On the Talk Farm to Me podcast farmers take center stage.
Join your host, Farm Girl, for 20 minutes every other week to meet a farmer and find out what they do and how they do it.
Hey Talk Farm to Me fans... I have a new podcast out. It's called The Accidental Farm and it's 5 minutes a day, Monday through Friday. You can find it anywhere you listen to podcasts -- Spotify or Apple or pretty much anywhere. And also on this link: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-accidental-farm/ I hope you tune in. The ratings are great and it's 50 5-minute episodes strong. xo
Did you know that the Union Square Greenmarket has rules? Farmers have rules. Producers — like bakers and jam makers — have rules. And the greenmarket enforces those rules. Fair, right? These rules are part of an evolution at the market. The Farmer and Community Advisory Committee of GrowNYC plays a pivotal role. Sharon Burns-Leader of Bread Alone has been on the FCAC for about 10 years and she fills us in on the pivotal role they have played in the development of the market and the regional food system.
Listen to the latest episode of Talk Farm to Me. Find it wherever you get your podcasts, via the link in bio or on talkfarmtome.com
Sharon Burns-Leader is the co-owner of Bread Alone, a pioneering organic bakery that sells its baked goods at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City. She serves on GrowNYC’s (the organization that oversees the market) Farmer and Community Advisory Committee. That’s where we start, but quickly you will see Sharon leads us through her evolution as a person, the evolution of the market and the evolution of grain in the region.
Even though this story is centered on this NYC marketplace, it reaches well beyond. Grain development impacts you, whether you eat it or not. It impacts the environment — carbon farming, regenerative agriculture, soil health… so much. The extraordinary progress that’s happened via markets like the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City impact regional food systems everywhere.
We’re just getting started. Let’s talk farm. Let me know your questions, thoughts, comments. Find me on You can find show notes and more about this episode on talkfarmtome.com.
Stay tuned. xoxo
The Union Square Greenmarket is an important place for farmers. It’s also where farmers are pinched together with famous chefs and home cooking New Yorkers. What a petri dish! And in that petri dish a lot is happening, evolving, changing, always.
Sharon Burns-Leader is the co-owner of Bread Alone, a storied organic bakery that sells its baked goods all over the Hudson Valley and in and around NYC, including in Whole Foods. Just wait until you begin to understand the power of bread and grain and the power of this fascinating marketplace.
Tune in to the latest episode of Talk Farm to Me. Find it wherever you get your podcasts, via the link in bio or on talkfarmtome.com If you’d like to get in touch with the host — Farm Girl — find her on and leave her a comment. You’ll make her day.
It’s alive!
Season 6, Episode 1 is live. And alive! Just wait till you meet Michael Hurwitz, GrowNYC’s long time director of Greenmarkets (52 of them!) He shares the vision and wisdom of the 46 year history that makes the Union Square Greenmarket what it is today. And its RULES… wow! There are a lot of rules for farmers who want to sell there. But the WHY of the rules is so interesting.
There’s more. You will also meet Union Square Greenmarket Manager Aquilino Cabral, born and raised in the Dominican Republic where he remembers his grandparents growing and raising their food. But Aquilino is a Social Worker by training. Find out how he puts his skills to work to manage a 360 degree marketplace full of farmers, shoppers, traffic, panhandlers, protesters and more.
Do you know what EBT is? Do you know how it works to support your regional food economy? Find out here in Episode 1 of Season 6 of Talk Farm to Me.
Maybe you’ve heard about the average age of US farmers? In their 60s. So how do we replenish their ranks and what they do to bring us fresh food? Find out here in Episode 1.
I keep saying this to you… and to myself. Union Square Greenmarket is a farmers market… but it’s SO MUCH MORE.
This is the stage. Union Square Greenmarket in New York City. It is the stage upon which over 240 famers and producers appear 4 times a week, 52 weeks a year. It is the backdrop for all of Season 6.
In this first episode we get the lay of the land, so to speak. We find out about the rules that govern the market and all that it takes to bring this market to life day in and day out, even in a pandemic.
Tune in 🎧 You can find Talk Farm to Me on all podcast channels or via the link in bio.
Season 6 is starting now. This is a clip from a short introductory trailer. It gives you a gentle road map for where we are going, what we are going to find along the way. But the blueprint is not finished yet. Weigh in. Ask questions. Send me a DM. Post a comment. Spur deeper thoughts. Hold people accountable. Suggest. I invite you.
Farmers in NYC. It’s a real contrast. And back in the day when the Union Square Greenmarket was just an idea farmers who were approached about bringing what they grow on their farms into the city reacted with “What? Are you nuts? There’s no way!”
But there is a way. And for the past 46 years, farmers have been trudging into the city in trucks — some from more than 6 hours away — to sell their products.
Union Square Greenmarket is the stage from which we will pick farmers from 7 different states who grow or raise or catch or produce over 12,000 products.
And the audience? New Yorkers. Chefs and restaurant workers. Moms and dads. Grandparents. Broadway stars. Lawyers and dishwashers. Doctors and janitors. Speaking 12 or more languages. Millionaires and families who receive federal support (SNAP). All 8 million of them. And you.
Come along for the ride — Season 6 of Talk Farm to Me. It’s going to be a wild one.
You know what? Talk Farm to Me is all about farmers. Yup. But it’s so much more than that. Farmers are the characters (in more ways than one, lol). But their stories are about life and society and what we have done to shape it. They’re about what we can do to shape the future too. What do you want the future to look like?
Do you know what kind of impact your food dollar has? I’m not even sure I do and I am the one asking the question. But we are going to get into that.
Where do you live? In a big city? In the burbs? Down a country road? Do you connect across city and country lines? Do you understand the people who live where you don’t? Do you want to? I do. I think we all have more in common than we think. And I think that Talk Farm to Me can help connect these communities by shining a light on common ground. Let’s try it.
Hey! I’m your host for the Talk Farm to Me podcast. And yes, I go by Farm Girl. And YES, I have a real name too! Let me explain.
My real name is Dana. And I’m pretty sure your are saying Day-nah right now in your head. It’s ok. It happens all the time. I pronounce it Dana, like banana 🍌 That’s the easiest way to remember it!
So why do I go by Farm Girl? There is a longer story here, but for Talk Farm to Me I use Farm Girl because the podcast is really about the farmers I meet. I want you to remember them. We talk about them, not about me. So, Farm Girl is really a microphone 🎙, a conduit between the farmers and you. Does that make any sense?
All that said, I’d love to share more of my personal story with you. You can follow me where I share some behind the scenes about the podcast and a lot about what happens on my little farm.
I launched the first episode of Talk Farm to Me in January 2020. But I actually started working on the idea long before that. Probably in 2018 with a kernel of an idea back in 2016. Seriously. It took that seed a while to germinate and it took me all of 2019 to develop and produce the first episode. Can you say “a lot of trial and error” with an emphasis on the error!?
I love the early episodes. I listen to them occasionally and still love them — the stories, the farmers, the sounds. If you need a recommendation on which one to listen to, let me know. I also made some episode groupings by category that you can find easily from the talkfarmtome.com homepage.
Want to nerd out for a minute? I use a lot of different equipment and software to produce Talk Farm to Me. Yes, I use a MacBook Pro, sometimes a Blue Yeti, awesome headphones, Zoom, Hindenburg, Descript and Rev. I use an H2N Pro and a Rode microphone too. I used to use Audacity until it stopped working with Mac updates. I still miss some of its functions. I use the Captivate platform for podcast distribution (they have great assets and phenomenal support). Before deciding on them I tried Anchor. I learned a lot there.
Also, in case you are wondering, I built my own website using Wix and designed my own logo. Sometimes I feel like Burt (Dick VanDyke played him) in Mary Poppins! Do you know what I mean?
Anyway, I’d love to connect with you. Follow me .
I am going to tell you the truth. I used to check Instagram to see what my friends were up to (I still do) and I would furrow my brow when I heard someone I follow talk about having found a “community” on Instagram. Really? Well, it’s contagious I guess. Because I have found some of the nicest people on Instagram. My IG friends are supportive and funny. They send me endless duck memes and offer advice about my goats, donkeys and water systems at the barn. They laugh at me and commiserate when a basket of eggs is kicked over and broken to bits in the barn.
More than a few times people recognize me on the street and say “Hey Farm Girl!” or “Oh my goodness, are YOU Farm Girl?” It sound unlikely, but it happens. Sometimes I am with a friend or my husband and they look at me like “Is this really happening?” LOL.
One thing that I have not really figured out how to share effectively is that I am BOTH a city girl and a country girl. It’s true. I have lived in New York City since college. I also have a little farm (you can get to know my accidental farm and its metaphoric wisdom) about 2.5 hours from the city. It is here that much of my creativity and farm-facing projects — including Talk Farm to Me — have blossomed.
In this upcoming season of Talk Farm to Me — Season 6 — I will be featuring the farmers and other producers who sell their products in New York City’s Union Square Greenmarket. They also have city and country lives. Maybe they will give me some pointers on how to share this complicated pairing!
I hope you’ll join me . I look forward to seeing you there!
Will Harris is a third generation farmer. His father and grandfather farmed cattle and worked within a commodity structure. Feed lots. Industrial fertilizer. But that started not to feel right to Will and he made changes. Those changes had huge impacts on his farm. The transformation is amazing to hear about. Will shares the nitty gritty including how it all works financially.
Tune in. You can find Talk Farm to Me on every podcast platform or via the link in bio ⬆️. This episode is Season 4, Episode 5.
Bill Gates is the top owner of US farmland. He has invested in the Beyond Burger, the Impossible Burger and carbon neutrality. He has a farming program in Africa and Asia called Gates Ag One. So what is he up to with all the farmland?
Farmer Will Harris wrote an open letter to Gates (see show notes on talkfarmtome.com for the letter) about what he needs to know about farming if he is going to own all that land.
Tune in. You can find Talk Farm to Me on any podcast platform. This episode is Season 4, Episode 5.
Farmer Will Harris is exceedingly generous with information about how he is farming. What he and his team do is transparent from birth to death, from dirt to pigs. Ask him anything. He’s also walked a mile or two in the shoes of a landowner and he has some knowledge to share with Bill Gates about what he needs to know about land if he’s going to own 242,000 acres or more.
Tune in. You won’t be sorry. And you will most likely rethink some assumptions you’ve had about farming, farmers and the environment. You can find Talk Farm to Me on any podcast platform. This episode is Season 4, Episode 5.
Bill Gates is the top owner of US farmland. He has invested in the Beyond Burger, the Impossible Burger and carbon neutrality. He has a farming program in Africa and Asia called Gates Ag One. So what is he up to with all the farmland?
Farmer Will Harris wrote an open letter to Gates (see show notes on talkfarmtome.com for the letter) about what he needs to know about farming if he is going to own all that land.
Tune in. You can find Talk Farm to Me on any podcast platform. This episode is Season 4, Episode 5.
Alchemist Farm raises 13 different breeds of chickens that are bred for temperament and egg color. You can order chicks from farmer Franchesca Duval to give you the most beautiful egg rainbow.
I will confess to not really caring whether or not my eggs are a variety of colors… until NOW! Now that I have met Franchesca, I am definitely going to diversify my coop in the coming years!!
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Farmer Franchesca Duval of Alchemist Farm is pioneering humane practices for poultry hatcheries. She is working with her community to make sure the rooster chicks are going to good use for food. She thinks about the whole ecological and humane spectrum of raising birds.
I like to say “Ask a Farmer, Not Google” and Franchesca puts Google to shame in this interview. She answers the most complex and interesting questions I have had about chickens (yes, I have saved a list of them from YOU so she could answer) AND our live audience asked some pretty fascinating questions too.
If you are thinking about raising chickens, you definitely want to watch this interview. Find the whole video on IGTV or listen to the interview (audio only) on Talk Farm to Me… you can find the podcast wherever you get yours!
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This is the final episode in season five and it is the icing on the cake for sure!
Meet farmer Franchesca Duval of Alchemist Farm in Northern California! On Talk Farm to Me’s Five LIVE (watch it live or on IGTV ) I had the good fortune to hang out with Franchesca to talk with her about her humane chicken and quail hatchery in Northern California!
We talk about chicks, eggs, sexing chicks, what’s inhumane about the hatchery business, how many eggs a chicken is working on at once and so much more.
What does the future of mushroom farming look like? What if you could cultivate the most sought after mushroom in a controlled setting? It’s a great question and one that we get into on this episode of Talk Farm to Me — the Straight Talk Series — with mushroom farmer Matt Hall!
Straight Talk Series
Season 4, Episode 4
Did you know that more than 80% of farm families rely on income and insurance from off farm jobs? Well, a far smaller percentage actually talk about it. What does this mean? It is hard to make a living at farming. Learn more, including what you can do to help (ahem, buy local!) on the latest podcast episode — Season 4, Episode 3. It’s part of the Straight Talk Series!!
This is a gorgeous goat from Gorgeous Goat Creamery where goat dairy farmer Maria Stewart raises goats and harvests dairy! Hear Maria’s story on Talk Farm to Me - Season 4, Episode 3 - as part of the Straight Talk Series!
This is the 6th episode of Five LIVE and Nicole Vernon of is amazing. Meet her through this episode and follow along as their farm gets into high gear this spring. Even if you don’t live in the NH area, their farm story is fun, interesting and emblematic of family farms and how hard they work to put healthy food on your table!
Meet the Vernon Family!! They are the heart and soul of the farm. Plus their farm squad! Listen to the recent convo I had with Nicole Vernon about their farm, how her husband is a great cook, how her kids are growing up with the most amazing life, about her off-farm job as a Spanish teacher, how a sense of humor is essential and why it is important to know your farmer. Just listen. You’ll love her.
You can find the full Five LIVE chat on IGTV channel or the audio only on the Talk Farm to Me podcast in Season 5, Episode 6.
Stay tuned for more Five LIVE episodes on Instagram by following . They air every other Thursday at noon, unless otherwise specified.
The Vernon Family Farm in New Hampshire has an on-farm farm store. You can buy their pasture-raised meats 🐓🐑🐄 there as well as prepared food (roasted chicken, bone broth… it’s a long list) AND products from some 30 other farms! It is open EVERY DAY from 9 am to 6 pm. EVERY DAY!!
Do you have a farm store in your community? Let me know in they comments below ⬇️
I am super lucky to have a couple of farm stores near me BTW. There’s one on the farm (Meet the farmers in Season 1, Episode 3) and an incredible multi farm store (over 250 local producers!) down the road If you’re near me, check them out!
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The Union Square Greenmarket is an important place for farmers. It’s also where farmers are pinched together with famous chefs and home cooking New Yorkers. What a petri dish! And in that petri dish a lot is happening, evolving, changing, always. Sharon Burns-Leader is the co-owner of Bread Alone, a storied organic bakery that sells its baked goods all over the Hudson Valley and in and around NYC, including in Whole Foods. Just wait until you begin to understand the power of bread and grain and the power of this fascinating marketplace. Tune in to the latest episode of Talk Farm to Me. Find it wherever you get your podcasts, via the link in bio or on talkfarmtome.com If you’d like to get in touch with the host — Farm Girl — find her on @xoxofarmgirl and leave her a comment. You’ll make her day. #talkfarmtome #farmerpodcast #unsqgreenmarket #grownyc #farmersmarket #farmtotable #regionalfood #regionalfoodsystem #regionalgrain #shoplocal #localfarmers #sharonburnsleader #breadalone #organicgrain #organicbread #unionsquare #makefarmersfamous #xoxofarmgirl #farmpodcast #newyorkcooks #nycrestaurants #knowyourfarmer #regenerativefarm #organicfarm
Season 6 is starting now. This is a clip from a short introductory trailer. It gives you a gentle road map for where we are going, what we are going to find along the way. But the blueprint is not finished yet. Weigh in. Ask questions. Send me a DM. Post a comment. Spur deeper thoughts. Hold people accountable. Suggest. I invite you. #talkfarmtome #xoxofarmgirl #farmerpodcast #farmpodcast #podcastgoals #cityandcountry #makefarmersfamous #farmstories #bridgingthegap #fooddollar #impactoffood #farmtotable #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #bigideas #podcasttrailer #farmersinnyc #farmersinthecity #farmersmarket #introduction #blueprint #youreinvited
You know what? Talk Farm to Me is all about farmers. Yup. But it’s so much more than that. Farmers are the characters (in more ways than one, lol). But their stories are about life and society and what we have done to shape it. They’re about what we can do to shape the future too. What do you want the future to look like? Do you know what kind of impact your food dollar has? I’m not even sure I do and I am the one asking the question. But we are going to get into that. Where do you live? In a big city? In the burbs? Down a country road? Do you connect across city and country lines? Do you understand the people who live where you don’t? Do you want to? I do. I think we all have more in common than we think. And I think that Talk Farm to Me can help connect these communities by shining a light on common ground. Let’s try it. #talkfarmtome #xoxofarmgirl #farmerpodcast #farmpodcast #podcastgoals #cityandcountry #makefarmersfamous #farmstories #bridgingthegap #fooddollar #impactoffood #farmtotable #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #farmersmarket #farmersinthecity
Meet the Vernon Family!! They are the heart and soul of the farm. Plus their farm squad! Listen to the recent convo I had with Nicole Vernon about their farm, how her husband is a great cook, how her kids are growing up with the most amazing life, about her off-farm job as a Spanish teacher, how a sense of humor is essential and why it is important to know your farmer. Just listen. You’ll love her. You can find the full Five LIVE chat on @xoxofarmgirl IGTV channel or the audio only on the Talk Farm to Me podcast in Season 5, Episode 6. Stay tuned for more Five LIVE episodes on Instagram by following @xoxofarmgirl. They air every other Thursday at noon, unless otherwise specified. #talkfarmtome #fivelive #farmpodcast #xoxofarmgirl #knowyourfarmer #makefarmersfamous #familyfarm
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