American Family Farmer

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with false narratives from the Trump administration claiming farm income soared 20% upon Trump re-entering the White House. The reality of most farmers is quite the opposite, with many relying on bailouts or folding their farm altogether. Additionally, the lack of overall...

On today’s American Family Farmer, host Doug Stephan sits down with Jacob Powsner of Baird Farm in North Chittenden, VT, a fourth-generation family farm rooted in tradition, resilience, and innovation. Jacob shares his journey from growing up in nearby Rutland County to studying at Bard College, traveling the West Coast working on organic farms, and ultimately returning to Vermont to help grow Bai...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with a look at the impact the war is having on family farms and the food supply here in the U.S. As an industry, we’re in jeopardy. According to research being done by agrologists, 50% of us could go out of business sooner than later. Brooke Rollins has the USDA focusing o...

Host and American Family Farmer Doug Stephan of Eastleigh Farm welcomes Tami Purdue, founder of Sweet Peas Urban Gardens, LLC and Triangle United Growers. Tami’s journey into agriculture is anything but traditional. Trained as an accountant, she found herself drawn into the world of food through a passion for cooking and a curiosity about where her ingredients truly came from. What began as an int...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with a focus on 2026 being the International Year of the Woman Farmer, a look at the contribution that women in agriculture make, difficulties female farmers face in getting land, resources and leadership opportunities.  Another conversation is in the rising costs of nearl...

On this week’s episode of American Family Farmer , host Doug Stephan welcomes Kelly Ryerson, also known as “Glyphosate Girl," for a powerful and eye-opening conversation at the intersection of agriculture, food, and human health. Drawing from her deeply personal journey of overcoming chronic illness, Kelly shares how her path to healing led her to investigate the hidden connections between the foo...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with a focus on lost staffing at various government agencies and what it means for family farmers. It means you’re waiting longer for help to apply for financial aid and you’re waiting longer for special projects funding. The Forestry Service has lost 12,000 (1/3) employee...

In this special sponsored segment, host Doug Stephan chats with Brad Phifer, Executive Director of theertification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), to talk about the growing world of dog ownership and the importance of qualified train Cing. With more people welcoming dogs into their homes than ever before, many pet parents are looking for guidance on how to manage common canine behav...

On this week’s episode of American Family Farmer, host Doug Stephan welcomes Megan Moran, a licensed mental health counselor and Executive Director of Cultivate Care Farms in Bolton, Massachusetts. Megan shares how her journey from high school English teacher to mental health professional led her to explore the powerful connection between identity development, community, and nature. With more than...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with the House Farm Bill as moved ahead after clearing a committee with support from both Democrats and Republicans following a 20-hour meeting recently.  Moving on to the price of chicken, the Avian flu has caused chicken prices to rise sharply in early 2026 due to supply...

This week on American Family Farmer Show, host Doug Stephan welcomes ecologist and biology professor Norris Muth for an insightful conversation about the health of our forests, farms, and ecosystems. A professor at Juniata College in Pennsylvania, Muth specializes in conservation biology, plant ecology, and the growing challenges posed by invasive species. His research through the Muth Ecology Lab...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with the new farm bill that’s been proposed for this year. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) is the primary legislative proposal advancing in Congress as of March 2026, aiming to update agricultural policy, nutrition assistance, and conservation...

This week on American Family Farmer with host Doug Stephan, we revisit an insightful conversation with Cannon Michael, President & CEO of Bowles Farming Company. Cannon is a sixth-generation California farmer overseeing more than 11,000 acres of diverse crops. Since joining the family business in 1998 after graduating from University of California, Berkeley, he has helped guide the company wit...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with the latest information on the Avian flu. Yes, there is yet another outbreak.  Then, Doug dives into the relationship between glyphosate herbicides and the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement is a subject of significant controversy and internal conflict within...

On this week’s episode of American Family Farmer , host Doug Stephan welcomes Ann Molloy, co-owner and Director of Sales & Marketing for Neptune’s Harvest, based in Gloucester. A member of a fifth-generation Gloucester fishing family, Ann shares how her family’s historic roots in New England’s seafood industry evolved into a nationally recognized organic fertilizer company. What began in the 1...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with political news taking over agricultural news as politics make up a lot of what is affecting American family farmers. For instance, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a legal dispute that could reshape how agricultural companies handle labeling and liability.  I...

On this episode of American Family Farmer, host Doug Stephan welcomes Jodi Scott, co-founder of Green Goo, CEO of Spry Life, and a dedicated hobby farmer in Lyons, Colorado. Jodi shares her journey bridging science, psychology, and traditional herbal medicine, from pre-med studies and work supporting underserved patients to building a family business rooted in the healing power of plants. What beg...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with the reality of news mixed with opinion and deciphering where to get the truth.  Doug dives into realities of certain pesticides on the farm, twice banned and now reapproved. The ones that have caused a number of farmers to die who had used those products. The products...

This week on American Family Farmer, host Doug Stephan sits down with Jack Algiere, Director of Agroecology at Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture in New York’s Hudson Valley. Jack has been actively farming for more than two decades and was Stone Barns’ very first official employee back in 2004. Since then, he’s helped build one of the country’s most innovative four-season regenerative f...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with tax deductions farmers can use before filing. There are ways of deducting land, and how much depending on renting vs ownership and if you live on the land or not. If you’re a livestock producer, feed is a sizable write off and crop farmers can write off seeds and seed...

On this episode of American Family Farmer, host Doug Stephan of Eastleigh Farm ( www.eastleighfarm.com ) takes us to Owensville, Missouri, to meet Tom and Martha Brikman, the husband-and-wife team behind Cool Cow Cheese and Farmstead Bed & Breakfast ( www.coolcowcheese.com ). Since 2012, Martha & Tom’s Farm, LLC has been a family-owned and operated labor of love, built on respect for the l...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with the New World Screwworm, causing Mexico’s beef industry vulnerable to this parasitic fly. This brings up the inquiry of what is the United States doing to protect American cattle farmers and other family farmers with livestock.  Continuing on, Doug shares news the U.S...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with news affecting family farmers from the USDA about commodity payments, the rates that farmers should expect after suffering losses after the high input of costs and low crop prices.  The payment rates with the highest yield are peanuts, followed by wheat, and then corn...

This week on American Family Farmer , Doug Stephan revisits a compelling conversation with Eliza Maclean, the heart and hands behind Cane Creek Farm, a vibrant, diversified family farm in Snow Camp, North Carolina. Eliza’s journey to farming is anything but ordinary. With a background in environmental science and veterinary practice experience, she brings a deeply rooted respect for animal health,...

This week on American Family Farmer, host Doug Stephan welcomes Heidi Sandrev, President of Angels Haven Horse Rescue in Grafton, Ohio, a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit dedicated to rescuing abused, neglected, abandoned, and unwanted horses while educating the public on humane horse care. Heidi didn’t grow up around horses, but she was raised with a strong philanthropic spirit. When she recognized a...