What does the USDA organic seal really mean? The USDA organic seal represents decades of organizing within the agricultural community to establish a codified system of principles and practices for crop and food production that works in partnership with nature, rather than against it. In this episode, Kate speaks with two long-time organic advocates and farmers about the effort to establish and uphold a national standard for organic foods and the value of the USDA organic seal for the consumer and producer.

The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].

Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bios

Mac Stone was Executive Director of Marketing for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. He administered the Kentucky Proud Program and helped establish the USDA National Organic Program organic certification accreditation. He was the Certifier Representative on the National Organic Standards Board and is now Chair Emeritus. Mac recently retired from Kentucky State University, where he administered a grant program for small-scale farmers after 20 years of managing their research farm. He now focuses on farming and marketing organic foods with his family on Elmwood Stock Farm.

Harriet Behar has visited thousands of organic farms across the upper Midwest in her role as an organic inspector, educator, advocate, and conservation coach. Since the mid-1990s, she has taught inspectors, farmers, processors, government officials, bankers, and more about the organic regulations.  Her 216-acre farm has been certified organic since 1989, selling bedding plants, vegetables, herbs both fresh and dried, and small grains as well as honey and eggs.  She served on the National Organic Standards Board, with one year as the chair. She currently works with the Organic Farmers Association.

Helpful Links

 * Organic Basics [https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/organic-certification/organic-basics]
 * National Organic Program [https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program]
 * National Organic Standards Board [https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/nosb]
 * NOP Organic Standards [https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/organic-standards]
 * Organic Food Production Act 1990 [https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/senate-bill/2108]
 * Kentucky Proud [https://www.kyproud.com/]

Credits

This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka

Music

 * Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, from the Free Music Archive
 * Chasin It by Jason Shaw, from the Free Music Archive



Organic as a Movement

Any conversation about the future of farming eventually hits the issue of land access. Land is expensive, and within the market system a parcel of land will typically sell to the highest bidder– making existing farmland susceptible to development. But taking farmland out of private ownership can stabilize farmland and ensure it serves the community for generations. Our guests will share about the Farmland Commons model and what it looks like on the ground in East Knoxville, Tennessee.

The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].

Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bios

Femeika Elliot Femeika loves speaking passionately about transforming your everyday dishes into healthy masterpieces using fresh ingredients to uplift the lifestyle of others. She started her health foods brand Meik Meals, in 2019 and continued to pivot in the entrepreneurial scene to address major health crisis within the black community such as mental health, postpartum medical and food apartheid becoming the founder of The Lotus Program Experience and the Rooted East Knoxville Collective. Femeika brings her background of 6 years in whole foods education, sacred medicine and ancestral practice with over 10 years in the social work field serving marginalized and underrepresented communities. Femeika founded Rooted East Knoxville to address the inequities of the American food system; recreating the food landscape—increasing access for East Knoxville residents. She enjoys being a social justiceprenuer and advocates for marginalized communities as Black health, liberation and restoration remains at the forefront of her vision.

Ian McSweeney comes from generations of immigrants, refugees, activists, abolitionists, and colonists from southeastern Massachusetts. Ian is deeply committed to bringing about innovations to holistically evolve farmland conservation, equity, secure and affordable access and tenure to build community resilience ensuring regenerative, diversified food production that benefits soil, human, and community health. Ian is Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of The Farmers Land Trust.

Helpful Links

 * The Farmer’s Land Trust [https://www.thefarmerslandtrust.org/about/]
 * East Tennessee Farmland Commons [https://www.thefarmerslandtrust.org/commons/east-tennessee/]

Credits

This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka

Music

 * Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, from the Free Music Archive
 * Chasin It by Jason Shaw, from the Free Music Archive

Farmland Commons - A Legacy of Sustainability 

Antonio Delgado has been a trailblazer in northern Illinois’ food system since 1980, when he moved to Elgin from Michoacan, Mexico. He helped establish one of the region’s first farm-to-table restaurants and has since gone on to operate his own farm and farm-to-table restaurant. Kate speaks with Antonio about farming journey. This episode was supported by Raices Latinas, a storytelling project that celebrates the contributions of Latine farmers to McHenry county.

The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].

Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bios

Antonio Delgado is a farmer and restaurant owner based in Marengo, Illinois. He has been a life-long food entrepreneur, since working on his family farm in Paracaurao, Michoacan, Mexico. Antonio has carried the traditional farming practices he learned into his life as a farmer in Northern Illinois, where he currently owns and operates Rancho El Pitayo  and Isabel’s Family Restaurant. He believes in eating simply and eating well.

Sheri Doyel has been working with direct-market farmers for the past 20 years, supporting them through education, consultation, and networking.  In 2006, as the Farm Forager for the City of Chicago, Sheri recruited farmers to sell in the city-run markets and enforced producer-only standards at both City markets and the independently-run Green City Market.  For ten years at Angelic Organics Learning Center in Caledonia, IL, Sheri facilitated the year-long Stateline Farm Beginnings program and provided leadership to strengthen the CRAFT network (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training), as well as working nationally on best practices in farmer training via the Farm Beginnings Collaborative.  In 2019, Sheri joined McHenry County College as the Director for the new Center for Agrarian Learning.  She also owns and operates a very part-time farm business, Tiny Tempest Farm, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  Tiny Tempest Farm is a micro-nursery specializing in vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings for home gardeners.

Helpful Links

 * Raices Latinas [https://www.raiceslatinasmc.org/]

Credits

This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka

Music:

 * Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, from the Free Music Archive
 * Chasin It by Jason Shaw, from the Free Music Archive

From Mexico to Illinois, One Farmer's Journey

The Delta region of Arkansas is an area of intensive chemical agriculture. The controversial herbicide Dicamba is used heavily in the area, sprayed by airplane over thousands of acres of crops like corn and soybeans. In Phillips County, in the heart of the Delta, one community dreams of an organic farm. Kate speaks with Martin and Jennifer about the efforts to establish an organic farm in Phillips County and the challenges they’re up against.

The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].

Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bios

Martin Blocker [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Taouqvvni2W9SNo55kJFdggumA-5dUqJ/view?usp=sharing] is a farmer and lifelong resident of Phillips and Desha County. His family has been in the area for at least 160 years. He is an active organizer in the effort to establish an organic farm in Phillips County. He is trying to pass along the landmark knowledge of his ancestors to the next generation.

Jennifer Hadlock is a community organizer, genealogist, movement lawyer, and member of New Day Landmark Collective. She learned about the Elaine Massacre of 1919 as a Board member of the Fund for Reparations Now!! and was subsequently asked by Black massacre descendants and supporters to research land ownership and theft in Phillips County, Arkansas.

Helpful Links

 * New Day Landmark Collective [https://www.newdaylandmarkcollective.org/]
 * Arkansas official says vandals targeted him over dicamba [https://apnews.com/6c050cd64dfaa5fc83d8acb94787db94], Associated Press
 * The Elaine Riot, [https://archive.org/details/TheArkansasRaceRiot/page/n1/mode/2up] Ida B. Wells
 * These Walls Can Talk [https://if-these-walls-could-talk.shorthandstories.com/these-walls-can-talk/index.html], Elaine Legacy Center
 * American Congo: African American Freedom Struggle in the Delta [https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1m46fx0], Nan Woodruff

Credits

This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell. [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka.

Music:

 * Chiado by Jahzarr, from the Free Music Archive
 * Gentle Rain by John Bartmann, from the Free Music Archive

Going for Organic in the Arkansas Delta

In the 90s, a small team of researchers from the University of Missouri tasted some elderberry wine and wondered why this ubiquitous native fruit wasn’t a part of local farming operations. Nearly three decades later, Missouri leads the country in elderberry production. Kate speaks with Patrick Byers and David Buehler, two people who helped build the domestic elderberry market, about the cross-sector collaborations that made it possible.

The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].

Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bios

Patrick Byers [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_lYfMBw9N0AfE9sBv7Ch--igLI8KXzsF/view?usp=sharing], recently retired from the position of Horticulture Field Specialist with the Webster County office of University of Missouri Extension, was born in Nebraska and raised in the Midwest. His educational background includes horticulture degrees from the Universities of Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. Patrick’s 33-year career touched all aspects of horticulture, and his most recent job focused on advisement to fruit and vegetable farmers with the goal of supporting sustainability and profitability. His passions include berries (especially elderberry), garlic, native fruits and nuts, hops and orchids. In retirement he is developing his own homestead on 24 rocky Ozark acres in south Missouri.

David Buehler [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b_Fqr1bjXrT4SyLNBWr0V0e2YCFHjaJS/view?usp=sharing], known to most simply as Farmer Dave, is the founder and driving force behind Buehler Farms, which he owns and operates alongside his wife and business partner, Ann Buehler. Their farm sits on land that has been in Dave’s family since 1899. Buehler Farms serves as the umbrella company for their broader elderberry ecosystem, including ElderFarms, which produces finished consumer elderberry wellness products, and Nobleberry, their emerging functional elderberry soda line.

Dave has spent years studying and refining elderberry production, from nursery propagation to large-scale orchard design. Buehler Farms supports growers across the region through custom American elderberry installations with a berry buyback program, raw bulk product supply, and practical, experience-based consulting. His approach centers on clear communication, proven methods, and helping growers create real opportunities to diversify and strengthen their operations.

Dave’s vision is simple: help build a strong regional elderberry network where the small, ordinary farmer can thrive.

Helpful Links

 * Elder Farms [https://elderfarms.com/]
 * Elderberries are a successful niche crop at a crossroads: go big or stay small [https://www.kmuw.org/agriculture/2023-07-24/elderberries-are-a-successful-niche-crop-at-a-crossroads-go-big-or-stay-small]

Credits

This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka

Thank you to Jackie Casteel and Will Chiles for the inspiration for this episode.

Music:

 * Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, from the Free Music Archive
 * Chasin It by Jason Shaw, from the Free Music Archive

Developing Domestic Elderberry Production and Markets

Synthetic fibers make up 70% of the current fiber market. Natural fibers like flax linen and wool were once produced domestically as a necessity for clothing families– but today natural fiber production is largely relegated to hobbyists. Today’s guest is Charis Walker, a shepherd and sustainable wool advocate based in Southern Ohio. Charis and Kate talk about the motivation for organic practices in fiber farming and the place of fiber in US agriculture.

The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].

Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bios

Charis Walker is chief animal manager and shepherd of Tarheelbilly Farm in Willow Wood, Ohio. As a North Carolina native, is the Tarheel in Tarheelbilly Farm. A self-taught spinner, she also knits and weaves, and shears the flock. Her award-winning fleeces are sold to fiber aficionados far and wide, and her roving and yarn appreciated by fiber artists across the country.

Helpful Links

 * Tarheelbilly Farm [https://tarheelbillyfarm.com/]
 * Rustbelt Fibershed [https://rustbeltfibershed.com/]
 * Is there hope for a wool market in US Agriculture? [https://www.agdaily.com/livestock/is-there-hope-for-a-wool-market-in-u-s-agriculture/]
 * From Closet to Bloodstream: The Silent Microplastics Crisis in Fashion [https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianneplummer/2025/05/31/from-closet-to-bloodstream-the-silent-microplastics-crisis-in-fashion/]

Credits

This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka

Music:

 * Chasin It by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive
 * Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, Free Music Archive

Fields of Fleece - Fiber Farming in Ohio

Right tree, right place, right time. That’s one way to think about agroforestry, a farming methodology and movement that advocates for intentionally incorporating trees into farm operations as a way to support farm businesses and community health. Kate speaks with Kaitie Adams of the Savanna Institute and Liz and Nate Brownlee of Nightfall Farm about why trees are a critical part of the Midwest’s farming future.

The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].

Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bios

Liz and Nate Brownlee are livestock farmers in southeast Indiana. Together, they run Nightfall Farm, on Liz's family's land. They've converted fifty acres of corn and soybean land to silvopasture, where they rotationally graze meat chickens, laying hens, turkeys, pigs, and sheep. Their grazing practices sequester carbon and raise animals with care – which turns into very tasty meat and eggs. Find Nightfall goods via their CSA, at local restaurants and independent groceries, and farmers markets. All of this work is motivated by a love for the natural world, a desire to fight climate change, and a belief that food can bring people together.

Kaitie Adams leads the Demonstration and On-Farm Education Team at the Savanna Institute. Based in flat lands of East-Central Illinois, her work focuses on creative ways to connect people, build abundance, and create new futures on landscapes and in communities through perennial cropping systems. Her background in anthropology (M.A., 2015, SIUC) helps illuminate the deep ecological and social connections created through agriculture and informs her work on the ground. Adams is drawn to agroforestry for its powerful reimagining of a future that is abundant, perennial, and beautiful. Adams also teaches community classes on seasonal cooking, fermentation, and canning when not rambling around with her veggie-farming husband and rambunctious daughter.

Helpful Links

 * Savanna Institute [https://www.savannainstitute.org/about-us/]
 * Nightfall Farm [https://www.nightfallfarm.com/]
 * Agroforestry Could Transform Farming in the Midwest [https://www.earth.com/news/agroforestry-could-transform-farming-in-the-midwest/]
 * In This World ~Wendell Berry [http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/wendell_berry/poems/133#google_vignette]

Credits

This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka

Music:

 * Chiado by Jahzzar, Free Music Archive, CC BY-SA
 * Poor Man’s Groove by Mr. Smith, Free Music Archive, CC0 1.0 Universal License

Branching Out with Agroforestry in Indiana

Hannah Breckbill joins us for this episode of the Taproot Project to explore the networks that support queer farmers in the rural Midwest. Hannah founded Humble Hands Harvest in Decorah, Iowa, in 2016 – a worker-owned organic farm cooperative that produces about 30 types of vegetables, fruit, nuts and grass-finished lamb on 22 acres. She talks with Kate about what’s helped her thrive in her life as a farmer, why so many queer people want to farm, and the importance of community.

The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].

You can find new episodes from The Taproot Project wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bio

Hannah Breckbill [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xx1MW-Jqk-b38i1f1AkISIzRE9QWxOrT/view?usp=drive_link](she/they) loves to show up, to go deep, and to channel the power of relationships into right-sized action. She dedicates her community involvement to developing ever-better alternatives to conventional systems. She is a worker-owner at Humble Hands Harvest, a diversified direct-market farm in rural northeast Iowa, and is grateful for rain.

Helpful Links

 * Humble Hands Harvest [https://humblehandsharvest.com/]
 * Queer Farmer Network  [https://www.queerfarmernetwork.org/]
 * Wildcrafting Our Queerness Project: Metronormativity blog [https://maxwellcloe.com/education/wildcrafting/metronormativity]
 * Greater Minnesota Two-Spirit & LGBTQIA+ History Map [https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ff9c23776f1d4b729caac2d034f2a09f]
 * Surveying queer farmers: How heteropatriarchy affects farm viability and farmer well-being in U.S. agriculture [https://www.foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/1155/1127]
 * Mennonite Church USA [https://www.mennoniteusa.org/who-are-mennonites/faq-about-mennonites/]

Credits

This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka

Music:

 * Chasin It by Jason Shaw, Tunez by HoliznaCC0
 * Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze– all from the Free music Archive

Meet Hannah - A queer farmer thriving in rural Iowa

The prairie was once one of the largest and most ecologically complex ecosystems in the world. Today, most of that prairie has been replaced for farmland. Kate explores how the prairie is, and can be, part of our agricultural world through conversations with people who are restoring prairies in the Upper Midwest and advocating for the return of the prairie’s most important and iconic resident: the American Buffalo.

The Taproot Project is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance, and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].

You can find new episodes from The Taproot Project wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bios

Dawn Sherman [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uZzdnvAYb3FrXGhkb65EFzBpnExrwi6j/view?usp=drive_link] is passionate about returning Buffalo to Native lands, and improving the lives and economies of Native Communities. She brings more than 25 years of business expertise and entrepreneurial skills to her role as a founding board member and executive director of Tanka Fund. She is a member of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, where she represents her tribe, the Delaware Tribe of Indians of Bartlesville, serves as a founding board member of The Regenerative Agriculture Alliance, and represents her tribe on the board of the American Woolen Company.

David Wise [https://drive.google.com/file/d/18pWfZV1iFstLc23-Zi8bemsxk6Qug2De/view?usp=drive_link] is a descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the co-founder of Native Wise LLC, a farm focused on soil health, restorative farming and Indigenous agricultural practices. David and his wife Patra established a ranch in 2022 to establish their first bison herd and currently supply bison products to customers across the Midwest, with a focus on sharing cultural knowledge of bison with their community.

Mary Mallinger [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sjC_bIBpbB3kuGPbb_-DJW0NqWPD0d9L/view?usp=drive_link] is a Conservation and Engagement Biologist working for the Minnesota Zoo, with a master’s in Biological and Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island. She has spent an extensive amount of time with the Minnesota Zoo researching bison and their effects on Midwestern land.

Helpful Links

 * Native Wise LLC and Dancing Crane Ranch [https://nativewisellc.net/dancing-crane-ranch/]
 * What Happened to the Bison? [https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/what-happened-to-the-bison.htm]
 * A Complex Prairie Ecosystem [https://www.nps.gov/tapr/learn/nature/a-complex-prairie-ecosystem.htm]
 * Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd [https://mnzoo.org/conservation/minnesota/bison-conservation-minnesota/]
 * Tanka Fund [https://www.tankafund.org/]

Credits

This project was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka

Music and sounds:

 * I Want to Destroy Something Beautiful by Josh Woodward, Free Music Archive, CC BY
 * Remnants of Effervescence by Brylie Christopher, Free Music Archive, CC BY
 * Bison bellowing - Yellowstone National Park by Nivatius -- https://freesound.org/s/519594/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
 * Bodhisatva_PBP_Common_Yellowthroat.wav by Bodhisatva -- https://freesound.org/s/81764/ -- License: Attribution 3.0

Restoring Midwest Prairies and Reviving Indigenous Traditions

There is a robust and growing network of grassroots organizations supporting Detroit’s urban farming and food sovereignty movement. Kate speaks with Erin Cole and Shakara Tyler, two farmers and organizers working closely with the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network (DBCSFN), about their current projects and the values behind their vision.

The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [https://www.organictransition.org/].

You can find new episodes from The Taproot Project wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest Bios

Erin Cole [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i9PpWejvuI8mbrV2pm5mF5jn1zfiAqLm/view?usp=drive_link\]is a long-time Detroiter, educator, and urban farmer. She co-founded Nurturing Our Seeds nearly 15 years ago, born directly from a community need and built through a community-supported initiative. Nurturing Our Seeds is grounded in values of food justice and self-determination. They currently operate a CSA serving over 30 families and lead various community-driven programs that center food education, wellness, and land stewardship

Shakara Tyler [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ygAp4twWg9Ti15Q6coxcykkuaQTKeHnb/view?usp=drive_link] is a returning-generation farmer, educator and organizer who engages in Black agrarianism, agroecology, food sovereignty and environmental justice as commitments of abolition and decolonization. She obtained her PhD at Michigan State University in Community Sustainability and works with Black farming communities in Michigan and the Mid-Atlantic. She explores participatory and decolonial research methodologies and community-centered pedagogies in the food justice, food sovereignty and environmental justice movements. She also serves as Board President at the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN), board member of the Detroit People’s Food Co-op (DPFC) and co-founder of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund (DBFLF) and a member of the Black Dirt Farm Collective (BDFC).

Helpful Links

 * Nurturing our Seeds [http://nurturingourseeds.org/]
 * Detroit Urban Farming: Detroit Historical Society [https://archive.org/details/Detroit_Urban_Farming_with_the_Detroit_Historical_Society]
 * Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network [https://www.dbcfsn.org/](DBCFSN)
 * Detroit People’s Food Co-op [https://detroitpeoplesfoodcoop.com/]
 * Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund [https://www.detroitblackfarmer.com/] (DBFLF)

Credits

This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]

Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]

Podcast art by Geri Shonka

Music:

 * Chasin It by Jason Shaw, Tunez by HoliznaCC0
 * Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze– all from the Free music Archive

Digging into Detroit's Food Sovereignty Movement

Rows of corn, red barns, men in overalls. This is definitely part of the story of food and farming in the Midwest, but it’s not the whole story. The Taproot Project digs deeper. In each episode, you’ll hear about people across the Midwest who are reclaiming farming as a connector— to the land, to ancestors, and to a sense of purpose.

We talk with farmers, brewers, ranchers, conservationists, and historians about land, legacy, and what sustains their work.

The Taproot Project is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance, and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [https://www.organictransition.org/].

Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell.

Podcast art by Geri Shonka.

Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program

Shows