Best Hobby Farms Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 88: Mike Ghia 59:03

17m ago59:03

59:03

Learn about Mike’s family’s farming heritage, which came to the US from Italy with his great-grandfather and how Mike grew up with a more diverse farm experience than most of us. Mike’s early start in farming served him well as he studied environmental science in college and went on to do agricultural research and vegetable, dairy sheep and livesto…

1
Episode 87: Ron Bittner 32:18

19d ago32:18

32:18

Entomologist and farmer Ron Bittner talks pollinators and soil health This conversation with Ron Bittner will help you make the connection between crop pollination, water conservation and soil health in a way you probably haven’t before. Learn about how Ron’s interest in insects—specifically the alfalfa leafcutting bee—has taken him around the US a…

1
Episode 86: Panha Suon 36:41

1M ago36:41

36:41

Cambodian agroecology educator Panha Suon talks with Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good podcast host Lisa Munniksma about farming in Cambodia, from climate to crops and the challenges that farmers are facing there. Listen to how Panha became involved in agroecology and why he’s dedicated to educating others about the impact human activities have on…

1
Episode 85: Lewis Hughes 34:17

2M ago34:17

34:17

Lewis Hughes, land steward and local-food distribution pro Hear about Lewis Hughes’s journey into farming, from conventional pig and corn farms to international agricultural research to organic farming and cooperative farming. His vast experience in the farming world set him up to be able to work with small-scale farmers in distributing their produ…

1
Episode 84: Nasuha Lenuh 33:24

2M ago33:24

33:24

Small-scale farmer and entrepreneur Nasuha Lenuh — nicknamed R — talks about the tree crops grown in her region, the southern part of Thailand. Hear about her family’s tree crops, from rubber to durian fruit, and how R has chosen her own path in developing Rganic Farm, including herbs, salad greens and edible flowers. R shares this journey, being h…

1
Episode 83: Melissa Stewart 46:02

3M ago46:02

46:02

Military service members and veterans farming program and aeroponic gardening with Melissa Stewart Listen to Melissa Stewart’s story about the West Virginia National Guard’s Patriot Guardens program — the only agricultural unit embedded in a National Guard unit — and how it grew from an educational program to what it has become in 7 years: an urban…

1
Episode 82: Jenny Howard Owen 48:12

3M ago48:12

48:12

Flexibility in farming, connecting with the natural world, and the Organic Association of Kentucky with Jenny Howard Owen In this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good, listen to Jenny’s story of her love of farming rooted in childhood. You might identify with her vivid childhood memories of digging potatoes, setting off with the family dog…

1
Episode 81: Robert Frew & Juan Carlos Arango 46:40

4M ago46:40

46:40

The hazards of grants, letting vegetable plants go to seed and lessons in water rights with Robert Frew and Juan Carlos Arango Robert and Juan Carlos practice permaculture and a culture of sharing at Sobremesa Farm, just outside Bloomington, Indiana. In this episode, Robert talks about taking the time to observe the land before jumping into farming…

1
Episode 80: Sara Wittenberg 32:51

4M ago32:51

32:51

Sara Wittenberg on Pollinators and How to Build a Pollinator Garden Pollinator Week is June 17-23, 2024. Without pollinators, we wouldn’t have food, making pollinators an essential link in the food system. You, as a gardener or farmer, have a role to play here. Gardener and biologist Sara Wittenberg talks with podcast host Lisa Munniksma about how …

1
Episode 79: Pattie Baker 46:29

5M ago46:29

46:29

Pattie Baker talks about WWOOFing — traveling to work on farms — gardening and finding hope. Hear about how 9/11 spurred Pattie on to start gardening, from zero interest to a need to plant a seed in the name of hope. She tells her story about how she went from growing food for her family to now traveling to learn about farming and to share her know…

1
Episode 78: Bonnie Warndahl 50:19

5M ago50:19

50:19

How to find your dream farm, with Bonnie Warndahl! If you are searching for your dream farm, this podcast episode with Bonnie Warndahl has you covered. Bonnie searched for years to find the property that is now her Winnowburrow Farm and Florals, in Colfax, Wisconsin. Listen to Bonnie’s story about how she came to be interested in gardening and stew…

1
Episode 77: Lauren Manning 42:20

6M ago42:20

42:20

In this podcast episode, Arkansas rancher Lauren Manning talks about responsible grazing, lessons learned from starting a grazing operation from scratch and financing to support a regenerative food system. Learn how CrossFit — the popular fitness and lifestyle program — helped shape the focus of Lauren’s legal career, from civil litigation in Calif…

1
Episode 76: Florentina Rodriguez 33:45

6M ago33:45

33:45

Urban farmer and seed advocate Florentina Rodriguez talks seeds, seeds and, you guessed it, seeds. Hear about how Florentina started her Flora Seeds, all thanks to seeing the need for a community seed library in her village of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Her interest in seed education and in helping people save, share and grow seeds grew from there. As m…

1
Episode 75: Michele Thorne 54:34

7M ago54:34

54:34

From Oregon, Michele Thorne talks with show host Lisa Munniksma about support and resources for livestock farmers and meat consumers from The Good Meat Project, the challenges of farming on rented land, the finding value in “failure” and more. Hear about all the ways that Thorne engages with the food system through what she refers to as “choice, tr…

1
Episode 74: Hillarie Maddox 35:39

7M ago35:39

35:39

Homesteader Hillarie Maddox talks about returning to the land, building community and mental health for farmers. Hear about Hillarie’s upbringing visiting her family members’ original homesteads in South Dakota and how her life came full circle, back to the land herself on Whidbey Island, in Washington. She talks about how she and her husband are b…

1
Episode 73: Kimberly Haire 29:25

8M ago29:25

29:25

Kimberly Haire talks with Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good host Lisa Munniksma about what it’s like to teach middle schoolers in Kentucky about growing food while she expands her own farming knowledge. Hear about how Kimberly uses the foundations of agriculture, local and global food systems, and hands-on work to get sixth-, seventh- and eighth-g…

1
Episode 72: Sara Martin 39:41

8M ago39:41

39:41

Appalachian farmer Sara Martin asks us to put on our science hats and talks about farming at high elevation, running a truly diverse small farm, redistributing unsold produce and more. Hear about how Sara and her husband, Dustin Cornelison, became “accidental farmers,” as their homesteading endeavor just kept growing. Sara talks about how their Two…

1
Episode 71: Holly Callahan-Kasmala and Chrisie DiCarlo, co-hosts of the Coffee with the Chicken Ladies podcast 39:06

9M ago39:06

39:06

The Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good podcast meets the Coffee with the Chicken Ladies podcast with this episode’s guests, Holly Callahan-Kasmala and Chrisie DiCarlo. Learn about how these best friends of 40+ years started the Coffee with the Chicken Ladies podcast and why it’s important to them to share their experience with and educate others ab…

1
Episode 70: Anu Rangarajan, Cornell Small Farms Program director, talks about supporting farmers, a reduced-tillage technique and more! 40:54

9M ago40:54

40:54

Cornell Small Farms Program director Anu Rangarajan talks about supporting farmers as whole people, making farming communities more welcoming spaces, life as a strawberry farmer and a game-changing reduced-tillage technique. Hear about how the Cornell University Small Farms Program free classes and resources can support your farming—whether your fa…

1
Episode 69: Chyka Okarter on practicing lean farming, creative financing and more! 33:38

10M ago33:38

33:38

Chyka Okarter talks about farming an Extension work in Nigeria, putting the lean farming concept into practice, and finding creative financing from within the food system. Hear about what agriculture looks like in Nigeria—a pursuit with huge potential that Chyka feels is not being met in this country that’s slightly larger than Texas. He talks abou…

1
Episode 68: Keisha Johnson talks career transitions, skill sharing, poultry keeping and more 39:31

11M ago39:31

39:31

Texas farmer Keisha Johnson talks career transitions, skill sharing, poultry keeping and more. Hear about Keisha’s career transition from administration and logistics to farming, and her advice for how anyone can take pre-farming-career skills into farm life—”turning your lifestyle into your livelihood.” Keisha talks about growing vegetables in Tex…

1
Episode 67: Ben Hartman talks doing less and getting more with lean farming 37:00

11M ago37:00

37:00

Indiana farmer and The Lean Micro Farm author Ben Hartman talks about the logistics of downsizing. Hear about the CSA Ben started while still in high school and how this set him up for a career in farming. Ben shares the statistics that, by the end of this century, we will lose half of the farms that we have now, and the farms that are left will be…

1
Episode 66: Li Schmidt talks Asian-heritage crops, small-scale farming in Taiwan and more! 35:25

12M ago35:25

35:25

Taiwanese-American farmer Li Schmidt talks about growing Asian-heritage crops, growing crops for seeds, small-scale farming in Taiwan and preserving cultural foodways. Hear about how Li started her Cultural Roots Nursery, in Northern California, in 2020, as a result of the pandemic rather than in spite of it. Most of Li’s customers are Asian Americ…

1
Episode 65: Susan Poizner talks fruit-tree care, community orcharding and more 38:28

12M ago38:28

38:28

Toronto orchardist Susan Poizner talks fruit-tree care, community orcharding and more with Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good podcast host Lisa Munniksma. Hear about the evolution of the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard in Toronto, now in its 15th year. Susan admits to knowing less than she should have about fruit-tree care when she undertook th…

1
Episode 64: Reeba Daniel talks farm to school, land access, leadership in food systems and more 52:53

1y ago52:53

52:53

Reeba Daniel talks farm to school, land access, leadership in food systems and more on this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good. Reeba talks about their business, Keep Growing Seeds, that allows them to create and manage school gardens, work with “learners” to grow and eat good food, and also examine culture and connection through food. T…

1
Episode 63: Amy Glattly talks gleaning, fermenting, sheep shearing and more 53:57

1y ago53:57

53:57

Amy Glattly talks about gleaning, fermenting, sheep shearing and more in this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good. Hear about the Lawrence, Kansas, food and farming scene. Amy talks about how they and fellow farmworkers started a totally volunteer-run gleaning program that donated 3,000 pounds of produce during its first season and involv…

1
Episode 62: Frank Hyman talks gardening, chicken-keeping, mushrooms and more! 44:46

1y ago44:46

44:46

Chicken keeper, gardener and author Frank Hyman talks about his gardens, chickens, books and more. Hear about Frank’s books, Hentopia: Create a Hassle-Free Habitat for Happy Chickens and How to Forage for Mushrooms Without Dying: An Absolute Beginner's Guide. Hear about the design of Frank’s chicken pagoda—not just a coop—and some of the time-savin…

1
Episode 61: Stephen Mackell has big thoughts about microgreens (and more!) 37:57

1y ago37:57

37:57

Ohio farmer Stephen Mackell talks with podcast host Lisa Munniksma about microgreens, actually sustainable (profitable!) small-scale farming and food access. Hear about how Stephen found his passion for farming through the magic of starting seeds. Learn about the Mission of Mary Cooperative Farm in Dayton, Ohio, where Stephen started out as a volun…

1
Episode 60: Jann Knappage talks part-time farming, farmers markets, Extension and more! 51:56

1y ago51:56

51:56

Kentucky farmer Jann Knappage talks with Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good podcast host Lisa Munniksma about part-time farming, farmers markets, working behind the scenes in Extension, and food preservation. Get to know Cooperative Extension’s Nutrition Education Program and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into bringing Extension programming …

1
Episode 59: Denà Brummer talks farming, gardening and building a life around food 35:25

1y ago35:25

35:25

Denà Brummer talks farming, gardening and building a life around food in this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good. Hear about Denà’s journey from reading the recipes in Seventeen magazine to throwing epic house parties that were all about the food to studying culinary arts and growing her own food. And now she teaches others about these t…

1
Episode 58: Barbara Lawson of Meet Me in the Dirt Talks Gardening Through Grief 41:49

1+ y ago41:49

41:49

In a Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good episode that’s just a little bit different than usual, Barbara Lawson talks about gardening’s place in moving through grief. Hear about how Barbara’s business, Meet Me in the Dirt, eventually grew out of her own grief over her mother’s death and the healing power of her own garden. She talks about healing gar…

1
Episode 57: Miranda Duschack talks urban cut flower farming, supporting farmers and more 50:30

1+ y ago50:30

50:30

In the second episode of the two-part series with the farmers at Urban Buds City Grown Flowers, Miranda Duschack covers urban cut flower farming, supporting farmers through an 1890 land-grant university and the realities of being a part-time farmer. Hear about the history of the land that this farm sits on—it’s been a flower farm since 1870—and how…

1
Episode 56: Mimo Davis talks growing flowers year-round, Black flower farmers and more! 34:46

1+ y ago34:46

34:46

St. Louis flower farmer Mimo Davis talks about growing flowers year-round, Black flower farmers, her work as vice president of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers and more! Listen to this episode of the Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good podcast to hear about Mimo Davis’ journey from being a social worker for homeless adolescent males i…

1
Episode 55: Marykate Glenn and Lindsey Melling on cooperative farming, sliding-scale CSAs, handcrafted herbal products and more 45:11

1+ y ago45:11

45:11

Farmers Marykate Glenn and Lindsey Melling join Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good to talk cooperative farming, sliding-scale CSAs, handcrafted herbal products and more. Hear about Marykate’s and Lindsey’s individual backgrounds, how they each became farmers, and how they came together for collaborative farming under the Mustard Seed Farm CSA umbre…

1
Episode 54: Rachael Harrop talks agriculture in Isle of Man, the Manx Wildlife Trust, rare British sheep and more. 37:59

1+ y ago37:59

37:59

Rachael Harrop talks about agriculture in Isle of Man, the Manx Wildlife Trust, rare British sheep and more. Get to know the Isle of Man, a Crown Dependency island in the Irish Sea, which is the only UNESCO Biosphere Nation in the world (but is more famous for its TT motorcycle road races). Hear about how Rachael started raising rare British Teeswa…

1
Episode 53: Helga Garcia-Garza talks crippling drought, cooperative organic farming and more! 1:03:27

1+ y ago1:03:27

1:03:27

Helga Garcia-Garza talks about the farmer opportunities offered by Agri-Cultura Network and La Cosecha CSA, dealing with crippling drought in the Southwest US, and cooperative organic farming. Hear about how the community-led Agri-Cultura Network began in 2009 with just three small-scale farmers who wanted to build capacity, aggregate products for …

1
Episode 52: Nathan Harkleroad talks discovering farming, cover cropping, peppers and more! 40:20

1+ y ago40:20

40:20

On this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good, Nathan Harkleroad, Program Director at Agriculture and Land Based Training Association, talks with us about his path to farming, the value of agricultural work, helping people get their own farms going and more. A San Diego kid and product of Southern California's surfing scene, Harkleroad had …

1
Episode 51: Maya Marie talks land, education, irrigation and more! 44:56

1+ y ago44:56

44:56

New York urban farmer Maya Marie talks about building your relationship to land, her Deep Routes educational project, irrigation and more. Hear about how various family members, educational settings and even Sesame Street have contributed to Maya’s life path. She talks about farming Afro-Indigenous crops at East New York Farms, including trying her…

1
Episode 50: Pantaleon Florez returns to talk about the Farm2School program, seed breeding, the "death of farming" and more! 48:04

1+ y ago48:04

48:04

In our 50th episode of Hobby Farms Presents, Maseualkualli Farms' Pantaleon Florez pays the podcast another visit to update listeners on what he's been up to since episode 16. Listen as the Lawrence, Kansas, farmer and food-systems thinker shares changes to the priorities he's working toward and much more. Listen in as Panta discusses the important…

1
Episode 49: Angela Kingsawan talks gardening, health care and all things herbs! 28:44

1+ y ago28:44

28:44

Indigenous urban farmer and herbalist Angela Kingsawan talks about gardening in Milwaukee, translating ancient knowledge into modern reality, connecting health care with healthy foods, and more. Learn about Angela’s early introduction to land stewardship and multicultural approach to herbalism and food production. She tells us about her long-term p…

1
Esisode 48: Denzel Mitchell talks urban farming in Baltimore, heirloom Baltimore Fish peppers and more! 44:49

1+ y ago44:49

44:49

Denzel Mitchell talks about urban farming in Baltimore, bringing up new farmers, the heirloom Baltimore Fish pepper and more. Hear about how food and farming have been part of Denzel’s whole life, from his extended family’s 600-acre homestead in Oklahoma to his college English professor’s homestead. His experience running farms in Baltimore—the cit…

1
Episode 47: Christina Joy Neumann talks beekeeping, honey sustainability and more 54:13

1+ y ago54:13

54:13

Pittsburgh apiarist Christina Joy Neumann talks with Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good host Lisa Munniksma about beekeeping, sustainability in the honey industry, and more. Learn about the evolution of Christina’s Apoidea Apiary and how she sees her career in architecture and her work with bees as intrinsically related. (Think about bees as natura…

1
Episode 46: Roy Kady talks traditions, sheep flocks, fiber arts and more 50:37

2y ago50:37

50:37

In this episode, shepherd and Diné fiber artist Roy Kady talks about the importance and traditions of the Navajo-Churro sheep breed, flock management, fiber arts, and more. Recorded on Winter Solstice (in the Northern hemisphere), Roy explains the importance of solstice in Diné lifeways. Learn about the Slow Food USA Navajo-Churro Sheep Presidium, …

1
Episode 45: Celina Ngozi talks food-sovereignty work, earth-based practices, fam meals and more! 36:23

2y ago36:23

36:23

Celina Ngozi is a Black/Igbo agrarian and the founder of Ala Soul Earthworks/Dry Bones Heal Bottomland, joining Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good today to talk about her food-sovereignty work and earth-based practices. Hear about the Central Texas land that has been in Celina’s family since 1876 and how she, her mother and other members of their f…

1
Episode 44: Dr. Mehmet Öztan of Two Seeds in a Pod 47:18

2y ago47:18

47:18

In this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good, Dr. Mehmet Öztan talks seed justice, selecting seeds for saving, the Seedy Talks speaker series, and more about his work as an underrepresented minoritized farmer in West Virginia. Hear about how Dr. Öztan went from receiving a PhD in civil engineering to starting Two Seeds in a Pod heirloom se…

1
Episode 43: Reingard Rieger talks all things compost! 41:03

2y ago41:03

41:03

Master Composter Reingard Rieger, Ph.D., breaks down composting, urban gardening and Seattle’s Master Composter Sustainability Steward program in this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good. Learn about Tilth Alliance’s Master Composter Sustainability Steward program, which trains 30 to 35 volunteers each year to go into the community and ed…

1
Episode 42: Jeff Tober talks ecology, pastured pigs, farm planning and more! 44:07

2y ago44:07

44:07

New Jersey farmer Jeff Tober talks farming for ecological and community health, pasture-raised pigs, farm planning, and more with host Lisa Munniksma in this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good. Hear about how a potato growing in a compost pile in the Philadelphia suburbs sparked a curiosity in Jeff as a young person that put him on a win…

1
Episode 41: Tiffany Bellfield on family land and legacies, pollinator habitats and more! 42:59

2y ago42:59

42:59

Kentucky farmer and community organizer Tiffany Bellfield covers family land and legacies, pollinator habitats, Community Farm Alliance, and more on this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good. Hear about the deep history of Ballew Estates, the land that Tiffany’s great-grandfather, Atrus Ballew, who was born an enslaved person, eventually b…

1
Episode 40: Arwen Donahue Talks Balancing Creativity With Farming & More! 39:49

2y ago39:49

39:49

This episode features Arwen Donahue, her life on a Kentucky farm and her new book, Landings: A Crooked Creek Farm Year. Arwen tells us about her and her husband, David Wagoner’s, Three Springs Farm. You’ll hear about how they searched for their niche and revived themselves from burnout in small-scale farming, from 18 years of having a vegetable CSA…

1
Episode 39: Lilian Hill discusses dryland farming, traditional foodways & farming systems 36:38

2y ago36:38

36:38

Listen in on this conversation with land steward, Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance Executive Director and Hopi Tribe member Lilian Hill as she talks about dryland farming, traditional foodways, farming systems and more. Hear about Lilian’s family and community heritage and how she connects with traditional agriculture methods, foodways and…

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Hobby Farms Podcasts

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