Pollinate

We are back with a new special episode of Pollinate! On this episode we are on location at Sutliff Farm & Cider House in Lisbon, Iowa. Paul sits down with Scott Ervin, who opened Sutliff Cider with his wife back in 2002. They discuss the beginnings of opening up a cidery in Iowa, the challenges of making cider for the first time, and the great community of people who's support continues to make Sutliff such a great place to be every weekend.

On our season finale of Pollinate, we have both Chef Matt Steigerwald and Paul Rasch back in Studio Bee. In this special episode, we hear about the intricate life story of Wilson's Orchard & Farm owner, Paul Rasch. Paul takes us on a journey, detailing the major events and chapters in his life. They discuss the early years working on his family's farm in Michigan, current cider culture, living in India, owning an apple juice company in China, the future of Wilson's Orchard & Farm, and much much more all on our season finale of Pollinate. Learn more about Wilson's Orchard & Farm: https://www.wilsonsorchard.com/ Watch all episodes of Pollinate on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WilsonsOrchardFarm/

Barry Greenberg, executive chef at the University of Iowa Housing and Dining and competition cook, stops by Studio Bee for this week's episode of Pollinate. On today's episode, Paul and Greenberg discuss serving local foods at a larger scale, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their cafeteria-style service to university students. Barry Greenberg has been at the University for just shy of 30 years, and is committed to creativity and food innovation, including serving up dishes inspired by the many cultural influences that make up the University of Iowa student body. By building relationships with local growers, he and his team can provide meals that use fresh ingredients from farms throughout the area. Learn more about Wilson's Orchard & Farm: https://www.wilsonsorchard.com/ Watch Pollinate on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WilsonsOrchardFarm/

On this week’s episode of Pollinate we have very special guest, Paul’s brother Mike Rasch. Paul describes brother Mike as "extremely hard working, generous to a fault, ugly as a toad, but all in all, an awfully damn good fruit farmer." Paul and Mike sit down to discuss what it was like growing up in the Rasch family, owning and operating a U-Pick cherry and apple orchard, and the current trends and challenges within the fruit business. Rasch Cherries & Apples, part of Fruit Ridge Markets, is a U-Pick cherry and apple orchard out of Conklin, Michigan. They offer U-Pick and fresh pre-picked sweet and sour cherries, U-Pick apples, pumpkins, fresh peaches, fresh baked goods and custom made to order cakes as well as offering some fall attractions such as a sunflower maze and hayrides. Learn more about Rasch Cherries & Apples: https://www.fruitridgemarket.com/rasch-cherries/?fbclid=IwAR273nyMB5xCQ2gbgi3a7ziPLL3y164TZTDhNb68ea8GL1b-c0D9PHoxU5I Learn more about Wilson's Orchard & Farm: https://www.wilsonsorchard.com/ Watch Pollinate on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WilsonsOrchardFarm/

Michelle Kenyon, Director of Field to Family stops by this week for another episode of Pollinate. Their organization envisions a region where people eat with the seasons, where farmers make a living, and our ecosystem is diverse, abundant, and healthy. On this episode, they discuss the mission of Field to Family, building local food hubs, and the importance of providing an education of where our food comes from at a young age. Field to Family is a mission-driven, nonprofit that provides food system education; supports a shared vision of a community food system that enhances our economic, environmental and community health; and expands access to locally grown and produced food to all citizens in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids region. Learn more about Field to Family: https://fieldtofamily.org/ Learn more about Wilson's Orchard & Farm: https://www.wilsonsorchard.com/ Watch Pollinate on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WilsonsOrchardFarm/

On this week's episode of Pollinate, Matt sits down with friends Samuel and Phoebe Charles of Rodina restaurant. Like many restaurants and small businesses who faced a challenging year, Rodina has had to strategize new ways to keep their restaurant going and to continue to serve to their customers. On today's episode they discuss the humble beginnings of Rodina, opening up a corner store, and what they have planned for the future. Located in Historic Czech Village in Cedar Rapids, Rodina offers Midwest comfort food in traditional family style fashion where the food is sourced local, sustainable, and humanely raised as much as possible. Learn more about Rodina: https://www.rodinaiowa.com/ Learn more about Wilson's Orchard & Farm: https://www.wilsonsorchard.com/ Watch Pollinate on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WilsonsOrchardFarm/

On this week's episode of Pollinate, Paul sits down with longtime friend and "Founding Father" of Wilson's Orchard and Farm, Jack Neuzil. Jack has had many roles out at Wilson's Orchard, most famously driving the beloved Bessie the Tractor. They discuss his time over the years at Wilson's, local construction projects, tall tales, and his encyclopedic knowledge of dinosaurs. Jack Neuzil is known far and wide for having an insatiable interest in learning. "There is no greater testament to your impact on people than the fact that everybody that I know credits you with having such an inquisitive mind."

Chef Matt Steigerwald, head chef at Rapid Creek Cidery, makes his debut on this week's episode of Pollinate. Today they discuss the importance of finding good locally sourced products and building strong relationships with those growers, the craze behind cooking shows and other online food media, and what the title of "Chef" really means. Apart from many features and praise from Iowa and midwest publications, Chef Steigerwald has received positive notices from wide-ranging media outlets, including the James Beard Foundation, the Travel Channel, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Week Magazine, and O, The Oprah Magazine.

Jeff Quint, owner of Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery joins Paul this week for another episode of Pollinate. Recently claiming the title of Iowa's #1 selling bourbon, Cedar Ridge has made a name for themselves as the first distillery to open in Iowa since Prohibition -- garnering international recognition and prestigious awards for their Iowa-made wine & spirits. On this episode, they discuss the beginning of Cedar Ridge, the process of making Iowa spirits, and the Quint family legacy. Pour a glass and enjoy.

Bill Evans, founder of Open Gates Group joins Paul this week for another episode of Pollinate. Open Gates Group provides human resources, business planning, administrative, and marketing services for their family of eight Kalona, Iowa based companies. They discuss the future of organic foods as well as the challenges of how to build a strong local food system. "We are a group of entrepreneurial people who care about service and making our world a better place. Our mission is simple, create value and enhance lives. This mission echoes throughout the halls of our three facilities located in rural Kalona, Iowa." Learn more about Open Gates Group: http://www.opengatesgroup.com/ Learn more about Wilson's Orchard & Farm: https://www.wilsonsorchard.com/

Angie Scharnhorst from Bountiful Harvest Farm stops by Studio Bee on this week's episode of Pollinate. Paul and Angie discuss community supported agriculture, and the importance of building meaningful connections with customers and their farmer. By purchasing a share each season, members of a CSA program invest in more than just weekly deliveries of local produce, they have real skin in the game -- sharing the cost and reaping the benefits of each growing season. Learn More about Bountiful Harvest Farm: https://www.bountifulharvestcsa.com/ Learn More about Wilson's Orchard & Farm: https://www.wilsonsorchard.com/

Former owner of an apple orchard now real estate agent, Mike Pilarczyk joins Paul on the podcast this week. They discuss the good, the bad, and the ugliness of running an orchard. Mike takes us through the humble beginnings, the day to day challenges and the overall experiences he learned through this bold endeavor. Learn More about Wilson's Orchard & Farm: https://www.wilsonsorchard.com

We're talking hard cider with Wilson's Hard Cider Beverage Production manager, Greg Ruth.

John Kroul from Kroul Farms outside of Mt. Vernon, Iowa joins Paul on the podcast this week. Kroul Farms is a family-run farm that has been around since the early 1900s. Their diversified farm provides an experience that customers can enjoy throughout the year. They discuss some of the rewards of farming and some of the challenges they've faced over the years which have led to changing how things are done on both farms. Learn More about Kroul Farms: https://www.kroulfarms.com/ Learn More about Wilson's Orchard & Farm: https://www.wilsonsorchard.com

Paul Rasch, owner of Wilson's Orchard & Farm, and Kyle Tester, Farm Manager, sit down and discuss challenges they've faced this year and how our farm is reacting.

Introducing: Pollinate, a new podcast from Studio Bee at Wilson's Orchard & Farm. We're talking all things local. Farming, food, drink, a bit of policy, and the challenges of creating strong, local food systems. Each week, we'll introduce you to some of the people who are putting in the work, and we hope you'll tune in. The first episode is up now on our YouTube channel, and where ever podcasts are found!