In the last of our Food-Grade Grain series with Artisan Grain Collaborative, Amy Halloran talks to two Illinois farmers: Andy Hazzard and Jeff Hake. Andy shares her experience milling the grain she grows, as well as milling for other farmers; Jeff Hake explains some of the challenges of trying to find the right equipment. 

Hazzard Free Farm

Funks Grove Heritage Fruits and Grains 

Artisan Grain Collaborative

Amy Halloran

Grain advocate, educator, and author Amy Halloran is back to guest host the second of our series in partnership with the Artisan Grain Collaborative. Amy talks with Jason Federer & Michael O'Donnell about how they are navigating their farm’s simultaneous transitions to organic production as well as food-grade marketing. 

Artisan Grain Collaborative

Amy Halloran 

This is the first episode in our series with Artisan Grain Collaborative on food-grade grains. The collaborative includes farmers, millers, distillers, bakers, and other people across the value chain who are creating opportunities to grow grains for people, not livestock or fuel. 

Today, grain advocate, educator, and author Amy Halloran explores seed research and breeding with Julie Dawson from UW-Madison and Lisa Kissing Kucek from the USDA-ARS. Upcoming episodes will cover diversified crop rotations and on-farm milling.

Artisan Grain Collaborative

Amy Halloran

Julie Dawson

Lisa Kissing Kucek

Variety Trial Summaries:

Organic wheat variety trial summaries from 16 site-years of organic trials in PA and NY. Scroll down to "Organic Trials"

Free registration for Grains Week, happening remotely May 3rd-7th: https://www.cascadiagrains.com/grains-week

Continuing our partnership with the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, Kelly Maynard and Chuck talk with Hannah Breckbill of Humble Hands Harvest in Decorah, Iowa. We talk through all the aspects of how and why someone would want to transition their farm from a sole proprietorship to a worker-owned cooperative, and some of the benefits and challenges of farming cooperatively.

Humble Hands Harvest:

Humble Hands Harvest

2021 Changemaker: Hannah Breckbill

MOSES Organic Field Day at Humble Hands Harvest

Cartoon Operating Agreement for a Coop LLC

UWCC:

UW Center for Cooperatives

Kelly Maynard: [email protected]

MOSES:

Empowered Farm Financials workshop series

Conference Specials—no admission necessary

You can register for the Growing Stronger Collaborative Conference through March 31st!

Mary O'Herin is an acupuncturist and massage therapist with experience on small-scale organic vegetable and fruit farms. She has a good understanding of the hard work, dedication, and solitude that goes into being a farmer.

Mary shares some movement and body-care techniques with us, as well as tips for how to facilitate lasting change. One of the aspects of her practice is guiding and inspiring others how to take rock-solid baby steps toward beneficial habits.

This episode is a recap of a Growing Wellness monthly meeting. These meetings include a brief presentation followed by a discussion. If you want to contribute to the community, go to https://groups.io/g/GrowingWellness. Subscribe to the listserv by sending an email to [email protected]. 

Get in touch with Mary: [email protected]

In partnership with Kelly Maynard from the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, we explore the seven principles of cooperatives with Angela Dawson and Kheph Rakhu from 40 Acre Cooperative. This is part 2 of 2, where we explore principles 5-7: education and training, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community.

What is 40 Acre Cooperative All About?

Video: Join Forty Acre Co-op

Better Family Life MN

Contact Better Family Life MN by email: [email protected]

UW Center for Cooperatives

Growing Stronger Collaborative Conference

In partnership with Kelly Maynard from the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, we explore the seven principles of cooperatives with Angela Dawson and Kheph Rakhu from 40 Acre Cooperative. This is part 1 of 2 episodes where we explore principles 1-4: open and voluntary membership, democratic member control, members’ economic participation, and autonomy and independence.

What is 40 Acre Cooperative All About?

Video: Join Forty Acre Co-op

Better Family Life MN

Contact Better Family Life MN by email: [email protected]

UW Center for Cooperatives

Growing Stronger Collaborative Conference

After our three-part series on pollinator habitat on organic farms, we had a meeting with the guests to dive a bit deeper into the ins and outs. Listen in on the conversation between Sarah Foltz Jordan and Karen Jokela from the Xerces Society, Joan Olson from Prairie Drifter Farm, Kaitlyn O’Connor from Prairie Moon Nursery, and hear their answers to farmers' questions. Here are the edited highlights from that meeting on December 15th, 2020.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Growing Stronger: Collaborative Conference on Organic and Sustainable Farming

Farmer-Share Speed Presentations

Native Plant-Insect Interactions Guide

Insectopia Prairie Seed Mix

Protecting habitat from drift

Habitat Assessment Guides

Pollinator and Beneficial Insect Conservation Plans

Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects

Guidance to Protect Habitat from Pesticide Contamination

Protecting Conservation Planting from Pesticides

Beetle Bank Article in the MOSES Broadcaster

Guest contact information

On-farm pollinator habitat has many benefits, but deciding how and where to add that habitat can be daunting. Recorded at the 2020 MOSES Conference, Sarah Foltz Jordan of the Xerces Society and Joan Olson of Prairie Drifter Farm help you determine which habitat projects—insectary strips, pollinator-friendly cover crops, native wildflower meadows, hedgerows—make the most sense for your goals, resource concerns, space, capacity, equipment, weed pressure, and other factors. Learn about planting methods, design, and weed control options, including several effective organic site preparation methods. 

This is the final episode in a three-part series on pollinator habitat on organic farms. Join us for the Post-Podcast Farmer Chat on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, 10:30 a.m. CT with the guests from this series. Click this link to register: Post-Podcast Farmer Chat: Pollinator Habitat

Links:

Workshop slides

Prairie Drifter Farm

Xerces Society

Growing Stronger: Collaborative Conference on Organic and Sustainable Farming

Gempler's 

Chris Frakes discusses steps to take if you encounter someone who is struggling with thoughts of suicide. It is important to note that this is not a full suicide awareness and intervention training. However, it provides the basic steps for effective listening, providing support, and connecting someone in crisis to other appropriate resources so they can receive needed support.

Chris Frakes is the Project Coordinator for the Farmer Well-Being and Suicide Prevention Program with Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program. Get in touch with Chris: [email protected] or 608-553-0033.

Immediate assistance: call 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), contact your local crisis hotline, or dial 911.

There are monthly Growing Wellness meetings. They include a brief presentation followed by a discussion. If you want to contribute to the community, go to https://groups.io/g/GrowingWellness or send an email to [email protected] to subscribe to the Growing Wellness listserv. 

Links:

Growing Wellness Group

Growing Wellness: Suicide Awareness and Prevention on YouTube

Post-Podcast Farmer Chat: Pollinator Habitat