Host/Family Farmer Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com has news about growing Hemp and Hemp Farming. Next, Doug welcomes Attila Agoston, who with his wife and young children operate Mountain View Farm, in Neersville, VA. http://mvf-organics.com/index.html . Mountain View Farm is located a few miles from the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. They lease their farmland from the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, a 900 acre nature preserve. They grow USDA Certified Organi...
Oct 25, 2018•34 min
Host/Family Farmer Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com offers news about how the wet weather and the new trade deal are related. Then, news about how drug addiction is increasing on Family Farms. Next, Doug welcomes Baker/Family Farmer, Shana Amsterdam. https://www.facebook.com/pg/talkingbreads/about/?ref=page_internal She and her husband Joe are the Owners/Bakers at Talking Breads Bakery, in Shermansdale, Pennsylvania. They are dedicated to providing a wide variety of breads using only the highe...
Oct 17, 2018•35 min
Host Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com has good news for American Family Farmers about trade opportunities in England, Scotland and Ireland, due to The President's new trade deals. Next, Doug welcomes Lucille Benoit https://keepthecows.com/ . Few have had the milk stool in the barn that she's been privileged to have for more than 30 years. She has known good cows, bad ones, clean ones and messy ones, the ones who are the best and brightest and the ones who have died from incurable diseases. In ...
Oct 10, 2018•34 min
Host Doug Stephan https://eastleighfarm.wixsite.com/eastleighfarm has good news for Family Farmers coming from The White House. Next, Doug welcomes Gerit Quealy, https://www.botanicalshakespeare.com/ author/editor of Botanical Shakespeare from HarperDesign /HarperCollins. As a journalist, she has covered everything from lipstick to Shakespeare. The book is a one-of-a-kind color compendium of the ALL the named plants that appear in the entire canon attributed to William Shakespeare, accompanied b...
Oct 03, 2018•34 min
Host/Family Farmer Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com has news about the Tester-Hagen Amendment http://farmandranchfreedom.org/analysis-of-the-tester-hagan-amendment/ and what it takes to qualify for assistance. Next, Doug welcomes Jennifer Fahy, Communications Director for Farm Aid https://www.farmaid.org/ . Jennifer has been with Farm Aid since 2002. She loves to spread the word about good food from family farms and the important work of Farm Aid. According to Jennifer, the best part of her jo...
Sep 26, 2018•37 min
Host Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarms.com has news about how the Family Farm is in trouble. Next, Doug welcomes Darla Tyler-McSherry who started "Ask In Earnest" www.askinernest.org after her father died of an apparent suicide. "I believe that my dad was born to be a farmer. He spent his entire life working the land, caring for the animals, providing for his family, and providing food for countless people over the course of his lifetime. Like all other farmers, he experienced numerous challenges—...
Sep 12, 2018•37 min
Host Doug Stephan begins with the latest Farm News from around the world. Next, Tobias Peggs, co-founder and CEO of Square Roots Urban Farming www.squarerootsgrow.com Joins Doug to explain how farmers are learning how to grow crops, yea-round in an urban environment. Finally, Doug talks about "Agri-Tourism."
Sep 06, 2018•36 min
Farmer/Host Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com has news about an illegal farm worker who killed an Iowa college student. Doug believes that there is no reason to hire illegals. Next, Doug discusses a new web site for sharing ideas for helping small dairy farms: www.dairyproposals2018.com . Next, Doug welcomes farmer Martha Boneta www.marthaboneta.com . Martha is a farmer at Liberty Farm in Paris, Virginia. Growing up, her family always had kitchen gardens and it was Martha’s childhood dream to b...
Aug 30, 2018•35 min
Host/Farmer Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com has news of the farmer who was recently awarded $289,000,000 in a lawsuit against Monsanto Chemical. After 30-years of using their product Round-Up, he is dying of Cancer. Another Farmer has been fined $2-million for having a Birthday Party on her farm. Next, Doug welcomes Cody Hopkins, General Manager of Grass Roots Farmers Cooperative www.grassrootscoop.com . Cody, an Arkansas native, brought ten years of experience developing and growing a vertic...
Aug 28, 2018•36 min
News of an Illinois fifth generation Family Farm, who's crop value has decreased 25%, because of the Chinese Tariff wars. Next, host Doug Stephan learns the secrets of running a successful Third Generation Family Dairy Farm, from Randy Sowers. South Mountain Creamery https://southmountaincreamery.com/ in Middletown, MD. Randy and his wife Karen started farming in 1981. They rented the land and took out a loan to buy 100 cows. Today the Sowers family owns and farms 2,200 acres. SMC milks 550 head...
Aug 20, 2018•31 min
Host Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm .com has news about wild-caught seafood farmers. Next, Roger Johnson, President of The National Farmers Union http://www.nfu .org joins Doug to discuss the $12-Billion Dollars that's earmarked to help farmers, due to the Trade Wars. Where is the money going to go? Johnson was elected to lead the family farm organization at NFU’s 107th anniversary convention in 2009. He has since expanded the education department by providing more programs for beginning,...
Aug 08, 2018•33 min
First, Host/Farmer Doug Stephan talks about his personal farm, Eastleigh Farm http://www.eastleighfarm .com . Next, the news from The White House, that President Trump wants more aide for needy farmers. Doug wonders who will decide who the "needy" farms are. Doug Welcomes Steve Nygren from Serenbe http://www.serenbe .com . Serenbe’s is an "AGRI-HOOD," consisting of a community of hamlets that have complementary commercial centers focused on the elements of a well-lived life: arts for inspiration...
Jul 25, 2018•37 min
Host Doug Stephan begins with news about The Trade Wars and how they are affecting the Family Farm, especially Pork Producers. Next, Doug welcomes Dr. John Bolten, who is serving as the Associate Program Manager of Water Resources for the NASA Applied Sciences Program at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/ His research focuses on the application of satellite-based remote sensing and land surface hydrological modeling for improved ecological and water resource ...
Jul 19, 2018•38 min
Host Doug Stephan begins the podcast with news you can use on your ranch or farm, including the new Farm Bill that the House and Senate are hammering out. Next, Doug welcomes Margo Hale, Southeast Regional Office Director for NCAT, the National Center for Appropriate Technology. http://www.nact .org For over 40 years NCAT has been promoting sustainable living. They are a national nonprofit that provides research-based technical assistance and information in the fields of sustainable agriculture,...
Jul 11, 2018•38 min
Host Doug Stephan reviews news about Replenishing the Soil, Deforestation and the threat Amazon.com poses with box usage. Next, Doug welcomes Dr. Neil I. Fox https://www.cafnr.missouri.edu/person/neil-i-fox/ , Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science at The University of Missouri. He has researched a number of threads which include: The use of radar in the estimation and very short-period forecasting (nowcasting) of rainfall. The representation of rainfall in models of runoff, soil detachment ...
Jul 02, 2018•33 min
Host Doug Stephan tells a story about of a couple in their sixties, who left conventional careers to begin a successful business raising livestock. Next, Val Dolcini of The Pollinator Partnership http://www.pollinator .org joins Doug to discuss "Bee Friendly Farming." Val was formerly Administrator of the USDA Farm Service Agency, is a fifth generation Californian, a passionate supporter of American farmers and ranchers, and a firm believer in the promise of our nation's rural places. He is curr...
Jun 21, 2018•35 min
In Agri-News, Host Doug Stephan outlines new proposals to help Dairy Farmers and other farming http://www.farmbill.org . Next, Doug welcomes Scott Farber who leads a team working to improve food and farm legislation, chemicals policy and a host of other issues important to EWG and its supporters. http://www.egw .org Prior to joining EWG, Scott was vice president for federal affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, where he spearheaded efforts to enact the Food Safety Modernization Act,...
Jun 14, 2018•34 min
First, the farm news, with Host Doug Stephan covers how much the average farmer makes annually, Family Dairy Farmers in danger of becoming extinct and why, and Canada's interest in opening the doors to American Dairies. Next, Chris Kerston of the Savory Institute http://www.savoryinstitute .org joins Doug about their work. Chris ranched full time for nearly 15yrs before joining the Savory Institute. With a longstanding passion for regenerative agricultural and better food distribution systems, h...
Jun 06, 2018•37 min
Host Doug Stephan begins with news about the first death lawsuit against Monsanto over use of Round-Up. Next, Doug's special guest is Daniel Morash of California Safe Soil http://www.calsafesoil.com . CSS provides a full-cycle process to assist supermarkets to recycle their organics, improve store hygiene, and reduce costs, in addition to helping agricultural customers save money, increase crop yield, and reduce nitrate runoff. They produce a safe, low cost, high volume, and high-quality liquid ...
May 24, 2018•35 min
Host Doug Stephan shares news about the skyrocketing demand for Organic Foods and Organic Milk, and how Government agencies are trying to set the standards. Next, Doug meets Lydell Steiner of TILMOR http://www.tilmor.com . TILMOR is fourth-generation family farm (certified organic since 2006), with more than 50 years of experience designing and manufacturing turf and agricultural equipment. While operating the farm, they needed reliable, appropriately-sized, affordable tools and equipment for th...
May 02, 2018•34 min
Host Doug Stephan reveals a recent study which indicates that the number one cause of concern in the world is Animal Welfare. Next, Doug talks with Government Relations Representative for the National Farmers Union http://www.nfu.org , Matt Perdue, who is an advocate for family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities in Congress and the executive branch. He focuses on climate, conservation, energy, health care, rural development, and transportation. In April, a bipartisan group of Senators intr...
Apr 26, 2018•32 min
Host Doug Stephan reviews the latest developments with egg production, and the recent Salmonella scares. Next, Doug spends some time with Chelsea Davis, Communications Director of Family Farm Action, http://www.farmaction.us a coalition of family-farmers and advocates building the "political muscle" to fight for farmers and rural communities. Existing political organizations have aligned themselves with industrial corporate agriculture. Family Farm Action is a progressive voice fighting to prote...
Apr 19, 2018•32 min
Host Doug Stephan talks about a farmer and his wife, who started a rural delivery service to deliver his products and products from other local farms to neighboring customers. Next, Dairy Farmer Brian Smith, and Member of Americans For Farmers and Families http://www.americansforfarmers &families.com discuss this coalition of growers, producers, suppliers, transporters, retailers and consumers dedicated to preserving NAFTA and working with President Trump to negotiate a modernized agreement ...
Apr 17, 2018•30 min
Meet Thomas Monteith, a 79-year-old retired Dairy Farmer, who owned Woodland Farms in Granville, MA. He is not optimistic about the future of the small family dairy farmer. Thomas is an advocate for independent dairy farms.There is a huge discrepancy between the price we pay for milk in the store, and the price the dairy farmer gets for it. You won't believe the influence that Walmart has on the industry! You'll want to see the movie "Forgotten Farms." http://www.forgottenfarms.org...
Apr 03, 2018•28 min
Martha Boneta is a farmer at Liberty Farm in Paris, Virginia. A native Virginian, Martha grew up in Mt. Vernon on what she was told was a part of George Washington’s vast farmland. Growing up, her family always had kitchen gardens and it was Martha’s childhood dream to be a Virginia farmer and that dream became reality over 9 years ago. Immediately following law school, Martha worked in government relations and advocacy in Washington, DC that propelled her career as strategic account executive a...
Mar 14, 2018•40 min
Wendy Johnson is a farmer from Charles City, Iowa. She was born and raised on a farm a few miles from where she lives today. She left the rural life when she was 18 for the big city thinking she'd never return, but 18 years later, she returned to her roots, living in her grandparents home and working the land that they once did. During those 18 years, she went to college, traveled the world, made Los Angeles her home, worked in the fashion industry, and most importantly discovered food. Wendy al...
Mar 07, 2018•40 min
In this weeks American Family Farmer podcast, Host Doug Stephan speaks live from the Central US Hemp Growers Conference with Morris Beagle, the founder of We Are For Better Alternatives, a program providing education and information about Hemp to promote the industry and the benefits of the plant. He also speaks with Samantha Walsh, a lobbyist for the Hemp industry and CEO and co-founder of Tetra Public Affairs, a cannabis-centered consulting firm. You can find out more about her work at Samanth...
Feb 28, 2018•37 min
Doug Fine is a world-class adventure writer and investigative journalist, who, in 2011, turned his attention to America’s 40 Year-Old War on Drugs. Coming at it from a both an economic and a sustainability angle, he looked into the cannabis fields of Northern California, some of them third generation farms that are as old as the war itself. After researching the hemp industry worldwide for two years, his fourth book, Hemp Bound, was published one month after the US. Congress re-legalized hemp af...
Feb 21, 2018•37 min
Tyson Nekirch is an instructor at The Farm School's "Learn to Farm Program," located in rural, north-central Massachusetts. There are three main programs at The Farm School: Program for Visiting Schools, Learn to Farm Program, and the Chicken Coop School. One of the things that makes the farm school approach to both immersive education for school age children is that all of the program staff are farmers and/or chefs AND instructors. The visiting students are immediately and meaningfully integrat...
Feb 14, 2018•38 min
Host Doug Stephan meets Brendan Davison, the Founder of Good Water Farms in Bridgehampton, NY, where he grows over 30 varieties of Microgreens. Microgreens have 4-6 times higher levels of vital nutrients than mature greens of the same plant and have really amazing nutritional benefits, such as.... • They are the best possible source of the elevated biotics critical to your body’s production of vitamin B12 and hold thousands of phytochemicals to supercharge your body. • They are ultimate tools fo...
Feb 07, 2018•17 min
