Real Organic Podcast

#031: Grazing animals display innate nutritional wisdom; they seek out grasses and plants that offer trace minerals, phytonutrients, and other nourishing components.  Scientist and author Fred Provenza explains what these animals know that we humans don't and how can we learn from them. Fred Provenza is professor emeritus of Behavioral Ecology in the Department of Wildland Resources at Utah University. He is the author of  Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us About Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom, Foraging Behavior: Managing to Survive in a World of Change, and the co-author of The Art & Science of Shepherding: Tapping the Wisdom of French Herders. Fred lives in Colorado with his wife Sue and is a popular speaker at soil, livestock, and agriculture conferences.To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/fred-provenza-what-animals-eat-why-should-we-care-episode-thirty-oneThe 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/

#030: NASA astrobiologist and author David Grinspoon views humanity in deep time, with plenty of sympathy for our role as caretakers without a set of instructions. He wonders whether we can develop enough self-awareness to see ourselves as a geological force capable of stopping the 6th Mass Extinction we're heading towards?David Grinspoon is an astrobiologist and senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. He is an adjunct professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Science at the University of Colorado. David is also an accomplished, award-winning author, having published: Venus Revealed (LA Times Book Prize finalist),  Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life (2004 Pen Literary Award), Earth in Human Hands (Science Friday's Best Science Books of 2016). To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/david-grinspoon-childhoods-end-what-kind-of-planet-changers-do-we-want-to-be-episode-thrityThe 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/

#029: In our continued conversation with author, agricultural economist, and livestock expert Dr. John Ikerd, we delve more deeply into the challenges and opportunities facing our food system and how organic practices offer better solutions than industrial ones. John Ikerd is an agricultural economist, livestock expert, and Professor Emeritus and the University of Missouri. His books include: Crisis and Opportunity Sustainability in American Agriculture; Small Farms Are Real Farms; Sustainable Capitalism; The Essentials of Economic Stability; A Return to Common Sense; and Revolution of the Middle and the Pursuit of Happiness.To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/john-ikerd-scaling-organic-farms-fit-nature-communities-episode-twenty-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 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/

#028: Agricultural economist John Ikerd walks us through the very intentional strategy of overproduction as a precursor to market takeover, as we've just seen with the organic milk glut and subsequent cancellation of contracts with close to 100 organic dairy farmers in the Northeast by Horizon/ Danone. He also explains why industrial farming, with its focus on profitability and efficiency, is in opposition to sustainable practices from the outset unlike small-scale family farming.John Ikerd is an agricultural economist, livestock expert, and Professor Emeritus and the University of Missouri. His books include: Crisis and Opportunity Sustainability in American Agriculture; Small Farms Are Real Farms; Sustainable Capitalism; The Essentials of Economic Stability; A Return to Common Sense; and Revolution of the Middle and the Pursuit of Happiness. To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/john-ikerd-industrial-farming-can-never-be-sustainable-episode-twenty-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/

#027:  How many civilizations have collapsed due to extractive agricultural practices and soil degradation and how close is ours to reaching the same fate? Author and geologist David Montgomery talks us through the ultimate costs of taking our soils for granted and the difficulty of reversing course with modern technology. Author and geologist David Montgomery is a professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. He has written the books Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations and Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life, and along with his partner, Anne Biklé, he co-authored the book The Hidden Half of Nature and is currently working on You Are What Your Food Ate. David and Anne also run the website Dig2Grow and are both members of the Real Organic Project Advisory Board.To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/david-montgomery-clever-modern-technology-vs-ancient-soil-wisdom-episode-twenty-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/

#026:  In  the second part of our interview with author, biologist, and gardener Anne Biklé, the conversation focuses on the human microbiome and the indirect yet irreplaceable role that soil microbes and plant exudates play in keeping humans healthy. Anne Biklé is a biologist, environmental planner, and gardener who has worked in watershed restoration and public health. Along with her partner, David Montgomery, she co-authored the book The Hidden Half of Nature and is currently working on You Are What Your Food Ate. Anne and David also run the website Dig2Grow and are both members of the Real Organic Project Advisory Board.To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/anne-bikle-from-soil-to-gut-episode-twenty-six/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/

#025:  Author, biologist and diehard organic gardener Anne Biklé takes us on a journey through the soil microbiome, introducing us to the fetching fungi and beneficial bacteria that deliver and exchange nutrients with the plants that make our food. Anne makes us  appreciate how this complex and mysterious system can't easily be replicated.Anne Biklé is a biologist, environmental planner, and gardener who has worked in watershed restoration and public health. Along with her partner, David Montgomery, she co-authored the book The Hidden Half of Nature and is currently working on You Are What Your Food Ate. Anne and David also run the website Dig2Grow and are both members of the Real Organic Project Advisory Board. To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/anne-bikle-digging-into-soil-microbiome-episode-twenty-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/

#024: Bill McKibben offers his thoughts on how a big movement can succeed in fighting big power. Beyond the importance of pairing global policy with local, grassroots action, he also speaks to the role of industrial agriculture and the dismantling of the organic brand in the coming climate blows we all face.  Bill McKibben is an environmentalist,  journalist, author, and the co-founder and leader of the climate action group 350.org. He is the Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College. In addition to writing for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, Harper's, National Geographic and more, he is known for his books about Climate Change, including The End of Nature, Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, and Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/bill-mckibben-winning-climate-argument-losing-fight-episode-twenty-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/

#023: Can grazing livestock heal the planet by sequestering carbon and reversing desertification through managed movements that mimic nature? Are livestock even more effective than using controlled burns to prevent wildfires? Allan Savory believes so, and his arguments and outcomes are convincing.  Allan Savory is the founder of Holistic Management International, a systems-based decision making process that aims to heal ecosystems,  using livestock to reverse desertification in brittle environments through natural grazing methods when applicable. His TED Talk on the subject has been viewed close to 8 million times. He is the co-founder of the Savory Institute, an organization aiming to regenerate large areas of grasslands around the world through Holistic Management.  To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/allan-savory-regreening-the-planet-with-livestock-episode-twenty-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/

#022: Arran Stephens is the chair and co-founder of Nature's Path, one of the few big brands who were present at the onset of the modern  organic movement and remain true to the spirit and letter of the organic law. Having served on many industry boards, including the Organic Trade Association and the Non-GMO Project, Arran's long-held view is that we need  to stay wary of profit-motivated players and foster the growth of more activism-centered businesses.  Arran Stephens has been involved in the organic movement since the late 1960s and founded Nature's Path with his wife Ratana in 1985. They are now North America's biggest certified organic breakfast foods company. He served on the board of Organic Merchants in the early 70s, was on the board of the OTA during the creation of the USDA's National Organic Program, was a founding board member of the Non-GMO Project (which he later parted ways with), and has also served on the board of the Rodale Institute. He is outspoken about his role as an activist and the importance of that behavior to his family's business and the organic movement.  To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/arran-stephens-fighting-lobbysits-who-dilute-organic-episode-twenty-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/