Congress takes up a new Farm Bill every five years. It’s an opportunity to shape the future of American farming and food policy and it’s up for renewal this year.

In this episode of No Farms No Future, we talk with Don Stuart, author of “No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to transform American Agriculture” (2022). A former director for American Farmland Trust’s Pacific Northwest Regional Office, Don takes us back to AFT’s early role in building alliances between farmers and environmentalists in Farm Bills past. John Piotti, president of American Farmland Trust, looks to a future that recognizes the essential environmental services that farmers provide – and Farm Bills that further enhance sustainable practices on the land.

No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice.

Resources:

Stuart, Don. “No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture.” Washington DC: Island Press, 2022.

American Farmland Trust, Soil Conservation in America: What Do We Have to Lose? 1984.

American Farmland Trust, Farms Under Threat 2040 full report

Farmland Information Center

To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org.

Episode photo by Marla Smith Photography.

No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast.

Regenerative Agriculture is a relatively new term for a concept as old as farming – establishing good soil and sound farming practices. A global pandemic and extremes of weather are creating new incentives for farmers to try new ways to enhance soil and sustain a reliable water supply. For new farmers, especially, learning from others is an essential resource. A commitment to regenerative practices takes time and capital. Many are finding that the investment in resilience is worth it.

In this episode of No Farms No Future, we talk with Cherilyn Yazzie, who found help transforming dust to rich soil in the Navajo Nation. You’ll also meet Ashley Brucker, who directs the Brighter Future Fund grant program for American Farmland Trust, helping new farmers adopt sustainable farming practices.

No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice.

Photo courtesy of Coffee Pot Farms.

Resources:

• American Farmland Trust, Promoting Sound Farming Practices
• American Farmland Trust, Brighter Future grants
• Coffee Pot Farms on their website and on Facebook.
• USDA, Community Supported Agriculture
• American Farmland Trust Farmland Information Center
• Stuart, Don. “No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture.” Washington DC: Island Press, 2022.

To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org.

No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast.

The United States is on track to lose at least 18 million acres of farmland and ranchland by 2040, threatening not only our long-term food supply, but also the environment. American Farmland Trust has been tracking the loss of farmland and ranchland since its founding in 1980. Its latest study, Farms Under Threat 2040, projects these trends into the future as a resource for citizens to ask better questions of government officials and help choose a more abundant future.

In this episode of No Farms No Future, we talk with Josh Sorrells, a fourth-generation farmer in Canton, North Carolina – a state that ranks second in projected loss of farmland, after Texas. You’ll also meet Mitch Hunter, who directed the Farms Under Threat 2040 report for American Farmland Trust, and Ryan Manning, Farmland Preservation Coordinator for the Hayward Soil and Water Conservation District, who works with county farmers to sustain a presence on the land.

No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice.

Resources:

Farms Under Threat 2040 full report
Farms Under Threat 2040 interactive maps
Farms Under Threat; A New England Perspective
Farmland Information Center
Cold Mountain Nursery

Stuart, Don. “No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture.” Washington DC: Island Press, 2022.

To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org.

Episode photo by Tracey Sorrells.

No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast.