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CASFS apprentice working at the UCSC Farm Source: Source: CASFS
Climate change is upon us. The world’s water supply is shrinking. And increasingly, local, organic food is becoming more than just a fad or a luxury for wealthy foodies. On this edition, we go to California, America’s leading producer of fruits, vegetables, and dairy, to see some examples of how the nation’s agricultural industry is slowly but surely moving away from factory farms.
Featuring:
Joe Schirmer, Dirty Girl Produce owner and dry farmer; Juliet Christian Smith, Pacific Institute Senior Research Associate; William Friedland, University of California at Santa Cruz Professor Emeritus of Community Studies; Jim Leap, UC Santa Cruz Agro-Ecology Center Farm Operations Manager; John Fiscalini, Fiscalini Farms President and CEO; Brian Fiscalini, Fiscalini Farms General Manager; Mariano Gonzalez, Fiscalini Cheese Company Head Cheese Maker; Richard Machado and Christopher Montes, Cheese makers; Gary Peterson, Agriculture and Land-based Training Association (ALBA) Deputy Director; Karina Canto, ALBA agriculturist and farm incubator program participant; Efren Avalos, Avalos Organic farm owner and former ALBA participant.
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Dry Farming–a Technique for a Water Scarce Future
It’s a historical quirk that the middle of a desert–California’s central valley–has been made into an artificial agricultural oasis. Farmers in the Central Valley are getting a sneak preview of what much of the country, and the world, can expect to see in the next few decades–increasing water scarcity. So how to handle a dry outlook ahead? To look into one idea, Making Contact correspondent Joaquin Palomino visited the nearby Central Coast growing region. The availability of water is a growing issue there, too. And a handful of farmers are finding new ways to make every last drop count.
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A Waste-Free Dairy of the Future?
It’s estimated that dairy products make up a full 20% of our daily food intake here in North America. But with increased focus on cattle waste methane emissions as a factor in climate change, the dairy industry is facing intense scrutiny. Making Contact’s Rita Daniels takes us to one sustainable California dairy farm where solutions are being found… and where waste… as it turns out… makes all things possible.
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Turning Farm Workers into Farm Owners
It’s well known that the people picking food all across the US are predominantly low-paid Latino migrant workers. It’s ironic that the workers caring for and picking our food, have the least say about how the farms themselves are run. But a non-profit organization in Central California is working to change that, with a dynamic program that turns farm workers into farm operators and owners. Making Contact’s Andrew Stelzer reports.
Special thanks to Tena Rubio who helped produce this piece.
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For more information:
Oakland, CA
Center for Agro-ecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CAFS), UC Santa Cruz
California Agricultural Water Stewardship Initiative
Occidental, CA
Watsonville, CA
Agriculture and Land-based Training Association (ALBA)
Salinas, CA
Videos, Blogs, Articles, Links:
Anaerobic Digestion of Animal Wastes: Factors to Consider
Alternative Generation Options for Methane Digesters
Cow Power: Transforming Greenhouse Gases to Renewable Energy
California Small Farm Conference
Music:
Music:
‘Be Healthy’ by Dead Prez
‘Similak Child’ by Black Sheep
Tags: economy, environment, food and agriculture, health and healthcare, immigration
great show! thanks.
[...] new National Radio Project program, “Small Farms, Big Future,” features interviews with former UCSC Farm manager Jim Leap, CASFS Apprenticeship grad Joe Schirmer, [...]
KILLER show — every piece of it! Udderly lovely & hopeful. More, more …
[...] with scarce water, energy shortages, and a warmed climate. National Radio Project’s piece Small Farms, Big Future provides an inspiring look into the future of agriculture. On their website, you can listen to the [...]
excellent program! very inspiring to all of us future small farmers!
Rita Daniels, like your work, but you say “there’s a fibrous material…” that is left in the tanks, without saying what that fibrous material is.
Thanks,
Tom
[...] Contact: An international radio program that links people, vital ideas, and important information. Small Farms, Big Future is divided into three short [...]
[...] ideal farming methods that provide food for local communities while conserving the environment and [...]