Ethical Agriculture: our wisest choice – Details, episodes & analysis

Today I speak about several themes that have arisen over the past 29 weeks. And, also advise that I am taking a break from the weekly schedule. I will return to taping the podcast in October and releasing episodes starting in November. 

When I return, I am going to add my own voice and cover topcis and issues in more depth. I hope you enjoy today's episode and will pick up again in the fall when I resume with regular episodes. 

This is part two of the interview with Kenton Zerbin where he speaks more about the nuts and bolts of behind the scenes of the tiny home build and also elaborates on a couple edible landscape projects he's completed in and around Edmonton. He also let's us know how to become a sponsor for the Tiny Home Master Plan. 

Show Notes:

Kenton Zerbin

Tiny House Master Plan - YouTube Channel

John Schneider is the writer and host of the popular Food Afield Podcast. John has been hunting the woods and hills around his Alberta home and beyond since he was a young boy. He has what he would call the "Sophie's Choice" of hunting persuits. A favourite for every season. And sometimes those favourites overlap. John focuses primarily on traditional bowhunting and flyfishing but also we cover the topic of wing-shooting, and other ethical dilemmas in his outdoor pursuits.

As an adult, John spent more than a decade professionally outfitting and guiding big game bowhunters and fishers across both Alberta and the Northwest Territories of Canada. He has published numerous articles for international publications and has appeared in hunting and fishing-related television, video, and book productions throughout his hunting career. More recently, John has been a part of the main cast of the award-winning video series "From The Wild", produced by Kevin Kossowan.

John's goal when in the field has always revolved around his love of cooking and wild food. We speak about the joy of acquiring wild food ingredients but also the heartache and real tears that come from taking a life. 

If you are at all interested in wild food aquisition, hunting, or ethics of eating, you will be sure to enjoy this episode. 

Show Notes:

Food Afield Podcast Webpage

John and Nichole Clayholt along with their three children, grain farm with John’s family, they have recently started raising laying hens, pasture raised poultry and outdoor/ free-run hogs. 

As a passionate food producer, Nichole will meticulously review customers cutting instructions with you and answer any questions you have about their new adventure. 

Nichole and John are not new to caring for animals as Nichole grew up on Flaghill Ranch learning the beef side of things and John grew up around pigs in their small farrowing barn.

Nichole and John hold strong values for animal welfare and are passionate about producing real food for real families. 

Show Notes: 

Suprise Hill Market

Steve & Amber Kenyon own Greener Pasteurs Ranching. They have a unique business model given that they do not own the land, nor do they own the cattle! Their custom grazing business model has been very financially effective. They keep strict finanaical goals to ensure this happens. And, they also have a priority to improve their environment, including the riparian areas, and the biodiversity both above and below the ground. In short, they are stewards of the land and animals that they don't even own. 

Being regenerative agriculturalists, they have 5 grazing principals: 

1. Repairing the water cycle. This is a major environmental issue they address head on. In a nutshell, they 

2. Collecting sunlight. We have limited days where light can be harnessed and put to work for soil, crop, and animal health improvement. 

3. Recycling nutrients. They realize that a key to regenerative agriculture is to put an end to the exporting of nutrients off the pasture. 

4. Building boilogy and increasing biodiversity both above and below the ground. 

5. Creating a polyculture of plants. When they focus on developing a varied system, then they know they increase their boidiversity in the flora and fauna above the ground but also below the ground. 

And, as if this isn't enough, they also run a bi-weekly podcast with Gateway Research Organization. 

They have worked with the University of Alberta to scientifically track their improvements in soil. They work off farm also to help educate farmers on carbon sequestration and crop and animal health improvement. They also discuss how the ranchers who are participating in regenerative agriculture movement are way ahead of the ecucational institutions who are still teaching and preaching outdated models. So sadly, the policy makers who are learning at universities instead of on the ground through experience are lacking in up-to-date scientific realities with respect to animal agriculture and soil building practices.  

If you remotely like the idea of animal agriculture, this episode will make you want to become a rancher!

Note: 

Website: Greener Pasture Ranching

Youtube: Greener Pastures Ranching

Gateway Research Organization

Regenerative Agriculture

Vinegar Guys 

Joel Salatin

Music: Kevin Martin

Today we speak with independent jounralist and author JB Mackinnon. Who, together with his partner Alyssa Smith, authored the book that is credited with putting eating local on the map. When they learned that the average ingredient in a North American meal travels 1,500 miles from farm to plate, they decided to launch a simple experiment. For one year, they source all thier food from within a 100-mile radius of their Vancouver apartment. 

Today's discussion takes us through his experniences while doing this local eating initiative. And he reveals insights, struggles, and deeper revelations about the way we produce and consume our foods. 

His latest book, The Day the World Stops Shopping is a provocative, deeply researched thought experiment exploring what life beyond consumerism might look like—and she shares with us his insights into how we can get there. 

Notes: 

To view a list of the author's work, click the link below and head to his website. 

JB Mackinnon website: https://www.jbmackinnon.com/

Related Books: Chicken Poop for the Soul: in search of food sovereignty

Music by: Kevin Martin 

Winter’s turkey farm is located approximately 30 km east of Calgary. If you have every wondered about turkey farming, this is the episode for you! 

The turkeys on their farm are raised humanely with high consideration for their comfort, health and well being. They have plenty of space to range in the sunshine and fresh air. They raise free range, certified organic and heirloom turkeys.

They farm so they have fresh turkeys available at Thanksgiving and Christmas and frozen turkeys and products are available year round from various retail outlets or direct from the farm.

Notes:

https://wintersturkeys.ca/

It is a simpler life that they have chosen. Yet, he describes why it is more rewarding than being stuck to a 9-5 job for a salary. 

We also touch on economic development issue in the food industry and how policy change might be the answer for a better more robust food production system. 

Sherry-Ann and her husband Kurt are rasing 8 children and grass-fed lamb, beef, and pastured pork, chicken, turkey, and eggs! 

Today she speaks about the joys of farm-life. But not everything is rosy. There are real difficulties and strugles to naviagting the ins and outs of running an econically viable sustainble ranch. Most noteably, the difficulties in finding a local butcher. An occupation, she laments, is no longer valued thanks to industrial food systems. Perhaps its time to do what Chef's Table has done for cooks, to butchers: make meat-cutting sexy again! 

Jeff is outspoken, knowledgeable, and the perfect combination between outrage and amused with respect to our industrial agriculture model. If you are remotely interested in learning about the realities of this model, you will enjoy this two part series. It's spectacular!