The Open Source Seed Initiative — Protecting Our Food Commons (323)

Plant breeder Carol Deppe is passionate about making seeds available for all growers, rather than being in the control of a handful of corporations. “If we want to control the kind of food available and the kind of agricultural system that we want, we have to do our own … [Read more...]

Tour Salt Spring Island’s Local Meat Processing Facility (311)

(No animals or meat products are portrayed in this program). When new regulations required Salt Spring Island's meat producers to take their animals off-island for processing, local production plummeted nearly in half. In response, the Salt Spring Agricultural Alliance … [Read more...]

Seeds for Our Future — How Shall We Feed Ourselves? (310)

"We've alienated ourselves so much from nature that our whole way of producing food is by trying to dominate nature. We're not really connected." Dan Jason, owner of Salt Spring Seeds (B.C.), points out how corporations now control most of the seeds and food products … [Read more...]

The Bean and Grain Project – Outperforming Chemical Agriculture (248)

The Southern Williamette Bean and Grain Project is exploring bean, grain, and edible seed varieties which can be added to those already grown in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Oregon Tilth co-founder and farmer Harry MacCormack shares wisdom and stories about farms … [Read more...]

A Longtime Farmer Shares His Wisdom, part 2 (245)

For over forty years, Nash Huber has grown healthy plants, soil, seeds — and now future farmers. He nurtures soil fertility with compost, cover crops and chicken tractors. He saves seeds from plants that are best suited to local growing conditions — that's how he developed … [Read more...]

A Longtime Farmer Shares His Wisdom, part 1 (244)

Nash Huber is famous for his delicious carrots — crunchy, sweet and alive. He started farming in Washington state's northeast Olympic Peninsula by cultivating backyard gardens and many relationships. His team grows over 100 varieties of vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and … [Read more...]

Meet Farmer George and His Pastured Animals

Skagit River Ranch nestles beside a sweeping bend in the Skagit River in northwest Washington. Salmon stir the waters while on land verdant pastures are dotted with grazing cattle, pigs, sheep, turkeys and chickens. These pastured animals are lovingly cared for, roaming out … [Read more...]

Bees Come In For a Landing at the Airport

Beekeeper John Woodworth and I suited ourselves up in protective garments. Robyn videoed from a distance as John opened a bee box lid and lifted up a wood frame. Dozens of bees walked around on the waxy honeycomb they'd built inside. He pointed out the queen. Nearby … [Read more...]

Prairie Fire – Revolutionize the Food System (219)

Novelist Dan Armstrong's Prairie Fire is a fast-paced thriller whose characters forge unlikely alliances to revolutionize the American food system. It's spearheaded by farmers squeezed by skyrocketing oil prices while marketeers get whopping price gains. This revolution is … [Read more...]

The Straight Poop on Sustainable Farming (211)

Innovative farmer Joel Salatin says sustainable agriculture requires both perennials (like native grasses) and herbivores (like cattle) to build soil. Mimicking patterns from nature, this maverick Virginia farmer rotates cattle followed by chickens into short-term pasture … [Read more...]