In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Karissa and Fionna at KinPark Youth Urban Farm in Duncan, British Columbia. Karissa is the farm manager at KinPark, a project of the Cowichan Green Community, and Fionna is one of the local young people involved with the farm.

KinPark is about a whole lot more than growing vegetables. The farm provides opportunities for young people to gain hands on experience in agriculture, learn where their food comes from, and develop skills while contributing to something meaningful in their community. It's also a place that brings people together through local food production, education, and community involvement.

Karissa shares the vision behind KinPark, how the farm operates, and why connecting young people with agriculture is such an important part of its mission. Fionna offers her own perspective on what it's like to be involved, what she's learning, and what the experience has meant to her.

As a teacher myself, I especially appreciated this conversation. There's something incredibly valuable about giving young people opportunities to get outside, work with their hands, and develop a connection to the land and the food they eat.

Learn more:

Cowichan Green Community: https://cowichangreencommunity.org/

Talkin’ Dirt: https://talkindirt.farm

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In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with John and Katy Ehrlich at Alderlea Farm in Duncan, British Columbia. For more than 20 years, they’ve been growing vegetables on their 10-acre farm, running a CSA, and building a community around local food. Right on the property is the Alderlea Farm Cafe, where food grown on the farm makes its way directly onto the menu.

John and I get into biodynamic agriculture and some of the ideas that have shaped the way he farms. We talk about Rudolf Steiner, burying manure in cow horns, planting with lunar cycles, biodynamic preparations, soil health, pest management, and the importance John places on simply observing what’s happening on the farm.

Katy also shares the struggle they’re facing over agricultural water access in the Cowichan Valley. We talk about water licensing, restrictions on farmers, the decisions being made around water use, and the larger questions those decisions raise about local agriculture and food security.

It’s a conversation about looking at a farm as a living system, paying attention to the land, and what it takes to keep a small farm viable when some of the biggest challenges are coming from outside the farm itself.

Alderlea Farm & Cafe: alderleafarm.com

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In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Flo and his dad, Speedy, from Speedy & Flo’s Sweet Corn in Hardin, Montana.

Speedy came to the United States from Mexico in the late 1970s and has spent most of his life working in agriculture. What started with a few acres of sweet corn has grown into a family operation with around 50 acres of corn, a greenhouse, vegetables, flowers, and three generations of the family involved.

We talk about Speedy’s journey from Mexico to Montana, how the sweet corn operation grew, and what it takes to plant, harvest, and sell that much corn during a short Montana growing season. Flo and Speedy explain how they stagger their planting to keep fresh corn coming throughout the summer, load up their vans, and sell directly to customers across the area, including plenty of regulars who wait for Speedy & Flo’s corn every year.

We also get into working alongside family, dealing with hail and unpredictable weather, their approach to pesticides and pests, and why they still love farming despite the long days and hard work. Speedy’s story also leads us into a conversation about immigration, agricultural labor, and how the process of coming to the United States has changed since his own experience decades ago.

Speedy & Flo’s Sweet Corn: https://www.speedyandflosweetcorn.com/

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