One Bite is Everything Dana DiPrima

Ever wonder what's behind the label on the milk in your grocery store? Sabrina Servais knows. She's a 5th generation dairy farmer in Wisconsin who farms dairy with her family for Organic Valley, along with 1700 other farmers. Sabrina tells it straight, with a big tall glass of milk. When you take a bite (or a sip) here, you will connect directly with the health of the product and the cows, what's going on with farms, carbon, and the environment, and how the economics of this co-op works for farmers and for you. And you definitely want to know how Organic Valley compares to the other milk cartons on the dairy shelf. Organic Valley is farmer-owned. Are the others?

Can one bite from a carrot change your life? What do you think? Sounds farfetched, I know. But let's dig in and see how a single carrot can be connected to your tastebuds, your environment, the knitting together of communities and so much more.

Betsey Zarko of Arrowleaf Prairie Farm in Illinois lets us in on the secrets of producing and eating nutrient-dense food, close to home, and sorting out how to do that economically. We all want food like that, right?

The Dahlia wars are alive and thriving! With a combination of grit, passion, and a sprinkle of serendipity, Merrie Avalone of Dreamland Flower Farm quite literally dreamt up and created her farm against all odds, and is now at the center of the Dahlia craze!

Merrie’s chance encounter with a generous landlord spearheaded her passion for flowers that just didn’t seem to let up, and still hasn’t. After bartering for patches of land to grow and sell flowers, then being told by every agronomist that her flowers were doomed, Merrie persevered and is now successfully growing and selling a variety of flowers and Dahlia tubers to enthusiasts all over the country.

This story highlights how far you can go as long as you believe in yourself and your dream, work really hard, and don’t take no for an answer, anything is possible.

Tune in to hear this inspirational story, and if you haven’t already, to join the Dahlia craze.

Also, listen to the end of the episode to get exclusive insight into Merrie’s favorite new Dahlia on the market!

You don’t want to miss this one!

Topics discussed in this episode:

How Merrie began her flower harvesting journey
Merrie’s evolution of farming flowers
How Merrie persevered despite naysayers
Serendipity and moments of grit that birthed Dreamland Flower Farm
What is the deal with the Dahlia obsession?
How Merrie sells her Dahlias
What are unicorn tubers?
Where to buy the most exclusive Dahlias
How the For Farmers grant impacted Merrie and her farm

Connect with Merrie Avalone:
Website: https://www.dreamlandflowerfarm.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamlandflowerfarm/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dreamland-Flower-Farm/

Imagine this, you are completely self-sufficient and growing every single ingredient you need to cook dinner every night. Olivia Kingery, founder of Pileated Farms, and a fellow advocate of joy, followed the signs the universe left for her to do just that. Olivia is growing nutritious, seasonal, food for her family and community while also participating in and spreading the word about community supported agriculture programs.

Once a writer, looking for work, Olivia stumbled upon farming in the most serendipitous way, finding her joy in farming and food, but more importantly, creating a community in her little corner of the world. Growing and eating nutrient dense food that is in season has become Olivia’s greatest passion, while also making it a point to slow down more and take in all life has to offer.

We have become so accustomed to getting what we want when we want it, not considering what it takes to produce what is being consumed. In our fast paced life, where quantity trumps quality, we are losing a big piece of us that connects us to the natural cycles of the planet, and to some degree, ourselves.

As a society, we have to ask ourselves, have we lost our ability to slow down and find joy in the small things? Like enjoying a perfectly picked strawberry from your own garden in the summer sun. Growing and eating food from soil you have tended to and nurtured can be the most exhilarating, yet simple, way to cultivate more joy in your life.

To learn how you can make space for more joy in your life while also eating healthier, be sure to tune in to today’s episode to hear Olivia’s story!

"One Bite is Everything" host Dana DiPrima introduces you to the universe where everyday food, fuel, fiber, and flowers (the 4 Fs) emanate from the center of your proverbial plate to its broader impact on health, the environment, community, and the economy. Here, with One Bite, you have to opportunity to explore the countless decisions involved in how our food reaches us and connect these choices to bigger, critical life issues. This unique approach sparks a broader conversation on the interplay between our choices and societal well-being.

Healthy food should not be a privilege, yet more than 23 million Americans don't have access to fresh food. Maura "Mac" Russell is working to change this statistic, all while balancing her career as a consultant, and being a mom of four. Through Ad Astra Farms, Mac takes on food justice in the community, healthy food production and education, and the persisting trauma that many Black Americans associate with farming. This first episode of One Bite is Everything takes on personal health, community well-being, the environment, and more. Tune in until the end for some funny surprises you will relate to!

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