Protecting Farmland, One Match at a Time

Why Farm Bills Matter

Congress takes up a new Farm Bill every five years. It’s an opportunity to shape the future of American farming and food policy and it’s up for renewal this year.  In this episode of No Farms No Future, we talk with Don Stuart [https://donstuart.net/books/no-farms-no-food-uniting-farmers-and-environmentalists-to-transform-american-agriculture/], author of “No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to transform American Agriculture” (2022). A former director for American Farmland Trust’s Pacific Northwest Regional Office, Don takes us back to AFT’s early role in building alliances between farmers and environmentalists in Farm Bills past. John Piotti, president of American Farmland Trust, looks to a future that recognizes the essential environmental services that farmers provide – and Farm Bills that further enhance sustainable practices on the land. No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice. Resources: Stuart, Don. “No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture.” [https://farmland.org/book/]Washington DC: Island Press, 2022.  American Farmland Trust, Soil Conservation in America: What Do We Have to Lose? [https://farmlandinfo.org/publications/soil-conservation-in-america-what-do-we-have-to-lose/]1984. American Farmland Trust, Farms Under Threat 2040 full report  [https://farmlandinfo.org/publications/farms-under-threat-2040/] Farmland Information Center [https://farmlandinfo.org/]   To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org [https://farmland.org/].    Episode photo by Marla Smith Photography. No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast [http://www.simplecast.com/].

Restoring Our Soil

Regenerative Agriculture is a relatively new term for a concept as old as farming – establishing good soil and sound farming practices. A global pandemic and extremes of weather are creating new incentives for farmers to try new ways to enhance soil and sustain a reliable water supply. For new farmers, especially, learning from others is an essential resource. A commitment to regenerative practices takes time and capital. Many are finding that the investment in resilience is worth it. In this episode of No Farms No Future, we talk with Cherilyn Yazzie [https://coffeepotfarms.com/our-story-1], who found help transforming dust to rich soil in the Navajo Nation. You’ll also meet Ashley Brucker [https://farmland.org/staff/ashley-brucker/], who directs the Brighter Future Fund [https://farmland.org/brighter-future/] grant program for American Farmland Trust [https://farmland.org/], helping new farmers adopt sustainable farming practices. No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice. Photo courtesy of Coffee Pot Farms [https://coffeepotfarms.com/]. Resources: • American Farmland Trust, Promoting Sound Farming Practices [https://farmland.org/our-work/promoting-sound-farming-practices/] • American Farmland Trust, Brighter Future grants [https://farmland.org/brighter-future-fund-give/] • Coffee Pot Farms on their website [https://coffeepotfarms.com/] and on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/coffeepotfarms]. • USDA, Community Supported Agriculture [https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/community-supported-agriculture] • American Farmland Trust Farmland Information Center [https://farmlandinfo.org/] • Stuart, Don. “No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture.” [https://farmland.org/book/]Washington DC: Island Press, 2022.  To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org [https://farmland.org/].  No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast [http://www.simplecast.com/].

Farms Under Threat 2040

The United States is on track to lose at least 18 million acres of farmland and ranchland by 2040, threatening not only our long-term food supply, but also the environment. American Farmland Trust [https://farmland.org/] has been tracking the loss of farmland and ranchland since its founding in 1980. Its latest study, Farms Under Threat 2040 [https://farmlandinfo.org/publications/farms-under-threat-2040/], projects these trends into the future as a resource for citizens to ask better questions of government officials and help choose a more abundant future.  In this episode of No Farms No Future, we talk with Josh Sorrells, a fourth-generation farmer in Canton, North Carolina – a state that ranks second in projected loss of farmland, after Texas. You’ll also meet Mitch Hunter [https://twitter.com/ecoagronomist], who directed the Farms Under Threat 2040 report for American Farmland Trust, and Ryan Manning, Farmland Preservation Coordinator for the Hayward Soil and Water Conservation District, who works with county farmers to sustain a presence on the land. No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice. Resources: Farms Under Threat 2040 full report  [https://farmlandinfo.org/publications/farms-under-threat-2040/] Farms Under Threat 2040 interactive maps [http://development2040.farmland.org/] Farms Under Threat; A New England Perspective [https://farmland.org/project/farms-under-threat-new-england/] Farmland Information Center [https://farmlandinfo.org/] Cold Mountain Nursery  [http://www.coldmountainnursery.com/] Stuart, Don. “No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture.” [https://farmland.org/book/] Washington DC: Island Press, 2022.  To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org [https://farmland.org/].  Episode photo by Tracey Sorrells. No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast [http://www.simplecast.com/].

Western Drought

Farmers across much of the American West are living through the second historic drought in a decade. The snowmelt never came this year, depleting reservoirs and forcing farmers back to their own wells and groundwater. Protecting California’s capacity to grow food has long been a top priority of American Farmland Trust. AFT opened its first field office in California, where it protects farmland, helps keep farmers on the land, and encourages environmentally sound farming practices. In this episode of No Farms No Future, we talk with Bruce Rominger, a fifth-generation farmer in California’s Sacramento Valley. Rominger Brothers Farms [https://www.romingerbrothersfarms.com/] is nationally recognized as a model of sustainable farming practices, but it is experiencing the same challenges caused by severe reductions in water for irrigation that other farms face. You’ll also meet Kara Heckert [https://farmland.org/staff/kara-heckert-harrington/], a native Californian and AFT’s resilient agriculture west advisor, and Greg Plotkin [https://twitter.com/gplot], AFT's director of digital communications, who are working to help farmers adapt to climate change and drought. No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice. Resources: Rominger Brothers Farm website [https://www.romingerbrothersfarms.com/] Rominger Brothers blog [https://www.romingerbrothersfarms.com/blog/archives/05-2020] California Production Statistics [https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Statistics/] Drought in California [https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Water-Basics/Drought/Files/Publications-And-Reports/DroughtBrochure2021update_ay11.pdf] California Water Watch [https://cww.water.ca.gov/] California State Water Resources Control Board [https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/] To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org [https://farmland.org/].  Episode photo by Rominger Brothers Farms. No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast [http://www.simplecast.com/].

Protecting Farmland, One Match at a Time

Developers have purchased millions of acres of U.S. farmland and ranchland, a trend that increasingly threatens a future of sustainable agriculture and food systems. And the challenge isn’t going away. Nearly 40 percent of this land is in the hands of farmers, ranchers, and landowners who are 65 or older. In response, American Farmland Trust (AFT) has for years helped new farmers gain access to land that might otherwise transition away from the agricultural industry, at the local to national scale.  In this episode of No Farms No Future, two young farmers in New York state tell the story of how the AFT-led partnership, Farmland for a New Generation New York, played a role in them partnering with non-farming landowners who owned acres of rural land and wanted to find someone to farm it. You’ll also meet Erica Goodman, national director of Farms for a New Generation, who has a personal history that intersects with her AFT work. No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice. Resources: Nimble Roots Farm [https://www.nimblerootsfarm.com/] website Nimble Roots Farm [https://www.instagram.com/nimblerootsfarm/] on Instagram Farmland for a New Generation New York [https://nyfarmlandfinder.org/home] New York Farmland Finder [https://nyfarmlandfinder.org/] Farms for a New Generation [https://farmland.org/erica-goodman-named-afts-new-farms-for-a-new-generation-director/] To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org [https://farmland.org/].  Episode photo by Shawn Linehan No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast [http://www.simplecast.com].