Chestnut Trees and Market Forces with Steve Jones

Chestnut Trees and Market Forces with Steve Jones

This week on Talkin' Dirt, I sit down with Steve Jones of Colossal Orchards in Selah, Washington. Steve's journey into chestnuts began almost by accident when a friend suggested they give the crop a try. More than 35 years later, that small side project has grown into one of the Pacific Northwest's largest chestnut operations. Our conversation explores what it takes to build an orchard designed to last generations. Steve shares the challenges of establishing a crop that can take years to produce meaningful yields, the realities of marketing a niche product, and the long-term thinking required when planting trees that may outlive the person who planted them. Along the way, we discuss the fascinating history of the American chestnut and the devastating blight that transformed forests across Appalachia. We also dive into some of the bigger forces shaping modern agriculture, including water rights in the American West, rising labor costs, agricultural consolidation, global commodity markets, and why one of the greatest strengths of American agriculture may also be one of its greatest challenges. From chestnut orchards and pollination to drought, trade, and the future of farming, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at the complex systems that shape the food we eat and the people who produce it. 🌱 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 Land Outlives Us All with David Bell

In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with David Bell from Just Living Farm on Yakama Nation land in the Yakima Valley of Washington. David and his wife originally came to the area in the late 1990s to run after school programs for local youth, but over time that work evolved into something much larger, a farm built around ideas of stewardship, justice, and living in a closer relationship with the land. In this conversation, David shares the story of how Just Living Farm came to be and how his perspective on agriculture changed over the years. We talk about raising grass fed cattle in a way that works in harmony with the land, the realities of industrial agriculture, and why he believes farming should be about more than just commodity production. He also explains why he prefers the term “harmonious farming” over “regenerative farming,” and how their operation is designed to sustain both the animals and the landscape naturally. We also get into deeper conversations around land ownership, Yakama Nation history, water rights in the valley, and how modern society has become increasingly disconnected from food, nature, and rural life. David shares thoughtful perspectives on stewardship, community, and what it means to truly belong to a place rather than simply own it. This was one of the more reflective and philosophical conversations I’ve had on the podcast, grounded in agriculture, but reaching far beyond it. 🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠⁠

Scaling Up at Frisky Girl Farm with 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 with 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 with 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