JR Burdick of Nourishing Family Farm explains how losing his family’s farm in the 1980s and later being forced out of his dairy co-op shaped his path toward raw milk, soil-based farming, and local food independence. His story exposes how modern agriculture breaks families and communities - and how rebuilding begins one farm at a time.
Key Topics
- The 1980s farm crisis and its generational impact
- Industrial agriculture’s false promises
- Losing and rebuilding the family farm
- Founding Nourishing Family Farm and producing raw milk
- Redefining farming as care for soil, cows, and community
Why Listen
- Reveals how U.S. farm policy hollowed out rural America
- Shows how raw milk and local food rebuild trust and health
- Offers a firsthand blueprint for regenerating the land and economy
- Traces 40 years of American farming through one family’s eyes
- Ends with a powerful redefinition of what it means to be a farmer
Connect with JR:
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References:
"The Jungle" (1906) by Upton Sinclair
Timestamps
00:00:00 – JR’s multi-generation farming roots
00:02:00 – 1980s farm collapse
00:06:00 – Debt, rates, and farm failures
00:10:00 – Starting over
00:14:00 – Ag education and GMOs
00:25:00 – Green Revolution and nutrition loss
00:33:00 – Regulation and consolidation
00:46:00 – Tornado and community response
01:00:00 – Rebuilding under financial strain
01:15:00 – Generational succession challenges
01:30:00 – Co-op shutdown and income loss
01:45:00 – Ethanol and insurance dependence
02:03:00 – Conventional dairying realities
02:10:00 – Identity, purpose, and faith
02:30:00 – Founding Nourishing Family Farm
02:45:00 – Food as medicine
03:00:00 – Stewardship and resilience
03:10:00 – Redefining the modern farmer
