In episode 2 of Season 5, we visit with Stan Hayes and Eileen Napier of Ramstead Ranch located in Ione, WA to hear about their regenerative practices and relationships with their customers. Ramstead strives to create a pasture-based ecosystem that works with nature and honors its abundance. They raise Grassfed/Grassfinished beef and lamb, pasture-raised Berkshire pork, and pasture-raised poultry including meat chickens and turkeys and deliver direct to their customers in the Pacific Northwest via a growing number of pickup locations.

This episode was funded by the USDA National Institute of Agriculture AFRI Grant #2022-68006-37269 Complexity and tradeoffs in animal agriculture sustainability: building awareness and trust between producers and consumers.

The Farm Walks Podcast is collaboratively organized by Tilth Alliance and WSU Food Systems. Visit farmwalks.org to learn more.

In the first episode of Season 5, we get to talk with Brent and Kira Olsen of Olsen Farms and Smokey Ridge Meats. Olsen Farms is a small family farm located in a mountain valley in Northeastern Washington, just north of Colville. They produce high quality meats from their sustainably raised farm animals. All of their beef, pork and lamb is processed at Smokey Ridge Meats, our own USDA facility in Chewelah, WA. They also grow over 20 varieties of potatoes of various colors, textures, and culinary uses. Olsen Farms is committed to enhancing the rural economy and stewarding farmland for wildlife habitat. Sustainability and direct marketing are the roots of their family farm and strengthening biodiversity is a clear benefit of their farming approach.

This episode was funded by the USDA National Institute of Agriculture AFRI Grant #2022-68006-37269 Complexity and tradeoffs in animal agriculture sustainability: building awareness and trust between producers and consumers.

The Farm Walks Podcast is collaboratively organized by Tilth Alliance and WSU Food Systems. Visit farmwalks.org to learn more.

En este episodio de Caminatas de las granjas, estoy hablando con Francisco Farias, dueño de Farias Farm en Burlington, WA. Aprendemos sobre su granja diversificada que él maneja con su familia y el porque y como ellos mantienen todo certificado orgánico. Más tarde en el episodio, platicamos en más detalle con Alejandra Contreras de Oregon Tilth una de las certificadoras del programa nacional orgánico en el estado de WA. 

In this episode we’ll hear from Francisco Farias about his diversified certified organic farm, Farias Farm, located in Skagit County and owned and operated by Francisco Farias and his wife Lorena Reza Serrano. We’ll learn about how and why they maintain their farm certified Organic. Later in the episode, we talk in more detail with Alejandra Contreras of Oregon Tilth, one of the certifiers of the National Organic Program in the state of WA. 

Este episodio fue apoyado por el Programa para la transición a la agricultura orgánica (TOPP) del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA). TOPP es un programa de la Iniciativa de Transición Orgánica del USDA y es administrado por el Servicio de Comercialización Agrícola del USDA (AMS) Programa Orgánico Nacional (NOP).

This episode was supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).

In the second of this two-part series, we are continuing to highlight Growing for Good, a partnership between PCC Community Markets, Harvest Against Hunger, and Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets that provides funds to hunger relief agencies to purchase fresh produce from local farms. 

We sat down with Kirsop Farm and White Center Food Bank to learn more about how Growing for Good has impacted their work. We first hear from Genine Bradwin of Kirsop Farm who produces and raises livestock on 60 acres of land at the Scatter Creek Farm and Conservancy in Rochester. Genine and Colin sell diversified vegetables, dry beans, grains, pork, lamb and chicken through their CSA, online store, at Farmers Markets throughout the Seattle area and to food banks including White Center Food Bank. 

In the second half of the episode, we sit down with Carmine and Mike with White Center Food Bank to hear about their experiences working with Growing for Good and local farms including Kirsop Farm. Note: This episode was recorded in March 2024 and some information may be out of date. Please visit Growing for Good online to learn more about their farm and hunger relief partners, current programming, and new fundraising campaign.

The Farm Walks Podcast is collaboratively organized by Tilth Alliance and WSU Food Systems. Visit farmwalks.org to learn more 

In the first of this two-part series, we are highlighting Growing for Good and the relationships it fosters between farms and food banks. Since 2020, the Growing for Good program, a partnership between PCC Community Markets, Harvest Against Hunger, and Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets, has provided fresh produce to hunger relief agencies and additional income for local farmers. We sat down with two of these pairings to learn more about how Growing for Good has impacted their work. Note: This episode was recorded in October 2023 and some information may be out of date. Please visit Growing for Good online to learn more about their farm and hunger relief partners, current programming, and new fundraising campaign.

In this episode, we first hear from Regino Flores and his son Isai Flores of Regino Farms. Regino Farms is a certified organic vegetable and berry farm located in Burlington, Washington, owned and operated by Regino Flores and his wife Martina Gutierrez. After decades of working in the farming industry, they began their own venture through Viva farms’ incubator program in 2009. Since then, three of their children have joined the expanding operation which now comprises 11 acres in the Skagit Valley. Regino’s sells at multiple farmers markets and supplies several food retailers, recently expanding to include the Ballard Food Bank through the Growing for Good program. Later in the episode we’ll hear from the Director of Programs at the Ballard Food Bank, Kathleen Murphy, who will tell us about the other side of Growing for Good, and how the partnership has benefitted participating hunger relief organizations like hers.

In this first episode of season 4, we’re learning about Lazy R Ranch from fourth generation rancher, Beth Robinette. Lazy R holistically raises grass fed beef and lamb on 80 acres outside of Spokane Washington for sales direct to consumer. Beth is passionate about the sustainability of the pastureland and aims to restore and maintain healthy soil, clean water, and ecological diversity. 

Joining Beth is Sarah Lemon with the WSDA Regional Markets Program and WA Meat Up. Sarah will speak more on the challenges facing meat producers as well as the support available through WSDA and other channels. 

This episode was funded by the USDA National Institute of Agriculture AFRI Grant #2022-68006-37269 Complexity and tradeoffs in animal agriculture sustainability: building awareness and trust between producers and consumers.

Learn More About Farm Walks:

Visit farmwalks.org to learn more about the history of Farm Walks and our pivot to a podcast and stay tuned in for the release of new episodes and interviews! You can even submit questions to farmers on the Farm Walks Podcast group on the Sustainable Ag Farmer Forum (SAFF).

The Farm Walks Podcast is collaboratively organized by Tilth Alliance and WSU Food Systems. 

This episode of the Farm Walks Podcast is the first part of the WA Meat Up Double Feature.

In this episode we talk with Imad Ahmad of Olive Branch Ranch. Imad is a diversified livestock farmer in South Puget Sound, providing custom-exempt, halal meats for his local community. We get to dig into all the meaty details with Imad about his operation and raising and harvesting halal livestock.  Olive Branch Ranch was recently awarded a Local Meat Processing Capacity Grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).

Later in the episode, we talk with Alyssa Jumars, from the WSDA Regional Markets Meat & Poultry Assistance Program, about all of the great resources available for producers and meat processors in Washington State.

This episode is the second part of the WA Meat Up Double Feature!

In this episode of the Farm Walks Podcast, we sit down with Shelley Muzzall of 3 Sisters Family Farm on Whidbey Island and her butcher Travis Stockstill of Island Grown Farmers Cooperative (IGFC). We cover a lot of ground from the unique Island Grown Farmers Co-op model (the first ever USDA Mobile processing unit of its kind!) and how it has impacted its members and the local meat economy.  IGFC was recently awarded a Local Meat Processing Capacity Grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).

Later in the episode, we talk with Alyssa Jumars, from the WSDA Regional Markets Meat & Poultry Assistance Program, about all of the great resources available for producers and meat processors in Washington State.

Osman Ruiz Amador, propietario de Amador Farms, dirige una operación con su familia de mercado directo de frutas y verduras diversificadas. Su granja se enfoca en vender directamente a los consumidores a través de los mercados de agricultores en todo el estado. Osman explica sus experiencias en la agricultura y cómo capacita a todos los que trabajan en la granja y en los mercados, sobre los estándares y prácticas de inocuidad de productos. 

Más adelante en el episodio, Jacqui Gordon Núñez comparte recursos adicionales y recomendaciones para los productores para la capacitación de empleados, sobre la inocuidad alimentaria y detalles sobre lo que FSMA y la Norma de Inocuidad de Productos Agrícolas significa para los productores.

Haley Olson-Wailand and Zach Wailand, owners of Dharma Ridge Farm, run a certified organic, diversified, wholesale produce operation. Their farm is Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified, and they recently underwent their first WSDA Produce Safety Rule inspection. Haley and Zach discuss land access, produce safety improvements, and how they’ve scaled up their farm business over time. 

Later in the episode, Connie Fisk, manager of the WSDA Produce Safety Program, describes what farms should expect during inspections and how to prepare for common issues inspectors are observing in the field.