Root to Seed

Raya Abner and Lucy Peloso are COMCorps members serving with Community Food Initiatives (CFI). Raya serves with the community gardens program and Lucy serves with education programs, including school gardens and the Sprouts program. Raya and Lucy share the benefits of gardening, success stories, and how to get involved with school and community gardens. These gardens play a vital role in engaging, feeding, and educating the community.

Visit CFI’s websites: https://communityfoodinitiatives.org/

E-mail Raya: [email protected]

E-mail Lucy: [email protected]

Music by Jacob Schoeler

Michelle Ajamian recounts the origin story of Shagbark Seed & Mill, from federal funding to community loans. They speak to the importance of a strong regional food system and some of the struggles that we face in achieving it. Especially when it comes to staple crops like beans and grains that make up the majority of our plant-based calories.

More information about Shagbark Seed & Mill can be found at:

https://shagbarkmill.com/

To learn more about Michelle's work with the Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative check out:

https://ruralaction.org/our-work/sustainable-agriculture/asfc/

Annie Warmke recounts her personal history that led her to a career in activism, sustainability, and farming. We talk about the importance of advocating for women in agriculture, forest farming, mentorship, agritourism, and more. Please note that this episode contains details of domestic violence between 4 and 14 minutes into the episode, so skip to the 14 minute mark if that would make you uncomfortable.

More information about Annie and Jay’s work at Blue Rock Station can be found at:

https://bluerockstation.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BlueRockStationFarm/

Email [email protected] to sign up for the email list

Music by Jacob Schoeler

In this conversation, Paul Harper from Woodland Ridge Farm and Learning Center talks about his business endeavors in local food and agritourism, as well as his thoughts on nutrition and rural life.

For up-to-date information about Woodland Ridge Farm and Learning Center, call Paul Harper. His information, along with more detail on his work, can be found at:

https://woodlandridge.net/

https://www.facebook.com/woodlandridgectr/

Music by Jacob Schoeler

Ivan Orquera, the manager of the Veggie Van program at Community Food Initiatives, joins us in this episode to talk about the Veggie Van mobile market and how it plays a role in reducing food insecurity in southeast Ohio.

For more information on the Veggie Van:

CFI website: https://communityfoodinitiatives.org/programs/veggie-van.html

Veggie Van Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/618046922453191

We also mention a few other food access programs throughout the episode. You can find more information on each of those here:

CFI’s Donation Station

Rural Action’s Chesterhill Produce Auction

Chesterhill Buying Club

Produce prescriptions with Hopewell Health

Music by Jacob Schoeler

In this episode, we learn all about one of the best farmers markets in the state of Ohio - the Athens Farmers Market! We sit down with Market Manager Tanya Hire to discuss what it takes to sustain a local economy through efforts like supporting beginning farmers and making local food accessible for people in need. Listen til the end to learn more about getting involved with the AFM!

Reach Tanya at [email protected]

Learn more here!:

athensfarmersmarket.org

communityfoodinitiatives.org

In this episode, we close our series on the SNAP benefits program with a conversation with Tom Redfern, Director of Sustainable Agriculture at our local partner organization Rural Action. Tom helps us understand what makes an eligible SNAP vendor as we dig into the question “Why can’t places like Rural Action’s Chesterhill Produce Auction accept SNAP Benefits?”

SNAP guidelines are no obstacle to RA’s Sustainable Agriculture team, and Tom fills us in on all of the many ways they are making local food more accessible in Southeast Ohio and West Virginia. Tune in to learn more about food access programs like Country Fresh Stops, Produce Prescriptions and Rural Action’s partnership with the CFI Veggie Van and Donation Station!

Learn more here!

https://chesterhillproduceauction.com

https://ruralaction.org/our-work/sustainable-agriculture/

https://communityfoodinitiatives.org/what-we-do/veggie-van.html

In this episode, we sit down with our friend Patrick Tegge to discuss his work providing SNAP education classes through Ohio State University Extension. Patrick shares his perspective on the barriers that keep people from accessing SNAP, and what we can all do to support this essential program.

In this episode, we discuss SNAP benefits in-depth, along with the other vital programs that Athens County Job & Family Services brings to our region.

In this episode, we talk with Southeast Ohio locals about the health of our region.