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

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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://www.usda.gov/glossary

https://ucanr.edu/site/california-agritourism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Got_Milk%3F

https://class.ucanr.edu/statewide-program/uc-anr-small-farms-network/ramiro-lobo-sfp-advisor-san-diego-county

https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/SecretaryBio.html

www.cagrown.org

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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/

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

https://clairemontonline.com/event-6080495

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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:

https://catchingh2o.com/#0

https://bioregionalcenter.ucsd.edu/

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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://sanvicenteranch.com/

https://enriqueguerraart.com/?page_id=252

https://banderafiberandarts.com/

https://youtu.be/Ghekozq7lUE?si=T2lOqzlyZ04s5FQ3

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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/

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Music by Charlie Recksieck to usher us into the New Year.

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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/

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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

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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/

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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

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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/

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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/

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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On this podcast episode Bruce Farr of Farrview South Farm, American Milking Devon Cattle breeder (and a teamster!), sits down with John Hall, the President of the American Milking Devon Cattle Association. They discuss the history of the breed, characteristics they appreciate, and some non-traditional ideas for a very traditional breed.

If you want to see the man himself (and the twinkle in his eye), head on over to our YouTube channel for our latest upload.

Links:
http://www.milkingdevons.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America...

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This week, we’re speaking with Theresa Walker of Great Bay Wool Works and her lovely natural-colored ovine assistant Hazel (okay, so hubby Patrick did a little bit of modeling, too.).  We learn about natural-colored sheep, geography in New England, a bit of why New England and Old England feel familiar to each other, and much more. 

This is one of those where Rick had to keep saying, “Stop patting the sheep, Elara.”  We think this fiber is gorgeous, regardless of whether it’s on grass -- or on the very Patient Patrick.

Links:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ovine
https://greatbaywoolworks.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KcDt99gxko
https://ncwga.org/
https://americanromney.org/
https://sheepandwool.com/

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We’re going down memory lane, and back to the beginning of all things for today’s podcast.  In this case, it means the start of something that has grown into a behemoth in the world of Agriculture.  Originally from the shores of Scotland near Aberdeen, the cattle breed known as “Angus” has become the powerhouse breed by which all things are measured.  

 Today we’re going back to the roots of the breed that has become synonymous with “beef,” and which has also changed over time to meet the needs of production agriculture.  Today we have a great conversation with Geordie and Louise Soutar of Dunlouise Native Angus in Forfar, near the shores of Aberdeen Scotland…

…and you get to listen to that lovely Scottish lilt, too.

Links:
https://www.dunlouiseangus.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen
https://www.scotsman.com/regions/aberdeen-and-north-east/viking-link-to-the-north-east-of-scotland-1490003
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-55244660
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/

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We concluded the World Devon Congress adventure with the State that put these cattle on the map – okay, they’re on the flag, anyway.  We had a wonderful tour through the Green Mountain State of Vermont, on our way to meet up with Anson Tebbets, Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets.  This lovely man took a walk down the lane on his family farm to talk about the finer things in agricultural life that are represented in Vermont – maple syrup, socks, adult beverages and ice cream, just to name a few.  He believes in those who produce our food and fiber products, and works to support them with legislation, funding and promotion, and, of course, his valuable time.

Vermont is a quietly beautiful agricultural state that is definitely worth a visit – even if you don’t have time to hit the Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour (though we strongly recommend it).  These hills are alive…with the taste of maple…and cider…and wool…and pickles…and…

Links:
https://agriculture.vermont.gov/administration
https://agriculture.vermont.gov/agency-agriculture-food-markets-news/12-vermont-companies-running-2020-good-food-award
https://agriculture.vermont.gov/agency-agriculture-food-markets-news/fifteen-vermont-companies-running-2022-good-food-award
https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming-news/dairy/american-milking-devons-the-perfect-breed-for-this-vermont-homestead/article_aec3cc10-0ef7-11ef-929b-83733b95d1f5.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Vermont
https://darntough.com/
https://www.benjerry.com/
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/
https://skinnypancake.com/
https://thetipsypickle.com/
https://cabotcreamery.com/

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Backyard Green Films is now in Florida, getting ready to start the World Devon Congress 2024.  But first (and last), our podcast with the butcher.  The place where everything ends – everything that is ordered medium rare, anyway.

A.J. O’Neil is the perfect one to encapsulate almost everything that is fantastic about why Devons are popular.  He’s a member of Red Devon USA, and a wonderful addition to their friendly and active Board of Directors.  He’s sometimes serious, sometimes quiet, but always a family-oriented guy.  He talks with us about O’Neil’s Quality Devons, O’Neil’s Quality Foods, and the joys of beef bacon.  Maybe not so much on that last one, but it cannot be stressed enough by all, so we put it in there.  There was bacon, though.

Head over to the Backyard Green Films YouTube channel if you want to see the man in action himself, but be warned - if your kids don’t know where the burger comes from, this will be an educational experience.  He IS a butcher, after all.

Links:
https://www.reddevonusa.com/oneils_quality_devons

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Our stay at Clockwork Cottage was one of the quiet delights of our UK trip in August of 2023.  The Peak District in England is well known as being a day-hiker’s destination filled with rolling emerald fields, ancient stacked stone walls, and sheep, sheep and sheep.  There are those amazing things, yes, and found aplenty, but for the Backyard Green Films crew the hills were alive with the breeze blowing through the grass, and the sound of…Dexters!  Dexter Cattle, that is.  

This smallest native breed is originally from Ireland, but found in other places now.  It might be hard to imagine a lovelier place for them than here, though.  And the Full English Breakfast and super soft beds had nothing to do with it, I’m sure.

Our sincere thanks to Stephen Adcock for taking the time to speak with us in the midst of a busy farm day (and his wife Sharon, who introduced us to Full English Breakfast – can’t forget that).

 Links:
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/41677221?source_impression_id=p3_1711931704_prSMSEwVpqzI9XTV
https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/getactive-walking
https://www.dextercattle.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/clockworkcottage/

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Steve Montgomery of Lamppost Farm is our guest on today’s podcast, coming to you from a stop on the Devon Congress pre-tour - Columbiana, Ohio style this time.  Steve and his family raise Devon Cattle, Coopworth Sheep, pigs, turkeys and a partridge in a pear tree (okay, no partridges, but there are more chickens than you can safely count).  Their goal is to make and teach connections between living things, but the annual flock of Lamppost interns can tell you that they learn how to do the sweaty part on the farm as well.  

These are just plain good solid people who open up their hearts and farm to those in need, wanting to make a difference.  As the Narnia bunch would tell you, when life gets rough, it’s always lovely to have someone who’s willing to leave the lamppost burning so others can find their way home.  C.S. Lewis would be proud.

 
Links:
http://www.lamppostfarm.com/
https://whatnerd.com/movies-with-hidden-meanings-deeper-metaphors/
https://iep.utm.edu/plato/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato
https://historycooperative.org/norse-mythology/
https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/
https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/apollo/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/keep-calm-poster/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien

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Andrea Tibbets of Clover Brooke Farm is our guest on today’s podcast.  We usually see her at the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival (Rhinebeck), but since at that fine event we see her running the Camelid Barn and running the Leaping Llama contest and running the Spitters’ Club and…well, just plain running, we decided it was way past time to visit her home turf.  For a walk.

One of the most peaceful things you can do, we found, is to take a hike through Hyde Park with a llama on a leash.  It sounds like something for people with way too much time on their hands, but were schooled about 10 minutes in, when Zen and an overall feeling of wellbeing descended.  We are converted, and will recommend a camelid stroll to anyone who just need a little bit of peace.  Peace, with a tippy tappy song in our hearts, that is.

 
Links:
https://cloverbrookefarm.com/
https://sheepandwool.com/events/competitions-shows/leaping-llamas/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhapsody_in_Blue
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043278/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

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