Episode 242 Susan's Shire: The Joy of Handmade Gifts

We give you the Real Origin Story (so we’ve heard) of Santa’s sled, and the valiant beasts that pull it. Happy Holidays, everyone. Links: https://www.bing.com/search?q=A+Visit+from+St.+Nicholas&efirst=0&ecount=50&filters=tnTID%3a%2217C301C5-FC14-4bbc-A7A5-242874C90864%22+tnVersion%3a%224371033%22+Segment%3a%22popularnow.carousel%22+tnCol%3a%2235%22+tnOrder%3a%22bc2683e4-dec3-4a71-9c65-e6f85ac2fa90%22&form=HPNN01 https://www.bing.com/search?q=‘A+Visit+from+St.+Nicholas’...

23 Dec 20217min

This week we would like to thank all of the farmers and ranchers who work so hard to bring food to our tables. Unfortunately most of the time these hard working people are not thanked enough. We all have stress with our jobs, but for many of us we don't have the added challenges of weather, trade embargoes, and how that's going to affect the price of their crops this year. While we were at the FFA National Show this year we had the opportunity to speak with Abby Heidenreich from the Pur...

15 Dec 202116min

We’re not taking you to church, but we are going to a monastery (you never thought we’d start a podcast with that one, I bet). Join us, as we talk to Mother Katherine at the Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery in Otego, New York. Join us, and over 50 sheep, 12 goats, 3 chickens, and a guardian dog. And Mother Katherine runs the whole livestock department, if you believe that. One of the most interesting people we’ve ever met. All that, and her fellow sisters knit a mean pair ...

8 Dec 202138min

We talked a month ago about the cost of that comfy sweater from the knitting side of things, but now we’re going to go back a little bit further. The Sheep itself (or goat, or llama, or…). But that’s not the only thing we need to trace in that regard. There’s the shepherd, which sprang into existence at the moment the sheep was domesticated. Our podcast today brings back Tammy White, of Wing and a Prayer Farm in Shaftsbury, Vermont. Little did anyone know, but a...

2 Dec 202124min

A thanks to all of our listeners, sponsors, and especially all of the people who bring food to our tables each day....The Farmers Links: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM25-lz1Yms https://www.theeisenberggroup.com/ https://www.dutchessfair.com/the-fairgrounds/all-events/new-york-state-sheep-wool-festival/ https://www.virtual.sheepandwool.com/41 Support the show

25 Nov 202119min

In this week's episode we sit down with Becky Serres, a retired employee of Ft. Robinson State Park in Crawford, Nebraska. We were at Ft. Robinson to film the Longhorn roundup and ran into Becky as she volunteered to saddle up her horse and help herd these 125 head of cattle to their winter pasture. The Ft. Robinson herd is one of the last few publicly-owned herds of the original style of longhorns remaining in the U.S., what we might call CTLR cattle. Besides the longhorn herd, there ...

17 Nov 202137min

Some of us associate Cornell University with the famous birding department and nest cams (that’s you, Elara). Some might think of Cornell as the home of the Cornell Small Farms Program newsletter (also Elara). And some might think of Cornell as the school with the neat restaurant program (El…wait - what?!?). No matter what you associate with this prestigious Ivy-League school, it’s probably good. Way back in 1868 Ezra Cornell said “I would found an institution where an...

11 Nov 202142min

Kristy Meyer, FFA media and communications spokesperson extraordinaire, is today’s podcast guest. She welcomed us graciously at the 2021 FFA convention in Indianapolis, Indiana (once we could find a place to stand behind the 55,000 teenagers and a gargantuan harvester, that is). But we have other stars of the show as well – The Interns. Backyard Green Films enlisted (drafted, coerced…) the help of two young people who we hope will make future appearances in the agri-Culture...

4 Nov 202124min