Farm Profile: Loud Pond Farm
On Saturday, April 26th, in Berkeley, California, Wes Jackson spoke to a crowd gathered for Our Land Symposium where an audience of folks engaged in the work it will take to recover America’s farmland eagerly listened. To paraphrase some of what he offered as necessary in this reimagining, we must be motivated by intrinsic rewards, […]
Farm Profile: Camas Swale Farm
photographs by Jason Rydquist Amber Lippert and Jonah Bloch grow vegetables for a buyers club and some restaurants as Camas Swale Farm. Last year they grew for their 80 CSA shares. This year, through an unexpected change in land tenure, they’ve chosen to keep the operation small to have the time and attention needed for […]
Regenerative Roots
Anne and Dennis have a certified organic diversified vegetable farm in southeastern Wisconsin. They lease two acres for now, but their farm lies within a grander scheme of a cooperative of about 20 people interested in taking part in the purchase and management of this entire 30-acre parcel of land called Wild Abundance. Some individuals […]
Rancher Profile: Jessica Schley and Broken Arrow
The future of every farm and ranch is uncertain. Drought, erosion, price fluctuation and other factors make farming a particularly precarious path to take. An entire generation of farmers, whose hard work and tireless devotion lifted us to this precipice, are aging, retiring and leaving the land. Planning for a future where the land lives […]
Farm Profile: Lonesome Whistle Farm
A chance to expand and a long-term lease on a forty-four acre farm of river bottom silty clay loam brought Lonesome Whistle Farm to their current location. Jeff Broadie and Kasey White are planting sixty-five acres total of beans, grains and popcorn this season on the home farm and on some more neighboring leased land. […]
Farm Profile: Turnip the Beet Farm
In their third season of production, John Ludwig and Lela Copeland operate Turnip the Beet Farm . Cultivating three acres of specialty vegetables and herbs, the two are putting their attention into crop diversity and excellent quality. In this growing season alone they will grow over 40 varieties of tomatoes along with around 60 other […]
Farm Profile: James Ranch
The third generation “is on the ground” at James Ranch in Colorado. That’s how Dan James puts it, talking about his three kids. Dan is one of the five second-generation James’ who contribute to the success of the ranch. It’s a traditional story, with a twist, and more than one take-away. Though the James Ranch […]
Profile: The New Brunswick New Land Purchase Program
From the New Farmer Project We can look northeast to New Brunswick, Canada, to examine a brilliant model of public support for new farmers. For four decades, the New Brunswick New Land Purchase Program has been improving farmers’ prospects for accessing high-quality farms and farmland. The New Brunswick Department of Agriculture acts as a holding […]
Farm Profile: Broadfork Farm
Shannon Jones and Bryan Dyck farm 15 acres of veggies, herbs, fruits, cut flowers, vegetable transplants, and cover crop in River Hebert, a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada. They started Broadfork Farm in 2011 on leased land, and then purchased their own property the following year. I spoke with Shannon about their move, and […]
Farm Profile: Frith Farm
When Daniel Mays started his search for farmland in 2010, he knew it wouldn’t be easy. A Pennsylvania native with Quaker roots, Mays knew he wanted land in the Northeast. He went to school in New England and felt at home in the region and its seasonal climate. He confirmed his love for farming and […]