On this week’s podcast Megan Ayers shares what she learned as she built Unvarnished Farm from a series of urban gardens into the farm in southeastern Indiana that it is today. A first-generation farmer, Megan focused on regenerative practices and soil health as she scaled her farm. She and host April Parms Jones discuss concepts that apply to farms of any size, including the ideal carbon to nitrogen ratio for farm soils, evaluating the quality of compost, cover cropping and how chemical fertilizers can harm microbial populations that could otherwise help plants.

Connect With Guest:

Instagram: @unvarnished_farm
Website: unvarnishedfarm.com

Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more.

Tilth Soil makes living soils for organic growers. The base for all our mixes is NOP-compliant compost, made from the 4,000 tons of food scraps we divert from landfills each year. And the results speak for themselves. Get excellent germination, strong transplants, and help us turn these resources back into food. Try a free bag, and check our 2025 farmer pricing at tilthsoil.com/gfm.

Farmhand is the all-in-one virtual assistant created for CSA farmers. With five-star member support, custom websites, shop management, and seamless billing, Farmhand makes it effortless to market, manage, and grow a thriving CSA. Learn more and set up a demo with the founder at farmhand.partners/gfm.

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Linley Dixon discusses some of the challenges facing organic farming, particularly the issues of greenwashing and the need for maintaining organic standards in this week’s podcast interview. Linley is the Co-Director of the Real Organic Project (ROP), in addition to running her own Adobe House Farm in Durango, Colorado. She emphasizes the importance of transparency in agricultural practices and the impact of lobbying by agribusiness to weaken organic standards. These issues have an impact even on farmers who are not certified organic, because when standards are not maintained, it causes consumers to doubt standards in general.

The conversation also touches on the role of fraud in organic certification, the need for accountability, and the importance of strong regulations to protect organic integrity. This is the second episode on maintaining organic standards; the first one with Dave Chapman focused on the issue of allowing hydroponics in organics, while this episode focuses on maintaining humane standards for organic livestock and combatting organic grain fraud. Linley also delves into her academic background in soil science and plant pathology, emphasizing the significance of soil health in sustainable agriculture.

Connect With Guest:

Instagram: @realorganicproject

Website: realorganicproject.org

Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more.

Tilth Soil makes living soils for organic growers. The base for all our mixes is NOP-compliant compost, made from the 4,000 tons of food scraps we divert from landfills each year. And the results speak for themselves. Get excellent germination, strong transplants, and help us turn these resources back into food. Try a free bag, and check our 2025 farmer pricing at tilthsoil.com/gfm.

Farmhand is the all-in-one virtual assistant created for CSA farmers. With five-star member support, custom websites, shop management, and seamless billing, Farmhand makes it effortless to market, manage, and grow a thriving CSA. Learn more and set up a demo with the founder at farmhand.partners/gfm.

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

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Planning and siting have a lot to do with the success of a greenhouse project. Whether building your first or your fifth greenhouse, learn best practices for site prep, drainage, snow and wind management and more with Tomm Becker of Nifty Hoops. The company began as a community initiative to support local farmers in Michigan and now offers to build any of the greenhouses they fabricate entirely for growers, or they’ll help build along with friends and family as a “community build,” anywhere in the USA.

In addition to the process of building and installing greenhouses, we also talk about essential considerations like orientation, dealing with rocky soil and whether to cover with a single or double layer of plastic. We also discuss the status of the NRCS high tunnel grant program, which has not been affected as much as many of the other federal ag programs and is currently running more or less the way it has in years past. If you have questions about the status of the NRCS high tunnel program you can contact Nifty Hoops at the address below.

Connect With Guest:

Instagram: @niftyhoops
Website: https://www.niftyhoops.com

Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Tilth Soil makes living soils for organic growers. The base for all our mixes is NOP-compliant compost, made from the 4,000 tons of food scraps we divert from landfills each year. And the results speak for themselves. Get excellent germination, strong transplants, and help us turn these resources back into food. Try a free bag, and check our 2025 farmer pricing at tilthsoil.com/gfm.

Farmhand is the all-in-one virtual assistant created for CSA farmers. With five-star member support, custom websites, shop management, and seamless billing, Farmhand makes it effortless to market, manage, and grow a thriving CSA. Learn more and set up a demo with the founder at farmhand.partners/gfm.