The Farmers Beet

In this episode we travel to Southern California to meet with Samuel Guitron of Gospel Swamp Farm in Santa Ana and Johnny Wilson from The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano to talk all about Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, in urban farms. You’ll also hear about how soil health is monitored using potatoes at Gospel Swamp Farm, how wheat and rice bran are being used to manage soil-borne pathogens at The Ecology Center, and so much more.

Episode Resources:

Production Team:

Funding:

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) Grant: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/opca/bifs.html

The post Urban Agriculture in Orange County: Gospel Swamp Farm and The Ecology Center appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

In this episode we connect with Beth Reynolds of The Goat Girls, a woman owned and operated contract grazing operation located on California’s Central Coast to learn about her successes and challenges with long term viability of the targeted grazing industry, especially as it relates to fire preparedness and fuels management.

Over the last decade, California has experienced the most dangerous, destructive, and environmentally hazardous wildfires in the history of the state. Prescribed grazing is a versatile and ecologically-based wildfire mitigation strategy with scientifically proven benefits to our environment, soil, and greenhouse gas reduction goals. Prescribed grazing complements other vegetation management practices through the reduction of fuel loads and implementation in areas where controlled burns are considered too risky or not appropriate for the ecosystem.

Later in the episode, we join Senator Monique Limón on a tour of a grazing operation in Ojai Valley, who represents District 19 in Santa Barbara County. She authored Senate Bill 675 and introduced it in February of this year in order to enhance wildfire mitigation efforts by expanding statewide prescribed grazing efforts.

The post EPISODE 3, SEASON 4: FUELS MANAGEMENT AND POLICY CONCERNS IN CA- A CONVERSATION WITH BETH REYNOLDS OF THE GOAT GIRLS, COLE BUSH OF GRAZING SCHOOL OF THE WEST, AND SENATOR MONIQUE LIMÓN appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

In this episode we delve into all things on-farm composting, from its production to its use and relevant agricultural policies. We hear from Abel Ruiz at CRECE Farming Collective in Santa Ana about their use of various composting methods at a small scale. Liz Schroeder of Spreadwing Farm in Rumsey shares about their use of compost on an organic farm, from considerations around sourcing compost to its application. Dave Runsten, CAFF’s Water Policy Director, also provides an update on the state of composting policy in California. 

Show Notes

CRECE Urban Farm Collective: https://www.crece-coop.org/about

CRECE Urban Farm Collective Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crece.coop

Spreadwing Farm website: https://spreadwingfarm.com/ 

Spreadwing Farm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spreadwing_farm

Tierra Negra (es) : https://tierranegramx.wixsite.com/website

Assessing Compost Quality for Agriculture: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8514.pdf

Organic Materials Management from CalRecycle: https://calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/farming/

More on CAFF’s policy work: https://caff.org/policy/ 

On-Farm Composting video with Frog Hollow Farm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSUSUH04Bjw

Production Team:

Podcast hosted by Emily Ayala

Audio engineering and editing by Coby McDonald 

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

The post CRECE Urban Farm Collective, Spreadwing Farm, and CAFF’s Dave Runsten podcast episode appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

In this episode, we learn about integrated crop livestock management from two Northern California Farms. First, we hear from Lorraine Walker of Eatwell Farm in Dixon, CA, where they incorporate laying hens into their diversified vegetable production, and also touch on soil health and fertility management. Ken Walker of Pasture 42 in Guinda, CA then walks us through how they incorporate sheep and poultry into their orchards, which were designed with animal integration in mind. Both expand on the benefits and challenges of integrating livestock, as well as considerations for pasture, rotational grazing, and food safety.

The post Farmers Beet Podcast on Integrated Crop Livestock Systems with Eatwell Farm – Dixon and Pasture42 – Guinda appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

In this episode, we travel to First Rain Farm in Nevada County, where Tim Van Wagner is integrating a number of effective wildfire preparation methods on his property, as well as those of his neighbors and surrounding community. By combining targeted ecological grazing and prescribed burns, Tim is able to rehabilitate overgrown forests in the foothills to productive foraging systems that support greater biodiversity, sequester more carbon, and improve soil health and water quality in the region- all while also reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires.

Show Notes:

• First Rain Farm Website: https://www.firstrainfarm.com/
• John Jeavons: https://johnjeavons.org/
• Nourishing Traditions: https://nourishingtraditions.com/ 
• California Prescribed Burn Association: https://calpba.org/
• UC ANR Fire Resources and Information: https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/
• Brittleness Scale: https://savoryinstitute.teachable.com/courses/896826/lectures/16507356
• Land Management Regimes of Nevada County: https://www.ncrcd.org/resources-and-links/knowledge-base/agriculture-resources/  
• Ruminant Digestive System: https://extension.umn.edu/dairy-nutrition/ruminant-digestive-system
• Fuel Moisture: http://stream1.cmatc.cn/pub/comet/FireWeather/S290Unit10FuelMoisture/comet/fire/s290/unit10/print.htm#page_1.0.0
• Smoke Exposure and Safety: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/wildfire/worker-protection-from-wildfire-smoke.html
• SB 926- Rx Burn Liability Fund: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB926
• CAFF’s Wildfire Resilience Program: https://caff.org/wildfire-resilience-program/ 

Production Team:

• Podcast hosted by Amber Schat- Wildfire Resilience Specialist at CAFF
• Audio engineering and editing by Coby McDonald 
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions 
• Release Date: 12/14/2022

The post Episode 3: First Rain Farm- Nevada City appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

In this episode, Sarah Keiser of Wild Oat Hollow in Penngrove, CA describes her entry into ranching and how her love of the land positioned her to become a leader in developing and supporting community grazing cooperatives. Join us as Sarah shares her experience with wildfires in Sonoma County and how grazing is making a difference for regional wildfire protection and preparedness, while also working to reconnect locals with the ecology of the region and each other.

Show Notes:

• Wild Oat Hollow Website: https://www.wildoathollow.com/
• Fibershed: https://fibershed.org/
• Globetrotter Foundation: https://globetrotterfoundation.org/
• Indigenous Fire Ecologist, Peter Nelson: https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/users/754001
• Soil Health and Grazing: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/ag-topics/natural-resources-and-facilities/grazing-management/soil-health-relation-grazing
• Grazing and Wildfire Risk Reduction: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190052822000177
• CAFF’s Wildfire Resilience Program: https://caff.org/wildfire-resilience-program/

Production Team:

• Podcast hosted by Amber Schat
• Audio engineering and editing by Coby McDonald 
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions 
• Release Date: 11/30/2022

The post Episode 2: Wild Oat Hollow Penngrove, CA appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

In this episode we visit Cheetah Tchudi at his diversified operation in Yankee Hill, Butte County, CA. Cheetah shares his experience surviving the 2018 Paradise wildfire, and some methods for recovery; addressing toxic ash using fungi to capture and and treat persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. 

Release Date: 11/16/2022

The post Episode 1: Turkey Tail Farm – Yankee Hill appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

Queridas oyentes, este es nuestro último episodio de la temporada. Esperamos que disfrute de este episodio especial en español presentado por el productor de nuestro podcast, Jaime Roque.

En este episodio, visitamos Luna’s Farm, una granja familiar Latinx multigeneracional que cultiva vegetales orgánicos en Hollister, California. Antonio Luna comparte sobre la granja de su familia y su historia agrícola en los Estados Unidos, que se remonta a más de tres décadas. Aprendemos cómo la granja reduce los riesgos de inocuidad alimentaria a través del uso del agua, la capacitación de los empleados y la evaluación previa a la cosecha para detectar la intrusión de animales. Antonio también comparte consejos para otros agricultores sobre el mantenimiento de registros de inocuidad alimentaria.

NOTAS DEL PROGRAMA:

The post Luna’s Farm Podcast Episode (en Español) appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

In this episode we visit Stone’s Throw Farm, an organic vegetable and flower farm located in Colfax, California. We sat down with Bryanna Eisenhut, co-owner and operator of Stone’s Throw, to learn about her path to farming full-time and what it’s like to farm in the foothills of the Sierra’s. Bryanna also shares about the challenges and opportunities her family experienced while navigating the coronavirus pandemic and farming with young kids. Lastly, we hear how a winter storm ruined the farm’s original packhouse and how they recovered. Bryanna tells us about her favorite packhouse equipment and changes they made to improve food safety in their post-harvest operations.

SHOW NOTES:

The post Stone’s Throw Farm Podcast Episode appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

In this episode we visit Vitis and Ovis Farm, a multi-generational Swiss-American-Ethiopian family farm located in the Capay Valley and specializing in pastured duck eggs, fruit and medicinal herbs. We talk to Hans, Barbara and Giselle Herren about the 30+ years of stewarding their land, including the recent shift from producing only wine grapes to planning for a more diversified operation designed with permaculture principles. While they wait for their fruit trees to mature, the family shares how they plan to rotate ducks throughout their orchard while also maintaining food safety standards. They also describe some of the infrastructure changes they made recently to ensure their packing and storage areas are easy to clean and sanitize, and at lower risk of cross contamination. 

SHOW NOTES:

The post Vitis and Ovis Farm Podcast Episode appeared first on Community Alliance with Family Farmers.