Podcast

In this Deep Roots Radio interview, John Jeavons describes how biointensive gardening and farming is being used to increase yields, restore soils at unprecedented rates, cut water consumption by two-thirds and yield net income.

I grew up in Bronx, NY, in a city of 8 million, yet I couldn’t be more excited about Amery, Wisconsin’s launch of a special week dedicated to agricultural tourism. Agri what?

Looking for the Great Pumpkin

It’s a term that covers lots of things you’ve probably already done. If you’ve ever enjoyed an afternoon picking crisp apples or juicy strawberries, petted a little lamb or held a squirmy piglet, walked a corn maze or selected “just the right” pumpkin at a pumpkin patch, walked near grazing cattle, or sipped wine at a winery, helped gather eggs, or helped your farmer pick your CSA box — you’re an agricultural tourist. Maybe you’ve attended a wedding or special event at a repurposed barn, or fished at a trout or catfish farm, or cut down a Christmas tree.  That’s agricultural tourism, too.

Why am I excited? Because my husband Dave Toftness and I raise grass-fed-grass-finished just four miles from downtown Amery, and a major part of our mission is to welcome visitors to our farm, Bull Brook Keep. We chat with well over 200 people a year, every month of the year. We appreciate the opportunity for walks across our pastures, explaining why we’re committed to sustainable practices, introducing our moos, and learning about people’s food journey. It’s educational, fun and friendly.

Governor Evers’ Proclamation

In this Deep Roots Radio interview, Amery’s Mayor Paul Isakson describes how the city is marking the launch of this very special week set aside by proclamation by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. It runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, 2021. Many thanks to the Governor and to Sheila Everhart, Interim Executive Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association, for working for this recognition of the contribution agritourism makes to people’s lives and local economies.

Earlier this year, the Mayor established a new page on the City’s website just for agricultural tourism, making it easy to find an ag-based adventure in and around Amery, www.amerywi.gov/703/Agritourism.  To find agricultural venues across the state, visit wiagtourism.com.

Happy cows at Bull Brook Keep

I hope you enjoy this interview. And I hope you’ll come visit us. The trees are turning glorious, and the moos would like to meet you.

Sylvia Burgos Toftness

Connecting the dots between what we eat and how its grown

Sarah R Cope

This podcast features our Deep Roots Radio conversation with Sarah R. Cope, retired United State Marine Corp, and President of the Wisconsin Chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition. She served 31 years, which included completing three combat deployments to Iraq and one combat deployment to Afghanistan. Fifth-generation military, Cope retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2016, but continued serving with several Federal agencies until January 2020.

Today, Cope lives in Wisconsin and farms 40 acres with her wife Heather Schumann and their five children. She brings this experience and perspective to the veteran farmers in Wisconsin.

In this interview, she mentions websites that may be of help, including a Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/farmerveterancoalition, and a link to the Ag Solidarity Network. You can also link to the national FVC organization here.

I hope you enjoy this interview.

Sylvia

I love walking by the bee hives kept on my farm by Arlen and Mona Ziegler, owners and operators of Plum Branch Honey, Clear Lake, WI.

The hive boxes are stacked on top of one another, their area encircled by electric fence to ward off any curious bear.

During summer, hundreds of bees swirl around the hives and travel to the wild flowers and tree blossoms across the farm, and miles beyond. My husband Dave Toftness and I don't use pesticides on the farm, so clouds of bees float through the succession of wild flowers and tree blossoms across the pastures. 

In the winter, the hives are wrapped in insulated pads that are silver colored on their outer surface. I caught up with Arlen during a winter-time visit to the bees. He generously opened the lid to show how the bees are kept in a supply of sugar for the cold months.

Dave and I really appreciate the work Arlen and Mona do to keep bees healthy and available despite the challenges of weather and pests. We need bees to pollinate the hundreds of vegetable, fruit and herb plants that feed us.

Co-host Dave Corbett and I enjoyed this in-studio chat, and we hope you'll enjoy this podcast. You can message Arlen and Mona via Facebook.com/plumbranchhoney

Sylvia

Anne Stobart, Devon, England

It turns out most of us have a wealth of helpful plants in our own backyards! And it’s not just the basil and lemon balm that we planted near the kitchen door or on the patio. That white pine could help for your wet cough. The peppermint that comes up year after year packs more than just flavor. And some of those small shrubs? Well, they may be part of your volunteer medicinal garden.

This Deep Roots Radio interview with Anne Stobart is the first of five planned with her. Anne has a PhD from her extensive research into the history of medicine. She is registered clinical herbalist, permaculture designer, forest keeper, educator, author, and blogger. She joined me from her home and garden in Devon, England.

Her most recent book, Trees and Shrubs that Heal was released in the US January 2024. She is also the author of the Medicinal Garden Handbook, and of Household Medicine in Seventeenth-Century England.  She also posts newsletters to her blog, Medicinal Tree Woman.

Her books, and her manner, are so engaging I asked her to join Deep Roots Radio for a 5-part series. I hope you enjoy this first conversation.

Sylvia

Mild French sourdough with dried cherries and coriander

In fact, fermentation has been a critical strategy for preserving foods for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

In this Deep Roots Radio conversation, historian Julia Skinner chats about her latest book, Our Fermented Lives. In it, she describes how this culinary skill has shaped cultures and communities all across the world. Dr. Skinner is the founder of Root: Historic Food for the Modern World.

I hope you enjoy this lively interview. Do you make fermented foods? Let me know.

Sylvia

[email protected]

Andrew Mommsen

While Tom is now in his third year opening his orchard to eager visitors, Andrew is celebrating 30 years of a growing interest in farm experiences. Both represent a range of lessons learned and rewards experienced as they’ve welcomed individuals and families to their farms.

You’ll also hear from Sheila Everhart, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association (WATA). She describes how the public can go to WATA‘s website to find a wide range agricultural adventures near you. She also describes how farmers benefit from the educational, advocacy and promotional work WATA does for its members every day of the year.

I hope you enjoy this podcast.

Sylvia

Have you found yourself checking your weather app every few minutes? (Often hoping that the forecast would change ;-).  I know I have. Well now there’s a network of weather stations being built out across the state of Wisconsin that’ll meet that need to know what the weather’s done this last five minutes.

It’s called Wisconet. I hope. you’ll enjoy this Deep Roots Radio interview with the program’s Research Program Manager Chris Vagasky. He describes how this expanding web of weather data collectors will help farmers, gardeners and the curious get weather info — for free — to help plan for the short and long term.

To learn more about the program, visit the Wisconet website. To contact Chris Vagasky, email him at [email protected]

Sylvia

The Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC) is a state-wide collaborative effort led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in partnership with Renewing the Countryside, Marbleseed (formerly MOSES), and the Wisconsin Farmers Union.

I hope you enjoy this Deep Roots Radio chat with Kriss Marion, a long-time powerhouse in efforts to empower farmers and women landowners to conservation efforts. Kriss is WiWiC’s Media and Communications Lead, Communication’s Specialist with the Wisconsin Farmers Union. She is a small-scale farmer using managed grazing practices with her cattle, goats and sheep. Kriss and her husband Shannon run the Circle M Farm BnB.

During our chat, Kriss described several upcoming meetings that’ll be a help to any woman farmer and landowner. They can be found on the WiWiC website.

Sylvia