agri-Culture

Music by Charlie Recksieck to usher us into the New Year. Support the show

01-01

05:49

Most people commemorate Thanksgiving today, and all things associated with this holiday. There will be some celebrating family, some marking the day with food, and some praying at the altar of football. Some will be remembering the Pilgrims, and the earliest arrival of Europeans bringing colonists and their livestock to North America. NOT! Stephen Monroe schools us on a common misconception about the domestic animals that were truly the first to be brought here to the Americ...

11-28

24:46

We were in the mood for something sweet, so we thought it was time for a visit to the sugar shack. We packed up our gear and headed back east to Westbrook, CT to our friends John and Bonnie Hall at Maple Breeze Farm. There we saw the whole process of making that sweet maple syrup. Just in time for the maple glazed ham at Thanksgiving. Links: https://www.facebook.com/p/Maple-Breeze-Farm-100064517539226 Support the show

11-18

18:52

October is not only a great time to celebrate fiber (what with the Lambtown and Rhinebeck festivals, just to name a few), but it’s also Breast Cancer Awareness month. How do we get both things in one podcast? Knitted Knockers! Barbara Demorest is the Feisty Lady with Fortitude who took a horrible event in life and made it into something that has helped millions to cope with the ravages of breast cancer. We hope you tune in to see what she did, and maybe even how you can be a...

11-01

46:59

Every once in a while you meet a person you’ve read about in a book. It might not be the actual person, but is the personification of a character that is so accurate, it might as well have jumped out straight from the pages. Today, our podcast guest is one of those. James Metcalfe lives on Hardenclough Farm, “in the heart of the beautiful Peak District [with a] flock of pedigree Cheviots & Luing cattle grazing under the shadow of Mam Tor.” You would never guess th...

10-26

41:37

We’re back from the North American Hill Sheep Show in Escanaba, Michigan. This inaugural event showcased some British Hill Breed Sheep and some not-quite-Hill Breed Sheep, of course, but there was more to see, hear and smell. Lovely vendor booths with soft woolens and fragrant soaps in abundance, sheepdog trials with panting puppies, food trucks (with some mighty fine brisket, thank you sir), and ice cream that is famous across all of the “M” roads. And then, there were the Brits....

10-01

19:24

Where do we go for fun? Well, all kinds of places, but fish hatcheries, farm shows, and livestock auctions are on the list. Today, we’re taking you back to jolly old England (almost Scotland, actually), to a little town called Hexham. It lies at the foot of Northumberland National Park and a stone’s throw (literally) from Hadrian’s Wall. This is as charming a hamlet as you might ever imagine. It has lovely bridges, excellent tapas, wonderfully kind people, a fir...

09-17

33:49

Located in the southern portion of Scotland, Lanark might be best known in agricultural circles for those big guys from the area around the River Clyde, and to history buffs as the first place local resident William Wallace drew his sword in earnest. We love heavy horses with a passion, but the sheep need to have their day, too. Last September, Lanark Agricultural Centre saw Shetland Sheep and members of all sizes and colors coming for the Gathering, because “There can be only on...

09-01

28:53

In life, there are talkers and doers. Of the doers, many of them have a characteristic known as “True Grit,” and today’s podcast guests are in that category. Millie and Stacy Bradshaw own Dry Creek Livestock, and a few hours north of Salt Lake City, these two intrepid souls are building a place to call home on the windswept plains and low hills of Utah. On their ranch you’ll find a range of critters, including goats (for meat and milk), cattle (for beef), livestock guardian dogs (...

08-20

40:47

It’s time for Horse Progress Days! It’s one of our favorite events of the year, and this July it was held in Lancaster County, PA - just in time for the height of a national heatwave. Everyone soldiered on through, though, with nary a complaint to be found from this stoic bunch. It was a good thing everyone pushed through the heat until the close of the day, because the HPD organizers saved some of the best for last (okay, the middle and beginning was pretty good, too).&nb...

08-01

39:02

It’s time for a talk – a Shepherd’s Talk, that is. Every year, the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival has this popular segment available for shepherds, wannabe shepherds, ecologists, historians, and people who are just plain interested in fiber production from the ground up. Today’s talk is with Erin Bradt, of Helder Herdwyck Farm, where she talks about not just these fantastic little primitive sheep, but also about importation limitations, disease issues in livestock, and…wel...

07-17

33:31

On this podcast episode Bruce Farr of Farrview South Farm, American Milking Devon Cattle breeder (and a teamster!), sits down with John Hall, the President of the American Milking Devon Cattle Association. They discuss the history of the breed, characteristics they appreciate, and some non-traditional ideas for a very traditional breed. If you want to see the man himself (and the twinkle in his eye), head on over to our YouTube channel for our latest upload. Links: http://www.milkingdevons....

07-01

38:08

This week, we’re speaking with Theresa Walker of Great Bay Wool Works and her lovely natural-colored ovine assistant Hazel (okay, so hubby Patrick did a little bit of modeling, too.). We learn about natural-colored sheep, geography in New England, a bit of why New England and Old England feel familiar to each other, and much more. This is one of those where Rick had to keep saying, “Stop patting the sheep, Elara.” We think this fiber is gorgeous, regardless of whether it’s...

06-18

32:54

We’re going down memory lane, and back to the beginning of all things for today’s podcast. In this case, it means the start of something that has grown into a behemoth in the world of Agriculture. Originally from the shores of Scotland near Aberdeen, the cattle breed known as “Angus” has become the powerhouse breed by which all things are measured. Today we’re going back to the roots of the breed that has become synonymous with “beef,” and which has also changed over ...

We concluded the World Devon Congress adventure with the State that put these cattle on the map – okay, they’re on the flag, anyway. We had a wonderful tour through the Green Mountain State of Vermont, on our way to meet up with Anson Tebbets, Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets. This lovely man took a walk down the lane on his family farm to talk about the finer things in agricultural life that are represented in Vermont – maple syrup, socks, adult beverages and ice cream,...