Turning Healthy Soil into Flavorful Produce for CSA with Amy Cloud of Three Rivers Community Farm

In this episode, Amy Cloud, of Three Rivers Community Farm, shares her journey from growing up on a farm and hating it, to a corporate job in Chicago, to organic farming with her family, owning and operating Three Rivers Community Farm in Elsa, Illinois. Amy has now been in the organic farming industry for 17 seasons. The discussion explores the challenges and rewards of sustainable agriculture, including the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, regenerative practices, and the importance of soil building. 

Three Rivers Community Farm, owned and operated by Amy Cloud and her husband José Lara, is located in Elsa, Illinois. The organic farm offers a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, providing locally sourced, nutritious produce to its members. The farm has a strong commitment to regenerative agriculture and soil health, using cover crops and compost to replenish nutrients in the soil. In addition to selling their produce at the Tower Grove Farmers Market and their on-site farm stand, Three Rivers Community Farm also offers a plant sale and hosts events to connect with their local community.

Most people only see the beautifully packaged, final food products at farmer’s markets and specialty grocery stores, but the Tangled Taproot podcast will showcase unique stories from small-scale midwestern farmers, entrepreneurs, and other thought leaders in regenerative agriculture. Guests will share their successes, challenges, and future goals for their own companies and for the sustainable farming industry. The podcast is brought to you by St. Louis-based sustainable food startup Mylk and Hummus, and hosted by M & H Founder John Cowan, Kitchen Manager and Recipe Developer Christin Jameson, and Jackson. 

Founded in 2020 by John Cowan, Mylk and Hummus makes on-the-go, chickpea-based snacks that focus on flavorful hummus varieties and ready-to-drink plant-based lattes. Mylk and Hummus products nourish the physical and mental endurance needs of today while considering environmental goals for the future. At Mylk and Hummus, plant-based food is made with ingredients proudly sourced through sustainable and regenerative agriculture where farming principles and practices enrich soils, restore watersheds, and lead to healthy ecosystems. The company operates on these principles to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to the reversal of global trends in climate instability, habitat loss, and the vitality of the natural world.

Discussion Points:

• Intro and background discussion - organic farming and Amy Cloud of Three Rivers
• The journey from corporate job to organic farming
• Cloud apprenticed at two Massachusetts farms before managing one in North Carolina
• Three Rivers Community Farm in Elsa, Illinois, enters its 17th season
• The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model for sales
• Regenerative agriculture practices 
• Organic farming requires a systems approach, focusing on soil health and holistic pest control
• Cover cropping used for soil protection, erosion prevention, and organic matter additions
• Ch