What if the secret to climate-resilient crops is already hidden in our seeds? This week, we dive deep with researchers Molly Travis and Jared Zystro from the Organic Seed Alliance to explore the critical link between organic seed production and dry farming. Discover how their on-the-ground research in Humboldt County is breeding seeds specifically adapted to thrive in organic systems and with less water. They explain how selecting plants under the stress of dry farming doesn't just create drought-tolerant varieties—it builds all-around tougher crops that are better at resisting disease and weather fluctuations. Learn how this research helps local farmers today and contributes to a more resilient food system for everyone. If you've ever wondered how the seeds we save today can secure our harvests tomorrow, this conversation is for you. Hashtags: #SeedSaving #DryFarming #OrganicSeeds #PlantBreeding #ClimateResilience #SustainableAg #HumboldtCounty #FutureOfFood #OrganicResearch #SeedSovereignty

From chefs and teachers to cultivators! On this episode of Humboldt County Grown, we chat with Nicole Brown and Mike Vitiello of @LichenLandFarm about their incredible journey from working in schools and restaurants to starting a blueberry farm in Humboldt County.

They share how they’re building a life centered around family, community, and working with the land—not against it. From getting signs from the universe (and local farming legends) to navigating grant writing with a newborn and a toddler, their story is raw, real, and deeply inspiring.

Tune in to hear about balancing parenting with perennial crops, learning through @NCGA.agriculturalprograms Climate Resilient Farmer Training Program, and their vision for a future filled with berry patches, farmer’s markets, and a legacy built on good food.

Listen now at the link in our bio! And remember: supporting local farms is an investment in your health, your community, and the land.

#HumboldtCountyGrown #NewFarmers #BlueberryFarm #SustainableAg #FarmLife #HumboldtLocal #SupportLocalFarms #ClimateResilience"

🌽✨ Aquilli Metzli: Indigenous Farming & Food Sovereignty in Humboldt ✨🌱 Tune into the latest Humboldt County Grown episode with Octavio, Adriana & Oscar of Aquilli Metzli Masa Co-op—a farmer/artisan collective reviving the ancestral milpa system (think Three Sisters + 500 cousins!). 🔴 Why "Aquilli Metzli"? Red = indigenous resilience + labor justice 🌾 Moon = rising tide of land-back movements 🌕 Corn = cultural rebirth & food sovereignty 🌽 🌿 More Than Farming: • Co-op model = horizontal power, living wages, and keeping $$ local 💸 • Work parties = communal land-tending + feasting (because farming shouldn’t be lonely!) 👩🌾🎉 • Milpa magic = biodiversity, medicine, and kids playing in pesticide-free fields 🌻 🚜 Join the Movement: • Volunteer at a work party (follow @aquillimetzli) • Support local masa • Help fill gaps: cold storage, cal production, land access 💬 "The land is our culture. When we grow food together, we grow community." #AquilliMetzli #LandBack #FoodSovereignty #HumboldtGrown

Strengthening Local Food Systems with the North Coast Food System Network 🌱✨

Join us on this episode of Humble County Grown as we dig into the North Coast Food System Network—a thriving collaboration rooted in food security for California’s North Coast! 🌾🍎 We’re excited to chat with Megan and Lauren from the North Coast Growers’ Association about how they’re cultivating connections between local farmers, fishers, and food businesses to grow a stronger, more resilient food web. 🤝🌿

From seed-to-table infrastructure investments ♂️💡 to community-powered projects like the Gather & Grow Food Hub 🛒🥕 and Humboldt County Ag Day 🎪🐄, we’ll explore how these initiatives are nourishing our region—one harvest at a time.

Tune in and discover how these grassroots efforts are feeding your friends and neighbors here in Humboldt County! 🌍❤️

More information on the North Coast Food System Network here: https://www.northcoastgrowersassociation.org/ncfsn.html

"Humboldt County Grown" – Cooperative Distribution with Megan Kenney

Host Gwilym Walker talks with Megan Kenney from the North Coast Growers' Association (NCGA) about the Harvest Hub and Harvest Box Program, which support local farmers and strengthen Humboldt’s food system. The Harvest Box is a flexible, multi-farm CSA with home delivery , accepting EBT and offering Market Match to double food assistance benefits. Meanwhile, the Harvest Hub streamlines wholesale distribution, helping farmers sell to schools and tribal groups while keeping prices fair—already generating $1M+ for local growers. Megan also highlights gaps in local food infrastructure, like cold storage and meat processing, and encourages listeners to support by signing up and buying wholesale. Learn more: northcoastgrowersassociation.org

In this episode of Humboldt County Grown, host Gwilym Walker interviews Chris Moore of Woody Ryno Farms, who shares his journey from permaculture enthusiast to diversified farmer in Humboldt County, California. Starting in 2011 with a small vegetable plot, Chris transitioned to pastured pork farming to manage invasive weeds, using pigs to regenerate degraded land. However, challenges like feed costs and processing logistics led him to pivot back to vegetable farming, focusing on no-till practices, quick-growing crops like bok choy, and adapting to pest pressures like symphylans. Chris highlights the importance of flexibility, soil health, and balancing off-farm income with farming’s demands. Chris discusses the impacts of climate change on local agriculture, noting milder winters and experimenting with citrus in greenhouses. He emphasizes the challenges of small-scale farming, including labor, time management, and pest control, while celebrating wins like efficient tools (Jang seeders, paper pot transplanters) and farm-to-table meals like homemade ramen. Currently, Woody Rhino Farms supplies restaurants like The Eatery in Trinidad and occasionally sells at Arcata’s Saturday Market. The episode concludes with a reminder to support local farmers, teasing next week’s topic: the NCGA Food Hub.

Submit your Questions and Suggestions for the Podcast here!

https://www.northcoastgrowersassociation.org/podcast.html

In our first mini episode we introduce our listeners to the concept of this podcast, to highlight the wonderful work all the farmers and farm workers in Humboldt County do to make our local agriculture a resilient part of our environment and culture here in Humboldt County California. This episode features a quick mini interview with local farmer Chris Moore, and also some previews into future topics on full length episodes. To submit questions or feedback for the podcast please use the link below!

https://www.northcoastgrowersassociation.org/podcast.html