Fresh Growth: Approaches to a More Sustainable Future from Western Ag Practitioners introduces you to farmers and ranchers from around the western United States who are finding innovative sustainable practices that enrich the natural resources we all care about. These successful multi-generational operations experiment with new ideas and are making it pay. Listen in as they tell their story and provide advice for young or beginning farmers.Western SARE, funded by USDA NIFA, provides grants and…
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In this episode, Western SARE’s Stacie Clary talks with Anna Merriman of 4M Grain and Livestock in Malta Montana. Anna shares her family’s journey in starting an organic farming operation from the very beginning, by taking opportunities as the arise. She’s transparent about the learning curves along the way. The conversation also touches on farm business management, succession, and balancing…
In this in-depth interview, Jen Clark of Roots Farm shares her journey from homesteading to running a regenerative, no-till farm in Washington. She describes her innovative research projects on dry farming, composting, and soil fertility, emphasizing sustainable practices and community engagement. Roots Farm is currently two acres producing diverse fruits and vegetables. They primarily market with…
At first glance, agriculture in Wyoming and agriculture on Hawaii or Guam don’t have much in common. But growers in both the tropical Pacific and the northern prairie can benefit from enclosed production spaces, which is why Wyoming-developed domes will soon be popping up in the islands. In this episode, University of Wyoming Extension Specialist Jeff Edwards and Pepe Miranda, an agronomist with…
In this conversation, Glenn Elzinga shares his family’s journey with Alderspring Ranch , detailing its beginnings, the motivations behind starting the ranch, their commitment to regenerative practices and healthy food, and the importance of building relationships within the community. He discusses the challenges faced, particularly with the increasing wolf population, and how they adapted their…
In this conversation, Maud Powell, Wolf Gulch Farm and Oregon State University shares her journey as a farmer and the challenges she faced due to a changing climate and lack of water. She and her husband Tom realized “we can’t really farm here anymore.” The leaving of one piece of land and starting over on another led to her exploration of climate grief. She discusses the agrarian imperative…
Former Chicago science teacher, Rick Bieterman now farms in the Colorado High Desert, growing hay. Watershed Ranch has an annual precipitation of 11 inches and sits at 8,000 feet in elevation – providing about 90-100 frost free days per season. Add in poor soil quality, and farming becomes a challenge. Rick got involved in Colorado’s STAR program which focuses on soil health practices. When prices…
In this episode of Fresh Growth podcast, we have a special guest host – owner of Dirtworks Wyoming , Caitlin Youngquist. Caitlin is also a Western SARE Administrative Council member. She speaks with first-generation Wyoming ranchers Mary Mills and Kate Brewster about their unique journeys into ranching, the challenges of generational transitions, and the innovative practices they are implementing…
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…
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…
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…
