Back to the Roots Podcast: Recent Episodes
Back to the Roots
Connecting people with organic farmers across the country, from Amish country to farmers on the West coast. Join us as we travel back to the agricultural roots and have conversations whose livelihood is organic farming.
Dr Theron Hutton is the founder and medical director at Mulberry Clinics in Tennessee. He joins us again for further discussion on how food and lifestyle impacts overall health, his experiences helping patients with health problems and some of his views on the current medical industry.
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Daniel Salatin is the Operations Manager at Polyface Farms in Swoope, VA. He joins us to talk about the day to day operations at Polyface, leading the program to develop the skills of new farmers and what he's learned through experience as a hands on farmer.
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
Monty Schrunk is a natural beekeeper and organic gardener in Affton, MO. He joins us to share how he got into beekeeping, best ways to catch a swarm of bees in an urban environment and the different types of hives to keep bees.
Monty is known as the Suburban Sodbuster and can be found on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds
Shawn and Beth Dougherty have been farming in Toronto, Ohio since the 1980's. They join us to talk about finding their farm, learning how to build soils through rotational grazing and learning to manage their farm with as few off-farm inputs as possible.
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Troy and Erin Saylor run Earth Rich Acres and Earth Rich Wellness in Urbana, OH. They join us to talk about their own journey to learning the value of healthy food, the learning curve of producing that food themselves and now teaching those lessons learned to others.
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Rory Feek is a country music artist and homesteader in Columbia, TN. He joins us to talk about his journey from a trailer park in Kansas to a farm in Tennessee. He also talks about the upcoming Homestead Festival which takes place June 7-8 on Rory's farm in Columbia.
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds, SoilBiotics and Farming Magazine.
Jerry D Miller is a organic dairy farmer from Millersburg, OH. He joins us to talk about the Plain Community, how technology impacts maintaining community and how a sense of community is passed to others.
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Gregory Smith is the owner of Smith's Farm and Ranch in Tuskegee, AL. He joins us to talk about growing up loving to farm, trying to find his way back to agriculture and the experiences that drove him to go organic.
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Will Harris is the owner of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, GA. He joins us to talk about the history of his farm, the pros and cons of doing things differently and the generational changes and benefits he sees on his farm.
This episode is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Lloyd Miller is a 100% grassfed organic dairy farmer in Millersburg, OH. He joins us to talk about being one of the leaders of the grazing movement in Ohio, transitioning to 100% grassfed and his families experience teaching agriculture in England.
Rooted In Organic is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Stefan Sobkowiak is a permaculture educator and the owner of Miracle Farms outside of Montreal, Canada. He joins us to talk about his learning journey from running a monoculture orchard to a "grocery store style" permaculture orchard, the mistakes that led him to where he's at today and how he markets his product to his customers.
Stefan's YouTube channel can be found here.
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
This is a re-release of our 10th episode with Wes Jackson and David Kline. Wes talked to us about the development of Kernza at The Land Institute and other sustainable farming practices.
Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
We are now Rooted In Organic Podcast! Not to confuse everybody but our first guest under the new name is Back To The Roots. Back To The Roots produces indoor and outdoor gardening supplies that are 100% organic. Co-founder and Co-CEO Alejandro Velez joins us to talk about his journey into gardening and organic, the background of his company and how they've grown over the years.
Rooted In Organic is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Jim Wedeberg is a dairy farmer and one of the original seven farmers that developed CROPP Cooperative in La Farge, WI. He joins us to talk about those early days, the development of the organic dairy standards and philosphies behind creating a farmer-owned cooperative.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Dani Valazquez de Leon is the General Manager at Organics Unlimited in San Diego, CA. She is the fourth generation of her family to be in the banana business. Dani joins us to talk all things organic bananas- farming practices, marketing, supply chain and supporting communities where they're grown.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Today we're re-releasing our 2018 episode with Dr Paul in his honor. Dr Paul passed away on July 7, 2023 and will be sorely missed. Here is his obituary. Dr Paul helped build the organic movement and was a friend to all. Thank you Dr Paul for everything you did.
We'll be back next week with a another new epidsode.
Maynard and Jack Mallonee of Curtis, WA are the third and fourth generation of dairy farmers in southwest Washington. They sit down with us to talk about the history of their farm, working together to transfer the farm and some of the intricacies of farming in the state of Washington.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Mike Dill is the Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Organically Grown Company in Oregon. He sits down with us to talk about the history of Organically Grown Company, his journey into his current role working with organic promotion and protection and what some of the hot topics are in the world of organics.
This episode is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
In honor of Earth Day on April 22 we're joined by Ann Radil and Jake Schmitz of Neutral Foods. They discuss how the company was started, how they work with farmers on carbon reduction practices and Neutral's vision for how farming can improve the climate.
This episode is sponsored by SoilBiotics, Byron Seeds and Neutral Foods.
Jon and Ross Bansen run Double J Jerseys dairy farm in Monmouth, Oregon. They join us to talk about learning over the years, being willing to change as they learn more and the different projects they're implementing including direct marketing and silvopasture.
This episode is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Sue Kesey is the co-founder of Nancy's Probiotic Foods in Eugene, OR and Cheryl Kesey-Thompson is a second generation co-owner. They join us to discuss how the creamery got its start, their passion for making yogurt and other cultured dairy products, struggling through the hard times of a growing business and the unique ideas they had to get through.
This episode is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Robert and Stuart Kircher are the farm and crop managers at Forest Glen Jerseys in Dayton, OR. They sit down to talk about how the farm has grown over the years, the logistics of grazing 2000 cows and managing 3000 acres of crops.
This episode is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
David Hershberger is an organic dairy farmer from Fredericksburg, OH. He joins us to talk about his unconventional road into organic farming, what new practices he's been able to implement over the years and the lessons learned along the way.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Edwin Blosser is the owner of Midwest Bio Systems which makes Aeromaster composting equipment as well as provides education and reccomendations to farmers. Edwin joins us to discuss his learning curve into regenerative farming, what he's learned through that process and some of his key observations that hold farms back.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Dr Theron Hutton is the founder of Mulberry Clinic in Spring Hill, TN. He joins us to talk about learning how conventional medicine works and how that has shaped building a practice with a focus on his patients and lifestyle changes that could be most beneficial to their health.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Justin Rhodes, permaculturalist, author and social media presence joins to talk about his journey into agriculture, turning that lifestyle into a vlog and paths to earn extra income as a farmer.
(Episode Note- Our SD card filled up part way through our conversation with Justin so there is a pause about half way through before we resumed recording)
Justin can be found on YouTube as well at his companies website, Abundant Permaculture.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.
Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics discussed:
-Soybean Harvet and Trade Update
-Corn Harvest and Pricing
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
Emilie Toups is the owner of Toups & Co Organics which uses grassfed beef tallow as a base for many of their skincare products. She joins us to talk about why tallow, how the food we eat impacts our skin and starting a business based around these philosphies.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Joel Salatin is the owner of Polyface Farm in Virginia and known around the world for his advocacy of local, sustainable and regenerative agriculture. He joins us to talk about his path into farming, outlook on agriculture and advice to current and future farmers.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Rory Feek is musician and songwriter as well as a homesteader in Columbia, TN. He sits down with us to tell his story of why he got into growing his own food as well as why he decided to host the Homestead Festival on his farm.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
George McClelland of McClelland Dairy and Jolynn McClelland of Robert McClelland Dairy, both in Petaluma, CA, join us to talk about how they got started in the dairy business, the opportunity to go organic, how they graze 1000 cows and the hardships of farming in California.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics discussed:
-2022 Early Planting Trends
-Organic Soybean and Corn markets
-Organic Grain Imports
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
Zweber Farms is located in Elko, MN where they (and their farm goat) have a 100% grassfed dairy herd as well as direct market beef, pork, chicken and eggs. Tim and Emily join us to talk about their operation, how they've built up the direct marketing side and taking time for hobbies away from the farm.
How to order meat as well as their blog with recipes is at https://zweberfarms.com/
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds, SoilBiotics and Elite Equine and Farm Supply.
Kirk Webster of Middlebury, VT, is a beekeeper who has developed his own system to raise bees without any treatments of pesticides. He joins us to talk about what he does and how an overhaul in all agriculture towards organic management practices can and should be done.
He can be contacted at https://kirkwebster.com/contact-info/
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds, SoilBiotics and Elite Equine and Farm Supply.
Klaas Martens is an organic Farmer from Penn Yan, NY. He and his wife, Mary farm 2000 acres as well as run Lakeview Organic Grains. Klaas sits down with us to share his journey into organics and how he learned to start asking the right questions.
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds, SoilBiotics and Elite Equine and Farm Supply
Tai Lopez is best known as an investor and entrepreneur as well as for his social media presence. What might be less known, but of great interest to us, is that he has also put some of his money where his mouth is and operates several farms using regenerative farming principles. He joins us to talk about his learning journey in agriculture and how it has applied to the rest of his life.
Tai can be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
Back to the Roots is sponsored by Byron Seeds, SoilBiotics and Elite Equine and Farm Supply
Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics discussed:
Fertilizer shortages
2022 Crop Planning Outlook
Organic grain supply and pricing
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Abbie Corse (Whitingham, VT), Ann Miller (Fredericksburg, OH), Melissa Weyland (Neenah, WI) and Jolynn McClelland (Petaluma, CA) join to give an overview of their farming year. They share some highlights and lowlights of the year and share advice for each other.
Thanks to Abbie, Ann, Melissa and Jolynn for their time!
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
Ivan Troyer is an organic dairy farmer in Fredericksburg, OH. He sits down with us to talk about how he got into dairy, learning from his peers and how the next generation of dairy farmers can survive.
Here is a link to the video referenced, Weekend with an Amish Farmer: https://youtu.be/Ex4d9LwmpvM
Sponsored by Byron Seeds
Rob Wallbridge, Agronomist with SureSource Commodities and Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics, join to give the latest updates from the field and organic marketplace.
Topics discussed:
2021 Harvest update
Fall crop progress
India tariff and certification decisions
Organic grain pricing
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Eric Beiler (New York), Marlin Eash (Indiana), Corby Groen (Washington/Wisconsin) and Chris Hoffner (North Carolina) give an overview of their farming year. They share the positives and negatives, ask questions of each other and give some goals they’re working towards next year.
Thanks to Eric, Marlin, Corby and Chris for their time in 2021!
We’ll have part 2 with Ann, Melissa, Jolynn and Abbie in December.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
Mary Hostetler and her husband, Bert, run Sweetwater Farm in Sugarcreek, OH. Mary joins us to share how the farm market got started, their growing practices and how the customers shape their business.
This episode is sponsored by Byron Seeds
Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics at Mercaris, and Rob Wallbridge, Agronomist with SureSource Commodities, join to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace and the field.
Topics discussed:
Outlook for organic corn market
2021 Harvest progress
Ripple effects of fertilizer shortages
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics at Mercaris, and Rob Wallbridge, Agronomist with SureSource Commodities, join to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace and the field.
Topics discussed:
Outlook for organic corn market
2021 Harvest progress
Ripple effects of fertilizer shortages
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics at Mercaris, and Rob Wallbridge, Agronomist with SureSource Commodities, join to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace and the field.
Topics discussed:
Outlook for organic corn market
2021 Harvest progress
Ripple effects of fertilizer shortages
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics at Mercaris, and Rob Wallbridge, Agronomist with SureSource Commodities, join to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace and the field.
Topics discussed:
Outlook for organic corn market
2021 Harvest progress
Ripple effects of fertilizer shortages
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics at Mercaris, and Rob Wallbridge, Agronomist with SureSource Commodities, join to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace and the field.
Topics discussed:
Outlook for organic corn market
2021 Harvest progress
Ripple effects of fertilizer shortages
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Regional updates from the farm by:
Ann Miller (Fredericksburg, OH)
Melissa Weyland (Neenah, WI)
Jolynn McClelland (Petaluma, CA)
Abbie Corse (Whitingham, VT)
We will feature these four women in ag every other month to give updates from their farms.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
Mel Lapp is from Elizabethville, PA and raises organic chickens and crops on his farm. He joins us to talk about how he got his start in the organic poultry business and what he has learned over the years on how to produce high quality eggs.
This episode is sponsored by Byron Seeds
Ryan Koory, Vice President of Economics with Mercaris and (new this month!) Rob Wallbridge, Agronomist with SureSource Commodities, join to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace and a crop report.
Topics discussed:
Department of Commerce report on Indian imports
Effects to organic grain prices
Organic crop update and yield outlook
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Regional updates from the farm by:
Marlin Eash (Shipshewana, IN)
Chris Hoffner (Mount Ulla, NC)
Eric Beiler (Croghan, NY)
Corby Groen (Lyndon, WA)
These four farmers will join us every other month to give on-farm updates from their regions.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
Robin Brekken of Crookston, MN has just about perfected growing organic hay in the Red River Valley of Minnesota. And now he’s deciding to try something else. Robin joins us to tell his story of getting into organic, the challenges along the way and changing goals in life.
This episode is sponsored by Byron Seeds.
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics with Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed:
Yield predictions for organic grains
Organic grain imports
Organic grain prices
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Regional updates from the farm by:
Ann Miller (Fredericksburg, OH)
Abbie Corse (Whitingham, VT)
Jolynn McClelland (Petaluma, CA)
We were unable to connect with Melissa Weyland this month.
We will feature these four women in ag every other month to give updates from their farms.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
We don’t have our usual conversation episode today because I wanted to release an episode to let people know what my co-host Mike’s wife, Martha and the whole Kline family are going through after a cancer diagnosis. I also want to share how people can help. A link to the GoFundMe is below and thank you to anyone who can help as well as all of those who added their well wishes.
https://gofund.me/3670bbe9
Megan Thomas, Economist with Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics discussed:
Impact of drought throughout the country
Organic grain prices
Organic grain import report
Organic livestock inventories
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Regional updates from the farm by:
Corby Groen (Lyndon, WA)
Chris Hoffner (Mount Ulla, NC)
Eric Beiler (Croghan, NY)
Marlin Eash (Shipshewana, IN)
These four farmers will join us every other month to give on-farm updates from their areas.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
This is part two of our visit to Uncle Matt’s Organics in Clermont, FL.
Benny McLean is Matt & Ben’s father and got into the citrus business with his father. He talks to us about that history and some of the hardships and lessons learned along the way. He is the Head of Production with Uncle Matt’s.
Ben McLean, Head of Research at Uncle Matt’s, then brings us up to today on the agronomy behind growing citrus. He has taken those lessons learned from his father and grandfather to continue to improve the quality of fruit and potential disease resistance.
Uncle Matt’s is a story of perseverance and thank you to Matt, Benny and Ben for sharing.
This episode is brought to you by Byron Seeds.
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics discussed:
Regional impacts of drought
Imports of organic grains
Organic grain prices
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Regional Updates from the farm by:
Melissa Weyland (Neenah, WI)
Jolynn McClelland (Petaluma, CA)
Abbie Corse (Whitingham, VT)
Ann Miller (Fredericksburg, OH)
We will feature these four women in organic ag every other month to give updates from their farms.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
Matt McLean is the founder and CEO of Uncle Matt’s Organic in Clermont, Florida. Matt joins us to talk about building a brand, dealing with adversity and the twists and turns the business has taken to get where it is today.
This episode is part 1 of 2. Next month we will have Ben and Benny McLean of Uncle Matt’s Organics to talk about the agronomic side of growing oranges.
This episode is sponsored by Byron Seeds.
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics discussed:
Organic dairy report
Organic soybean shortage in United States
Organic grain prices
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and Mercaris
Regional updates from the farm by:
Chris Hoffner (Mount Ulla, NC)
Marlin Eash (Shipshewana, IN)
Corby Groen (Lyndon, WA)
Eric Beiler (Croghan, NY)
These four farmers will join us every other month to give on-farm updates from their areas.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.
Hugh Kent, owner of King Grove Organic Farm in Eustis, FL, joins us to give the history of the farm, moving from citrus to blueberries and the Real Organic Project.
This episode is brought to you by Byron Seeds.
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics discussed:
Drought conditions setting in
Organic Livestock market update
Organic grain imports and pricing impacts
Sponsored by Mercaris and Byron Seeds
Regional Updates from the farm by:
Ann Miller (Fredericksburg, OH)
Jolynn McClelland (Petaluma, CA)
Abbie Corse (Whitingham, VT)
Melissa Weyland (Neenah, WI)
We will feature these four women in organic ag every other month to give updates from their farms.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
Marcus Yoder, Executive Director at the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center in Ohio, joins us to walk through the 2000 years of history that have led to the Anabaptists in America today.
This history follows the cyclorama mural called Behalt, which is housed at the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center. A quick video tour can be found on our YouTube page.
This episode is brought to you by Byron Seeds.
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed:
Spring weather update
Organic soybean market impacted by imports
Organic corn market rising
Sponsored by Mercaris and Byron Seeds
Regional updates from the farm by:
Marlin Eash (Shipshewana, IN)
Chris Hoffner (Mount Ulla, NC)
Eric Beiler (Croghan, NY)
Corby Groen (Lynden, WA)
These four farmers will be joining us every other month to give on-farm updates from their areas.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
It's sugaring season! Steve Sommers of Millersburg, OH joins us to talk us through the process of tapping trees, gathering sap and making maple syrup.
Video of the process can be found on our YouTube page
This episode is brought to you by Byron Seeds
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed:
Weather impacting crops
India equivalency agreement update
Cargill/Rodale/Bill & Evans transitioning acres to organic
Sponsored by Mercaris and Byron Seeds
Regional Updates from the farm by:
Ann Miller (Fredericksburg, OH)
Jolynn McClelland (Petaluma, CA)
Abbie Corse (Whitingham, VT)
Melissa Weyland (Neenah)
We will feature these four women in organic ag every other month to give updates from their farm.
Sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics
John Kempf, Founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture, expert in the biological systems of farming and a strong voice of regenerative agriculture, joins us to talk about carbon, photosynthesis being the engine that drives the whole system and being stewards of the land.
More on John at:
https://www.advancingecoag.com/john
His Podcast is:
http://regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com/
This is episode is brought to you by Byron Seeds
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed:
Organic livestock markets
India equivalency agreement ending
Organic corn pricing and outlook
Sponsored by Mercaris and Byron Seeds
Regional updates from the farm by:
Marlin Eash (Shipshewana, IN)
Eric Beiler (Croghan, NY)
Chris Hoffner (Mt Ulla, NC)
Corby Groen (Lynden, WA)
These four farmers will be joining us every other month to give on-farm updates from their areas.
Sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds
Nathan and Jessica Williams are Organic Dairy Farmers in Kentucky. They join us to tell their story about making career changes from being professionals living in Louisville to deciding to move back home to farm and raise their family.
Today it's just Mike and Bryan talking about starting Back to the Roots Podcast and what the plans for 2021 are.
This is available in video on YouTube as well: https://youtu.be/B55ZTjcYZ54
Back to our regular schedule next week!
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed:
Slow Markets to end year
Organic vs Conventional Corn Prices
Items to Watch in 2021
Sam Dobson (North Carolina), Thomas Heckman (Ohio), John Ihm (Wisconsin) and Jon Bansen (Oregon) join us to discuss their farming year of 2020. They give us an overview of their year, tell us about some positives and negatives and ask questions of each other.
Thanks to Sam, Thomas, John and Jon for their time in 2020!
Elmwood Stock Farm is a certified organic farm in Georgetown, KY. They have a CSA, beef, poultry, pigs, turkeys and lambs. Mac Stone of Elmwood sits down with us to discuss their operation and what they have learned and implemented over their years being organic.
https://elmwoodstockfarm.com/
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed
2020 Harvest Update
Organic Fluid Dairy Sales
Levelling off of Imports
Organic Grain Pricing
Regional updates from the farm by:
Thomas Heckman (Ohio)
Jon Bansen (Oregon)
Sam Dobson (North Carolina)
John Ihm (Wisconsin)
Mary Berry is the Executive Director and Founder of the Berry Center and daughter of Wendell Berry. She joins us to discuss the mission of the Berry Center, history of agriculture in Kentucky and what we can learn from that history to support rural communities into the future.
https://berrycenter.org/
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed:
2020 Harvest Status
Organic Broiler and Turkey Production
Organic Trade Update
Organic Grain Price Outlook
Regional updates from the farm by:
Sam Dobson (North Carolina)
Jon Bansen (Oregon)
Thomas Heckman (Ohio)
John Ihm (Wisconsin)
Charlie Eselgroth, organic dairy farmer from Greenfield, OH, joins us to talk about his introduction to organic cropping, starting to dairy at 50 years old and the learning curve of managing dairy cows versus beef cows.
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed:
2020 Harvest Outlook
Organic Grain Imports
Organic Livestock Market
Organic Grain Pricing
Regional updates from the farm by:
Jon Bansen (Oregon)
Thomas Heckman (Ohio)
John Ihm (Wisconsin)
Sam Dobson (North Carolina)
Joel Mecklenburg of Noble Organic Grains grows seed corn, hemp, soybeans, wheat, hay and cover crops on 1200 acres in Noble County, Indiana. He joins us to discuss his growing practices, observations and ideas.
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, gives the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed:
Impact of Iowa Storms on Organic Corn Crop
Organic Livestock Trends
Organic Grain Imports
Organic Grain Pricing
Regional updates from the farm by:
Jon Bansen (Oregon)
Sam Dobson (North Carolina)
John Ihm (Wisconsin)
Thomas Heckman (Ohio)
Christine DeJesus is the Director of Cultivation at Galenas Cannabis. She joins us to discuss growing cannabis using soil and all organic practices, transferring knowledge from market vegetable farming to cannabis growing and the "food, medicine, food" cycle.
https://galenas.com/
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, gives the latest updates from the organic marketplace.
Topics Discussed:
Weather Conditions Effect on Crops
Organic Broiler Numbers
Import Update
Organic Grain Pricing
Regional updates from the farm by:
John Ihm (Wisconsin)
Jon Banson (Oregon)
Sam Dobson (North Carolina)
Thomas Heckman (Ohio)
David Kline, author and farmer from Holmes County, OH, joins us to talk about the joys of working with nature through farming.
Books by David Kline:
Great Possessions: An Amish Farmers Journal
Scratching the Woodchuck: Nature on an Amish Farm
Letters From Larksong: An Amish Naturalist Explores His Organic Farm
The Round of a Country Year: A Farmer's Day Book
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins us to give the latest updates from the organic marketplace
Topics Discussed:
Planting Progress
Livestock Updates
Imports
Organic Grain Pricing
Organic Trade Association Report
Regional updates from the farm by:
John Ihm (Wisconsin)
Sam Dobson (North Carolina)
Thomas Heckman (Ohio)
Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin-Madison Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Organic Agriculture, joins us to discuss the research she is doing on organic no-till systems, cover cropping and soil health.
Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, joins us to give the April Organic Market Updates
Topics Discussed:
Organic Corn and Soybean Updates
Organic Beef, Poultry and Dairy Markets
Impacts of Covid-19 on Organic Markets
Regional updates from the farm by:
Thomas Heckman (Ohio)
John Ihm (Wisconsin)
Jon Bansen (Oregon)
Sam Dobson (North Carolina)
Glen Borgerding, owner of Ag Resource Consulting in Albany, MN, joins us to discuss his observations over years working with farmers to manage soil and go over some fundamentals to work towards higher quality crops.
http://agresourceconsulting.com/
Regional updates from the farm by:
Thomas Heckman (Ohio)
Jon Bansen (Oregon)
Sam Dobson (North Carolina)
John Ihm (Wisconsin)
Courtney White is an author, activist, voice for regenerative agriculture and much more. He joins us to discuss what regenerative ag looks like in the West and how that model can be expanded to other farmers and ranchers.
Recap of Organic Market News from March 2020.
Topics discussed:
Organic Dairy, Poultry and Grain Updates
National Organic Program Enforcement and Oversight
Organic Grain Acreage
Dean Foods Bankruptcy Sale
Melissa Weyland is involved in many aspects of the organic world - Her family has an organic dairy in Wisconsin, she works in the organic industry, she is involved in getting a food co-op started, she is an organic consumer and much much more. Melissa joins us to talk about the shifting organic marketplace and demands of its consumer.
Adam Yoder, Dairy Farmer from Holmes County, OH, joins us to talk about moving back to the farm, transitioning to organic and the importance of knowing a farms cost of production.
We are joined by Ernest Weaver, Forage Specialist for Byron Seeds, and Tim Kline, Forage Consultant for Byron Seeds and Dairy Farmer. They discuss what they have seen change in the forage seed market and what opportunities they see coming in the future.
Dennis Wood is a organic hay grower in Fort Wayne, IN. He joins us to talk about his experiences building his farm and adding other ventures to his operation, including row crops, beef and pork.
Tineke Veldhuis is the retired CEO of Holland Colours. Eli Miller is a dairy farmer in Wayne County, Indiana. Tineke and Eli have teamed up to carry on the vision of Tineke's late husband, Ypke. They join us to tell the story of what brought their farm into existence, what they have learned over the years and how the farm continues to evolve.
Jim Jarman, Vice President of Sales for Organic Valley, joins us to give an overview of the organic marketplace and what strategies companies can use to get on the shelf.
We are joined by Dean McIlvane, organic grain farmer, and Kevin Thomas, owner and master distiller at Western Reserve Distillery. They talk to us about growing, processing and distilling organic grain into whiskey, gin, rum and vodka.
www.westernreservedistillers.com
Ron Miller is the President and General Manager of R&G Miller and Sons, a organic dairy farm in Central Wisconsin. Ron joins us to discuss the farms transition to organic, grazing a larger herd of cows and cropping practices.
John and Megan Palmer are Organic Dairy Farmers in Waukon, IA. They join us to talk about getting started farming, moving to a new farm and what they have done on their farm to keep up with the market.
Jake Fehr, co-founder of Natural Way Minerals, Hans Maibach, Marketing Director for Natural Way Minerals and Mike Barnes, independent nutritionist, join us to discuss the background of Natural Way Minerals and what Mike has observed feeding thousands of cows and what proper nutrition is.
We are joined by Nathan Rutz and Michael Robinson of Rust Belt Riders (www.rustbeltriders.com)and Tilth Soil (www.tilthsoil.com). Rust Belt Riders picks up food scraps around Cleveland, OH and composts them to be sold as garden soil through Tilth Soil. They discuss how they got started, the process of composting food scraps and some of the aspects of community that have been built in developing their product.
Todd Zehr is the founder of SoilBiotics which develops a organic line of fertilizers and foliar sprays. Todd and Doug Billman, a SoilBiotics consultant, join us to discuss building a company, changes in agriculture and what they've witnessed working with farmers.
We are joined by Lyndon Edwards, Farmer, Board member and Deputy Chairman of Omsco, Tim Downes, Farmer and Board member of Omsco, and Peter Bennett, Head of Membership for Omsco. They give us the background of Omsco, talk about farming in the UK and the many similarities farmers share across the world.
https://www.omsco.co.uk/
Dr Larry Tranel is a Dairy Specialist for Iowa State University Cooperative Extension who has been collecting farm financial information since 1993. Larry sits down to talk with us about what he has observed in collecting this information and how farms can improve their economic situation.
John Ihm, organic dairy farmer from Lancaster, WI, talks about the history of his farm, what issues they have encountered and keeping up with managing 900 acres, a dairy herd and flock of chickens.
Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson and David Kline have a conversation at the Organic Association of Kentucky Annual Conference. This conversation was the keynote address and moderated by Rona Roberts.
Ray Archuleta is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with 30 years experience working for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Since retiring, Ray founded Soil Health Consultants to help spread what he has learned about what true regenerative farming practices are. Ray speaks to us about some of those principles.
Gene DeBruin, organic dairy farmer and nutritionist from Southern Ohio, talks to us about some of the differences managing a 30 cow herd and a 300 cow herd. He also shares some of his observations about where farms can get tripped up feeding their livestock.
John Miller Jr, organic produce farmer from Fresno, OH, talks to us about starting a produce farm from scratch and learning the limits of what one farm can handle.
Alan Kozak, conventional dairy farmer and grazier from Holmes County, OH, talks to us about seeking out alternative dairy markets that can help to support small farms in a very tough conventional milk market.
Scott Myers, from Wayne County, OH, talks to us about transitioning to organic cropping and what he's seen change over the years in his market of selling organic crops.
Daniel Wengerd of Pioneer Equipment, talks to us about the development of the business, what changes have happened in horse farming and what they see for the future of both.
Irvin and Eric Martin are organic dairy farmers in Indiana. On their family dairy, they have recently installed robotic milkers and they talk to us about what they've learned during the experience.
Jonathan Yoder, a dairy farmer from Topeka, IN, speaks to us about what he has learned in his process of bringing the family farm back into dairy production.
Dave Osterloh, organic dairy farmer from Minster, Ohio, talks to us about the history of his farm, transitioning to organics and passing the farm to the next generation.
Bill and Thomas Heckman are dairy farmers from Western Ohio. They talk about the history of their farm and turning the farm over to the next generation.
Walter Middendorf is a retired farmer from East Dubuque, Illinois. He turned 90 in August and in this episode he shares with us how farming has changed over the years as well as few life lessons he's learned along the way.
Joe Schlabach, 100% grassfed and organic dairy farmer in Holmes County, OH, speaks to us about his learning curve moving from confinement to organic and then organic to 100% grassfed.
Ron Milner, organic crop farmer from Holmes County, Ohio, shares what he has learned over his 16 years crop farming strip-mined ground and the difficulties of trying to build that soil back to good health.
Jeff Miller, organic dairy farmer from Holmes County, Ohio, speaks to us about his observations on his land as he brought dairy cows back to a farm, started grazing and brought his soil back to life.
Dr Paul Dettloff, a veterinarian from Arcadia, Wisconsin, has been an influencer and innovator within the organic industry for the last 20+ years. He talks to us about everything from growing up to where he sees the future of the organic industry.