Choosing to Farm: New Generation Stories

"New Mexico in general is very agricultural, especially where we are here in Northern New Mexico. And so mostly unless you're in the city, most communities are acequia-based irrigation. It's a beautiful thing that since living here, I've just become so grateful to have. There's a lot of cultural significance to it in history and these systems are maintained every year or a few times throughout the year by the community. The community gets together and has cleaning days and work days, and everybody comes together and tends it and supports this flow of this beautiful gift of water in the high desert." Regeneration Ranch Instagram Acequia irrigation+ systems in New Mexico   Occidental Arts and Ecology Center web site   Grass, Soil, Hope: A Journey Through Carbon Country by Courtney White   Holistic Management International web site   Thanks to On Pasture for their unwavering support for our mission to share resources and stories helping farmers and ranchers be more successful.   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchersheal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode!  Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show…tiers start at just $2!

" I'm so grateful with people that really like our place.  Because you can find a freedom here so nowadays that you are in not [doing] desk work or a job or something. That's harder sometimes. You need someplace to get away. I think that's what people love [about] here. [This is a little bit of a getaway.]" Capilla Ambar Facebook Page   Thanks to On Pasture for their unwavering support for our mission to share resources and stories helping farmers and ranchers be more successful.   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show…tiers start at just $2!

Nadia Milleron is an independent mother, farmer, attorney, and successful advocate who will fight for you.   In 2019, Nadia’s daughter was a passenger on a Boeing 737 MAX that crashed in Ethiopia killing all on board. After 2 deadly crashes, instead of taking Boeing’s and the FAA’s word that nothing was wrong and a crash would not happen again, Nadia got involved to hold all involved groups accountable.   Nadia went to Washington and helped lead the unanimous passage of the national bi-partisan Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act in 2020 which directed US aircraft and aerospace industry manufacturers to adopt, enforce, and regulate compliance procedures to ensure planes met the proper criteria and specifications before they are commissioned for use.   She didn’t stop there. Nadia then went to Boeing’s home in Illinois and spearheaded the overthrow of a state law thatprotected big corporations over victims. Nadia met with legislators and stakeholders to fix a flawed law that allowed negligent and reckless corporations to get away with murder and not be held responsible.   Nadia has never shied away from standing up for everyday people. She began her career practicing law helping children who were facing neglect and abuse. For 5 years, she took cases from the bench and advocated on the child’s behalf in cases of contested divorces, lack of child support, or crime. She also represented people in the state mental hospital inprobate court proceedings. As a pro bono volunteer attorney, she worked with patients who had been subjected to dehumanizing conditions and a legal system that was violating their rights.  When Nadia’s son got sick with cancer, their family moved to a farm in Sheffield that would improve his quality of life. That farm turned into a way her family could give back to the community and even teach life lessons to other children and residents. Over the last 25 years, they have raised pigs, chicken, turkey, and lambs, and produced organic grain and dairy. Nadia invites classes, after school programs, and localresidents to come to the farm and learn about growing sustainable food and raising animals. Their farm continues to be a place for families in Western Massachusetts to receive locally grown food and produce. www.5calls.org   NadiaForCongress website   Thanks to New England Grazing Network for sponsoring this episode under a USDA-Grazing Lands Conservation Initiation grant!   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode!  Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show…tiers start at just $1!

NewGrass Farmstead raises registered and commercial Clun Forest and Coopworth sheep, for breeding stock, meat, wool, and pasture improvement. We sell raw milk seasonally, and a variety of meats. Sheepskins, hand-dyed yarns, and lamb, mutton, beef, pork, and chicken are available for pre-order or in our self-serve farmstand. Livestock on the farm include thesheep, working border collies (with the occasional litter of pups available), working draft horses, cattle, pigs, and poultry. Our focus is on renovating our land, producing a diverse array of products for our local community, and engaging in the daily rhythms of land and livestock husbandry. www.5calls.org   NewGrass Farmstead website   NewGrass Farmstead Facebook   NewGrass Farmstead Instagram   Thanks to New England Grazing Network for sponsoring this episode under a USDA-Grazing Lands Conservation Initiation grant!   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site!

Baylee Rose Drown, is a queer woman farmer, educator and community builder. Baylee believes in good food for all people.   For Baylee, this starts with caring for soil and extends into seeking justice in our land and food system. Sliding scale CSA, working with meal centers and acknowledging colonial land theft (our land is the home of Nehantic people) are all part working of towards an equitable food system.   Baylee was raised on her families' Holstein dairy farm in Michigan.  She earned a Bachelors of Science from Michigan State Universities' College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2009. This is where she first discovered land and animal ethics, which inspired her transition from a conventional farmer to a regenerative farmer. Baylee picked up the organic farming bug in Vermont, where she worked at Green Mountain College's diversified farm from 2009-2013.  During Baylee's time at Green Mountain she qualified the farm as Animal Welfare Approval and was active in the greater community by serving as a boardmember for the Stone Valley Food Coop. Baylee earned her Masters of Science in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College in 2014, as she was incorporating Upper Pond Farm as an LLC and turning the soil in Old Lyme for the first time.   Baylee is a life long learner. Recently she completed courses on Uprooting Racism in the Food System, Holistic Management, Soil Health and Climate Change and Compost Facility Management.   Baylee enjoys mentoring and teaching all ages from mutual aid for fellow farmers, to apprentices, WWOOFers and LymeConsolidated Elementary Students.   Baylee presents on the subjects of grant writing, composting, chemical free pest management and integrating animal and plant food production systems. Baylee uses her small cattle herd to manage and improve grasslands and soils. Cows can save the planet - ask Baylee how!   Baylee loves bringing people together through farmers’ markets hosted at the Long Table, and volunteering withConnecticut Farmland Trust and the Connecticut Compost Alliance.Baylee loves feeding people and being really tired and dirty at the end of a workday. She also loves to teach, hike, fish, make cheese and cook. www.5calls.org   Long Table Farm website   Long Table Farm Facebook   Long Table Farm Instagram   Long Table Farm YouTube   Long Table Farm Bluesky Cows Save the Planet by Judith Schwartz   Beaver Land by Leila Philip   Animal Welfare Approved   Holistic Management International   Richard Perkins Youtube   Thanks to New England Grazing Network for sponsoring this episode under a USDA-Grazing Lands Conservation Initiation grant!   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site!

My hope is that these journeys we share cause the person to take that next step. Whether that next step is buying a roll of poly braid and moving your cows twice if that's oh I need to try and do this for grass fed and go direct to consumer. Wherever you are, I'm hoping the journey helps you take that next step. And for that to happen, I can hear the same thing hundreds of times. But for some reason, that hundredth and first time, it's like,  why didn't I think of that? Cal’s passion for agriculture was ignited at a young age, growing up on his parents' farm where he has fond memories of being surrounded by livestock. Since then, Cal's journey has been deeply rooted in agriculture, from obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science to managing his own livestock.   Driven by his curiosity and commitment to regenerative farming practices, Cal started the Grazing Grass podcast as a way to connect with other like-minded grass farmers and learn from their experiences. His genuine interest in the subject matter and his firsthand knowledge of farming practices make him an engaging and knowledgeable host.  With a wealth of personal experience and a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of grass farming, Cal brings a unique perspective to the Grazing Grass podcast. His passion for sustainable farming practices shines through in every episode as he facilitates conversations, asks insightful questions, and encourages meaningful discussionswith fellow grass farmers. Grazing Grass Podcast   Hedge Apple Farm Facebook ONXHunt//888 app   Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki   Essentialism by Greg McKeown   Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan   More educational and transformational offerings fromJenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to FarmPatreon link   Leave us a review at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join ourPatreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site!

Season 4 Trailer

It was in the middle of high school that I really started to carve out an interest for myself in and seek experiences in agricultural production of some fruit and veg, some small livestock. I remember having a conversation with my college counselor about “I'm interested in this, like, where should I look?” She mentioned some of the top agricultural schools in the Northeast, like UVM and UNH, but that was where the conversation ended. It wasn't, “This is what these programs will have to offer you and this is how they can really open your world and help you see all the different paths that might be before you.”  I was pretty sure I wanted to farm. I wanted to really be in on the ground in the day-to-day operations of production.—Kate   Since 2015, Kate has worked on nine dairy farms in five states throughout the Northeast. Fascinated with different dairy farming systems, she has sought experience in an array of production models: conventional, organic, certified grass-fed, dairies shipping to a commodity market, and dairies directly marketing raw milk products. She has also pursued work in food and agribusiness with her most recent off-farm roles being in supply chain and agricultural sciences at General Mills Inc. She tries to bring a ground-level and a survey-level perspective to everything she does.   As the Assistant Manager at Wolfe's Neck Dairy in Freeport, Maine, Kate loves stewarding the land, the herd, and the apprenticeship program. Kate also boards her own grass-fed Jersey cows here, which she hopes will support the dairy’s transition to an increasingly pasture-based model. She truly enjoys working in a place that centers learning at the heart of its mission. Kate Sabino email   Wolfe’s Neck Center website   New England Grazing Network web site   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm!   The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success. Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site!

I remember…doing some chores one day with the pigs and thinking, “I don't need anything other than this.  Everything is whole and complete as I do this work here with these animals. –Carrie   You start with lambing and move through into lactation and then we start processing and so being able to manage the farm in that integrated way. Being able to really understand the performance of the animals and their health and how that relates to the quality of the milk and then how that milk is transformed into our finished products. Having that kind of oversight is special--surprising.—Brent   Carrie & Brent Wasser run a sheep dairy in the Hudson Valley of New York. They produce sheep's milk yogurt and bottled sheep's milk in their on-farm creamery, and raise pastured lamb. They came to farming in their late 30's/early 40s after careers in journalism (Carrie) and food production (Brent). They met each other on a farm in New England, and talked about their mutual interest in livestock farming on the very first night they met. Willow Pond Sheep Farm email   Willow Pond Sheep Farm web site   Willow Pond Sheep Farm Instagram   Green Mountain Girls Farm website   Charlotte Smith podcast   Northeast Pasture Consortium web site   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site!

We might not see the payoff of the things that we're doing here…but the legacy we're leaving for someone to walk in behind us, that's really important.—Sarah   For me, especially having a job for so many years where there were a lot of days when you wake up and you go, “Man, I really don't want to go to work today”… that really doesn't happen anymore. I wake up every day ready to go. We're working, we're doing what we love together. You can't beat this. –Kenny Kenny and Sarah are the proud owners of Berry Brae Farm located in Central New York.  They specialize in raising high quality Berkshire Pork, White Dorper Lamb, seasonal turkeys and chickens. Berry Brae Farm email   Berry Brae Farm web site   Berry Brae Farm Instagram   Berry Brae Farm Facebook Northeast Pasture Consortium web site   Sylvanaqua Farms Instagram   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site   NOFA Vermont web site   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success. Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site!

“I think a lot of people seek out farm and food jobs because they're looking for something profound and they don't even know what it's going to be until they get there.”—Rose  “Every year on the farm is so different. It really is. It feels every year we have different bandwidth for different things and we're improving all the time and making more bandwidth in some areas and losing it in other areas.”—Emily Emily and Rose both grew up in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. Their paths crossed in 2015 while working at Maple Wind Farm in Huntington, VT. Rose and Emily have been a team ever since that first summer and have dedicated their life to creating community around nutritious and delicious food starting a small poultry operation together in 2017. The purchase of Union Brook Farm was the culminating event that allowed Emily and Rose to begin advancing their pursuit of those dreams. They are now in their 5th season of farming pasture raised broilers, layer hens + sheep with pigs in the forest. They also offer a farm stay through Airbnb should you want to come experience first hand their version of paradise! Union Brook Farm email   Union Brook Farm web site   Union Brook Farm Instagram   New England Grazing Network web site   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site NOFA Vermont web site   Intervale Center Farm Business Program   WWOOF web site   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site!

“Raising animals is heavy. Even when it goes really well, it's heavy. And when you have losses, like we have had in the last couple of years, it changes the math -- even the finances of it. Okay, yeah, we lost money because we lost so many hens, but what we also lost sleep and tears and to wake up and go out and have a hundred chickens killed in one night--that happened to us once--and it just is so devastating.”—Hannah   “To know that food is not a product that you buy at the store and food is not something that is made by a company and branded and marketed to you, food is something that comes from the earth and nourishes your body.  That's more important to me than whether or not [our kids] decide to operate a farm.”—John   Boneyard Farm is a labor of love. Hannah and John began on a small farmstead on ten hardscrabble acres in northern Vermont. They scaled up in 2021, purchasing a former conventional dairy. With the help of the Vermont Land Trust and the farm’s previous owners, their 180-acre property is forever conserved as working agricultural land. Hannah Doyle runs the day-to-day business of the farm and the vegetable operation. John is behind the scenes on infrastructure and maintenance, and he manages the rotational grazing and animal health for their livestock. He builds all the things and fixes all the problems. Two young boys, Reuben and Dimitri, help out on the farm and provide tons of laughter. Boneyard Farm web site Boneyard Farm email address   Boneyard Farm Instagram   Boneyard Farm Facebook   New England Grazing Network web site   Janet McNally’s Tamarack Farm web site   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choosingtofarm/message

I came into farming really, as I got into it, being like--I'm a grower. That's where I want to grow my expertise; how to be a better caretaker for these animals, how to be more efficient with my time, with the land that we're using. To lean on people who are in processing, lean on them because their resources, their expertise are in processing or on the kosher side, lean on those people who really know what is required for it, bring them in and have them apply their expertise. The growth for me has been really needing to not just understand those other pieces much more, but also get much more directly involved.   Robert Friedman is the founder and owner of Robariah Farms. Located in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts, Robariah Farms specializes in local, pasture-raised, kosher-certified poultry and other meats.   Robariah Farms raises slow-growing poultry breeds that thrive on pasture. Sustainable pasture management practices, including daily rotation of mobile shelters, provide animals with continuous access to fresh pasture, sunlight, and clean air, supporting healthy, vibrant life.   For processing, Robariah Farms applies an ethical, humane framework through its kosher certification. Local, kosher supervising agencies oversee the slaughter, plucking, evisceration, salting/brining, and packaging of each animal, certifying a higher standard of quality for the meat.   Robariah Farms offers CSA meat shares directly to customers, as well as wholesale discounts to food co-ops, farm stores, caterers, and institutions across New England. Robariah Farms email address   Robariah Farms Instagram   Robariah Farms Facebook   Top 7 Quotes of Gene Logsdon Youtube   New England Grazing Network web site   Christine Jones soil health tour link   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world. After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode!  Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choosingtofarm/message

The occasional summer I would go to Arkansas for a few nights when my family would make the trip out there from Dallas, Texas, they would only stay for a short period  it was my aunt and uncle's Chicken farm. They were conventional growers for Tyson.  It was a fun time out there, but I do remember thinking  this is an enormous amount of hard work. My aunt and uncle never get to leave this farm and there's one thing I know for sure. And that's--I don't want to be a farmer.—Vanessa   Chickens can't be productive without a grain implement.  The other thing is a lot of our farmland needs a lot more nutrients in the soil. This is an input into the system, but the intention is that this input is helping make our soils more productive and more regenerative over time so that we can support more ruminant animals on a given land base. Hopefully that will help the farm be more productive and profitable and sustainable. —Justin   Our names are Justin and Vanessa and we're first generation farmers with a passion for healing our environment.  Justin has a background in permaculture design and education, and Vanessa is a graphic designer and marketer. We use our past experiences daily to grow our farm, and to help refine our customers understanding of regenerative agriculture, organic growing practices and how they can positively contribute to healing our food systems. We pride ourselves in providing high quality, fresh and healthy food from the land in a way that benefits the environment.   We deeply value our community, which makes our work rewarding, but we know food producers are facing some serious challenges (because of ongoing climate change) and we want to help face those issues head on. How our food is farmed can either add to the destruction of our planet or it can do the opposite- creating abundance and resiliency across our communities. Leaping Bear Farm email address   Leaping Bear Farm website   Leaping Bear Farm Instagram   Leaping Bear Farm Facebook   Vermont Land Trust web site   Real Organic Project   Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program website   New England Farm Link website   Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust website 2022 USDA Ag Census website   New England Grazing Network web site   Christine Jones soil health tour link   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choosingtofarm/message

It feels good that we're providing this product for people's nutrition, for their families. They keep coming back to us and appreciating that. We are who we are; we're the face, we talk to them, we have them to our farm for tours. That's what people are looking for.—Beth   We both have a full time job figuring out how to move this business forward that that you can't get done if you're picking eggs and putting down bedding in the layer houses or fulfilling orders. Can't do it.—Bruce   Beth Whiting and Bruce Hennessey are the co-founders and co-owners of Maple Wind Farm, a diversified pasture-based farm and USDA processing plant located in Richmond, Vermont. Maple Wind Farm email address   Maple Wind Farm website   Maple Wind Farm Instagram   Maple Wind Farm Facebook   Pasture Pet website   Vermont Land Trust web site   USDA Poultry Plant in a Box video   New England Grazing Network web site   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success. Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choosingtofarm/message

I describe farming as really just one long extended expedition. It's very much like a mountaineering expedition where you wake up every day, you're working outside. You have problems, often new problems that crop up at least weekly. It's very much like being in a big mountain expedition where you're constantly working with the weather. You're working with the people on your team. You are focused on a goal. That takes all of your effort that you really have to commit to a hundred percent.—Bruce   It's very similar to being at a camp in a way,  because we're managing people; a lot of young energy, a lot of people that need training and direction and they're coming to work on our farm,…and a lot of teaching. –Beth   Beth Whiting and Bruce Hennessey are the co-founders and co-owners of Maple Wind Farm, a diversified pasture-based farm and USDA processing plant located in Richmond, Vermont. Maple Wind Farm email address   Maple Wind Farm website   Maple Wind Farm Instagram   Maple Wind Farm Facebook   Grit by Angela Duckworth   New England Grazing Network web site   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site   More educational and transformational offerings from Jenn Colby   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choosingtofarm/message

Watching them [kids] come to the farm; at first, it can be quite challenging. There is definitely an arc of sort of comfortableness just with being outside doing chores, hard manual labor. That takes a minute for a lot of kids to adjust to.  But as they adjust, it's so cool to watch them come out of their shells.--Haley   Hello my name is Haley Goulet, I am a livestock manager at a community farm and work to educate the public about livestock farming. I am passionate about teaching folks about the origin of their food and continuing to learn the best ways of ethically raising meat. Haley Goulet email address   Haley Goulet Instagram   Haley Goulet LinkedIn   Natick Community Organic Farm website   Natick Community Organic Farm Facebook UMass Amherst ASCI website   Trustees of Reservations website   Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Model   New England Grazing Network web site   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site   Your Transformation Story link—Click here to learn more!   Whole Human web site   Choosing to Farm Patreon link Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success. Want to help? Like, share or review this episode!  Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choosingtofarm/message

I remember being seven or eight years old and drawing… having construction paper, big rolls of paper all over the living room floor, drawing pictures of where my cows and my sheep and my chickens would go on my future farm.—Melissa   You pick and choose your battles for sure…do we want to focus on cleaning up all of our  step-in fence for the sheep and  do all the outdoor stuff or are we going to focus on a house that we can bring friends into? So unfortunately,  our game nights have taken a hit on not being able to invite people over, but our understanding of field management and what is required outside is more of a priority and we're appreciating that. Our decor is not the best, but whatever.--Toby   As Toby writes: Melissa and I own and operate Three Square Farm. We do rotational grazing of our beef and dairy cows and meat sheep. We moved to Vermont 5 years ago and started our farming journey 3 years ago.  Toby also does hay crops on almost 100 acres and is diving into precision ag. Through many challenges, lessons learned (some the hard way), and classes with NOFA, we have gotten our enterprise on a good standing. With many more years to come and the passion for agriculture ever blossoming within our selves we like to look back on the struggles of being newly married, a new location, and many other challenges we faced. This only makes us stronger and the love of this career richer. At this point we couldn't see ourselves doing anything else. Three Square Farm email address   Three Square Farm website   Three Square Farm Instagram   Three Square Farm Facebook   NOFA Vermont Beginning Farmer programs   Todoist app   New England Grazing Network web site   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site   Your Transformation Story program registration is open!   Choosing to Farm Patreon link The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show or even buy me a cup of coffee at the Choosing to Farm web site! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choosingtofarm/message

We had bought this house in Brattleboro. We'd bought the truck. We bought the sheep. We bought dogs. We did all of this long before COVID hit, but then we were like, okay, this is our pandemic project.—Kimberly Kimberly and Zan Walker-Gonҫalves were both kids exposed to animals but not raised on farms. As parents, they circled back to growing food and raising the maximum number of livestock their town in Massachusetts would legally allow.  Five years ago, they packed up everything and moved to a new home where they created WagonTail Farm, set up sheep camp, started breeding for intentional wool color, and have been managing invasive knotweed as sheepscapers all while balancing career and health challenges. WaGonTail Farm email address   WaGonTail Farm Facebook   Whetwoods Wildscaping Facebook   New England Grazing Network web site Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site   Your Transformation Story program registration is open!   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review or buy us a coffee at Choosing to Farm! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choosingtofarm/message

I've wanted to quit about a hundred gazillion times, a lot- a lot. But I want to do what I love. So that is the key, right? To do what we love. And this is what I love to do.  It comes with difficulties and it comes with rewards. I have to be able to handle both and know both.   Nicolle Ferrier and family moved from Southern California to central Vermont to experience a more relaxed lifestyle, but soon found themselves creating a farm and business with plenty of excitement. They raise six different types of unusual and heritage fowl, from game birds to emus (in order of size), caring for each animal personally. They ship eggs, chicks, and birds across the country, connecting with experienced fowl enthusiasts and new owners to support them with guidance and advice. Nicolle’s email Sugar Feather Farm website Sugar Feather Farm X/Twitter Sugar Feather Farm Instagram Sugar Feather Farm Facebook Sugar Feather Farm Youtube Sugar Feather Farm Go Fund Me   New England Grazing Network web site   Vermont Grass Farmers Association web site   Whole Human web site   About RIM   Choosing to Farm Patreon link   Leave us a review at Choosing to Farm! The Choosing to Farm podcast is all about telling origin stories, learning from the journeys, and creating connection among first-and returning-generation livestock farmers and ranchers across the US and the world.  After nearly 30 years working professionally in agriculture as well as being a returning-generation farmer myself, I’m here to share stories, tips and resources to help livestock farmers and ranchers heal our relationship with success.  Want to help? Like, share or review this episode! Want to help even more? Join our Patreon to support the show! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choosingtofarm/message