On this episode of Harvest North, we hear from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture about support for beginning farmers. There are are over 1 million farmers in the U.S. who are within their first 10 years in the industry, and the 29,000 in Minnesota make up about a quarter of the state's total farmers. Kirsten spoke with Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey about how a new grant program showed the demand for funding of equipment and infrastructure projects for beginning farmers in Minnesota. 

Harvest North is hosted by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski, and produced by Kirsten Wisniewski for North Shore Community Radio, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Original music was composed by AZ LeGare and was recorded and produced by Zack Baltich.

In this Harvest North Short, Kirsten tells Kalli about a brooder box set-up. Any human-raised poultry will need a brooder box after they hatch, and until they are fully feathered out and able to thermoregulate. Kirsten keeps quails for their eggs, but the general setup for a brooder box is consistent across poultry types.

Harvest North is hosted and produced by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski for North Shore Community Radio, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Original music was composed by AZ LeGare and was recorded and produced by Zack Baltich.

In this Harvest North Short, Kirsten talks Kalli through selecting eggs for a hatch and setting up an incubator. Kirsten keeps quails for their eggs, but the hatch process is similar across domestic poultry. Check back for an update on the hatch!

Harvest North is hosted and produced by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski for North Shore Community Radio, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Original music was composed by AZ LeGare and was recorded and produced by Zack Baltich.

On this episode of Harvest North we talk to local farmers Rachel and Ian Andrus about the transition from winter into spring. It's already growing season at Creaking Tree Farm in Lutsen, MN, as the Andrus family gets seeds started and plans for a busy summer of raising produce for the farmers market, the local Co-Op grocery store, and their CSA. Learn about their approach to seed starting, and hear stories about what they've learned as they've expanded their farm over nearly a decade.

For small growers looking for more seed-starting content, and tips for gardening in the Northland, check out the March Northern Gardening, another WTIP production!

Harvest North is hosted and produced by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski for North Shore Community Radio, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Original music was composed by AZ LeGare and was recorded and produced by Zack Baltich.

It's midwinter in northeast Minnesota, and this episode of Harvest North we talk to three local growers who keep livestock.

Mari LaMoore, Eric Edgin, and Amber Pederson all farm at different scales and have experience keeping a variety of animals. They share insight on their particular approaches to getting their stock safely through the extreme cold and snow that are hallmarks of a Minnesota winter.

Harvest North is hosted and produced by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski for North Shore Community Radio, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Original music was composed by AZ LeGare and was recorded and produced by Zack Baltich.

In our inaugural episode we kick it off with a profile of a local farm and the approach that those farmers take to food production. Good Nature Farm has been a family-owned farm east of Grand Marais for 16 years. 

Nick Wharton, who runs the farm with his wife Kristin DeArruda and their children, spoke with us about how he got into farming, and how the family manages their land in a sustainable way. Nick and Kristin and their kids were named Cook County Farm Family of the year in 2024, so we figured that as we jump into profiles of local producers, their farm would be a good place to start.

To find out more about Good Nature Farm, check out their facebook page.

Harvest North is hosted and produced by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski for North Shore Community Radio, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Original music was composed by AZ LeGare and was recorded and produced by Zack Baltich.

Welcome to Harvest North, a podcast exploring how the people of Northeast Minnesota connect with their food systems and our unique landscape. From commercial growers to subsistence foragers, each episode dives into the practices of cultivating, harvesting, and wildcraft to highlight the ways individuals engage with their food and community. 

Harvest North will feature Farmer profiles on an individual basis, and explore the more expansive food system and network in northeast Minnesota with topics that impact both cultivators and harvesters across the region. 

Harvest North is hosted and produced by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski for WTIP North Shore Community Radio. It is funded in part by  the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The podcast features original music  composed by AZ LeGare and recorded and produced by Zack Baltich.