Podcasts about farm to table talk

The food system is extremely inefficient with  237 million tons going unsold or uneaten.--becomingfood waste, which goes t to landfill, incineration, or down the drain, or  simply left in the fields to rot.  That's almost 120 billion meals' worth of food that goes unsold or uneaten each year, roughly 1.4% of U.S. GDP. The impacts  on  climate and environment are also enormoussince food that is never eaten still requires resources to grow, harvest, transport, cool, cook or otherwise prepare—even when it ends up in land fills. Minnie Ringland is the Manager of Climate & Insights for www.reFed.org. Farm To Table Talk has been named one of the top farming podcasts:https://podcast.feedspot.com/farming_podcasts/

Are tariffs good for American Agriculture? It is a very important question in the days before the election. Hear a large-scale, no-till, commodity soy bean farmer, describe his experience and knowledge about the impact of tariffs on the nation's farmers. A special broadcast provided by Rodger Wasson from his show Farm to Table Talk.

Roundup is a herbicide that has been controversial and the subject of lawsuits against Monsanto and now Bayer. Are we "headed to the last roundup" as go the lyrics to an ancient cowboy tune by Gene Autry?  Missouri farmer Blake Hurst is the author of an editorial in the Wall Street Journal about this prodcut that has saved armers from excessive tillage or back breaking hand hoeing of the past. He joins Farm To Table Talk while driving in his John Deere Combine to a field ready to harvest.  

Cats and dogs should watch out for hungry immigrants according to recent political propaganda. Truth is that immigration is a necessity in the country and not a reason to keep our pets locked indoors. Farm To Table Talk returns with this podcast from earlier this year to remind us that immigration is essential for a functioning food system According to Steve Hubbard of the American Immigration Council, the H-2A Temporary Agriculture Worker Program allows U.S. employers that face a shortage of domestic workers to hire foreign nationals for temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs.  Foreign help is being sought from over two-thirds of the counties in the U.S. www.american immigration council.org

The proclaimed Farm To Fork Capital of America is Sacramento, California where the signature event of the Farm to Fork Festival is the Tower Bridge Dinner. Over 1,000 are on the Bridge to prepare, serve and enjoy a delicious locally grown and sourced dinner by some of the country's top chefs and  Northern California's top farmers. The event is sponsored by Visit Sacramento and Farm To Table Talk's Rodger Wasson is on the Bridge at the dinner with Visit Sacramento's CEO, Mike Testa and two of the featured Chefs: Brock MacDonald of Beast & Beauty and Ceil Rhoodes II of Nash and Proper. The 2024 Tower Bridge Dinner was a terrific start to the Annual Farm To Fork Festival and perhaps an invitation to other parts of the country to challenge Sacramento for the title of Farm To Fork Capital. www.Visitsacramento.com https://www.farmtofork.com/events/the-tower-bridge-dinner/

Solutions to our farming futures may reside on a spectrum that ranges from wide open to strategically controlled. Jake Felser of Freight Farms shared an important  perspective on how controlled environment farming can check several boxes when he first joined the Farm To Table Talk in 2022..  www.freightfarms.com

Just when our public discourse seems hopelessly divided, we can find hope in the discovery of common ground.  Josh and Rebecca Tickell are film-makers who bring us the story of regeneration that will repair the degeneration humans have caused the earth. That message is the documentary film, Common Ground, the highly anticipated sequel to Kiss the Ground which touched over 1 billion people globally and helped inspire the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to put $20 billion toward soil health. By fusing journalistic expose' with deeply personal stories from people on the front lines of the food movement. The film Common Ground  shows the power that farmers and eaters have to save a  broken food system. Josh Tickell joins the Farm To Table Talk table  to talk about alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that will balance the climate, save our health and stabilize America's economy – before it's too late.

The cause of climate change is not animals or fossil fuel. It is how we manage all resources and we can start with grasslands of the world. Allan Savory, the founder of the Savory Institute,  is a renowned ecologist and pioneer in holistic land management. His work focuses on regenerating degraded landscapes through innovative practices that integrate livestock grazing with sustainable land stewardship. His holistic approach aims to restore ecosystems, combat desertification, and address global challenges related to food production and climate change. Alan Savory joins Farm To Table Talk to explore groundbreaking contributions to sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation and attention to global policies that will make a difference. Savory.global          

The only thing we should ask is: what is the right thing to do? That is what the Earth requires of us according to author/philosopher Wendell Berry. "We have the world to live in and the use of it to live from on the condition that we take care of it. And  to take good care of it we have to know it and we have to know how to take care of it." We have to love it. Farm To Table Talk brings the wisdom of Wendell Berry back to us at the dawn of a New Year that seems to have more than enough challenges for us all.  This podcast is of a conversation  Wendell Berry had with Bill Moyers as expressed and recognized within the podcast.

The next generation of farmers of color are being inspired and  empowered to grow high quality seasonal vegetables for local urban communities.  It's a mission of We Grow Farms and the Ujamaa Farmer Collective to grow food regeneratively, ensure secure land tenure and promote equitable access to resources for historically underserved farmers of color. Nelson Hawkins is featured at Eco Farm and Farm To Table Talk to share the story of how Sacramento urban farmer natives are making a difference for themselves, their community and other aspiring farmers. #EcoFarm2024 www.wegrowfarms.org  

Reducing methane reduces warming. Methane is nothing more than energy that instead of off-gasing in to the atmosphere can be captured to use for transportation and other benefits--converting a liability into a utility.  Livestock, not only cattle, contribute to methane off-gasing now but less in the future when as a result terperatures will be go down. Technologies and new research are providing the new solutions ranging from methane digesters on farm manure holding lagoons and non-gmo genetics to breed low methane animals. At the center of these develoopments is Clear Center at UC Davis, under the direction of Dr. Frank Mithourner who joins Farm To Table Talk to shares the learned facts and  promise of better climate future.  www.clear.uc.davis.edu

People dream of farming and then when that dream is realized, they dream of their own processing and distribution under their own brand. John & Sukey Jamison have lived that dream and are in  transition to a new stage of their journey, without sheep in the meadow and without their own USDA inspected processing plant.  Their Jamison Farm journey west of Pittsburgh, has spanned over 40 years, before 'sustainability' or 'regenerative' terms were common.Farm To Table Talk has featured so many who are at the beginning of their own journeys, it was time to re-visit John and Sukey who after Covid disruptions, then illness led them to sell their sheep and their processing plant.  They are doing well now, still serving dinners on the farm and believing some day the sheep will be back in their pastures. Dreamers and beginning farmers might ask what kind of farm journey they want to look back on in 40 Years. JamisonFarm.com

Human, plant and animal health is sustained by soil health's capacity to form a bio-living ecosystem. The little ‘things' that make a huge difference in carbon sequestration, reduced nitrogen needs and even human health are trillions of microbes under our every step. With artificial intelligence and big data the day is arriving when the soil health micro-biome short comings can be addressed with a critical microbe from any where in the world. This dynamic parallels the frontier in humans as we learn how to feed our guts with what we need. This is a world that has long fascinated Pam Marrone has she pursued research and launched successful business. Now with her latest venture, the Invasive Species Corporation, Pam gives a Farm To Table Talk a peak of the magic underfoot. www.invasivespeciescorporation.com www.soilhealthinstitute.org www.ATTRA.org

Communities are discovering that they can make their  part of the world work better for themselves and better for the planet. The Danone Institute of North America (DINA) is fostering that progress with grants for, community-based work that promotes sustainable food systems in local communities. Dr. Leslie Lytle, President of the Board and Adjunct Professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina joins Farm To Table Talk to explain how and why this happens. https://www.danoneinstitutena.org    

Rural residents can have high rates of depression, substance abuse and completed suicide, and farmers face additional challenges to maintaining their mental health according to Farm Aid. Mental health professionals point to the nature of farming as one likely cause — it is a business largely influenced by factors that are beyond farmers' control, including weather, disease, pests, prices and interest rates, and which can come and go without warning. They can be isolated, geographically and socially, since they often work alone. They are self-reliant, independent and can be unlikely to ask for help. For over 30 years Farm Aid has offered a place to call for help and suggestions through the Farm Aid Hotline. Now as we learn in a Farm To Table Talk conversation with Farm Aid's Hotline Program Manager Caitlin Arnold Stephano they are also able to offer hotlne services in Spanish. When starting or surviving on the farm becomes an existential threat, all farmers can call the hotline at 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243).  

Justice Neil Gorsuch in an explanation of the Supreme Court decision to affirm the California law banning the in-state sale of “certain pork products derived from breeding pigs confined in stalls so small they cannot lie down, stand up, or turn around” stated that “while the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list.” The decision has implications far beyond the cost of pork in California. Dan Sumner, Ag Econ Professor at UC Davis; Gene Baur, President and Co-Founder of Farm Sanctuary; and Michael Olson of the Food Chain Radio and Metro Farm join Farm To Table Talk host Rodger Wasson to explore what this decision could mean to consumers, the future of the North American food system and the United States. www.farmsanctuary.org www.metrofarm.com www.are.ucdavis.edu

From farms to citizens of the world,  inflammation causes disease and makes health impossible. Part of the social milieu that is impacting the body also includes the soil and includes how we treat the Earth and how we treat ourselves in the way we work with the Earth. Global transformation will need recognition that farming is medicine for the health of all life and of earth itself. That is a message shared at an Eco Farm  conference, a Farm To Table Talk podcast and in the book Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice by Dr. Rupa Marya: physician, writer, musician, mother, farmer's wife and Associate Professor of Medicine at UC San Francisco.  In addition to her extensive engagement in support of indigenous communities, she is the lead singer and composer of a globe circling band, Rupa and the April Fishes. www.deepmedicine.org  

Even new local farmers eventually reach a stage that they can't do it all themselves and need helpers.  First they put crazy hours in working harder and harder, then after family or friends are maxed they turn to finding other workers. More farmers are having to look to foreign sources such as through the H2A program. Former President of the Missouri Farm Bureau, Blake Hurst is a grain and greenhouse farmer  in north west Missouri who had found local labor sufficient since the 1980s.  Times have changed, maybe permanently and our Farm To Table Talk story begins with Blake meeting Carlos and Juan at the Kansas City airport arriving from Guadalajara. https://blake8dd.substack.com/

For holiday dinners, when your guests like both the idea of “plant based” and the taste of animal protein, there is a way to work-around. Vegan options may still need to be offered because this work-around is serving beef from cattle that were raised on a plant based diet. For the most part the plants the cattle consumed are largely cellulose such as grass that people can't digest but when converted by ruminant animals it can be both nutritious and delicious. Since overeating through the holidays is often followed by going back to the gym, some animal protein can come in handy. Grass fed rib-eyes and filets are on the menu at our house, so for this episode of Farm To Table Talk we return to a podcast from last winter with East Sacramento Butcher, Eric Velman, V Miller Meats, who provided the conversion and connection between our holiday table and the plant based pastures where Christmas Eve Dinner began.

After near extinction, the in-nii (American Bison) are slowly returning to Native American tribes who have the resources to run reintroduction programs. Latrice Tatsey, Buffalo Stone Woman, is an ecologist and cattle producer who advocates for tribally-directed bison restoration and regenerative cattle grazing. Currently, she is a graduate student in Land Resources and Environmental Sciences studying how the reintroduction of in-nii (American Bison) contributes to changes in soil characteristics. Researching how the return of the in-nii (American Bison) will influence soil, plant, water, energy, and mineral cycles shows the relationship the in-nii (American Bison) have to the land. Latrice wants to continue to conduct research involving land and creating ways to be better land stewards so that we can protect Mother Earth for future generations. Buffalo Stone Woman shares the vision with Farm To Table Talk and Eco-Farm.

  Wendell Berry has shared his unique wisdom for over 50 years in over 50 books. The new book,"The Need To Be Whole" was introduced by Wendell himself at the Kentucky Book Festival at the Joseph-Beth Book Sellers in Lexington, Kentucky. Farm To Table Talk host, Rodger Wasson was there to hear Wendell wisdom first hand. All of Wendell's books are worth a read but "The Unsettling of America" is especially appropriate in these unsettled times. It is wonderful to hear Wendell in person and is almost as good to once again listen to the conversation he had in 2014 with Bill Moyers. To commemorate a special weekend in Kentucky with Wendell we're bringing back this conversation of Wendell Berry and Bill Moyers.  It is a production of the Schumann Media Center and         Mannes production.  www.Berry Center.org

Diverse soil biology affects the farm and our evolving food system. It starts with decoding soil biology using a global data base of millions of microorganisms to both analyze which microbes are currently present and exactly what role they are playing. Adrian Ferrero, a co-founder of Biome Makers, joins Farm To Table Talk to explain the logic of a biological future with implications for the whole food chain, from farm to table. www.biomemakers.com

The road to regenerative resilience will require knowledge gained from research and then implemented by farmers committed to continuous improvement.  That necessary research will have to cost governments and organizations in the short term and pay society in the long term. This was part of the message of Dr. Thelma Velez, the Research and Education Program Manager of the Organic Farming Research Foundation that she presented to the US House Agriculture Committee and now shares with Farm To Table Talk. www.ofrf.org

  The road to regenerative resilience will require knowledge gained from research and then implemented by farmers committed to continuous improvement.  That necessary research will have to cost governments and organizations in the short term and pay society in the long term. This was part of the message of Dr. Thelma Velez, the Research and Education Program Manager of the Organic Farming Research Foundation that she presented to the US House Agriculture Committee and now shares with Farm To Table Talk. www.ofrf.org

For the good of the climate let's just stop driving cars. That sounds ridiculous when you can obtain more efficient cars or hybrids, plug-ins and EV's . Why shouldn't the same logic apply for the critics of beef consumption? It turns out that some cows are the Teslas and others are gas guzzlers. Just like efficient climate friendly cars there are climate friendly cows producing more milk and/or meat per unit of Green House Gases than the inefficient models. Just make the right choices in transportation and in what you eat. You don't have to give up cars and you don't have to give up beef, but you should encourage the car makers and the ranchers who are taking the right steps. This is logical if you think about it but it still isn't sinking in so Farm To Table Talk is bringing back this conversation with Dr. Frank Mitloener the Director the Clear Center at UC Davis. He explains that most of the arable land in the world cannot be used to produce crops but can be used for forages and grazing. Four stomached ruminants like elk, deer, bison, cattle, goats and sheep are masters of conversion.

Wendell Berry's writings favorably compare the ways of Amish farming to the high stress modern conventional farming by “the English”. In surprising ways Amish farms offer regenerative leadership that are a modern contrast in a horse and buggy society. Through his own Modern Frontier Farm and an Amish Cooperative, Adam Rick finds that Amish farms are especially well-suited to these times when consumers want to know how their food is grown. As the average age of American farmers is pushing in to six decades plus, more young Amish farmers are stepping up to grow their business in ways that meet the future head on. Adam Rick shares his journey and what he is learning on social media, Clubhouse app and Farm To Table Talk. www. Amodernfrontier.com

“To make a living is not to make a killing. It's to have enough.” says Wendell Berry  in many ways, in scores of books over the years. As we consider the future of the world we need to reflect on the counsel of Wendell Berry who reminds us that the world will take care of us if we take care of it; knowing and loving it.  If there was a poet laureate for agriculture, it should be Wendell Berry. A few years ago the renowned Bill Moyers was successful in interviewing Wendell and he agreed we could share that conversation as a Farm To Table Talk podcast. As a capstone to a challenging year and a message that inspires us for another New Year, we once again bring back this conversation of Wendell Berry and Bill Moyers that originally aired on October 4, 2014 as a production of the Schumann Media Center and Mannes production.  www.BerryCenter.org. The people who produced the original show are acknowledged here. Produced & Directed by ELENA MANNES; Editor DONNA MARINO; Director of Photography PETER NELSON; Art Direction DALE ROBBINS; Sound ROGER PHENIX; Coordinating Producer KRISTIN LOVEJOY; Associate Producers JESSICA BARI, RENIQUA ALLEN; Additional Camera JAY McCAIN, CHIP SWETNAM; Lighting Director DAN CUNNINGHAM; Grips MIKE DICKMAN, JAMES WISE; Make-up TAMARA LEE; Data Management LUKE STALEY; Production Assistant DAVID ZACHERY; Assistant Editor SCOTT GREENHAW.  Special Thanks: MARY BERRY. TANYA BERRY, BONNIE CECIL, DWIGHT COTTON, ADOLFO DORING, TONY MORENO, LEAH BAYENS, CONNIE KAYS, MICHAEL KELEM, AMANDA ZACKEM Footage and Stills: Appalachian Voices, AP Images, Wendell Berry Family, Shay Boyd, Dan Carraco, Center for Ecoliteracy, Ben Evans, Getty Images, ilovemountains.org, James Baker Hall Archive, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Guy Mendes, Oleg Ignatovich/Pond5, Twistah/Pond5, Kbuntu/Shutterstock, Spotmatik/Shutterstock, Suliman Razvan/Shutterstock, Suwit Gaewsee/Shutterstock, Chad A. Stevens, Wallace Global FundMusic: Courtesy of APM Music:, Abandoned Ruin, Josh Clark, Leon Hunt, Anthill A, Kurt Hummel, Ballad of Willie – Underscore, Ken Anderson, Rebecca Ruth Hall, Ein Takt Für Gitarre, Shih, Gaya-gaya, Hwa Chae Kyung, Completely Calm C, Klaus Stuehlen, Jesse James, Richard Gilks, Unknown, Madonna's March, Susi Gott, Pianissimo, Bob Bradley, Matthew Sanchez, Quiet Garden, Pascal Bournet, Silent Movements A, John Epping, Jeff Newmann, Skydancer A, Klaus Stuehlen, Skydancer B, Klaus Stuehlen Senior Executive Producer JUDY DOCTOROFF O'NEILL Production Executives KAREN KIMBALL, YUKA NISHINO. A production of the Schumann Media Center, Inc. and Mannes Productions, Inc.© 2013      

  Food is changing. How will we eat? That's the question posed in the Farm To Table Talk Clubhouse room to Troy Hooper a multi- business entrepreneur in the hospitality space with a consulting practice to build and scale emerging brands. Troy and Rodger Wasson are joined live in the Clubhouse room by a large group of members. Joining the conversation “on stage” are Chef Dr. Mike, a cardiologist, professional chef and author;  Regenerative Livestock Manager, Ben Glassen; farming entrepreneur Cindy Beuchert, Sara Calvosa, Indigenous Californian, Karuk Tribe food writer, author and others. Ideas can be farmed! The seeds of ideas can be planted, cultivated, harvested, distributed and consumed. For ideas about growing, marketing and consuming food, Idea Farming consultancy was created-- helping organizations tell their stories and grow their brands And for conversations about ideas that will matter there is the Farm To Table Talk podcast. Hear about new ideas at www.farmtotabletalk.com.  For help with authentic stories and strategic counsel go to www.idea-farming.com  Join the drop in audio version of Farm to Table Talk on Clubhouse. 

Nothing less than the future of the world is the focus of the gathering in Glasgow Scotland, known as COP 26.  The California Secretary of Agriculture, Karen Ross was there to share the progress and goals of agriculture in California and from there talks with Farm To Table Talk host, Rodger Wasson.  

  World leaders have committed to tackling global hunger, climate change and biodiversity loss at an historic UN Food Systems Summit. More than 150 countries made commitments to transform their food systems, while championing greater participation and equity, especially amongst farmers, women, youth and indigenous groups. What is this global food system and why does it matter? After a full day of hearing Presidents, Prime Ministers and UN officials express their vision,  Farm To Table Talk visits with an experienced hand at global diplomacy engaged from farm to table all over the world. Paul Newnham is the Director of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 Advocacy Hub, a secretariat catalyzing, convening, and connecting NGOs, advocacy groups, civil society, the private sector and UN agencies to coordinate global campaigning and advocacy to achieve food systems transformation. The 2021 UN Food System Summit has concluded but the journey continues. https://www.un.org/foodsystemssummit

The world can draw down all of our Carbon emissions if agriculture fully embraced regenerative agriculture. Soils must be regularly monitored by probing  carbon levels because the more that is in the soil the less is in the atmosphere.  These themes are promoted by the Chico Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems to reduce greenhouse gasses, restore soil resiliency, increase the sustainability of farms and ranches, and address food and water insecurity.  The co founder of the Center, Dr. Tim Tim LaSalle was the first CEO of Rodale Institute, Executive Director of the Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management and researcher/adviser with the Howard Buffett Foundation in Africa on soils and food security for smallholder farmers.  Tim is Professor Emeritus of Cal Poly and former President/CEO of the California Ag Leadership Program.  https://www.csuchico.edu/regenerativeagriculture/index.shtml

Global regenerative abundance is the goal and holistic management is the way to get there. It's an abstract perspective at first, but when coached to this vision by the Savory Institute's Global Network Coordinator, Abbey Smith we get the picture. The Savory Institute sets out to regenerate the world's grasslands and in that journey regenerates farms, ranches, regions, communities and individuals who are committed to protecting the Earth and its population from predicted climate and food disasters. Abbey Smith explains how Savory Institute's work is global in scope, grassroots in execution and holistic. Savory.goba

To cook, farm or eat in a different way requires taking that first step.  On Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Ben Glassen has taken first steps in regeneratively raising animals and providing them to consumers who are taking their own first steps, reaping the benefits of regenerative livestock production.  Ben's approach includes leasing (or borrowing) land, mobile infrastructure and direct marketing. Customers choose to purchase meat raised regeneratively for the health value, ethics of the way the animals are raised, support of local production and the environmental impact.  The next first step for Ben will be establishing an abattoir to process locally raised livestock. In addition to listening to Ben Glassen on the Farm To Table Talk podcast, he can be visited with directly on Clubhouse in the Farm To Talk Club. www.glassenfarms.com

COVID-19 forced thousands of farmers, fishermen, butchers, and food suppliers to make incredible changes that they had  never imagined. Fortunately, in the emerging food chain, suppliers of all sizes can compete in the digital world at the intersection of technology and food. Joseph Lee, Co-Founder  and CPO of Freshline shares the story of how new ventures like theirs have stepped up to create these links that are revolutionizing the way food efficiently gets from boats and farms to tables all over North America. www.freshline.io  

What does Social Science have to do with our food system?  Professor Silvia Secchi a Social Scientist at the Public Policy Center at the University of Iowa believes it has a key role to play as is clear by her favorite quote from  T. W Shultz, "It is especially the social sciences -economics, sociology and political science -which, if prosecuted with vigor reveal answers which are unpalatable to special interests." Today that vigorous prosecution can address issues facing women farmers, polluted waters, barriers to entry and misdirected carbon credits strategies.  Professor Secchi highlights the issues and ways to constructively engage in the dialogues that can lead to positive change. silvia-secchi@uiowa.edu https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10460-020-10077-x.pdf https://www2.iihr.uiowa.edu/cjones/crap-and-trade

If food insecure populations can't make it to food markets,  bring it to them. With this idea and a grant from the California Department of Agriculture for a Farmers Market Food Truck, this is a dream come true in West Sacramento. Sara Bernal is the program manager for the West Sacramento Urban Farm Program and now with a vehicle the size of a traditional U Haul moving truck low income communities are able to shop for farm fresh foods in their own neighborhoods. “With the seniors particularly but also these affordable housing complexes with families, it can be exceedingly hard if you don't have a car to get groceries,” Bernal said. “So the whole purpose of the truck is to get produce to people where they live in the easiest way possible and then to make it affordable.” Sarah Bernal and Rodger Wasson visit in the parking lot of a low income housing community while customers bring their Cal Fresh/SNAP EBT cards for discounted purchases of healthy foods. www.landbasedlearning.org

Food waste presents its own serious crisis. As awareness has risen about the impact of climate change on our environment, we are learning the significant role that food waste plays. In America, 40% of the food supply, from farm to table, is wasted. This excess food ends up in landfills where it creates methane gas, a major contributor to the warming of our planet. Vegetables, fruit, milk, and other nutritious foods fill our landfills. At a time when there is so much hunger in our country, we are throwing away the very food that could feed the food insecure and help save our planet.The bottom line is that hunger and food waste are unacceptable in America where there is a wealth of resources and enough food being produced to feed everyone. The knowledge that these crises can be solved drives the mission and work of Food Rescue USA whose CEO Carol Shatuck visited the Farm To Table Talk Clubhouse room (now open to all) and this episode of Farm To Table Talk. www.foodrescue.us    

  Before he became the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson envisioned a country of 'citizen farmers' who would be engaged in government. Jefferson would have been pleased with citizens like Iowa farmer Francis Thicke and Vermont farmer Dave Chapman who climb off their tractors to Zoom with the Secretary of Agriculture about needed policy infrastructure repairs to the USDA Organic program. A thousand farmer have already joined with them to give consumers assurance of Real Organic production practices and to rescue the reputation and trust in Certified Organic. It's wrong when farmers are passive about what they grow and it's wrong when consumers are passive about what they eat. Jefferson could see farmers and eaters  saying "we the people are going to do it on our own." www.realorganicproject.org

If more of us pledged our head to clearer thinking, our heart to greater loyalty, our hands to larger service and our health to better living it would be better for us, our clubs, our community, our country and our world.  That's been the 4-H pledge for generations, although our "world" is a welcome additional beneficiary. 4-H is not just for farm kids with animals.  In many states the vast majority of young people in 4-H Clubs are in cities with a wide range of projects that often have more in common with computer labs than barnyards.  Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty is the California 4 -H Director for University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Lynn tells the story of today's 4-H and how we can help our kids and ourselves. Caring parents, neighbors or grandparents should look in to 4-H for youngsters or to volunteer their own time for "better living in better communities". http://4h.ucanr.edu  

Louis Bromfield planted seeds of the food revolution and reminds us to "Never forget that agriculture is the oldest of the honorable professions and that always the good farmer is the fundamental citizen of any community, state or nation." We are reintroduced to the wisdom and vision of Louis Bromfield in the recently published book, "The Planter of Modern Life" by  the author Stephen Heyman.  He was introduced to the Bromfield books of nearly 75 years ago by  Pennsylvania grass farmers, John and Sukey Jamison who had themselves been inspired by Bromfield's Malabar Farm. John and Sukey share how Bromfields vision helped them get started when neither had any farming experience.  Regenerative farming leader, Rich Collins, has been a self described Bromfield 'Groupie' for years and has visited Bromfields place outside of Paris and Malabar Farms in Ohio. He also has shared Bromfield books  and introduced us to the author of the next Bromfield book, Annaliese Abbott. Rich, Annaliese and the Jamison's join the table to discuss the life and lessons of Louis Bromfield. In addition to recommending The Planter of Modern Life, Rich Collins shared the following. "Most all of these folks focused on the important role of soil as a key element of the water cycle.  As Hugh Bennet wrote back in the mid 30's "Keep the raindrop where it falls."  So simple!! Pleasant Valley (1943) and Malabar Farm (1947) by Louis Bromfield Water and the Cycle of Life (1958) by Joseph A. Cocannouer Plowman's Folly (1943) and A Second Look (1947) by Edward H. Faulkner Deserts on the March (1935) by Paul B. Sears Big Dam Foolishness (1954) by Elmer T. Peterson

Tune into our podcast to listen to Clarke Wolf, a Hall of Fame member of the James Beard Foundation with his own line of table wear that is used in restaurants and hotels around the country. He has also hosted various shows and has appeared on popular TV networks. Listen to Wolf dive deep into the introduction of seafood in his career in various restaurants and the importance of sustainable food in the industry. Seafood has always been important to Wolf throughout his life, especially moving to the East coast.

On-farm agriculture operations have been excluded from federal labor law since 1935. California filled this gap by creating its own law in 1975, the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act (“ALRA”) that gave union organizers the right to physically access the farm property in order to solicit support for unionization. Growers challenged this regulation as a state-sponsored “taking” of their property rights, without the just compensation guaranteed by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed with the growers, holding that the ALRA's access regulations were a per se violation because they allowed “physical invasion” of the land without compensation. Michael Droke explains the significance of the decision and implications for property rights protection for agriculture. Michael is a senior partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney in its Food and Agriculture group. www.scotus.com www.dorsey.com  

Will eating less meat save the planet? Some say so but science says no. of course if you're looking for a reason to eat less meat and tell others to do the same, climate change seems to add to your case.  However, if you're looking to make real impact on the climate, transportation and construction are still much more important than agriculture.  Dr. Frank Moetloehner, Director of the Clear Center at UC Davis is the most quoted expert on these issues in the world. He shares with us the true story of the effects of livestock production, including that some countries are doing a better job than others.  With the adaptation of new technologies, California dairy farmers have reduced methane emissions by 25%..  On You Tube videos  and in Frank's presentations you we see him hold up an 8.5 X 11 inch sheet of paper to represent the entire surface of the Earth; then a business card that represents the area where agriculture is possible with 2/3 of that card only fit for grazing  livestock. It is an important story that Frank tells us. www.clear.ucdavis.edu

Except for the air we breathe, nothing is more important to life on earth than water.  Humans can live up to 60 days without food but only a few days without water.  So water is life and the worsening climate is severely impacting life as we know it.  In California alone it is estimated that nearly a million acres of previously productive farmland will be fallowed in 2021.  Inevitably the food supply  and food costs will be impacted. Randy Record farms and invests his time in seeking water solutions.  He has a vineyard and is on the Metropolitan Water District (LA) Board where he has served as Chairman. Randy has a clear eyed perspective on the water challenges we face and faith that  building trusting relationships between cities, agriculture and environmental publics is a key for progress. www.farmwater.org

  Not all farmers are old.. Millennials are coming back to family farms and ranches in impressive numbers.  After college and trying other adventures many are deciding that their passion and what seems best for their families is to be back in rural areas where they bring enthusiasm and a renewed commitment to grow livestock and crops in a way that is good for their family, community and the climate. Brian Moes, his wife and five young boys, dry land farm and feed cattle in North East South Dakota.  Paige Dulaney, her husband and two young boys, farm and ranch in North East Colorado. Bryon and Paige share a path with thousands of new generation farmers who want consumers to understand that their food is being produced by young families liker theirs who are proud of how they farm or ranch and hope to see their kids come back some day to continue the tradition.

  Connecting small farmers to new markets is a universal goal. In Fiji and Australia that is being accomplished due to the efforts of twin sisters, Lisa and Zoe Paisley who have  co-founded Aggie Global. They moved to Fiji  to  start a business and address poverty in rural communities. Farmers struggled with selling their produce while the tourism sector imported 70% of their food so Aggie Global was built to connect either end of the food supply chain in a more transparent and equitable way. Zoe and Lisa came back to Sydney when the pandemic hit and launched an Australian arm to support indigenous farmers by focusing on 'Bushfoods'.    It's another great journey of connecting farms and consumers that can be translated to local and global regeneration. https://www.aggieglobal.com/

Billions of pounds of produce are going to waste while millions of Americans are going hungry. Seeing food lines develop all over, some University students decided to do something to change that. They created the Farmlink Project to connect farmers to food banks, delivering millions of pounds of farm fresh produce that would otherwise be wasted to feed families in need. The founder and CEO of Farmlink, James Kanoff explains how this idea has led to up to a million pounds of food per week that might otherwise been wasted, make its way from farms to food banks to hungry people. www.farmlinkproject.org

Consumers have never known more about nutrition and yet, have never been more overweight. For most Americans, maintaining a balanced diet is more difficult than doing their taxes. What are we doing wrong?  Jack Bobo has been engaged with the food system from farm to table and is the author of a new book "Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices". He is a food psychology expert with over 20 years advising four U. S. Secretaries of State on food and agriculture. In his book and here on Farm to Table Talk  he guides us to smarter food choices and improving our quality of life. https://futurityfood.com/  

Nutrient density, biodynamic and regenerative are terms of relevance to the health of  our planet, our soil, our food and ourselves. It's tricky learning the connections but  Dr. Christopher Daugherty ties it all together. "Biodynamic is the art and aspect" of the essential principles of food. Nutrient density is the "level of nutrients per unit" of calorie.  Dr. Chris is a regenerative entrepreneur in 'Ortho-molecular' Nutrition & Biological Medicine. Focusing on biological nutrients, product development and farmer direct supply chains provides biodynamic insights for the future of earth to farm to table. organicconnectmag.com/wp/2008/11/dr-christopher-daugherty-the-quest-for-sustainability/  

  Now is not the new normal. Consumers were forced to change their shopping and dining food practices by the pandemic.  As they return to stores and restaurants, they need to be the Hero of their lives.  From farmers to restaurants and food markets, helping consumers realize their need to be the Hero from these troubled times, is job One. Suzy Badaracco is the President of Culinary Tides Inc.,  a Trends consultancy with a focus on what's going to happen next.  It's not just studying the data to see trends taking shape; but rather identifying the "parents" of the trends.  Food marketers from farm to table, especially need to take note and act accordingly to help their customers become HEROS.  www.culinarytides.com