Best Janisse Ray Podcasts (2026)

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Ep. 47 Learning to Be in Place Through Seeds - Janisse Ray, author of Journey in Place 1:03:11

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4h ago1:03:11

1:03:11

I invited Janisse Ray for this New Year's Eve episode because I wanted to start the year grounded in the idea of place, rooted in connection, and inspired in your seed work. Janisse is a writer, naturalist, and farmer based in south Georgia.She is the author of The Seed Underground and Journey in Place, and writes the Substack Trackless Wild. In th…

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Ep. 46 Words Of Advice For Seed People 46:54

5d ago46:54

46:54

As we wrap up this year, I want to do something a little bit different. At the end of every Seed Farmer conversations I ask my guests two questions 1- What would you tell your younger seed-growing self? 2- What would you say to market growers & gardeners to inspire them to start growing seed? The answers I get are really wonderful and I often think…

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Ep. 45 I Wrote a Book with Julia Shanks! 31:59

9d ago31:59

31:59

So I've been quietly working on something since April. It hasn't exactly been a secret, but it has mostly stayed under wraps. In this episode, it's finally time to share that project. The big news: I've co-written a book with Julia Shanks of The Farmer's Office, and we've just submitted the manuscript to the publisher. In this episode, Julia and I …

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Ep. 44 Building Inclusive Seed Systems – Alexis Yamashita, Community Organizer 1:12:57

15d ago1:12:57

1:12:57

Alexis Yamashita is a community organizer, seed grower, and PhD student in Food Systems at the University of Vermont. Alexis has also been deeply involved with seed-based cooperatives. She helped found and served as co-director of Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance, she co-managed the seed racks division of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, and she…

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Ep. 43 Breeding Tomatoes and Talking Co-ops – Fred Thériault, Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm 45:19

27d ago45:19

45:19

Fred Thériault is a farmer and founding member of Tourne-Sol co-operative farm in Les Cèdres, Quebec, where they grow vegetables for 500 weekly CSA baskets and an acre of seed crops. I say "they" but I should guess I mean "we" because I farm with Fred at Tourne-Sol and we've been great friends for the last 25 years and have done all kinds of things…

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Ep. 42 Inside the Seed Farmer Mentorship 16:55

1M ago16:55

16:55

Here's a peek inside the Seed Farmer Mentorship—a guided learning experience I've created to help growers build the skills, systems, and confidence to produce high-quality seed on their farms. This winter, I'll be hosting the mentorship for the second time, and I'm excited to guide a new group of growers through hands-on learning, practical tools, …

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Ep. 41 Strengthening Local Seed Security - David Catzel of Farm Folk City Folk 50:15

1M ago50:15

50:15

David Catzel is the BC Seed Security Program Manager at FarmFolk City Folk, the Regional Program Coordinator for the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, and serves on the board of the BC EcoSeed Co‑op. He also grows seed at Fraser Common Farm Co‑op. In this episode, David shares his experience supporting growers, organizing cooperati…

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EP. 40 Let's Wrap Up Your Seed Season Review 20:31

1M ago20:31

20:31

You've reviewed your field records, gathered feedback from your team, looked at your sales channels, and even listened to your customers. Now it's time to bring it all together. This is the final episode of the 2025 Season Review Challenge! Let's pull together everything you've learned and turn it into a clear picture of your season. I'll also shar…

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Ep. 39 Overwintering Brassicas - Matt Bell of Johnny's Selected Seeds 59:25

2M ago59:25

59:25

Matt Bell has worked at Johnny's Selected Seeds in Albion, Maine, since 2018. He is currently a trial technician focusing on cucurbits, but today's conversation dives into some of his previous work with brassicas. Matt comes from a family with a long history of seed saving and continues that tradition by growing seed at home outside of his work at …

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Ep.38 Listen to Your Seed Customers - Season Review week 4 20:19

2M ago20:19

20:19

This week we're turning our attention to your customers. The people who actually buy your seeds. Whether you sell seed packs through your online store, seed racks in retail shops, or bulk seed on contract to other companies, this is the perfect time to connect, listen, and learn. This minisode is part 4 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I …

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Ep. 37 Look Back at This Year's Seed Sales, Season Review week 3 24:08

2M ago24:08

24:08

It's time to review your seed sales channels to see what's working and what isn't. Whether you're selling seed packs through your own company or bulk seed to other seed companies, there are a few metrics that will help you plan for next season. This minisode is part 3 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I want to make sure you take the time …

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Ep. 36 Team Reflections: The Seeds of Next Season 20:39

3M ago20:39

20:39

Gather the crew - it's time for a season review! This week on the Season Review Challenge, we're talking about doing a team season review. That means gathering everyone who worked alongside you this year, and looking back together on how the season went - not just from your perspective, but from theirs. Taking time for a team review might feel risk…

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Ep. 35 Complete Your Field Records, Start Your Seed Review 16:29

3M ago16:29

16:29

You might be busy harvesting carrots, planting garlic, and wrapping up the season - but this is also the perfect time to pause and look back at your growing season. Before all the details of the season fade away, take a moment to review what you actually planted, what you harvested, and how it all turned out. Completing your field records now, whil…

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Ep. 34 Roots Today, Seeds Tomorrow – Harvesting Your First-Year Biennials 23:37

3M ago23:37

23:37

All those roots you're harvesting for fall storage aren't just good for eating or selling at market. They are also the first stage of a biennial seed crop! If you've planted carrots, beets, turnips, onions, or winter radishes this season, you can choose the best roots now to grow a seed crop next year. This is another Seedy September minisode to re…

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Ep. 33 Last Call for Bean Seeds 15:56

3M ago15:56

15:56

Your bean plants might be winding down but that doesn't mean there isn't one last harvest in them. If you've been picking bush beans or pole beans all summer, chances are a few pods got missed. By now, those pods are starting to mature—and even if you didn't plan to grow beans for seed - those missed pods mean that you still have a chance to harves…

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Ep. 32 Mystery Squash Is Fun… Until It's Not 14:22

4M ago14:22

14:22

Head to your squash patch and grab a fruit or two — because inside, you've got a pile of seed waiting for you! Another Seedy September Minisode about what seed you can harvest from your fields right now. Now, squash is a bit different from peppers or flowers. Most of the time, I wouldn't tell you to start your seed journey with squash. But if you'v…

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Ep. 31 Don't deadhead - your flowers are full of seed 14:23

4M ago14:23

14:23

Head out to your flower beds and look for those blooms that have dried up and turned brown! This is another Seedy September minisode to realise that here is seed growing in your garden right now and all you have to do is go and harvest it. This episode is about all the opportunities in your cut flower garden. In this episode, we'll get into … • How…

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Ep. 30 Go And Pick Some Peppers For Seed Right Now! 18:36

4M ago18:36

18:36

Head out to your fields and pick some peppers then cut them open and take out the seeds! That's what I"m hoping you do as soon as this episode ends - or better yet, that is what I hope you do while you're listening to this episode. My goal with this podcast is to get more farmers to grow their own seeds. And September is the perfect time to do that…

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Ep. 29 Seeds for a Delicious Food Future – Adam Alexander, Author of The Accidental Seed Heroes 1:15:52

4M ago1:15:52

1:15:52

Adam Alexander is a film maker, writer, and gardener based in Wales. Adam is also the author of the upcoming book Accidental Seed Heroes: Growing A Delicious Food Future for All of Us. A chance meeting with a delicious pepper in a Ukrainian market in 1989 kicked off his career as a Seed Detective tracking down rare, endangered, culturally important…

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Ep. 28 From Growing for Seed Companies to Becoming One – Sebastian Aguilar of Summertime Seed Co. 1:01:30

5M ago1:01:30

1:01:30

Sebastian Aguilar runs Summertime Seed with his wife Kelly Gelino in Dayton, Oregon. This year they're growing 190 varieties on 16 acres. In this episode, Sebastian shares how they transitioned from vegetable farming to seed production, the challenges and benefits of mechanizing seed cleaning and harvesting, and how they recently launched their own…

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Ep. 27 Seeds That Know The South - Chris Smith of The Utopian Seed Project 1:19:34

5M ago1:19:34

1:19:34

Chris Smith is the founder of the Utopian Seed Project, a hands in the earth non-profit based in Asheville, North Carolina. Chris is also the author of the book the Whole Okra: A Seed To Stem Celebration Chris grew up in the UK and moved to the U.S. in 2012 with no formal background in farming, But that all changed when he received an okra pod and …

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Ep. 26 From City Boy To Seed Farmer - Patrice Fortier of La Société des Plantes 1:07:58

6M ago1:07:58

1:07:58

Patrice is the owner of La Société des Plantes, a farm based seed company in Kamouraska, Quebec. On his website, Patrice describes La Société des plantes as "une agence de rencontres entre les plantes et les jardiniers" which roughly translates to "a Dating Service for Plants and Gardeners." In this episode Patrice shares his journey from city boy …

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Ep. 25 The Organic Seed Alliance w/ Researcher & Educator Jared Zystro 1:04:52

11M ago1:04:52

1:04:52

Jared Zystro is a research and education director at the Organic Seed Alliance. Jared is based in Arcada, California. I invited Jared onto this episode so he can tell you about the Organic Seed Growers Conference in Corvallis, Oregon that is taking place from February 26th to March 1st, 2025. I first went to this conference in 2008 and it was the s…

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Ep. 24 Peasant Seeds with Léa Martinet Jannin & Ferdinand Beau of Buzuruna Juzuruna 1:15:40

1y ago1:15:40

1:15:40

Léa and Ferdinand are two of the twenty-two members of Buzuruna Juzuruna, a 2 ha seed farm and school farm in Lebanon. In this episode, Léa and Ferdinand define the terms "peasant seeds" and "balady seeds" and the challenges of finding local seeds in Lebanon. They also discuss the role of international seed banks in preserving seeds and the importa…

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Ep. 23 Mohawk Seedkeeper, Stephen Silverbear McComber 1:04:02

1y ago1:04:02

1:04:02

Stephen Silverbear McComber is a seedkeeper and a recently elected chief on the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke whose portfolio is sustainable development. Silverbear tells us about the seeds that different people shared with him while visiting different First Nations communities within the Confederacy. He tells us how he has taken care of these seeds…

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Ep. 22 Seed Work Across Time and Space & Allium Seed Breakdown w/ Heron Breen of Fruits of Our Labors 1:38:27

1y ago1:38:27

1:38:27

Heron Breen is this episode's guest. Heron grows seed on six acres at Fruits of Our Labors in St. Albans, Maine. In this episode, Heron and I discussed the nature of seed work as a plant-based meditation that encompasses sculpture, art, science, and quantum physics, and the generational connection that seed provides across time and space. And then …

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Ep. 21 Farm-Raised Kids w/ Author & Farmer Katie Kulla of Oakhill Organics & Growing for Market 1:21:06

1y ago1:21:06

1:21:06

Katie Kulla is the author of Farm-Raised Kids. A brand new book from Storey Publishing. Katie is also an illustrator, one of the hosts of the Growing For Market Podcast and farms with her husband at Oakhill Organics on Grand Island in rural Dayton, Oregon. In this episode, we do discuss Katie's brand new book but we also talk a lot about Katie's ex…

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Ep. 20 All the Things You Need to Know--Other Than Seed--to Launch a Seed Business w/ Ellen Rignell of Winnow Farm Seeds 1:27:52

1y ago1:27:52

1:27:52

Ellen Rignell has many years experience growing seed from her time at Trill Farms and as a program coordinator for the Gaia Foundation seed sovereignty program. But in this interview we catch Ellen at a new part of her seed journey as she's finishing the first growing season of her Winnow Farm Seeds, her very own seed company based in Dorset in the…

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Ep. 19 Starting a Seed Company, Seed as Spiritual Partner, & Refining Isolation Distances w/ Manish Kushwaha of Gaia Organic Seeds 57:44

1y ago57:44

57:44

Manish Kushwaha is a fourth generation seed farmer who had no intention of following the family tradition, but after a period working as a software engineer and thinking about what was meaningful to him, Manish decided to start working with seeds and ultimately start his own seed company, Gaia Organic Seeds in Ottawa, Ontario. In this episode, Mani…

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Ep. 18 Growing Seed in a Humid Tropical Climate with Gabriel Bravo of Semillas Plantae 1:30:34

1+ y ago1:30:34

1:30:34

Gabriel Bravo is one of the founders of the company Semillas Plantae and farms with Mima Picado at El Tablazo Farm in Costa Rica. In this episode, Gabriel talks about how Semillas Plantae is structured with 4 partners who operate the seed company and how they distribute their seeds. Gabriel explains how they source seeds from outside of Costa Rica …

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Ep. 17 A Seed Farmer's Favorite Tool, The Winnow Wizard with Mark Luterra 1:03:16

1+ y ago1:03:16

1:03:16

In almost every interview on The Seed Farmer, my guests and I wind up talking about tools. And one tool that podcast guests have mentioned more than any other tool is the Winnow Wizard. We use the Winnow Wizard at Torne-Sol Farm to clean seeds, so I understand the love that folks have for this machine. But I really wasn't expecting it for it to jus…

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Ep. 16 Wild Seed Collection, Working with Market Gardeners, & DIY Seed Equipment w/ Kim Delaney of Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds 1:15:55

1+ y ago1:15:55

1:15:55

Kim Delaney farms with Aaron Lyons and Stephen Surgenessie at Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds in Mount Forest, Ontario. They grow certified organic seeds on two farm sites for their online store and to distribute through Seedy Saturdays and through their wholesale seed rack program. In this episode, Kim discusses how she began her seed journey working …

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The Seed FARMER Podcast, Season 2 Preview + New Book 2:13

1+ y ago2:13

2:13

Dan Brisebois here, seed grower at Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm, spreadsheet crop-planning enthusiast, and also host of The Seed Farmer Podcast. Wait... The Seed Farmer Podcast? Isn't this The Seed Growers Podcast feed? Well, you are right - but let me tell you why there is going to be a name change... Mentioned in the show... The Farmer Spreadshee…

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Ep #12 | Michelle Dowd | Forager 14:30

2+ y ago14:30

14:30

Show Notes Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast limited series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Michelle Dowd is the author of Forager: Field Notes on Surviving a Family Cult. The book showcases her life growing up on an isolated mountain in California as part of an apocalyptic…

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Ep #11 | Susan Cerulean | Being with Shorebirds 22:19

2+ y ago22:19

22:19

Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. I want to welcome you to the show with a very special guest, the writer and my dear friend Susan Cerulean. Susan and I met in the mid-80s in Tallahassee, Florida, started a writing group, and basically…

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Ep #10 | Susan Usha Dermond | A Shedding Snake 13:37

2+ y ago13:37

13:37

Show Notes Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Bio Susan Usha Dermond is a teacher. She began her career teaching English in public high schools, then pivoted and taught for many years in the Education for Life system, mostly in the four…

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Ep #9 | Gary Grossman | Swimming with Fishes 16:06

2+ y ago16:06

16:06

Show Notes Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Ep #9 | Gary Grossman | Swimming with Fishes Gary is a scholar and multi-dimensional creator from Athens, Georgia. Gary recently retired as distinguished research professor of animal ecology…

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Ep #8 | Roseanna Almaee-Nejadi | Fog People 14:14

2+ y ago14:14

14:14

Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Bio of Guest Roseanna is an activist who lives in the Olympic Peninsula, in Port Townsend, Washington. She is a full-time volunteer. Born in Texas, she spent 30 years as an educator, teaching English a…

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Ep #7 | Mark Ray | Among Snow Geese 19:19

2+ y ago19:19

19:19

Show Notes Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Bio Although I share a surname with Mark Ray, we haven’t figured out a kinship other than our love of nature. Ray is a natural resources consultant who has managed over 500 environmental pro…

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Ep #6 | Jeanne Malmgren | A Frozen Waterfall 14:51

2+ y ago14:51

14:51

Show Notes Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Jeanne is an eco-therapist or nature-based counselor who practices in the beautiful mountain region of South Carolina, her native state. She holds a Masters in clinical mental health counsel…

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Ep #5 | Sally Ray Murphy | Under the Sea 13:46

2+ y ago13:46

13:46

Show Notes Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Biography Sally is the author of the memoir, Turning the Tide, which tells her story as founder of a highly successful sea turtle restoration program in South Carolina and as an internationa…

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Ep #4 | Peter Peteet | Not Walking Away 17:44

2+ y ago17:44

17:44

Show Notes Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast limited series about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Episode #4 | Peter Peteet | Not Walking Away 18 minutes long Bio In this podcast my friend Peter Peteet does something that few people will do. He took the bold and frightening step of reporting to author…

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Crop Planning for Seed Growers 15:42

3y ago15:42

15:42

You can plan for growing seed in as little or as much detail as you can plan for growing any other crop. Up until now, I've been encouraging you to slow down and take it easy. Start your seed growing small and learn from it. Don't worry about the details too much. But eventually, when you start feeling more comfortable growing seed, you're going to…

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Ep #3 | Hermina Glass-Hill | Foraging While Black 17:44

3y ago17:44

17:44

Show Notes Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about our ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Hermina Glass-Hill is like a rainbow or a bouquet--many things wrapped in one beautiful human. She’s a writer, historian, preservationist, sustainability advocate, Afro-Eco strategist, s…

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Selecting Your First Seed Crops 8:40

3y ago8:40

8:40

What seed will you harvest this summer from your market garden? In episodes 1-3 of this miniseries, we've talked about some key considerations for growing seed. We've discussed open pollinated and hybrid varieties. Selfer and crosser crops. Annual and biennial plant life cycles. Now, let's look at what crops you're actually growing for market or CS…

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Ep #2 | Anandam Kavoori | The Wild Monkey Chase 13:19

3y ago13:19

13:19

Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters. Episode 2 | Dr. Anandam Kavoori Andy is a professor of Entertainment & Media Studies at the University of Georgia, where he coordinates the Environmental Communication Initiative of Grady College. In h…

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The Plant Life Cycles of Seed Crops 9:52

3y ago9:52

9:52

Have you ever had that perfect bed of lettuce in the field and a few days before you're going to cut it for market, you discover that the stems have all bolted, the lettuce has gone bitter, and you think to yourself "I should really be a seed grower?" But, once you're trying to harvest that seed, you're getting awfully close to the rainy days of au…

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Managing Cross-Pollination on Your Farm 10:07

3y ago10:07

10:07

Are you afraid to keep your own seed on your farm? Does the terror of cross-pollination keep you up at night? Are you worried that any seed you kept would unleash legions of unruly crossed-up mutant plants onto your market gardens and that there would be no turning back the ensuing chaos? Let me put your mind to rest. It's not that dire. This is th…

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Ep #1 | Tina McElroy Ansa | On Ancestral Spirits 19:37

3y ago19:37

19:37

Novelist, publisher, and cultural icon Tina McElroy Ansa tells the story of visiting a plantation on St. Simons Island along Georgia's Coast, only to find that something was not right. As she says, "I didn't think it through." Tina's first novel, Baby of the Family, earned all kinds of accolades, including New York Times Notable. Most recently she …

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You Can Grow Seed on Your Farm 8:31

3y ago8:31

8:31

You can grow seed on your farm. And it's easier than you think. This is the first of 5 mini-episodes to get ready for the season 2 of The Seed Growers Podcast. Today's episode is about getting into the mindset for your first seed crop. By starting small and taking your time, there is a greater chance that seed growing seems realistic on your farm a…