Real Organic Podcast

#040: Real Organic farmer Jennifer Taylor has successfully mentored many farmers in the Southeast through her technical assistance work at Florida AMU. With a focus on improving quality of life for farm families and modeling the organic soil-building practices that she herself uses, she inspires others to embrace real organic farming. Jennifer's work as an advocate and activist, both nationally and internationally,  played a key role in inspiring the Real Organic Project to move forward in its earliest days.Real Organic farmer and board member Jennifer Taylor founded Lola's Organic Farm on her grandmother's land a decade ago and has been an organic farming advocate for even longer. She provides technical assistance to farmers through Florida AMU in Tallahassee, served a five-year term on the National Organic Standards Board, and was recently elected to serve on the IFOAM  (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) board. In 2019 she was awarded an Organic Pioneer for Farming award from the Rodale Institute and was named Florida's Woman of the Year in Agriculture in 2020. To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/jennifer-taylor-infusing-farmers-with-organic-experience-episode-fortyThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#039: In the second half of our conversation with soil and climate scientist Water Jehne we get deep into the real costs  of producing industrial food, including the rise of both diseases and healthcare costs, and the overall decline of  nutrients available to eaters. Walter also speaks beautifully to the role healthy soil plays in supplying essential nutrients to our food while also preventing the uptake of toxins.Walter Jehne is a renowned soil microbiologist and climate scientist with Australia's CSIRO. He is the cofounder of Healthy Soils Australia, Regenerate Earth, and the Rehydrate California Initiative, and works as a consultant for regenerative agricultural projects across the globe. Walter serves on the Real Organic Project Advisory Board.To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/walter-jehne-true-costs-cheap-food-episode-thirty-nineThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#038: Australian soil microbiologist and climate scientist Water Jehne makes a convincing case for shifting focus away from carbon emissions and towards restoring the water cycle in order to speed up planetary healing.  With the desertification of fertile lands on the rise over the past decade due to human activity, he argues that we are all in for cascading and escalating problems if we don't begin to build soil and restore hydrology. Walter Jehne is a renowned soil microbiologist and climate scientist with Australia's CSIRO. He is the cofounder of Healthy Soils Australia, Regenerate Earth, and the Rehydrate California Initiative, and works as a consultant for regenerative agricultural projects across the globe. Walter serves on the Real Organic Project Advisory Board. To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/walter-jehne-hydrology-desertification-climate-episode-thirty-eightThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#037: Former medical practitioner turned regenerative soil advocate Didi Pershouse shares her observations about water's role at the epicenter of the Climate Crisis, the trouble she sees with forecasting models, and her three "asks "of land managers who can participate in  staving off big, ecological trouble.Didi Pershouse is the founder of the Land and Leadership Initiative and the author of two books. The Ecology of Care: Medicine, Agriculture, Money, and the Quiet Power of Human and Microbial Communities was published in 2015, while Understanding Soil Health and Watershed Function has been put to use by organizations in over 60 countries. Didi currently leads biweekly discussion sessions using framework thinking for regenerative soil enthusiasts in The Land and Leadership Development Community. To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/didi-pershouse-water-water-water-soil-carbon-sponge-episode-thirty-sevenThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#036: Nora Taleb of Germany's Naturland, the longest-running food label put forth and managed by a farmer association in the EU, shares insights and challenges around keeping farmers fairly paid, consumers well educated, and Big Ag out of the decision making process. To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/nora-taleb-lessons-from-europes-add-on-food-labels-episode-thirty-sixThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#035: Author, holistic orchardist, and fungal network devotee Michael Phillips shares his thoughts on promoting outrageous biodiversity to restore degraded lands and letting every part of nature play its intended role. To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/michael-phillips-restoring-degraded-lands-with-outrageous-biodiversity-episode-thirty-fiveThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Bonus Episode with Paul Hawken: To celebrate the release of Paul's new book Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation (with forward by Jane Goodall and already a NYT best seller!), we're sharing a deep and profound conversation from late 2020 with Paul and our co-director, Dave Chapman. Paul Hawken is a best-selling author, climate activist, and entrepreneur with deep roots in the organic food movement. He was a founding member of OM (Organic Merchants) and the longtime owner of Erewhon Foods in Cambridge, MA. His books include, Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World;  Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution; and Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. His latest book, Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, is accompanied by an interactive website that serves as a network of solutions to the Climate Crisis.The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#034: Real Organic dairy farmer, soil scientist, and former National Organic Standards Board member Francis Thicke sheds light on how the USDA program has been lost to corporate influence.  He also shares enlightening and easy-to-follow explanations about the upsides of cows on grass.Francis Thicke owns and operates Radiance Dairy in Fairfield, Iowa with his wife Susan, which produces milk, cream, cheese, and yogurt on site . He has worked for the USDA as a soil scientist and has served on the National Organic Standards Board. Francis currently serves on the Real Organic Project Standards Board.To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/francis-thicke-unpacking-industrial-takeover-of-organic-episode-thirty-fourThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#033: Labor historian and Dartmouth professor Annelise Orleck walks us through how our economy became filled with goods produced by invisible workers and the toll that reality has taken on our food system. She also speaks to the tremendous organizing power of the farm workers she interviewed while writing her book "We're All Fast Food Workers Now: The Global Uprising Against Poverty Wages."Annelise Orleck is a professor of history at Dartmouth College and the author of 5 books: Common Sense and a Little Fire: Women and Working Class Politics in the United States 1900-1965; The Soviet Jewish Americans; Storming Caesars Palace: How Black Mothers Fought Their Own War on Poverty;  Rethinking American Women's Activism; and We're All Fast Food Workers Now: The Global Uprising Against Poverty Wages.To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/annelise-orleck-invisible-farm-workers-unconscious-consumers-episode-thirty-threeThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#032: Organic and regenerative farmers often talk about the importance of beneficial soil microbes and the need for diversity of life below ground...but what about above ground? Karen Washington speaks to the need to diversify the farming community at our conferences and in our fields, making time to listen and learn from growers of all backgrounds. Karen Washington is a farmer, community activist, and lifetime resident of NYC. She is the co-founder of Rise and Root Farm, the Black Farmer Fund, and Black Urban Growers and has served on the board of the New York Botanical Garden. She was  voted one of the 100 most influential African Americans in the country by Ebony Magazine in 2012, and was awarded with the James Beard Leadership Award in 2014. To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/karen-washington-growing-diversity-in-the-farming-community-episode-thirty-twoThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/