The risks and rewards facing young farmers
Vanessa García Polanco is from a farming family that emigrated to the US when she was a teenager. Now she works with the National Young Farmers Coalition advocating for policies that help young farmers, new farmers, and farmers of color–who are often ignored, as infrastructures tend to serve larger commodity producers–especially during the global pandemic.
Show Notes
1’57 welcoming and supporting young farmers
3’13 new farmers and people who come from farming families
4’47 why young people are going into farming
6’26 challenges for young and beginning farmers
7’36 example of discrimination
8’14 challenges during Covid pandemic
8’50 not only income losses but also higher expenses
9’35 relief programs not oriented toward smaller farmers but rather commodity farmers
10’49 why are fruits and vegetables considered “specialty crops”?
11’44 changes in policy that would help farmers and make the system more resilient
13’01 managing more risk
13’47 “food justice”
15’38 food justice and environmental justice
16’33 #Food Justice Fridays
18’43 two different ways of looking at fast food
21’19 reframing “climate refugees”
23’20 knowedge base of immigrant farmers
24’13 Vanessa’s family background from agrarian traditions in the Dominican Republic
26’10 getting involved with National Young Farmers Coalition and finding community
28’24 solidarity among different ethnicities within agriculture
More Episodes
Episode 164 – From Suburban Chicago to Rural Montana: the Journey of a Bison Rancher
From Suburban Chicago to Rural Montana: the Journey of a Bison Rancher Matt Skoglund was an attorney with a conservation non-profit, but over time was drawn to work on the land. With no prior agrarian experience he started a successful bison ranch using regenerative...
Episode 163 – A Matter of Conscience: Will Harris on Regenerating an Industrial Ranch
A Matter of Conscience: Will Harris on Regenerating an Industrial Ranch In his new book, Will Harris describes the moment when he saw that his industrial ranch was cruel to animals and bad for the land. Before he'd ever heard the phrase "regenerative grazing" he...
Episode 162 – The Robber Barons of Today’s Food Industries
The Robber Barons of Today's Food Industries Iowan Austin Frerick saw his home state transform from a world of farms to one of toxic factory food and hollowed out rural communities. Yet he offers optimism and real solutions. Austin Frerick grew up in Iowa, which in...