Interview with Eli Rogossa

This week, an interview with Eli Rogosa of GrowSeed.org. Rogosa has been traveling the world to bring heritage wheat back to western Mass with the goal to provide non genetically modified wheat that will thrive in New England soil.

She will discuss her efforts trialing 13 varieties of wheat at UMass Extension, including a breed that was successfully grown in the region in the 1600's and talk about bread she makes from an ancient wheat she discovered ten years ago in middle east. The wheat, einkorn, is pictured here.

The work Eli is funded by various sources and collaborators from the area and internationally to provide a nutrient rich soil and plant winter wheats which do better in New England. Soft has less gluten, hard has more.

EVENT:  Growing Local Bread with Heritage Wheat

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

 1:00 to 3:00 UMass Research Farm, River Road, Deerfield
3:30 to 5:30 Colrain Seed Farm, 400 Adamsville Rd. Colrain MA (Growseed.org Farm)

Next Show - May 4, 2010 at 6:30 pm

Featuring:


Anatomy of a Farm: Mountainview Farm


Interview with owners Ben and Liz Perrault at their Easthampton home. Best local farm (CSA) according to Valley Advocate Readers Poll in 2009 and 2010

AND

Interview with organizer of Biker Benefit for Seeds of Solidarity of Orange MA.

News and Calendar as well....

April 20, 2010

Featuring:


CISA and Chicoine Family Farm 


Interview with Margaret Christie, Special Projects Director of the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) will discuss the organization's funding opportunities for small farms and local food producers.

Chicoine Family Farm is a purveyor of local beef to Local Burger, Sylvester's Restaurant, River Valley Co-op and other establishments. Owner Susan Chicoine will be in the station to speak about their battle to continue leasing land for their farm from the City of Easthampton.  

News and Calendar as well....

Next Show - April 6, 2010

Featuring:

Wild Blueberries....
interview with owners of Benson Farm of Heath, MA. Hear about their wild blueberry harvest (unsprayed and low bush) and efforts to create at trust for the farm. We will also be speaking with Margaret Christie of CISA who how local food producers can attain funding for growth.

News and Calendar as well....

Benson Place Wild Blueberries
Heath, MA

Photo by Melinda Baughman

Why a Salad Costs More than a Big Mac

This Week's Show - March 9, 2010

Featuring:
interview with Ryan and Sarah Voiland, owners of Red Fire Farm of Granby, MA. Hear about extended season growing, their expansion to Franklin County, the growth of the farm itself and upcoming summer events.

and

the Owners of Tabella Restaurant of Amherst will talk about farm to table cuisine in the Valley and how they have forged relationships with local growers and customers.

This Week's Show - Jauary 12, 2010

Featuring:

Interview with Joel Salatin, the keynote speaker at this week's upcoming NOFA Winter (1/16) event in Worcester will discuss his book, Everything I Want to Do is Illegal, war stories on the local food front and other topics relating to keeping food real.

In 1961, Joel's parents purchased an eroded farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Using nature as a pattern, they and their children began the healing and innovation that now supports three generations. The Salatins planted trees, built huge compost piles, dug ponds, moved cows daily with portable electric fencing, and invented portable sheltering systems to produce all their animals on perennial prairie polycultures.

Today the farm, Polyface, Inc ("The Farm of Many Faces") represents a model of America's non-industrial food production. Joel strives to develop emotionally, economically, environmentally enhancing agricultural enterprises and facilitate their duplication throughout the world while pushing environmentally-friendly farming practices toward new levels of expertise. Polyface achieved iconic status as the grass farm featured in the New York Times bestseller Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. Most recently Joel has been featured in the movie Food, Inc that explores the hidden, and often shocking, side of the nation's food industry.

Photo: The Salatin Family, photo provided by Polyface.

We'll also be speaking with Amy Cotler, author of The Locavore Way. The Berkshire resident who has tested thousands of recipes and wrote the definitive guide to serving healthy local food in Massachusetts Public Schools will talk about her new book.

Plus news & upcoming events......