Fresh Growth

Send us a textIn this episode of Fresh Growth podcast, we have a special guest host – owner of Dirtworks Wyoming, Caitlin Youngquist. Caitlin is also a Western SARE Administrative Council member. She speaks with first-generation Wyoming ranchers Mary Mills and Kate Brewster about their unique journeys into ranching, the challenges of generational transitions, and the innovative practices they are implementing to create sustainable and profitable operations. Their conversation touches on the importance of education, empathy, and clear communication in navigating family dynamics and the emotional aspects of transitioning ranch businesses. The conversation also highlights the integration of goats into traditional beef operations and the significance of adapting ranch management practices to modern challenges.Kate and Mary remind us, "Change is hard for everybody, especially in agriculture".... and "don't be afraid to try stuff because that's how we learn."____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter · YouTube Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Join us as we talk with Michael Lobato, Lobato Farms, and Holly Stanley, Mesa Conservation District on Colorado's Western slope about their innovations with applying biochar in a no-till system. Michael has worked to transform what was once part of a large sheep ranch into a thriving 5-acre farm. The 5 acres were split off from the sheep ranch with no infrastructure or irrigation and soil high in salts from manure.  “It was a lot of dirt and kochia…. but it looks much different today,” says Michael. Michael started working with biochar after his father told him about a local group looking for a small plot to research biochar and compost. The trial was done at Lobato Farms, and Michael was struck with water capacity improvements. He then put it in his market garden and says, “it was night and day.” Holly began working with Michael as an intern after learning about biochar from people interested in water conservation. She says, “I was super excited and immediately inclined to be Michael's assistant.” Now with the Mesa Conservation District she's working with Michael on new ways to apply biochar. The question before them was how to apply it in a native grass stand to make it more drought resilient. They tried one machine and have a patent on one that will work better for farmers. Holly and Michael have learned a lot and seen great improvements in water usage, soil health, forage quality, and more, and are working hard to overcome technological challenges.Holly and Michael would like to extend a special thank you to: Citizens for Clean Air, Colorado Ag Water Alliance, and the LOR Foundation for funding the trial. Also Professor Emeritus Gerald Nelson (University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne) and Dr. Perry Cabot (CSU Grand Valley Research Center) for providing their guidance and expertise.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Sarah Stallard is a 7th generation farmer who came to work with her uncles on a new farm near Las Vegas Nevada raising hogs. The farm is in partnership with the local waste and recycling company Republic Services. They lease the land from Republic Services and use food waste to feed the hogs. She says the partnership was formed “to help find a solution to organic waste." The family had always fed food scraps as pigs “are not picky about what food scraps” they eat.  Sarah describes the process of collecting, sorting, and feeding tons of mixed rations from casino kitchens and buffets, facilities such as an ice cream factory, and grocery stores. What the farm produces is marketed locally, and they do face challenges due to the lack of an USDA processing plant for meat in Nevada. The family's dream is to “complete the circle” through having their locally produced food offered in the casinos. She also describes how the hogs are housed and raised sustainably and humanely. There is a lot of attention paid to what they are doing to reduce food waste, and they are “willing to help and network with other farmers,” including hosting many tours. About this work, Sarah says, “I can feel really good about what I'm doing; it's good to know that I'm making a difference daily.”____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Join us in this dynamic and wide-ranging conversation with Chris Eckhart about diversifying his farming operation, increasing organic matter, monitoring soil biology, and creating a work-family-life balance, all while remaining profitable. Eckhart Farms is a multi-generational family farm in the heart of Wild Rose Prairie in Washington that focuses on soil health and diversity. He is passionate about family farming and has experimented tirelessly with diversifying crops on what was primarily a wheat operation. Chris and his family plant barley and alfalfa, among other crops; make use of cover crops; started researching biochar; and added livestock grazing. They have marketed locally and regularly monitor both soil biology and the time impacts of too much diversification. They have seen significant increases in organic matter in a relatively short period of time.  “We're seeing results carry over year to year, from having that cover crop in.” And it's paying – “In our area, at least with what we have going on, it's proving to be profitable by taking things out of rotation and seeing a 10-15% bump in yield year after year.” Chris speaks passionately not only about farming, but science. He first got excited about soil health when looking at bacteria and life under his microscope. He relies on science and experimentation to be as successful as he is. He recognizes he has limited capacity and getting higher yields from fewer acres due to increased soil health allows him more time to focus on family and “going fishing.”  Chris' advice to those starting out, “Find somebody willing to mentor you that has fruit on the tree, not just in farming, but also in their life outside of farming.”Photo by Vo von Sehlen/Vo-tography____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

In this episode, we talk with Kirk Pumphrey, owner of Westwind Farms in Woodland CA, and Sat Darshan Khalsa, Assistant Professional Researcher at the University of CA Davis about their work integrating almond shells and hulls as organic matter in orchards. As Kirk says, “it's a learning experience for all of us.” It's a learning curve, but they are finding great success and working toward finding the sweet spot of applying not too much or too little in all different conditions. They've found that hulls' and shells' holding capacity of water is tremendous, but the application does make it hard for oxygen to travel to soil.  Sat Darshan Khalsa notes that the story often in the media is around how many resources it takes to produce one almond. But the full story is that to get that almond a shell, hull, and tree are produced. How do we better use all of these resources and return them to the orchard? “Lots of this research is aligned with the Almond Board of California's orchard goals, and we're able to demonstrate we're actually doing this, and this is the efficacy of doing so,” says Sat Darshan Khalsa. Both Kirk and Sat Darshan Khalsa discuss being pro-active without having fear of testing new technologies and trials. Kirk's philosophy is “let's try it!” “Working with soil and farming, you get to find out about real life and it teaches you patience. You have to observe,” says Kirk. And when Sat Darshan Khalsa is asked how to help farmers make changes, he notes “its about teaching courage. A lot of people have willingness to try something new; it's about letting them know that there is support.”  Learn more about the Western SARE project.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

In today's episode we speak with Jonah Sloven, from Sweet Hollow Farm, a diversified organic farm in Victor, Idaho. Sweet Hollow Farm serves the neighboring Teton Valley community through their CSA, farm stand, and farmer's market.Jonah discusses how his travels from his environmental studies ultimately directed him to small-scale agriculture and its beneficial effect on communities. His ultimate goal is to connect people with their food.“For me, it's a lot more than growing vegetables. I really want to grow the community and connect people with their food.”Sweet Hollow Farm's crops include leafy greens, root crops, and greenhouse tomatoes. Jonah says the CSA is the main focus for Sweet Hollow. He enjoys growing directly for his customers, as well as getting to know them personally. In addition, the farm sells at the Jackson Hole Farmers Market and a few local restaurants.We'll hear how the seemingly intractable problem of bindweed can be suppressed through cardboard layer mulching. His Western SARE-funded project researching this practice is addressing three questions: does the cardboard mulching control weeds; is it financially feasible; and third, what effect does it have on the soil?Jonah explains how the project's preliminary results are very promising. Hand-weeding has already been nearly eliminated. The project will be expanded and replicated through a partnership with Central Wyoming College's Farm Incubator Program. (photo by Jonah Sloven)____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

In today's episode, we talk with Sara Wood of Wyoming Heritage Grains and Wyoming High Desert Malt, near Ralston Wyoming. Sara is a fifth-generation regenerative farmer and the operator of the state's only commercial flour mill.Located in the dry high mountain desert east of Yellowstone, Sara's and her family's operation has the distinction of being in one of the first large water projects in the country, started by Buffalo Bill Cody.Sara's family began homesteading in the area around 1908. The land had previously been part of Buffalo Bill Cody's country club. Now, her 250-acre farm produces beef cattle, alfalfa, a variety of heritage grains, and native corns. Acquiring a large stone mill manufactured in Austria, her operation now mills a variety of flours for baking, using heritage and heirloom grains.Sara sees her farm as part of a larger mission to bring regenerative, holistic, and ecosystem-based farming approaches to produce sustainable, nutrient-dense food while enhancing biodiversity on the land.“Producing a good high-quality crop will pay you leaps and bounds over pushing the boundaries on yields,' says Sara. “So important to look at these more native varieties… instead of providing for a commodity market, provide for your community.”In this talk, Sara discusses how her heritage flours can be eaten by gluten-sensitive people and describes the farming practices that are making a difference in her operation and allowing her to remain profitable. And she also addresses the financial and personal stresses today's farmers are experiencing.Photo credit: Vo von SehlenView Western SARE's photo essay of Wyoming Heritage GrainsResources mentioned in podcast: Ray Archuleta Soil Health Academy, Gabe Brown, Dale Strickler____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Today's guests are Tangy and Matt Bates who operate Blue Creek Livestock in Delta Junction Alaska. They aim to provide their community with fresh, natural meat – beef, lamb, and pork. Since the beginning, Blue Creek Cattle has been building soils and herds. Tangy and Matt talk about the opportunities and challenges of farming in Alaska.  The opportunities are plentiful, providing farmers and ranchers with room for creativity and profitability. The infrastructure, however, is not what it is in the lower 48. For example, there were challenges getting replacement heifers and custom butchering. The Bates faced a “huge learning curve” with the need to process and market their meat. With no one local to handle their volume for processing, they built their own butcher shop. “It has gone extremely well, and it just took that bottleneck out for us.”As they found their input costs higher than their revenues, Matt began researching cover crops and intensive grazing, and it made sense to him. Some in Alaska thought it wouldn't work there, but it has been very successful – with great forage producing fat cows, as well as lowering input costs.Next, they plan on burning bones from the butcher shop to make biochar.

Dan Macon is a University of California Farm Adviser and also the operator of Flying Mule Farm in Auburn California. Ryan Mahoney is a fifth-generation sheep and cattle rancher who operates Emigh Livestock, in Rio Vista California. Dan and Ryan are also participating in a Western SARE project demonstrating and evaluating how information from both electronic identification tags and better understanding of sheep genetics could be improve sheep production economic viability.Emigh Livestock produces “climate beneficial wool.” They put together a carbon farm plan – carbon emissions minus carbon sequestration. Through this they no longer sell in the bulk auction and receive a price premium. The end product is sold as 100% American processed fiber.“It's neat to see your wool in that finished product, says Ryan.”Flying Mule is also seeing changing markets.  Dan is beginning to work with a stronger market for replacement ewe lambs that can fit for targeted grazing operations to manage weeds or for reduce fuel loads.  Other opportunities and changing demand face the sheep industry. According to Dan, “real opportunities have been this shift during the pandemic in people eating and preparing food at home.” There is a rebound in interest in lamb at retail level and this has driven opportunities to ramp up production. Additionally, the non-tradition market of selling whole lambs, which are smaller than those sold in the commercial market - primarily due to California's ethnic diversity has been part of producers' attempts to adjust to drought and other conditions.  Learn more about the Western SARE project.

In Episode 4, we talk with Zach Thode and Elizabeth Black.Zach manages a large cattle ranch in Livermore Colorado. Elizabeth is an artist in Colorado and manages a Christmas tree farm. Elizabeth is also the project leader for The Citizen Science Soil Health Project, partially funded by a Western SARE grant and Zach is a producer participant in that project. The Citizen Science Soil Health Project is a grower-driven project which uses the collective knowledge of diverse participating growers to apply local solutions to soil health implementation conundrums.In addition to raising cattle, Zach grows forage crops which can be challenging in the high elevation and alkaline soils. Elizabeth was concerned about climate change and started learning about carbon sequestration. This led her to focusing on soil health and taking soil measurements to show what is working. The Citizen Science Soil Health Project originally aimed for 30 growers. The project now has 48 growers who all take soil samples for 10 years. The group is diverse – small organic vegetable growers, ranchers, and large commodity producers. The collaboration brings together agencies such as NRCS, academics, producers, policy makers. “It's a great opportunity for all of us to learn from each other so that we don't all have to fail in our efforts,” says Zach.   Building soil health is a complex problem without a simple answer or map. “We've tried a lot of things. It's not easy, but we're getting better.” It's important to have recommended best practices backed by on-the-ground data. Letting the data speak for itself helps build trust between producers and agencies. Learn more about The Citizen Science Soil Health Project.

In this episode, we talk with Don McNamara and Donna Rae Faulkner from Oceanside Farms in Homer Alaska. They raise a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, berries, and chickens, ducks and turkeys. They grow all of their produce and nine varieties of Alaska Certified Seed Potatoes without the use of synthetically based chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, or fertilizers.  The farm serves their local market.Don and Donna Rae practice Small Plot Intensive Farming (SPIN) and started out borrowing space in neighbor's yard and selling their produce on surf boards places on saw horses. They now have land near a road for their farm stand and built 10 high tunnels with drip irrigation. They have an honesty box at the farm stand and also sell to the local market through the Alaska Food Hub.They have worked in Kodiak Island villages, which typically has expensive imported food available, to set up hydroponics and growing their own food. Donna Rae, “They've gone from in many cases no in community veg growing to producing quite a lot of food” some are old airport sitesThey are enthusiastic about Korean Natural Farming, creating their own videos for others to learn from. “We want to be soil farmers as much as plant farmers”, says Don.

Today's episode features Bashira Muhammad, founder of Zoom Out Mycology as she talks about “Driving Sustainability with Fungi!” Zoom Out Mycology is a fungi farm based in Southern Oregon.   Their mission is to apply mycology towards a sustainable future.When asked “How does fungi save the planet,” Bashira lists “so many ways!”  She and her team focus on medicinal mushroom teas for holistic health, small batch sawdust production so their local community can grow their own food, and community education. They grow 18 different species. Bashira also leads a Western SARE Farmer/Rancher project, Mushroom Farming Research and Education to Bring Greater Equity and Diversity to the Food System. This project  educates farmers about outdoor reishi mushroom cultivation and researches the most water efficient ways to grow reishi mushrooms.         

Austin Allred, talking about his family's Royal Dairy in Washington,  proudly states that rather than contributing to climate change, Royal Dairy shows that farms like his can be an impactful part of the solution — in part by preventing the formation of greenhouse gases and boosting the capacity of his soil to draw down and sequester atmospheric carbon.  In this episode, Austin shares his passion and knowledge about the relationship ruminants have with the soil, which effortlessly leads to regenerative and sustainable farming. You'll hear about the importance of ruminants converting rotational crops to proteins valuable for human consumption. Austin also discusses carbon sequestration and how regenerative farming is the process that brings carbon into the soils. We need to bank carbon in our soils, and the role ruminants have in this process is significant.And you'll hear how Royal Dairy captures 70% of their animals' urine and manure and runs the liquid manure through 8 acres of worms combined with rock and wood chips to capture usable water and  high value worm castings.The family's long term approach has led to fewer inputs  and more outputs with the worm and compost farm.

 Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts created by Washington State University students.In this podcast, you'll hear from Shepherd's Grain  COO and Director of R&D Jeremy Bunch. He discusses what makes Shepherd's Grain unique and how they work with no-till wheat farmers.  The model links farmers with consumers. You'll learn more about the importance of traceability as well as no-till practices for soil health.Student team:  Mia Berry, Miguel Fuentes, James Pellervo, Mathew Zimmer 

 Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts by Washington State University students. In this episode, you'll hear from 5th generation farmer Allen Druffel, Bar Star Farm, as he talks about their use of no-till practices since the 1990s.Student team:  Kayleigh Brown, Mathew Morse, Mackenzie Cunningham, Martha Lum 

Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts. These podcasts were created by students in the Washington State University’s Systems Skills for Agriculture and Food Systems class. The students interviewed producers on topics such as regenerative agriculture, permaculture, marketing, economics, technology and more. We hope you enjoy and learn from their work.In this episode, Palouse wheat growers Kyle and Stacie Schultheis, Diamond S Farms, discuss the benefits they have seen using no-till practices. Kyle's grandfather started working with no-till in the 1970s when the ideas was very new. The farm has been 100% no-till for 20 years. Reduced soil erosion and moisture savings in the soil are two benefits described.

Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts. These podcasts were created by students in the Washington State University’s Systems Skills for Agriculture and Food Systems class. The students interviewed producers on topics such as regenerative agriculture, permaculture, marketing, economics, technology and more. We hope you enjoy and learn from their work.In this episode, Tim Nadreau of the Washington State University Economic School's Impact Center discusses how the disruptions of COVID impacted Washington agriculture and the economics behind the decline. He works with commodity groups and government agencies on policy assessments and impact analysis. The Impact Center works on developing new outlets for Washington commodities in export markets.

Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts. These podcasts were created by students in the Washington State University’s Systems Skills for Agriculture and Food Systems class. The students interviewed producers on topics such as regenerative agriculture, permaculture, marketing, economics, technology and more. We hope you enjoy and learn from their work.In this episode, Jon Paul Driver, Industry Analyst for Northwest Farm Credit Services in Spokane, curator of the Hay Kings Facebook Group, and host of the Hay Kings Podcast talks about the impact of COVID on the economy, environment, and supply chain.

Today’s guest is Nathan Hodges, who along with his wife Sage Dilts, runs Barn Owl Bakery on Lopez Island, Washington. He discusses why they are farming and sourcing heritage grains and using them in their baked goods; how the grains are processed locally; how the community plays a big role in their success; the results of his Western SARE research project; and what “right livelihood” means to them.The bakery came first, and then the growing of the grains. Nathan searches for grains that grow well in his climate and soils, taste good, and are highly nutritious. After learning about heirloom grains and doing their own research finding seed and growing them, “we fell in love with these old grains... and developed a relationship with the grains, appreciating what the old grains bring to our bakery and our farming."Heritage grains grow tall, and their root system mirrors this. Having grain with deep roots to access soil moisture is an advantage in their climate.Learn more at western.sare.org.

Today’s guest is Mike Nolan who, along with Mindy Perkovich, farms in the Mancos Valley in Southwest Colorado. Mountain Roots Produce provides the local and regional community high quality and reasonably priced vegetables.Mike discusses their commitment to building soil health, a strong local food system, and a profitable business, all while facing challenges brought on by COVID and limited water in the high desert climate.Prior to COVID, the farm typically received 60% of their gross income from regional restaurants and retail. They were planning on decreasing their CSA shares. Since COVID hit, they lost much of that business and wound up increasing their CSA shares from 70 to 175. “It was challenging to meet those deliverables every week,” says Mike, due to labor shortages, limited water, and changing protocols in how customers picked up their shares.The farm was “flooded with interest” after 10 years of encouraging the community to see the importance of supporting a local farm. Mike wonders, is this an actual change to buy directly from local producers or about food security during COVID?Mike also discusses the complexity of farming in region with limited water. “It takes a lot of coordination… to make sure we had enough to push our crops.” They plan on moving back to growing storage crops and reduce CSA shares due to a predication of even less water for the high succession, high management vegetable crops.Mindy focuses on creating a beautiful website and blog. Last year they took a chance with a sponsored ad. In two weeks with two $60 ads, their online store sold $6,500 in product.Mike also talks about his time in a local incubator program, in which he’s still involved as mentor. Hear his wise farming and marketing advice for beginning farmers.

Sally Gale, who along with husband Mike, operates Chileno Valley Ranch in Marin County California. She and Mike returned to the family ranch in 1993, restoring buildings, infrastructure, and the land. They planted hundreds of apple and pear trees and started a grass-fed beef business selling directly to the local community.Sally discusses how they learned by reaching out to family ranchers, NRCS, ag extension, and the Marin Resource Conservation District to make progress on restoring the degraded land. About their work to restore eight creeks, improve pastureland, and expand wildlife habitat, she says they definitely didn’t work alone.“I’m a believer in if you want to do something, you’ll find a way to do it.” Sally and Mike jumped in and now have a profitable ranch with restored creeks and habitat.You’ll hear how they were successful by fencing off areas of the creeks, providing off-creek water sources for the cattle, planting native plants, and improving the soil through good carbon farming practices.Sally now works in partnerships with RCD and Extension to help other ranches. She recommends always reaching out for assistance and getting involved in the community, as the land and waterways are all connected.“Our land is not an island… we are all connected.”Be sure to catch the ending when Sally discusses her work with the Chileno Valley Newt Brigade!

Chris Sayer is a successful fifth generation farmer in Ventura County. He grows citrus and avocados, and experiments with other specialty crops such as figs, persimmons, apples, and apricots. Chris returned to the family farm in 2001 and has become passionate about soil health and regenerative agriculture. “I inherited well-maintained but old trees. So I’ve had to look down the road, replace trees, and get set up for the next 30-40 years.” He discusses his ever evolving soil health and IPM practices as he continues to adapt to climate change and drought and to improve the land. Since the trees will last 30-40 years, he wants to give them the best soil possible, using 20 different species of cover crops over the past 15 years. Chris has seen organic matter greatly increase. Petty Ranch uses beneficial insects to manage pests and reduce chemical inputs. Lastly, Chris focuses on water efficiency, which has allowed him to continue farming successfully during times of drought. It’s important to Chris to work with nature and find a balance. “We should always be looking at impacts on the farm and keep them as minimal as possible, and localized to farm, with maximized benefits.”Photo by Chris Sayer

In this episode, Emily Cornell and Sarah Bangert discuss prescriptive grazing effects on rangeland. Emily is a cow-calf rancher with Sol Ranch and Cornell Ranch in Northeastern New Mexico. She markets grass fed beef and also manages an apprenticeship program for beginning ranchers. She talks about the importance of soil health, especially in an area with limited water, as well as impacts on processing and marketing due to COVID-19. About soil health, Emily says, ““Paying attention to soil health is the most important thing a rancher can do,” especially in such a brittle environment with limited water and low decomposition. Sarah runs a prescriptive grazing business with goats. She talks about her work with Emily and one other rancher on a SARE project studying the effects on the landscape with targeted grazing. Listen in as Emily and Sarah talk about the importance of thinking about how nature does things, and still produce a profit every year.Learn more at westernsare.org

Today’s guest is Taylor Larson, who along with his two brothers and parents, operates My Brothers’ Farm in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. First generation farmers, they raise bison, pigs, and hazelnuts on the land on which they were raised. Taylor describes creating effective frameworks to determine a vision of regenerative agriculture with multiple partners and the importance of returning to the frameworks for decision-making. "We looking at what we are bringing into this world through our operations," says Taylor. "And it has grown beyond my wildest dreams."You’ll also hear why Taylor views the partnerships between farmers and researchers as crucial to moving sustainable agriculture forward. Taylor has Western SARE farmer-rancher grant to study the potential for shake and catch harvesting in hazelnut production.

Western SARE completed our first season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 2, we are sharing some special podcasts. These podcasts were created as a senior project in Montana State University's Sustainable Food & Bioenergy Systems class.In this podcast, Jill Falcon Mackin, doctoral candidate at Montana State University, discusses Food Sovereignty for indigenous people. From the Turtle Mountain Band of the Ojibwe Tribe, she focuses on Native American food systems and land management practices.Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.In this podcast, you will learn about the importance of access to land to hunt and harvest traditional foods, the challenges with food processing, key policy needs, and how the idea of food sovereignty connects with the Ojibwe worldview. Jill discusses the significance of "taking control of our health and our land." She also mentions work with the Blackfeet Tribe Agriculture Resource Management Plan, a project Western SARE has been proud to support.

Western SARE completed our first season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 2, we are sharing some special podcasts. These podcasts were created as a senior project in Montana State University's Sustainable Food & Bioenergy Systems class. In this episode, student Nathaniel Bowman talks with Rocky Creek Farm's co-founder Matt Rothschiller about small scale vegetable production, integrating animals, successful marketing, and the importance of diversifying production.Learn more about Western SARE: westernsare.org

Aaron and Hansel Kern are owners along with Sue and Rebecca Kern, of Kern Family Farm. The multi-generational farm is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. In this episode,you’ll hear about their passion for community and conservation; trials with no-till and cover cropping; and the transition to the next generation. The farm is certified organic and they use regenerative farming practices. The Kerns are dedicated to re-cultivating connections between the people and the land in which their food and lives depend upon. They are focused on education, working with apprentices and WWOOFers. The Kerns also operate a grocery store to help provide healthy food to their local community.Roles are changing on this multi-generational farm. Aaron talks about his knowing about wanting to be a farmer from a very early age, and Hansel discusses his "gently relinquishing management to Aaron."The Kerns are big believers in cover cropping; working for 20 years toward getting their organic matter up. Hansel gives credit to the next generation for moving away from mechanical spader, going no-till, and having their organic matter grew even more.Aaron Kern is participating in a Western SARE funded project, Effects of Occultation on Weed Pressure, Labor Costs, Product Quality, and Yield in Sustainable Vegetable Production in Northern California.Note: this podcast was recorded prior to the impacts on agriculture due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a follow up, Aaron told us that the farm has gone through changes and stresses. However, the community is really supporting local foods with a renewed interest. Their farm store sales have greatly increased, off-setting the loss of restaurant and farmers market sales. People are reaching out to them for advise on starting gardens and even buying plants from them out of their newfound interest in growing their own food. The interns that live on farm are constantly expressing gratitude to be sheltered in place on a farm in nature. The challenge is keeping everyone, especially those in the high-risk category, safe and healthy. Learn more about Western SARE: westernsare.org

Jessica Gigot and her family own Harmony Fields located in the Skagit Valley, Washington. They make artisan farmstead sheep cheese and also grow organic herbs. Their mission is to produce nutritious, high-quality food using organic and ecological farming techniques. In this fifth episode, recorded prior to the impacts of COVID-19, Jessica shares important lessons that seem even more critical today. She discusses Harmony Field’s relationships with a local wholesale food hub, the creation of a cheese CSA, and other efforts toward a resilient regional food system. You’ll hear how food hubs promote efficiencies for both the farmer and the consumer and the importance for small farms to have different marketing outlets. “Farming is humbling, invigorating, and a very creative process,” says Jessica.As she and her family continue to learn important lessons about animal health, soil health, and crop management, they are striving for self-sufficiency through a closed loop system. Jessica also discusses her SARE-funded on-farm research and demonstration project looking at how sheep grazing impacts soil and potato crops. You can read more about her project's results on the SARE website.

In our fourth episode, you'll hear from Kurt Myllymaki, manager and VP of Helmak and owner of Myllymaki Farm. Kurt is a third generation farmer in Stanford Montana. The farms grow a variety of crops, mainly winter wheat. He and his wife operate a cow-calf operation on land leased from the family farm operation. The family farm has been in operation since the 1930s and Kurt has been an integral part of the operation for over 15 years. Kurt and his family have found success - both in improving their soils and in profitability - by greatly increasing the diversity of crops grown; adding cover crops; and changing livestock practices.The farm originally grew wheat and barley. Now canola, oats, chickpeas, flax, and yellow pea have been added, as well as 10-12 cover crops. Kurt also changed his calving season and grazing practices over the years. You'll hear from Kurt about the importance of intellectual curiosity - the importance of using this curiosity to "keep working to get better and researching on what you can improve upon."Learn more at westernsare.org(photo credit: Stacie Clary)

In our third episode, you’ll listen to the folks at Vilicus Farms, a first-generation organic, dryland crop farm located in Havre, Montana. Anna Jones-Crabtree, Doug Crabtree, and Paul Neubauer discuss honestly their successes and challenges as they built the operation from scratch as young farmers and in the face of climate variability. They hold a vision of bringing in new farmers who see agriculture as a solution. They talk about how, in 10 years, the farm grew from 1,280 acres to 7,400 acres and how they are cultivating a conservation-based ethic for sustainable food production, training beginning farmers, and forging different relationships with buyers so that the risk and reward across the supply chain is more equitably shared with farmers. Climate variability is playing a larger role than anticipated: “We underestimated the impact of climate change on production.” This has influenced Anna and Doug wanting to help get more young people involved. They have a concern that there are not enough people in ag to begin with and yet ag can be a solution. So they want to see more young people get involved. So they started their apprenticeship program and share their experience and skills. “We are committed to building a farm that is, as much as possible, is a self-sustaining organism, that has minimal reliance on external inputs,” which is important during the time of climate change. They strive to share the risk between the buyer and seller. They grow under contract and strive for multi-year contracts. Vilicus Farms sells acres, not by volume and try to negotiate a floor and include a ceiling so there is safety for both buyer and seller. “We try to make it about relationships, not just financial transactions.”(photo by Vilicus Farms)Learn more at westernsare.org/

Greg Giguiere, Matchbook Wines in Yolo County California, discusses farming 2,000 acres of grapes and olives on this multi-generational farm while at the same time preserving wetlands and other natural habitat for wildlife. Greg describes working with IPM methods including using owl boxes and his participation in research on owls as control for rodents. He gives specific examples of sustainable practices the vineyard uses such as cover crops, double drip systems, and compost. You’ll hear about his ideas for more holistic approaches and saving energy and water as the vineyard moves into the future, how he learns from previous generations, and how he tests his ideas – all while striving for the best quality wines. According to Greg, “A big part of farming is being connected to the land. So a lot of what we do goes to that. I’ve very interested in reducing chemical inputs into our system and moving away from a monoculture and having more biodiversity.” Talking about the barn owl project in partnership with UC Davis and Sacramento State University students, and partly funded by Western SARE, Greg has stated, “My family’s been growing wine grapes here since the 1970s, and controlling rodents is a big part of our integrated pest management program. We have 40 owl boxes on the farm.” Matchbook Wines is moving toward a holistic approach, looking at different products that build up the soils. They look at soil samples and tissue samples, while also looking at wine quality block by block. “It’s a process of leaning and realizing that there have to be some challenges and some failures.” He stresses the importance of having clear, long term goals to move toward.(photo by Steve Elliott, Western IPM Center/Western SARE)Learn more at westernsare.org/.

Brendon Rockey, co-owner of Rockey Farms in San Luis Valley of Colorado, tells us how the multi-generational family farm has experimented and implemented one new farming practice after another, steadily increasing their sustainability, profitability, soil health and crop quality. The family originally identified a desire to eliminate toxic chemicals; and then realized with their poor soil health and the lack of diversity, they didn’t have a system to reduce the chemicals. They made changes one at a time and now they raise a healthy crop with a focus of bringing life back into the system. “I think a lot of times we get stuck in this dynamic that we always think that we have to grow more crops in order to make more money,” he says. “We decided to do a higher quality crop and really became more efficient with our inputs. The way we're farming now, we feel like we've really eliminated a lot of expenses of growing the crops. Every time we spend the money now the focus is on investing in the soil.”You'll hear about the steps Brendon and his family have taken toward bringing life to the soil, which grows a good crop, and in turn create healthier human beings. They are focused on communities -- microbe, insect, people. “For a while, we were stuck in this real linear mindset that whenever we had a problem we’d go out and try to kill the problem off,” he says. “Adding living components to our farm are now controlling those insect populations. We’re growing a crop to feed other people, so it’s all about life. It was really confusing to me that with all this life, we were trying to solve our problems with death.”“So instead, now we want this dynamic living system that functions properly and in the end we end up with a good crop. And it’s helping create healthier human beings as well. It’s all about this positive life.”Learn more at westernsare.org/Photo Credit: Rockey Farms