Episode #9 - Wayne Swanson, Farm Coach with Swanson Family Farms, Hampton, Georgia

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Episode #9 - Wayne Swanson, Farm Coach with Swanson Family Farms, Hampton, Georgia

Wayne Swanson is a farm coach who helps farmers and food producers find out what they do best, and then shows them how to profit from their skills and natural talents. He also operates his own family farm specializing in pasture-raised meats, without using commercial feed, steroids or hormones. Wayne talks about how he relies on his corporate experience to help farmers make a better living, how to get more kids into agriculture careers, and ways that farmers and non-farmers can access government funds that help them improve or conserve land. 

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Episode #8 - Klaas Martens, Visionary Farmer and Systems Thinker, Penn Yan, New York

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Episode #8 - Klaas Martens, Visionary Farmer and Systems Thinker, Penn Yan, New York

Klaas Martens, organic farmer and visionary thinker on systemic changes related to agriculture, talks about everything from crop insurance and food security to managing erosion, supporting soil health, improving public health and water quality in cities by changing the way we farm in rural areas, and how we can help farmers earn a living in the face of natural disasters that are getting more severe and more frequent.

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Episode #7 - Nyema Clark, Founder of Nurturing Roots Farm in Seattle, WA

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Episode #7 - Nyema Clark, Founder of Nurturing Roots Farm in Seattle, WA

Nyema Clark founded Nurturing Roots Farm eight years ago on land rented from Bethany United Church of Christ in Seattle, where her nonprofit worked hard to make the soil productive, provided food for the community, and increased the value of the land. On March 1 she was notified they would have 30 days to vacate the land. While they currently seek a new place to farm, their experience is instructive for urban agriculture across the country, especially for young people trying to become farmers in cities.

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Episode #6 - Suzanne Hunt, Co-owner of Hunt Country Vineyards and VP, Policy at Generate Upcycle; and, Nicole Carta, Adjunct Professor at Fordham University and former United Nations officer

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Episode #6 - Suzanne Hunt, Co-owner of Hunt Country Vineyards and VP, Policy at Generate Upcycle; and, Nicole Carta, Adjunct Professor at Fordham University and former United Nations officer

Recorded before a live audience at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center Campus in New York City, Suzanne Hunt and Nicole Carta talk about how the upcoming U.S. Farm Bill can be used to help farmers stay on their land, improve soil health, and fight the climate crisis. We also discuss how the war in Ukraine affects global food security, the role of business, and how to increase civic engagement to shape the Farm Bill over the coming months. 

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Episode #5 - Wahleah Johns, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs

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Episode #5 - Wahleah Johns, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs


Wahleah Johns is responsible for upholding and advancing the Office of Indian Energy’s mission to maximize the development and deployment of energy solutions for the benefit of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Johns is a member of the Navajo (Diné) tribe and comes from northeastern Arizona. Her background is in renewable energy and community organizing, having co-founded Native Renewables, a nonprofit that builds renewable energy tribal capacity while addressing energy access. 

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Episode #4 - Matt Griggs, Owner/Operator of Griggs Farms, Humboldt, Tennessee

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Episode #4 - Matt Griggs, Owner/Operator of Griggs Farms, Humboldt, Tennessee

Matt Griggs is a fifth-generation corn, wheat, soybean, and cotton farmer working hard to transition his farm to regenerative agriculture. We talk about the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill, and how it can prioritize helping farmers earn a living through the carbon they sequester, while also allowing them to better withstand the effects of extreme weather and improve global food stability.

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Episode #3 - Andria McClellan: Councilmember - Norfolk (Hampton Roads), Virginia

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Episode #3 - Andria McClellan: Councilmember - Norfolk (Hampton Roads), Virginia

Councilmember Andria McClellan of the City of Norfolk, Virginia discusses how flooding affects national security, how the Hampton Roads region can help lead the country's adaptation, mitigation, and resilience efforts, and what she's learned about successful cooperation across jurisdictional and political divides.

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Episode #2 - Hon. Sharon E. Burke, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense

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Episode #2 - Hon. Sharon E. Burke, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense of Operational Energy, Sharon Burke, discusses the military’s ongoing efforts to reduce its petroleum dependence, accelerate the energy transition for the nation, stay strong through the climate crisis, and the interconnection between human security and the natural environment.

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