#119:  Longtime farmer, gardener, and researcher Helen Atthowe joins Dave to discuss the findings that led to her new book: "The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till, So-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture." By focusing on creating habitat plantings for beneficial insects, Helen learned how to implement living mulches, re-seeding cover crops, and organic no till practices.   Helen Atthowe now farms in Western Montana where she focuses on ...

#118:  A look back with celebrated Vermont farmer Jake Guest to the beginnings of the organic movement. Jake, an early mentor of our host Dave Chapman,  speaks of his beginnings as a student protester at Dartmouth and as a US Army enlistee - and how that all influenced his decision to grow food.    Jake Guest is a (now-retired) farmer and founder of Killdeer Farm in Vermont's Upper Valley, which borders New Hampshire along the Connecticut River. Growing vegetable crops on over 50 acres of...

#117:  Policy expert and organic advocate Alan Lewis (of Natural Grocers) shares his observations on the rise of the regenerative agriculture movement and what motivates different players to adopt different viewpoints about how to best move forward in our globalized food system.   Alan Lewis is the VP of Government Affairs, Stakeholder Relations, and Organic Compliance at Natural Grocers. His 2019 talk at the first annual Real Organic Symposium blew a lot of minds, as he described the massive...

#116: Lifelong organic farmer Ben Dobson joins Dave Chapman for a deep look into the double-sided coin of tillage, the rise of the regenerative agriculture movement, and the powerful hold the corn and soy model has on our nation's food and farming systems.   Ben Dobson is a lifelong organic farmer and longtime organic farm manager who now manages the agricultural research institute, Hudson Carbon, in upstate New York. Ben's work focuses on how to accurately test and measure ecological field...

#115: European Parliament member Sarah Weiner, who sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, compares organic policies and markets in Europe with those in the US. The drive to reduce pesticide usage and increase organic acreage in the EU faces an easier path forward without an obstinate Secretary of Agriculture like Tom Vilsack to contend with.   Sarah Weiner is a German-Austrian celebrity television chef and member of the European Parliament. A member of the Green Party,...

#114: Michael Pollan notes that when it comes to climate spending at the USDA, the norm has been to incentivize bandaid fixes for bad agricultural practices instead of focusing on actual emission reductions, which we desperately need.  Listen as he makes his case to Dave for a “3rd Way” in US agriculture, one that attempts to inch conventional agriculture a little closer to good organic practices.   Michael Pollan is a journalist and author, as well as a professor and  lecturer at Harvard...

#113: Our Director of Certification, Ariel Pressman, joins Linley to discuss the relatively easy steps USDA organic farmers must take be earn free certification from Real Organic Project, and how are standards differ from other food labels.  Ariel Pressman has been the Director of Certification at Real Organic Project since 2019. He's also an experienced organic vegetable farmer. Ariel ran a 13-acre, certified-organic vegetable farm in Western Wisconsin called Seed to Seed for 7 years. Seed...

#112: Author and professor Melissa Aronczyk shares what she's learned about the history of greenwashing, environmental public relations, and the multiple tactics corporations have utilized to elbow their way to table when solutions that effect their bottom lines are being discussed. Dave Chapman ties Melissa's insights to what the organic movement has witnessed, especially as regards environmentally-sane agriculture and brand messaging.  Melissa Aronczyk is the co-author of "A Strategic...

#111: Organic farmer Eliot Coleman joins Dave to discuss why the idea that chemicals are needed to grow food has only ever served chemical companies, and how industrial regenerative agriculture is doubling down on that claim today, through their anti-organic and anti-tillage campaigns. Eliot Coleman is an author, market gardener, and educator. His work on the USDA study in the late 1970's, "Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming" helped lead to the formation of the National Organic...

#110: In Part 2 of our interview with organic expert and PhD candidate Charlotte Vallaeys, she sits down with our co-director Dave Chapman to talk through her main takeaways since she began researching the rise of the term "regenerative" in agriculture and how it relates to the organic movement. Charlotte Vallaeys is an organic expert and PhD candidate at the Tufts School of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. Her focus is on the rise of regenerative agriculture and how it compares to the...

#109: Real Organic blueberry farmer Hugh Kent of King Grove Farm in central Florida addresses a crowd at the 2023 EcoFarm Conference, with a warning about the disappearance of soil-grown berries, tomatoes, peppers, greens, and herbs from the organic produce section of US groceries and food co-ops. Learn why he sees the move to hydroponic production as a mandate for growers who want to compete in US markets, and why it can never really be USDA organic by law. Hugh Kent and his wife Lisa are...

#108: Organic expert and PhD candidate Charlotte Vallaeys discusses the rise of regenerative agriculture and its relationship to no-till practices, as well as the hard questions that arise when focusing on outcomes instead of farming systems. Charlotte Vallaeys is an organic expert and PhD candidate at the Tufts School of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. Her focus is on the rise of regenerative agriculture and how it compares to the organic movement, especially socially. Charlotte has...

#107: In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Will Brinton of Woods End Laboratories, we dive deeper into both the confusion and promotion of soil carbon sequestration as a climate mitigation solution - one that's receiving recent and generous funding from our government. Could this be a ploy that distracts the public from the real need for big polluters to reduce their emissions? Dr. Will Brinton is a PhD soil scientist and the founder of Woods End Laboratories in Maine, where he tests...

#106: Dr. Will Brinton of Woods End Laboratories clears up the confusion around the soil carbon sequestration models being presented to the public, and makes a strong argument for a turning our focus on increasing biomass and plant canopies. Dr. Will Brinton is a PhD soil scientist and the founder of Woods End Laboratories in Maine, where he tests agricultural soils for a variety of elements, including carbon.  To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and...

#105: Real Organic Project co-director Linley Dixon addresses a crowd of farmers at the recent Eco-Farm conference, sharing her concerns about the money grab for "climate smart" agriculture projects that are focusing on increased chemical use. Meanwhile, organic, a systems-based  approach, got little attention and is deemed too complex to measure. Linley Dixon is the co-director of the Real Organic Project, as well as the owner and operator of Adobe House Farm in Durango, Colorado.  She...

#104: Real Organic farmer and former NOSB memberEmily Oakley shares her thoughts on tillage, the regenerative  movement, and transforming her farming practices with hopes of replacing off-farm inputs with homegrown fertility. Emily Oakley owns and operate Three Springs Farm with her husband Mike Appel outside of  Tulsa, OK. She served on the National Organic Standards Board from 2016 - 2021 and is a current member of the Real Organic Project's Advisory Board. Emily received a Masters in...

#103:  Larry Jacobs shares his story about co-founding the Del Cabo  organic growers association, a cooperative of family farmers in Mexico who created a market for organic vegetables to be shipped north in winter. Relying on organic pest control techniques, Larry and the farmers were able to stave off government attempts of importing chemical practices to their region. Larry Jacobs is a longtime organic farmer and the cofounder (along with his wife Sandra) of Jacobs / Del Cabo Farm of...

#102:  The second half of our interview with author and agroecologist Liz Carlisle focuses on some key figures in the organic farming movement, including George Washington Carver and FH King, and circles around to inspiring reciprocal relationships between farmers and eaters within their own communities. Liz Carlisle is the author of Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming (2022) and co-author of Grain by Grain: A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural...

#101:  Author and agroecologist Liz Carlisle walks us through the historic promotion of chemical agriculture as a path towards food security - a very intentional part of US foreign policy during the Cold War.  She shares how the oppression of indigenous knowledge, foods, and traditions led to the birth of Agroecology, one of the world's largest social movements. Liz Carlisle is the author of Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming (2022) and co-author of...

#100:  World-renowned seed, climate, food and feminism activist Vandana Shiva joined Dave via Zoom from India in 2020 to share her thoughts on the origins and corruption of the organic movement. Vandana Shiva is a celebrated scholar, prolific author, and longtime activist who's work focuses on seeds, agriculture, and ecofeminism.  You can follow along with her work here: https://www.navdanya.org/ To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant...

#099:  The second half of our recent conversation with Climate activist and author Paul Hawken  deepens around the importance of complex soil systems for human health, the difficulties we face in reaching a broad audience through our fractured modern media channels,  and whether regenerative agriculture is organic and vice verse. Paul Hawken is a climate activist, entrepreneur, and the author of nine books including Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global...

#098: Climate activist and author Paul Hawken joins us for his fifth interview, focused on food, agriculture, climate change, and greenwashing. In this episode, the first half of Dave Chapman's conversation with Paul, they discuss whether regenerative agriculture is organic and vice verse. Paul Hawken is a climate activist, entrepreneur, and the author of nine books including Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, Blessed Unrest: How the Largest...

#097: Organic California farmer Javier Zamora talks about his role connecting  farmworkers to the resources, land, and skills they need to launch their own farming ventures through ALBA, the Agriculture And Land-Based Training Association, a program which he himself graduated from before opening JSM Organics. Javier Zamora is the founder of JSM Organics, a 200 acre Real Organic Project-certified farm in Monterey County California that grows vegetables, fruits, and flowers. He is very active...

#096: A conversation about food, climate, and the "regenerative" buzzword taking over agriculture with lifelong activist Ronnie Cummins, the founder and director of Organic Consumers Association and a member of Regeneration International's steering committee. Ronnie Cummins is the founder and director of the Organic Consumers Association, a member of the steering committee of Regeneration International and a lifelong activist. https://www.organicconsumers.org/staff To watch a video...