Real Organic Podcast

Bonus! Last week Real Organic Project Co-Director Dave Chapman traveled to the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in upstate NY, where Chef Dan Barber not only fed him, but invited him to speak to his staff of chefs about the importance of preserving the organic movement and real organic farms.  To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/dan-b...

#089: Formerly conventional, then becoming organic, the Choiniere Farm in Highgate Vermont is now 100% grass-fed and improving at every turn. Father and son Guy and Matt join us to discuss their views on managing herd and pasture and the importance of spreading their insights and practices to both eaters and up and coming farmers.  Guy and Matt Choiniere both grew up and continue to live on the fa...

#088: Vermont organic farmer and politician David Zuckerman talks to Real Organic Project co-director Linley Dixon  about the parallels found between growing healthy soils and healthy communities. David Zuckerman owns and operates Real Organic Project-certified Full Moon Farm in Hinesburg, Vermont with his wife Rachel Nevitt. He has served in the Vermont legislature and was Lieutenant Governor fro...

#087: A week ahead of the 5 year anniversary of the infamous "Jacksonville Decision" where the NOSB decided to illegally allow hydroponics under the USDA Organic label, Real Organic Project co-founder Davey Miskell sits down to talk about his early days in farming and in founding both Vermont Organic Farmers and the Real Organic Project. David "Davey" Miskell is the co-founder of Real Organic Proj...

#086: We caught up with Lisa Stokke, the co-founder of the heavy-hitting nonprofit Food Democracy Now! back in 2018, when she shared what went into organizing the GMO labeling efforts and ballot initiatives that launched a powerful and important food movement. Lisa Stokke is the co-founder of Food Democracy Now! and founder and Executive Director of Next 7, and organization focused on helping the...

#085: A 2019 debate between ROP's Dave Chapman and Jo Mirenda of the Organic Trade Association, moderated by Jack Kittredge, longtime editor of The Natural Farmer. Hydroponics, the allowance of glyphosate under plastic weed mats on instant-organic berry farms, and confined animal feeding operations are all discussed, along with proposed solutions such as a continuous improvement clause. Dave Chapm...

#084: Liz Henderson, a longtime organic farmer, activist, and writer joined Real Organic Project at the 2018 NOFA Summer Conference held at UMASS Amherst to discuss the history of the movement and how it may be saved, based on models seen in other countries. Liz Henderson farmed for over 30 years at Peacework Farm in Wayne County, NY and also served as the first director of NOFA NY. She holds many...

#083: Real Organic Project co-founder Dave Chapman is joined by renowned author and market gardener Eliot Colemanm, and Stone Barns Farm Manager Jack Algiere, at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Tarrytown, NY. The three address an audience of chefs, doctors, nutritionists, and other organic food enthusiasts. Dave Chapman owns and operates Long Wind Farm in East Thetford, VT, whic...

#082: Jack Algiere, Directory of Agroecology at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, talks about the importance of exposing the public to nature, food, and farming in ways that inspire direct personal connections and help to grow bio-literacy.  Jack Algiere is the Director of Agroecology at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a farming enterprise that welcomes the public t...

#081:  Celebrated Bay Area restaurateur and cookbook authorJesse Cool talks about her passion for ingredient-driven dishes and the path to opening some of California's first organic restaurants  - Late for the Train and Flea Street. Noting how things have changed in recent years, she also talks about the importance of growing deep respect for the farm-to-table workforce among eaters. Jesse Ziff Co...

#080: Real Organic Project-certified farmer Scott Park grows a variety of vegetables and grains in Meridian, California, amid a population of operations that rely on chemical biocides. Considering his decades of overall success (certainly not without effort and occasional setbacks) why don't more farmers embrace organic practices, especially considering the money saved on chemical inputs? Dave and...

#079: Montana grain farmer Doug Crabtree  grows grains, lentils, flax and a handful of other crops, and relies on various tillage practices and biodiversity designs to succeed. Farming in a cold, dryland climate on the Canadian border, Doug and his wife Anna see the ruinous effects no-till agriculture with a heavy reliance on biocides is bringing to their area. Doug Crabtree is a lifelong grain fa...

#078: Ed Maltby of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance talks us through how exploitative contracts lead to a "code of fear" for small-scale farmers, and one-sided negotiations that only benefit buyers in the organic dairy worldEd Maltby is the executive director of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA), an organic family farm member organization dedicated to preserving...

#077: California dairy farmer Rosie Burroughs remembers when there were 23 organic dairy farms in her county; today there are only 2. As a member of the Western Organic Dairy  Producers Alliance, she knows the personally heartbreaking stories behind why these farms closed, and identifies for us the deep, systemic causes that need to be addressed - including the roles of brokers and processors in p...

#076: Longtime produce dealer David Weinstein takes us on a tour of the organic movement's beginnings and how it's fallen short of early aspirations. Policy change, re-localizing food systems, and breaking up monopoly producers and sellers are all potential solutions on his mind. David Weinstein is Director of Marketing for Heath & Lejeune, a Los Angeles-based full-line wholesaler of organic fruit...

#075: In the second half of our interview with Montana grain farmer Bob Quinn, the discussion moves towards the challenges of international grain fraud, lopsided funding for agricultural research, and whether the term "regenerative" can weather the greenwashing storm heading its way. Bob Quinn is a renowned organic Montana grain farmer, author, and a pivotal figure in the introduction of ancient g...

#074: Bob Quinn, a longtime grain farmer from Montana, shares his thoughts on organic growing practices for dryland wheat farming vs. using chemical controls and why the discussion often focuses on yield instead of the farmer's net return. Bob Quinn is a renowned organic Montana grain farmer, author, and a pivotal figure in the introduction of ancient grains to American farming. He co-authored the...

#073: Jim Durst shares what he's learned about land, labor, and markets while growing organic food in Yolo County, CA since 1988, including the injustices perpetuated by our economic systems and the benefits of fair wages for all. Jim Durst is a fourth generation farmer and the first in his family to to use organic practices on their land. Along with his wife Deborah, Jim has been growing a divers...

#072: Mark McAfee shares his knowledge of the organic dairy industry, along with his perspective as a raw milk dairyman. Raw milk dairies often sell direct to customers and use education as the foundation of their marketing plans. Mark McAfee is the founder and CEO of Organic Pastures Dairy Co, a raw milk dairy brand, and chairs the board of the Raw Milk Institute. He speaks about the nutritional...

#071:  Lindsey Lusher-Shute, co-founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition and the "other half" of Real Organic Project certified Hearty Roots Farm in NY, speaks to us about her next venture - the GrownBy App, a cooperative tech solution for direct sales that give farmers full control. Lindsey Lusher Shute is the co-founder and former Executive Director of the National Young Farmers Coalition...

#070:  Regenerative Organic and GMO Labeling champion David Bronner talks about the ongoing fight farmers and food activists face against global chemical companies. David Bronner is an organic food and farming activist and the leader (Cosmic Engagement Officer) of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, a company founded by his grandfather. David is active in campaigns for fair trade, sustainable agriculture,...

#069: Amy Klippenstein and Paul Lacinski of Sidehill Farm in western Massachusetts discuss their decision to become a certified organic dairy, and then soon after, to certify with Real Organic Project. They also share the story of separating their creamery from the farm and creating two viable, less-stressful businesses. Sidehill Farm is a Real Organic Project certified dairy farm and creamery in...

#068: Policy expert and organic advocate Alan Lewis of Natural Grocers is back, this time  to discuss the ways that Big Dairy, including conventional co-ops and processors, is able to control the pricing and availability of organic dairy products in stores. Alan Lewis is the VP of Government Affairs, Stakeholder Relations, and Organic Compliance at Natural Grocers. His 2019 talk at the first annua...

#067:  Real Organic grain farmer Anna Jones-Crabtree of Vilicus Farms in Montana shares her farm's vision for a more sustainable approach to their land and local food system. Through diversifying their plantings and income streams, and focusing on customer relationships that offer them more protection than is typical of commodity farmers, Vilicus is primed to become a model farm for organic and su...

#066:  The second of our two-part interview with Bernward Geier, the former longtime director of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), this episode covers organic success stories in Asia, including the state if Sikkim in India which has banned the growth and sales of food grown with chemicals. Bernward Geier  is the former director of IFOAM (The International Feder...