Our Farms, Our Future

This episode, two rural sociologists dig into why they feel passionately about building connections among farming communities. Kim Niewolny is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Leadership and Community Education at Virginia Tech. Spencer Wood is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Kansas State University. They were both drawn to the field's emphasis on rural leadership and community-based education outside of the classroom and the research lab.

This week, we take a bird's-eye-view of the sustainable ag movement and the research initiatives that sustained it's beginnings.  Ferd Hoefner is a Senior Strategic Advisor for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, (N-SAC). He has worked on national food and agriculture policy in Washington, DC for forty years. He helped create  the USDA-program that we now know as SARE, and has seen it grow and develop throughout the years. Andy Clark is National Communications Director for SARE, and began his involvement with sustainable ag in the late-1980s. When he was in graduate school, he received a research grant from LISA, the program precursor to SARE, for cover cropping no-till corn. Now, he's responsible for sharing the results of SARE grants and research with farmers and educators around the country. 

Our fifth episode features Nathan L'Etoile and Travis Krause. For this pair, farming runs in their blood. Nathan L'Etoile is, by best count, a fifteen-generation farmer. His family runs Four Star Farms in North Field, MA, a small grain and hops farm with a mill on-site. Like a lot of people in agriculture these days, Nathan works primarily off the farm. Still, he spends most of his evenings and weekends helping his wife, parents, and brother run the farm. Travis Krause owns and operates Parker Creek Ranch, a multi-species livestock operation, with his wife in D'Hanis, Texas. Travis is a seventh generation farmer, but didn't grow up thinking he'd manage the land that's been in his family since 1846.  

Our fourth episode features mother-daughter pair Hiu and Hana Newcomb.  Together with family members from three generations and a crew of dedicated farmhands, Hana and Hiu run Potomac Vegetable Farms in Vienna, Virginia. At a time when small family farmers often have to disconnect from their farms in order to make a living, Hiu and Hana have a lot of wisdom to offer about sustaining the land, strengthening family connections, and planning for the future while also running a successful farming enterprise. http://www.potomacvegetablefarms.com/

Our third episode features Amy Garrett and Ron Rosmann. Amy Garrett is an Assistant Professor for Oregon State University Extension Service Small Farms Program. Her work focuses on drought mitigation tools and strategies for growing with little or no irrigation. She leads the Dry Farming Project in the Pacific Northwest, which provides dry farming demonstrations and encourages participatory research for farmers sensitive to changes in water accessibility.  http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/south-valley/who-we-are   Ron Rosmann raises certified organic beef, pork, and vegetables in Shelby County, Iowa with his wife and sons. In 1985, he co-founded Practical Farmers of Iowa, a group devoted to profitable, environmentally sound farming practices. For much of Ron's farming career, he has dedicated time to on-farm research, land preservation, and farmer-to-farmer education.  http://rosmannfamilyfarms.com/   

Our second episode features Greg Judy and Adam Saunders. Greg Judy is based in Rucker, Missouri and raises livestock on grass pasture in balance with nature, using no antibiotics, hormone implants, or grain. He is known for his high density mob-grazing methods and has published two books: "No Risk Ranching" and "Comeback Farms: Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures and Profits with Livestock Grazing Management". http://www.greenpasturesfarm.net/ Adam Saunders lives nearby in Columbia, Missouri, where he is the development director for the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture. As a co-founding member of the organization since 2009, Adam helps carry out their mission of connecting people to agriculture and the land by conducting outreach with local social groups, businesses, and potential partners. He also helps coordinate CCUA’s online presence, strategic planning, and fundraising efforts. http://columbiaurbanag.org/  

Our first episode features Dan Kuebler and Emily Wright. Dan Kuebler has been market gardening since 1990, providing a variety of organically grown vegetables and value-added products such as "Farmer Dan's Sauerkraut" for the mid-Missouri area. He is a fixture of the local agriculture scene, having served many years as a board member for both the Columbia Farmers Market and the Missouri Farmers Market Association, co-founder and board chair of Sustainable Farms and Communities, as well as president of the Mid-America Organic Association. http://columbiafarmersmarket.org/2017/01/03/the-salad-garden/ Emily Wright is co-owner and operator of Three Creeks farm in Ashland, Missouri. She and her partner grow a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and recently began incorporating agroforestry crops and pastured pork into their operation. In 2015, Emily was awarded an NCR-SARE Farmer/Rancher grant  for the project, “Assessing Productivity and Profitability of Vegetable Production in the Central Missouri Ri

Our Farms, Our Future is a new podcast by SARE, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. The purpose of this project is to foster community and connection, encourage conversation and share different perspectives within the sustainable agriculture community. Through this series of thought-provoking conversations between those involved in this community, we hope to capture a snapshot of the current state of sustainable ag, how we got here, and where we're headed. Our first episode will be released April 1, 2018. Episodes will be released twice a month.