Join Rick and Elara of Backyard Green Films as we traverse the U.S on a green adventure! We travel throughout the land in our travel trailer (nicknamed Bessie), on a mission to share the stories, dedication, and wisdom of America's stewards of sustainable agriculture who've followed their own 'call of the land.' From scientists to geneticists to organic farmers and ranchers - plus a bounty of interesting folks we meet along the way, each voice is uniquely diverse, and each story compels us to uncover, discover, and share. Please become a Patreon member and help support our podcast. Copy and paste the link in your browser. https://www.patreon.com/agriCulturePodcast
Love him or hate him, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, mostly known as FDR, was a person known for many things -- being the longest serving President; being born into the wealthy elite class, yet remembering the little people; defying expectations by running the country from a wheelchair; marrying extremely well by bagging Eleanor, a much-loved lady; and the alphabet soup of social programs that put people back to work during the dustbowl, Depression and dark gloom of World Wars. The New Deal, The TVA, SEC, AAA, WPA, CCC and FLSA, among others, are on his list.
And if you don’t think any of those letters might apply to you in the current age? If you collect Social Security, are entitled to minimum wage, or have more banking confidence from the FDIC, you might want to read up on this guy. Or you can listen in today, as we visit with Park Ranger Kevin Oldenburg.
And the funny part? The title that FDR said was most satisfying…is "Tree Farmer."
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/1600/presidents/franklindroosevelt
Look Sharp, people! Dr. Frank Sharp, that is, a Longhorn rancher from . This guy not only is integral to the Cattlemen’s Texas Longhorn Conservancy (CTLR), but he also knows his stuff, as he “wrote his doctoral dissertation on Texas Longhorn cattle, his research focusing on Texas Longhorn history, symbolism, genetics, and preservation.” We hope you follow our links to visit the CTLR’s website, to learn more.
This week we go back in time to 2001, and the Backyard Green Films adventure we called “The Mas Vacas Tour.” We came away from our Texas filming trip with a better understanding of the rugged piece of agricultural history known as the original Texas Longhorn. And this time, that critter has a bigger anniversary than the little one we celebrate -- over 500 years of adaptation and rugged survival.
Links:
https://www.ctlc.org/about/leadership/sharp-frank/
https://www.ctlc.org/texas-long-horn-conservancy/history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Longhorn
I love Canada! That’s been the refrain in the car on this trip. We’ve been Milling About on the Emerald Isle, our new co-opted name for Prince Edward Island, the Canadian province. We stayed in Belfast (the PEI one, not the other one), and enjoyed a phenomenal week touring the gentle green fields of potatoes, birdwatching and shell finding, chatting in yarn shops, learning the ins and outs of spot welding at the Belfast Mini Mill, and eating Haddock daily, served by wonderfully hospitable locals (did we mention we love Canada?).
We also had a reverence- and awe-inspiring tour of MacAusland’s Woollen Mill, from Monica MacAusland herself. This business started producing woolen yarn in 1902, and is still going - famous for the MacAusland Blanket.
We stepped back in time for this one, and hope you join us for a visit to a production facility that feels more like a church. Just what we expected from Oh, we love Canada.
Links:
https://www.macauslandswoollenmills.com/
https://www.tourismpei.com/attractions/selkirk-scottish-cultural-and-heritage-centre
"Shire" and "guild" refer to a wide variety of subjects, ranging from Tolkien's fictional hobbit homeland to real-world administrative districts in the UK, video game factions, and even historic trades. But, today we are talking about CNCH, otherwise known as Conference of Northern California Handweavers. Don't let the name fool you. According to their website, The Conference of Northern California Handweavers, Inc. was founded in 1953 to further the art and appreciation of the craft of handweaving. Today the member Guilds of CNCH embrace all fiber arts associated with weaving. Our membership includes not only weavers, but also dyers, basketmakers, and spinners.
Today, Susan is going to tell us all about the guild, the yearly conference, and what all they offer. So, sit back and enjoy The Shire!
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire
We all know that water is precious, and that the soil is important, but do we really know what happens when we take both of them for granted? We should know our history, because the Dust Bowl occurred less than a century ago. We might start treating the Ogallala Aquifer like the source that waters 25% of the agricultural production in the entire country, instead of like a drinking fountain in the school cafeteria. We might also remember that conservation is self-preservation, and not just a hashtag.
As the Dust Bowl has shown us, soil and water and the interactions between the two are critical. Lauren Drum is here today to talk about it. She works for the Dutchess County Soil & Water Conservation District doing testing, program implementation, and education for the Hudson Valley community. After all, New York takes its Black Dirt deposits very seriously. All that lovely, fertile muck took aeons to get there, .
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depopulation_of_the_Great_Plains
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/statistics/
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Data_Visualization/Commodity/index.php
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothea-Lange
https://depts.washington.edu/moving1/dustbowl_migration.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migrant_Mother
https://www.britannica.com/place/Dust-Bowl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains
https://topostreets.com/top-10-largest-aquifers-in-the-world/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ludlum_bibliography
We just returned from Iowa, after attending the Farm to Film Fest. Our film "A Connecticut Farmer and the King's Cow", was selected as one of the films to screen over the weekend event. The thing that stood out us, while in the town of Washington, was that it's obvious at this festival and the town itself, is that they love the arts.
You know we gotta say it "Are we in Heaven? Nope - We're in Iowa.
Links:
I just returned from my journey to Scotland and loved every minute that I spent there. From the cobbled streets of Edinburgh, to the Glen Cruitten House, and of course my workshop with Moy Mackay. I'm so excited to share my stories with you on this episode.
Links:
https://glencruittenhouse.com/dev/
We’re back in Texas! For Texas Wool Week, mind you, but that’s not the focus today. Our topic could be almost anything, because Texas is a place chock full of people filled with fortitude, gracious hospitality, and a reverence for the history they’ve lived in full color. They take pride in combinations of peoples and cultures like almost no one else does, and their trails and parks and location markers can make a history buff cry tears of joy.
But how do most of us picture that history, when we talk about the old west? We had a moment of revelation about our own preconceived ideas when we went through the Cowboy Capital of Bandera, dove into the facts behind the story of steadfast Deets in Lonesome Dove, and had a conversation with a man whose face is stamped on a statue at Fort Bliss.
Taylor Sheridan brought Bass Reeves into the limelight, but way before that, there was a man named Bose Ikard, the dear friend of Charles Goodnight, and a brave cohort of men known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Links:
https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/exhibitions/black-cowboys-an-american-story/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Griffin
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/ikard-bose
https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/bose-ikard-cowboy-lonesome-dove/
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rudeness+in+a+man+won%27t+tolerate+it&t=newext&atb=v419-1&ia=web
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Cowboy_%26_Western_Heritage_Museum
https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/resources/keep-texas-wild/vaqueros-and-cowboys/texas-cattle-drives
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonesome_Dove
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose_Ikard
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/projects/african-american-texas
https://texastimetravel.com/directory/buffalo-soldier-memorial-el-paso/Links:
Susan has some exciting news to share in this episode. A new program with her students and a trip of a lifetime to the Highlands to study with renowned fiber artist Moy Mackay.
Links:
https://plymagazine.com/about-us/meet-the-team/
Leslie Amick is an artist and naturalist. A love of nature and the beauty surrounding all of us influences all of Leslie's work. She loves to explore the flora and fauna by creating likenesses using textiles. Mostly wool, the sculptures she creates not only highlight a particular beast or plant, but gives them a sense of being. Her sculptures are described as whimsical most of all. Perhaps it's that bit of attitude frequently displayed by the subjects. As the sculpture evolves, the personality also develops. This gives her work a totally relatable presence to those who view it.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/leslie.amick/
https://www.thistleworthneedleworks.com/