goods, there’s really no future for the Amazon rainforest or indigenous cultures.” [4:00] — Tyler Gage on The Farm Report “We want this to be something that Amazonian people can add to their incomes… it’s a piece of a bigger pie.” [20:45] — Dan MacCombie on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Stewart Borowsky (The Union Square Grassman) joins host Erin Fairbanks to talk about greens! A big topic of this week’s episode includes wheatgrass, including how Stewart grows, produces, harvests, and eventually creates the amazing wheatgrass juice that contains the health-benefiting nutrients we love. Also learn how Stewart learned to become a farmer, and ended up transitioning to becoming a wheatgrass producer in New York City. With wheatgrass production constantly growing and the summer’s weather heating up, learn how Stewart is also planting similar but more flexible greens, such as pea shoots, buckwheat greens, radish sprouts, and foods for pets! Wondering how to incorporate healthy greens into your diet? Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about how wheatgrass can benefit you today! This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market. Thanks to Cookies for today’s music. “There’s been a tremendous amount of marketing for wheatgrass, because it is such a unique food, and people are eager to find a solution to prevent disease. Wheatgrass is a very important part of good nutrition.” [6:30] — Stewart Borowsky on The Farm Report

Mary Pipher is an American clinical psychologist and author, most recently of The Green Boat, which was published by Riverhead Books in June 2013. The Green Boat is a ground-breaking examination of everyday life, exploring how to conquer our fears about the major environmental issues that confound us and transform them into a positive force in our lives. Tune in to this week’s episode of The Farm Report for a fascinating discussion about fear, hope, failure and success in terms of environmental activism and political action. Civic engagement has many faces, and Mary Pipher gives listeners an idea of where to best put their energy to help protect the environment and keep their communities feeling positive. Thanks to our sponsor, Cain Vineyard & Winery. Thanks to Jerome LOL for today’s break music. “One thing I talk about is a difference between actionable intelligence and distractable intelligence. If you’re a consumer of [media], you can have so much information. Most of that information just makes you feel bad and stressed and powerless. On the other hand, there’s a difference type of information that gives you a really good sense of what to do tomorrow morning when you wake up. That’s the kind of information I like to give people.” [15:00] “I have no idea if we can stop global climate change. What I do know, is that if we act, and especially if we act together, we will feel better. Because the mind functions best when it acts as if there is hope…We have a natural resilient response that we can mobilize.” [17:00] “If you want to see how this world works – try to change it.” [24:10] — Mary Pipher on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Philip Ackerman-Leist phones in to talk to us about local versus large scale food systems, and its impact on agriculture today. What are the main benefits to growing and buying local foods? To answer this question, Philip Ackerman-Leist references his latest book, Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable, and Secure Food Systems. Laying out the principles of how to redesign foodsheds for greater food security, justice, and energy efficiency, he also references the importance of education to redefine our growing sustainable practices. Mr. Ackerman’s personal statement, as the Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Green Mountain College in Vermont, is simple: “I teach here because I keep learning here, and I farm at home because I keep learning there.” This program has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures. “We are going to be most successful doing what we do on the local or the regional level.” [20:05] “If you’re really focused on local, we have to have a sustainable ecosystem.” [30:10] — Philip Ackerman-Leist on The Farm Report

We’re continuing our exploration into the Maine lobster industry on this week’s edition of The Farm Report. Erin Fairbanks chats with Robin Alden, the Executive Director of Penobscot East Resource Center, about the importance of diversity in the fishing business. Find out how climate change is affecting the oceans and the Maine lobstering business. Learn more about hatcheries, and why Maine fisheries are committed to sustainability. Later, Erin calls Chad Dorr of Dorr Lobster to talk about his family’s history in lobstering. Find out why different purveyors choose to work with certain fisherman, and how lobster prices fluctuate. This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods. Thanks to Idgy Dean for today’s music. “The thing that harvesting a wild food is that you can try to be sustainable in your own practices, but you are at the mercy of what the ecosystem provides.” [4:15] — Robin Alden on The Farm Report

Welcome to the first of many lobster-themed episodes of The Farm Report! Erin Fairbanks begins the episode by calling Marianne Lacroix, the Executive Director of the Maine Lobster Council. Hear how lobster powers local economies in Maine, and how different parts of the crustacean are processed and placed in the market for restaurants and retailers. How can you be sure that the lobster you are eating is a genuine Maine lobster? Learn more about the nutritional considerations of eating lobster, and different ways to prepare lobster at home. Later, Erin checks in with Dr. Robert Bayer of The Lobster Institute. Hear Dr. Bayer discuss lobster fishing practices, and why Maine lobster fisheries have a focus in sustainability. Hear how lobster byproducts are being repurposed, and why The Lobster Institute values education for school-aged youths. This program has been sponsored by Underground Meats. Today’s break music was a track by Mohegan Son taken from the Pasta Move EP. “If you eat lobster straight-up, it’s low in fat, calories, and cholesterol. There’s kind of a misconception about lobster and health because it’s so often associated with butter and mayonnaise.” [10:50] — Marianne Lacroix on The Farm Report

Lorraine Lewandrowski is an advocate for commodity farmers in Upstate New York. This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks calls up Lorraine to talk about dairy in New York, and how the federal milk price system puts New York dairy farmers at a disadvantage. Hear why Lorraine believes that New York City food groups need to support commodity farmers, and why supporting these farmers should not be a polarizing issue. Tune into this episode to learn about the different classes of milk in the state, and how farmers are paid out based on what dairy product they are providing. This episode has been brought to you by Whole Foods. Thanks to Obey City for today’s music. “I would like to see the urban food movement reach beyond the people that sell to them at farmer’s markets and CSAs, and look Upstate.” [8:50] “The farmers and the food movement have a lot in common. We’re both seeking a better food system.” [24:00] — Lorraine Lewandrowski on The Farm Report

Sample some exotic meats on this week’s installment of The Farm Report! Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Ben and Dan Del Coro of Fossil Farms. Fossil Farms began as an ostrich farm, and has come to be a one-stop-shop for all sorts of exotic and game meat: wild boar, bison, elk, and more! Find out why wild and game proteins are lower in fat than farmed animals, and hear why the demand for game has increased over the past few years. Learn how Fossil Farms uses every part of its ostriches. How do the lack of regional slaughterhouses affect Fossil Farms’ business? Find out on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods. Thanks to Idgy Dean for today’s music. “When consumers go out looking for different proteins, we’re a good place to land because of the variety of products that we offer.” [4:40] “Game meat, if you go back 80 years ago, was on restaurant menus and a regular part of our diet.” [8:30] “Bison is America’s original grass-fed beef.” [21:20] — Ben Del Coro on The Farm Report

How do livestock protect the environment? This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks calls up Judith Schwartz, author of Cows Save the Planet to discuss erosion, carbon, and the health of the planet. Tune into this program to hear Judith talk about the natural grazing habits of herbivores like cows, and how these tendencies help keep the ecosystem in check. How do animals contribute to the biodiversity of plant species? Learn more about topsoil; what is topsoil, and how is it created? Listen in to hear how Judith hopes her book will inspire the future of consumers, and influence producers to adopt alternative land management practices. Tune in and learn how proper holistic land stewardship is a political issue, and how you can affect change. This program has been brought to you by Bonnie Plants. Thanks to Idgy Dean for today’s music. “The livestock functions as biological accelerators- they move this process forward. They keep the carbon cycle, the water cycle, etc. from getting out of whack.” [13:50] “For every ton of grain produced, seven tons of topsoil are lost.” [17:50] — Judith Schwartz on The Farm Report

Spring is near and you know what that means – time to get that home garden into shape! Tune into a plant-based episode of The Farm Report as Erin Fairbanks is joined by Sidney Phelps, Directing Manager of Bonnie Plants. Bonnie Plants is a national plant wholesaler based in Alabama that supplies retail stores all over the United States. Bonnie Plants is a leading provider of plants for your vegetable garden or herb garden. Tune in and learn more about how Bonnie makes sure to source plants as locally as possible and makes sure that what you buy is meant to be grown where you live! Also get some great tips for starting your own home garden including where and how to plant the produce you’re interested in. This program was sponsored by Rolling Press. Thanks to Obey City for today’s music. “We have more than 60 greenhouses in the lower 48. The consumer is getting the freshest most locally grown plants possible. They’re adapted to the lifestyle of the gardens they will be grown in.” [8:00] “Right now herbs and peppers are really becoming more and more popular. We added a grapefruit mint this year that actually tastes like you’re eating a grapefruit!” [26:00] — Sidney Phelps on The Farm Report

John Sharpe is a world-renowned chef at The Turquoise Room and a churro lamb enthusiast. This week on The Farm Report, John calls in to talk with Erin Fairbanks about his storied history in the restaurant business, and how he ended up in Arizona. Learn about the local and organic farm landscape in Arizona, and how it’s different climates make it a surprising terroir. Later, hear John talk about the importance of the churro lamb to Arizona and its indigenous cultures. Find out why the meat of the churro lamb contains very little lanolin flavor and fat content! This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA, and music has been provided by Pamela Royal. “Primarily, this breed was used for weaving, but was also a major food source and uses in ceremonies. This sheep (the churro lamb) is extremely iconic to the Navajo people.” [23:00] — John Sharpe on The Farm Report

Fast food on The Farm Report? On this week’s episode, Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Joshua Brau of Chipotle to talk about ‘Food with Integrity’. Tune in to learn about the restaurant chain’s stance on GMO crops, and how they are working to remove them from their menu. Why did founder and CEO Steve Ells decide to source his pork sustainably? Find out how availability and price dictate the amount of organic beans and vegetables that Chipotle can purchase. Find out how the consistency of certain products proves to be a problem for an alternative fast food company like Chipotle. What is Chipotle’s stance on animal genetics? Find out on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! Thanks to our sponsor S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, and thanks to Pamela Royal for today’s musical break. “90% of the corn produced in this country is a GMO crop.” [8:05] “If we can’t find pork that was raised without sub-therapeutic antibiotics and in humane conditions, we just won’t serve pork.” [11:55] “Fast food is an important component of the food landscape, and I don’t think it’s going anywhere… We’re proving that fast food can be cooked in the restaurant, and that you can use good ingredients.” [25:10] — Joshua Brau on The Farm Report

Jason Foscolo knows food law. On this week’s episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks invites Jason into the studio to talk about the legal considerations of farming. Tune in to hear why every farmer, whether a beginner or a veteran, should always have a good lawyer on call. How do professionals like Jason help beginning farmers gain access to land, and represent lifelong farmers in contractual selling situations. How did Jason’s time as a judge advocate in the Marine Corp. prepare him as a lawyer and a food enthusiast? Learn how food-borne illness can be a threat to farmers’ livelihoods, and how the Food Safety Modernization Act is changing the way Jason practices law. Thanks to our sponsor, Whole Foods, and thanks to Jade for today’s music. “From the moment before a farmer starts to plant, they should start thinking about some sort of access to legal expertise. You can’t plant without land. If you’re going to buy or lease- that’s a threshold issue right there.” [2:30] — Jason Foscolo on The Farm Report

George Weld and Evan Hanczor truly embody the farm-to-table movement through their enterprises: Goatfell Farm, Parish Hall, and Egg. This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks digs deeper into the connection between restaurants and farmers with George and Evan. Learn why Parish Hall operates seasonally and locally, and how that affects the consistency of the menu at the Williamsburg restaurant. Find out why George decided to start his own farm, and how visits to the farm remind the staff at Egg and Parish Hall about the sanctity of food. Hear George and Evan talk about sustainability in terms of the environment and business, and why it’s important to consider all elements of the waste stream in trying to create an efficient model of operation. Tune into this week’s episode of The Farm Report to learn how chefs and farmers cooperate! This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. Thanks to EULA for today’s music. “When I’m thinking about dishes, visiting the farm lets me know when we are going to get a certain product.” [9:45] — Evan Hanczor on The Farm Report “When you bring certain items into the kitchen, you realize what an illusion consistency is.” [21:10] — George Weld on The Farm Report

Alex Young grows food at Cornman Farms, and cooks it at Zingerman’s Roadhouse! On this week’s episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is chatting with Alex about running a farm and a restaurant. What inspired Alex to grow the food for his restaurant himself? Listen in to hear more about the menu at Zingerman’s Roadhouse, and their affinity for heritage breeds. What are some of the biggest problems that the restaurant and farm face regarding animal slaughter? Tune in to hear Alex and Erin talk about land access in Michigan, and the juxtaposition of sprawl and farmland in the Midwest. Learn more about Alex’s vision of farm-restaurants on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! This episode has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “I try to pick items to farm that aren’t grown in large quantities, so I’m not taking business away from other farmers.” [5:05] “Now, we are actually producing all of the food for the plants ourselves!” [19:15] — Alex Young on The Farm Report

In 1977, Wendell Berry published The Unsettling of America, a book that started a national and international conversation on the state of agriculture in our country. The Berry Center’s mission is to continue his work by bringing focus, knowledge, and cohesiveness to the work of changing our ruinous industrial agriculture system into a culture that uses nature as the standard, that accepts no permanent damage to the ecosphere, and that takes into consideration human health in local communities. Tune in to The Farm Report, as Erin Fairbanks is joined by Mary Berry who describes some of the work the center is focusing on and some of the problems we face as a nation made up of small communities in our quest to improve the agricultural landscape in this great country. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards and Sons. “I just read a speech my grandfathers gave to congress in the 1940s and with a few minor changes the same speech could be given today and be completely relevant.” [10:50] “If I think about the whole world – I don’t matter all that much. If I think about America, what can I really do? I took it down to the state, to the county, to the town and then to the farm that I live. At that point, then you find out that everything you do matters. So you start there, you start on the ground.” [17:45] “Too often the local food movement thinks only of fruits and vegetables. We’ve got to think about calories and grain is an essential piece of this.” [26:00] “We need a flourishing rural America to make our food secure.” [31:40] —May Berry on The Farm Report

We’re going beyond the peel on this week’s episode of The Farm Report as Erin Fairbanks hosts the Banana Coordinator at Equal Exchange, Nicole Vitello. Did you know the banana is actually an herb? Nicole discusses all things banana from organic farming to transport and sale. There’s a banana revolution afoot and Nicole shares her knowledge about the radical turn towards fair trade exchange and the market’s reaction to this push. The banana has been a staple of the kitchen table for as long as anyone can remember and Nicole talks about the process that brings each banana to our home. Tune and learn everything there is to know about the banana because Nicole really knows her stuff! This program was sponsored by Cain Vineyard and Winery. “Bananas are a genetic clone…the plant is constantly reproducing from itself.. the plant can’t evolve.” [5:50] “It’s a man – over – nature process to get the perfect banana…I cant think of any other product that actually trades that way.” [7:34] “Fair trade was designed as tool to link producers with importing companies and also open up that line of trade to have certain securities. Fair trade sets a minimum price for bananas which no importer can pay below. On top of that, one dollar per 40lb box goes back to the producers coop as a social premium.” [21:10] ## –Nicole Vitello, Banana Coordinator at Equal Exchange on The Farm Report

How does fair trade works to promote a higher quality coffee? Find out on this week’s episode of The Farm Report as Erin Fairbanks is joined by Todd Caspersen, Director of Purchasing for Equal Exchange. Hear about the initiatives Equal Exchange has started to develop common language so that producers, retailers and consumers are all on the same page. Language barriers, personal relationships and honesty are all integral to ensuring that fair trade standards are maintained and upheld, and Todd gives listeners inside perspective into the process of managing all of the systems that get coffee from crop to cup, ethically and responsibly. This program was sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery.  “You can have fair trade coffee that is commercial grade, and fair trade coffee that is super high quality. It can be both things, and it’s not a prerequisite one way or another. It’s about the individuals in the supply chain.” [07:00] “What I’d like to see is greater levels of research and investigation to increase productivity on rural Latin American farms.” [32:00] –Todd Caspersen, Director of Purchasing for Equal Exchange on The Farm Report

Tasty tomatoes year-round? This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Lucky Lee of Lucky’s Real Tomatoes. Tune in to hear Lucky talk about her family’s history in the tomato business. What makes Lucky’s tomatoes stand out? Find out why restaurant groups like the Union Square Hospitality Group prefer Lucky’s. Lucky’s has been ahead of the curve in the areas of traceability and quality for decades! Listen in to hear Erin and Lucky talk about the local food movement, and how it sometimes falls short for the needs of chefs. How did Hurricane Sandy affect Lucky’s farms? Find out on this week’s installment of The Farm Report! Thanks to our sponsor, Hearst Ranch. “What makes our company different- and our tomatoes different- is that they are all from the United States, they’re all grown in the ground, and they aren’t picked until they are almost ripe.” [3:50] “Whenever you start fooling around inside of a tomato, you take away part of the reason why you might want to eat it.” [10:50] — Lucky Lee on The Farm Report

From the farm, to tables across the country! Farmer Lee Jones is Erin Fairbanks’ guest on this week’s installment of The Farm Report. Tune into this episode to hear Farmer Jones talk about the mission of Chef’s Garden, and why it’s important to grow food that chefs prefer in the kitchen. Hear about the heirloom varieties that Farmer Jones grows at Chef’s Garden, and why it’s necessary to grow certain crops to boost nutrient levels in the soil. Find out what celebrity chefs purchase from Farmer Jones, and why he harvests at eight different plant growth stages. Listen to Farmer Jones speak to the power of seasonality in terms of nutrition! This program has been sponsored by Seersucker/Nightingale 9. “If you work in harmony with nature instead trying to outsmart it, the results can be incredible.” [11:00] “Chefs have taught us that at every stage of a plant’s life offers something different to the plate.” [26:30] — Farmer Lee Jones on The Farm Report

Spring is coming sooner than you think; time to start planting! This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is talking with President and farmer at the Brooklyn Grange, Ben Flanner. Tune in to hear Ben talk about innovations in farm technology, and how these virtually simple tools can increase productivity for small farmers. Hear about the Grange’s expansion to the Brooklyn Navy Yards, and the need for a long-term lease in urban farm security. Hear about Ben’s educational retreat to Mexico, and find out what Ben looks for when scouring a seed catalog! How was the Grange affected by Hurricane Sandy? Find out on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! This episode has been brought to you by Whole Foods. “One of the challenges of urban farming is that you need some sort of long-term stake on some property.” [10:40] “In terms of inputs, everything we need is right here in the city- think about all of the organic waste in New York City!” [15:00] — Ben Flanner on The Farm Report

Seal the deal with Catskills Provisions! Tune into the Farm Report as Erin Fairbanks sits down with Proprietor, Beekeeper and Forager at Catskill Provisions, Claire Marin. Located in a small corner of the Northwest Catskill Mountains, Catskill Provisions specializes in creating raw, all-natural handmade food products while subscribing to the philosophy that a thriving society makes use of the closest resources around it. Tune in to learn more about their local honey, maple syrup, chocolate truffles and brand new line of pancake mix made with Cayuga flour; all part of their Valentine’s Day themed “Seal the Deal” package! This program was sponsored by Rolling Press. “It’s not just selling something its creativing relationships with people you do business with. business and humanity can go hand in hand – they really can!” [2:00] –Claire Marin of Catskill Provisions on The Farm Report

Orion Magazine has been producing thought-provoking, progressive journalism for thirty years. On this week’s episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is chatting with Orion’s Outreach Director, Erik Hoffner. Tune in to hear Erik talk about the ecology-focused lens with which Orion views all sorts of social issues. Learn about the magazine’s roots in New York City, and why the operation moved to Western Massachusetts. Hear Erik and Erin talk about the unknown health factors of nanotechnology, and how nanoparticles may be damaging to the environment and individual health. Learn about several of Orion’s freelance contributors, and what they have to say about topics like hydrofracking and environmentalism. This program has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “So many good things are happening in New York with urban agriculture, and with public art using the landscape.” [11:00] “The health of our ground water for the next hundred years is worth more than ten years of fuel.” [26:10] — Erik Hoffner on The Farm Report

Erin Fairbanks traces the local produce supply in South Carolina on this week’s installment of The Farm Report. Tune in to hear Erin talk with Sara Clow, the General Manager for Grow Food Carolina. Grow Food Carolina is a local food wholesaler initiated by the Coastal Conservation League that aims to make local produce widespread. Learn more about South Carolina’s growing seasons, and the importance of crop diversity in the state’s hot climate. Later, Erin is joined by Matt Settar, the Produce Manager for EarthFare supermarkets. Hear Matt discuss his reasons for working with Grow Food Carolina, and EarthFare’s focus on organic produce and healthy food. Finally, Erin calls up Carol Williams of Millgrove Farms, one of Grow Food Carolina’s producers. Learn how a love of the land inspired Carol and her husband, Ben, to grow without pesticides. What does Grow Food Carolina offer individuals like Carol and Ben? Find out on this week’s installment of The Farm Report! This episode has been sponsored by Route 11 Potato Chips. “In order to make local food not just a specialty food and part of everyday, Grow Food Carolina sells as a wholesaler. [4:20] — Sara Clow on The Farm Report “Grow Food Carolina brings all the local farmers into one place, and it makes it really easy to deal with.” [21:40] — Matt Settar on The Farm Report “We wanted to make the land last forever, which is why we decided to go organic instead of conventional.” [29:40] — Carol Williams on The Farm Report

Agriculture is growing in South Carolina; the future is bright! This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is talking with Hugh E. Weathers, the Commissioner of Agriculture for the state of South Carolina. Learn about the state’s top ten cash crops, and hear why South Carolina’s ag sector is growing! Hear about the history of agriculture in Commissioner Weathers’ family, and how it mirrors farm trends throughout the history of South Carolina. Listen in to hear Commissioner Weathers talk about the importance of value-added products in South Carolina’s economy, and learn more about the “Fresh on the Menu” program. Later, Dana Beach of the Coastal Conservation League joins the show to talk about land development in South Carolina. Hear about the prevalence of “sprawl” throughout the state, and how Dana’s work is to preserve unique cultures throughout the state. This program has been brought to you by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “We’ve probably gained- albeit some lifestyle farmers- we’ve gained several thousand more farmers over the last 4 or 5 years. I’m very optimistic for the future… there are so many opportunities for agriculture in South Carolina.” [9:00] — Commissioner Hugh E. Weathers on The Farm Report “South Carolina is the perfect place to make a local food system. We have a twelve month growing season, we have good soil, and good farmers!” [32:45] — Dana Beach on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks calls up Mary Peabody, the founding director of the Women’s Ag Network and professor at the University of Vermont. Mary Peabody is a Community Economic Development Specialist with University of Vermont Extension, and the New Farmer project. Learn why women are not often counted amongst farmers in the census, and why more women are increasingly getting into the agricultural business. How does Mary assist women who want to start their own farms, and prepare for the farm life? Learn about the Women’s Ag Network’s start in 1994, and how it continues to operate based on member and foundation support. What other organizations deal with women in ag on a regional or national scale? And what states host the most women farmers? Find out on this episode of The Farm Report! This program has been brought to you by Consider Bardwell. “It makes us really happy when we look down the list of associations in the area and we see women that have worked with us as presidents, vice presidents, and treasurers of these policy makers that are really going to shape agriculture in this country.” [25:30] — Mary Peabody on The Farm Report

The topic of the day is animal rescue on The Farm Report. Erin Fairbanks is talking with Gene Baur, the president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary. Farm Sanctuary rescues and protects animals from factory farms and abusive situations, and promotes a vegan lifestyle. Tune in to this episode to hear Gene talk about the benefits and reasons for a vegan diet. Learn about breeding practices, and how they have caused damage to the genetic stock for certain species. Tune in to hear Gene express his opinions on the rising popularity of alternative farming methods, and the truth behind a lot of buzzwords like “free-range”. Gene speaks to the importance of transparency in our food system, and how increased public knowledge of production leads to more humane practices. Remember to tune in for the GrowNYC Market Update with Liz Carollo! This episode has been brought to you by Tekserve “This is an industry that really depends on secrecy to continue, because what they do is unacceptable to most people.” [7:20] “If you think about the inputs for any animal production farm- you need feed, and you need more water.” [27:10] — Gene Baur on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks calls up Eric Weltman of Brooklyn’s Food & Water Watch to talk about hydrofracking. Food & Water Watch is a non-profit organization that aims to ensure the safety and accessibility of food and water, and to ensure these basic needs in a sustainable way. Tune in to learn about the harmful side effects of fracking, and the mythology behind the environmental safety of natural gas. Hear about the need for renewable energy in New York state, and how fracking threatens the state’s three largest industries – farming, tourism, and real estate. Erin and Eric discuss the pros and cons of hydrofracking over an imaginary dinner! Later, Erin catches up with Jeanne Hodesh of the Greenmarket for this week’s GrowNYC Market Update! This program has been sponsored by Tabard Inn. “There are safe alternatives to natural gas, but there are no alternatives to water.” [4:25] “Natural gas is primarily methane, and methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas.” [6:20] — Eric Weltman on The Farm Report

On this week’s episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by cookbook author Diane Morgan. After a curious trip to a Portland farmer’s market, Diane was inspired to write a book all about roots and root vegetables entitled Roots: The Definitive Compendium with more than 225 Recipes. Tune into this episode to learn about the different types of roots; what distinguishes a taproot from a tuberous root? How do agricultural practices determine how roots develop? Erin and Diane profile and discuss a few types of root vegetables, such as rutabagas and wasabi. Hear about the roles of root vegetables in different ethnic cuisines! Despite their reputation, hear why potatoes are beneficial to your diet! Get a healthy serving of root vegetables on this episode of The Farm Report! This episode has been brought to you by Susty Party. “Roots are cold weather crops for the most part. Radishes can be planted before the first thaw, so that in the spring, you have these lovely little roots with bushy tops. The same goes for carrots. Whereas parsnips are planted later because you want to harvest them after the first frost so that the sugars are concentrated.” [11:00] — Diane Morgan on The Farm Report

The Farm Report takes a trip to Chile this week, as Erin Fairbanks is joined by Felix de Vincente, Chairman of Prochile, and Blas Tomic, Head of Fundacion Imagen de Chile. Learn about the climate, culture and foods of Chile as Felix and Blas talk about the advocacy work they do for the country and what makes it such a special and unique place. What is the average farm size in Chile? What is it like being a farmer in the South American country? Learn how salmon found its way to Chile, and how agriculture plays such a huge role in the nation’s economy. Later, tune in for this week’s GrowNYC Market Update with Jeanne Hodesh and Jack Inslee! This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “The modernization of our agriculture began 30-40 years ago very seriously, which began with the structural properties. The incorporation of technology and the globalization process put Chile in contact with the demands of the world…” [20:00] “We have a climate that in the center of our country really resembles California.” [35:00] “We don’t export anything with genetic modification at all.” [38:00] — Blas Tomic, Head of Fundacion Imagen de Chile, The Farm Report

Erin Fairbanks continues talking about oyster farming on this week’s episode of The Farm Report. Steve Malinowski of Fisher’s Island Oyster Farm, Inc. is on the line to set the record straight on oyster breeding. Find out what Steve seeks out in an ideal oyster, and how certain oysters are selected for breeding. Hear about the spawning process, and how to distinguish between male and female oysters. How do oysters differ from other bivalves in terms of reproduction? Later, Steve explains how Fisher’s Island Oyster Farm, Inc. grows all of the food for their oysters on-site, and why juvenile oysters are susceptible to disease depending on the salinity of the water they inhabit. Erin wraps up the show by talking with Liz Carollo for this week’s GrowNYC Greenmarket Update! This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “All clams are born males, and during the first year, approximately 50% of them will become female and remain that way for the rest of their lives. Oysters, on the other hand, can actually change sex from one season to another.” [8:00] — Steve Malinowski on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is talking with two important guests from the world of food and agriculture. First up is Mark Schlosberg, the National Organizing Director for Food & Water Watch. Tune in to hear Erin and Mark discuss two ballot initiatives from the past election cycle that affect the environment and farming: Question 300 in Colorado, and Proposition 37 in California. Learn how the community of Longmont, Colorado kept hydrofracking out of their town. What organizing methods were successful? Later, hear Mark talk about the labeling of GMO foods in California, and why Prop 37 did not pass. The people have the right to know where their food comes from! Learn about Food & Water Watch’s upcoming campaigns dealing with transparency in the food system. Later, Erin calls up Severine Von Tscharner Fleming, founder of The Greenhorns and host of HRN’s Greenhorn Radio. The Greenhorns are a non-profit organization that works with young farmers and creates media that promotes sustainable agriculture and educates beginning farmers. Hear Erin and Severine talk about Superstorm Sandy, and how it impacted farmers in the Hudson Valley. Learn about new farm technology, and how young farmers are banding together in numbers to develop tools to deal with unpredictable weather. Finally, Erin checks in with Jeanne Hodesh for this week’s GrowNYC Market Update! This episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “Communities should have the ability to protect themselves from the real threats that fracking poses to water, air, public health, and really- the community. When people band together and talk to their neighbors and do real organizing, they’re capable of pushing back against big money interests that are trying to exploit our essential resources without regard to the consequences.” [4:15] — Mark Schlosberg on The Farm Report “One-hundred-year storms are happening every year, and when your livelihood depends on being at the market of every week…and, largely depends on pieces of aluminum supported by pieces of plastic with sixty thousand dollars with of tomatoes underneath! It’s hard to have piece of mind and think that it’s a simple matter.” [21:00] — Severine Von Tscharner Fleming on The Farm Report

This week’s episode of The Farm Report is all about a different kind of farming- oyster farming! Erin Fairbanks is joined via the phone lines by John Lowell, the owner of the East Dennis Oyster Farm. Tune into this episode to learn why raising oysters is indeed a type of farming! Hear about the different oyster seed stock that John chooses from, and the processes involved in starting an oyster farm. The East Dennis Oyster Farm is a small-scale production; learn why it’s important for farmers of all types to realize and work within their individual capacities, and not expand beyond their means and original goals. Learn more about food safety regulations for shellfish, and why the oyster industry is more traceable than most other areas of the food business. When are oysters in season? Learn the differences between wild and farmed oysters, and why one type may be more desirable for restaurants. Also, tune in to hear from Jeanne Hodesh of the GrowNYC Greenmarket for this week’s Market Update. Tune in to hear what it takes to be featured in the Greenmarket, as well as some delicious harvest legumes and vegetables at the market stands! This program has been brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “It’s like a vineyard. You don’t plant a vineyard and have a vine the next day. And it’s the same thing with oysters. You don’t just make more. You need to be patient, and you have to really want to do it.” [16:00] — John Lowell on The Farm Report

Today on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks calls up Jim Gerritsen of Wood Prairie Farm, and President of the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association. OSGATA has recently been involved in a lawsuit against Monsanto in order to protect the rights of organic growers that choose not to use genetically engineered seeds. Tune into this episode to learn about the extensiveness of Monsanto’s patent rights, and how their “intellectual property” can contaminate organic seed through the air. Learn more about the OSGATA vs. Monsanto lawsuit, and why it appears that Monsanto has been inconsistent in terms of its legal stance toward GMO contamination. Later, Erin chats with Liz Carollo of the GrowNYC Greenmarket for this week’s Market Update! Tune in to learn what apples Peter Hoffman of Back Forty prefers in the fall. Check out all the awesome pie ingredients, and hear about some of Greenmarket’s upcoming food events. This program has been brought to you by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “If we can’t have our property rights respected and prevent companies like Monsanto trespass on our farm, and have their pollution contaminating our crops, then there’s no way that organic farmers that buy seed from us can grow a crop that’s not contaminated.” [13:00] “There’s no market for genetically-engineered organic seed!” [14:10] — Jim Gerritsen on The Farm Report

Erin Fairbanks continues her exploration into the world of apples, orchards and cider on this week’s episode of “The Farm Report” with guest Steve Wood of Poverty Lane Orchards and Farnum Hill Cider. Find out how apple picking and orchard development has changed over the years, due to packing machinery, industry demands and consumer trends. Learn what goes into cider production, including growing of the fruit and processing of the cider itself. Discover the differences between heirloom and commodity varieties of apples, and hear some of the logistical challenges that come along with distribution, packing and sales. Also, as always, tune in for the GrowNYC Market Update! This program was brought to you by Susty Party. “I started working here in 1965 when I was a kid – so yeah, I guess I’ve got an apple growing background!” [1:45] “Since packing machinery came around, the market started insisting on larger apples, waxed apples… the whole thing started to change dramatically.” [3:33] “For a lot of [apple] varieties bigger is not better – it’s actually more boring.” [10:55] “Every patch of ground imposes conditions on what things can be grown well there.” [12:00] “A farm is not a natural environment – so the idea that people can grow things naturally is almost a joke to me.” [26:28] “When you plant an orchard – you’re basically planting a candy shop for all kinds of organisms. It’s very different from having an apple tree in your backyard or a cottage in the woods!” [28:27] –Steve Wood of Poverty Lane Orchards and Farnum Hill Cider

Erin Fairbanks is investigating cider as an agricultural product on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! Tune in to hear Erin talk with Eleanor Leger of Eden Ice Cider. Eleanor produces ice cider- a higher ABV beverage that is made through cold-concentration processes. Learn more about the processes involved with making ice cider, and why Eleanor and her husband decided to pour their life savings into this business. For farmers and artisans, cider is important to the New England agricultural economy. Later, Erin and Eleanor talk about the slowing local juice industry, and the prevalence of imported juices from concentrate in the grocery aisle. Later Jeanne Hodesh from the GrowNYC Greenmarket calls in to talk about the apples, potatoes, and bay scallops entering NYC’s markets! This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods. “We’re very excited to encourage other orchards in Vermont and New England to start producing ice cider. We really believe it’s a product that represents our terroir well, and you cannot make it in a lot of places.” [14:23] “All of the fresh juice market has disappeared in the U.S. Virtually every bottle or can of fresh juice in the supermarket today comes from concentrate from outside of the U.S.” [22:33] — Eleanor Leger on The Farm Report

Welcome to a very special episode of The Farm Report. This week, Erin Fairbanks is recounting the events that led her to Heritage Foods USA and the Heritage Radio Network.org. Hear how Erin’s college job in Zingerman’s deli inspired her to pursue a career in food. Hear how Erin went from working in kitchens at Savoy and Gramercy Tavern to organizing a farm camp at Flying Pigs Farm. Later, Erin talks about the No Goat Left Behind program at Heritage Foods USA, and what it means for small dairy producers and goats alike! Learn about the mystery of the commodity market, and why so much goat meat is imported to the United States. Finally, Erin talks celery root and squash with Liz Carollo for the GrowNYC Market Update! This episode has been sponsored by The Heritage Meat Shop. “One of the things that I’m trying to do with this show is to demystify the agriculture process for urban constituents.” — Erin Fairbanks on The Farm Report

Meet Will Harris, the the owner/operator of White Oak Pastures, a multi-generational family farm that was established in 1866 in the small, southwest Georgia community of Bluffton. White Oak Pastures is the only farm in the United States that has both a beef and chicken abattoir on the property. Erin Fairbanks interviews Will on this week’s episode of The Farm Report. Mr. Harris explains what inspired him to transition away from the big industrial farming model and back to the humane and organic methods his great grandfather practiced. Learn more about what animal welfare means at White Oak Pastures and how they set the standard for excellence in modern livestock production. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “We’re the only farm in the country that has both a beef and poultry slaughterhouse on the farm – we’re very proud of that.” “When I was in my 40’s in the 1990’s I became disgusted with the excesses of the industrial practices and started transitioning back to the ways of my great grandfather.” “Good animal welfare is very easy to determine. If you enjoy watching the animal – you have good animal welfare. The animals need to be able to express their instinctive behavior.” –Will Harris of White Oak Pastures on The Farm Report

Welcome to the final installment of The Farm Report’s “Growing Beer” series. Today, Erin Fairbanks is talking local and regional ingredients with a wealth of New York state beer and agriculture guests. Carrie Blackmore from Good Nature Brewing calls in to talk about the locally-sourced grains and hops used in Good Nature’s brews. Hear why local and regional sourcing works for small-small scale breweries, but why the state industry needs to grow to accommodate larger productions. Next, Erin chats with Paul Dlugokencky of Blind Bat Brewery to talk about making beer out on Long Island with some strange ingredients. Hear why Paul believes that a farm brewery model may be the future for Blind Bat. Erin checks in with June Russell of Greenmarket to talk regional grains, and why the industry needs to target producers of all types in order to grow. Hear from Liz Carollo with the GrowNYC Greenmarket update! Check out the variety of beans and fresh broccoli rabe that should be hitting Greenmarket stands soon! This episode has been brought to you by Fairway Market. “Generally, I don’t think that most brewers have any connection to their farmers. It’s almost impossible.” — Carrie Blackmore on The Farm Report “If you’re going to rebuild the grain market in the Northeast, you need to have multiple markets for the grains.” — June Russell on The Farm Report

This week, Erin Fairbanks is once again talking about beer and agriculture with guests David Katleski and Becca Jablonski. David is the president of New York’s own Empire Brewing Company and the New York State Brewers Association. Becca is Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University and an agricultural economist. Tune in to hear discussions regarding New York State’s Farm Brewery Bill. The bill’s aim is to establish beer as an agricultural product in New York, encourage farmers to grow hops and barley in the state, and generally support the beer industry. Learn about New York’s climate, any why the state cannot compete with China and the Pacific Northwest in terms of large-scale hop production. Later, Erin checks in with Jeanne Hodesh of the GrowNYC Greenmarket. Hear about the last of summer’s tomatoes, as well as some of the amazing celery that’s in the market right now! This episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “Our rural economies are not doing so well in New York state. We are lagging behind some of the urban centers… We’re trying to think about how we can generate business that’s going to create jobs so people come and revitalize some of these areas that were once thriving.” — Becca Jablonski on The Farm Report “In a ten year span, not only have we tripled our sales, but we’ve tripled the number of breweries in New York State.” — David Katleski on The Farm Report

The Farm Report continues its “Growing Beer” series with Andrea Stanley of Valley Malt. Valley Malt, a husband and wife team, helps provide the Northeastern craft and home brewer with artisanal malt from locally grown grains. Learn about the life of a barley farmer and what challenges they are faced with in terms of seasons and harvesting. Andrea explains everything from how to make a batch of malt to the process of combine harvesting. Discover what goes into beer from farm to glass on the second installment of “Growing Beer” on The Farm Report. As usual, tune in for the GrowNYC Market Update after the program! This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures. “When a brewers brewing a beer they are mostly using base malts than then small portions of specialty malts.” “In our country today, there are eally only 5 large malt houses that exist..the big malthouses don’t necessarily do a lot of new creative things. That’s why we’re excited about being a small malt house becuase we have the ability to try new things…There are a lot of unusual grains being grown in this area. We’ve malted grains like spelt, buckwheat, millet, amber, red fife, rye and more.” –Andrea Stanley of Valley Malt on The Farm Report

Welcome to the first installment of The Farm Report’s “Growing Beer” special. In this series, your host, Erin Fairbanks, is investigating beer as a value-added, agricultural product. On this episode, Erin is talking beer basics with Mary Izett, President of the New York City Homebrewers Guild and founder of the website, My Life on Craft. Erin and Mary list and explore all of the ingredients of beer- from alpha acids to yeast. Hear about the different roles of the various components of beer. What dictates the fruity or spicy components of beer? Later, Erin and Mary list the different steps in the brewing process. Learn about the importance of temperature and air control in the fermentation process. Hear about how the beer-making processes differ depending on whether the brewer intends to bottle it or put it in a keg. Jeanne Hodesh, the GrowNYC Greenmarket publicity coordinator, calls in at the end of the episode for a Market Update! Hear about Buzzard Crest Vineyards grapes, as well as the wealth of apples coming into the city’s greenmarkets! This episode has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Hops do three major things. One: they add bittering compounds that balance out the malty sweetness of the beer. Two: they’re a preservative. Three: they provide a lot of aroma and flavor.” — Mary Izett on The Farm Report

This week’s episode of The Farm Report is a follow-up with Janisse Ray, author of the new book, The Seed Underground. Tune in to hear host Erin Fairbanks and Janisse discuss the need for a return to an ecozoic mindset in regards to food production and conservation. Learn why Janisse thinks that the term “conventional agriculture” should not be used to describe the processes used by large-scale ag. Hear more about the genetic materials of seeds, and how they store information that can protect against climate variations and disease. Later, Erin checks in with Liz Carollo, the Publicity Manager for GrowNYC. Hear about some of GrowNYC’s upcoming Greenmarket events! This program has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “I don’t think that corporations are people. I think that corporations are piles of money that dictate people’s actions” “There’s nothing conventional about chemical agriculture.” “Millions of years of history are stored in a seed.” — Janisse Ray on The Farm Report

This week’s episode of The Farm Report is all about gardening! Host Erin Fairbanks chats with Willi Galloway, a Portland-based gardener and author of Grow Cook Eat: A Food Lover’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening, Including 50 Recipes, Plus Harvesting and Storage Tips. Erin happens to be a novice gardener; tune in to hear Willi’s suggestions for good herbs and vegetables for those who are just starting a garden. Learn about some essential gardening tools and their uses. Later, Melissa Metrick, the head gardener at Roberta’s, joins Erin in the studio to talk about gardening in a dynamic, ever-evolving space. Hear about the multitude of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers grown in the Roberta’s garden. Once again, Erin wraps up the show by checking in with the GrowNYC Greenmarket. Listen in to hear from Jeanne Hodesh, Greenmarket publicity coordinator! This episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “No matter where you live, a community garden is a great place to garden because you get to interact with people, and there are usually good gardeners there. The best way to become a better gardener is to observe other people and talk with them about what they’re doing.” — Willi Galloway on The Farm Report

On this week’s installment of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by Janisse Ray to talk about the importance our seed supply. Janisse is the author of the new book, The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food. Tune into this episode to learn about genetic diversity in seed stock, as well as different types of pollination. How has industrialization and urbanization affected the range of seeds in our food system? Learn how to harvest and save seeds, and hear about the two different types of scientifically-enhanced seeds that are on the market today. Later, Erin gets a Market Update with Liz Carollo, the Publicity Manager for New York City’s Green Market. Listen in to hear about what’s happening this week in Green Markets in all five boroughs! Today’s episode has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. “I have two main passions in my life- one is writing, and the other is my love of nature and the environment.” “Every morsel of food that we put into our mouths is dependent on seeds.” “We have no idea what kind of climate conditions we are going to need to prepare our foodstuffs for.” — Janisse Ray on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks chats with a group of talented chefs who have also authored two books, Matthew Weingarten and Raquel Pelzel, authors of “Preserving Wild Foods”, and Jackson Landers, author of “Eating Aliens”. Matthew and Raquel discuss the importance of foraging, utilizing what grows around you and re-imagining some of the wild foods that are often overlooked such as dandelions and mulberries. Jackson encourages listeners to be open minded about the foods they eat and brings up the importance of harvesting invasive species in favor of over harvested species. What makes eating iguanas any less weird than eating lobsters? Re-imagine your food on an imaginative and resourcefully themed episode of The Farm Report. This program was sponsored by HeritageRadioNetwork.org. “Indentured servants would have in their contracts that they couldn’t be fed lobster more than 2 or 3 times a week. Then we changed our minds about it, and now it’s become a luxury item.” “I think eating iguana is much less weird than eating this big weird alien thing from the ocean [lobster].” –Jackson Landers, author of Eating Aliens on The Farm Report “The whole idea is to diversify what we eat. That’s the key to any successful food system – diversity. I think the separation of our food sources is what causes a lot of our irresponsibility.” “Food should always be delicious and it should always be accessible and easy to make delicious food.” –Matthew Weingarten, co-author of Preserving Wild Foods on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks checks in with Brian Shaad of Feeding Crane Farms in Sacramento. Brian talks about some of the challenges and benefits of being certified organic, including increased labor and improved quality of produce. Learn about the ins and outs of running a farm in Sacramento, CA including weather, irrigation and marketing. Find out what goes into deciding which vegetables to grow and how home chefs and restaurant chefs can equally benefit from the “culinary” produce they feature. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “There is a cost to bear by going organic, and that is mostly labor. Labor costs are prohibitive, but what we get out of organic is a much higher quality with a much longer shelf life. What we found is that we can market what we sell mostly on it’s quality, the organic label is secondary.” “We’re very much the chefs farm and we treat that chef both as a home chef and a restaurant chef.” –Brian Shaad of Feeding Crane Farm on The Farm Report

On this week’s installment of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is interviewing John and Dorothy Priske of Fountain Prairie Farms, located just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Tune in to hear about the Priskes’ start in agriculture; John grew up on a subsistence farm, and later grew bushels of asparagus at his brother’s farm. Hear about John and Dorothy’s brief stint in industrial agriculture, and why they decided to switch to grass-based, rotational crop farming. Learn why the Priskes decided to raise Scottish Highland cattle, and the importance of supporting heritage breeds of animals. Finally, hear about John and Dorothy’s retirement plans, and how they have protected their land from development and preserved it for future farmers. This program has been brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “In order to save animals, you really need to eat them, which means you have to have some economic value there.” “You can’t handcuff the young people coming in [to farming], because they might have ideas that we’ve never even considered.” — John Priske on The Farm Report

On the final installment of The Farm Report’s Fiber Series, Erin Fairbanks is checking in with Mary Jeanne Packer of Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill. On this episode, Erin and Mary Jeanne are talking about all of the different processes involved with harvesting fiber from animals and turning them into value-added products, like yarn and textiles. Tune in to learn more about the growing demand for locally-produced fiber, and how fiber is processed on different scales. Hear about the importance of maintaining a proper level of lanolin during the scouring process, and at what point in the production the fiber get dyed. If terminology like ‘carding’ and ‘batting’ is lost on you, tune in to this episode of The Farm Report, and get educated in the fiber arts! This program has been brought to you by The Heritage Meat Shop. “Too much lanolin will hold in the dirt, and you’ll have a sticky, gooey mess throughout the [yarn-making] process. The scouring process can remove up to 100% of the lanolin, but at that point you also risk reducing the moisture in the fiber. We always want to leave just a little [lanolin].” “I’m really optimistic about the near future of the locally-produced natural fiber market. I think people have really become aware of how the things- that they are making, the clothing they are wearing, the things they are using in their homes- have been processed on the other side of the globe and the amount of energy that has gone into that and the working conditions of the people who are producing it.” — Mary Jeanne Packer on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks continues her exploration into the world of agricultural fiber. First on the show, Virginia Scholomiti of Yellow Farm describes the process of breeding and managing flock to produce fleeces of superior quality for hand-spinners and crafters. From artificial insemination to sheep coats, learn about everything it takes to produce high end fiber from sheep. Later on, Andy Rice of Hogget Hill Farm joins the conversation to talk about his work with the Swiss Village Foundation, the process of retaining heritage breed genetics and concerns of parasite control and diversity. Learn how the process of shearing has been perfected in New Zealand and why what’s good for the sheep is good for the shearer. This program was sponsored by International Culinary Center. “We are always there when our lambs are born, because our sheep are very rare and we can’t afford to lose any of them.” –Virginia Scholomiti of Yellow Farm on The Farm Report “The idea behind preserving rare breeds is that some of these breeds, for instance the Santa Cruz breeds in California, have developed some of their own natural parasite control. If we can use some of these genetics in our modern breeds and not have to use drugs [to fight parasites], it would be a whole lot better.” “The better a shearer gets the more relaxed the animal gets. It has nothing to do with the sheep, it’s all dependent on the shearer and how you control them. Whether the sheep like it or not is very hard to say.” “A good blade shearer can shear 200 sheep in a day.” –Andy Rice of Hogget Hill Farm on The Farm Report

Welcome to the first episode of The Farm Report’s Fiber Series, hosted by Erin Fairbanks. Erin is talking with a couple of guests so that you can learn more about textiles in the context of agriculture and raising livestock! In the first half of the episode, Erin is talking with Mary Jeanne Packer of Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill in Washington County, New York. Tune in to hear about natural wool colors, and the processes involved with selling large quantities of wool to commercial buyers. Learn about the demand for American breeds of sheep, and what that means for fiber producers. Later in the episode, Erin talks with Mary Pratt of Elihu Farm, also located in Washington County. Hear Mary talk about different applications for different textures of wool, the merits of specific breeds of sheep, and the benefits of selling to hand-spinners. This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “Now that people are starting to understand the American breeds, the Northeast breeds, and what they can knit with them, you’re just going to see that grow and grown.” —Mary Jeanne Packer on The Farm Report “Any wool is good wool if it’s taken care of.” “All livestock have to be herd and flock animals…They’re social animals, and they like each others’ company. But they’re not dumb, but they are prey animals.” — Mary Pratt on The Farm Report

Erin Fairbanks is back for another episode of The Farm Report! On this week’s installment, Erin is talking with Sandor Katz, author of the new book The Art of Fermentation. Fermentation is happening all around us: in our food products and in the life cycle! Tune in to hear Erin and Sandor talk about the differences between anaerobic and aerobic composting systems. Sandor also addresses ‘the war on bacteria’ and the fears that come with fermenting foods at home, stating that there has never been a reported case of food poisoning from fermented vegetables. Hear about a study that shows no health benefit difference between traditional yogurt and its specialized brand name “pro biotic” counterparts. Did you know that fermented urine is a good fertilizer and household cleaner? Learn how fermentation creates a more stable, value-added product. This program has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “Fermentation is absolutely essential to agriculture, and even the bigger picture than agriculture- if we’re thinking about the cycles of life and death- is the cycle of life, death, and fermentation.” “Because of the flexibility of bacterial genetics, a single strain will never be as powerfully beneficial to us as eating a variety of different kinds of foods that have their own indigenous bacterial populations.” — Sandor Katz on The Farm Report

On this episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is talking with Morgan Weber and Ryan Pera of Revival Market, a free-standing market in Houston that provides fresh, local food to the community at a reasonable price. Tune in to hear about their backgrounds as chefs and farmers, the growing demand for quality domestic charcuterie, recent trends in butchering, and their decision to raise heritage breed Mangalista pigs. Erin also checks in with Stephanie Fisher, an old employee of Heritage Foods USA who is traveling the country interning on small dairy farms. Hear about Stephanie’s time at Consider Bardwell Farm in West Pawlet, Vermont, and some of the troubles she and her boyfriend came across in eastern Washington. For those listeners interested in working on farms, tune in to hear some of Stephanie’s tips about finding an ideal farming environment. This episode was brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “The most important thing to us is quality so we feel like if we offer the quality, we’re gonna put it at a fair price…Once we have the quality of the ingredients established, we really try to make that stand out.” — Morgan Weber on The Farm Report. “There was tons of old rusted machinery all over the place, the animals all looked kind of sick, they were wearing these nylon twine collars, and the chickens were running around in their own filth…” — Stephanie Fisher on farm internships, The Farm Report

On today’s episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is chatting with Atina Diffley, farmer at Gardens of Eagan outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul, and author of the new book Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works. Tune in to hear Atina recount the experiences of being an organic farmer during a boom of big agriculture, the importance of organic certification, and trying to run and salvage a farm during suburban construction in Minnesota. Atina also explains what is the process of “soil building” entails, and how you can convert a chemically farmed plot into a true organic farm in 36 months. Now, Atina has given up farming to focus on writing, speaking, and telling her and her husband’s stories. Tune in to learn more! This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “The Monsantos and these organizations that a lot of people complain about are not just going to change because it’s the right thing to do. We as farmers and consumers have to create the lives and world that we want, and we have the power to do that.” — Atina Diffley on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks interviews the father-daughter duo: Dan and Margot Brooks of Wayward Goose Farm and Consider Bardwell Farm. Dan used to work on a large-scale family dairy farm, and has moved to working with twenty head of cattle. Margot studied Conservation Biology at St. Lawrence University, and has taken this knowledge to work with goats at Consider Bardwell. Tune in to hear about how Margot and Dan work together to make delicious cheeses using both goat and cow milk. Hear about Dan’s work with veal calves, and why ‘veal’ isn’t necessarily a dirty word. Tune in to hear more about Dan and Margot’s lives in West Pawlet, Vermont. This program has been brought to you by Edwards. “I realized I could really make an impact if I took my conservation biology background and took it into farming.” — Margot Brooks on The Farm Report “To me, veal means that the cows are generally fed milk. Commercial veal are held in confined space and fed mostly milk, but also a lot of milk replacements.” — Dan Brooks on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is talking with Mircha King of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives about the Pigford case- a class action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination on the part of the USDA concerning the distribution of loans and credits. Tune in to hear Mircha and Erin discuss the roots of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in the Civil Rights Movement, the history and intricacies of the Pigford case, and the changes that black farmers see twenty years after the case. To learn more about the Pigford case, visit BlackFarmerCase.com. This episode has been brought to you by Fairway Market. “What these lawsuits had asserted that the United States Department of Agriculture had systematically discriminated against African American farmers on the basis of race, which violates the 5th Amendment.” “Before Reagan left office, one of the things that he did was terminate the office of civil rights for the U.S.D.A… So for years there were stacks of boxes and boxes with claims of discrimination that no one even touched.” “We have all of these discrimination claims- we have black farmers, Native American farmers, women farmers, Hispanic farmers- and he [Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture] made a personal commitment to settle these claims.” — Mircha King on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is talking maple syrup with David Campbell of Mapleland Farms in Salem, New York. Tune in to hear Erin and David discuss how this year’s weird weather has affected maple sap yield in the Northeast. Also, hear about some of the new technologies involved with sap extraction, such as vacuum systems and reverse osmosis machines. Erin and David also talk about what can go wrong in the syrup-making process, the different types of fuels used for cooking syrup, and syrup’s shelf life. This episode has been brought to you by Whole Foods. “Any producer that wants to be in it for any length of time isn’t going to overtap their trees because they want them to stay healthy and produce for a long time. It takes about 40 years for a tree to get large enough where we even start tapping it, and it will live for 150 to 200 years easily.” — David Campbell on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by wealth of guests to discuss the issue of hydraulic fracturing, better known as hydrofracking. Erin talks with Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez and Alissa Westervelt of Chefs for the Marcellus, a group of New York City chefs and food purveyors raising awareness about the harmful health effects of fracking. Joining via the phone lines is Greg Swartz of Willow Wisp Farm, talking about how hydrofracking circumvents the Clean Water Act via exceptions granted by the Bush-Cheney administration. Also calling in is Luce Guanzini of Highwood Farm. She discusses the “No Surface Rights” lease that prevents gas companies from entering private properties. How do these technologies impact our food systems? This episode has been brought to by Hearst Ranch. “It [fracking] directly impacts our watershed. You can’t do anything without water, namely grow food. It doesn’t relegate itself to farm-to-table…but it really affects everything – industrial food and fast food.” —Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez on The Farm Report “If hydrofracking safe, why do they need an exemption from basic environmental legislation?” —Greg Swartz on The Farm Report

Today on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks talks to Erin Grimley and Steve Blabac of the Root Down Farm. The Root Down Farm is located in western New York, serving the greater Buffalo area as a mixed-vegetable C.S.A. farm. Now in its second Year, the Root Down Farm has doubled its C.S.A. membership! Tune in to hear about how Erin and Steve met working on C.S.A. farms in the northeast, the some of the trials of their first season, and their future plans for the Root Down Farm. This episode is sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “When I graduated I realized I wanted nothing to do with my marketing degree. I decided I wanted to put my efforts to some sort of non-profit endeavor…and I found farming.” — Erin Grimley on The Farm Report “Because we had such a harsh spring last year, we’re confident that we will be able to adjust to whatever comes our way this year instead of worrying about making the right decision.” — Steve Blabac on The Farm Report

On this episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks talks with Jay Reville of Regional Access. Regional Access is a company dedicated to transporting and distributing local meat, dairy, produce, and wine all across New York state. Tune in to hear about the origins of Regional Access and its founder, Gary Redmond. Also, learn about the day-to-day workings of the company, including cold-chain considerations and how the distribution routes operate and intersect. Jay speaks about Regional Access’s expansion into Brooklyn, and what that means for food-conscious city dwellers. This episode is brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “We get direct inquiries from farms who want to sell their products through us in a direct wholesale manner, and then there are items where we have learned through experience that we can provide a better service by just providing transportation and logistical coordination of often difficult point A to point B arrangements… We are part of a logistical chain that gets direct sales from farmers and growers to consumers.” “I think the key to our success is that we haven’t had top-down management throughout most of our history, and the flexibility that goes along with that is the real strength.” “I don’t think there’s enough money in the new economy to keep the [wholesale model] going, and I can see what we’re doing as a harbinger of what more people are going to be doing in the future.” — Jay Reville on The Farm Report

It’s our second installment of the Jones Family Farm interview, and this time, Erin Fairbanks is talking to Jamie Jones in Shelton, Connecticut. Jamie Jones focused on Plant Science at Cornell University, and began the vineyard at the Jones Family Farm. Tune in to hear about Jamie’s experiences at Cornell, his beginnings in the vineyard, and the Jones Family Vineyard and Winery as it is today. Tune in to hear about how the farm is dealing with farm transition, and how his family is working to keep the farm running. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods. “I’ve seen a lot of people with non-agricultural backgrounds getting back into farming” — Jamie Jones on the Farm Report “90% of our wine we sell directly from our farm. That’s always been our family’s philosophy; we’ve never really been into wholesale. We enjoy having people come visit the farm, whether it be to harvest strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins- it’s the same thing with the winery…our mindset is to supply to the local market.” — Jamie Jones on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks chats with Terry Jones of Jones Family Farms in the White Hills in Shelton, Connecticut. Tune in to hear the history of this seven generation farm! The Jones Family Farms has grown everything from Christmas trees to wine grapes to Terry’s specialty- strawberries. Listen in to hear Terry’s opinions about seasonal eating, his involvement in the Working Lands Alliance, and the importance of healthy food in schools. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “In nature, the only constant is change.” — Terry Jones on The Farm Report “I think it’s absolutely critical that [the new generation of farmers] are involved in their community.” — Terry Jones on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks checks in with Laura De Maria of Hemlock Hill Farm in Cortland, New York. Tune in to hear what it’s like running a family farm in Westchester Country and what challenges come along with this location both culturally and geographically. Learn more about farm grants, processing and regulations that need to be considered on a small farm, and hear about the different livestock that Laura has at the farm. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “Right now we have about 100 pastured raised black angus beef cattle, 50-60 hogs on hand at any given time, lamb, goats, chickens, a little bit of everything.” “Once people come here and taste the [Plymouth rock] chicken, they say it’s nothing like what you get in the store.” “Everybody’s looking for this all natural organic beef, but then they might drink a Budweiser which is not organic by any means.” –Laura De Maria of Hemlock Hill Farm

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks checks in with Jeanne Hodesh of GrowNYC. Erin and Jeanne talk about all of the vegetables, cheeses, and meat that will be available at Greenmarkets throughout New York City. Tune in to hear about the some of the new spring garlic, how weather and time changes the taste of maple syrup, and the upcoming availability of goat cheeses and meats. Listen to Jeanne discuss regional grains, home gardening events, and the upcoming Taste of Greenmarket. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “What types of grains grow well in our region? Now that we have them in our market, we want to introduce them to people. We have things like spelt flour, and people might not know what to do with that.” — Jeanne Hodesh of GrowNYC

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks talks with Anthony Butler of St. John’s Bread and Life, an emergency food provider based out of Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. Tune in to hear Erin and Anthony discuss the importance of local and healthy food providers for poor and hungry populations, the problems with the food stamp program in New York City, and food education in the Bed Stuy community. Also, Anthony tells about how to work with donated food, whether it’s squash or lobster. This program was sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Probably the best and most robust group that is able to respond to the issues of hunger is the food community, particularly in Brooklyn. We’re dramatically increasing our procurement from purveyors of New York State products, both farmers and value -added purveyors.” “If you receive food stamps as an individual, you have to live on four dollars and fifty cents a day. It grows for a family, it’s about twelve dollars a day. It’s a significant problem. There’s been a 25% increase in the number of folks with four-year degrees who are [finding] themselves in food pantries and soup kitchens.” — Anthony Butler on The Farm Report

On this week’s episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by Sherry Shaver of Beaverkill Trout Hatchery. Tune in as Erin continues her series of exploring farming in the Catskills and learn about Sherry’s fish farming operation and how she was introduced to this way of life through family tradition. Learn more about water quality, trout species, egg harvesting, and life as a fish farmer. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “Good water is the key to the whole hatchery… everything we do here is controlled by nature.” “Once you hook a brown trout, it will be a while before you hook it again.” –Sherry Shaver of Beaverkill Trout Hatchery on The Farm Report.

This week on the Farm Report host Erin Fairbanks talks with Ken Jaffe of Slope Farms Beef. Located in the hilly landscape of Catskills, Jeff and his wife Linda pasture raise a herd of all grass-fed cattle. Learn about how production in upstate New York has transitioned over the years from dairy production to cattle (there’s so much grass!) and why hydrofracking would be in fact quite destructive of the local economy. This important episode is sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “I would be out of business if fracking gets into our area. . .from a business point of view my wholesale customers aren’t going to be buying meat where there is fracking in close proximity.” –Ken Jaffe on The Farm Report

This week the Farm Report is abuzz with bees and honey. Joining host Erin Fairbanks is bee lover and owner of Catskill Provisions, Claire Marin, who imparts us with her encyclopedic knowledge of these creatures from mating habits, to how to start your own apiary, to why raw honey is best. Later on Adam Diehl, a maple syrup farmer who supplies Catskill Provisions, with his syrup tells us all about how to tap a maple, especially in this crazy February weather. Finally, tune in for a very special extended edition segment with Laura Ten Eyck of the American Farmland Trust who fills us in on the No Farms, No Food rally coming up in Albany and how you can do your part to fight for a more transparent food system. This episode is sponsored by White Oak Pastures “Always buy raw honey that hasn’t been heated above 93 degrees . . it retains all the good stuff that way, all the antibiotic properties and antioxidants.” “Bees are amazing . . . they can teach us about efficiency, democracy . .we can learn a lot from them.” –Claire Marin on The Farm Report

This week on the Farm Report get ready to meet Pat McLenithan of Cambridge Valley Livestock, the largest family-owned livestock auction house in New York state. He talks with host Erin Fairbanks about the ins-and-outs of how a livestock auction house works, from when the animal arrives to when it is sold on sale day and everything in between. Learn about why livestock buyers have some of the sharpest eyes around , what a feeder cow is, and even hear Patrick do one of his amazing auctioneer chants live! This episode is sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “[Beef] is a commodity … within a phone call the price can change drastically, it really is like the stock market sometimes.” –Pat McLenithan on the Farm Report

If you are a farmer, a farm enthusiast, shop at farmers markets of just simply care where your food comes from, Real Time Farms is for you! Tune in to this week’s episode of The Farm Report as Erin Fairbanks sits down with the women behind the forward thinking website, Corrina Borden & Lindsay Partridge. Find out what The Food Warriors do and how you can help in their mission to help farmers and consumers bridge the gap between farm and table. Check their website for more! This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “The underlying assumption of our website is that you are a farmer who wants to tell your story.” –Corrina Borden on The Farm Report

This week on the Farm Report we see the return of guest Jesse LaFlamme from Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs. Jesse goes in depth about why big agriculture has gone the way it has with sometimes over 600,000 hens being stuffed in cages in a single barn and why he chooses to keep his chickens cage-free and certified humane. Tune in to learn about the life cycle of chickens and their breeding and laying patterns as well as what exactly a pullet egg is. Remember, an egg a day will keep you healthier and happier! This episode is sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “Everything is mechanical and down to an exact science [now] . . .it takes out the nuances that farmers usually have in terms of the relationship they have with their animals.” –Jesse LaFlamme on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report host Erin Fairbanks talks with Ashley Bechman, a writer for the publication AgriNews of Illinois. They discuss how she is using her education in both communication and agriculture to cover topics that affect local farm families and their businesses. Tune in to learn about the importance of 4H and FFA as well as why sweet potatoes are actually completely different from yams and more nutritious for you than white potatoes. This episode is sponsored by Fairway Market. “A sweet potato is a very versatile crop . . . it’s nutritious, healthy, and delicious.” –Ashley Bechman on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report keeps it extra local with Maggie Cheney of EcoStation NY. They discuss the various local agriculture programs that she is helping run, from the Bushwick Farm Campus to educational programs on composting at schools in Brooklyn. Tune in to find out how you can join the fight for better agriculture education in New York through volunteerism or many other routes. This episode is sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. “We want to feed the community” –Maggie Cheney on the Farm Report

This week The Farm Report is pleased to welcome Jesse LaFlamme, head of Pete And Gerry’s Organic Eggs, the first Certified Humane egg farm in the country. Pete and Gerry’s is proving commercial farming and organic, humane, sustainable farming are not mutually exclusive. Pete and Gerry’s has realized consistent growth without becoming a factory farm. Jesse recruits small family farms as egg producers, keeping family farmers in business and protecting valuable open space. He combines state-of-the-art husbandry and farming technology with streamlined and efficient processing to make Pete and Gerry’s cost competitive with much larger operations. Those efficiencies also allow him to share those margins with his producers. Jesse is one of the new breed of 21st Century farmers who understands that the world needs commercial farms to feed its inhabitants, but needs to do it without degrading the environment and exploiting livestock. This episode is sponsored The Barterhouse. “[Farmers] just want to be farmers, it sounds basic, but in today’s big agriculture that is hard to do.” -Jesse LaFlamme, head of Pete & Gerry’s Organic Eggs on The Farm Report

This week on The Farm Report host Erin Fairbanks sits down with Dennis Derryck, Tusha Yakovleva, and Sabrina Wilensky of Corbin Hill Farm, which is a for-profit social venture that is trying to re- imagine the relationship between communities, farmers, and investors. Their business model, called farm-sharing, is different than a CSA and allows them to reach out to low-income communities living in “food deserts” in the Bronx and Harlem and provide fresh produce sourced from rural communities in New York State. Tune in for conversation spanning risk management in farms to how academia is helping change the food world. This episode is sponsored Jones Family Farms.

This week The Farm Report trades in the pasture for a trip to the bakery that is the Hot Bread Kitchen. Host Erin Fairbanks sits down with Robin Burger, the business development manager of the Harlem-based non-profit social enterprise to explore how they are creating better lives for low-income women and their families by teaching them the skills necessary to launch food businesses and achieve management track positions in food manufacturing. Tune in to learn about how Hot Bread Kitchen is also supporting the local economy and farmers by using regionally sourced grains and flours, their incubator program for food innovators, and how they’ve even re-purposed bicycles for making bread! This episode is sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

This week The Farm Report celebrates is 100th episode! Former co-host Heather Hyman calls in and in the studio current host Erin Fairbanks is joined by friend and policy specialist Monica Patel of the Ecology Center. Together the cover a broad range of important and current environmental issues from water rights, herbicides, and indoor air quality. Find out the truth about supposedly ‘clean coal’ technology, what exactly a watershed is, how an aquifer works, and much more. This centennial episode is sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

Goatober is almost over, but don’t be sad! You can still get your last goat fix on this week’s Farm Report. Host Erin Fairbanks talks with farmer Mark Guanzini and his wife Luce who run Highwood Farm up in Spencer, NY. Highwood Farm is also a participating goat farm in Heritage Foods USA‘s No Goat Left Behind initiative. They talk about the daily life of raising a herd Boer meat goats from the day they are born until they go to market. From how they allow the goats to self-wean, which they believe decreases the stress of the animals being separated from their mother, to why they keep some dairy genetics in their herd the episode is packed with goat info. This episode is sponsored by the No Goat Left Behind initiative.

Certified Holistic Nutritionist Kristin Wartman joins the Farm Report with Erin Fairbanks today to bust some food myths and expose some of the evils of big industry agriculture and food. Find out what makes a healthy diet and hear about some of the common mistakes people make in trying to get healthy. Hear why Kristin thinks food and democracy go hand in hand and why all concerned foodies should be occupying Wall Street and making their voice heard! This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

It’s Goatober and that means this week the Farm Report gives you the inside scoop on goats and the idea behind Heritage Food’s No Goat Left Behind program. From the differences between meat and dairy goats, goat nutrition, recipes, and herding Erin Fairbanks and tatiana Stanton, the goat extension specialist for NY state, will guide you on this encyclopedic episode. Learn how goat is being transformed from a niche meat to being served in over 70+ restaurants in New York and the myriad way you can prepare a delicious goat dish. This episode is sponsored by Heritage Foods USA‘s No Goat Left Behind initiative.

This installment of The Farm Report brings the story of a city girl who traded it in for starting a farm on the Maine coast. Annemarie Ahearn started Salt Water Farm two years ago not only to grow and produce but to teach people the lost culinary arts; from how to properly pick herbs to making butter to pickling and preserving. Salt Water Farms now offers classes for everyone to learn these skills that seem to have been forgotten. Tune into learn about the best Maine and Salt Water Farm has to offer from sea urchin to foraging and why it’s important to buy local even though the cost may be higher. This episode is sponsored Cain Vineyard & Winery.

Allen Leibowitz of Zingerman’s re-joins The Farm Report with host Erin Fairbanks to talk more about coffee roasting. Learn how to be as thorough as possible when sourcing and buying coffee and find out why sample roasting is so important. Allen takes listeners on a journey through the process of roasting, and explains how coffee goes from bean to store to cup. Pro tip: coffee is best at its freshest! This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

This week The Farm Report goes behind the scene of the coffee growing business with Allen Leibowitz of Zingerman’s Coffee. Learn about all the different processes that it takes to get from coffee from the trees to the roasters and how the decisions growers, pickers, and producers make separates you big store brand coffee from more artisanal coffee. So tune in and the next time you go to pick up some beans you’ll know exactly what you’re paying for. This episode is sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

This week the farm report goes local, real local with Bee Aer of BK Farmyards in Central Brooklyn where ecological horticulture is the name of the game. Ever wanted to raise chickens in the city? Learn about their chicken apprenticeships and egg CSA as well as their youth farming programs through the High School for Public Service. Want to help out or eat for a good cause? Check BK Farms’s pop-up dinner event later this September here. This episode is sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

Hurricane Irene destroyed many farms in New York and Seth Jacobs of Slack Hallow Farm calls into this week’s episode of The Farm Report with Erin Fairbanks to discuss the challenges farmers are faced with in the aftermath. Find out why tragedy for one farmer could bode well for another and how those affected by the storm are recovering. From livestock loss to chemical contamination, natural disasters do not take kindly to our small farmers. Right now is an ESPECIALLY good time to support your local farmers and visit the farmers market. To donate to those affected, visit GrowNYC.org. This episode was sponsored by NOFA’s Locavore Challenge..

This week The Farm Report goes under the sea and talks about salmon with Christopher Nicolson who has been fishing sockeye salmon in the headwaters of Bristol Bay Alaska for over a quarter century and who is currently part of the Heritage Seafood Ventures program. Chris takes us through a day in the life of a salmon fisher and discusses sustainable fishing models as well as the threats to those models such as the Pebble Project and what you can do to help keep sustainable fisheries open. This episode is sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin is joined by David Sherman, Market Manager of GrowNYC. David tells listeners how he’s convinced many Brooklynites to start eating kale and other healthy produce and explains how some of the markets in NYC operate. Tune in to hear more about food access in NYC and the growing trend of farmers markets and CSA’s. This episode was sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

On a special episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. They discuss the importance of community based farmers markets and how to solve some of the challenges facing small farmers trying to get their product on the tables of families in New York City. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. Download MP3

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by Monica Warek, Outreach Coordinator for the American Meat Documentary premiering this weekend, July 9th and 10th in both Waynesboro and Staunton Virginia. Tune in to learn more about the film and the sustainable farming movement in this country. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. Download MP3

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by Margot Brooks of Wayward Goose Farm and formerly of Brooksville Farm. Tune in to learn how Margot decided to enter the world of farming and cheesemaking and what it’s like working with the people at Consider Bardwell Farm. Learn more about raw cheese, male goats and why farming isn’t as romantic as people think! This episode was sponsored by The Smallholding Festival.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin is joined by Debbie Ball of Eagle Bridge Custom Meat & Smokehouse. Tune in to get a behind the scenes look at slaughter, butchering and processing. Debbie explains what life on the farm is like and what obstacles need to be overcome before getting the livestock processed and sold. This episode was sponsored by Camp Bacon.

This week on The Farm Report, Nick Fantasma of Paradise Locker Meats joins Erin Fairbanks to break down the world of animal slaughter and processing. Tune in to get an exclusive behind the scenes look at the life of a butcher as Nick explains the differences between commercial and small scale processing and how a humane operation works. This episode was sponsored by Heritage Foods USA.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin is joined by Michelle Bulich of Bulich Mushroom Company. Michelle explains what it takes to cultivate delicious fungi and how different species require different techniques. Find out how weather plays such an important role and why the farmers market customers become like family. This episode was sponsored by Fairway Market – like no other market.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin sits down with Tim Patterson, the Director of Advancement at Sterling College in Vermont. The Topic? Goats, and more specifically the plight of the male goat in the small-farm context. Learn about Tim and Sterling’s goat and sustainable farming projects and the goat roadtrip to NYC. Later learn about the differences between meat and dairy goats and Erin’s own involvement with the No Goat Left Behind project. This episode is sponsored by Fairway Market.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin talks policy with Carmine Rivetti of United Way of NYC & Carlos Rodriguez of Food Bank For NYC. Tune in to learn more about the constant steps being taken to feed New Yorkers in need and help families through these challenging economic times. Learn more about how programs like food stamps and WIC play into the equation and what’s in store for the future of food security in our city. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

This week Erin talks to Jessica Ziehm about the New York dairy industry and how dairy farmers are surviving in today’s struggling economy. Being the daughter and wife of dairy farmers, Jessica tells us the in’s and out’s of the milk production process, from the land where the cows are fed to the finished product we see on the shelves. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

Urban farming pioneer John Ameroso joins Erin Fairbanks on an urban-agriculture themed episode of The Farm Report. John was the County Extension Agent at Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension and has had his hand in many agricultural projects across the world. Tune in to learn more about the past, present and future of urban farming and community gardens as John shares his personal story of helping bring good food to those who don’t have access to it. This episode was sponsored by The Barterhouse.

This week on Farm Report, Erin talks to Fred Magdoff about food security and sovereignty on both the local and international markets. With 1 in 8 families currently food insecure, how will the growing population be affected by the increase in ethanol and biodiesel fuel that is taking away from our food supply? How are government agencies dealing with this issue and planning for the future? This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch – the nations largest single-source supplier of grassfed and grass-finished beef.

Ever wonder what happened to the FreshKills landfill on Staten Island? The once largest landfill in the country is undergoing a drastic makeover into a public park that will be 2.5 the size of Central Park! Tune in to learn more about this fascinating project on the Farm Report with Erin Fairbanks. Erin is joined by Freshkills Park Land Use and Outreach Manager Carrie Grassi. This episode was sponsored by The Barterhouse

This week on The Farm Report, Erin is joined by David Campbell of Mapleland Farms to talk maple syrup. Find out more about tapping, bottling and all things related to the delicious sugary syrup we all love. Learn why New York state is underutilized as a maple syrup producing region and how regulations and licensing limit the product’s true potential. This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. For more information visit www.SurryFarms.com.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fitzpatrick is joined by Stewart Borowsky, The Union Square Grassman. Stewart grows hist wheatgrass and salad greens without any chemicals or fertilizers and sells at the Union Square Green Market. Tune in to learn more about the many uses of wheatgrass, how it’s grown and why everybody could use a little more “green” in their life. This episode was sponsored by Fairway Market – like no other market.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by David Haight of the American Farmland Trust. David recaps the recent No Farms No Food Rally in Albany and talks about some of the small changes that are being made to improve food access, agricultural programs and farmland protection in our state. Tune in if you were at the rally or if you missed it and learn more about how the changes that need to be made to improve our food system. This episode was sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks talks with Challey Comer, the Farm to Market Manager for the Watershed Agricultural Council. Tune in to learn more about the Catskill region of New York and the policy surrounding our watershed. Learn more about some upcoming conferences an rallies in Albany you can attend if you’re interested in improving our agricultural system in New York State. This episode was sponsored by Tabard Inn. For more information visit www.TabardInn.com.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by Mara Gittleman of Farming Concrete. Tune in to learn more about this “citizens science project” and how Mara and her colleagues have gathered detailed statistics on all the community farms in New York City. This episode was sponsored by The Museum of Food & Drink.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by Janet Britt, farmer and Easement Steward of the Agricultural Stewardship Association. Tune in to learn more about the ASA, Janet’s life on the farm and the origins of Community Supported Agriculture. Find out why young farmers are in such a good position today, and how the “organic revolution” has truly evolved over the years. This episode was sponsored by The Museum of Food & Drink. Learn about the “Get the Ball Rolling” fundraiser here.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks talks with friend and lobster fisherman Chris Major. Chris takes the winters off to do dairy farming in Vermont, but talks to Erin about his summer life in Maine. Tune in to learn about what it takes to catch lobsters in Maine. Find out how the weight of a lobster can suggest its age and why some spots are considered “birth rights only”. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by guest and friend Seth Jacobs of Slack Hollow Farm. Seth talks about the state of the farm right now, how to build soil with crops already in the ground, carrot surfing, weather patterns and more. Tune in to learn more about farming in New York State and the Hudson Valley. This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. For more information visit www.SurryFarms.com

This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is joined by Fred Magdoff, author of the book “Agriculture and Food in Crisis: 
Conflict, Resistance, and Renewal”. Fred is also an adjunct professor at Cornell and discusses the variety of problems facing our country when it comes to food security. Find out why there is such a price squeeze on crops these days and how Wall Mart manages to sell 20% of the food in this country! This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. For more information visit www.surryfarms.com

This week on The Farm report, Heather Hyman and Erin Fairbanks are joined by friend of the show Derek Denckla. Derek updates us on Farm City and his many other endeavors as he touches on some of the problems facing our food system in the United States today. Tune in to learn more about events that fit in line with Derek’s work and find out how you can help. This episode was sponsored by White Oak Pastures. For more information visit www.whiteoakpastures.com

No Farms, No Food! You’ve heard the slogan, now hear from the people behind the rally – The American Farmland Trust. David Haight returns to The Farm Report, this time live in studio! Joined by Jen Smalls, David explains the challenges that farmers and farm families facein the New York area.Learn why real estate competition is so fierce and how recent promises from government have not quite gone as planned. This year’s No Farms, No Food Rally will take place on March 30th – learn more at FarmLang.org.

This week on The Farm Report, Heather & Erin have a conversation with internet entrepreneur Jeremy Bloom about the intersecting worlds of farming, technology and buying clubs. Jeremy currently runs www.internet-farmer.com. Internet Farmer is a website service for small farms in Maine, as well as other food producers, co-ops, farmer’s markets, buying clubs, non-profits and any organization dealing in local foods. This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. For more information visit www.surryfarms.com

Heather & Erin are back in action on the first Farm Report of 2011! Tune in as the show goes back to its roots: the farm. Phil Smeltz of Down to Earth Organics joins the show to explain how he found a way to make a living off of 1/2 acre of land! Tune in and learn more about making farming a profession, why tractors are so important and what it takes to become an agricultural do-it-yourselfer. This episode was sponsored by our friends at Cochon555 – visit www.cochon555.com for more information and event listings!

This week on The Farm Report, Erin and Heather are joined by Dan Gibson of Grazin’ Angus Acres. Grazin Angus Acres is a farm committed to raising the finest quality Grass-Fed and Finished Black Angus in a sustainable 2,000-acre eco-friendly environment. Dan talks about the challenges of raising grassfed and grass finished beef on a farm, and what complications arise when dry aging the meat. Tune in and learn how he transformed from a suit and tie Wall Street life to life on the farm. This episode was sponsored by Tekserve & The Lower East Side Ecology Center’s “E-Waste Events”. Find out everything you need to know about recycling your old electronics by clicking here!

Heather Hyman is back from Miami, and her and Erin Fairbanks explore ways that we can change NYC’s Food System on this episode of The Farm Report. They are joined by Gabrielle Blavatsky, a graduate student at NYU Wagner’s Graduate School of Public Service. Gabby also works with councilwomen Christine Quinn, and FoodWorks – Quinn’s 59 point system to change the way New Yorkers eat. Together, they discuss what issues we face in this state and what we can do to address these issues. Tune in and learn some interesting facts about food production in The Big Apple and get inspired to make change! This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. For more information visit www.surryfarms.com

A lot is being said about EBT & Food Stamps being spent at farmers markets, but what does it really entail? Tune in to The Farm Report for a comprehensive view of how greenmarkets can feed food insecure households. Erin Fairbanks is joined by Alexis Stevens, EBT Project Manager for Greenmarket, GrowNYC. Alexis Stevens manages the EBT in Farmers Market Project and various other Food Access Initiatives for Greenmarket/GrowNYC. Before working for Greenmarket she worked as a VISTA for the Hunger Action Network of NYS coordinating a low income CSA and their food stamp outreach project. This episode was generously sponsored by White Oak Pastures; raising some of the best All Natural Grassfed Beef in the country! For more information visit www.whiteoakpastures.com.

This week on The Farm Report, Heather & Erin are joined by friend of the station and rooftop farming extraordinaire, Ben Flanner. They discuss the progress of the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm, and touch upon many of the important elements that help bring fresh and delicious produce from a roof to your mouth. This episode was kindly sponsored by the folks at Cain Five Vineyard & Winery.

This week on The Farm Report Erin and Heather talk to Sabrina Wilensky of Corbin Hill Farms. Sabrina explains the difference between Community Shareholder Farms and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). It turns out CSFs may be equally if not more important to growing the good food movement, as they don’t entail some of the deal-breaking features found in CSAs (like steep initial membership fees). Tune in to hear yet another great idea to improve our food system! This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Rebecca Wilk grabs hay to mulch vegetable plants at the Corbin Hill Farm

This week on the Farm Report Erin and Heather speak to Marissa Guggiana: journalist, food activist, and author of the book “Primal Cuts: Cooking with America’s Best Butchers”. The book is part meat manual, part look back at the golden age of butchery, part look forward at the world of sustainable meat and what these trends mean for chefs everywhere. The gang talk about why chefs can benefit from an intimate knowledge of butchery, and why butchers can benefit from an intimate knowledge of the culinary arts. This episode was sponsored by Edwards of Surry VA.

This week on The Farm Report Heather and Erin speak to Taylor Cocalis and Dorothy Neagle of GoodFoodJobs.com, a networking and job-listing site for the good food movement. Taylor and Dorothy created the website to help people find “meaningful food jobs”–jobs that don’t just deal with food, but sustainable, clean, and ethical food. The website, still in its infancy but already a hit, has an impressive array of culinary and agriculture opportunities available to listeners like you! This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch: purveyors of fine grass-fed beef from the California coast.

This week on The Farm Report Erin sits down with Scott Bridi of Brooklyn Cured to discuss the wonderful world of charcuterie, whole animal cooking, and how Scott broke into the industry with his cure-crazy artisan skills. Erin and Scott explain why the requisite space, time, and skill necessary for good charcuterie make it relatively hard to find, and how you can be sure the cured meats you’re eating are top-notch. This episode was sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

This week on The Farm Report, Heather and Erin sit down with Bushwick’s own Matt Lorenz, of the urban gardener non-profit Trees Not Trash. Listen in to learn all about trees, trash, and being green in the modern age. This episode is brought to you by Acme Smoked Fish (www.acmesmokedfish.com)

This week on the Farm Report, Heather and Erin continue the Report’s history of linking farmer with consumer as they speak to Sam Penix of Everyman Espresso and Seth McEachron of Battenkill Valley Creamery. Seth spoke about why he can’t distribute his milk himself, and the importance of swift delivery on such a time sensitive product, while Sam lauded the quality of Seth’s product and described how the best baristas handle milk and cream in their caffeinated workflow. This episode was sponsored by Edward’s Ham of Surry Virginia.

This week on The Farm Report Heather and Erin talk green markets with someone who knows them better than anyone: June Russell, who inspects farms to make sure they make the grade and are up to snuff so they can join in on the green market fun. June talks about what criteria she looks for in a good, clean farm, why its not always necessary to be organic, and how the green markets change with the seasons. This episode was sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

This week on The Farm Report Erin and Heather speak to Katharine Millonzi, who is working with the Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program via the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives. Katherine is working to make Williams College entire food program based on companies that source locally, share wages with their workers, and utilize fair trade. Tune in to find out how Katharine and the others at the program are working to help other institutions beyond Williams shy away from one-source institutional dining services and get their food sustainably and fairly, while keeping costs down and wages up. This episode was sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. Photo: Katharine Millonzi

This week on The Farm Report Erin and Heather speak to Angela Miller of Consider Bardwell farm. Angela is a literary agent turned dairy farmer, and is the author of “Hay Fever”, a book that chronicles the ups and downs of that life-altering change in trajectory. The gals discuss the day to day of running a dairy farm in Vermont’s Champlain Valley: choosing and breeding goats and cows, rotational grazing, steering clear of hormones and pesticides, and finally making cheese by hand. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch: purveyors of fine grass-fed beef from the coast of CA. Photo: Angela Miller

This week on The Farm Report Heather welcomed new co-host Erin Fairbanks to the show. The gals talked to Derek Denckla, author of TheGreenest.net and founder of FarmCity.us, a sort of combination catalyst, aggregator, and promotional tool for sustainable agriculture events. Tune in to find out how Derek’s survey of Bushwick revealed a community hungry for more food growth and less condos, and how a lagging economy and the vacant lots left in its wake put this shared dream within reach. This episode was sponsored by Roberta’s.

This week on The Farm Report Heather and Jack sat down with Sattva Catering proprietor Keshari Das. She’s a yoga enthusiast who fuses everything from Hinduism and elements of alternative healing to community supported agriculture and the good food movement to create a culinary experience that is truly ideological. Das discusses her tutelage in India and how she came to find cooking the most engaging and successful out of a myriad of attempts to find harmony within herself and the outside world. This episode was sponsored by Edwards of Surry Virginia. Photo: Sattva! Catering for you, by you, and to you…

This week on The Farm Report, Heather and special co-host Michaela Best spoke to Dave Romanelli, Yahoo’s Wellness Expert and proponent of blurring the boundary between the good food movement and the practice of yoga. Romanelli, or “Yea Dave”, gives seminars and writes books extolling the virtues of aligning the worlds of yoga and eating sustainably and intelligently. Tune in for his advice on how to stay happy and healthy without being some sort of food snob. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch: purveyors of grass-fed beef grazing on the beautiful coast of San Simeon, CA.

Jack and Heather speak with Shelley Rogers, director of “What’s Organic About Organic?” (www.whatsorganicmovie.com), about food film and the complexities of the “organic” movement.

John T. Edge from The Southern Foodways Alliance (http://www.southernfoodways.com) talks about transforming Southern culture through food and food history, and about the universal power of fried chicken.

This week on The Farm Report Heather, along with special guest host Patrick Martins, spoke to Colleen Rapp of the Rare Hare Barn. Colleen is a master of bunny genetics, bunny farming, bunny butchering, and bunny history.

Heather talks with Severine von Tscharner Fleming from The Greenhorns about her organization and upcoming documentary. Visit www.thegreenhorns.net for more information and listen to Severine’s own radio show every Thursday at 2 on HRN.

Heather and Jack are on the phones with New School environmental studies professor Nevin Cohen and Erin Fairbanks of Flying Pig Farms to talk about their upcoming “Room To Grow” paneled discussion at the Astor Center on May 24th (astorcenternyc.com).

Ben Flanner from Brooklyn Grange (www.brooklyngrangefarm.com) talks to Heather about their brand new rooftop farm in Long Island City, their fundraiser this Saturday at Roberta’s, and their Kickstarter.com campaign.

Jack and Heather talk to Tom Mylan of Brooklyn’s whole-animal butcher shop, The Meat Hook.

Jack & Heather talk with Mario Fantasma & Jay B Wenther about the new proposed regulations that would seriously hurt meat processors across the country.

Heather & Jack talk with Brady Lowe about his event Cochon 555. For more information check out www.cochon555.com.

This week Heather & Jack speak to Lena Brook, who discusses how to improve the menus in our health and learning institutions.

Heather Hyman and guest co-host Patrick Martins have David Haight & Erin Fairbanks on to follow up on the No Farm No Food Rally.

Heather Hyman & Jack Inslee talk to John Hoppin who explains how he revolutionized the mail order system at Heritage Foods USA.

Heather Hyman & Jack Inslee interview James Twomey about his rare breed of Tunis sheep, and what it takes to produce for the Easter season.

Heather talks with Gwen Schantz of Brooklyn Grange and the guys from Au Pied de Cochon.

Jack & Heather talk to Brigid Sweeney of Animal Welfare Approved about standards and third party certification. For more information check www.animalwelfareapproved.org

What’s happening to our farmland in NY? New York Director of The American Farmland Trust David Haight tells us on today’s Heritage Report.

Craig Good is this week’s guest on The Heritage Report. He tells the story of the Old Spot Pig, and the journey these pigs took from Ohio to his farm in Kansas.

This week on the Heritage Report, Heather and Jack talk to Marty Travis of Spence Farm, supplier to Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill in Chicago, about Iroquois White Corn, an heirloom variety of corn.

On this week’s Farm Report, Heather interviews Mark Tupper of Triad Fisheries. Mark discusses Triad’s sophisticated, humane, and sustainable trolling practices, and the state of the American salmon industry as a whole.

On this week’s Farm Report: Danny Williamson of Windmill Ranch and Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch talks about his first-class heritage chicken project, the watered-down significance of the term “organic”, and what sets heritage chickens apart.

On this week’s episode of the Farm Report, Heather and Lorenzo welcome Matt Lorenz back to the studio to talk about ultra-sophisticated green buildings in the Netherlands and what it will take for eco-architecture to catch on globally.

Charlie Nardozzi joins Friday’s Farm Report to share his passion and forty plus years experience to answer any and all questions related to growing your own food.

On this week’ Farm Report, Heather and Lorenzo interview Ken Klemm of The Buffalo Guys. Ken lets us in on his Experimental Farming Project, a program designed to uncover avant garde farming techniques to improve the quality and vitality of American soil.

On this week’s Farm Report, Heather and Lorenzo interview Chris Mittelstaedt, CEO and Founder of FruitGuys, a San Francisco based company thwarting the junk food crisis at large offices by delivering locally sourced fruit to replace conventional snacks.

On this week’s episode of the Farm Report, Heather and Lorenzo interview Matt Lorenz of Trees not Trash, a non-profit that starts and manages community gardens. Bonus segment: build your own green roof.

On this week’s Farm Report, Heather interviews Alec Bradford of Leaping Waters Farm, whose work with the rare and tasty Ancient White Cattle has been grabbing headlines in New York City and beyond.

On this week’s Farm Report, Heather and Lorenzo host Erin Fairbanks in-studio. Erin is a farmer, chef, and food activist pioneering a new agri-tourism program for food professionals in upstate New York called Farm Camp.

On this week’s Farm Report, Heather interviews Lisa and James Twomey of Sandstone Ridge Farms in LaFarge, Wisconsin. Lisa and James raise heritage Tunis sheep, known for their delicate taste profiles and exceptional wool.

On the latest edition of the Heritage Farm Report, Heather & Lorenzo have a conversation with leading pawpaw activist, Neal Peterson. Neal tells us more about this endangered and intensely seasonal fruit, and what the future holds for the pawpaw.

This week on the Farm Report, Adam Horwich & Ben Flanner talk about Urban Gardening in Greenpoint.

This week on the Farm Report: Marge Kilkelly of Dragon Fly Cove Farm joins Lorenzo to discuss consortium farming. Marge is part of the Thyme for Goat consortium of Maine along with our guests today Kathy Webb and Wendy Pieh.

This week’s Farm Report is all about the girls. Heather and Lorenzo talk with Mrs. Good and Mrs. Metzger about the evolving role of the woman on the farm.

This week’s Farm Report investigates the problem of the rising average age of farmers in America, the stigmas associated with farming, and how to reverse these trends. Two young Missouri farmers are featured: Eric Norton and Matt Keehaver.

Today’s July 4th themed Farm Report features Callene Rapp, Chairwoman of The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Callen speaks on how heritage farmers can gain independence from commodity production, and the urgency of preserving our heirloom breeds.

Lorenzo talks slaughter with Mario Fantasma of Paradise Locker Meats and Dan Purdy of Purdy Foods.

Heather talks to Amaltheia Organic Dairy farmer Melvin Brown and Iowa black hog farmer Neil Kirkhart.

Lorenzo speaks with renowned poultry farmer Frank Reese of The Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch about Heritage breed chickens and issues of biodiversity. Also on the program, Kevin Lunny of Lunny Ranch in Marin County.

Lorenzo in conversation with bison farmer Marty Hill, of Twin Springs Farms in Maryland. Also on the show, John and Dorothy Priske, stewards of the Highland Prairie heritage cattle.

Lorenzo speaks with Kevin Lunny of Drakes Bay Family Farms about Oyster Farming and Soni Fitch of Catalpa Farm in Columbia City Indiana about Chickens.

Lorenzo speaks with Bison farmer Ken Klemm of Elk Mountain, Wyoming.

Lorenzo Ragionieri speaks with Rose Balfiori of Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery about the rare breed Dexter cow and Artisanal cheese making and Barb Foulke of Freddy Guys Hazelnuts in Oregon.

Heritage talks with Eric Rapp of the Rare Hare Barn in Leonn, Kansas. Eric raises rare breed Heritage Rabbits. The second guest is Charlotte Swancy, a young Heritage Berkshire pig farmer of Riverview Farms in Georgia.

Heritage talks with Larry Sorell, of Lazy S Farms in Kansas, and Brenda Smith of Clayton’s in Michigan City, Indiana.

Heritage talks with Doug Metzger of Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch in Kansas and Alec Bradford of Leaping Waters Farm, Shawsville, Virginia.

Heritage talks with Danny Williamson of Windmill Ranch and Christopher Nicholson of the Iliamna Fish Company.

Heritage talks with Craig Good of Good Farm in Olsburg, Kansas and Chris Wilson of Clover Creek Farm of Northeast Tennessee.

Heritage talks with Brian Kenny, Manager of Hearst Ranch Beef Program