One Bite is Everything Dana DiPrima

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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On today’s episode of Talk Farm To Me, we hear from first generation farmer Kelley Babbin, owner and operator of Howling Flats Farms in Canaan, Connecticut. Kelley has made it her mission to create an environment of sustainable agriculture, while nurturing the land she grows on. Using sustainable practices to give her animals the utmost love and care, making for happy animals that live harmoniously with the land, Kelley has created an online marketplace to sell her meat to consumers that are looking for healthier, environmentally friendly, options.

In this episode, you will hear how Kelley became a farmer and started growing animals on pasture, the work and dedication it takes to run a farm with little help, the challenges for farmers to market their products to the masses, how Kelley created an online market for Howling Flat Farms, and why the need for convenience is hurting family farms.

This story is all about strength and determination, you don’t want to miss it!

Topics discussed in this episode:

How Kelley started raising animals on pasture
How Kelley runs her farm on her own
The types of certifications Kelley’s farm has
What Kelley’s customer base looks like
Why it is difficult to market meat on social media
How Kelley is expanding her customer base in creative ways
The need for convenience is hurting small family farms
How Kelley is improving the health of her soil

We believe in farmers being taken seriously. They are the backbone of our society after all, right? Then why are more and more farmers becoming silenced and marginalized? To answer this question and spread awareness about this topic, we have invited podcast host, author, and law and government teacher, Sharon McMahon, to shed light on how America is failing its farmers, and what we can do to change that.

Sharon has a deep knowledge of the monster farmers are up against when it comes to legislation, farm bills, and the oligopoly of big ag phasing out small family farms. She brings the conversation back to the American government and law makers to enforce checks and balances so the farmers get the respect they deserve, with the health of the consumers in mind.

This is an important conversation with tons of information about the way the government and laws are structured that will put the farming industry and the direction it is going into perspective. Something we all need to pay attention to, because after all, we all need to eat!

This episode will surely empower you to stand up for your rights as a consumer and for the rights of farmers. Every time you make a purchase, you are voting with your dollar, and if keeping small family farms in business is a cause you believe in, make that dollar count!

Make sure you tune in to this crucial discussion!