E8 - Ben Hartman: Healing Through Farming, How Growing Your Own Food Revolutionizes Your Mental Health

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Today we are joined by micro-farming expert Ben Hartman to discuss the physical and mental health benefits of growing your own food. In our country, farmer's currently have the highest rate of suicide of any other occupation. Ben addresses this crisis, revealing the problem with modern-day farming and why micro-farming is a big part of the solution. He discusses the personal impact that becoming a farmer had on himself and his family. He shares the rewards of farming, from supporting your community to being more connected to the Earth. Ben gives tips to get started today from what to plant and how to start your own food traditions.

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0:00 Intro

3:13 Lean Micro-Farm: Farming in Small Spaces

3:50 The Problem with Modern Farms

6:26 Why Farming is Good For Us

9:01 Mental Health Benefits of Micro Farming

14:02 Right Livelihood: The Reward of Farming

15:36 Midwest Leading Agricultural Innovation

18:21 How Food Brings Us Together

22:38 Tips for Growing Food in the Winter

25:39 A Farmer’s Favorite Vegetables 

27:30 Ben’s Daily Nutrition

31:19 Finding Inspiration Ancient Wisdom

36:26 Community Building Through Food

38:20 The Healing Power of Plants

45:46 Food Traditions & Getting Started

58:00 Conclusion

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Ben Hartman is the author of three books, includingThe Lean Micro Farm (ChelseaGreen, 2023) and The Lean Farm (Chelsea Green, 2016), winner of the prestigiousShingo Institute Research and Professional Publication Award.In 2017, Ben was named one of fifty emerging green leaders in the United States by Grist. Ben and his wife,Rachel Hershberger, own and operate Clay Bottom Farm in Goshen, Indiana, where they make their living growing specialty crops on 1/3 acre of land in production. Ben has developed an online course in lean farming, which can be found at claybottomfarm.com, and he has consulted for USAID

The Lean Microfarm book: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Micro-Farm-Embrace-Better-ebook/dp/B0C4Q92KLC

The Clay Bottom Farm https://www.claybottomfarm.com/

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