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I know we’ve gone rogue, off the normal podcast schedule. And it feels kind of liberating in a strange way! But it’s also given me the opportunity to reset a bit. I haven’t completely figured out how I want to approach the Agri-Tourist Podcast going forward, but it’s given me some time back and will allow me time to test some things out.

One of those things is doing a video edit along with the audio edit. I’ve avoided that mainly because of the time it takes to do all the editing. But for some select interviews I am going to make the time and add a video podcast to the mix. And we are going to do that for this interview….my interview with Pattie Baker, author of a few books - 2 in particular being Round America with a Duck in which I interviewed Pattie back in Episode 20 - and her newest book Round Ireland with a Duck!

Pattie was a real inspiration for me when I read her Round America with a Duck book…then we spoke and that inspiration came alive…and then she went to Ireland and wrote a 2nd book about her amazing experiences.

These books are not just about WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) - they are about a woman who is trusting her journey -a woman who is truly present in the moment - a woman who values interactions with people she encounters at every moment of her life - taking notice of things that most people just breeze by or ignore.

And throughout this journey, Pattie’s personal and family challenges surface…along with hearing the extreme challenges of many of the families she resided with during her stays. When you are WWOOFing or living and working with strangers, it reveals a lot about yourself to yourself and it reveals a lot about the stories of the people you are spending time with. Pattie uses those experiences to really look at herself, her raw self…and has learned to truly trust the journey each and every day. Enjoy my deep dive around Ireland with Patty Baker and her bike mascot, Disco the Duck!
Link to Video Podcast with Pattie Baker
Round Ireland with a Duck
Agri-Tourist Podcast - Round America with a Duck
Agri-Tourist Podcast - WWOOF

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This is a special episode for many reasons. We hit 70 episodes last week!! I can’t believe how fast 70 episodes went by - 70 weeks of my life and yours!!! This episode will be highlighting - very briefly - the top 3 most listened to podcasts. And what do I mean by highlighting them - I am pulling out some of the most meaningful sections - the part of the conversation that left an impact on me…and hopefully left an impact on you too!

But I am also using this time to say a few words about going forward. I value each and every person who has taken the time out of their lives to listen to these conversations. That truly means the world to me. As I truly valued the time that my podcast guests took out of their lives to spend some time with me and talk to me about all that they do…and also open up to me about their personal stories.

It’s come time to pause, evaluate and take in everything that I learned….not a permanent pause but an interruption and change to the normal schedule going forward. As a marketer consistency is critical. So, yes, I am breaking one of my very own marketing rules. But sometimes rules just need to be broken! I will be doing pop up podcasts on an irregular basis - there are some that are planned for the near future that will take place. But, for many reasons, I decided it was best to pause the weekly monday podcasts and mix it up just a bit.

So why I am taking this pause? My youngest daughter just started college….for those who have experienced this….I know that I don’t need to say another word…I know you deeply understand. For those who haven’t yet or have not experienced this….it’s definitely a pivotal time of reflection and change.. A time of questioning a lot of things. And a time of new beginnings….all of which are very frightening and super exciting at the same time.

The last 70 weeks of inspiring conversations have somewhat prepared me for these next steps…for these changes….so I thank every person who entered my life for the last 70 weeks…every one of you came into my life for a reason..and I value each and every one of you. And most importantly, for your own health, for the health and well being of our local farmers, and for the well being of our Earth….please make every effort to shop your local farms!

Thank you for listening and hopefully you will stick around for what’s to come in the future…. here are the top 3 podcasts that you listened to the most...

A Chocolate & Coffee Agri-Tour Adventure with Moka Origins CEO Jeff Abella

A Plant-Based Visit to Florida with Emma & John Hoel of Peacefield Farm Sanctuary

Skip the Farmers Market and Learn How to Profit from a Pick Your Own Farm with Megan Neubauer

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We have all heard about the impending cuts that will be impacting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - also known as SNAP. SNAP is a food program that provides assistance to more than 40 million people across America and also provide income to farmers who are able to accept SNAP. The program impacts 2 sets of people - those in need of assistance AND the farmers that feed them.

Today’s conversation is with Amy Crone - founder of The Farmers Food Assistance Bureau (acronym is FFAB). FFAB is a nonprofit organization formed with the mission of working with ALL federal nutrition benefits programs as well as all financial transactions to simplify them for farmers.

When I was farming, we were part of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program in NY. A farmer had to apply to be part of the program, get accepted and then go through training on how to facilitate the program and reconcile with NYS on a regular basis to receive reimbursement. It was a time-consuming process, especially for a farmer who needs to be out in the fields. So when I heard about what Amy was doing through FFAB and specifically with the MarketLink technology she created to help farmers get setup and utilize these food assistance programs with the use of an app, I was so interested to learn more.

Amy’s commitment to giving more farmers the ability to easily enroll and use these food assistance programs is commendable…and it is having such a tremendous impact to the recipients of these programs and to the farmers who are now able to support these programs.

MarketLink

Farmers Food Assistance Bureau

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Today’s conversation is with an old friend, someone who’s been with me since my days in corporate america, has known my kids since they were really young, and someone who has been an active agritourist with me along my journey. His formal name is Thomas Chandler Werbe III, but I call him Tim! Tim and I were recently reflecting and reminiscing about many of our adventures together - many of which have been focused on agriculture, farming, education, and plenty of outdoor activities. Actually, I was in awe as we chatted up a storm about all that we have experienced and explored over the past 20 years….so many fun adventures, so many educational experiences, and so many funny moments! So, without further ado, check out a special conversation between Tim and I while we highlight some of our inspirational agri-adventures over the past 20 years! Thank you Tim for sharing all of these memories with me!
Fishkill Farms
Stone Barn Center for Food & Agriculture
Hobbs Farm
Foundation House
New York Botanical Garden
Versailles Farm
Beaverkill Valley Inn
For Farm Movement - Dana Diprima
Little Bean Farm & Pantry
Tim Werbe Art

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Luis Angel Mendez’s journey at Red Tomato began 21 years ago. In 2001 Angel met Michael Rozyne, Founder, and Kate Larson, former Operations manager.. Michael and Kate were searching for two things, warehouse space, and a warehouse manager!

The potential Angel saw in Red Tomato outweighed any possible risk, he saw this organization was brand new, cultivating its path into the future. This was meaningful work. Angel took a leap of faith and joined Red Tomato as a warehouse manager.

Red Tomato was developing a supply chain prototype project from a simple but powerful idea: bringing together the people who grow food directly with the people who eat the food. While it sounds straightforward, many systems get in the way of that direct connection and create a lot more costs.

Angel quickly learned to handle over 50+ fresh produce items, organic and conventional. He began to learn much more about farm economics and agricultural science. He started to see the powerful connection between food, agriculture, and food systems. After years of learning the business, Angel is now the Executive Director of Red Tomato.

Angel is a Boston native and a father of four. Angel grew up in a low-income family and prides himself in helping others, especially those in need. The more he understood his work, its impact, and its ability to be the vehicle to change food systems, the more intrigued and excited Angel became at Red Tomato!

One of Angel’s most important projects - his baby - is the Bypass Project. The Bypass Project launched in 2021 in collaboration with Reos Partners, Connecticut farmers, and community food distributors in Bridgeport and Hartford. The Bypass Project determines how to “bypass” traditional systems so that everyone’s needs are met:

• Communities get access to affordable, healthy food
• Growers receive fair prices for their produce
• Direct relationships are built between farmers and communities
• Transportation and logistics costs are reduced

Learn more about Angel’s journey and the Bypass project is now expanding throughout the US.

Red Tomato

The Bypass Project

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Dana DiPrima is supporting hardworking small & mid-sized American farmers with small actions that have a big impact. She believes, and I wholeheartedly agree with her, that when farmers win, we ALL win.

I found Dana’s podcast, One Bite is Everything, on Apple Podcasts a few months ago. I have been an avid weekly listener. Dana is tapping into many of the same themes that I have been hearing from farmers….and, although our podcasts and personalities are different, our missions, passions and overall goals are very similar.

I reached out to Dana to interview her for my podcast as I wanted to explore the feedback that she was hearing from farmers and food businesses. She responded right away and we set up a date and time. From that correspondence, she let me know about her non profit - the for farmer’s movement - and directed me to her website. And, of course, I linked over and started reading about all the amazing initiatives she has going on. I came across a farm to table dinner fundraiser that she was hosting in the Catskills in upstate NY. So I called my friend Tim - who is usually up for a new adventure - and we signed up!

A few weeks later I found myself in the Catskills at the historic Beaverkill Valley Inn (known for being the home of fly fishing) on a beautiful Saturday evening, chatting it up with inspiring supporters and dedicated farmers while savoring a farm to table dinner! These types of experiences leave a profound imprint on me, especially because of the new connections that are made and the opportunity to experience a new farm community in the Catskills.

Enjoy my conversation with Dana DiPrima from the One Bite is Everything Podcast and please take her message to heart - do something to impact a small farmer today….we can all do something…it’s as easy as donating $1 or shopping at a local farmers market or farm one day per week. Every bit (or bite) counts!

One Bite is Everything Podcast

For Farmers Movement

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About 3 years ago, Mike & Ray founded Toasted Oysters… a venture that started over some research and a couple of backyard drinks. And one that is also a part of the Farmer Veteran Coalition. I have to admit, Until we spoke, I didn’t really understand what an oyster farm really meant - that it was a physical farm location in the water where the farm owners grow oysters. Sounds intuitive, but the physical boundaries of the farm are hard to fathom.

After 3 years of oyster farming in the Great South Bay off southern Long Island, NY, Mike and Ray are doing a phenomenal job growing high quality and very desirable Blue Point Oysters. And they are also thinking about integrating agritourism to their business in the future, providing a water experience that exposes all that they know about oysters and oyster farming, including all the other aquatic life that surrounds them. Enjoy my conversation with Mike & Ray.

Toasted Oysters

Toasted Oysters on Instagram

Farmer Veteran Coalition

Billion Oyster Project

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I can’t resist a great conversation about chocolate and cacao farming. I had the pleasure of interviewing someone I met at the beginning of her cacao journey, a real powerhouse and innovator at the time whom I met on my first chocolate trip to Belize - the one with the howler monkeys and the jungle cabana!

Emily Stone came on the cacao scene in Belize in 2010, made a tremendous impact to the lives and livelihood of cacao farmers in Belize and 15 years later is now running a much larger, global, certified B, Public Benefit Corporation. Her company, Uncommon Cacao, is a specialty cacao trader, sourcing from 10,000+ smallholder producers across 15+ countries and supplies cacao to hundreds of chocolate makers globally.

Across Uncommon Cacao’s businesses, the company has pioneered a new cacao economy that pays farmers more and is grounded in real partnerships that deliver improved stability and success for all. Uncommon Cacao works with all kinds of cacao buyers and chocolate makers as a problem solver and innovation partner. They promise to provide reliable quality cacao products accompanied by Transparent Trade data and stories from their cacao sourcing relationships, and drive transformative supply chain solutions for cacao producers and chocolate makers.

We rarely get a chance to see someone at the beginning of their journey and then get to reconnect with them 15 years later…. and get to talk about the extraordinary impact of those 15 years, wtih much more to come in the future. Emily’s story is impactful. Her drive is contagious. And her desire for transparency, equity and justice is admirable and will hopefully inspire the next set of Emily Stones to step up and tackle the many needs that exist in today’s world. Thank you Emily for all you do,..and continue to do to help farmers!

Uncommon Cacao

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Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

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