145. Reclaiming Our Food from Field to Kitchen with CSA Farmer Mo Moutoux of Moutoux Orchard

Mary & Emma are on a brief hiatus and plan to return next spring. Please enjoy this episode that was originally aired in June, 2023

Emma and Mary are back from Emma's wedding, and they are spreading the joy with The Good Dirt. This episode features Maureen "Mo" Moutoux of Moutoux Orchards in Purcellville, VA. Mo has a Masters Degree in Anthropology, and farms with her husband Rob Moutoux, a 3rd generation farmer at Moutoux Orchards. They currently live on the family farmland with their two children, continuing the over 50 year legacy of the Moutoux family. In 2011, they opened their first CSA program, growing vegetables for dozens of family members (including Mary's household), and it has continued to grow each year. Their mission is to feed wholesome and nutrient-dense farm food to their community, because good food comes from good dirt. Mo shares her journey to becoming a farmer and reclaiming food from field to kitchen. She also discusses what a CSA is, how it has evolved over the years to reduce waste while providing a living wage for her family and team members, and the benefits of eating locally for both nutritional value and the environment as a whole.

Topics Discussed

• Slow Living Consult

• Journey to Becoming a Farmer

• Anthropology & Farming

• Creating a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program

• Investing in Your Local Farmers

• Sustainable & Regenerative Growing Methods

• How Systems Favor Multinational Corporations over Local Growers

• Romanticization of Farm Life vs. Reality of Running an Farm

• Commodity Farming vs. Sustainable Farming

• Reclaiming Food from Field to Kitchen

• The Food Offered in a CSA

• The Exploitation Behind the Cost of Affordability at Supermarkets

• Removing Guilt Around “Perfect” Sustainable Practices

• Food and Livestock Throughout the Seasons

• Reducing Waste in a CSA Program

• Transparency of Cost 

• Pesticides, Choosing Not to Be USDA Organic Certified, and Outsourcing For Specific Products 

• Preservation of Soil Throughout Every Harvest

• The Economics of Running a Farm

• Knowing Your Food Comes From

• A Farmer's Good Dirt

• Social Justice & Farming

• Maintaining Optimism as a Farmer 

Episode Resources:

• Mo's Interview with "Grounded Women: Stories of Women who Farm"

• Moutoux Farm's Whole Diet CSA Membership

• Rob and Mo's Story & the History of Moutoux Farm

• Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

• Food, Inc. (2008)

• Arcadia Center for Sustainable Agriculture

• The Rodale Institute

• Essex Farm

• CSA Directory

Connect with Maureen "Mo" Moutoux:

• Website: https://www.moutouxorchard.com/

• Instagram: @moutouxorchard

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Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

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