Past, future, and present visions of ancient grains all intersect in Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley Heritage Grain Project--farmer Chris Hardy's pursuit of ancient, nutrient dense grains and legumes that will thrive in the increasingly arid bio-region of lower Cascadia. Starting with a spoonful of seeds, to embarking on a worldwide search for rare and resilient heritage cultivars, back to the inner-mountain valleys of Oregon, RVHGP has amassed one of the largest "Living Seed Banks" in the western United States. Hear from farmers Chris Hardy and Steve Fry, owner of one of the Rogue Valley's largest diversified organic farms, as they recount the origins of this project, how they've adopted dry farming practices, why good grain is a food safety & public health matter, and much more!

Learn more about the Rogue Valley Heritage Grain Project!

In recent years, wildfire disasters in the United States have prompted many growers to ask questions about how to navigate post-wildfire food safety concerns with their crops and livestock. We talk with wildfire resilience expert Amber Schat-Kenig, shepherd & butcher Dylan Boeken, and Community Alliance with Family Farmers' (CAFF) Farmer Support Services Director Kali Feiereisel on the collaborative resource from CAFF and NFU of the same name, "What to Know About Wildfire & Food Safety." The resource aims to provide guidance about common concerns, how to assess potential impacts, and what remediation and mitigation options are available. This podcast episode digs a bit deeper and elaborates on the science and recommendations of the resource.

Resources:

What to Know About Wildfire & Food Safety Resource

CAFF Wildfire Preparation & Resilience

CAFF Emergency Support

Boek House Hearth & Husbandry

We got the dish on seaweed from marine aquaculture specialist Anoushka Concepcion, an associate extension educator at UConn Avery Point's SeaGrant program and leader of the National Seaweed Hub, which collaboratively addresses the emerging needs of the national seaweed aquaculture industry. We take a deep dive into seaweed aquaculture: what it consists of, new market opportunities and challenges, and of course, how food safety ties into it all.

Resources:

• The National Seaweed Hub
• The Connecticut Sea Grant Seaweed Cultivation Page:
  • Business Planning for Kelp Farming
  • CT Seaweed Food Safety Hazards Guide
  • Understanding Culinary Markets for Seaweed in Southern New England Report
  • Collection of Seaweed recipes