Épisodes

  • Plenty #17: Cr Lawn on Saving Seeds

    Plenty #17: Cr Lawn on Saving Seeds
    Aug 21 2020
    Good day to you, friends and fellow supporters of sustainable food consumption. I’m your host, Jay V., and you’re listening to Episode #17 of Plenty. I realize you might be listening to this show any time of year, anywhere on the planet, but here in our podcasting headquarters, the land is bathed in the golden warmth of late August. Creeping up to the edge of Autumn, each dawn sees the grass a little dewier, each morning sees the industrious preparations of squirrels and chipmunks, each afternoon finds the wasps and hornets a little quicker to anger, and each evening brings the merciful relief of mild temperatures regardless of the sun’s midday dominance. It might seem peculiar that the founder of one of America’s most trusted and respected seed companies, the worker-owned cooperative, Fedco Seeds, of Clinton, Maine, would encourage its own customers to save seed. That’s just what Cr Lawn promotes, however. As a co-founder of Fedco Seeds back in 1978, Lawn has worked most of his life not only to ensure that the business thrives, but also to educate growers and the public about a number of issues that affect our food, our health, and our planet. Although Lawn retired from Fedco in 2018, (read a great piece on Lawn from the time in the Portland Press Herald) he remains rooted in the soil on his farm in Colrain, Massachusetts, with his wife Eli Rogosa, founder of the Heritage Grain Conservancy. Although it’s great to hear Cr Lawn in his own voice, he also has written extensively on this and other subjects, and much of his writing is available on the Fedco website. We have, with his permission, republished his very concise article, “Why Save Seeds?” in the shownotes to this episode, so please be sure to head on over to greylockglass.com and look for the page for this episode to get even more information. “Why Save Seeds?” by Cr Lawn, 2001 To renew your age-old partnership with plants. Seeds are the life force. Plants, as living beings, desire to reproduce. By allowing them to go to seed and complete their growth cycle, you cooperate in a process essential to all life forms on Earth. To retain control of your food supply. Some things are too important to allow other people to do for you. Food is a basic necessity and the cornerstone of our culture. Control of the seed is key to control of our food supply. By saving seeds you retain that lifeline. Over the past two generations, the seed industry has done almost no work to maintain, improve or develop open-pollinated varieties that will come true from seed. What little has been done has been accomplished by dedicated amateur seed savers and breeders. We need more such people. Instead, the industry has emphasized hybrid varieties whose breeding lines are trade secrets and whose seed will not come true to type. Lately, biotechnology research has almost completely replaced classical plant breeding at our universities and in the seed industry. To preserve our heritage and our biodiversity. Farmers saved seeds and improved food crops for millennia. Seed companies have been on the scene for fewer than three centuries. Only in the last hundred years have farmers and gardeners become widely dependent on seed companies. Today the seed industry is so concentrated that just five large multinational corporations control 75% of the world’s vegetable seed market. They add and drop varieties according to their own financial interests. Many of our present varieties have only one commercial source. If they are dropped, they will disappear and you won’t be able to get them—unless you save seed. To preserve the varietal characteristics you want. Most varieties being developed by the industry are for large-scale food processors and marketers. For the most part, they are bred for uniform ripening, long distance shipping, and perfect appearance at the expense of taste and staggered ripening. If you want the best-tasting varieties, save your own seed from the ones you like. To develop and preserve strains adapted to your own growing conditions. The large corporations who control the seed trade bought out scores of small and regional seed companies and dropped many of the regional specialties. They are interested only in varieties with widespread adaptability. If you want varieties and strains best adapted to your specific climate conditions, you can get them only by saving your own seed. Over several generations, seeds can develop very specific adaptability to the conditions at your site. To help preserve our right to save seeds. The industry continues to place more and more restrictions on farmers’ and gardeners’ right to save seeds. Variety patenting, licensing agreements, and restricted lists such as that maintained by the European Union, are industry tools to wrest control of the seed from the commons and keep it for themselves. Terminator Technology, now in its developmental phase, would render seeds sterile, making it impossible for ...
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    28 min
  • Plenty #16: Jake Levin, author, Smokehouse Handbook

    Plenty #16: Jake Levin, author, Smokehouse Handbook
    Oct 20 2019
    This is episode 16 of Plenty. I’m your host, Jason Velazquez, and as always, I do thank you for tuning in. Podcast Player This edition of Plenty features yet another special guest, Jake Levin, whose food knowledge and skills speak to the very heart of sustainability, which is the preservation of food for later, in addition to indulging in decadent flavor now. His recently published book, Smokehouse Handbook, illustrates how anyone, anywhere, can employ techniques that will up their cooking cred with minimal tools and at minimal cost. At least until you’re hooked and start dreaming of converting the garden shed into a smokehouse — and he can help you out there, too… I’d also like to say thank you to our newest sponsor, Greylock WORKS of North Adams, Mass. sponsored An elegantly reimagined historic mill, Greylock WORKS is a mixed-use campus that offers event, retail, private studio, and shared office space – all revolving around it’s core mission to celebrate this region’s food and sustainable design. Residential lofts for sale and rent planned for 2020. Experience Greylock WORKS on November 23, during FESTIVE: A holiday market celebrating exquisite design and local food, featuring over 60 thoughtfully curated makers and farmers. More information at greylockworks.com. We’ll be launching into our coverage of the impact of the climate crisis on the local food system soon, and you can be sure we’ll be looking into the role local food hubs like Greylock WORKS will play in the future. All the stars seemed to align for this show, because almost immediately after I chowed down on that Brisket Egg & Cheese breakfast sandwich from A-oK Barbeque (in the name of journalism, of course), a copy of Jake Levin’s Smokehouse Handbook: Comprehensive Techniques & Specialty Recipes for Smoking Meat, Fish & Vegetables, dropped into my lap. Just released by Storey Publishing, right here in North Adams, this book, with it’s gorgeous photography and very approachable instructions and recipes is like a treasure map for your taste buds. I knew I needed to sink my teeth a little deeper into this savory serenity. So I picked up the phone and called Jake to see if I couldn’t catch some drippings of knowledge from this seasoned pro. About Jake Levin Jake Levin; photo courtesy Storey Publishing. Jake Levin is the author of Smokehouse Handbook. A butcher and charcuterie expert who trained at Fleisher’s Meat in Kingston, New York, he has worked in whole-animal butcher shops including The Meat Market in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and Eli’s Manhattan in New York City. He currently produces cured meats at Jacuterie, an artisanal charcuterie in Ancramdale, New York, and travels nationwide conducting workshops on how to slaughter, butcher, and cure meats. He and his wife live in New Marlborough, Massachusetts, and his website is therovingbutcher.com, though he suggests following his Facebook or Instagram pages for his most recent happenings and updates. And of interest to our listeners in Western Mass, Eastern New York, or Southwestern Vermont, Levin will be the speaker at the Food for Thought dinner and demo, November 9th at Hancock Shaker Village, another of our wonderful sponsors. When you’re mouth starts watering — and I think it might just start not long into the conversation — you may want to grab tickets to that event, if they haven’t sold out yet. Smoking — a global, human tradition So you have examples of it all over the world. There are great examples throughout Native Americans and First Nation in Canada. It’s a big part of Northern European culture. So, when I went to visit my wife’s relatives on a small island in Sweden, you saw these small rock huts everywhere. And, you know, fish is a big part of the diet there, and so there was a lot of smoked fish, and that’s existed for for as long as we can tell. In West Africa, smoked fish is also a big part of the diet. Again that serves as a way of preserving the fish so that it doesn’t spoil in the hot weather. There are examples of it with the Maori in New Zealand, and lots of smoking traditions in East Asia. Where there’s smoke, there’s flavor! A whole new culinary world opens up with the strike of match; Smokehouse Handbook more than gets you started. photo by Jason Velázquez. Don’t be afraid to get smoky I think that there are bunch of different things that scare people. I think some people are freaked out by needing to have lots of equipment and new equipment that’s just for smoking, which isn’t really the case. Other people are freaked out by the time commitment. Texas-style smoked brisket can take 12 hours for instance. And then, as normal, most people are afraid of a new process or a process they don’t understand. And so I like to tell people to start small and easy. You can easily build a stovetop smoker with equipment that anybody would have in their kitchen, whether it’s a roasting pan or a sheet ...
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    30 min
  • Plenty #15: Eating the Landscape with Chef Brian Alberg

    Plenty #15: Eating the Landscape with Chef Brian Alberg
    Jul 29 2019
    Hey food enthusiasts! In this episode of Plenty, number 15 to be precise, we hear once again from Chef Brian Alberg, a nearly ubiquitous culinary presence in the Berkshires and beyond. Since it’s been quite a while since catching up with him last, we had a lot of ground to cover. The new Seeds Market Cafe at Hancock Shaker Village operates under his direction, and is fast-becoming a favorite eatery in its own right. The Tap House at Shaker Mill is well under way, after it’s former incarnation, the Shaker Mill Tavern, was brought under the umbrella of Main Street Hospitality, where Alberg is Vice President of Culinary Development. And early August of 2019 finds Berkshire’s best-known chef and local food advocate teaching an intimate workshop that ends with a dining experience that couldn’t get any fresher. Let’s go to that conversation now, here on Plenty. GG — I guess we should start with your work at the Hancock shaker village. You’ve got a couple of different things going on there. First, you’ve got the the bistro, Seeds, up and running, correct? Chef Brian — It’s a great little museum cafe. It’s open primarily during the days, but we do a lot of culinary programming around the village and around food related topics. It’s a place where we try to use as much from the actual onsite farm as possible in our menus, as well as other neighborhood farms, keeping in context with with the shakers were about and also what we are about, as chefs. GG — Tell us a little bit about the history of your history. Anyway, going back a couple of decades. With the local food movement here in the Berkshires? Chef Brian — I grew up in Columbia County, just over the border in New York State, and I worked for a classical French chef named Jean Morel, who had gardens out back and — this is like the mid to late ‘80s, and, you know, farm to table wasn’t really a thing back then. Although, growing up in the kitchen, as I did, farm to table was, like, you know, get what you can from your backyard, what you can from the guy down the street, and that just kind of played in my mind throughout my career. Chef Brian Alberg; photo by Bill Wright Photography. Chef Brian — Once I relocated back to the Berkshires — I started back in ’04, for at the Red Lion Inn — for the biggest part of my life here, but I just got involved with Ted Thompson and a whole bunch of other people that were growing and trying to keep our landscape green and build a better life for themselves, and give us better products in the kitchen. So it’s just always been something that I’ve been drawn to. GG — Do you think that the agriculture we have locally in when I say local, you know, within 100 miles is being utilized? Well, or do you think that there’s some more room to bring farm to table to restaurants in the area? Chef Brian — I think it’s being utilized. I think that there’s always room for growth. I think that farmers themselves could do a better job of finding the gaps in our seasons and in our growing products, so that not every farmers growing tomatoes or kale or, you know, whatever produce there is, because it kind of super-saturates the market. So I think that they would be doing themselves a favor by diversifying their crops. GG — What what sorts of items are you using in Seeds? What kind of dishes you are you offering that that utilize these foods? Chef Brian — Actually, we just started with tomatoes, tomato season. Strawberries are kind of over, but we’ve got tons of greens. Garlic scapes just ended, but there’s all sorts of things coming in — beans, peas… Peas are kind of winding down, but everything was late this year. So, typically we’d have peas being done in late June. Now they’re pushing through July, which is kind of interesting, but it made for kind of a poor spring season for us, but now now the crops are beautiful. Rows of squash plant and other vegetables, with the Shaker Round Barn in the background. Despite a long, cool, rainy Spring, the vegetable and herb and herb are now yielding a bumper crop, according to Alberg; submitted photo. Chef Brian — I cook on these big cauldrons, and I set up kind of food truck style out in the field right out in front of barn, and we did some really fun food out there: brats, meatballs cooked over the fire, lobster salad. That was fun—it was good night. GG — Of course, you’ve got other things going on at Hancock Shaker Village, like this “Eating the Landscape,” It’s a class that you’re offering next month? Chef Brian — It’s basically just a class where people come — I think we have up to 20 people — and they tour the farm with me and one of the farmers. We pick produce out of the gardens, we talk about the meats that they raise, and then I’ll actually cook a dinner out at the table, from the stuff that we’ve picked. So it’s like a four hour class. It’s not really a class as much as it is a dialogue...
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    19 min
  • Plenty #14: Farming While Black

    Plenty #14: Farming While Black
    Oct 26 2018

    Good day to you, dear sustainable food enthusiasts! I am your host, Jason Velázquez, and I thank you for tuning in to Episode #14 of Plenty. On this week’s show, we hear from Leah Penniman, author of Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land.

    Before we get into the episode. I have to pause to say that I was so excited…and so grateful, to get the notification yesterday that this podcast network just gained a new member at the $1 per month level. Think I’m crazy for getting jazzed about that? I don’t think I am. In total, the Greylock Glass has about 3,000 followers, and the number is growing every day. Imagine if every one reading our articles and listening to our podcasts kicked in a $1. That would be pretty close to a livable wage. Together with the members who are able to give $5, $10 or more, all those $1 memberships would really add up. And that would bring this news station a lot closer to our goal of creating more jobs in alternative independent journalism.

    What about you? Do you have a monthly dollar you wouldn’t miss too much if you put it to work building a news source you care about? Why not become a member today? Thanks! Now, on with the show.

    Leah Penniman; photo by Jamel Mosely, Mel eMedia.

    I spoke at length to Leah Penniman about her just released book, Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land. Penniman is a founding co-director of Soul Fire Farm, established in 2011 in Petersburg, NY, with the mission of restoring the inherent right of Black and Brown people to belong to the earth and have agency in the food system. Her work at Soul Fire includes farmer training, international solidarity, food justice organizing, writing, speaking, “making it rain,” and anything that involves heavy lifting, sweat, and soil.

    Some of our most cherished sustainable farming practices have roots in African wisdom. Yet, discrimination and violence against African-American farmers has led to their decline from 14 percent of all growers in 1920 to less than 2 percent today, with a corresponding loss of over 14 million acres of land.

    With Farming While Black, Penniman, hopes to extend her work by offering the first comprehensive manual for African-heritage people ready to reclaim agency in the food system.

    Having read the book, I can tell you that she’s packed so much information into this volume, if she’d wanted to, she could have spread it out over at least two, maybe three titles.

    Farming While Black officially releases October 30, 2018; purchase options here.

    She speaks October 27th, at the Schumacher Center for a New Economics in Great Barrington, Mass. with Ed Whitfield, co-founder and co-managing director of the Fund for Democratic Communities. I was fortunate to speak with her ahead of that engagement at length about her book, her work, and the critical place that people of color have in forging the future of this planet’s food system.

    I encourage you to visit Soul Fire Farm on the Web to find out more about the really exciting work and projects they have going on most of the year. The link is in the shownotes of course, as is a link to purchase Farming While Black, but if you can remember “soulfirefarm.org” you’ll find them.

    That’s our show for this week. I’ve been your host, Jason Velazquez, and until next time, eat as well as you’re able.

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    35 min
  • Plenty #13: The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook

    Plenty #13: The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook
    Sep 28 2018
    As you might expect, we’d never settle for a cookbook that asks us to sacrifice the satisfying or substantial to achieve our family dietary priorities. Thankfully, The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook, by Aurora Satler, doesn’t leave taste buds or tummies, big or small, wanting. Aurora Satler combines her talents and passions in the realms of food, photography, and writing to create a scrumptious roadmap to good family nourishment; submitted photo. We have arrived at Episode #13. It’s good having you here, knowing we have Plenty in store for you. This podcast released a few days into Autumn, September 26, 2018. Like a lot of these episodes, though, the information and interview will be fresh and helpful long, long into the future. Get ready for an essential kitchen companion that goes beyond “baby food” and celebrates exciting meals everyone in the family can sink their teeth into, like “Cut the Carbs Chicken Lettuce Wraps” and “Prego Picnic Chili Lime Fruit Cones;” photos by Aurora Satler. We spoke this week with author Aurora Satler, author The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook just out from Page Street Publishing. Aurora has a solid background in food, writing, and more than a little experience being a new mom, and she really combines those ingredients into a must have volume in the kitchen. I should add, too, that this cookbook is all about cooking for the whole family, so you’ll find yourself going back to revisit these recipes for years to come. Homemade first foods, like “Pumpkin, Apple and Carrot Puree” are fresh and packed with nutrition. And they can be much more affordable than store-boughten; photo by Aurora Satler. Aurora has generously shared her recipe for her crowd-pleasing Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese. I happen to have a few gorgeous butternut squashes out in the garden right now that are >this< close to being ripe, and now I KNOW what I have planned for them. Look below for the recipe! She’s a fascinating foodie, so let’s not waste any time getting to our conversation with Aurora Satler, right here on Plenty. I can’t wait to find out what’s next out of Aurora’s typewriter. She hinted that she might be write chronologically, tackling a toddler book as a sequel, but I’ll be pretty excited about any culinary roadmaps she cares to draw for us. You’ll also definitely want to read more about Aurora and follow the link to her blog, where she offers even more great ideas for feeding a growing family. Just go to greylockglass.com and look for the link to Episode 13. I’ve been your host, Jason Velazquez, and I look forward to inviting you over again for a mouthwatering episode of Plenty. Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese Butternut Squash Mac n’ CheeseFrom The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook; photo by Aurora Satler. Serves 8-10 Freezer Friendly This is a meal the whole family will love. Perfectly suited for young children and adults, with the benefit of added vegetables, this Mac n’ Cheese is sure to please. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter, softened 2 lbs. pasta (I chose penne) 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (4 cups diced) 2 cups chicken stock 2 teaspoons Dijon 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese, or substitute equal parts cheddar 2 cups grated cheddar cheese 1 cup whole milk ¾ cup Greek yogurt Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper Topping: 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 cup cheddar 1 cup panko bread crumbs Instructions: Preheat oven to 400F and grease two 8 x 8 inch baking dishes with a small amount of butter. In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. In a medium stockpot bring squash and stock to a boil. Cover and cook 15 minutes until squash is tender. Puree until completely smooth with an immersion blender. Once squash is blended, remove from heat and add in Dijon and cheeses. Stir until melted and then add in milk and Greek yogurt. Stir your creamy base until smooth and season. Toss pasta with squash and cheese sauce in the large pot. Mix thoroughly and spoon with a spatula into prepared baking dishes. In a small bowl mix topping ingredients, then sprinkle over the top. Bake 20-25 minutes until bubbling. Serve warm. To learn more about Aurora Satler and The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook, head to aurorasatler.com! Recipe from The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook by Aurora Satler, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018.
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    42 min
  • Plenty #12: HEIRLOOM by design, at Greylock WORKS

    Plenty #12: HEIRLOOM by design, at Greylock WORKS
    Jul 25 2018
    Welcome to episode number 12 of Plenty, in which we spend time with a number of folks involved in HEIRLOOM by Design at Greylock WORKS in North Adams, Massachusetts—an inaugural celebration of the handmade, hand-grown, and house crafted. Lucy Rollins, steering committee member of the Williamstown Farmers Market in Williamstown, Mass., will be on hand at HEIRLOOM by design to talk about the organization; photo by Jason Velázquez. We speak first with Sophie Grant, program director of HEIRLOOM by design. Her job is to coordinate vendors, entertainment, presenters, and more to create a truly memorable local food jubilee. One event sponsor and presenter that’s a natural fit at HEIRLOOM by design, is Storey Publishing, based on the campus of MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass. We spoke with Debra Balmuth, publisher at Storey, on site at GreylockWORKS, after she toured the space during the planning stages. Storey, now an imprint of Workman Publishing, has been a familiar installment on the bookshelves of foodies, farmers, crafters, and do-it-yourselfers for just about a generation. Although Greylock WORKS is the new kid in town when it comes to the local food movement, the overlapping missions, plus the local history represented by the former Cariddi Mill, created a timely synthesis of the two entities. Sophie Grant, program director of HEIRLOOM by design, on site in the event space at Greylock WORKS; photo by Jason Velázquez. Of course, in a space this big, there’s room for LOTS of different delegates of the local and hand crafted scene. Sophie Grant again… Lucy Rawlins is one of a new generation of farmers—she and her boyfriend are definitely the genuine article, in spite of, or maybe because of, an evolved perspective on the back to the land movement. Participating in HEIRLOOM made sense, given the support that Greylock WORKS has pledged both to local agriculture organizations and local artists. One of the points that rawlins wants to drive home is that the future of farming likely lies in the rediscovery of techniques that were the tried and true conventions for millenia. Storey publisher Debrah Balmuth has seen traditional arts trend in and trend out over the years, which gives her a unique vantage point when it comes to the current renaissance in artisanal quality. And that self expression is definitely en vogue from the Berkshires to Brooklyn and way way beyond. While the hip factor helps fuel the image of local food, at the end of the day, sustainability also means creating a viable space for farming in the local economy. The Ciderhouse Cookbook debuts at HEIRLOOM by design at Greylock WORKS July 28, 2018; image courtesy Storey Publishing. Sometimes economic sustainability can mean a brisk business in traditional market gardening and sometimes that can mean taking the leap to offering customers a value added product that taps into a different area of consumer appeal. Nicole Blum operates Carr’s Ciderhouse with her husband Jonathan Carr, in Hadley, Massachusetts. Their experience as market gardeners evolved into a highly specialized (and delicious) product line based on hard cider. For Jonathan and Nicole, how they produce their wares, and the environmental impact it has, is well-aligned with the agricultural ethics of many of their cohorts. Lucy Rawlins of the Williamstown Farmers Market shares Blum’s holistic perspective on human effects of food production. The appreciation of slow food, and respect for the basics will likely be instrumental in the quest to mitigate the accelerating effects of climate change. Blum explained some of what Carr’s Ciderhouse will have to offer at HEIRLOOM. And despite the fact that she and her husband would obviously like to earn some coin from the event, their demonstration would seem to be the antithesis of profiteering—they will be teaching attendees to make a product at home that Carr’s sells bottled and ready to use. A willingness to share knowledge seems to be a defining characteristic of sustainability advocates, even if it means they don’t squeeze every nickel out of an opportunity. Debra Balmuth of Storey Publishing described her company’s contribution to HEIRLOOM, including some of the demonstrations designed to educate event-goers about some of the highly accessible techniques of self-reliance that have been the stock in trade for the North Adams bookbuilder for decades. Ultimately, a strong and health local food system requires the input of many players in addition to great food hub like Greylock WORKS. Rawlins, in describing the uncertainties of climate change and environmental degradation, says hedging our bets by supporting a variety of producer is the smart way to go. Sophie Grant, of Greylock WORKS, agrees, and notes that while massive, immediate change would be great, the combined choices of individual consumers really does make a difference. Well, I hope you can make it to HEIRLOOM, at GreylockWORKS in North Adams, Mass., July 28....
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    29 min
  • Plenty #11: No-till and Urban Ag at NOFA/Mass Winter Conference

    Plenty #11: No-till and Urban Ag at NOFA/Mass Winter Conference
    Dec 18 2016
    Amazing no-till results, proof-of-concept urban agriculture, and learning “tracks” available for a curated conference experience Charcuterie techniques demonstrated during a 2015 NOFA/Mass Winter Conference session (submitted photo). Hey, how’s it going today? I am Jason Velázquez, and we have arrived here at Episode #11. It’s good having you here at the table of Plenty. What’s the date today? Well for me it’s Sunday, December 18, 2016. For you it could be anytime after that, right? This is a podcast—you can listen whenever you like. I can’t make you do anything. And you know what’s great about this podcast? Even if some of the info pertains to specific events on certain dates, the bulk of the info is going to stay fresh for a really long time. Such is the case with this show. Do you remember back in Episode #6, we spoke with Dan Bensonoff of the Massachusetts chapter of the Northeast Farming Association? If you didn’t catch that episode, you should definitely go back and catch up one of these days. But in the meantime, if you don’t know about NOFA, you really should check them out. Even though the word “farming” is in the name, the organization provides educational programs for farmers and foodsters alike. And, obviously, since their policy work involves pretty much everything related to sustainable, responsible agriculture, their local efforts end up having a global effect. As always, I’ve got a link in the show notes. Well, we have NOFA/Mass back on the show today—this time in the form of Caro Roszell. Caro is the Bulk Order Coordinator & Winter Conference Workshop Coordinator. Why do we like Caro? Well for one thing, she puts her work title in her e-mail signatures so I don’t have to struggle to remember what to call her. Thank you, Caro! Mainly though, we’re excited to have her on the show, because she’s going to tell us about the NOFA/Mass Winter Conference, which is happening at Worcester State University on January 14th. The Winter Conference, is basically like Pleasure Island for those of us in the natural living camp. Massive amounts of useful food and farming knowledge, coming direct from people who are actually living the life day in and day out. If you go, and yes, there is still time to register, you’re going to want to bring a notebook, and make sure you have room on your phone or camera for pics. I’ll just snap a photo of a diagram, or even a farm or business’ sign to remember rather than write it down. Singing Frogs Farm, in Sebastopol, Calif., is the very picture of compact, intensive farming. This is made possible, the Kaisers say, by their embrace of no-till agriculture (submitted photo). After we hear from Caro, we are very, very lucky to have as guests on Plenty a couple of serious rock stars of the new generation of organic farmers, Elizabeth and Paul Kaiser of Singing Frogs Farm out in Sonoma County, California. I am NOT kidding about the rock star thing, either. These two have taken the concept of no-till farming to mythical proportions. I don’t want to throw any spoilers out there, so let me just say that by just letting Nature do her thing, the Kaisers may have taken the back-breaking out of farm work. One of NUBIA’s nine urban agriculture plots in Boston, Mass (submitted photo). And we close out this episode by speaking with Sayed A Mohamed-Nour, the executive director, and Emily Barbour, the Office & Project Manager, of Boston-based urban farming organization, NUBIA. The group started with the humble goal of trying to preserve some of the culture and way of life of a group of immigrants from a specific region within Egypt and Sudan. Now, with almost no budget at all, they’ve been turning vacant lots into the source of thousands of pounds of food that they donate to feed the city’s hungry. Hearing Sayed’s story, I am convinced that getting adequate nutrition to everyone has never been about production, but about distribution, and, above all, dedication. Participants in NUBIA’s urban gardening program practice the self-reliance that has sustained their culture for thousands of years, (submitted photo). Now, let’s get this show on the road with our conversation with Caro Roszell of NOFA/Mass/ I absolutely can’t wait for this year’s conference. People from everywhere converge on this one spot to share information, yes, but also to enjoy a little food solidarity, I think. And as Caro said, this time of year, farmers and gardeners are in planning mode, so this is the perfect time to do a little research to get your new ideas ready for Spring. Elizabeth and Paul Kaiser (second and third from left) provide not only a healthy life for their family, but robust, year-round employment for their crew at Singing Frogs Farm (submitted photo). Well, two of the people who traveled quite a ways to deliver the keynote and to lead a learning track for the day are Paul and Elizabeth Kaiser of Singing Frogs Farm. Unless you’re into...
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    1 h et 16 min
  • Plenty #10: Raising the Stakes of Fossil Fuels at Standing Rock

    Plenty #10: Raising the Stakes of Fossil Fuels at Standing Rock
    Nov 24 2016
    The human stories connected to social movements are, almost without exception, highly charged with emotion. Details about the violence and intimidation directed at protesters by corporations and law enforcement generate instantaneous, visceral reactions in people with any amount of compassion. The chronicles of the struggle of the Standing Rock Sioux, and their allies ignite just such emotions. The Dakota Access Pipeline (under construction)The finished pipeline will carry up to 450,000 barrels a day of Bakken crude to a terminal near Patoka, Illinois (photo by Lars Ploughman). ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) Few stories could be cast with more contrasting players: unarmed indigenous people and their supporters up against the gargantuan machine (and machines, literally) of corporate power in a existential crisis. The core issue encapsulates the clash of a basic human need, water, with a base human drive, greed. Originally, I intended this show to be Episode #2 of “Growl,” our new talk show that critically examines some of the bigger questions of the day. The more I learned about the work of the Water Protectors at Standing Rock, the more I realized that their story belongs solidly to “Plenty.” Not only is access to safe drinking water the very essence of “Plenty,” but estimates show that one third of the nation’s food crops depend on the health of the Missouri River, under which the Dakota Access Pipeline is intended to lie. Funnels of cash flowing from financial institutions into the companies behind the bulldozers of the Dakota Access Pipeline (graphic courtesy Food and Water Watch). The pipeline has been heralded as a step toward minimizing U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources by it’s backers. Others have both called that justification into question and pointed to accepted climate models that show the disastrous effects of extracting and burning the fossil fuels that will be transported by the line. We spoke with Hugh MacMillan, senior researcher on water, energy, and climate issues at the group Food & Water Watch about the science of the conflict and about his organization’s study “Who’s Banking on the Dakota Access Pipeline?” which illustrates the web of financial cables that connect the violence and terror occurring daily at Standing Rock to the banks and financial institutions whose names are not typically connected to the conflict in reports by the mainstream media. Local Activists Journey to Standing Rock We also spoke with Shira Lynn Wohlberg, resident of Williamstown, Mass., who is preparing, over the Thanksgiving holiday, to journey to Standing Rock with fellow activists to stand as a Water Protector on the front lines of this struggle. She makes the journey in the aftermath of the tragic wounds suffered by Sophia Wilansky during standoff on a bridge November 20th. Authorities claim that an explosion that tore much of the flesh from one of her arms was caused by an attempt by protesters to bomb a truck with propane cylinders. Witnesses on the scene dispute this, and surgeons, who have removed shrapnel from Wilansky’s arm, say that the injury is consistent with the detonation of a concussion grenade, used to stun military or civilian targets, according to Wilansky’s father. Wohlberg will be bringing food and supplies to the protest site and might remain there for weeks or months, she says, depending on what course the conflict takes. For information on contributing food, supplies, or cash donations, check out the Water Protectors’ official site or their Facebook page or Facebook page. About Hugh MacMillan MacMillan is senior researcher on water, energy and climate issues at the group Food & Water Watch. He recently co-wrote the report “Who’s Banking on the Dakota Access Pipeline?” which states: “Powerful oil and gas companies are taking appalling steps to override the Sioux’s objections, using their immense financial resources to push for building this pipeline, which will further line their pockets. But behind the companies building the pipeline is a set of even more powerful Wall Street corporations that might give you flashbacks to the 2007 financial crisis.” Among the companies funding the project are Citibank, Wells Fargo, UBS, JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, SunTrust, Credit Suisse and TD Securities. The report states: “These banks expect to be paid back over the coming decades. By locking in widespread drilling and fracking in the false name of U.S. energy independence and security, the banks are increasing our disastrous dependence on fossil fuels. …“Even before Dakota Access’s security turned violent, the activists faced harsh responses as Governor Dalrymple has declared a state of emergency, removing water and sanitation resources from the reservation, and the police have set up roadblocks around the reservation. Dozens of protesters have already been arrested, and police have spread false rumors of ...
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    48 min