In this episode, we dive into the complex world of farming in the U.S. with award-winning writer, researcher, and podcaster Sarah Mock [https://sarahmock.substack.com/]. Join us as we discuss her provocative book, "Farm and Other F Words: The Rise and Fall of the Small Family Farm," and unravel the intricacies of the food and farm system. Sarah shares her journey from growing up on a small farm in Wyoming to becoming a leading voice in agricultural research and advocacy. We explore the myths and realities of farming, the impact of corporate farms, and the historical and ongoing issues of land ownership and consolidation. Don't miss this enlightening conversation that challenges our perceptions and offers a path to a more equitable food system.
They say there’s only one thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for and worth dying for. It’s not love or money, not vengeance or virtue — It’s land. To understand how the existence, value and costs and benefits of Ag lands affects us all, Sarah Mock unravels the mystique of the farm landscape. We love the U.S. Farmer. We trust them to be part of children’s nursery rhymes, to provide the economic backbone of rural communities and to embody ideals of the “American” dream and yet we recognize “corporate” farms are disrupting the oft romanticized, agrarian way of life we admire.
How do we preserve farmlands and the farms we love? In her book, Farms & Other F Words, Sarah Mock dismantles our misconceptions about farms in the U.S. and examines the who, what and why of small family farms. What works, what fails and why. Your house, your land and your concept of ownership have everything to do with the agricultural origins of the United States. Sarah Mock joins us now to offer an alternative perspective on agricultural history, reveal a path to a more equitable food system and re-examine the notion of private property for the benefit of future generations.
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Sarah Mock is an award-winning writer, researcher, and podcaster whose work focuses on the food and farm system. She is a freelance food, agriculture, and rural issues writer and author of two books: Farm (and Other F Words): The Rise and Fall of the Small Family Farm [https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Other-Words-Small-Family/dp/1636768202/] and Big Team Farms: Growing Farms Differently [https://www.amazon.com/Big-Team-Farms-Growing-Differently/dp/B0B14HYW4R/]. She is also the host and producer of the podcast, The Only Thing That Lasts [https://ambrook.com/research/podcast/the-only-thing-that-lasts] which explores the profound significance of land in the United States, revealing how it has been a driving force behind work, conflicts, and aspirations throughout history.
Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth.
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
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Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt
Hosted by Carry Kim
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Episode 235
Photo credit: Sarah Mock