Back to the Roots Podcast

Preston Green is the co-owner of Big Bottom Milk Company in Rutherfordton, North Carolina where they process and bottle their own milk to sell in the southeast. Preston joins us today to tell us how the dairy got started, the hardships and the blessings that came along with Hurricane Helene and the rapid growth of Big Bottom. Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds.

Dr Megan Detloff is the owner of Dr Paul's Labs and daughter of pioneering organic veterinarian, Dr Paul Detloff. She joins us to talk about her work at Dr Paul's labs as an herbalist, how that crosses over into her other role as an accupuncturist and some of the common ways that our bodies are affected by the outside environment. Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds.

Marlin Eash is an organic dairy farmer in Shipshewana, Indiana. He joins us to talk about the history of his farm, the decision to transition to organic and learning to question what is best for his farm. Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds

Jacob Powsner is a 4th generation farmer at Baird Maple Farm in Chittendon, Vermont. Jacob joins us to talk about the history of the farm, the landscape of the maple industry, producing certified organic maple syrup and how advances in technology have helped him improve the operation. Rooted In Organic is sponsored by Byron Seeds

Leon Mast, dairy farmer in La Grange, Indiana and chair of the CALF committee, and Ross Smith, Regional Manager for CROPP Cooperative and advisor to the CALF Committee, join us to talk about their experiences starting an advisory group for start-up farmers, some common mistakes they see when working with those farmers and the varied ways they've seen success. Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds

Eric Beiler is a dairy farmer in upstate New York. He joins us to talk about his path to having his own farm, what he learned in his years working for other farmers and considerations to transitioning to organic production. Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by Byron Seeds and SoilBiotics.

Mark Seeley is the founder and executive director of OnMark Certification Services, a USDA accredited organic certification agency. Mark joins us to talk about the reasons and steps behind starting a certification agency, what the steps are to become certified organic and some of the lessons learned through his experience in the industry. Rooted In Organic Podcast is sponsored by SoilBiotics and Byron Seeds.

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

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