In this first of two Deep Roots Radio interviews, journalist Elspeth Hay introduces us to her fresh off the presses book, Feed Us With Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food.
She describes what describes what agriculture looked like before Columbus, how European settlers forced change, and what we’ve lost in a cloud of myth and misinformation. Ms. Hay moves us through a re-examination of permaculture, as well as economic and social opportunities possible in the future.
Elspeth Hay is a writer in print, radio and online, focused on food, the environment, and the people, places and ideas that feed us.
She is the creator and host of The Local Food Report, a weekly feature that has aired on Cape Cod’s NPR station since 2008.
Land Stewardship Project has been working for the health and growth of small family farms and practices that restore soil health, and extend the affordable access to land.
In this Deep Roots Radio interview Laura Scheiber, LSP's Government Relations Director, describes the links between public policies and how food is grown and processed. She also argues that policy makers - our elected officials - pay attention to calls, letter and visits from the people who live and work in their districts.
Laura joined LSP in 2018 and helped launch their Local Foods Campaign. Driven by how the farm and food system can be a vehicle for climate action and positive change in people's day to day lives, she was a policy organizer in 2020 leading campaigns on soil health and climate, land access, and regional food systems at the state legislature. In January 2025, Schreiber began to lead LSP's Government Relations work, driving forward LSP's legislative agenda and the state and federal level working with farmers, rural residents and supporters to bring their voices to the Capitol and pass legislation that invests in a more sustainable farm and food system.
Laura is a graduate of University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with degrees in Urban Studies and Public Relations and lives in Northeast Minneapolis with her Springer Spaniel, Sesame.
When we think of gauging the health of our soils and water, we usually imagine lab tests. When we say the word "farm," it's common for images of livestock and row crops to come to mind.
However, just as the "canary" came to signal toxic air conditions in a coal mine, there are animals that can flag dramatic shifts on farm land and ground water.
In this Deep Roots Radio interview, herpetologist Christopher Smith describes how reptiles, turtles and salamanders are indicators of shifts in how we're using land and water. The impacts can be surprising at times.
Chris is a Minnesota-based Certified Wildlife Biologist, specializing in endangered species conservation and ecology, and with an emphasis is on amphibians and reptiles (herpetolgy).
He administers the Amphibian and Reptile Survey of Minnesota, and is Director of Public Affairs for the global HerpMapper project (HerpMapper.org)
Co-host Dave Corbett and I hope you enjoy this interview.
#farming, #regenerativeagriculture, # herpetology
It's spring: time to find and schedule on-farm adventures all across Wisconsin. One you don't want to miss is The Classic Green Reunion, June 12-14, 2025, West Bend, WI.
In this Deep Roots Radio interview, Sheila Everhart, Exec Dir of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association (WATA), describes how the Classic Green Reunion combines the best of farm food, family-friendly activities, loads of John Deere memorabilia.
There are also opportunities for real on-farm experiences thanks to two bus tours to nearby farms offering great food, and hands-on fun. Each bus tour will visit five separate farms, each offering unique tastes, field walks, and more.
To reserve your ticket for the bus tours, visit ClassicGreen.org. To learn more about agricultural tourism visit wiagtourism.com.
#agtourism. #agritourism. #wiagtourism. #classicgreenreunion
Who can resist a cuddly lamb or bouncing baby kid? It seems thousands of us love watching videos about them. Well we don't have to settle for virtual clips. Every Spring, Govin's Farm, in Menomonie, Wisconsin opens its barn to visitors so that they can experience the joy of farming as new life comes to the farm.
Their Farm Babies event runs for five weeks in March and April. Visitors, young and not-so-young, are provided real farm babies to hold and enjoy. If you've got a lap, the farm staff will help you cuddle the brand new lambs and kids, wriggly piglets and fluffy chicks.
Parking is free and plentiful. Snacks, lunch and beverages are available for sale.
Govin's Farm is a real, working farm where John and family raise sheep and lamb, and crops. They welcome you to this spring time event, as well as berry picking in the summer, and a corn maze and pumpkin patch in the fall.
I hope you enjoy this interview.
This episode originally aired in 2023.
We think we know honey. As kids, we drizzled it on toast, dolloped in into tea, and swirled it onto cereals. But now we can tap into its real power: as medicine, and especially wen combined with other helpful herbs and spices. This is nothing new, says Dawn Combs in this Deep Roots Radio interview. A sustainable beekeeper, ethnobotanist, herbalist and farmer, Dawn is author of Sweet Remedies: Healing Herbal Honeys. She has contributed to numbers of publications, and has been featured on Martha Stewart, NPR, the New York Times, at Slow Food Nation, the Washington Post and Mother Earth News. She is also the author of Healing Local, and Conceiving Healthy Babies. She can be reached on social media and https://dawncombs.com
Deep Roots Radio in-studio chat with Alondra Cano, the energy and collaborator behind the Engine Room, in downtown Amery, WI. The new cocktail bar is just off the blocks and gaining speed with expertly crafted cocktails and artisenal foods featuring the ingredients and flavors of the Upper St. Croix watershed.
Cano describes the menu, as well as efforts to attract area chefs and creative businesses to the recently renovated space on Amery's main street.
In this 5th Deep Roots Radio conversation, Anne Stobart describes major considerations when designing a medicinal forest garden of any size. In our chat, she talks about the steps she took - over several years - to establish and grow Holt Wood in Devon, England. Anne is an experienced and formally-trained clinical herbalist, permaculture practitioner and teacher, lecturer, and earned her Ph.D. through research in medicinal history. She is the author of Household Medicine in 17th Century England (2016), The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook (2020), and Trees and Shrubs that Heal (2024). Her website, The Medicinal Forest Garden Trust, https://medicinalforestgardentrust.org,provides free downloads about trees and shrubs featured in her books, as well as links to her online courses. Anne publishes a biweekly newsletter, The Medicinal Tree Woman, https://annestobart.substack.com.
For additional audio podcasts, please search for Deep Roots Radio. Thanks.
In this 5th Deep Roots Radio conversation, Anne Stobart describes key considerations when designing a medicinal forest garden of any size. In our chat, she talks about the steps she took - over several years - to establish and grow Holt Wood in Devon, England. Anne is an experienced and formally-trained clinical herbalist, permaculture practitioner and teacher, lecturer, and earned her PhD through research in medicinal history. She is the author of Household Medicine in 17th Century England (2016), The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook (2020), and Trees and Shrubs that Heal (2024). Her website, The Medicinal Forest Garden Trust, https://medicinalforestgardentrust.org,provides free downloads about trees and shrubs featured in her books, as well as links to her online courses. Anne publishes a biweekly newsletter, The Medicinal Tree Woman, https://annestobart.substack.com.
Anne Stobart joined me for the third in a five-part series of Deep Roots Radio interviews about medicinal shrubs and trees that heal. A clinical herbalist, permaculture designer, and author, Anne holds a PhD from her extensive research into the history of medicine. This Deep Roots Radio conversation focused on how herbal medicines were used in 17th century England. Anne described the challenges of researching the herbal practices, investigation that had her searching through personal diaries, letters and account books to find evidence of herbal remedies in the homes of the middle and upper classes. In addition to the three books Anne's written -- Household Medicine in Seventeen-Century England (2016); The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook (2020); and her latest; Trees and Shrubs That Heal (2024) -- she provided links to free resources: -- Critical Approaches to the History of Western Herbal Medicine, edited by Susan Francia and Anne Stobart, https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.5... and -- Herbal History Research Network, https://www.herbalhistory.org/home/
This is the second of five interviews with Anne Stobart: clinical herbalist, permaculture educator, author, and presenter. Chatting from Devon, England, in this episode, Anne reviewed some of the medicinal shrubs and trees of North America. This series was prompted by the publication of her latest book, Trees and Shrubs That Heal (January 2024). Her earlier books include: The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook (2020), and Household Medicine in 17th Century England (2016). In this first episode, Anne described her urban background, and her formal and informal studies in the UK and in the USA. Anne holds a PhD from her extensive studies in this history of medicine. Future episodes will take a look at the history of Western Herbalism, and particularly in 17th Century England; herbalism safety; "at risk" medicinal plants and conservation measures; and how to use medicinal herbs.
You can go to her website, The Medicinal Forest Garden, to download free materials and learn about her online courses. You can also subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, The Medicinal Tree Woman, on substack.
This is the first in a five-part series with Anne Stobart, educator, author, clinical herbalist, and developer of medicinal permaculture forests. In this episode, Anne looks back and describes how she became interested in and focused on medicinal herbalism. She also explains her commitment to regenerative agriculture and to helping students see the wealth of plant-based remedies all around us. Anne has written three, deeply researched books that are approachable, understandable, and credible: Household Medicine in 17th Century England (2016), The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook (2020), and Trees and Shrubs that Heal (January 2024). Future conversations will cover a range of topics, including: the trees and shrubs of North America; the woody plants of England; the need to protect "at risk" medicinal plants; the history of using herbal remedies; and how to use herbs safely.
You can find free downloads on her website, The Medicinal Forest Garden Trust, and subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, The Medicinal Tree Woman.
This Deep Roots Radio Face-to-Face interview with Anne Stobart. It's the 4th of a 5-part series based on her latest book, Trees and Shrubs That Heal (2024). Stobart is a clinical herbalist, scientist, historian and author. Her other books on medicinal herbs are Household Medicine in 17th Century England (2016), and the Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook (2020). She joined me from her home in Devon, England. Anne refers to the list of 500 research study references supporting her book of 80 monographs, which is available for free on her website: https://medicinalforestgardentrust.org . You can sign up for her bi-weekly newsletter, https://annestobart.substack.com
In this Deep Roots Radio audio podcast, Anne Stobart tells of her experience with the many English trees and shrubs with medicinal value. This is the fourth conversation in a series of five about medicinal shrubs and trees.
Anne is an experienced and formally educated clinical herbalists, permaculture expert and teacher, lecturer and author. Her latest book, Trees and Shrubs that Heal, was released in the USA in January 2024.
You can find out more about Anne's online courses, and additional published materials (many available for free), on her website, Medicinal Forest Garden Trust; and in her bi-weekly newsletter, The Medicinal Tree Woman.
Visit my Deep Roots Radio YouTube channel to view her five interviews.
Did English peasants comb the woods for herbal remedies? Were physicians in the 1600s aware of the deadly impact of mercury and blood-letting? Anne Stobart gives us a glimpse into the use of herbal remedies as used in households and by apothecaries, physicians and surgeons.
With a PhD from her extensive research into the history of medicine, Anne is the author of Household Medicine in 17th Century England. A teacher of permaculture, she is also the author of The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook. And as an experienced clinical herbalist, she recently published her newest book, Trees and Shrubs That Heal. Anne's newsletter - Medicinal Tree Woman - is on substack.
This second conversation with master herbalist and author Anne Stobart focuses on several of the many helpful trees and shrubs she's encountered in her practice and in visits to the United States. These are plants you may have in your own backyard!
Anne is an expert in permaculture, clinical herbalism, a history and scientist. Her books include the recently published Trees and Shrubs That Heal, Household Medicine in 17th Century England, and The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook. She offers online courses, and her newsletter is available on substack.
What if you could get weather information - the details - updated every five minutes? Well, you can thanks to this widening network of weather monitors.
John Jeavons has proved his small-scale agricultural approach in communities all around the world. In this interview he describes how a living wage, environmental stewardship and food production can be achieved.
The director of Ecology Action, Jeavons is the author of the best-selling How To Grow More Vegetables (and fruits, nuts, berries, grains, and other crops).
With over 50 years of practical experience, Gerald Fry knows the powerful influence of genetics in building a healthy grass-fed beef herd.
