In the final episode of our limited series podcast, our host Ron Kroese moderates a discussion on the 1980s farm crisis. This is a continuation of the roundtable discussion from the last two episodes. Each individual played an important role in the work of National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and its predecessor efforts. During the first week, we focused on the formation, development, and accomplishments of NSAC over the past three decades, through 5 farm bills and 27 appropriation bills. Last week, we focused on successes, challenges, and took a deeper look at the organization. T ..read more

This week, we focus on successes, challenges, and take a deeper look at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). This is the second of three episodes of a roundtable discussion moderated by host Ron Kroese. Next week, we’ll talk about the 1980s farm crisis and share stories about those who made an impact on sustainable agriculture policy along the way. Last week, we focused on the formation, development, and accomplishments of NSAC over the past three decades, through 5 farm bills and 27 appropriation bills. Each individual played an important role in the work of NSAC and its pre ..read more

In the final three episodes of our limited series podcast, our host Ron Kroese moderates a discussion. Each individual played an important role in the work of National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and its predecessor efforts. This week, we focus on the formation, development, and accomplishments of NSAC over the past three decades, through 5 farm bills and 27 appropriation bills. Next week, we’ll focus on successes, challenges, and take a deeper look at the organization. In the final week, we’ll talk about the 1980s farm crisis and share stories about those who made an impact on su ..read more

Joyce E. Ford and Jim Riddle have worked tirelessly on organic agriculture policy in the state of Minnesota, nationally, and internationally. This week, Ron Kroese talks with the long-time organic farmers and sustainable farming advocates from Winona, Minnesota, who share their numerous accomplishments, stories of colleagues they’ve worked with throughout the years, how they got started in the organic field, and what’s next for organics. For more than 30 years, Jim has been an organic farmer, gardener, inspector, educator, policy analyst, author, and avid organic eater. Joyce started her caree ..read more

Bob Bergland’s vision and leadership led to the government’s first initiative in organic and sustainable agriculture. This week, our host Ron talks with Bob about his several decades of public service, with the interview focusing primarily on four studies. This was recorded in 2017, one year before Bob passed away. Robert (Bob) Bergland was born on July 22, 1928, on a farm near Roseau, Minnesota. He lived in the community until he passed away in December 2018 at the age of 90. In 1963, he went to work for the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, first at the state level in Minn ..read more

Elizabeth Henderson was raised by people concerned with peace and justice, which shaped her life path. This week, Elizabeth sits down with our host, Ron, and talks about community-supported agriculture (CSAs), organic ag, and food justice. She is a long-time activist for local and national policies and programs to advance socially and economically just sustainable agriculture—both in the US and abroad. She may be most known for helping shape the landmark organic food policy act of 1990, but tells us about much more. Elizabeth farmed at Peacework Farm in Wayne County, New York, producing organi ..read more

Mark Winne is a renowned lifelong advocate for policies to advance equitable and sustainable food systems in the U.S. and throughout the planet. On this week’s episode, Mark speaks with host Ron Kroese about food policy councils, farmers markets, food banks, farm to school, youth nutrition, and farmland preservation. Mark grew up in the Garden State, watching gardens disappear, and became sensitive to food production and commercial ag production. He carried that forward, along with a desire to “do something about hunger.” From 1979 to 2003, Mark Winne was the executive director of the Hartford ..read more

-------- Bob Scowcroft’s story continues this week, and he is joined by Mark Lipson as well as host Ron Kroese. Mark begins the conversation at the end of 1987, when Bob joined California Certified Organic Farmers as executive director. About 18 months into Bob’s tenure, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Santa Cruz area (right at the same time Mark set up a new computer and inserted a floppy disk), forcing the organization to relocate offices. Then, both Mark and Bob were thrust into the state and national spotlight as two organic bills made their way through legislature in California and in ..read more

If you thought you heard sustainable ag history stories, make sure you listen to this one. In this week’s episode, Bob Scowcroft talks with our host Ron Kroese about the beginning of his sustainable agriculture career. Then, next week, Bob will be joined by Mark Lipson to continue the conversation. Bob begins by telling us about his early golf career. Then, while in college he was bit by the travel bug—on one trip, he and several others traveled in a VW van through Canada to California for a Grateful Dead concert—they were a day late and missed the show. He took trips to Africa, Alaska, and he ..read more

Jill Shore Auburn was a National Program Leader at the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture from January 1998 until her retirement in April 2017, managing grant programs for research and extension on sustainable agriculture, local/regional food systems, rural community development, and beginning farmers and ranchers. In this week’s episode, she and our host Ron Kroese chat about how she got into this work and she walks us through ~30 years of working in sustainable ag. She talks about the origin and structure of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program; a ..read more