Against The Grain - Episode 4: It's Not the Cow, It's the How

As Farm Aid artist Micah Nelson says, "the soil is the most fundamental source of life." When Micah and his family were riding out the pandemic at their ranch in Luck, Texas, they decided to start growing their own food. But as anyone who lives in Texas Hill Country can tell you, it is rough, rugged terrain, frequently distinguished by densely packed, seemingly inhospitable earth. Fortunately, Micah's mother, Farm Aid board member Annie Nelson, encountered Tina and Orion Weldon at the farmers market they launched in Spicewood, TX, and invited them to collaborate.
In this episode of Against the Grain, we hear the story of how the Nelsons and the Weldons joined forces to regenerate and rejuvenate that Texas soil. Using the principles of regenerative agriculture they're bringing back grassland species, which are the foundation of a healthy, vibrant food economy. This form of farming is a viable alternative to the prevailing system of industrial agriculture.
Learn why this is and how you can take action by demanding that your Congressional representatives include support for climate-friendly farming in the upcoming Farm Bill.
Learn more at: www.farmaid.org/podcast
Against the Grain is the Farm Aid podcast, designed to bring the magic of Farm Aid’s annual festival to listeners year-round. Hear from farmers and artists, advocates and food experts, activists and policymakers - all of whom are working towards building a more just and equitable farm and food system.
We’ll take you all over the country, from Farm Aid’s backstage and HOMEGROWN Village, to rural and urban farms and farmers’ markets. There, you’ll meet the extraordinary members of the Farm Aid universe, fighting the industrial agriculture giants, holding the government accountable, and shifting the culture towards a food and farm model that is better for farmers, our soil, water and climate and for all of us.
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Farm Aid’s mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price host an annual festival to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farm food. For more than 35 years, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $78 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.