Grassroots and Dirty Boots: A New OEFFA Policy Podcast!
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, Grassroots and Dirty Boots, which can be found on Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts. In this podcast, we will talk about movements of change from the ground up and highlight stories from advocates and leaders across the food and farm system. Each episode centers on grassroots movements in the heartland and uplifts the experiences of OEFFA members and others who are part of our vibrant community of changemakers.
Starting With Soil
Inspired by our years-long work on Ohio soil health policy and coordination of the Ohio Soil Health Initiative (OSHI), this season, we connect with soil health leaders across Ohio as they share their perspectives and insights on our efforts to gain broad support for soil health practices and advance healthy soil policy in Ohio and beyond. Conversations shed light on the farmers’ narratives of change: What made them change the way they farm? Who helped them along the way?
The interviews feature the following farmers, experts, and soil health advocates:
Kristy Buskirk co-owns Clay Hill Organic Farm in Tiffin, Ohio, where she and her husband sell certified organic produce and flowers in farmers’ markets. In episode one, she was joined by Bridget Burgess, president of OEFFA’s Grain Growers Chapter and the head of organic seed cleaning, compost operations, and sales at Hirzel Farms in Luckey, Ohio, which has been at the forefront of sustainable agriculture since 1923. Though the two interviewees focus on different products at different scales, both know soil health is inherent to organic production, protective of local water quality, and a useful marketing tool.
The late David Brant is considered the “godfather of soil health,” and it was wonderful to connect with Ann Brandt of Brandt Family Farm in Caroll, Ohio, who shared about the farm’s legacy and how soil health carries on from one generation to the next. She was joined by Tim Lyden of Lyden Family Farms in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Both recognize the value of education and mentorship in agriculture, especially when it comes to conventional farmers taking steps to be more regenerative.
Soil health is important in both rural and urban environments. For another episode, we were joined by Dianne Kadonaga of Sunny Glen Garden, an urban forest garden in Columbus, Ohio, and Molly Sowash of MoSo Farm, which produces grass-fed beef and pastured pork in Athens, Ohio. The two operations are very different, but both first-generation farmers share similar commitments to soil health and supporting communities with outreach and education.
Shedding light on a critical driver of healthy soils, organic grain producer Scott Myers of Woodlyn Acres Farm in Dalton, Ohio, was joined by Manbir Rakkar, Assistant Professor of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management at The Ohio State University. The two discussed barriers to adoption of good soil health practices, reasonable input usage, and how healthy soils bolster a farm’s resilience in the face of extreme weather events like last year’s historic drought.
This season highlights diverse experiences and perspectives to help us better understand how we can encourage more farmers to adopt better soil health practices, while informing our listeners on the importance of healthy soils.
Supporting Future Seasons
The Grassroots and Dirty Boots podcast is a project of OEFFA Policy and is generously supported by the National Healthy Soils Policy Network and OEFFA members. If you would like to join OEFFA or make a donation, please visit oeffa.org/donate.
If you’ve already given the podcast a listen, thank you! New episodes will be released soon. We encourage you to share them with friends and family! Follow us on Instagram to stay up to date.