“Farmland is a good tax break for the rich to park their wealth.”
Ugh. No wonder new farmers are having such a hard time growing local, nutritious food to support their families and communities.
The good news (yes there is some!) is that it doesn’t have to be this way.
In this episode Jennifer Grayson presents both sides of the story. We first meet Drew the manager of a farm owned by rich philanthropists. Well, we don’t actually get to meet him, since he cancels their in person meeting at the last minute.
Luckily for us, Jennifer finds another farm to visit - one that absolutely does not disappoint. When she arrives at Ambler Farm she knows right away it is a special place. Not only do they use regenerative, organic practices, but the whole farm is community owned (bought by their city to keep it from falling into the hands of developers).
The other thing that makes Ambler such a cool place is their education programs. Every year they invite 1200 children to the farm to learn about farming while having fun.
Things we discuss:
The power of experience to change minds and hearts.
Why the agriculture land grab is very, very unfair.
How communities can step up for food security and sovereignty.
Why it’s so important to cultivate a love of farming in youth.
How to farm without farmland.
There are certain plants you should never leave unsupervised!
Cool things we reference:
📕The Unsettling of America - Wendell Berry
📕The Omnivores Dilemma - Michael Pollen
Things you can hold us accountable for:
Manon: Opening up my garden to more people who want to learn; sharing the educational and experiential aspects.
Katherine: To research ways I can farm without owning land. I may have to really think outside the box on this one.
Thank you for listening! Until next time we wish you many moments of slow reading.
Your friends,
Katherine and Manon
P.S. Are you reading A Call to Farms too? If so you can download our question guide to read along with us!
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