Fresh Growth

Join us as we talk with Michael Lobato, Lobato Farms, and Holly Stanley, Mesa Conservation District on Colorado’s Western slope about their innovations with applying biochar in a no-till system. Michael has worked to transform what was once part of a large sheep ranch into a thriving 5-acre farm. The 5 acres were split off from the sheep ranch with no infrastructure or irrigation and soil high in salts from manure.  “It was a lot of dirt and kochia…. but it looks much different today,” says Michael. Michael started working with biochar after his father told him about a local group looking for a small plot to research biochar and compost. The trial was done at Lobato Farms, and Michael was struck with water capacity improvements. He then put it in his market garden and says, “it was night and day.” Holly began working with Michael as an intern after learning about biochar from people interested in water conservation. She says, “I was super excited and immediately inclined to be Michael’s assistant.” Now with the Mesa Conservation District she’s working with Michael on new ways to apply biochar. The question before them was how to apply it in a native grass stand to make it more drought resilient. They tried one machine and have a patent on one that will work better for farmers. Holly and Michael have learned a lot and seen great improvements in water usage, soil health, forage quality, and more, and are working hard to overcome technological challenges.Holly and Michael would like to extend a special thank you to: Citizens for Clean Air, Colorado Ag Water Alliance, and the LOR Foundation for funding the trial. Also Professor Emeritus Gerald Nelson (University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne) and Dr. Perry Cabot (CSU Grand Valley Research Center) for providing their guidance and expertise.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Sarah Stallard is a 7th generation farmer who came to work with her uncles on a new farm near Las Vegas Nevada raising hogs. The farm is in partnership with the local waste and recycling company Republic Services. They lease the land from Republic Services and use food waste to feed the hogs. She says the partnership was formed “to help find a solution to organic waste." The family had always fed food scraps as pigs “are not picky about what food scraps” they eat.  Sarah describes the process of collecting, sorting, and feeding tons of mixed rations from casino kitchens and buffets, facilities such as an ice cream factory, and grocery stores. What the farm produces is marketed locally, and they do face challenges due to the lack of an USDA processing plant for meat in Nevada. The family’s dream is to “complete the circle” through having their locally produced food offered in the casinos. She also describes how the hogs are housed and raised sustainably and humanely. There is a lot of attention paid to what they are doing to reduce food waste, and they are “willing to help and network with other farmers,” including hosting many tours. About this work, Sarah says, “I can feel really good about what I’m doing; it’s good to know that I’m making a difference daily.”____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Join us in this dynamic and wide-ranging conversation with Chris Eckhart about diversifying his farming operation, increasing organic matter, monitoring soil biology, and creating a work-family-life balance, all while remaining profitable. Eckhart Farms is a multi-generational family farm in the heart of Wild Rose Prairie in Washington that focuses on soil health and diversity. He is passionate about family farming and has experimented tirelessly with diversifying crops on what was primarily a wheat operation. Chris and his family plant barley and alfalfa, among other crops; make use of cover crops; started researching biochar; and added livestock grazing. They have marketed locally and regularly monitor both soil biology and the time impacts of too much diversification. They have seen significant increases in organic matter in a relatively short period of time.  “We’re seeing results carry over year to year, from having that cover crop in.” And it’s paying – “In our area, at least with what we have going on, it’s proving to be profitable by taking things out of rotation and seeing a 10-15% bump in yield year after year.” Chris speaks passionately not only about farming, but science. He first got excited about soil health when looking at bacteria and life under his microscope. He relies on science and experimentation to be as successful as he is. He recognizes he has limited capacity and getting higher yields from fewer acres due to increased soil health allows him more time to focus on family and “going fishing.”  Chris’ advice to those starting out, “Find somebody willing to mentor you that has fruit on the tree, not just in farming, but also in their life outside of farming.”Photo by Vo von Sehlen/Vo-tography____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

In this episode, we talk with Kirk Pumphrey, owner of Westwind Farms in Woodland CA, and Sat Darshan Khalsa, Assistant Professional Researcher at the University of CA Davis about their work integrating almond shells and hulls as organic matter in orchards. As Kirk says, “it’s a learning experience for all of us.” It’s a learning curve, but they are finding great success and working toward finding the sweet spot of applying not too much or too little in all different conditions. They’ve found that hulls’ and shells’ holding capacity of water is tremendous, but the application does make it hard for oxygen to travel to soil.  Sat Darshan Khalsa notes that the story often in the media is around how many resources it takes to produce one almond. But the full story is that to get that almond a shell, hull, and tree are produced. How do we better use all of these resources and return them to the orchard? “Lots of this research is aligned with the Almond Board of California’s orchard goals, and we’re able to demonstrate we’re actually doing this, and this is the efficacy of doing so,” says Sat Darshan Khalsa. Both Kirk and Sat Darshan Khalsa discuss being pro-active without having fear of testing new technologies and trials. Kirk’s philosophy is “let’s try it!” “Working with soil and farming, you get to find out about real life and it teaches you patience. You have to observe,” says Kirk. And when Sat Darshan Khalsa is asked how to help farmers make changes, he notes “its about teaching courage. A lot of people have willingness to try something new; it’s about letting them know that there is support.”  Learn more about the Western SARE project.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

In today’s episode we speak with Jonah Sloven, from Sweet Hollow Farm, a diversified organic farm in Victor, Idaho. Sweet Hollow Farm serves the neighboring Teton Valley community through their CSA, farm stand, and farmer’s market.Jonah discusses how his travels from his environmental studies ultimately directed him to small-scale agriculture and its beneficial effect on communities. His ultimate goal is to connect people with their food.“For me, it’s a lot more than growing vegetables. I really want to grow the community and connect people with their food.”Sweet Hollow Farm’s crops include leafy greens, root crops, and greenhouse tomatoes. Jonah says the CSA is the main focus for Sweet Hollow. He enjoys growing directly for his customers, as well as getting to know them personally. In addition, the farm sells at the Jackson Hole Farmers Market and a few local restaurants.We’ll hear how the seemingly intractable problem of bindweed can be suppressed through cardboard layer mulching. His Western SARE-funded project researching this practice is addressing three questions: does the cardboard mulching control weeds; is it financially feasible; and third, what effect does it have on the soil?Jonah explains how the project’s preliminary results are very promising. Hand-weeding has already been nearly eliminated. The project will be expanded and replicated through a partnership with Central Wyoming College’s Farm Incubator Program. (photo by Jonah Sloven)____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

In today’s episode, we talk with Sara Wood of Wyoming Heritage Grains and Wyoming High Desert Malt, near Ralston Wyoming. Sara is a fifth-generation regenerative farmer and the operator of the state’s only commercial flour mill.Located in the dry high mountain desert east of Yellowstone, Sara’s and her family’s operation has the distinction of being in one of the first large water projects in the country, started by Buffalo Bill Cody.Sara’s family began homesteading in the area around 1908. The land had previously been part of Buffalo Bill Cody’s country club. Now, her 250-acre farm produces beef cattle, alfalfa, a variety of heritage grains, and native corns. Acquiring a large stone mill manufactured in Austria, her operation now mills a variety of flours for baking, using heritage and heirloom grains.Sara sees her farm as part of a larger mission to bring regenerative, holistic, and ecosystem-based farming approaches to produce sustainable, nutrient-dense food while enhancing biodiversity on the land.“Producing a good high-quality crop will pay you leaps and bounds over pushing the boundaries on yields,’ says Sara. “So important to look at these more native varieties… instead of providing for a commodity market, provide for your community.”In this talk, Sara discusses how her heritage flours can be eaten by gluten-sensitive people and describes the farming practices that are making a difference in her operation and allowing her to remain profitable. And she also addresses the financial and personal stresses today’s farmers are experiencing.Photo credit: Vo von SehlenView Western SARE’s photo essay of Wyoming Heritage GrainsResources mentioned in podcast: Ray Archuleta Soil Health Academy, Gabe Brown, Dale Strickler____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Today’s guests are Tangy and Matt Bates who operate Blue Creek Livestock in Delta Junction Alaska. They aim to provide their community with fresh, natural meat – beef, lamb, and pork. Since the beginning, Blue Creek Cattle has been building soils and herds. Tangy and Matt talk about the opportunities and challenges of farming in Alaska.  The opportunities are plentiful, providing farmers and ranchers with room for creativity and profitability. The infrastructure, however, is not what it is in the lower 48. For example, there were challenges getting replacement heifers and custom butchering. The Bates faced a “huge learning curve” with the need to process and market their meat. With no one local to handle their volume for processing, they built their own butcher shop. “It has gone extremely well, and it just took that bottleneck out for us.”As they found their input costs higher than their revenues, Matt began researching cover crops and intensive grazing, and it made sense to him. Some in Alaska thought it wouldn’t work there, but it has been very successful – with great forage producing fat cows, as well as lowering input costs.Next, they plan on burning bones from the butcher shop to make biochar.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Dan Macon is a University of California Farm Adviser and also the operator of Flying Mule Farm in Auburn California. Ryan Mahoney is a fifth-generation sheep and cattle rancher who operates Emigh Livestock, in Rio Vista California. Dan and Ryan are also participating in a Western SARE project demonstrating and evaluating how information from both electronic identification tags and better understanding of sheep genetics could be improve sheep production economic viability.Emigh Livestock produces “climate beneficial wool.” They put together a carbon farm plan – carbon emissions minus carbon sequestration. Through this they no longer sell in the bulk auction and receive a price premium. The end product is sold as 100% American processed fiber.“It’s neat to see your wool in that finished product, says Ryan.”Flying Mule is also seeing changing markets.  Dan is beginning to work with a stronger market for replacement ewe lambs that can fit for targeted grazing operations to manage weeds or for reduce fuel loads. Other opportunities and changing demand face the sheep industry. According to Dan, “real opportunities have been this shift during the pandemic in people eating and preparing food at home.” There is a rebound in interest in lamb at retail level and this has driven opportunities to ramp up production. Additionally, the non-tradition market of selling whole lambs, which are smaller than those sold in the commercial market - primarily due to California’s ethnic diversity has been part of producers’ attempts to adjust to drought and other conditions.Learn more about the Western SARE project.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

In Episode 4, we talk with Zach Thode and Elizabeth Black.Zach manages a large cattle ranch in Livermore Colorado. Elizabeth is an artist in Colorado and manages a Christmas tree farm. Elizabeth is also the project leader for The Citizen Science Soil Health Project, partially funded by a Western SARE grant and Zach is a producer participant in that project. The Citizen Science Soil Health Project is a grower-driven project which uses the collective knowledge of diverse participating growers to apply local solutions to soil health implementation conundrums.In addition to raising cattle, Zach grows forage crops which can be challenging in the high elevation and alkaline soils. Elizabeth was concerned about climate change and started learning about carbon sequestration. This led her to focusing on soil health and taking soil measurements to show what is working. The Citizen Science Soil Health Project originally aimed for 30 growers. The project now has 48 growers who all take soil samples for 10 years. The group is diverse – small organic vegetable growers, ranchers, and large commodity producers. The collaboration brings together agencies such as NRCS, academics, producers, policy makers. “It’s a great opportunity for all of us to learn from each other so that we don’t all have to fail in our efforts,” says Zach.   Building soil health is a complex problem without a simple answer or map. “We’ve tried a lot of things. It’s not easy, but we’re getting better.” It’s important to have recommended best practices backed by on-the-ground data. Letting the data speak for itself helps build trust between producers and agencies. Learn more about The Citizen Science Soil Health Project.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

In this episode, we talk with Don McNamara and Donna Rae Faulkner from Oceanside Farms in Homer Alaska. They raise a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, berries, and chickens, ducks and turkeys. They grow all of their produce and nine varieties of Alaska Certified Seed Potatoes without the use of synthetically based chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, or fertilizers.  The farm serves their local market.Don and Donna Rae practice Small Plot Intensive Farming (SPIN) and started out borrowing space in neighbor’s yard and selling their produce on surf boards places on saw horses. They now have land near a road for their farm stand and built 10 high tunnels with drip irrigation. They have an honesty box at the farm stand and also sell to the local market through the Alaska Food Hub.They have worked in Kodiak Island villages, which typically has expensive imported food available, to set up hydroponics and growing their own food. Donna Rae, “They’ve gone from in many cases no in community veg growing to producing quite a lot of food” some are old airport sitesThey are enthusiastic about Korean Natural Farming, creating their own videos for others to learn from. “We want to be soil farmers as much as plant farmers”, says Don.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Today’s episode features Bashira Muhammad, founder of Zoom Out Mycology as she talks about “Driving Sustainability with Fungi!” Zoom Out Mycology is a fungi farm based in Southern Oregon.   Their mission is to apply mycology towards a sustainable future.When asked “How does fungi save the planet,” Bashira lists “so many ways!”  She and her team focus on medicinal mushroom teas for holistic health, small batch sawdust production so their local community can grow their own food, and community education. They grow 18 different species. Bashira also leads a Western SARE Farmer/Rancher project, Mushroom Farming Research and Education to Bring Greater Equity and Diversity to the Food System. This project  educates farmers about outdoor reishi mushroom cultivation and researches the most water efficient ways to grow reishi mushrooms.         ____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Austin Allred, talking about his family's Royal Dairy in Washington,  proudly states that rather than contributing to climate change, Royal Dairy shows that farms like his can be an impactful part of the solution — in part by preventing the formation of greenhouse gases and boosting the capacity of his soil to draw down and sequester atmospheric carbon.  In this episode, Austin shares his passion and knowledge about the relationship ruminants have with the soil, which effortlessly leads to regenerative and sustainable farming. You'll hear about the importance of ruminants converting rotational crops to proteins valuable for human consumption. Austin also discusses carbon sequestration and how regenerative farming is the process that brings carbon into the soils. We need to bank carbon in our soils, and the role ruminants have in this process is significant.And you'll hear how Royal Dairy captures 70% of their animals' urine and manure and runs the liquid manure through 8 acres of worms combined with rock and wood chips to capture usable water and  high value worm castings.The family's long term approach has led to fewer inputs  and more outputs with the worm and compost farm.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

 Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts created by Washington State University students.In this podcast, you'll hear from Shepherd's Grain  COO and Director of R&D Jeremy Bunch. He discusses what makes Shepherd's Grain unique and how they work with no-till wheat farmers.  The model links farmers with consumers. You'll learn more about the importance of traceability as well as no-till practices for soil health.Student team:  Mia Berry, Miguel Fuentes, James Pellervo, Mathew Zimmer ____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

 Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts by Washington State University students. In this episode, you'll hear from 5th generation farmer Allen Druffel, Bar Star Farm, as he talks about their use of no-till practices since the 1990s.Student team:  Kayleigh Brown, Mathew Morse, Mackenzie Cunningham, Martha Lum ____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts. These podcasts were created by students in the Washington State University’s Systems Skills for Agriculture and Food Systems class. The students interviewed producers on topics such as regenerative agriculture, permaculture, marketing, economics, technology and more. We hope you enjoy and learn from their work.In this episode, Palouse wheat growers Kyle and Stacie Schultheis, Diamond S Farms,  discuss the benefits they have seen using no-till practices. Kyle's grandfather started working with no-till in the 1970s when the ideas was very new. The farm has been 100% no-till for 20 years. Reduced soil erosion and moisture savings in the soil are two benefits described. ____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts. These podcasts were created by students in the Washington State University’s Systems Skills for Agriculture and Food Systems class. The students interviewed producers on topics such as regenerative agriculture, permaculture, marketing, economics, technology and more. We hope you enjoy and learn from their work.In this episode, Tim Nadreau of the Washington State University Economic School's Impact Center discusses how the disruptions of COVID impacted Washington agriculture and the economics behind the decline. He works with commodity groups and government agencies on policy assessments and impact analysis. The Impact Center works on developing new outlets for Washington commodities in export markets. ____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Western SARE completed our second season of Fresh Growth. Thank you for listening! As we are working toward Season 3, we are sharing some special podcasts. These podcasts were created by students in the Washington State University’s Systems Skills for Agriculture and Food Systems class. The students interviewed producers on topics such as regenerative agriculture, permaculture, marketing, economics, technology and more. We hope you enjoy and learn from their work.In this episode, Jon Paul Driver, Industry Analyst for Northwest Farm Credit Services in Spokane, curator of the Hay Kings Facebook Group, and host of the Hay Kings Podcast talks about the impact of COVID on the economy, environment, and supply chain. ____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Today’s guest is Nathan Hodges, who along with his wife Sage Dilts, runs Barn Owl Bakery on Lopez Island, Washington. He discusses why they are farming and sourcing heritage grains and using them in their baked goods; how the grains are processed locally; how the community plays a big role in their success; the results of his Western SARE research project; and what “right livelihood” means to them.The bakery came first, and then the growing of the grains. Nathan searches for grains that grow well in his climate and soils, taste good, and are highly nutritious. After learning about heirloom grains and doing their own research finding seed and growing them, “we fell in love with these old grains...  and developed a relationship with the grains,  appreciating what the old grains bring to our bakery and our farming."Heritage grains grow tall, and their root system mirrors this. Having grain with deep roots to access soil moisture is an advantage in their climate.Learn more at western.sare.org.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Today’s guest is Mike Nolan who, along with Mindy Perkovich, farms in the Mancos Valley in Southwest Colorado. Mountain Roots Produce provides the local and regional community high quality and reasonably priced vegetables.Mike discusses their commitment to building soil health, a strong local food system, and a profitable business, all while facing challenges brought on by COVID and limited water in the high desert climate.Prior to COVID, the farm typically received 60% of their gross income from regional restaurants and retail. They were planning on decreasing their CSA shares. Since COVID hit, they lost much of that business and wound up increasing their CSA shares from 70 to 175. “It was challenging to meet those deliverables every week,” says Mike, due to labor shortages, limited water, and changing protocols in how customers picked up their shares.The farm was “flooded with interest” after 10 years of encouraging the community to see the importance of supporting a local farm. Mike wonders, is this an actual change to buy directly from local producers or about food security during COVID?Mike also discusses the complexity of farming in region with limited water.  “It takes a lot of coordination… to make sure we had enough to push our crops.”  They plan on moving back to growing storage crops and reduce CSA shares due to a predication of even less water for the high succession, high management vegetable crops.Mindy focuses on creating a beautiful website and blog. Last year they took a chance with a sponsored ad. In two weeks with two $60 ads, their online store sold $6,500 in product.Mike also talks about his time in a local incubator program, in which he’s still involved as mentor. Hear his wise farming and marketing  advice for beginning farmers.____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu

Sally Gale, who along with husband Mike, operates Chileno Valley Ranch in Marin County California. She and Mike returned to the family ranch in 1993, restoring buildings, infrastructure, and the land. They planted hundreds of apple and pear trees and started a grass-fed beef business selling directly to the local community.Sally discusses how they learned by reaching out to family ranchers, NRCS, ag extension, and the Marin Resource Conservation District to make progress on restoring the degraded land. About their work to restore eight creeks, improve pastureland, and expand wildlife habitat, she says they definitely didn’t work alone.“I’m a believer in if you want to do something, you’ll find a way to do it.” Sally and Mike jumped in and now have a profitable ranch with restored creeks and habitat.You’ll hear how they were successful by fencing off areas of the creeks, providing off-creek water sources for the cattle, planting native plants, and improving the soil through good carbon farming practices.Sally now works in partnerships with RCD and Extension to help other ranches. She recommends always reaching out for assistance and getting involved in the community, as the land and waterways are all connected.“Our land is not an island… we are all connected.”Be sure to catch the ending when Sally discusses her work with the Chileno Valley Newt Brigade!____________Thanks for listening to Fresh Growth! To learn more about Western SARE and sustainable agriculture, visit our website or find us: · Instagram · Facebook · Twitter Contact us at wsare@montana.edu