Episode 109: From Urban Organizers to Organic Pioneers with Julie Rawson and Jack Kittredge

Julie Rawson and Jack Kittredge are co-owners of Many Hands Organic Farm, an organic CSA farm that serves 150 families in Barre, MA. They met while doing community organizing work in Boston, and in 1982, made the decision to move out to the country to raise their kids in connection to the land and grow their own food. Julie and Jack share their farm’s transformative journey from inception to becoming a model of regenerative, organic farming.
In this episode, Julie and Jack discuss with John:
Their journey from community organizing to farming and urban to rural living
The financial and physical challenges of starting a farm
The importance of soil remineralization, foliar feeding, and no-till practices
Their careers with the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA)
The release of their new book, “Many Hands Make a Farm”
Fostering community and the broader impact of their work
Additional Resources
Julie and Jack’s book, Many Hands Make a Farm: www.chelseagreen.com/product/...
Many Hands Organic Farm: mhof.net/
About John Kempf John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.
​Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition - a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.
Support For This Show & Helping You Grow Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture.
AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA’s science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.
AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.
Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.
Learn more about AEA’s regenerative programs and products: www.advancingecoag.com
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VIDEO: To learn more from John Kempf about regenerative agriculture, watch this conversation between John and three AEA grower partners about how regenerative agriculture is changing lives and conventional farming: • How regenerative agric...

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Having just had dinner with these people about 3 weeks ago, they are truly salt of the earth. Wonderful human beings! It is so awesome to hear this come up on this episode of this time! Thank you so much for all you do! Mr. Kempf and advancing eagle agriculture, thank you also to Julie and Jack and also to Dan kittridge, these people have transformed my life and my world and helped me aim my sights at a much greater life. Work, a great work if you will, for the greater good. Thank you with so much love!❤🌱🌱🌱

[@bobsummersun241]

Ok AEA does great work and has changed the Face of Agriculture. Please if you enjoy these episodes. Hit the like button! These awesome programs need your support on the KZbin channel

[@regenerativegardeningwithpatti]

I enjoyed the conversation. It is always fun to learn from older people with a lot of experience. Thank you so much John for everything you and AEA are doing. I can hardly wait for the growing season to get going in 2024, looking forward to getting my plants to as much of the work as I can. Super excited about producing with fewer pest and less diseases. I will have to look up Julie and Jack's book. Thank you for interviewing them and sharing knowlege.

[@marynunn1708]

What an inspiration! Thank you all so much :)

[@christopherburman3340]

Early on July said it was a very wet summer and an AEA consultant told her to add manganese and potassium. Why add Mn and K to reduce impact of excessive water is soil?

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

To balance nutrients and target increasing photosyhtesis... long story short. See AEA's talk on "The Plant Health Pyramid"

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

I just released a new video on cover cropping that ties directly into this conversation today: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep24dpWpr7SWjdk