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S2E5: Cultivating Purpose: Farmers Today
In this episode, Chris is joined by Jason Myers-Benner and Christine Harris to explore their unique journeys and insights into sustainable agriculture and farming.
Jason has carried a deep passion for growing food throughout his entire life. He and his wife, Janelle, along with their children, now grow about 80% of the food they consume on their farm. One of Jason’s special interests is chicken breeding. He shares his deep understanding of the unique personalities and traits of various chicken breeds—ranging from feather patterns to foraging behavior. Jason has spent years selectively breeding chickens for specific characteristics, such as productivity, predator awareness, foraging ability, and “sexability” (the ability to easily determine a chick’s sex at birth).
After her conversation with Jason, Chris speaks with Christine Harris, Oak Spring’s Biocultural Conservation Farm Director. Unlike Jason, Christine’s passion for plants and agriculture developed later in life—during her time as a student at George Mason University. There, she became involved with the university’s organic farm and worked in the Office of Sustainability. Christine joined the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in 2019, just as the idea for the farm was beginning to take shape. Under her leadership, the farm has grown into a vibrant site focused on crops native to Appalachia and the Virginia Piedmont. The produce supports residents and guests on-site and supplies a 50-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that helps fund Oak Spring’s educational and outreach efforts. Over half of the farm’s remaining harvest is donated to local food banks.
Two books are also referenced in the contiuum section of the podcast: An Oak Spring Landscape and Rokeby: A Landscape Biography both by Michael Gaige, include information about the agricultural, human, and ecological history of the landscape Oak Spring Garden Foundation sits on today.
Enjoy this episode, which highlights the meaningful agricultural work happening at Oak Spring and beyond!
Host: Chris Stafford
Oak Spring website: https://www.osgf.org/
Subscribe to the Oak Spring Newsletter: https://www.osgf.org/
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @oakspringgardenfoundation
Twitter: @oak_spring
Facebook: Oak Spring Garden Foundation
Jason has carried a deep passion for growing food throughout his entire life. He and his wife, Janelle, along with their children, now grow about 80% of the food they consume on their farm. One of Jason’s special interests is chicken breeding. He shares his deep understanding of the unique personalities and traits of various chicken breeds—ranging from feather patterns to foraging behavior. Jason has spent years selectively breeding chickens for specific characteristics, such as productivity, predator awareness, foraging ability, and “sexability” (the ability to easily determine a chick’s sex at birth).
After her conversation with Jason, Chris speaks with Christine Harris, Oak Spring’s Biocultural Conservation Farm Director. Unlike Jason, Christine’s passion for plants and agriculture developed later in life—during her time as a student at George Mason University. There, she became involved with the university’s organic farm and worked in the Office of Sustainability. Christine joined the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in 2019, just as the idea for the farm was beginning to take shape. Under her leadership, the farm has grown into a vibrant site focused on crops native to Appalachia and the Virginia Piedmont. The produce supports residents and guests on-site and supplies a 50-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that helps fund Oak Spring’s educational and outreach efforts. Over half of the farm’s remaining harvest is donated to local food banks.
Two books are also referenced in the contiuum section of the podcast: An Oak Spring Landscape and Rokeby: A Landscape Biography both by Michael Gaige, include information about the agricultural, human, and ecological history of the landscape Oak Spring Garden Foundation sits on today.
Enjoy this episode, which highlights the meaningful agricultural work happening at Oak Spring and beyond!
Host: Chris Stafford
Oak Spring website: https://www.osgf.org/
Subscribe to the Oak Spring Newsletter: https://www.osgf.org/
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @oakspringgardenfoundation
Twitter: @oak_spring
Facebook: Oak Spring Garden Foundation
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By Oak Spring Garden FoundationIn this episode, Chris is joined by Jason Myers-Benner and Christine Harris to explore their unique journeys and insights into sustainable agriculture and farming.
Jason has carried a deep passion for growing food throughout his entire life. He and his wife, Janelle, along with their children, now grow about 80% of the food they consume on their farm. One of Jason’s special interests is chicken breeding. He shares his deep understanding of the unique personalities and traits of various chicken breeds—ranging from feather patterns to foraging behavior. Jason has spent years selectively breeding chickens for specific characteristics, such as productivity, predator awareness, foraging ability, and “sexability” (the ability to easily determine a chick’s sex at birth).
After her conversation with Jason, Chris speaks with Christine Harris, Oak Spring’s Biocultural Conservation Farm Director. Unlike Jason, Christine’s passion for plants and agriculture developed later in life—during her time as a student at George Mason University. There, she became involved with the university’s organic farm and worked in the Office of Sustainability. Christine joined the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in 2019, just as the idea for the farm was beginning to take shape. Under her leadership, the farm has grown into a vibrant site focused on crops native to Appalachia and the Virginia Piedmont. The produce supports residents and guests on-site and supplies a 50-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that helps fund Oak Spring’s educational and outreach efforts. Over half of the farm’s remaining harvest is donated to local food banks.
Two books are also referenced in the contiuum section of the podcast: An Oak Spring Landscape and Rokeby: A Landscape Biography both by Michael Gaige, include information about the agricultural, human, and ecological history of the landscape Oak Spring Garden Foundation sits on today.
Enjoy this episode, which highlights the meaningful agricultural work happening at Oak Spring and beyond!
Host: Chris Stafford
Oak Spring website: https://www.osgf.org/
Subscribe to the Oak Spring Newsletter: https://www.osgf.org/
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @oakspringgardenfoundation
Twitter: @oak_spring
Facebook: Oak Spring Garden Foundation
Jason has carried a deep passion for growing food throughout his entire life. He and his wife, Janelle, along with their children, now grow about 80% of the food they consume on their farm. One of Jason’s special interests is chicken breeding. He shares his deep understanding of the unique personalities and traits of various chicken breeds—ranging from feather patterns to foraging behavior. Jason has spent years selectively breeding chickens for specific characteristics, such as productivity, predator awareness, foraging ability, and “sexability” (the ability to easily determine a chick’s sex at birth).
After her conversation with Jason, Chris speaks with Christine Harris, Oak Spring’s Biocultural Conservation Farm Director. Unlike Jason, Christine’s passion for plants and agriculture developed later in life—during her time as a student at George Mason University. There, she became involved with the university’s organic farm and worked in the Office of Sustainability. Christine joined the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in 2019, just as the idea for the farm was beginning to take shape. Under her leadership, the farm has grown into a vibrant site focused on crops native to Appalachia and the Virginia Piedmont. The produce supports residents and guests on-site and supplies a 50-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that helps fund Oak Spring’s educational and outreach efforts. Over half of the farm’s remaining harvest is donated to local food banks.
Two books are also referenced in the contiuum section of the podcast: An Oak Spring Landscape and Rokeby: A Landscape Biography both by Michael Gaige, include information about the agricultural, human, and ecological history of the landscape Oak Spring Garden Foundation sits on today.
Enjoy this episode, which highlights the meaningful agricultural work happening at Oak Spring and beyond!
Host: Chris Stafford
Oak Spring website: https://www.osgf.org/
Subscribe to the Oak Spring Newsletter: https://www.osgf.org/
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @oakspringgardenfoundation
Twitter: @oak_spring
Facebook: Oak Spring Garden Foundation