Season 1: Recent Episodes
The Sustainable AG Rider
The Sustainable AG Rider podcast covers sustainable agriculture topics in the southeastern United States. The show has a particular focus on farmers of color. Each week we will have interview, news and views on things happening around the region.
Like any business, farming and ranching requires long hours, lots of faith and getting your head handed to you a few times before you can become successful. In this episode we talk to livestock producer and farmer advocate, Wayne Swanson of Swanson Family Farm. Wayne talks about the challenges he faced, lessons learned and the importance of having a supportive partner.
Have comments or questions about this episode? Have an idea for a potential show? Email us at info@sustainableagrider.com
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Show Notes
Website https://www.swansonfamilyfarmllc.com/about-us
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/swansonfamilyfarm
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/swansonfamilyfarm/
Black Farming Community https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/farm-life/article/2022/01/17/atlanta-black-families-investment
Show Notes
In part two of our series on federal grants for agriculture, we will discuss the prerequisites that need to be completed before you can apply for many federal grant programs. Accessing federal grant funding involves more than just filling out an application. Applying for a Duns number, acquiring a tax identification number and registering with various grant systems is an essential element in accessing grants.
Show Notes
Apply for a tax ID number. Apply Here
Apply for a Duns number. Apply Here
Register with the System for Awards Management. Register Here
Register with grants.gov. Register Here
Register for Southern SARE. Register Here
Grants can serve an important role in funding farmer training programs, agricultural research and the development of local food systems. We’re at the time when many agricultural federal grant agencies are either accepting proposals or reviewing proposals they have received to make funding decisions.
This is also the time of year when I see misinformation about grant programs popping up as well as questions about what are the various programs and how to apply to them. In this five part series, we’ll discuss federal agricultural grant programs, what they are and how to develop a winning strategy for accessing this funding stream.
Show Notes
Grants can serve an important role in funding farmer training programs, agricultural research and the development of local food systems. We’re at the time when many agricultural federal grant agencies are either accepting proposals or reviewing proposals they have received to make funding decisions.
This is also the time of year when I see misinformation about grant programs popping up as well as questions about what are the various programs and how to apply to them. In this five part series, we’ll discuss federal agricultural grant programs, what they are and how to develop a winning strategy for accessing this funding stream.
In most of the farmers markets throughout the south, you will see a bounty of wonderful locally grown produce. In many markets however, the one commodity that can be hard to come by is fruit. Of course, you can buy refreshing watermelons, juicy muscadines and flavorful peaches. But there is never a rich palette of all types of fruit you can take home with you.
In this episode of the Sustainable AG Rider Podcast, we talk with Robby Astrove, a stalwart member of Atlanta’s urban agriculture scene. Robby has a passion for fruit trees and will speak with us about selecting, planting and caring for fruit trees in the southeast. If I had to start my farm all over again, I would have planted my fruit first and then proceeded with everything else. I hope this episode will encourage all of you to plant an orchard on your farm and reap the benefits not only for your family but also for your local community.
The Sustainable AG Rider podcast is released every Wednesday. You can listen to it on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify.
Show Notes
University of Georgia Home Apple Orchard Series https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C740&title=Home%20Garden%20Apples
The Southern SARE Research & Education grant program is now accepting applications. You can get more info at https://southern.sare.org/wp-content/uploads/2022-RE-Call-for-Preproposals.pdf
Around the country, we are heading into the season when we can head down to a farmers market, a roadside stand or pick up a CSA share and enjoy the results of some farmers labor. And many of those farmers grow the vegetables, fruits and herbs that we will enjoy, hopefully, with friends and family this summer.
Market gardens are small farms which generally grow a variety of crops for sale directly to the consumer or to restaurants. Existing on every continent including Africa, Europe and South America, market gardens have served as an important source of food for many people for quite some time.
In this episode of the Sustainable AG Rider Podcast, I speak with Felicia Bell about market garden basics. Felicia runs RD&S Farm in Brandon, Mississippi and is a technical assistant for the National Center for Appropriate Technology. Felicia and I will chat about market gardens and what a new farmer should be doing if they want to establish one. We’ll talk soils, farm layout and planning among other things.
The Sustainable AG Rider podcast is available on all major streaming services including Apple, Stitcher,Google Play and Spotify. If you like the show, please hop on to Apple and give us a rating. And please subscribe so you can always know when the latest shows are out.
The Sustainable AG Rider podcast is released every Wednesday
SHOW NOTES
The National Center for Appropriate Technology https://www.ncat.org/
ATTRA- https://attra.ncat.org/
Please subscribe to our podcast and give us a rating on your streaming service of choice
Soil is the foundation upon which agriculture rests. It has been said the true role of a farmer is to build healthy soils which in turn will provide him with healthy and bountiful crops. While our soils in the United States has been a great benefactor to the country, our lack of stewardship of this vital resource presents us with some unique challenges
In this episode of the Sustainable AG Rider Podcast, I speak with Justin Duncan of the National Center for Appropriate Technology about soil and its many components. He’ll speak about soil basics new farmers should know and how they approach soil fertility on their farms. We also chat about salt, minerals and pigeon peas.
The Sustainable AG Rider podcast is available on all major streaming services including Apple, Stitcher,Google Play and Spotify. If you like the show, please hop on to Apple and give us a rating. And please subscribe so you can always know when the latest shows are out.
The Sustainable AG Rider podcast is released every Wednesday http://sustainableagrider.com/
Show Notes
Cover Crops for Hot & Humid Areas by Justin Duncan https://attra.ncat.org/product/cover-crop-options-for-hot-and-humid-areas/
Azomite Dealers Seven Springs Farm Supply https://www.7springsfarm.com/ Earthwise Organics https://earthwiseagriculture.net/
As we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic combined with the encroaching effects of climate change, people are waking to the realization that our greatest strength in times of trouble is to work together in a cooperative manner. Governments, even well meaning ones, cannot be depended on to support communities in times of need or to uplift and support communities to help them grow and prosper.
With the renewed interest in local foods and in building stronger local economies, cooperatives have regained some traction as viable, socially just methods of conducting business. Many people know about agricultural cooperatives where farmers come together to purchase supplies, help each other out on the farms and cooperatively sell their crops. But enthusiasm for creating other cooperatives such as financial services cooperatives like credit unions has also been growing as a response to abuses by large corporate entities.
In this episode of the Sustainable AG Rider, we speak with Eric Simpson of the West Georgia Farmers Market and Matthew Epperson, Executive Director of the Georgia Cooperative Development Center about cooperatives in the age of COVID
As the old saying goes, “true leaders are born, not made”. I happen to believe the opposite. I feel that people with leadership potential need to be identified, trained and provided with resources to allow them to grow into leadership roles within their communities and in their professional lives.
In this episode of the Sustainable AG Rider Podcast, we talk with four members of the Southern SARE AG Leadership program about their work, the obstacles they face and the projects they are currently working on.
Show Notes
Southern SARE https://southern.sare.org/
For quite some time, urban agriculture has been the red-headed stepchild of farming. Sneered at and not taken seriously, urban farmers didn’t care. They just wanted to grow food for themselves, for their families and for their communities.
But as urban agriculture progressed and operations grew and became more sophisticated, there were many leaders who felt that urban agriculture did not deserve it’s place in the shadows, that it was just as legitimate form of agriculture as other forms of farming. And that it deserved recognition and most importantly the support that most farming operations get from the USDA.
So people like Karen Washington in New York, Malik Yakini in Detroit, yours truly and my guest today, Rashid Nuri in Atlanta began to promote and advocate for the important role that urban agriculture plays in our food systems. Today we talk about that work.