Jay Salinas moved to a farm in the Driftless Region of southwest Wisconsin with his partner, fellow artist Donna Neuwirth, and learned to grow vegetables. Before long, they started inviting friends from Chicago to come out and get their hands dirty. Intrigued by what they were learning from their rural neighbors and in conversations with city dwellers, they formed Wormfarm Institute and formalized an Artist Residency Program in 2000. In this episode, co-hosts Jen Rubin and Jessica Becker talk with Salinas about what happens when people with different perspectives come to the table, the origins of the wildly successful Farm/Art DTour, and the fermenting of ideas that often leads to personal revelations. Salinas speaks to the cycles of work, the need for large-scale movements, as well as what he calls “termite art.” Listen for a terrifically inspired conversation!

Additional Links to check out:

→ Cabeatrice Hart lives and works in Milwaukee and was featured on Love Wisconsin, Wisconsin Humanities’ digital storytelling project. She has been part of urban/rural exchanges with Wormfarm Institute and a collaborative participant on the Farm/Art DTour mentioned in this episode. Read her story here. 

→ The Wormfarm Institute is based out of rural Sauk County, with far-reaching and groundbreaking programs that bridge the urban/rural divide. It was founded by Jay Salinas and his partner, Donna Neuwirth. Learn more here. 

This episode of Human Powered was produced and edited by Chrissy Widmayer. All rights reserved.