Talkin' Dirt

Scaling Up at Frisky Girl Farm w/ Ellen Scheffer

In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Ellen from Frisky Girl Farm in Fall City, Washington. Ellen got her start in agriculture after a college class reshaped how she thought about the food system, which led her to work on farms across the country before eventually co-founding her own operation in the Seattle area. In this conversation, Ellen shares the story of building Frisky Girl Farm from a half-acre urban farm into a five-acre production, and the challenges that came with it—losing infrastructure to wind, dealing with crop damage from wildlife, and ultimately making the decision to leave that land behind. We get into how those experiences shaped the next chapter of the farm and what it looks like to scale up through a merger with Steel Wheel Farm in the Snoqualmie Valley. We also talk through their unique CSA model that gives customers more flexibility in what they receive each week, along with the realities of marketing and selling food as a small farm. Ellen shares insights on organic growing practices, year-round production in the Pacific Northwest, and the balance between collaboration and competition within the local farming community. You can find out more about what Ellen and her team are putting together and how to sign up for their CSA box at Frisky Girl Farm: North Bend's finest vegetable & flower farm [https://www.friskygirlfarm.com/] 🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com]Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/TalkinDirtPodcast?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠⁠

A Bucket of Beets and a Lifetime of Lessons w/ Jack Graham

In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Jack from Farmer Jack’s Garden in the Yakima Valley. Jack has spent a lifetime around agriculture, starting on a cattle and grain farm in northeastern Washington and continuing that work through decades of growing his own food at home. In this conversation, Jack shares how gardening stayed with him through a full career in law enforcement, eventually turning into a small-scale operation where he and his wife Diann sold grapes, popcorn on the cob, and hundreds of pounds of beets each year directly to their community. We get into how that all came together and what it looks like to build something like that over time. We also talk through soil health, natural growing methods, and the systems Jack has developed over the years to grow productive crops without relying on chemicals. He shares practical insights on irrigation, composting, pest management, and what it takes to consistently grow good food in a dry climate like the Yakima Valley. 🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com]Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/TalkinDirtPodcast?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠⁠

The Craft of Goat Cheese at Sunnyfield Farm w/ Andre Entermann

In this episode of Talkin' Dirt, I sit down with Andre Entermann. Andre runs Sunnyfield Farm with his wife out on Lopez Island, where they’ve been building a small-scale goat dairy focused on thoughtful, hands-on production. In this conversation, Andre shares how years of traveling and working on organic farms eventually led him to settle on Lopez and start farming for himself. We get into the realities of dairying goats, the process of making cheese, and the amount of work that goes into turning milk into something you’re proud to sell. We also talk through the tension between traditional cheesemaking and modern food safety regulations in the U.S.—how pasteurization, testing requirements, and state-by-state rules shape what small producers are able to do, and what can get lost along the way. We get into herd management, the role of community on the island, and what it takes to keep a small farm running in a way that’s actually sustainable. 🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com]Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/TalkinDirtPodcast?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠⁠

The Hidden World Inside Soil w/ Shawn Bruckman

In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Shawn Bruckman in Eagle, Colorado — a soil health specialist, worm farmer, and someone who has built a career around understanding what’s happening beneath our feet. Shawn shares her journey from studying environmental policy to becoming a local expert in soil biology, composting, and regenerative practices. The conversation explores her work with The Ground Up and Wiggle Worm Gardens, along with her experience helping develop a composting facility in Eagle County. We get into worms, compost, and the living biology inside soil — including how red wigglers produce nutrient-rich castings, what healthy soil actually looks like under a microscope, and how building soil can reduce the need for costly inputs. The episode also touches on water challenges in the West, the importance of native plants, and the connection between soil health, food, and human health. 🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com]Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/TalkinDirtPodcast?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠

Island Sheep at Lucky Ewe Farm with Audrey & Michelle

In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Audrey and Michelle from Lucky Ewe Farm on Lopez Island in Washington’s San Juan Islands. They talk about how they got into sheep, what it’s like managing a small band on an island, and the role sheep play in their daily life. The conversation also gets into lambing season, working with dogs, and how sheep behavior can shift depending on the landscape. Audrey and Michelle share some of the unique benefits and challenges of farming on a small island like Lopez and talk about why they’ve made the difficult decision to begin transitioning away from sheep ranching. This was a reflective look at small-scale farming and life with a small band of sheep. 🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TalkinDirtPod?utm_source=chatgpt.com]Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/TalkinDirtPodcast?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠