Release Date: July 12th, 2023
What does using your farm as a tool to fight the climate crisis actually look like? Co-host Stuart Oke sits down with four farmers from across the country to learn how when forced to change, age-old skills and tools can serve us well. Scaling up the contextual and unique solutions these farmers use are accessible to all if we use the values behind them as our guide – open-mindedness, adaptability, creativity, cooperation, and reciprocity.
Check out the links below for more on what you heard in this episode.
Other Episodes in this series
Episode 1: A Climate of Crisis
Episode 2: Omissions About Emissions
Episode 3: Cold Myths, Hot Takes
Episode 4: How Do We Use Our Land?
Episode 5: Climate Anxiety: Care in Crisis
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contributors
Madeline (Maddie) Marmor
Co-Host/Producer
Maddie is a landless farmer born in downtown Toronto. She has been farming for the past 8 years on farms throughout Ontario and has grown food on the current and traditional lands of the Houdensaunee, Anishinabewaki, Attiwonderonk, Mississauga, Odawa, Wendake-Nionwentsïo, Petun, Saugeene – Ojibiway nations. Over the years she has come to recognize the privilege and political significance of farming on stolen land, knowledge which has informed her dedication to food sovereignty and agroecology. She is an active member of the National Farmers Union, sits on the North American Nyéléni Coordination and accompanies systems change in food spaces as an adult education facilitator.
Stuart Oke
Co-Host/Producer
Stuart is a young farmer from Eastern Ontario who, alongside his partner Nikki, owns and operates Rooted Oak Farm, a 12 acre organic vegetable and cut flower farm. After years of renting land Rooted Oak in 2020 relocated to Eastern Ontario, and the traditional territory of the Anishinabek, Huron-Wendat, Haudensaunee and Oneida Peoples. In addition to loving food and taking pride in growing food that sustains people, the farm was founded on the idea that farming is a political act, one capable of creating great change.
www.rootedoak.ca | @rootedoakfarm
Brenda Hsueh
Guest
Brenda farms with her husband Skyler Radojkovic, and their daughter Emma at Black Sheep Farm, where they grow organically and raise sheep on pasture for lamb meat, fibre, and tanned lambskins. The farm was started by Brenda in 2009, who is a Canadian-born Chinese woman, who left a financial career in downtown Toronto to start farming.
Manish Kushwaha
Guest
Manish owns and operates Gaia Organics, an organic seed company based in the Ottawa area. Gaia Organics’ broad vision is to serve Canadian organic farmers by providing a diversity of Canadian organically grown seeds and to build an interconnected network among farmers.
Julia Smith
Guest
Julia operates Blue Sky Ranch, located just south-west of Merritt in the beautiful rolling foothills of the Coquihalla mountain range. The 21 acre farm is home to pastured cattle and Red Wattle Pigs.