American Family Farmer

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with the declaration that this year is the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Shedding light on the essential contributions of women in farming and agri-business. Supporting the International Year of the Woman Farmer aligns with a commitment to advance opportunities f...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with the latest on the screwworm threatening the cattle industry. Three of the top USDA experts have been sharing updates on where the screwworm has taken place and urging farmers to pay attention with an all hands on deck approach to handle this situation, with boots not...

This week on American Family Farmer , host Doug Stephan visits with Liz Fiedler Mergen , founder of Sunny Mary Meadow , a cut flower farm rooted on a sixth-generation family farm in Stearns County, Minnesota. Sunny Mary Meadow is more than a flower farm—it’s a living example of how agriculture can thrive through diversification, agritourism, and human connection. Liz shares how the farm offers flo...

This week on The American Family Farmer , the tables were turned as longtime host Doug Stephan stepped into the guest seat to share the story of his beloved Eastleigh Farm in Framingham, Massachusetts. Joining him as interviewer was his close friend and Radio Hall of Fame inductee Mike McVay of McVay Media, creating a warm, insightful conversation rooted in friendship, farming, and preservation. D...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with a look back at 2025 agricultural news. The office of Inspector General issued a report on the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and one of the things they highlight is that the USDA lost 18% of their workforce earlier in the year.  What else happened in 2025 was that th...

American Family Farmer with Doug Stephan welcomes Kevin Channell, principal owner of Farm & Forest Business & Tax Services, for an insightful conversation about the financial realities facing today’s farmers, foresters, and rural business owners. Kevin brings a rare dual perspective to his work—combining firsthand farming experience with deep expertise in business analysis, valuations, and...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with a focus of the COOL (Country of Origin Labelling) standards. Plus, the American Agriculture Alliance released and updated version of the impact report, highlighting progress made to enhance animal welfare practices, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to Ameri...

This week on American Family Farmer, host Doug Stephan heads to the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Peninsula, Ohio, to visit with George Haramis, fifth-generation owners of Heritage Farms. Founded in 1848, Heritage Farms has evolved alongside American agriculture—transforming over the generations from canal boat building to potatoes, dairy, beef cattle, and today, one of Northeast O...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with the latest information on tariffs and how family farmers are being affected, government assistance set aside for farmers to be distributed between now and the end of February, and questioning why there is more money being made available to bail out farmers in Argentin...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with word of $12 Billion in aide for farmers in our country, how tariffs are affecting small farmers, and management of taxes for farmers. Then, Doug shares his opinions on the top news stories of the week in farming and agriculture and why the chaos of the trade policy is...

What began as a childhood 4-H project has grown into a thriving value-added dairy business feeding families across New England. This week on American Family Farmer , host Doug Stephan welcomes sisters Beth and Courtney Hodge, co-owners of Echo Farm Puddings in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Raised on a small farm, the Hodge sisters turned their love for cows—and their reluctance to part with them—into a...

This week on American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan introduces listeners to one of the most unique farms in America, Westmeister Farm in Shelby, Ohio, where exotic animals, agritourism, and wellness come together in the most unexpected ways. Owner and farmer Lynn Westmeister joins Doug to share how her private, appointment-only farm has become a peaceful haven for both animals and visitors. Westmeis...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with preparations for incoming bad weather. Doug has already put most of his equipment away for the season, with the exception of what he’s still using. Looking back at stats over recent years, farming operations have faced some significant weather with early frosts, extre...

In this episode, we talk with Jennifer Whitney, who is the owner, farmer, and co-founder of Natural Nook Farm in West Salem, Ohio. For nearly 20 years, Jennifer and her husband, Adam, have built a vibrant, faith-rooted homestead dedicated to natural living, self-sufficiency, and community. Jennifer shares how Natural Nook Farm has grown from a simple family property into a thriving small farm that...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting with news the EPA approved a new forever chemical in pesticides that is being used on food. Read that sentence again. The big food processors want the food grown for them to last longer, and the big conglomerate farms want the food to grow bigger and faster. What does that...

This week on American Family Farmer , host Doug Stephan welcomes Dave and Barb Zerbe of Esbenshade Turkey Farm—America’s oldest operating turkey farm, proudly rooted in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Esbenshade Turkey Farm has been a Lancaster County original since 1858, spanning seven generations of tradition, craftsmanship, and family pride. Barb Zerbe represents the fifth generation of the Esb...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting off with an extension of the Farm Bill, part of what President Trump signed into law to end the government shutdown. The bill extended the Farm Bill from 2018 for another year. The American Farm Bureau and the National Farmers Union are expressing hope that Congress will f...

Today on the American Family Farmer, we’re proud to bring you a stand-alone feature interview with Dawn Broeder, founder of Farm Fusion Cooking Classes and a lifelong champion of Colorado agriculture. Dawn’s story begins on the family farm where she was raised—an environment that not only shaped her work ethic but also gave her a profound respect for the land and the animals in her care. As a youn...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting off with the question if the ongoing bird flu will cause any troubles for Thanksgiving dinners across the country. On the topic of the choice of poultry for Thanksgiving, states with the highest rate of turkey production are Minnesota (#1) and North Carolina (#2), there’s...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting off with the latest from the Trump Administration’s promise of a a bailout for farmers, and now time is running out.  Crop prices continue to fall below the cost of production. Perhaps that doesn’t hold true for corn, but other crops, especially dairy.  In addition, the FS...

This week on The American Family Farmer , we’re going beyond the “thank you” to explore what real, lasting support for America’s veterans looks like. Host Doug Stephan welcomes Ken Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation, an organization that’s been a lifeline for military families for over three decades. Fisher House provides free “homes away from home” for the loved ones of service m...

This week, Doug Stephan welcomes Warren Shaw, President of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF). The gentlemen cover a wide range of topics affecting family farmers in our country and the immediate economic problems. Warren, who is a farmer with his own Shaw Farm, discusses on his own farm hardships when the roof collapsed due to a snow storm, losing multiple cattle, shares how he’s reb...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the biggest news affecting family farmers, starting off with good news that the Farm Tax changes have restored the full bonus depreciation, you can now deduct without spreading it out over a number of years. Next up, the continued focus on the Monsanto Policy, why the price of farm-produced products are going up while farme...

This week, Doug Stephan welcomes Peter Durand, Chief Farm Officer of Snickers Run Garlic Farm in Bluemont, Virginia — a 63-acre gem nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Peter shares how this small but mighty farm grows some of the most flavorful hard-neck garlic in the region using sustainable, soil-first methods and a lot of love. From their signature “Bluemont Music” variety to Germa...

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares why he created the American Family Farmer program before jumping into the news affecting family farmers, beginning with the government shutdown with Secretary of Ag Brooke Rollins stating the Us Dept. of Ag would not be able to help farmers who are suffering from low commodity prices as long as the government is shut down....