Episode 29: Fatuma Emmad talks farming, foodways, food system politics and more!

Episode 29: Fatuma Emmad talks farming, foodways, food system politics and more!

Author: Hobby Farms May 11, 2022 Duration: 38:19

Farming, political science and the food system intersect for Colorado farmer, organizer and professor Fatuma Emmad, the guest on this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good. Hear about how her family's immigration and emigration shaped her understanding of the food system and how that led her to become a farmer herself, now at FrontLine Farming in Denver, Colorado.

You'll learn how Mile High Farmers, a coalition of 60-plus farmers and supporters, connects eaters and farmers with events and education in health and wellness, racial equity, marketing, land and policy. (Fatuma is president of this nonprofit.) Fatuma also talks about the farming work and food justice work being done at multiple farm sites for FrontLineFarming, including food access initiatives, a paid apprenticeship program and their own search for farmland.

Also learn about the ways farm workers are being supported with Project Protect Food Systems Workers, and take some advice on keeping foodways alive through seed saving.

FrontLine Farming

Mile High Farmers

Project Protect Food Systems Workers

 


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
Podcast Episodes
Episode 7: Monica Clark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:40
Hear from Dig This! radio show host and book author Monica Clark about her work to dispel the myths surrounding food access. Monica speaks honestly about her experience of job loss and homelessness in Seattle and how gro…
Episode 6: Amy Dawson and Mike Costello [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:01
Listen in as farmer-chef-storytellers Amy Dawson and Mike Costello talk with host Lisa Munniksma about using food and farming to reverse the narratives we've all learned about stereotypes of Appalachia. Hear about Amy's…
Episode 5: Kenya Abraham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:20
Show host Lisa Munniksma talks with SLAK Market Farm's Kenya Abraham, who just happens to be Lisa's raw milk herdshare owner in Lexington, Kentucky. Listen in to hear about the journey that took Kenya from urban entrepre…
Episode 4: Olga Tzogas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:04
Show host Lisa Munniksma talks with Olga Tzogas, a forager, mushroom grower and educator in Rochester, New York. Olga's Smugtown Mushrooms has provided mushroom-cultivation supplies and education since 2014. Hear about t…
Episode 3: Maria Elena Rodriguez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:31
Lisa Munniksma sits down with Maria Elena Rodriguez of Puerto Rico's Cosecha Caribe to talk about growing food in Puerto Rico, her craft Caribbean-inspired artisanal food products, and the community-based food work she d…
Episode 2: Jessica Walliser [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:06
Lisa Munniksma sits down with horticulturalist Jessica Walliser to talk about growing plants, appreciating bugs, writing (and editing) about gardening and more. As a writer, editor and co-founder of Savvy Gardening, Wall…
Episode 1: Angela Wartes-Kahl [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:37
In our premiere episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good, host Lisa Munniksma sits down for a chat with Angela Wartes-Kahl of Oregon's Common Treasury Farm. As the co-founder of Fibrevolution, Wartes-Kahl has plenty…