Ep. 7: Karen Farmers from Burma

Ep. 7: Karen Farmers from Burma

Author: Seeds And Their People May 5, 2022 Duration: 1:17:30
This episode features four interviews with Karen farmers from the mountains of the Karen state of Burma (Myanmar) who spent roughly a decade in Thai refugee camps before resettling in South Philadelphia. They now grow their traditional crops at Novick Urban Farm. The Karen way with food plants was key to their survival and joy while living in the center of a civil war; then again while hiding in the jungle and escaping to Thailand, biding time in the tight quarters of refugee camps; and today, farming and foraging here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their heirloom vegetables and traditional foods have become a lifeline, a heartstring, a refuge, and a delicious portal home.   SEED STORIES TOLD IN THIS EPISODE: White Flowering Mustard (Rat-Tail Radish) Lemon-Drop Spilanthes Green Pumpkin Eggplant (Ka) White Garden Egg (Eggplant) Chin Baung (Burmese Roselle Leaf) Dark Pea Eggplant (Ta Kaw Ka Tha)   MORE INFO FROM THIS EPISODE: Interviewees: Naw Doh, Hte Da Win, Hser Ku, and Tay Aye, Karen farmers from Burma, at Novick Community Farm Memories of Myanmar: Article Owen wrote in Mother Earth Gardener, May 2020, from the original interview [PDF] Novick Urban Farm: novickurbanfarm.org/community/ Novick Urban Farm at Truelove Seeds Novick Urban Farm on Instagram: @novickurbanfarm Novick Urban Farm on Facebook Southeast by Southeast, Mural Arts   ABOUT: Seeds And Their People is a radio show where we feature seed stories told by the people who truly love them. Hosted by Owen Taylor of Truelove Seeds and Chris Bolden-Newsome of Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden. trueloveseeds.com/blogs/satpradio   SUPPORT OUR PATREON! Become a monthly Patreon supporter! This will better allow us to take the time to record, edit, and share seed stories like these.   FIND OWEN HERE: Truelove Seeds Facebook  |  Tumblr  |  Instagram  |  Twitter   FIND CHRIS HERE: Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden   THANKS TO: Naw Doh Hte Da Win Hser Ku Tay Aye (Hte Da Win's mom) Adam Forbes Jess Renninger Ally Schonfeld Clara Varadi-True Novick Brothers Corporation Southeast by Southeast Maebh Aguilar Sara Taylor

There’s a whole world of history, culture, and personal connection tucked inside every seed packet, and that’s the world Seeds And Their People explores. This isn’t just a gardening show; it’s a series of conversations that dig into the rich soil of human experience. Hosts Owen Taylor of Truelove Seeds and Chris Bolden-Newsome of Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden sit down with growers, seed savers, and community elders to hear the stories that these living heirlooms carry with them. Each episode feels like a quiet chat on a back porch or in a garden row, where the talk inevitably turns to the seeds that have been passed down through families and communities. You’ll hear about the journey of a particular bean variety, the memories tied to a specific tomato, and the profound cultural resilience that keeping these seeds alive represents. The podcast moves beyond simple horticulture to touch on food sovereignty, ancestral knowledge, and the simple, powerful act of planting something with a story. It’s for anyone curious about where their food really comes from, not just geographically but historically and emotionally. Listening, you begin to understand that a seed is never just a seed-it’s a keeper of traditions, a spark of identity, and a quiet promise for the future, all held in the palm of your hand.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 40

Seeds And Their People
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