Matthew runs Cottage Pastures on 26 acres in Switzerland County, Indiana, raising pigs, chickens, cattle, and sheep alongside garlic and herbs - everything sold under the name is raised on the farm itself. He and his wife bought the property in 2022 and built it up from a homesteading project into a full working farm. Our conversation centers on garlic: despite ideal growing conditions across the Midwest, most garlic sold in the U.S. is imported, and a soil-borne fungal disease can make land unable to grow garlic for 20 to 40 years once it takes hold. This is a risk Cottage Pastures is now soil-testing to get ahead of. We talk through how the farm accidentally ended up growing 20-plus garlic varieties, why the economics of commodity crops crowd out specialty ones like garlic, and what it costs to raise and ship chicken nationwide as a direct-to-consumer farm. Matthew also gets into why pre-orders rather than outside financing keep the farm's cash flow working, how he decides what to raise or cut as the operation grows, and what it looks like to raise kids alongside farm work without compelling them to help.Key topics:- Why most U.S. garlic and herbs are imported despite favorable growing conditions- A soil-borne fungal disease that can end garlic production on a piece of land for decades- How Cottage Pastures accidentally became a 20-plus variety garlic farm- The real cost of raising and processing chicken for direct-to-consumer sale- Grass-fed and grass-finished labeling: domestic vs. imported- Deciding what to raise, expand, or cut as the farm scalesRaising kids on the farm without compelling their help- Plans for a 2027 regional farm-share model in Cincinnati/LouisvilleLinks:https://cottagepastures.com/about/https://www.instagram.com/cottagepastures/https://www.facebook.com/CottagePastures/?ref=PROFILE_EDIT_xav_ig_profile_page_web#https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-6-interview-with-carissa-a-year-in-review/id1700604702?i=1000628016269The Regenaissance Podcast explores the people, farms, and ideas rebuilding our food system from the ground up.

Joel Hollinsworth runs Smoke River Ranch in Oklahoma, where he's built a herd-share community of about 40 families co-owning cattle together - a model that's taken his herd from 15 animals to 425 in four years. But, this could all be taken away, as he's fighting two subpoenas from the Oklahoma Department of Securities on claims his shares are unregistered financial securities. In this episode, Joel breaks down exactly how that herd-share structure works economically, and then walks through the legal fight he's currently in.He gets into why that claim doesn't hold up, who's helping him fight it (including USDA's Brooke Rollins' office and the American First Policy Institute), how they're fighting it, and what's at stake for other ranchers running similar models. Ultimately, this challenge threatens not only Joel's ranch, but the broader idea that people should be able to support and participate in local food systems without facing unnecessary regulatory burdens or government overreach. We also talk through the broader pattern of regulatory overreach in agriculture, and close with Joel's advice for young people looking to get into ranching - namely, don't try to do it alone.Key topicsHow the herd-share model works (co-ownership, calf splits, time horizons)The Oklahoma securities subpoenas and the case against themLegal support and path forward (Rollins' office, state legislation)Advice for young ranchers on doing this in communityTimestamps0:00 – Intro + catch-up2:00 – Herd-share model origins5:00 – Scaling to 425 head + genetics program13:00 – First subpoena17:30 – Second subpoena, securities claim explained21:30 – Why it's not a security26:00 – Comparisons to other ag regulatory fights31:00 – Legal support and path forward47:30 – Herd-share financials + time horizons58:30 – Advice for young ranchers + closeConnect with JoelSupport Joel's GofundmeSmoke River Ranch WebsiteHerdsharesApply for HerdsharesXLast episode 

Francine is a farmer, mom of four, and co-founder of the Mulberry Tree App - a farm-to-fork platform that lets consumers buy ingredients directly from local farms, with no listing fees, no middleman, and no data selling. She and her husband built it from scratch, self-funded, while navigating mold illness, alpha-gal syndrome in their family, and a bunch of scammers! They launched the app in January 2025.We talk through how the app works, why convenience is the real barrier between consumers and local farms, and what it actually takes to build something like this without outside funding or corporate backing. Enjoy :)What we talk about:- How the Mulberry Tree App works - farm-to-fork recipes, local farmer discovery, 24/7 farmers market- Why they don't charge farmers listing or marketing fees- Facebook censorship of farm products during COVID and why it pushed them to build their own platform- The grassroots marketing approach: vendor events, merchandise, one-on-one outreach- Alpha-gal syndrome - what it is, how misinformation is hurting people, and why the app has 300+ alpha-gal-safe recipes- Mold illness, raising four kids on a farm, and the tribulations behind building the business- The case for food sovereignty and why 77 farms closing per day is a national problemTimestamps:0:00 — Intro1:10 — What is the Mulberry Tree App?6:45 — How it handles the convenience problem for consumers12:00 — The origin story - a dream, a husband, and no coding experience18:30 — Facebook censorship and why decentralization matters26:00 — Grassroots marketing: vendor events, shirts, 400 downloads in two weeks32:00 — Consumer patterns and what makes the app experience different39:00 — The town square, courses, live animal listings, and cottage industry sellers47:00 — Growing up on farms, moving to Arkansas, raising kids outside the system54:00 — Mold illness, alpha-gal, and the year their son was on steroids1:04:00 — Why most businesses fail and why they didn't1:09:00 — Final thoughts: know your farmer, know your foodHow to Support Francine:Download the app via their website Connect with her via X 

Ashley Armstrong is a first-generation regenerative farmer and co-founder of Strong Sistas, a health platform born out of her own autoimmune diagnosis. She built Angel Acres Farm in Southwest Michigan from the ground up, producing corn- and soy-free eggs, and went on to found Nourish Food Club - a cooperative network of small regenerative farms supplying clean, transparently raised food directly to families.What We CoverHow Ashley went from graduate school to building a regenerative farm from scratchWhy conventional chicken and pork now have a fatty acid profile closer to seed oils than real meatThe 100-year shift in dietary fats and what it's doing to human metabolismHow Nourish Food Club is reviving the farm cooperative model to support small farmersThe bureaucratic bullying small farms face daily - and why the system is designed against themTimestamps00:00 – Ashley's health crisis and path to farming06:30 – Building Angel Acres from scratch13:00 – Lessons from 12 years of competitive golf18:45 – How Nourish Food Club works26:00 – Why cheap and quality food can't coexist33:30 – The 100-year shift away from saturated fat42:00 – How corn and soy changed pork and chicken49:30 – Phytonutrients in pasture-raised meat56:00 – Why grocery labels are meaningless01:03:00 – The problem with indoor farming01:09:30 – Bureaucratic bullying and the jerky incident01:17:00 – Why small farm costs are structurally higher01:28:00 – Where consumers can startLinksWebsiteInstagramYouTubeRegenaissance YouTube ChannelAbout The Podcast: The Regenaissance Podcast explores the people, farms, and ideas rebuilding our food system from the ground up.

Baird Maple Syrup Farm in Vermont has been producing maple syrup for over a century. I visit with farm managers and sugar makers, Jacob and Jenna Baird. Jenna is the fifth generation of her family to work this land.What We CoverHow maple syrup is made (and why most people have it wrong).The modern sugar bush (100+ miles of tubing, vacuum systems, and leak-chasing).Reading labels (how to spot fake or blended "maple" products at the grocery store).The full production season why it's a 6-week sprint, what starts it, and what ends it).Farm succession and conservation (how the Baird family is transitioning a 107-year-old farm to the next generation). Timestamps00:00 — Welcome to Baird Farm: 107 years of maple and dairy history02:00 — Why it's so hard to keep a farm across generations08:00 — Sap vs. syrup: what you're actually pulling from the tree09:00 — How to read a maple syrup label (and spot the fakes)11:00 — How vacuum tubing works and why it doubles production17:00 — How tapping actually works: drilling, spouts, and tree health21:00 — The production season: a 6-week window from February to April34:00 — Farm succession: leasing to own and navigating family transitions43:00 — Reverse osmosis and the sugar house: how sap becomes syrup47:00 — Sugar maple vs. red maple: how to tell them apart in the bushConnect with Jason & Baird Farm:WebsiteInstagramFollow our Youtube Channel

Farmer Stories pulls the best conversations from The Regenaissance archive - real voices from American farmers on the systems, economics, and communities shaping food and land in the US.Triple Oaks Farm is a family-run regenerative farm in Virginia, raising pastured pigs and other livestock with a focus on food sovereignty, stewardship, and community.Timestamps:00:00 – Biblical dominion and why he left USDA butchers 06:00 – PSE meat explained: what stress does to pork quality 09:00 – Electro stunning abuse and burn wounds on the meat 16:00 – USDA butcher threatens to ice him out as a customer 19:00 – The final straw: filthy shop, wrong pig returned, going full PMAConnect With Bryson:WebsiteInstagramFollow the tour on YouTube

Tony Eash runs Triple E Farms in West Virginia with his brother Phil - a raw dairy and pasture-raised operation built from bare land, rooted in regenerative principles and faith in community.Farmer Stories pulls the best conversations from The Regenaissance archive - real voices from American farmers on the systems, economics, and communities shaping food and land in the US.Timestamps:0:00 — Why farmers not making money is everyone's problem1:00 — What on-farm milk testing actually costs2:00 — Building a farm from scratch while working full-time5:00 — Quitting time: 10:30pm. Wake up: 3:30am6:30 — Why they walked away from pigs and chickens8:00 — How the Amish moving in changed everythingConnect with Triple EWebsiteInstagramWatch full episodeFollow the tour on YouTube

Ørsted, a Danish renewable energy giant, is trying to lease 4,000 acres of Casey's state grazing land in Arizona to build an industrial solar array - land that he depends on for winter range, without which the ranch isn't viable.Casey believes productive grazing land shouldn't be touched when there's no shortage of barren desert, parking lots, and brownfields that could take solar instead - and the companies could do it if they wanted to, they just won't because it's cheaper and easier to go after open range.Casey Murph is a fifth-generation cattle rancher in northeastern Arizona. This episode covers that fight, and what's at stake for generational ranching in America.5 Key Topics:How Ørsted is attempting to take Casey's winter range for industrial solarWhy solar should go on parking lots and brownfields, not productive grazing landØrsted's existing Arizona install powers a Meta data centre, not homesThe collapse of independent beef operations and what it's done to supply and priceCasey's strategy: state land pressure, political allies, and buying timeTimestamps:00:00 - Casey intro02:00 - The Ørsted solar threat05:00 - Foreign-owned conglomerates09:00 - Urban disconnection from food11:00 - Where solar should go instead18:00 - Political strategy and allies19:00 - Ørsted's Pinal County install: homes promised, Meta data centre delivered28:00 - Beef supply consolidation31:00 - Feedlots and grass-finishing36:00 - Approval timeline and how to helpConnect with Casey:X

Ben and Hannah Yoder run Savage Mountain Farm, a 150-acre diversified, full-diet CSA on the Pennsylvania–Maryland line, rooted in Amish–Mennonite heritage and natural methods, raising produce, mushrooms, and pastured livestock while blending regenerative farming with homeschooling, community engagement, and a family-centered lifestyle.Farmer Stories pulls the best conversations from The Regenaissance archive - real voices from American farmers on the systems, economics, and communities shaping food and land in the US.Timestamps00:00:00 Why they homeschool 00:01:30 School as fear, not learning 00:03:00 Preserving curiosity over teaching content 00:05:30 Disconnection from food as root cause 00:06:30 Age segregation & lost intergenerational culture 00:08:00 No screens - kids who can entertain themselves 00:10:00 Modeling self-sovereignty on the farm 00:11:30 Owning your day - the case for farmingConnect with Savage Mountain:WebsiteInstagramFollow the tour on YouTube

Patrick Samuels is the founder of Sunnyside Egg Co., a Kentucky-based regenerative egg operation built on mobile coops and Amish/Mennonite farming partnerships. A former US Army Special Forces officer with no agricultural background, Patrick stumbled into farming through pandemic-era homesteading, worked inside one of the largest pasture-raised egg brands, and launched Sunnyside in December 2024 to scale what he calls the only truly regenerative egg operation in the country.5 Key TopicsThe pasture-raised label scamMobile coops as the real standardScaling regen without selling outThe corn/soy-free feed debateTransparency over certificationTimestamps[00:00] Intro & egg price controversy[01:30] Patrick's military-to-farming path[04:00] Inside a "pasture-raised" barn[07:00] Why certifiers are grifters[11:00] The Vital Farms breakdown[18:00] Retail vs. decentralisation debate[27:00] Corn & soy-free feed complexity[37:00] Regenerative certification loopholes[44:00] Sunnyside's growth timeline[01:01:00] On-farm operations & rotationLinksWebsiteInstagram