Real Food Real People

If you've ever eaten beef from Whole Foods, it may have come from Austin Olma's ranch. Hear directly from this real-life cowboy about the challenges he faces every day as we visit his ranch in Tonasket, WA. The post Austin Olma | #097 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

This dairy farm in Washington has created a revolutionary natural skincare cream made from cows' colostrum. Ashlee Frank with Nurst explains how the innovative idea was born on her family's farm, Royal Family Farming, and how they're trying to get the word out about the surprising benefits of their unique skincare products. The post Ashlee Frank | #096 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Labor challenges mean an uncertain future for small family farms like the orchard Pedro Cuevas runs with his father. Pedro sat down with Dillon to share his story of growing up in a farm worker family and talk about the cutting-edge farming technology he's now involved with. The post Pedro Cuevas | #095 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

More and more people are disconnected from how their food is grown, and farmsteader Mieschia Wilson says one of the consequences is that people are lashing out at farmers. Hear how she's personally been targeted, and what she's trying to do at Next Generation Farmstead to reconnect people with where their food comes from. The post Mieschia Wilson | #094 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Growing local beef and crops not far from Seattle, Andrew Albert knows he's part of a dying breed. But he doesn't think it should be that way. Hear directly from this 3rd-generation farmer about the long list of pressures pushing more and more family farms out of business, and find out the real reason he keeps farming in spite of the stress. The post Andrew Albert | #093 appeared first on Real Foo...

Once known as the "forbidden fruit," black currants have storied past here in the US, and Lindsey Van Dyken's family has been growing them since they were legalized in Washington less than 20 years ago. Hear Lindsey's story and the challenges her family farm has faced in growing the niche crop and other berries for a growing crowd of loyal customers. The post Lindsey Van Dyken | #092 appeared firs...

Growing up in a family of farm workers, Eros Gonzalez is no stranger to the hard work that goes into growing food. Now he helps farms conserve water and grow sustainable crops through his work at WaterTec in Lynden, WA. The post Eros Gonzalez | #091 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

This organic dairy farmer is betting everything on the future of local food, as he and his family work to launch their own creamery and market near Seattle. Meet Ryan Mensonides of Mount Rainier Creamery & Market and Providence Farms and hear his passion for local food and family farming, as well as the huge challenges he's faced to make his dream a reality. The post Ryan Mensonides | #090 appeare...

Could oysters and clams be the protein of the future? We sat down with shellfish farmer Francisco Santelices of Skagit Shellfish to learn how they rely on Skagit Bay's cold, clean water to grow some of the best oysters and clams around. The post Francisco Santelices | #089 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

He had been in farming literally his whole life... up until 4 months ago. Host Dillon Honcoop's dad, Randy, shares the story of how he became a red raspberry farmer, and explains what it's like to leave the only occupation he's ever known. The post Randy Honcoop | #088 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

The reason Jared Easterday is so passionate about growing food might surprise you. Sitting around his kitchen table talking about growing vegetables, we learn not only about how Jared farms, but how he sees his work fitting into the big picture. The post Jared Easterday | #087 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

We go inside a real local butcher shop to hear about the challenges Boston Alvord faces as he continues a centuries-old tradition of preparing meat for local customers' tables. The post Boston Alvord | #086 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Sadly, there's a huge bottleneck keeping a lot of locally-grown beef from reaching dinner tables in WA. Small beef farmer Marie Hegarty explains why, and shares what's so important to her about raising small-scale grassfed beef near Custer, WA at Fair Cow's Path Farm. The post Marie Hegarty | #085 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

His wheat, barley and lentils are eaten all over the world, and Dwayne Lenssen grows them in the scenic rolling hills of the Palouse in Eastern Washington and Idaho. Dillon and Dwayne discuss how wheat is farmed in this unique region, and connect around a shared history with a tragic twist. The post Dwayne Lenssen | #084 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

What's the truth about the controversial H-2A Guest Worker program? Farm worker housing manager Luis Guitron shares what it's like behind the scenes, as well as his own personal story, as Dillon Honcoop visits an actual guest worker housing facility in Okanogan, WA. The post Luis Guitron | #083 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

She may have the best marinara sauce you've ever tasted, and Amy Cords and her mom make it right here in Washington state. Hear the story of how their unwritten family recipe became the mainstay of Manja Creations Artisan Food Company. The post Amy Cords | #082 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Racking up millions of video views, mother and daughter-in-law homesteaders Jordyn and Kay Clark became a viral sensation on social media, sharing day-to-day insights into growing food. They share how they got started, what made them go viral, and what their newfound notariety means for their homestead, Portage View Farm, on Washington's Lummi Peninsula. The post Jordyn & Kay Clark | #081 appeared...

Author and professor Gigi Berardi says some kinds of farming in Washington state are often much closer to the "extinction threshold" than people realize. Gigi shares how she came from Hollywood to farming, via academia, and opens up about what she's found in her research on farms and at Western Washington University's Huxley College of the Environment. The post Gigi Berardi | #080 appeared first o...

When Bernadette Gagnier came to WSU's agriculture research station in Prosser to get a PhD in horticulture, she was reconnecting with family farming roots she didn't even know she had. She explains why the bugs she's researching are bad news for WA's amazing wines, and how she's trying to stop them without using pesticides. The post Bernadette Gagnier | #079 appeared first on Real Food Real People...

Even though she was diagnosed with cancer, Leann Krainick knew her family's 100-year-old dairy couldn't stop while she was in treatment. She shares the emotional story of working through that time of crisis, and gives an inside look at running Krainick Dairy just a stone's throw from Seattle. The post Leann Krainick | #078 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

This PNW-based farmer-turned-recycler has a powerful solution to America's food waste problem. Luke Dynes has developed technology that he aims to take to every state in the nation and drastically reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfills. In fact, he's already doing it right here in Washington and Oregon. The post Luke Dynes | #077 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

He describes it as one of the best places in the world to make wine. That's why Co Dinn crafts his award-winning wines in the heart of the Yakima Valley with a keen focus on sustainability. Come with us as we visit Co Dinn Cellars' tasting room in Sunnyside, WA. The post Co Dinn | #076 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Kyler Beard is a real Washington cowboy, and he's passionate about doing what's best for his cattle and the rangeland they graze on. The post Kyler Beard | #075 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Are dairy cows being treated well on Washington state dairy farms? Coming into the world of dairy originally as an outsider, Brianna Parmentier is now in charge of taking care of a dairy herd near Everson, WA. She shares what really happens behind the scenes on dairy farms in this state. The post Brianna Parmentier | #074 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

This beef and dairy farmer is dangerously close to achieving sustainable carbon neutrality on his farm near Royal City, WA. It may surprise you what Austin Allred of Royal Family Farming says is the secret to carbon neutrality, building soil health and producing food in a way that's sustainable for generations to come. The post Austin Allred | #073 appeared first on Real Food Real People .