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For too long, the personal property model, instituted by white settlers, has dominated the agricultural space. This has resulted in an unjust, inequitable system within which less than 2% of farmland is owned by people of color. The Agrarian Trust is on a mission to change this through “transitioning farmland from a commoditized market place into a community-centered commons.”For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/agrarian-trustSend us a Text Message.EARLY BIRD SALE: Save 20% when you register for our fall cohort of The Next Economy MBA before July 29th. Learn more: https://lifteconomy.com/mbaSupport the Show.
Severine von Tscharner Welcome is the founder of Agrarian Trust. https://www.agrariantrust.org
The average age of an American farmer is 65. More and more farmland is transitioned to other purposes, such as condos, suburban homes, or commercial properties. Each year we loose about 400,000 acres to development. So how can we reverse this trend. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station as they speak with Ian McSweeney, organizational director of the Agrarian Trust, and organization that seeks to transform the ownership of land using the Agrarian Commons model – transitioning vast tracks of privately held land to a non-profit community status and encouraging new farmers into the field - bringing a sense of equity and purpose to those involved in agriculture.
This week on Meat and Three, we're traversing across the country to learn how members of diasporic communities are preserving cultural heritage through seed saving. We'll introduce you to farmers growing Korean perilla in California, Hmong medicinal herbs and indigenous corn in Wisconsin, and Somali water spinach in Maine. Further Reading:Learn more about Trade Roots Farm here.Hear the full episode of Eat Your Heartland Out with Yusuf Bin-Rella here.Learn more about Kristyn Leach and Second Generation Seeds here. Follow the work of Liberation Farms and the Somali Bantu Community Association here. Learn more about the history of the Somali Bantu community in their own words here.The Agrarian Trust supports marginalized communities in accessing and owning farmland through the creation of agrarian commons such as the Little Jubba Agrarian Commons. Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.
The implementation and growth of regenerative agriculture practices that heal the land and feed people rely on getting the land into the hands of people willing to implement these practices. Yet too often, land access is a barrier for many small and mid-sized farmers, and especially difficult for Black, Indigenous, and Farmers of Color. The issue of land access has only gotten more urgent as close to 4 million acres of land are about to change hands and land prices have skyrocketed. To address land access and to build and sustain the regenerative agriculture movement, it will take a radical reimagining and shift of thinking. In today's River Talk, we sit down with Kristina Villa the Communications Director and Agrarian Commons Relationship and Strategy Specialist with Agrarian Trust. In our conversation, we discuss land access and how the Agrarian Commons model is pushing forward a new model of land ownership. Agrarian Trust is addressing the realities of farmland owner demographics, wealth disparities, farm viability, and all who are excluded and marginalized from land and food by holding farmland in community-centered commons and providing long-term, equitable land access for next generation farmers and ranchers. Find more information on our blog: https://cumberlandrivercompact.org/2023/02/16/agrarian-commons-regenerative-agriculture/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thecompact/message
Ian McSweeney, from the Agrarian Trust, shares with us the work this organization is doing across the United States. It's centered on the human connection to the land and each other. Ian shares his commitment to bringing about innovations to holistically evolve farmland ownership, conservation, equity, secure and affordable access, tenure, and relationship through The Agrarian Commons.
Ian McSweeney is the director of Agrarian Trust, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support land access for the next generation of farmers. He believes that we need to create a new story about how land ownership works in our society, innovating new and more just ways for people of all walks of life to have access to land. Ian and show host Neal discuss their shared background working as social workers, their shared frustration by the rigid systems that can act as impediments to progress, and how big changes can come to those systems from social movements that start small but over time inspire exponentially growing numbers of people. Ian talks about how many farmers, especially those of color, have a disadvantage in accessing land and how Agrarian Trust is working to correct that injustice. See more of Ian's work at www.agrariantrust.org.
A conversation with Ian McSweeney and Abbott Bailey about Church land stewardship and the Agrarian Commons work of the Agrarian Trust. A discussion on “how land is owned, how tenure and equity are conveyed, and how land stewardship is carried out.
Our guest today is April Jones, founder of the Pinehurst farmer's market in Columbia, South Carolina and an advocate for the food justice and food sovereignty movement. April is a writer, a public speaker, a blogger, a recipe developer book reviewer, and is passionate about community gardens and farmer's markets. She contributes content to her blog, Frolicking Americana, and to numerous publications, including Mother Earth News, Country Lore, The Natural Farmer, The Agrarian Trust, Cornucopia Institute, and Farmer's Market Coalition. April's work is in creating a resilient food system, farmer's markets and creating community change around food. Some of the topics covered in this conversation include food apartheid as opposed to food justice and food sovereignty, the value of farmer's markets in community and culture, soil mitigation, bringing civility into our communities, and how food reflects value systems. Listen to the episode onhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-dirt/id1492217846 ( Apple Podcasts),https://open.spotify.com/show/2lpelAmHPGbMVdOOpxhxTo ( Spotify),https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-good-dirt-981565 ( Podchaser),https://podtail.com/en/podcast/the-good-dirt/ ( Podtail), https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvDK7OzPMsJUXQDwqF7LN2pBTUBThKFim (Youtube), or on your favorite podcast platform. Topics Covered: Beginning of Pinehurst Farmer's Market Food Apartheid/ food deserts Food Justice and Food Sovereignty How the farmer's market benefits the community Farmer's Markets as a reflection of local culture Soil mitigation Bringing resources to communities Educating for food sovereignty Civility in our communities Value systems reflected through food Resources Mentioned: https://www.rareseeds.com/ (Baker Creek Seed Company) https://www.king.senate.gov/ (Angus King) https://www.npr.org/people/2101154/ari-shapiro (Ari Shapiro (NPR)) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Ingalls_Wilder (Laura Ingalls Wilder) Agrarian Trust (VA) Native Indigenous Conference (MN) Connect with April: https://www.facebook.com/pinehurstfarmersmarket (@pinehurstfarmersmarket on Facebook) April's Blog, http://frolickingamericana.blogspot.com/ (Frolicking Americana) About Lady Farmer: Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. https://lady-farmer.com/blogs/the-good-dirt-podcast (Our Website) @weareladyfarmer on https://www.instagram.com/thegooddirtph/ (Instagram) Join http://almanac.lady-farmer.com/ (The Lady Farmer ALMANAC) Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026 Statements in this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not to be considered as medical or nutritional advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and should not be considered above the advice of your physician. Consult a medical professional when making dietary or lifestyle decisions that could affect your health and well being.
Our guest today is April Jones, founder of the Pinehurst farmer's market in Columbia, South Carolina and an advocate for the food justice and food sovereignty movement. April is a writer, a public speaker, a blogger, a recipe developer book reviewer, and is passionate about community gardens and farmer's markets. She contributes content to her blog, Frolicking Americana, and to numerous publications, including Mother Earth News, Country Lore, The Natural Farmer, The Agrarian Trust, Cornucopia Institute, and Farmer's Market Coalition. April's work is in creating a resilient food system, farmer's markets and creating community change around food. Some of the topics covered in this conversation include food apartheid as opposed to food justice and food sovereignty, the value of farmer's markets in community and culture, soil mitigation, bringing civility into our communities, and how food reflects value systems. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, Youtube, or on your favorite podcast platform. Topics Covered: Beginning of Pinehurst Farmer's Market Food Apartheid/ food deserts Food Justice and Food Sovereignty How the farmer's market benefits the community Farmer's Markets as a reflection of local culture Soil mitigation Bringing resources to communities Educating for food sovereignty Civility in our communities Value systems reflected through food Resources Mentioned: Baker Creek Seed Company Angus King Ari Shapiro (NPR) Laura Ingalls Wilder Agrarian Trust (VA) Native Indigenous Conference (MN) Connect with April: @pinehurstfarmersmarket on Facebook April's Blog, Frolicking Americana About Lady Farmer: Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout. Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026 Statements in this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not to be considered as medical or nutritional advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and should not be considered above the advice of your physician. Consult a medical professional when making dietary or lifestyle decisions that could affect your health and well being.
Filipino-Hawaiian farmer Emily Trabolsi joins Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good to talk about what farming in the Pacific Northwest looks like from a cooperative perspective. Learn about growing upland rice just outside Seattle. Hear about the Agrarian Trust organization and their concept of land and resource sharing, and then Emily shares examples of successful cooperatives from around the world. Washington Farmland Trust expanded to have a statewide presence in fall 2021, and that's where Emily's work with them comes in. She explains how she helps to connect farmers with land and resources and to facilitate equitable, long-term lease arrangements through the Farm to Farmer program. Emily enthusiastically talks about ideas to bring people together and support new farmers. Emily brings us into the concept of “putting the culture back in agriculture,” becoming connected to our food system, and why that $6 bag of salad mix is worth every bit of $6. Finally, she shares her two favorite farm meals—because she couldn't pick just one. The recipe for a delicious Filipino pork dish is linked below! Email Emily Trabolsi Emily Trabolsi's personal on Instagram Emily Trabolsi's farming Instagram Washington Farmland Trust Farm to Farmer Agrarian Trust Kamayan Farm Ayeko Farm Modest Family Solutions Emily's go-to recipe for humba
"Liberation Farms is food justice in action. It is a demonstration of the success that is possible when marginalized communities have the opportunity to organize and lead themselves." Today, we hear from Lana and Muhidin, the farm manager and executive director respectively, of Liberation Farms in Lewiston, Maine. Liberation farms is a 200+ acre farm in the Little Jubba Agrarian Commons. Sound familiar? This was one of the first farms moved into the agrarian commons framework by the Agrarian Trust (listen to my conversation with them here). Lana and Muhidin tell us how the farm and commons began, how the land is used to meet the personal, economic, and cultural needs of the Somali Bantu community, the ways in which the farmers self-organize into iskashito groups, a little about access to farmland in Somalia, and how they are working to bridge the agricultural divide between Somalia and the US as well as current and future generations of Somali Bantu farmers. Follow Liberation Farms on Instagram Check out their very informative website & contribute to Liberation Farms Mentioned in the show... The history of the Somali Bantu peoples The Seed Growers Podcast w/ Dan Brisebois Thank y'all so much for listening. This podcast is brought to you by Certified Naturally Grown & Growing for Market Magazine. It's also brought to you by growers like you. If you got something from this podcast, or any of our podcasts, you can support our work for a few bucks a month at notillgrowers.com/support. Please rate/review, follow us on Instagram @collaborativefarming or @notillgrowers, share this podcast with your farming friends, and let us know who/what you'd like to hear on The Collaborative Farming Podcast. Remember, many hands make light work.
#061: Young Farmers Coalition & Greenhorns Co-Founder Severine Von Tscharner Fleming talks us through the battle for fair pricing, good policies, and healthy ecosystems facing seaweed farmers in Maine. Severine Von Tscharner Fleming is a farmer, activist, and organizer based in Downeast Maine. She runs Smithereen Farm, a MOFGA certified organic wild blueberry, seaweed, and orchard operation which hosts summer camps, camping, and educational workshops. She is a founder and board member of Agrarian Trust and current director of the Greenhorns, a 13 year old grassroots organization whose mission is to recruit, promote, and support the incoming generation of farmers in America. To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/severine-von-tscharner-fleming-who-controls-seaweed-farming-episode-sixty-oneThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/
for full show notes see youtube page- THIS ONE HAS A LOT
For too long, the personal property model, instituted by white settlers, has dominated the agricultural space. This has resulted in an unjust, inequitable system within which less than 2% of farmland is owned by people of color. The Agrarian Trust is on a mission to change this through “transitioning farmland from a commoditized market place into a community-centered commons.”For the show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/agrarian-trustSubscribe to Next Economy Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you find podcasts.---LIFT Economy NewsletterJoin 7000+ subscribers and get our free 60 point business design checklist—plus monthly tips, advice, and resources to help you build the Next Economy: https://lifteconomy.com/newsletter---Next Economy MBAThis episode is brought to you by the Next Economy MBA.What would a business education look like if it was completely redesigned for the benefit of all life? This is why the team at LIFT Economy created the Next Economy MBA (https://lifteconomy.com/mba).The Next Economy MBA is a nine month online course for folks who want to learn key business fundamentals (e.g., vision, culture, strategy, and operations) from an equitable, inclusive, and regenerative perspective.Join the growing network of 250+ alumni who have been exposed to new solutions, learned essential business skills, and joined a lifelong peer group that is catalyzing a global shift towards an economy that works for all life.Learn more at https://lifteconomy.com/mba.---Show Notes + Other LinksFor detailed show notes and interviews with past guests, please visit https://lifteconomy.com/podcastIf you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts by visiting: https://bit.ly/nexteconomynowTwitter: https://twitter.com/LIFTEconomyInstagram: https://instagram.com/lifteconomy/Facebook: https://facebook.com/LIFTEconomy/YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/LifteconomyMusic by Chris Zabriskie: https://chriszabriskie.com/The spring cohort of the Next Economy MBA is officially open! Save 20% when you register before 1/29 with our early-bird sale ➡️ https://lifteconomy.com/mba
This is an interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, an Adjunct Faculty member of the DePaul University's College of Law, Refugee and Forced Migrations Studies Program and the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. The podcast celebrates the cooperative work of Somali refugee farmers in Maine and elsewhere demonstrating the talents and gifts they bring to our nation. The podcast also urges listeners to email their congressional Representative to vote for the Afghan Adjustment Act.ACTION STEP: We provide two links to offer background information and to email your congressional Representative to vote for the Afghan Adjustment Act. Refugee One recommends this link to email your Representative in support of the Afghan Adjustment Act: https://humanrightsfirst.quorum.us/campaign/36088/For additional information about the proposed Act or Refugee One, visit its website at: https://www.refugeeone.org/afghanistan.html The Pennsylvania Council of Churches also provides background information and a link to email to your Representative at: https://pachurchesadvocacy.org/pass-afghan-adjustment-act/The information on Little Juba and the Agrarian Trust came from two articles. Initially, this podcast was inspired by Katy Kelleher's article, “Maine's Somali Bantus Are Reenvisioning American Farming,” Down East: https://downeast.com/features/maines-somali-bantus-are-reenvisioning-american-farming/ The article contains the specific information on percentage of farmland owned by white famers and non-white farmers, information on the Somali produce grown at Little Juba, and the Agrarian Trust.The quote from the Somali farmer and the quote on percentage of farm ownership by white persons can be found in an article by Audrea Lim, “‘We're trying to re-create the lives we had': the Somali migrants who became Maine farmers,” The Guardian, February 25, 2021."For more information on the Agrarian Trust, see: https://agrariantrust.orgInformation on Portland, Maine's services and hospitality to asylum seekers and refugees comes from Eric Russell, “We bring our dreams with us. All of us,” Portland Press Herald, November 14, 2021: https://www.pressherald.com/2021/11/14/we-bring-our-dreams-with-us-all-of-us/The Center for American Progress Report contains the information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the quote on immigrants breathing “fresh life” into rural areas and the information about Arcola, Illinois including the statistics on the Hispanic population of Arcola. It provides the statistics regarding United States rural population from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Revival and Opportunity, Immigrants in Rural American,” September 2, 2018: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/revival-and-opportunity/Information on the New Roots community farms sponsored by the International Rescue Committee can be found in “How refugee farmers are confronting food insecurity in the U.S.” October 14, 2021: https://www.rescue.org/article/how-refugee-farmers-are-confronting-food-insecurity-us
We've heard about land trusts, conservation easements, maybe community trusts before, but what if there was one modeled with the farm and the farmer in mind? The mission of Agrarian Land Trust is to build local agrarian commons to hold farmland to ensure its sustainable and productive stewardship for generations to come. Director Ian McSweeney is going to tell us how agrarian commons work, why they're an important model, and where to begin. Mentioned in the show... Guidebooks & Resources Agrarian Commons GuideFaithLands Toolkit Somali Bantu Maine Find Agrarian Commons in the US This podcast is brought to you by Growing for Market Magazine, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, and Barn 2 Door. It's also brough to you by growers like you. If you got something from this podcast, or any of our podcasts, you can support our work at notillgrowers.com/support
This is an extra special episode where we explore alternative land access models with Ian McSweeney, Director of the Agrarian Trust. Ian has extensive experience in environmental education, real estate, farmland preservation, connecting farmers to land, and fundraising to support agrarian economies. In our discussion we cover the ins and outs of land trusts – what they are and what they do, agricultural easements – how they work and how they differ from conservation easements, and how the AT's Agrarian Commons model of farmland access works on the state level to secure land holdings for agricultural use in perpetuity at an affordable rate for farmers. Of course, transfer of property means transfer of money, so we also touch on the fundraising and revenue generation aspects that makes the Agrarian Commons model a well-run reality. Big questions we explore are: why work with a land trust to preserve or access farmland? And, how do we navigate the creativity AND limitations of easements on farmland? If you're land seeking or working in land access/farmland transitions, you're in for a valuable conversation that's sure to expand ideas for what is possible. Ian also shares a bunch of great land access resources with us that are linked below, so be sure to check those out! Agrarian Commons resources: Agrarian Commons website Agrarian Commons guide Specific examples of… land access in Maine with the Little Jubba Agrarian Commons is featured in press here land access in West Virginia with the West Virginia Agrarian Commons is featured in press here land restoration on Agrarian Commons farms on Whidbey Island, WA and the Seacoast of NH as featured in blog here with more on New Hampshire Agrarian Commons
In this episode, we discuss alternative land access strategies with Ian McSweeney, Director of the Agrarian Trust.
The average age of an American farmer is 65. More and more farmland is transitioned to other purposes, such as condos, suburban homes, or commercial properties. Each year we loose about 400,000 acres to development. So how can we reverse this trend. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station as they speak with Ian McSweeney, organizational director of the Agrarian Trust, and organization that seeks to transform the ownership of land using the Agrarian Commons model – transitioning vast tracks of privately held land to a non-profit community status and encouraging new farmers into the field - bringing a sense of equity and purpose to those involved in agriculture.
Anna and Derrick speak with Briana Olsen and Dr. HIsham Moharram about Agrarian Trust and the FaithLands Toolkit. https://agrariantrust.org/faithlands/ @agrariantrust on Twitter and Instagram @faithlandsmovment on Instagram
Severine von Tscharner Fleming is a young organic farmer who helped start Agrarian Trust, an organization supporting land access for the next generation of farmers. Ian McSweeney, the organizational director of Agrarian Trust, explains strategies for decommodifying land for farmers even as the pandemic drives up land prices. Also discussed: Greenhorns, a cultural network for young farmers; Farm Hack, a global design community for open source farm equipment; and Seaweed Commons, a network studying the stewardship of intertidal zones.
This week on the podcast we explore what land redistribution could look like and how land can be emancipated from the commodity structure with guest Severine von Tscharner Fleming. How do we navigate the settler desire to own land? How can our understanding of the commons invite us into collective commitment to caring for the land and staving of speculative land privatization? In response to these questions, Severine shares the messiness and opportunity of living amongst the prosperity of extraction in the spaces we inhabit while dedicating ourselves to a land-based livelihood that awakens the call to live inside of accountability to people and place. Severine is a farmer, activist, and organizer based in Downeast Maine. She runs Smithereen Farm, a MOFGA certified organic wild blueberry, seaweed, and orchard operation which hosts summer camps, camping, and educational workshops. She is a founder and board member of Agrarian Trust and current director of the Greenhorns, a 13 year old grassroots organization whose mission is to recruit, promote, and support the incoming generation of farmers in America. Music by Handmade Moments. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.
Ian McSweeney of the Agrarian Trust and Fabio Sakamoto of Rizoma Agro are the guests of the new episode of the Soil Builders series. In the series we welcome back previous friends of the podcast to understand their progress and we discover new companies, startups, farmers, investors engaged in building soil all over the world.-----------------------------------------------------Welcome to Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food.Join our Gumroad community, discover the tiers and benefits here: www.gumroad.com/investinginregenag. Other ways to support our work:- Share the podcast - Give a 5-star rating- Or buy us a coffee… or a meal! www.Ko-fi.com/regenerativeagriculture. ------------------------------------------------------ Previous interview connected with this episode:Ian McSweeneyhttps://investinginregenerativeagriculture.com/2018/08/21/ian-mcsweeney/Fabio Sakamotohttps://investinginregenerativeagriculture.com/2020/06/30/fabio-sakamoto/Sean Kidneyhttps://investinginregenerativeagriculture.com/2019/07/10/sean-kidney/More about this episode and the Soil Builders series on https://investinginregenerativeagriculture.com/2020/11/03/soil-builders-2/----------------------------------------------------------- For feedback, ideas, suggestions please contact us through Twitter @KoenvanSeijen, or get in touch through the website www.investinginregenerativeagriculture.com. Join our newsletter on www.eepurl.com/cxU33P. The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.Support the show (https://www.gumroad.com/investinginregenag) Support the show
Severine von Tscharner Fleming is a farmer, activist, and organizer based in Downeast Maine. She runs Smithereen Farm, a MOFGA certified organic wild blueberry, seaweed, and orchard operation which hosts summer camps, camping, and educational workshops. She is a founder and board member of Agrarian Trust and current director of the Greenhorns, a 13 year old grassroots organization whose mission is to recruit, promote, and support the incoming generation of farmers in America. Severine brings her influences and analogies from the agricultural space to “What Could Possibly Go Right?”, including:The “desire of humans to move geographically”, including a current fleeing and resettling driven by climate, ambition, hopes, and fears.The concepts of land commons and ocean commons, including for other cultures who care for crops and benefit collectively without private ownership.The need to transition stewardship of land owned by older generations to young farmers, and how to pass this on through purchase, gifting or passing on estates.That the word subsistence and its connotations may distract from the “shiny, glistening abundance”.That those willing to do the reparations and healing of the land for our collective good should earn an enduring right to subsistence.Resources Greenhorns greenhorns.orgAgrarian Trust agrariantrust.orgGlobal Earth Repair Conference globalearthrepairfoundation.orgSomali Bantu Association somalibantumaine.orgConnect with SeverineWebsite: greenhorns.orgTwitter: twitter.com/greenhornsFacebook: facebook.com/thegreenhornsInstagram: instagram.com/thegreenhornsFollow WCPGR on Social MediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCouldPossiblyGoRightPodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/postcarbonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/postcarboninstitute/Learn more: https://bit.ly/pci-wcpgrseriesDon't forget to SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss an episode of What Could Possibly Go Right?Support the show (https://www.postcarbon.org/support-what-could-possibly-go-right/)
One of the biggest challenges that I've heard repeatedly both in the interviews in this series on regenerative agriculture as well as with peers and clients that I've collaborated with, is the difficulty for aspiring farmers to get access to land. This is true back in the States as well as in Europe and other parts of the world where I've traveled, and it's part of a much larger problem in the trends of land ownership that reduce land to a commodity. As prices for land soar and the rapidly aging population of farmers struggle to keep their businesses afloat, we're entering into a tipping point. Massive amounts of land are now set to change ownership in the coming decades, and the hands they'll end up in are yet to be determined. Though from what I can tell, there's no shortage of young and motivated people looking to get into farming, this land ownership issue is keeping many of them from getting started. I've been looking for a while at creative approaches to farmland access and tenure, and in my search I found Ian McSweeny the organizational director of Agrarian Trust through his role in organizing and advocating for a return to community owned land and commonland management. Far from being a new or novel approach to land stewardship, these forms of management are much older than private ownership and might just hold the key to large scale landscape regeneration by returning this precious resource to the whole community. Ian's career and his life's work has been focused on the human connection to soil and food. He first worked as a social worker focused on developing outdoor experience based education programs. Later he sought more direct work with the connections to soil and food in real estate, by founding a brokerage and consulting company to focus on prioritizing conservation, agriculture, and community within typical land development. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of the Russell Foundation, a private foundation focused on assisting landowners and farmers through customized approaches to farmland ownership, conservation, management, and stewardship. Ian has also participated in many farmland and food systems initiatives and has served as a consultant to a number of organizations, and was recognized as a “40 under 40” leader in New Hampshire and was also selected for the Leadership Institute at Food Solutions New England. In this interview Ian speaks about farmland transfer, conservation, secure tenure, and fundraising models across the US. He also gives inspiring examples of the first handful of members across the country that are blazing a new trail for communities invested in their agricultural future and the diversity of people who steward their farms. This is just one potential way to bring land equity back to the commons and I'm still very interested in exploring other models and ways for a whole new generation of people looking to care for the natural capital that we share to gain affordable access to land, so if you know of any other ideas or organizations that are working on these issues, please reach out to me through email at info(at)abundantedge.com or come and join the conversation on our dedicated facebook page. I'm really looking forward to bringing more voices on these topics to the podcast. Resources: The Agrarian Trust website https://agrariantrust.org/resources/farm-business-resources/ http://agrariantrust.org/resources/media/ http://agrariantrust.org/resources/accessing-land/ https://agrariantrust.org/
Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast My guest today is Erin Axelrod, partner and worker/owner at LIFT Economy. She joins me to discuss how LIFT Economy is working to repatriate land, resolve housing issues, and create socially responsible businesses by investing in and providing support to women, indigenous, and people of color lead organizations. Using her years of experience as a framework, Erin provides multiple specific examples of what this work looks like in practice, what we can do to steer our economy towards regenerative businesses, and to heal our relationship with money. Find more about Erin and her work at LIFTeconomy.com 21 Choice Perennial Vegetables for 4-Season Climates Schedule with Scott UTOPIA: a permaculture vision This conversation with Erin touches on something I've been working on and speaking to other folks in the community, including Karryn Olsen and Dan Palmer, about over the last few months: how can we break through the limitations we find ourselves in as a result of, to borrow from Erin, business as usual. Particularly, how do we get the education, resources, and support to implement permaculture ethics and principles at a broad scale, both in and beyond the landscape, given the dire need to do so right now and for years to come. From climate change, to oppressive policing, to improving the land where we grow food, the problems we face are numerous, with much deeper issues underlying what we see at the surface. Each of us can make a meaningful difference whether we do so through individual action or collaborating with others to dismantle harmful systems. But, as I've heard in your dozens of replies to my recent inquiries into The Permaculture Pit, doing so can be difficult given the forces we find in our own life that resist change. That includes the concern about debt through university schooling, the lack of land access, or finding a quality PDC program and after PDC mentoring. What Erin shared with us, however, opens up many different doors. There are alternative paths to the experience and education we need to become a lawyer if we so desire. I looked into that one in particular and found four states in the U.S.—California, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington—which allow you to do so with no law school required, but by completing a Law Office Study Program. Three other states, New York, Maine, and Wyoming, also offer apprentice programs, but do require some law school. Beyond the legal realm, there are also trade apprenticeships, if you want to go that route with your work. I'm also interested in exploring and speaking to others about the one-on-one permaculture mentor programs that are both less and more than a traditional Permaculture Design Course. If you don't have land or are not interested in land-based permaculture, but want to assist those who are, there are programs like Agrarian Trust. We can also, if life provides us a bountiful income, invest in those programs and others like them.. We can donate scholarship funds to Permaculture Design Courses. If you've taken a PDC, reach out to your old teachers and see if there is something you can do to support what they are currently doing. Or send a student to LIFT Economy's Next Economy MBA program. Seek out and spend money are the stores owned and operated by women, indigenous, and people of color. There's also room for us to work on policy change in our local communities. Lobbying, I know that sounds like such a dirty word, to repeal and replace laws that limit agriculture. Fight for food justice and cottage food industries. Support farmers markets in communities lacking fresh foods. And, for those of us who are already teachers in the community, do you have the room and space in your life to mentor students beyond the class and classroom? If you took a route outside business as usual to arrive where you are, let me know, so I can share these options with others via the podcast newsletter or in a future episode. Leave a comment in the show notes or send me an email: The Permaculture Podcast Until the next time, spend each day creating the new economy, while taking care of Earth, yourself, and each other. Resources LIFT Economy People of Color Sustainable Housing Network Daily Acts Agrarian Trust Agrarian Commons Little Jubba in Maine The Sustainable Economies Law Center Cottage Food Law (California) The Next Egg The East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative Defund the Policy - Imagining a world without prisons and police Map link for traditional homelands (Erin recommends including a land acknowledgement in your email signature) Winona's Hemp & Heritage Farm Greenwave Native Conservancy Jonas Philanthropies launches a 10M Tree Campaign
Severine is the director of Greenhorns, she been an organizer and cultural worker within the young farmer movement for almost 10 years, proud co-founder of National Young Farmers Coalition, Farm Hack and Agrarian Trust, and board member of the Schumacher Center for New Economics. Her work has spanned many media to celebrate, bundle and broadcast the voices and life-ways of young agrarians, from films, radio, blog gossip, guidebooks, an anthology, 2 new farmers almanacks, and newly, a mixtape and vinyl record! This trans-media work is designed to connect individuals within the broader community of action, helping to orient the work on the land, career, stamina, and interpretation of place-based possibilities. The mission of the Greenhorns is to promote, recruit and support the rising generation in organic agriculture. Greenhorns are based on Lake Champlain in Essex, New York, a 360-mile sail-boat ride from NYC.—Recorded live at the global event in Cardigan, west Wales in 2016.Watch Severine's full talk here: www.thedolectures.com/talks/severine-von-tscharner-fleming-how-can-we-dance-in-the-commons
Who has the real power in your regenerative company? Money? Family? Or Purpose? Did you dare to ask the power question? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to Investing in Regenerative Agriculture. Join our Gumroad community, discover the tiers and exclusive benefits here: https://gumroad.com/investinginregenag Other ways to support my work: - Share the podcast - Give a 5-star rating - Or buy me a coffee… or a meal! www.Ko-fi.com/regenerativeagriculture ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A summary of the longer interview with Armin Steuernagel, entrepreneur in food, co-founder of the Purpose Network and impact investor. The Purpose Network helps companies to stay independent and mission driven for the long term. They believe that by innovating the way companies are owned, financed and governed, companies become more successful in the long run and can benefit all of society. Steward-owned companies make a legally binding commitment to their employees and customers: that the company is not a speculative good or commodity but a group of people working for a purpose. Full interview with Armin: https://soundcloud.com/investinginregenerativeagriculture/interview-armin-steuernagel More information: purpose-economy.org/en/ https://purpose.capital/en/ The company Armin co-founded in organic food for children en.mogli.de/about-us/our-story/ Main steward owned principles: - Self governance isn’t tradable, steering wheel is always hold in trust by stewards of the company - Purpose, the company has a clear purpose Examples: www.ecosia.org/ www.organicgrown.com/ www.bosch.com/our-company/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purpose_trust More on - https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/esop.asp - https://www.unilever.com/news/press-releases/2016/Unilever-to-acquire-Seventh-Generation-Inc.html - https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-buys-whole-foods-changes-2017-8 Another example of an evergreen fund: www.triodos-im.com/funds/triodos-o…nic-growth-fund If Armin could change one thing in the food and agriculture space he would change land can only be by people in trust, by stewards and doesn’t become a speculative commodity. Plus designing ownership structures for food and agriculture to make this easier. Other podcasts on Land Ownership: Thomas Rippel: https://soundcloud.com/investinginregenerativeagriculture/interview-thomas-rippel Ian McSweeney of the Agrarian Trust: https://soundcloud.com/investinginregenerativeagriculture/interview-ian-mcsweeney ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you want to discover more visit www.investinginregenerativeagriculture.com If you want to receive an email when I upload a new episode, subscribe here eepurl.com/cxU33P The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.
Who has the real power in your regenerative company? Money? Family? Or Purpose? Did you dare to ask the power question? Welcome to Investing in Regenerative Agriculture. Where I interview key players in the field of regenerative agriculture, people who are scaling up the sector by bringing in new money or scaling up the practises on the ground. Join our Gumroad community, discover the tiers and exclusive benefits here: https://gumroad.com/investinginregenag Other ways to support my work: - Share the podcast - Give a 5-star rating (if you podcast app allows it) - Or buy me a coffee… or a meal! www.Ko-fi.com/regenerativeagriculture This time interviewed Armin Steuernagel, entrepreneur in food, co-founder of the Purpose Network and impact investor. The Purpose Network helps companies to stay independent and mission driven for the long term. They believe that by innovating the way companies are owned, financed and governed, companies become more successful in the long run and can benefit all of society. Steward-owned companies make a legally binding commitment to their employees and customers: that the company is not a speculative good or commodity but a group of people working for a purpose. More information: https://purpose-economy.org/en/ http://purpose.capital/en/ The company Armin co-founded in organic food for children http://en.mogli.de/about-us/our-story/ Main steward owned principles: - Self governance isn’t tradable, steering wheel is always hold in trust by stewards of the company - Purpose, the company has a clear purpose How to achieve the Mission lock? - Golden Share, veto share etc. Examples: https://www.ecosia.org/ https://www.organicgrown.com/ https://www.bosch.com/our-company/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purpose_trust Logona sold recently to L’Oreal: https://www.logona.de/en/ Another example of an evergreen fund: https://www.triodos-im.com/funds/triodos-organic-growth-fund Thoughts: - We are working on Alternative buy out capital - Steward ownership fosters intrinsic motivation - We are getting into time where it is important for your brand how you are owned - Normally you invest and you get power, but not in this case - Closed end fund structures is one of the reasons why we are selling companies again and again and again - So many impact investors go in and measure and make sure there is an impact, but then they go out and then what? - Ask the power question: who owns the steering wheel? Can you buy it or can you inherit it? Or do you have another principal, where ability and values decide if you can steer the company If Armin could change one thing in the food and agriculture space he would change land can only be by people in trust, by stewards and doesn’t become a speculative commodity. Plus designing ownership structures for food and agriculture to make this easier. Previous podcasts on Land Ownership: With Thomas Rippel on land ownership: https://soundcloud.com/investinginregenerativeagriculture/interview-thomas-rippel Ian McSweeney of the Agrarian Trust: https://soundcloud.com/investinginregenerativeagriculture/interview-ian-mcsweeney If you want to receive an email when I upload a new episode, subscribe here eepurl.com/cxU33P The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.
Facilitating the transition of the best regenerative soil to the next regeneration of regen farmers. Welcome to Investing in Regenerative Agriculture. Where I interview key players in the field of regenerative agriculture, people who are scaling up the sector by bringing in new money or scaling up the practises on the ground. Join our Gumroad community, discover the tiers and exclusive benefits here: https://gumroad.com/investinginregenag Other ways to support my work: - Share the podcast - Give a 5-star rating (if you podcast app allows it) - Or buy me a coffee… or a meal! www.Ko-fi.com/regenerativeagriculture This time I interviewed Ian McSweeney director of the Agrarian Trust (www.agrariantrust.org) The Agrarian Trust’s mission is to support land access for the next generation of farmers. Supporting all stakeholders, from farmers and community members to activists and investors in this absolutely key process. The Agrarian Trust decided to work with the oldest organic and regenerative farms (with the best soils and ecosystems) of the country and focusses on getting the next generation of farmers on this land. These farms give the new farmers a head starts of a few decades as they are much more resilient to drought, pest infestations etc. are able to do so much more with so much less in terms of labor and time. Instead of focussing on getting new farmers on them on land with poor soil, poor infrastructure etc. Some highlights of our conversation: - Great wealth has been accumulated in this country through extractive industries. We need to collectively realise that the returns and wealth we got used to are based on extractive and exploitation. - We need to get used to negative return, we need to return wealth to the soil, the ecosystems and communities we extracted for so long. - We need to look at ways to compensate for sequestering carbon in soils. - The prices of the leases of the Agrarian trust are directly connected to the soil building of the farmers. The crowdfund platform Ian mentioned: www.wefunder.com To find out more / to support go to Agrarian Trust www.agrariantrust.org Thank you Thomas Rippel (https://twitter.com/SwissBioFarmer) for the introduction to Ian, listen to the interview with Thomas on how to finance Farmland Stewardship Organisations through the blockchain, here: https://soundcloud.com/investinginregenerativeagriculture/interview-thomas-rippel If you want to receive an email when I upload a new episode, subscribe here eepurl.com/cxU33P The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.
Episode 26 - "Barrier to Growth" There seems to be a perfect storm of factors that threaten to completely reshape who owns farmland here in the US and globally. 400 million acres of farmland in the US alone will change hands in the next 20 years, farmers are retiring and there is a much smaller generation of young farmers to replace them, and global investment for agriculture land is on the rise, which will push family farmers off the land in favor of industrial consolidation. Beyond that, farmland is being lost to competing land uses. In the United States, that's between 1 and 3 acres of farmland lost every minute.To help navigate some of these issues, and as an example of solutions that are being developed and implmented to fight against these trends, we are joined by Ian McSweeney, organizational director of Agrarian Trust. Chapters 00:18 Panama 04:14 Theft As Policy 07:52 M28,Farming is Hard 14:45 "Ian McSweeney, Agrarian Trust" 17:48 Early Work in Real Estate 20:25 Where Did a Passion for Farmland Come From? 24:16 "When Community Suffers, Community Farms Suffer" 24:43 Founding of Agrarian Trust 28:06 Why Agrarian Trust? 29:53 Innovation 31:50 Community Based Ownership Model 32:43 Land Prices 35:45 Land Valuation Methods 40:34 What Does Agrarian Trust Do? 43:20 Models for Creating Local Communities 47:57 Ensuring Long-Term Communities 50:04 Conversations Easments 52:55 Enforcing Sustainable Action 55:23 Opportunities for Restructuring Conservation Management 57:34 Scaling Processing with Land Trust Vertical Integration? 59:13 Alternative Financing for Farmers 1:02:56 Agrarian Lawyer Network 1:06:03 Urban Farming 1:08:40 Addressing Climate Change? 1:11:47 Initial Areas for Farm Commons Projects 1:12:59 Agrarian Trust work going foward 1:14:08 Next Steps 1:19:55 What Can We Do? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org.Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast.CC BY-SA 4.0
Faithlands is an initiative of the Agrarian Trust that brings together religious traditions and regenerative agriculture. Today we talk to Severine von Tscharner Fleming, organizer in the young farmers movement, and Sam Chamelin, founding pastor of the Keep and Till and the St. Mark's United Church of Christ in Hempstead Maryland.
Severine von Tscharner Fleming is a kind of farming savant and a super-dynamic agent of the revolution in agriculture reuniting us with soil, water, and life. She is the founder of the Agrarian Trust, which connects young farmers with land they otherwise couldn't afford. We talked about the evolution of farming, its planetary healing potential, issues of ownership and the commons, and how to bridge our ideals and best practices to present-day economic realities.
Bioneers: Revolution From the Heart of Nature | Bioneers Radio Series
In the next 20 years, farmland ownership in the U.S. will shift on a continental scale—400 million acres. Yet 70% of American farmland is owned by people 65 and older. How can we help young, motivated agrarians become successful farmers to whom retiring organic farmers can transmit their wisdom? How can we invest in the democratization of our land base? These questions drive Agrarian Trust, started by Greenhorns founder Severine v T Fleming, one of the most visionary leaders in the young farmers’ movement.
Severine von Tscharner Fleming is a part-time farmer, activist, and organizer based in the Champlain Valley of New York. She is director of Greenhorns, a grassroots organization with the mission to recruit, promote and support the rising generation of new farmers in America. Severine has spent the last seven years gathering, bundling and broadcasting the voices and vision of young agrarians. Greenhorns runs a weekly radio show on Heritage Radio Network and a popular blog. They produce many kinds of media, from documentary films to almanacs, anthologies, mix-tapes, posters, guidebooks and digital maps. They are best known the documentary film, “The Greenhorns” and the raucous young farmer mixers they've thrown in 37 states and 14 grange halls. Severine is co-founder and board secretary of Farm Hack, an online, open-source platform for appropriate and affordable farm tools and technologies , as well as National Young Farmers Coalition which now boasts 23 state and regional coalitions. She serves on the board of the Schumacher Center for New Economics, which hosts Agrarian Trust, her latest startup, focused on land access for beginning farmers, and permanent protection of affordable organic farmland. Severine attended Pomona College and University of California at Berkeley, where she graduated with a B.S. in Conservation/ Agroecology. In this episode, Severine talks with Devon about young farmers, emerging models for food and land sovereignty, and building a commons for the future of farming. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In the next 20 years, farmland ownership will shift on a continental scale—400 million acres, yet 70% of American farmland is owned by people 65 and older. How can we help young, motivated agrarians survive daunting structural obstacles and become successful farmers to whom retiring organic farmers can transmit their wisdom? How can we invest in the democratization of our land base? These questions drive Agrarian Trust, started by Greenhorns founder Severine v T Fleming, one of the most dynamic leaders in the young farmers’ movement. Since 1990, Bioneers has acted as a fertile hub of social and scientific innovators with practical and visionary solutions for the world's most pressing environmental and social challenges. To experience talks like this, please join us at the Bioneers National Conference each October, and regional Bioneers Resilient Community Network gatherings held nationwide throughout the year. For more information on Bioneers, please visit http://www.bioneers.org and stay in touch via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Bioneers.org) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/bioneers).
In the next 20 years, farmland ownership will shift on a continental scale—400 million acres, yet 70% of American farmland is owned by people 65 and older. How can we help young, motivated agrarians survive daunting structural obstacles and become successful farmers to whom retiring organic farmers can transmit their wisdom? How can we invest in the democratization of our land base? These questions drive Agrarian Trust, started by Greenhorns founder Severine v T Fleming, one of the most dynamic leaders in the young farmers’ movement. Since 1990, Bioneers has acted as a fertile hub of social and scientific innovators with practical and visionary solutions for the world's most pressing environmental and social challenges. To experience talks like this, please join us at the Bioneers National Conference each October, and regional Bioneers Resilient Community Network gatherings held nationwide throughout the year. Learn more at http://www.bioneers.org and stay in touch via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Bioneers.org) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/bioneers).
Bioneers: Revolution From the Heart of Nature | Bioneers Radio Series
In the next 20 years, farmland ownership in the U.S. will shift on a continental scale—400 million acres. Yet 70% of American farmland is owned by people 65 and older. How can we help young, motivated agrarians become successful farmers to whom retiring organic farmers can transmit their wisdom? How can we invest in the democratization of our land base? These questions drive Agrarian Trust, started by Greenhorns founder Severine v T Fleming, one of the most visionary leaders in the young farmers’ movement.
Purpose Rockstar: Daily Career Stories including Grammar Girl and Gretchen Rubin
Interview: How to create sustainable farming with Elizabeth Henderson Elizabeth Henderson is one of the foremost names in sustainable farming in the US. She is known for her work with Peacework CSA, the Agricultural Justice Project, Agrarian Trust and many other farming organizations. We talk about what the past, present, and future of sustainable farming. Continue Reading→