Real Organic Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Iriel Edwards: Why Is Race In This? USDA Discrimination, Land Access, And Collective Liberation Nov 17, 2023

Show notes

#145: Iriel Edwards, an inspector with Real Organic Project, a former dryland SRI rice farmer with Louisiana-based Jubilee Justice, and a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Entomology, addresses the crowd at Churchtown Dairy at the Saving Real Organic Conference on October 14, 2023.
https://www.realorganicproject.org/iriel-edwards-usda-discrimination-land-access-and-collective-liberation-episode-one-forty-five

Dan Barber: The Power Of Deliciousness Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

#142: Dave interviews celebrated chef and author Dan Barber at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, where they discuss the potential of getting the masses to understand the value of food production practices above the final product. Dan believes the key lies in exceptional flavor and the innate human drive to pursue pleasure.
Dan Barber is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill in Manhattan and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York's Hudson Valley His book The Third Plate is an exploration of America's relationship with food and agriculture and its overall lack of a defined food culture, which he believes has served other geographies through the intentional incorporation of fertility practices into their cuisines.
To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/dan-barber-power-of-deliciousness-episode-one-hundred-forty-two
The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms
We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Friends:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/
To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Hugh Kent | Breaking Their Own Laws: Hydroponics And The Farce Of USDA Organic integrity Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

#144: Real Organic blueberry farmer Hugh Kent of King Grover Organics in FL, explains the complete transformation of organic blueberry farming within the US and outside of its borders, that make up an increasing amount of USDA-certified "organic" berries in the produce sections of US stores. This shift, as he explains is not occurring because the USDA lacks awareness of the issue, but rather because they are encouraging this outcome. Hugh is addressing the crowd at the Saving Real Organic Conference at Churchtown Dairy in Hudson, NY on October 14, 2023.
https://realorganicproject.org/hugh-kent-hydroponics-farce-of-usda-organic-integerity-episode-one-forty-four
Watch the video version of this talk on our YouTube Channel:
https://youtu.be/JLYoN28RLvE
To learn more about the Real Organic Project, why we exists and where you can find our farmers, please visit our website:
https://realorganicproject.org/

Joan Gussow: Last 50 Years Brought More Foods And Less Choice Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

#141: Nutrition icon, author, and professor Joan Gussow reflects on changes in food and farming over the past many decades and how a concentration of power is negatively affecting our food system.
Joan Gussow is a Professor Emeritus at Teachers College, Columbia University where she taught her revered course "Nutritional Ecology" until 2022. Once called the "Matriarch of the eat-locally-think-globally food movement" by the New York Times, Joan is a prolific author and researcher, and a talented home gardener.
http://joansgarden.org/
To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/joan-gussow-more-food-less-choice-episode-one-hundred-forty-one
The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms
We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Friends:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/
To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Glenn Elzinga: Why Cattle Are Ruining Our Public Lands In Spite Of A Better Way Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

#143: Real Organic Idaho cattleman Glenn Elzinga shares his success story about reintroducing beaver and protecting important fauna and flora by moving his cattle with intention as they graze public lands. Glenn is addressing the crowd at the Saving Real Organic Conference at Churchtown Dairy in Hudson, NY on October 14, 2023. Visit our YouTube Channel to watch the video version of Glenn's talk with slides.
https://realorganicproject.org/glenn-elzinga-why-cattle-are-ruining-our-public-lands-in-spite-of-a-better-way-episode-one-forty-three
Watch the video version of this talk on our YouTube Channel:
https://youtu.be/6f2NRkHCYl4
To learn more about the Real Organic Project, why we exists and where you can find our farmers, please visit our website:
https://realorganicproject.org/

Tom Willey Part 2: Working Towards A Permanent Agriculture Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

#140: Longtime organic, California vegetable farmer Tom Willey continues his lively conversation with Dave. They land on their thoughts around lasting solutions for sustainable food production that will take humanity into the future.
Tom Willey has run TD Willey Farms with his wife Dennesse in Madera, CA since the mid-1980s. Along with California farmers Scott Park, Phil Foster, Paul Muller, Dru Rivers, Andrew Brait and others, Tom has been participating in on-farm trials that aim understand how tillage can be minimized on organic vegetable farms.
https://tdwilleyfarms.com/
To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/tom-willey-working-towards-peramanent-agriculture-episode-one-hundred-forty
The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms
We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Friends:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/
To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Tom Willey: Merging Chemical-Regenerative With Organic Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

#139: Tom Willey is a longtime, organic vegetable farmer in Central California who has participated in recent trials seeking to minimize tillage in organic row crop production. His thoughts on the reliance of of Haber-Bosch nitrogen, the overuse of compost, and intentionally moving towards the use of chemicals in organic leads to some lively conversation with Dave.
Tom Willey has run TD Willey Farms with his wife Dennesse in Madera, CA since the mid-1980s. Along with California farmers Scott Park, Phil Foster, Paul Muller, Dru Rivers, Andrew Brait and others, Tom has been participating in on-farm trials that aim understand how tillage can be minimized on organic vegetable farms.
https://tdwilleyfarms.com/
To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/tom-willey-merging-chemical-regenerative-with-organic-episode-one-hundred-thirty-nine

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms
We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Friends:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/
To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Dennesse Willey: When Organic Was Easy To Sell Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

#138: Decades ago, Dennesse Willey left her career as a nurse to join her husband Tom on their organic vegetable farm in California. As the farm's sales and marketing lead, Dennesse witnessed many changes in both retail sales and distribution in an increasingly-consolidated food system.
Dennesse Willey has run TD Willey Farms with her husband Tom in Madera, CA since the mid-1980s. She is recently retired.
https://tdwilleyfarms.com/
To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
https://realorganicproject.org/dennesse-willey-when-organic-was-easy-to-sell/

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms
We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Friends:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/
To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Bryan O'Hara: Organic No-Till Vegetable Farming Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

#137: Bryan O'Hara has been learning about, tweaking trials, and sharing his observations on how to grow organic vegetables in a no-till system for over a decade. Last fall he sat down with Dave to share his thoughts on whether these practices can be used at scale, using compost as a nutrient vs as a mulch, cover cropping, and many other nuanced thoughts that contribute to the greater no-till veggie production conversation.
Bryan O'Hara is a longtime organic veggie farmer growing food in upstate NY. He is an in-demand conference and workshop speaker and is the author of No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture: Pesticide-Free Methods for Restoring Soil and Growing Nutrient-Rich, High-Yielding Crops.

https://www.chelseagreen.com/writer/bryan-ohara/
To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/bryan-ohara-organic-no-till-vegetable-farming-episode-one-hundred-thirty-seven

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms
We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Friends:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/
To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Jeff Moyer: Organic Is, Was, And Should Be The Foundation of Regenerative Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

#136: Jeff Moyer of the Rodale Institute recalls the intended meaning behind the origin of the term "regenerative" as envisioned by Bob Rodale, and explores what's both exciting and concerning as a new context emerges for regenerative agriculture today.
Jeff Moyer is the former CEO, Director, and Farm Manager of the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania. He is internationally-known for his deep knowledge of organic practices and principles.
https://rodaleinstitute.org/

To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/jeff-moyer-organic-is-foundation-of-regenerative-episode-one-hundred-thirty-six

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms
We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Friends:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/
To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

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