Organic Apples – Mindset and Methods
Episode 2:
Jim Koan –
Almar
Orchards
About Jim Koan
Jim Koan was born into a family that had been growing apples in Michigan’s Genesee County since the mid-1800s. After completing degree programs in psychology and education at The University of Michigan and beginning a career teaching, Jim and his wife Karen – also an educator – continued working on the farm during their off hours to supplement their income.
In 1978, Jim and Karen left their teaching careers to help run the orchard, with Jim ultimately becoming a full partner and then owner of the family’s conventionally managed operation, Almar Orchards. more
s03e01 – Joe Scrimger – Nitrogen, Water, and the Farm
Restoring Soil Vitality
Episode 1: Day One
Joe Scrimger:
Bio-Systems II
Restoring Soil Vitality | Length: 1:07:43
“Nitrogen’s not the issue. It’s putting on too much at one time… But even organically, we have to have nitrogen from someplace… What we try to do in the conventional world is get those farmers to use at least three different sources of nitrogen that release at three different times.” – Joe Scrimger
Joe Scrimger connects the dots between nitrogen use on the farm, soil health and water quality.
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s02e05 – The Farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor
A Hospital Farm is Part of the Cure
Episode 5:
Amanda Sweetman:
The Farm at
Trinity Health
Cultivating a Healthy Community
Amanda Sweetman describes how a small farm on the hospital campus of Trinity Health St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor is having a big impact on food, medicine, community health, and local agriculture.
Cultivating relationships (in addition to vegetables, flowers, and hay), The Farm at Trinity Health features a CSA that connects people with fresh produce from local farms.
Note: During the production of this podcast, the name of the farm changed from The Farm at St. Joe’s Ann Arbor to The Farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor.
More about The Farm at
Trinity Health Ann Arbor
About Amanda Sweetman
Amanda Sweetman graduated from the University of Michigan in 2007 with a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and from Utah State University in 2012 with an MS in wetland plant ecology. After working as a scientist, farmer, educator, and chef she landed her dream job as the Farm Manager at The Farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor in 2015.
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s02e04 – Argus Farm Stop
Game Changer for Local Food Economy
Episode 4:
Kathy Sample &
Bill Brinkerhoff:
Argus Farm Stop
Next Generation Farmers Market
With a mission to support local farmers, Argus Farm Stop is a brick-and-mortar food retailer selling 100% locally produced food. Launched in 2014 by Kathy Sample and Bill Brinkerhoff, today Argus works with over 200 producers to keep shelves fully stocked year round. The farm stop consignment model ensures that 75 cents of every food dollar goes directly to farmers. In this podcast we explore what it takes to start a farm stop and how it can benefit your local food system.
About Kathy Sample & Bill Brinkerhoff
With the launch of Argus Farm Stop in 2014, Kathy Sample and Bill Brinkerhoff transformed their passion for local food into a community mission. Having subscribed to CSAs for years, the married co-founders wanted to find a way to strengthen area farms and bring healthy local food to consumers.
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S02e03 – Barry Lonik – Buy-Protect-Sell + Leadership = Saving the Aprill Farm
Buy-Protect-Sell + Leadership =
Saving the Aprill Farm
Episode 3:
Barry Lonik –
Treemore Ecology and
Land Services
Saving the Aprill Farm
Organic grower Jim Koan reflects on the mindset needed to succeed with perennial crops like apples that require longer-term investments of labor and capital.
[wpv-conditional if=”( $(wpcf-episode-part) eq ‘0’ )”]About Jim Koan
Barry Lonik has led the effort to establish the model farmland and natural area protection programs in Washtenaw County for nearly 30 years, some of the most successful in Michigan. Barry started the Legacy Land Conservancy and served as its first executive director for six and a half years, developing it into an effective nonprofit organization.
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