Ep 241 Thankful This Thanksgiving For Our Farmers - so God Made a Farmer
agri-Culture
And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker" -- so God made a Farmer. --Paul Harvey
Links:
https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/PDFFiles/Paul%20Harvey%20-%20God%20Made%20A%20Farmer.pdf
https://www.collierswcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2013_02_Gazetteer.pdf
Ep 240 Susan's Shire: NY State Sheep & Wool Festival 2025 (Rhinebeck I Love You!)
agri-Culture
For this month's podcast I travel to Rhinebeck, NY for the NY State Sheep & Wool Festival. I met so many wonderful and talented people...I was totally geeking out. With my cameraman Oscar in tow, the two of us interviewed some amazing talent, from rug hooking to fine art. So please sit back and enjoy this month's episode of Susan's Shire.
Links:
http://www.ravensgateprimitives.com/
https://www.sheepincognito.com/
https://chesapeakefibershed.com/
Ep 239 Rhinebeck Farmers Market: We Run a Muck, Not Amok!
agri-Culture
Muck, glorious muck! Sounds funny, but it’s true. The “muck” found north of NYC and south of the capital city may look like black dirt to some, but it’s more like black gold to those who know – and that’s not a Clampett reference. The agricultural region known as the Hudson Valley grows almost everything like nowhere else, due to this phenomenal resource.
Join us today as we speak with Michael Risario and Jeff Scales. They took a moment from their busy duties at the Rhinebeck Farmers Market to talk about the incredible bounty that can be found in the Hudson Valley – but especially can be found every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Rhinebeck. Rain, shine…or muck. Just how we like it.
Links:
http://www.rhinebeckfarmersmarket.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep
https://www.ediblehudsonvalley.com/2022/black-magic-hudson-valleys-special-soil/
https://www.rhinebeckreformed.org/history
Ep 238 Susan's Shire: From Yarn to Fiber to Rhinebeck
agri-Culture
This month Susan discusses the difference between a yarn festival, a fiber festival and everything in between. Susan just returned from the Lambtown Festival in Dixon, CA and will be heading to Rhinebeck, NY for the 45th annual New York State Sheep and Wool Festival. She gives us a little history about some of these festivals and what inspired her down the path of fiber arts and that there isn't such a thing as bad sheep's wool, because someone loves it. So, please sit back and enjoy this episode of Susan's Shire.
Links:
https://www.mosshollowhill.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiber_art
Ep 237 Nick Forrest: I’m Holding Out for an Gyro
agri-Culture
Sheep are cute and fluffy and produce that wonderful stuff from which many sweaters are born. But there’s another side to them that doesn’t get mentioned quite so often. Lamb is an incredibly common meat in most other countries of the world, but not so much in America.
Nick Forrest is trying to change that direction, to capture the possibilities of a multipurpose animal that fits so many different needs. Just in time for the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival 2025, and the Saturday morning “Raising Meat and Dairy Breeds” breed talk, here is a talk about one of the other many sides of raising sheep.
P.S. And may we just say, kudos to Shari Lewis for pulling off a character called “Lamb Chop.” Captain Kangaroo, no less.
Links:
https://www.sheepusa.org/newsletter/december-15-2023
https://sheepandwool.com/sponsors/
https://www.dcswga.org/services-7
https://www.facebook.com/nick.forrest.927/
Ep 236 Susan's Shire: Introduction
agri-Culture
Exciting news for fiber enthusiasts! We're thrilled to announce a dynamic collaboration between Susan Shirley, a creative figure in the fiber arts community, and the creators of the popular agri-Culture podcast. Together, we're embarking on a journey each month to bring you captivating stories and insightful interviews from the diverse and fascinating world of fiber. So, please welcome to Susan's Shire!
Links:
https://www.mosshollowhill.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiber_art
Ep 235 Mark Winslow: Winslow is Not Just a Corner in Arizona
agri-Culture
Mark Winslow is from West Falmouth, Maine, where one member or another of his family has farmed on Marston Homestead since the 1790’s. That seems like a pretty traditional bunch, and moving around doesn’t seem to be applicable.
But that’s not necessarily so. We met up with Mark and his oxen demonstration at the American Milking Devon conference in Tunbridge, Vermont. And these boys can do the miles - we heard that a trip to the next state over is nothing compared to the Hollywood adventures Mark and his cattle have had. Modern transportation, indeed.
Links:
Ep 234 Yarn Farm Kingston: The Days of Wine and Knitting
agri-Culture
We search for peace in this chaotic month, and find it in a little shop in Kingston, New York. The Yarn Farm is made those who like the company of kindred spirits to ply their craft, sure. It’s also great for those who might want to stop for a quick skein or an artsy crafty yarn-ish item, as well.
But for those of us who might find Zen in an adult beverage, a perfect charcuterie board and a sunny table by the river, we’re also home.
Links:
https://www.yarnfarmkingston.com
Ep 233 John Garcia: You’re In the Farming Now!
agri-Culture
Today, we meet up with John Garcia of Dancing Sun Farm. We were able to grab a moment of conversation with him at the lively meetup known as Texas Wool Week, held in the wild weather days of March at Sheepwalk Ranch in Bandera. Cold, wind, sun, warmth – we had it all. After all, this IS Texas.
After 29 years in the U.S. Army, John began his second career in service, but this time to contribute to America’s food and fiber systems. He and his family raise sheep, goats and chickens in the lovely, lonely, beautiful area known as Texas Hill Country.
We hope you enjoy our conversation about endings and beginnings, his second life, and the programs and support systems that helped him on his way.
Links:
www.TexasWoolWeek.com
www.TheSheepwalkRanch.com
https://www.facebook.com/Dancing.Sun.Farm.NM
Ep 232 California Agritourism Summit: It’s Not Just the Beach – It’s the Farm, Too
agri-Culture
Any time you put the word “summit” in something, it mentally becomes bigger than you previously thought. A conference on steroids, in most people’s minds. And when you do an ag-related summit in California, that notion of grandeur can be well deserved, even when you take away the size of the state itself. The sheer amount of agricultural exports that the producers in California send to other parts of the U.S. and the world is staggering.
But there’s another aspect to agriculture that is a huge business opportunity: Agritourism. If you’ve ever been wine tasting, done a farm tour, seen the flower fields, gone horseback riding, or sampled local cheese while sitting in your B&B, you’re an agritourist.
The 2025 California Agritourism Summit, put on by the UCNR (Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources), is meant to highlight the potential of agritourism for the producers in California. It’s another way for our food and fiber producers to maintain self-sufficiency in these changing times.
The wave is here, and California farm producers are ready to ride it. And this one doesn’t have to be near the ocean.
Links:
https://ucanr.edu/site/communications-toolkit/acronym-directory
https://ucanr.edu/site/california-agritourism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Got_Milk%3F
Ep 231 Dr. K: When You Garden, You Can Never Really Be Alone
agri-Culture
In what started out as a May Day date (that’s a truckload of compost in Rick and Elara’s world), a visit to San Pasqual Valley Soils struck black gold (again, compost).
In one of the most fortuitous spontaneous Backyard Green Films conversations yet, an extremely knowledgeable dirt farmer by the name of Craig Kolodge, PhD (“Dr. K.” to pretty much everyone) gave an impromptu interview, surrounded by towers of amendment and beeping trucks full of manure, compost and wood chips. Elara was in heaven, with the conversation chock full of words such as “nematode,” ”sequestration,” “carbon cycle,” and other sciency stuff.
Don’t ever say there’s no such thing as romance anymore, especially in Springtime.
Links:
https://spvsoils.com/craig-m-kolodge/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodite
Ep 230 Catching H2O: There's Rain In Store
agri-Culture
On today's podcast we meet up with Brook Sarson from CatchingH2O. We followed Brook as she took a passel of learners and UCSD's Director of the Bioregional Center, Keith Pezzoli, PhD, on a tour of a greywater and rain catchment project that her company had recently installed.
Water management is a favorite topic for us here at Backyard Green Films. With efforts like these, even if April brings few showers, we still have a chance at May flowers. Welcome to Spring!
Links:
Ep 229 Kiko Guerra: The Artistry in the Ordinary
agri-Culture
We’ve been hunkering down for the last few months now on the traveling side of our Backyard Green Films universe. 2024 was a doozy of a year for us in many respects, so we had to take a few moments to catch our breath this winter.
Enrique Guerra, also known as “Kiko,” is our guest today, and he’s pretty much royalty in Texas Longhorn Cattle circles. Kiko is the son of another Enrique Guerra – who was always known as Enrique, and he was the man who was responsible for saving a huge chunk of the pure genetics of the original Texas Longhorn, among other lifetime accomplishments. The senior of the two Enrique’s did that by running around the mountains of Mexico and collecting up what animals he could find that had not been diluted yet by the different breeds arriving on the shores of North America. He was quite a man to live up to, I think, and is still spoken of with reverence and admiration.
But history can be preserved in many ways, and Kiko’s way of practicing preservation, yet keeping it relatable, is one of my favorites. He’s an artist.
Aside from the accomplishments of his famous parent, and family, Kikko is royalty in his own right. He is a world-renowned artist, and his sculptures and paintings depict incredibly simple scenes of the basics of life, and yet they resonate with complexity. So yes, he paints a man leading a burro or farmers tilling their land. He sculpts scenes from the trails of old Texas and Mexico. And they resonate. The Brisco Western Art Museum thought so, and there you can see his famous piece, “The Vaquero.” It’s a sculpture of a man driving two Longhorn cattle along the trail, yoked by ropes and bobbins. Historically correct, of course. And you can also find one of his sculptures at the famous site known as the Alamo, in San Antonio. And his art is not just one thing. He very much believes in the importance of preserving the original Longhorn cattle breed at San Vicente Ranch. History, beauty and practicality all built into the genes of that one animal.
Links:
https://texashighways.com/culture/an-interwoven-legacy-guerra-family/
https://enriqueguerraart.com/?page_id=252
https://banderafiberandarts.com/
https://youtu.be/Ghekozq7lUE?si=T2lOqzlyZ04s5FQ3
Ep 228 Brent Zimmerman: This Dorpers For You
agri-Culture
Now, if you hear me talk about Rhinebeck, you might think today's guest is going to focus on wool. Nope! Not really. Sheep, yes, hair yes, but mostly wool, no. Our podcast guest today is a lovely man named Brent Zimmerman, and as I introduce him I'm kind of hard pressed to call him one thing, though you could definitely call him a sheep farmer.
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/limekilnfarmNY
https://sheepandwool.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorper
https://dorpersheep.org/
Ep 227 Happy Holidays No Matter Which Song You Sing
agri-Culture
Music by Charlie Recksieck to usher us into the New Year.
Ep 226 Stephen Monroe: Withalacoochie. Okefenokke. Wampanoag. Caloosahatchee.
agri-Culture
Most people commemorate Thanksgiving today, and all things associated with this holiday. There will be some celebrating family, some marking the day with food, and some praying at the altar of football. Some will be remembering the Pilgrims, and the earliest arrival of Europeans bringing colonists and their livestock to North America. NOT!
Stephen Monroe schools us on a common misconception about the domestic animals that were truly the first to be brought here to the Americas. Which livestock breeds beat the Mayflower across the Atlantic? What we currently call the “Spanish Colonial” horses were just one group, and the hardy and adaptable Florida Cracker Horse was a derivative breed of this impactful importation. Horses, cattle, chickens and goats - and they arrived 100 years before the big wooden boat we celebrate today.
But don’t forget – the Spanish brought the pigs in then, too, so football is truly appropriate. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Links:
https://themayflowersociety.org/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056085/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Cracker_Horse
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Marsh_Tacky#History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banker_horse#Breed_history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Ponce_de_Le%C3%B3n
https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/juan-ponce-de-leon
https://www.fdacs.gov/
https://floridacrackerhorseassociation.com/
Ep 225 Oh Yeah, We Went Back To That Sugar Shack
agri-Culture
We were in the mood for something sweet, so we thought it was time for a visit to the sugar shack. We packed up our gear and headed back east to Westbrook, CT to our friends John and Bonnie Hall at Maple Breeze Farm. There we saw the whole process of making that sweet maple syrup. Just in time for the maple glazed ham at Thanksgiving.
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/p/Maple-Breeze-Farm-100064517539226
Ep 224 Barb’s Knitted Knockers
agri-Culture
October is not only a great time to celebrate fiber (what with the Lambtown and Rhinebeck festivals, just to name a few), but it’s also Breast Cancer Awareness month. How do we get both things in one podcast? Knitted Knockers!
Barbara Demorest is the Feisty Lady with Fortitude who took a horrible event in life and made it into something that has helped millions to cope with the ravages of breast cancer. We hope you tune in to see what she did, and maybe even how you can be a part of what this amazing organization does to help others. And all with a bit of fiber and friendship.
P.S. We miss you, Mom, but we’ll keep trying to save the udders (always one for a good pun, she was).
Links:
https://www.knittedknockers.org/
https://www.lambtown.org/
https://sheepandwool.com/
Ep 223 James Metcalfe: All Creatures Bleat and Shawl
agri-Culture
Every once in a while you meet a person you’ve read about in a book. It might not be the actual person, but is the personification of a character that is so accurate, it might as well have jumped out straight from the pages. Today, our podcast guest is one of those.
James Metcalfe lives on Hardenclough Farm, “in the heart of the beautiful Peak District [with a] flock of pedigree Cheviots & Luing cattle grazing under the shadow of Mam Tor.” You would never guess that the man is a poet, because his strong, steady farming character could have come straight out of James Herriot’s Yorkshire hills. He came to be a judge at the North American Hill Sheep Show, and though he would not be one to jump the line or show a bit of flash, he’s one that we at Backyard Green Films will picture frequently in the future, every time we hear the word “Farmer” – in the best possible way -- quiet strength and always willing to lend a hand.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/hardenclough_farm/
https://www.visitengland.com/experience/discover-all-creatures-great-and-small-yorkshire
Ep 222 All of the Hills on the Edge of the Lake
agri-Culture
We’re back from the North American Hill Sheep Show in Escanaba, Michigan. This inaugural event showcased some British Hill Breed Sheep and some not-quite-Hill Breed Sheep, of course, but there was more to see, hear and smell. Lovely vendor booths with soft woolens and fragrant soaps in abundance, sheepdog trials with panting puppies, food trucks (with some mighty fine brisket, thank you sir), and ice cream that is famous across all of the “M” roads.
And then, there were the Brits. The judges (and families) arrived in good spirits and raring to go, and the whole things was a true education in all things Sheepish.
In addition to sheep, they do grow some Absolutely Fabulous people on those little islands, we must say. Some were English, some Welsh, some Scottish and some Irish, but all delightful. And good sports, to boot. They will be sorely missed – at least until next spring (we hope).
Sincere thanks to all from the Backyard Green Films crew. Our lives are better for having met you.
Links:
https://www.nahillsheepshow.com/
Ep 221 Hexham Auction: Hadrian’s Mule
agri-Culture
Where do we go for fun? Well, all kinds of places, but fish hatcheries, farm shows, and livestock auctions are on the list.
Today, we’re taking you back to jolly old England (almost Scotland, actually), to a little town called Hexham. It lies at the foot of Northumberland National Park and a stone’s throw (literally) from Hadrian’s Wall. This is as charming a hamlet as you might ever imagine. It has lovely bridges, excellent tapas, wonderfully kind people, a first-class auction yard, and mules.
Wait – aren’t we talking sheep today? What’s all this about mules?
Yep – mules -- that are technically sheep. Listen in to Drew Patrick and Chris Armstrong, master auctioneers at Hexham and Northern Marts, to find out why some of these sheep are mules.
And Hexham is in the Borderlands, so some sheep also look like rabbits – but that’s another podcast.
Links:
https://hexhammart.co.uk/
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-top-wool-producing-countries.html
https://www.nahillsheepshow.com/
Ep 220 Shetland Sheep Society(UK): Sing Me a Song of a Sheep that has Gone - Everywhere
agri-Culture
Located in the southern portion of Scotland, Lanark might be best known in agricultural circles for those big guys from the area around the River Clyde, and to history buffs as the first place local resident William Wallace drew his sword in earnest. We love heavy horses with a passion, but the sheep need to have their day, too.
Last September, Lanark Agricultural Centre saw Shetland Sheep and members of all sizes and colors coming for the Gathering, because “There can be only one!” (oops – wrong movie again, though with William in the first paragraph, the sword thing kind of took us over.). All shapes and sizes of SHETLAND SHEEP and the society that supports their continuation came to show, to sell, and to talk to the Backyard Green Films crew.
We’re still high on life from one of the most memorable trips of our lifetime – can you tell? And still aloft from meeting the people and livestock of the British Isles. Long may they rein (still had to make a horse joke).
Links:
https://www.shetland-sheep.org.uk/
https://www.shetland-sheep.org.uk/shows-sales-and-event
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Bakewell
https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-great-britain-and-the-united-kingdom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_conquest_of_Britain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shetland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorking_chicken
https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/lanark-p244081
https://scandinaviafacts.com/norsemen-vs-vikings-whats-the-difference/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Isle_(technique)
Ep 219 Across Dry Creek and Over the Horizon
agri-Culture
In life, there are talkers and doers. Of the doers, many of them have a characteristic known as “True Grit,” and today’s podcast guests are in that category.
Millie and Stacy Bradshaw own Dry Creek Livestock, and a few hours north of Salt Lake City, these two intrepid souls are building a place to call home on the windswept plains and low hills of Utah. On their ranch you’ll find a range of critters, including goats (for meat and milk), cattle (for beef), livestock guardian dogs (for the previous two) and - periodically – mountain lions (because apparently ranching is just too easy in Utah). Millie and Stacy know more than the average farmer about the plant life that surrounds them, and they use that and their livestock in a way that works with nature to build something out of this lonely land.
We hope you join us today for a talk with two modern-day pioneers (and a few comments from the always wonderful Tom Boyer), who are building a patch of land into a place to call home. It’s something right out of a western movie, but these are the real heroes – even without the star billing.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock/
https://www.premier1supplies.com/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17505010/?ref_=ls_t_4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1883_(TV_series)
https://www.nps.gov/state/ut/index.htm
https://heyexplorer.com/29-things-utah-is-known-and-famous-for/
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/582124/how-did-sand-come-to-mean-courage-pluck
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065126/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
Ep 218 Horse Progress Days: We’re Happy to be Left in the Dust
agri-Culture
It’s time for Horse Progress Days! It’s one of our favorite events of the year, and this July it was held in Lancaster County, PA - just in time for the height of a national heatwave. Everyone soldiered on through, though, with nary a complaint to be found from this stoic bunch.
It was a good thing everyone pushed through the heat until the close of the day, because the HPD organizers saved some of the best for last (okay, the middle and beginning was pretty good, too). The Backyard Green Films bunch had a front row seat for the Breed Presentation. With longtime HPD participant Dale Stoltzfus doing a wonderfully informative commentary track, horses of every size, shape and color were on view, and riders, drivers, leaders and be-free-rs were putting on a show.
The commentary was so informative that we wanted to bring it all to you on our podcast, but in a few days you can go to the Backyard Green Films YouTube channel to get a (dusty) front-row visual as well. Either way, we hope you feel like you were sitting right next to us for the whole show.
Links:
https://horseprogressdays.com/2024-event-information/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhZba-P7R18&t=81s
Ep 217 Erin Bradt: Helder Herdwyck Handful for a Happy Half Hour
agri-Culture
It’s time for a talk – a Shepherd’s Talk, that is. Every year, the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival has this popular segment available for shepherds, wannabe shepherds, ecologists, historians, and people who are just plain interested in fiber production from the ground up. Today’s talk is with Erin Bradt, of Helder Herdwyck Farm, where she talks about not just these fantastic little primitive sheep, but also about importation limitations, disease issues in livestock, and…well, more than we have time for in the intro.
We’ll be bringing you more of these fantastic seminars in the upcoming months. If you’d like to see the visuals on this one (just like you’re sitting on a hay bale in Rhinebeck), head over to the Backyard Green Films YouTube channel for this video, and much more.
Links:
https://helderherdwyck-farm.square.site/
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cumbria-57015478
www.sheepandwool.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLz9Oj_oVkg
Ep 241 Thankful This Thanksgiving For Our Farmers - so God Made a Farmer
4:32
Ep 240 Susan's Shire: NY State Sheep & Wool Festival 2025 (Rhinebeck I Love You!)
30:07
Ep 239 Rhinebeck Farmers Market: We Run a Muck, Not Amok!
17:38
Ep 238 Susan's Shire: From Yarn to Fiber to Rhinebeck
27:52
Ep 237 Nick Forrest: I’m Holding Out for an Gyro
41:35
Ep 236 Susan's Shire: Introduction
27:07
Ep 235 Mark Winslow: Winslow is Not Just a Corner in Arizona
23:09
Ep 234 Yarn Farm Kingston: The Days of Wine and Knitting
14:15
Ep 233 John Garcia: You’re In the Farming Now!
27:45
Ep 232 California Agritourism Summit: It’s Not Just the Beach – It’s the Farm, Too
36:39
Ep 231 Dr. K: When You Garden, You Can Never Really Be Alone
36:17
Ep 230 Catching H2O: There's Rain In Store
35:19
Ep 229 Kiko Guerra: The Artistry in the Ordinary
41:49
Ep 228 Brent Zimmerman: This Dorpers For You
20:32
Ep 227 Happy Holidays No Matter Which Song You Sing
5:49
Ep 226 Stephen Monroe: Withalacoochie. Okefenokke. Wampanoag. Caloosahatchee.
24:46
Ep 225 Oh Yeah, We Went Back To That Sugar Shack
18:52
Ep 224 Barb’s Knitted Knockers
46:59
Ep 223 James Metcalfe: All Creatures Bleat and Shawl
41:37
Ep 222 All of the Hills on the Edge of the Lake
19:24
Ep 221 Hexham Auction: Hadrian’s Mule
33:49
Ep 220 Shetland Sheep Society(UK): Sing Me a Song of a Sheep that has Gone - Everywhere
28:53
Ep 219 Across Dry Creek and Over the Horizon
40:47
Ep 218 Horse Progress Days: We’re Happy to be Left in the Dust
39:02
Ep 217 Erin Bradt: Helder Herdwyck Handful for a Happy Half Hour
33:31