Episodes

  • Fresh Turkey Straight From the Farm

    Fresh Turkey Straight From the Farm
    Nov 20 2024
    11/20/24 - Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the news affecting small farmers in America, including: the vital role radio plays in the lives of farmers, what less IRA money for next year means for farmers, prospects for Secretary of Agriculture, and how the current agriculture policy is destroying Americans’ health. Then, Doug introduces us to Stephanie Tewes with Tewes Farm, a poultry farm in northern Kentucky (TewesFarm.com). Stephanie grew up a farm kid, with her grandfather starting the farm 80 years ago. Tewes Farm specializes in quality poultry in Northern Kentucky, and they have many customers from around the TriState area. They raise chickens year round for eggs and meat, specialize in dressed turkeys around the holiday season, and believe a better meal begins when you have a fresh turkey or chicken. It is the only Fresh Poultry producer in Northern Kentucky. People come from miles around to pick up a fresh turkey for the holidays. Lastly, Doug opines getting help on the farm, benefits from internships, the continuous overstepping of the government.

    Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.com
    Social Media: @GoodDayNetworks
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    37 mins
  • How to Become a Hobby Farmer

    How to Become a Hobby Farmer
    Nov 13 2024
    11/13/24 - Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the news affecting small farmers in America, including: farm insurance and how those affected by the recent hurricanes are receiving assistance, a poultry farmer with 62,000 birds without feed, service members transitioning from military service to civilian life and how farming and ag helps, a grocery store merger, and what the election means for farmers. Then, Doug introduces us to Hannah Wuesthoff (WuesthoffFarm on Instagram)=, a hobby farmer in Middle Tennessee. She and her family started at the beginning of the pandemic with chickens while living in Nashville, and it spiraled from there. She and her husband, Dave, left the city to fulfill her dream of having their own land and being as self-sustainable as possible. She lives on her small farm with her husband and two children. They have laying hens, a pig, goats, and bee hives (which she recently caught 2 swarms). They have raised turkeys and a steer before, and will be onboarding a horse November 26th. They also compost all the manure, use cover crops, and do soil tests so they can make sure they are improving the soil and being environmentally friendly. Lastly, Doug opines the importance of corn crops.

    Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.com
    Social Media: @GoodDayNetworks
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    37 mins
  • Does Honey Help With Allergies?

    Does Honey Help With Allergies?
    Nov 6 2024
    11/6/24 - Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the news affecting small farmers in America, including: the debt consolidation tool for farmers and producers, reporting requirements for foreign land-investors, and how the outcome of the election will affect farmers. Then, Doug introduces us to Ward Graham of Brighton Honey (BrightonHoney.com), an apiary in Rochester, NY, producing locally sourced wildflower honey without chemicals, antibiotics, or pesticides, and never heat-treated. Brighton Honey has over 500,000 bees making honey, and they include different types of swarms — a Russian mix, Golden Italians, and Minnesota Hygienic. There are many claims about the holistic benefits of Honey. Honey has been claimed to slow aging, prevent hair loss, improve digestion and reduce hay fever symptoms. Some have these have been scientifically proven. Honey is a natural antibiotic and honey has been used for treating wounds throughout pre-history. Honey in modern medicine has been used to treat wounds. The natural properties of honey help clear infections and reduce inflammation, and may stimulate the re-growth of tissue according to some studies. Lastly, Doug opines the shrinking farm population, the average person taking agriculture and food production for granted, a program for agriculture in the classrooms at the state level in an effort to promote farming and healthy eating.

    Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.com
    Social Media: @GoodDayNetworks
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    36 mins
  • How to Become a Flower Farmer

    How to Become a Flower Farmer
    Oct 30 2024
    10/30/24 - Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the news affecting small farmers in America, including: the latest news from NASA how an autonomous robot is taking images from around the globe and how it can help farmers, how well politicians are delivering on their promises to small farmers, and the USDA announces initiatives to increase competition and lower food prices. Then, Doug introduces us to Gretel Adams of Sunny Meadows Flower Farm (sunnymeadowsflowerfarm.com), an urban flower farm producing sustainably grown fresh cut flowers out of Columbus, Ohio. They strive for responsible stewardship, with fairly treated employees, supporting a healthy community. Their flowers evoke feelings of nostalgia, creating a botanical journey through seasonality and plant diversity. They hope to cultivate a greater connection to where the flowers come from, historically influenced by small-scale floriculture. Lastly, Doug opines all of the nonsense from politicians who want your vote, a $9 Million initiative from the Ag Department that’s suppose to transform US Ag education, the dangers of mass-production farms and why PETA is right to come for them, and more.

    Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.com
    Social Media: @GoodDayNetworks
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    36 mins
  • Shifting Focus After Crop Disaster

    Shifting Focus After Crop Disaster
    Oct 23 2024
    10/23/24 - Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the news affecting small farmers in America, including: courses for farmers sponsored by the Cornell Small Farms programs, family farmers affected by the recent hurricanes and how USDA is offering assistance, the continued “right-to-repair” fight, and how this election cycle could lower food prices. Then, Doug introduces us to Sara McGuire of Royal Farms: Farm Market & Winery (royalfarmsinc.com). As young farmers, Sara and her husband experienced crop disasters before shifting their focus to farm marketing, with he added help from Sara’s degree in merchandising. Royal Farms has a bakery, highlighting made-from-scratch pies, a greenhouse, wine and cider tasting, and more. They grow apples, cherries, peaches, pears, and more. Northern Michigan allows for a variety of year-round offerings and pick-you-own experience with something for each season. Then, Doug opines mental health of farmers, off-farm jobs farmers take to keep their operation afloat.
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    35 mins
  • What Is Horticulture?

    What Is Horticulture?
    Oct 16 2024
    10/16/24 - Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the news affecting small farmers in America, including: the farm bill and how farmers can get to politicians to urge more assistance and priority-making for American family farmers, a focus on the Dairy expo and how dairy farmers are faring. Then, Doug introduces us to Jazmin Albarran, Executive Director of Seed Your Future (SeedYourFuture.org) — a Washington DC-based nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging young people to pursue careers in Green Careers, such as horticulture and agriculture. Seed Your Future is the movement to promote horticulture and inspire people to pursue careers working with plants. Horticulture is the art, technology, and science of plants. It is the business of managing and using what we grow while maintaining the health of our soil, air, and water, and the well-being of our children, our communities, and our world. Lastly, Doug opines agricultural exports, and how the upcoming election will affect small farms.

    Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.com
    Social Media: @GoodDayNetworks
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    36 mins
  • Bird Flu Vaccine for Dairy Cows?

    Bird Flu Vaccine for Dairy Cows?
    Oct 9 2024
    10/9/24 - Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the news affecting small farmers in America, including: the bird flu and the USDA’s update of a vaccine for dairy cows. Then, Doug introduces us to Greg Burtt or Burtt’s Apple Orchard (burttsappleorchard.com), for a discussion on the 6-acre family farm. The farm had been a dairy and maple farm for many years, until Greg and his parents felt like trying something different - apples seemed like a good idea. They opened for picking in 2009 with a few acres of young trees and sold all their apples in just two weeks. That meant it was time to plant more. Now, apple picking at their orchard has become a tradition for many families in the area. Plus an acidity vs alkalinity of soil, and Doug opines that the Farm Service Agency is good at helping family-owned farms while most federal agencies don’t seem to care, how dairy cattle are being affected by the bird flu and whether or not it’s transferring into milk.

    Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.com
    Social Media: @GoodDayNetworks
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    35 mins
  • When Hobby Farming Goes to Sheep

    When Hobby Farming Goes to Sheep
    Oct 2 2024
    10/2/24 - Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan www.eastleighfarm.com shares the news affecting small farmers in America, including: the farm bill, overall food security, an AI-created “perfect” farm bill, the deadline to pass a new budget for next year approaches, and the House sweeps aside objections to pass a bill to restrict the purchase of agricultural land by people from certain countries. Then, Doug introduces us to Bill MacCauley of MacCauley Suffolks (maccauleysheep.com), a sheep farm in Atglen, Pennsylvania. Bill is an example of when a hobby farmer takes it further and creates quite the business model. He and his wife, Betsy, never dreamed of maintaining a flock of approximately 325 Suffolk brood ewes and about 100 crossbred ewes when they started out, but here they are — and loving it. Their two sons raise and show sheep, too. Their ewes have been selected based on structural soundness, muscle expression, mothering and milking ability and longevity. All the ewes are kept on pasture alone from April through November – who doesn’t love easy keeping. Plus, Doug opines life on the farm, the business of how products grown/produced on the farm are priced, how they get to market, and how the capitalistic society is affecting small farmers.

    Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.com
    Social Media: @GoodDayNetworks
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    37 mins