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Walnuts. The most delicious walnuts. They can lead you down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole on your darkest days, but can also make you scratch your head about why things are the way they are. Do we accept them as "the way we do things?" Or do we try something new? Fourth-generation walnut farmer Kaben Kramer and his wife Jenn are trying new things and making a go of it. But a look at the history of the farm since 1980 and the industry numbers are really head-scratching. Here are the links I promised in the show: If you have a question you want me to ask a farmer or an issue you want me to address, just say so. Email me at farmgirl@talkfarmtome.com. Listen to the episode with Aubrey Bettencourt about almonds. Similar but different. Listen to the episode about dairy farming. Eerily similar conundrum.

Meet Rick Clark, a soybean and corn farmer in Indiana. Rick is a leader in regenerative farming. In this episode, we'll hear about Rick's journey from conventional farming and over-tilling to increasing cover crops and decreasing chemical inputs. Rick Clark is digging in and putting things right on his 7000-acre farm. Back to the way his ancestors did it. Rick's vision, studiousness, and data collecting have driven him to step further and further from conventional farming practices. His work is so successful that it is rewriting the farming playbook. Join me and Rick as we go row by row between the soybeans and cover crops, measuring along the way, to gain a deeper understanding of what's real and what's not in two disparate worlds of farming. www.talkfarmtome.com farmgreen.land For more information about the For Farmers movement, a part of which includes sharing farmers' stories like this one on Talk Farm to Me, please check out www.forfarmersmovement.com

Morgan and Jake couldn't convince their friends to farm seaweed, so they did it themselves. Now others are getting in the game too. From pinchy lobsters to sultry seaweed, Morgan and Jake have pioneered a sustainable new business that yields slimy green harvests for bath products, fertilizer, and delicious condiments and snacks. Not only is seaweed delicious and skin-softening, but it cleans the ocean, and sequesters that elusive carbon, too. Can you imagine how it's done? Does it sound romantic to you? Before you quit your day job, find out what farming seaweed entails. xo Farm Girl IG @xoxofarmgirl forfarmersmovement.com

Ever had a family joke that went too far? Paul has. And now he's knee-deep in chicken feathers. From the US Marine Corps to first-generation farmer, Paul is more innovator than farmer in some ways. I'm thinking he could probably do anything as long as it's really challenging. This is the story of Pasturebird and the journey from 50 to 1 million chickens, a week. Two other Talk Farm to Me episodes are referenced in this episode. 1) Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms and 2) Will Harris, White Oak Pastures Talk Farm to Me is part of the nationwide For Farmers Movement to support farmers, to understand what they do, to replace myths with facts, and to provide financial support through mini-grants twice a year. For more information, check out www.forfarmersmovement.com. Follow me on Instagram @xoxofarmgirl and reach out to me there with any ideas or questions. When you're done listening to this episode, show your love by sharing it and leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. xoxo, Farm Girl -- Dana ;)

Take what you're doing right now and turn it on its head. I mean completely change the way you do it. Now add 1,000 external factors that Mother Nature throws at you and do it all on a horse, in the mountains. Well, that's what Glenn did. With seven daughters. And big ideas like possibility, and how to listen to the land, and observe everything. He challenged all the paradigms. And he's here to tell all about it. He's so inspiring and a total whirlwind of an innovator. Meet Glenn. You're going to love him. xo Farm Girl

From 5,000 Sugar Maple trees deep in the heart of Vermont's northeast kingdom to the Greenmarket in New York City's Union Square, sugar makers Stephan and Howie Cantor have dedicated the past 36 years to the ebb and flow of sap and market-shopping New Yorkers to bring a little more sweetness to the world. Through 9/11 and constant 6 1/2 hour commutes, the Cantors have persisted. Hear all about the sugarbush and what it yields. You will want to rush to the kitchen to make pancakes. xo Farm Girl

Last episode we dove into deep water with Aubrey Bettencourt -- the president and CEO of California's Almond Alliance -- about nuts. That's what you think we would talk about, but we covered water policy (ok, relevant) and endangered species management (is that relevant? yes... listen to see how) and ended up with a better understanding of the complex systems we are a part of as consumers, farmers and environmentalists. This week, lucky you, we get a second go with Aubrey on those ships that were stuck in port or in transit with YOUR stuff and what the impact has been on the farming world. AND we go down the Farm Bill path too. Because you should know. We all should know. And we will use this primer to get more information on it soon. Yay! xoxo, Farm Girl To listen to the first TF2M episode featuring Aubrey, click here.

Meet Aubrey Bettencourt. She's nuts. For almonds and almond farmers, shellers and hullers. She's not blind to water shortages, politics, pollinators or problems with endangered species. She makes short work of the complexities that swirl around the 3.2 billion pounds of almonds produced each year in the California almond groves. Dive in, but fasten your seatbelt and see if you can keep up. Aubrey Bettencourt is a 4th generation farmer, a water expert with very unique experience, a political operative, and a savvy analyst. She's a unicorn of sorts. For a bonus segment to this episode on shipping and the Farm Bill in just 15 minutes, drop me a note at farmgirl@talkfarmtome.com and I'll send it. It's so good. Episode mentions: Farmer Will Harris of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, GA -- we talk about farmland and Bill Gates as the largest owner of US farmland. This episode relates to our conversation with Aubrey on the need for farmland, working it as efficiently as possible and Will Harris also breaks down the idea of complex and complicated systems in a way that relates to everything that Aubrey does. Join Aubrey and more than 65 farmer and non-farmer founders from across the country to move the needle on how much we know, understand and support our farmers in For Farmers, a community and movement. When you sign up here, you'll get more information and can take action as you see fit. ;) xo Dana, Farm Girl Sound design by Asher Griffith at Cicada Radio in NOLA.

In three short decades between 1987 and 2007, the US lost nearly 100,000 small commercial dairy farms. The trend continues. In New Jersey, where the Lynesses now farm dairy, only 37 dairies remain. But there they are -- Dan and Sarah -- forging ahead with a love for Holsteins and Jerseys, and a passion for the dairy industry plus a new on-farm creamery to drive local sales. Find out how this dairy princess met her prince and hear her powerful insights on what is clearly at the heart of Talk Farm to Me and your thinking (whether you admit it or not). xo Farm Girl You can find Spring Run Dairy and Sarah & Dan on Instagram @springrun.dairy and you can find me, my little farm and more about farms and farmers @xoxofarmgirl Interview: Dana DiPrima, Farm Girl / Make Hay Productions Sound Design: Asher Griffith / Cicada Radio So many references to other Talk Farm to Me episodes in this one. Here they are: Pandemic Insights: 6 Farms Pivot (6) and Joel Salatin (9) Dairy Episodes: Clark Dairy (11 Live on IG) and Is Dairy Dying? (17) Regenerative Farming Episodes: Evans & Evans (4) and White Oak Pastures (23)

From "hocus pocus," to focus, herbalist and farmer Shannon Mayernik and I discuss farming herbs, the most sought-after remedies and the important role of the kitchen in the farm to table movement. Don't miss this holistic conversation about your own wellbeing. xo, Farm Girl www.mayernikkitchen.com and on IG @mayernikkitchen Interview: Dana DiPrima, Farm Girl / Make Hay Productions @xoxofarmgirl Sound Design: Asher Griffith / Cicada Radio

What if a flower farm is more than just that? Flower farms grow flowers and the ones in the US -- big and small -- are making a resurgence in an industry that is mostly imports. How does that change things? Flowers that don't ship well are yours for the picking -- hyper locally -- for instance. And what if a flower farm breeds connection? In a community that needs it. A de-stressor. What about teachers reeling from a school shooting? Can flowers help? Come and meet big-pharma turned little farmer Eliess Forney from her Bloom Barn in Howell, Michigan where Brightside Blooms shines a light on dark moments, transforming them as best she can. xo, Farm Girl New sound design by Asher Griffith of Cicada Radio.

Want some beer with your burger? 🍺 🍔 Meet Rob. He puts a little beer IN your burger. For real.  But with Barley Beef in Bend, OR and rancher Rob Rastovich, the beef in the beer is only a small part of the story.  Are you interested in technology? Business acumen? What it really takes to put a burger on your table? This episode is rich with the intersection of all of that. Plus beer. And conservation.  This is Talk Farm to Me, where farmers take center stage.  xoxo, Farm Girl Find out more about the #forfarmers community to support farmers at www.xoxofarmgirl.com/forfarmers

All farms have day to day problems. But then other serious problems crop up and throw a wrench in everything. No matter your current understanding of farms, this is an episode that sheds a light on what can happen to big or small farms if there's an interruption in the processing chain. Follow along with Carrie and her farm @blackwillowpondfarm on Instagram. To listen to the episode featuring sustainable farming pioneer Joel Salatin referenced by Carrie you can find the episode here. For more about your host, Farm Girl or Dana (rhymes with banana), find her and her Accidental Farm on Instagram @xoxofarmgirl Similarly, find the latest community initiative -- #forfarmers -- to support farmers here. If you're here, I am pretty sure you want to tune in and become a part of it. xoxo Farm Girl PS A transcript and other information will be available shortly at www.talkfarmtome.com xo

Sharon Burns-Leader is the co-owner of Bread Alone, a pioneering organic bakery that sells its baked goods at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City. She serves on GrowNYC’s (the organization that oversees the market) Farmer and Community Advisory Committee. That’s where we start, but quickly you will see Sharon leads us through her evolution as a person, the evolution of the market and the evolution of grain in the region. Even though this story is centered on this NYC marketplace, it reaches well beyond. Grain development impacts you, whether you eat it or not. It impacts the environment — carbon farming, regenerative agriculture, soil health… so much. The extraordinary progress that’s happened via markets like the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City impact regional food systems everywhere.  We’re just getting started on the Union Square Green Market series. Let’s talk farm. Let me know your questions, thoughts, comments. Find me on Instagram @xoxofarmgirl. You can find show notes and more about this episode on talkfarmtome.com. Stay tuned. xoxo

A new series of episodes will feature the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City and the farmers and other producers who sell there. What an interesting combination — one of the biggest and most famous cities in the world and farmers and producers from within 250 miles. Here Talk Farm to Me dives in to how it operates, how it’s governed. Meet Grow NYC's Director of Greenmarkets, Michael Hurwitz and the Union Square Greenmarket manager, Aquilino Cabral. They know so much and share it all. Coming soon, you'll get to know the farmers, the farms, the 12,000 products, all the stories and lives and regional food systems that are influenced here. Stay tuned to Talk Farm to Me — wherever you get your podcasts and on Instagram @talkfarmtome — and connect with its host, Farm Girl, on Instagram @xoxofarmgirl. 

Over the next few months Talk Farm to Me is connecting with the farmers who sell at Union Square Greenmarket in New York City.  This series will give you an idea of the multi layered logistics that go into making the farmers market happen, who’s involved and the impact the marketplace has on farmers, the regional food system and the layers of connections and learning between urban and rural communities.  Episode One will feature some of the leaders and managers of the market — from GrowNYC — to give you a behind-the-scenes peek at little-known thinking and intense operations. All of the following episodes will feature farmers who sell at the market, their experiences, what they grow, how that may have changed over time and more.  Got questions? Shoot them to me on a DM via Instagram @xoxofarmgirl and follow along there for bonus content. Talk Farm to Me is also @talkfarmtome on Instagram and all the show notes, transcripts and more are on talkfarmtome.com xoxo

Farmer Will Harris transformed his third generation family farm from a monoculture factory farm to a regenerative multi-species farm that is no longer dependent on commodity structures or industrial fertilizer. He learned a thing or two along the way that he's willing to share. Farmer Will Harris wrote an open letter to billionaire Bill Gates whose status as the largest owner of US farmland recently came to light. We discuss what many are calling a "land grab" by Gates and what the technology magnate might learn from what Will Harris has done on his farm, White Oak Pastures in rural Bluffton, Georgia. For more farmers and farming content of all kinds, follow your host, Farm Girl, on Instagram @xoxofarmgirl. You can find Talk Farm to Me there too @talkfarmtome and you can find show notes and more, including Will Harris's open letter to Bill Gates at talkfarmtome.com/listen.

Farmer Franchesca Duval of Alchemist Farm in Northern California is pioneering humane practices for poultry hatcheries. She is working with her community to make sure the rooster chicks are going to good use for food. She thinks about the whole ecological and humane spectrum of raising birds.  Alchemist Farm raises 13 different breeds of chickens that are bred for temperament and egg color. You can order chicks from farmer Franchesca Duval to give you the most beautiful egg rainbow.  This episode puts to the test my mantra "Ask a Farmer, not Google!" and puts Google to shame. Find the answers to all your chicken and egg questions here. Except which came first... we are going to leave that one a mystery! xoxo

Hold on to your mushroom caps, folks. We are going straight into the mushroom world today. Mushroom farmer Matt Hall really wears a scientist hat in his work growing Maitake and Shiitake mushrooms for restaurants and retail outlets. But he's got a lot more going on in the laboratory that just might break the mold on mushroom cultivation -- especially with morels. But there's more. Just wait until you hear about what he's got planned with mycelium. I had no idea the world of mushrooming could be so exciting! I hope you agree! If you love it, please write a review on Apple Podcasts! You can find me, your host, on Instagram at xoxofarmgirl. Stay tuned there for announcements about new episodes and some "Live from the Farm" bonus content where we visit some of our favorite farmers to see what's up. To learn more about mushroom farmer Matt Hall of Midnight Harvest, follow him on Instagram too at midnightharvest. xoxo

Meet farmer Nicole Vernon of Vernon Family Farm in Newfields, New Hampshire where she and her husband, Jeremiah, are raising pastured meats and three young daughters. The Vernons produce 20,000 pastured hens a year and that is not even enough to keep up with demand. Join me -- your host, Farm Girl -- to meet Nicole, to find out what personality traits are necessary to be a farmer, the pros and cons of raising kids on a farm and how they have envisioned and implemented a farm store right on the farm. I know you will find a lot in common with Nicole -- she's funny, hard working (she has an off farm job too), innovative, and straightforward. This interview took place on Instagram Live in the presence of a live audience who were encouraged to chime in with questions or comments. You can join Five LIVE too (every other Thursday, mostly at noon). Just follow your host on Instagram @xoxofarmgirl (Five LIVE announcements run through IG Stories). And please connect with Nicole and her family and her farm on Instagram as well @vernonfamilyfarm