Episode 20: Rasheed Hislop talks vermicomposting, cooperative farming and more

Episode 20: Rasheed Hislop talks vermicomposting, cooperative farming and more

Author: Hobby Farms December 22, 2021 Duration: 43:50

Listen as Rasheed Hislop, a Master Composter, offers you his best tips for small-scale vermicomposting. Get your worm bins ready!

Hear about how this Brooklyn-raised farmer's grandparents, in the Hudson Valley and in Trinidad and Tobago, instilled in him an interest in food production by way of gardening, fishing and cooking from scratch. 

Rasheed talks about his work supporting farmers, first with urban farmers and community gardeners through NYC Parks GreenThumb and now with farmers in California's Central Valley, particularly Black, indigenous and farmers of color, through Community Alliance with Family Farmers and African American Farmers of California. He also gets into the racial equity and planning work being done behind the scenes at nonprofits like CAFF.  (Plus, this is your chance to make plans to attend, virtually or in person, the CAFF conference, coming up Feb. 27 to March 3, 2022!)

Learn about the Black Zocalo cooperative's efforts to teach about growing food, planting native plants and fostering farm-related businesses, including Rosalba Lopez Ramirez's (Rasheed's wife's) Dau Butter skincare line and Rasheed's seed production for Truelove Seeds. All of this is ultimately to create a movement toward a Black and Indigenous-owned land-based learning center.

Also put in your listening queue Rasheed's Farming in Color podcast, highlighting the work of his BIPOC farming friends and creating an archive for Black Zocalo's work.

Farming in Color podcast

Black Zocalo on Instagram

Black Zocalo website

California Alliance with Family Farmers website

2022 CAFF Conference


At the heart of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good are the conversations that happen over a fence line or at a farmers market, translated into audio. This podcast lives in the space where a personal passion meets practical purpose, featuring the voices of those who cultivate small plots, raise a few animals, or run a sustainable micro-farm. Host Lisa Munniksma doesn’t just interview her guests; she gets into the dirt with them, uncovering the personal journeys that led to a life rooted in the land. You’ll hear how a simple hobby evolved into a thriving side business, how families connect through daily chores, and how these growers are building resilience within their local communities far beyond the harvest. The discussions are grounded in real experience, tackling the challenges of soil health, animal husbandry, and market creativity alongside the profound satisfactions of self-reliance and stewardship. It’s a series for anyone who has ever felt the pull to grow something, whether that’s a backyard tomato plant or a fledgling farmstead business, offering relatable stories and tangible insights from people who are actually doing the work. Tune in for honest talk about the failures, the triumphs, and the quiet motivations that keep this community planting seeds season after season.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 88

Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good
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