NOFA Podcast

In this episode I interview Kate Whelley McCabe of the Vermont Evaporator Company.  We dive into the world of maple syrup making at a hobby level. If you've been curious about what it takes to tap trees and make your own maple syrup, Kate's practical approach will fill you in on how simple and rewarding an activity it can be. Maybe you can get started right away! To learn more about the Vermont Ev...

In this episode we drop into five workshop sessions from our recent Winter Conference for quick bits of wisdom and insight.  Laura Davis runs Long Life Farm in Sunderland Mass and is a Soil Technical Assistant with NOFA/Mass.  Her workshop was titled, Exploring The Outer Limits Post Soil Test. Apollo Catala is the Farm Manager for Oasis on Ballou and a graduate of the Urban Farming Institute's Far...

In this session I talk to Julia Agron of NOSHA, who demystifies the botany, history, culture, and policy of hemp production in the Northeast. We also take a deep dive into the complexities of Massachusetts specifically, which has the tightest regulations on hemp production, and then discuss how to support local hemp farmers.  NOSHA https://www.northeastsustainablehemp.org/ More resources from Bays...

In this episode we speak with Connor Stedman from AppleSeed Permaculture to discuss the ecological benefits of hedgerow usage across the landscape and envision a plan that extends beyond farm boundaries to a watershed level of application. Connor Stedman is Principal and lead designer with AppleSeed Permaculture and a farm planner and supply systems educator with Terra Genesis International.  He i...

Remediation of soil is the work of re-establishing its healthy function. In this episode of the NOFA Podcast Nance Klehm and Willie Crosby delve into the work of revitalizing soil and the possibilities of restoring contaminated soils for food production. This episode's guests are part of a collaborative, Springfield, MA-based project funded by the  Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resource...

This week on the NOFA/Mass Podcast we are talking about how to get your garden space buzzing with native plants that attract and support our favorite little buddies pollinators! Caro is back as my co-host to chat with me about bringing in native plants and her experience with growing them. We will also interview Dan Jaffe, author of the book Native Plants for New England Gardens, all about why we...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are going to get Nutty! Chesnuts that is! Caro Roszell is back as my co-host and we will be talking about the carbon sequestration possibilities of growing food from trees. Then we chat with Jono Niger about his farm Big River Chestnuts and his experience with markets, establishment strategies, integration with other crops and livestock and more. Plus another...

This week on the NOFA/mass podcast we are going to be talking about how having a heard of heifers doesn't have to hurt the soil. My co-host Suzy and I will discuss our experiences with grazing animals, remembering the cows we have loved! Then we will interview Sara Flack author of The Art and Science of Grazing. We will also be introducing a new segment "Homestead advice" where your questions are...

We are back for season 3 and this week on the NOFA Mass podcast we are going to be talking about glyphosate the ingredient in Roundup that has been making headlines and ending Monsanto in court. With my cohost Grant, we will discuss his personal journey with this harsh chemical that finds its way into our lives and then we will interview Carey Gillam author of White Wash and this years' Winter Con...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast it's a total shit show! I mean for real, we are talking all things poop, turds and more as Caro and I discuss the process of making compost from our own waste. We gross-out and nerd-out on this topic and then get to interview the author of the groundbreaking book The Humanure Handbook Joe Jenkins on how he came to be the expert on excrement.

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are going to be thinking about the setup, the beginning, the planning… of your garden or homesteading space! My co-host Anna Gilbert-Muhammad and I will discuss how we have thought about setting up garden and farm spaces in the past. Starting at conceptualizing all the way to our blunders in implementation. Then we will talk to permaculture expert and author B...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are going to be talking about how our livestock are smarter than we think they are and the lessons that they can teach us. My co-host will be Jack Kittredge of Many Hands Organic Farm in Barre MA and I will chat all about our own experiences with wise and often sassy livestock. Then we will interview Fred Provensia the author of Nourishment What Animals Can Te...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are giving you a sneak peek into what is going to be the most amazing NOFA Summer Conference ever! Joining me in the studio is Jason Valcort the NOFA Summer Conference Coordinator and we chat about all the things we are pumped about for this the 45th year of sustainable ag. fun in the sun. We also chat with this year's keynote speaker Sandor Katz the internati...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are talking about how to get your kids to better appreciate and eat the animals you raise though mindful butchering and creative recipes. My co-host Christy and I will discuss the importance of using the whole animal as well as have a chat with Katie Stillman of Stillman Quality Meats about her journey to being a butcher, how she is raising her kids to appreci...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are going to be getting into some self-care, some herbalism and some ideas about sustainability by talking all about herbal skin care at home. My co-host Christy Bassett and I will chat about our own experiences with at home remedies and soaps and then we will interview Amber Kennedy of Boheme Botanika Herbals about her favorite herbs for first aid and skin ca...

This week on the NOFA/Mass Podcast we are digging deep into the topic of carbon farming. My guest host Caro Rozell is back to get nerdy with me about pulling CO2 out of the air and putting it in the soil. After talking about carbon farming here in New England we will be chatting with Jeff Creque who is a co-founder of the Marin Carbon Project and a Director at the Carbon Cycle Institute all about...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are talking about something so gouda, we will be leaving you saying bre-visimo! Cheese! My co-host Noah Courser-Kellerman NOFA/Mass board member and farmer at Aprilla Farm in Essex Ma. will chat about what is arguably the best food invention ever, our experiments in cheese making and what cheese makes the best building block for an igloo. Then we will intervie...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are going to be getting friendly with the fungus amungus… We are talking all about mycorrhizal fungi and growing mushrooms at home! I will be joined in the studio by NOFA/Mass Executive director as my guest co-host and together we will chat about the amazing lil' beings mushrooms and then we will interview Willie Crosby of Fungi Ally about his journey to being...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast it's all about community! We are going to be talking about getting the community involved on farms by volunteering, farmers feeding their communities and how the community can be involved in CARBON FARMING! Caro is back as my co-host and we will talk about all sorts of community-related stuff. How to use volunteers on your farm, food access and the micro-communit...

This week on the NOFA/Mass we are getting back into a topic that gives us quite a buzz.. BEES! My co-host this week is Jeremy Barker-Plotkin farmer at Simple Gifts Farm in Amherst MA and we know almost nothing about bees BUT fear not dear listener because we interview Angela Roell who is a beekeeper extraordinaire who is teaching a workshop on Natural Beekeeping on April 28th. They will school Jer...

We are back for Season 2! And we kick off this week on the NOFA/Mass Podcast by taking on a big question that so many farmers face… How to make the farm profitable. My co-host Caro and I will be discussing what it means for many farmers to produce food and a solid income. And we will be interviewing Paul and Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm, Argyle, NY about how they farm on a smaller scale an...

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are going to get you all pumped up for our Winter Conference! We will be talking all about the theme with some Lydia style history. We are also bringing back the crowd favorite segment of Workshops in 60 seconds and two doubled up farm fails and hacks! Plus my interview with John Kempf of Advancing Eco Agriculture who is this year's keynote speaker!

This week on the NOFA Mass podcast we are talking getting back to our hunter-gatherer roots...Well, the gatherer part anyway! We are going to explore the wicked cool world of foraging. What is easiest to find and identify here in MA? Plus what livestock are the best foragers, a call to action from Marty and my interview with Marie Viljoen author of the book Forage, Harvest, Feast about how she for...

This week on the NOFA mass podcast we are going into the forest… But not in a spooky scary story way. This week we are talking all about Agroforestry! We will cover what agroforestry is, how it is used and why it is important. We will also get into what type of crops you can plant in Mass and have actually grow and thrive!  Plus an interview that will have you in awe of just how far one company wi...

This week on the NOFA/Mass Podcast we are talking all about critters and climate change. We go over the facts versus the myths of what livestock have to do with climate change and how some farmers are helping to heal the planet. Plus another rousing call to action from Marty and my interview with Ben Goldfarb the author and beaver believer who shares with us all about how beavers may save the worl...