The Taproot Project

Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Food
  • Weekly

Rows of corn, red barns, men in overalls. This is definitely part of the story of food and farming in the Midwest, but it’s not the whole story. The Taproot Project digs deeper. In each episode, you’ll hear about people across the Midwest who are reclaiming farming as a connector— to the land, to ancestors, and to a sense of purpose. We talk with farmers, brewers, ranchers, conservationists, and historians about land, legacy, and what sustains their work. The Taproot Project is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance, and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell. Podcast art by Geri Shonka.

  1. Oct 21

    Organic Meat Processing

    Demand for certified organic meat is increasing, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. But what does it look like to actually meet this demand– and can the niche U.S. meat market deliver? In this episode Kate introduces two people in the organic meat industry to give us a closer look at the policies, infrastructure, and culture affecting organic meat production. The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Guest BiosJessica Roosa holds a BS in Biology from Purdue University. She is the owner and manager of This Old Farm, Inc., located in and around Colfax, Indiana. In 2000, she started farming on an 88-acre family farm, raising Katahdin sheep, pastured pork and poultry, hay, dairy cows, and vegetable crops. She continues to raise sheep and has added farm stays through purchase of more ground with cabins. In 2009, meat processing services were added. What started as a single farm operation grew to support many farm operations. Jessica is passionate about farm-based education. She is a regular speaker at farm and food conferences. Her personal mission is to revitalize rural communities by investing in one farm at a time to bring life back to the family livestock farmer. Dave Carter is a Regional Director of the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA) supporting producers seeking to create a more resilient, diversified, and equitable meat and poultry processing system in the United States. From 2001 through March 2022, Carter served as executive director of the 1,200-member National Bison Association, where he worked to strengthen production and marketing systems for North American bison ranchers. He has also operated Crystal Springs Consulting, Inc. since 2001 and has worked extensively on issues relating to organic and natural food marketing, cooperative development, meat processing, tribal food sovereignty, cooperative development, and regenerative agriculture. He is the former Chair of USDA’s National Organic Standards Board. He later helped gain regulatory approval for non-GMO labeling of meat, poultry, and dairy products sourced from animals fed diets without genetically modified ingredients. Prior to 2002, Carter had a 25-year career with the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and National Farmers Union. Dave and his wife, Sue, are partners in a holistically managed bison herd on a 7,800-acre ranch owned by the Savory Institute in eastern Colorado. Helpful Links Sovereignty Matters 2026 Power of Meat Report Flower Hill Institute MPPTA This Old Farm, Inc.This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell Podcast art by Geri Shonka Music: Chasin It by Jason Shaw Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze

  2. Jun 17

    Plain Community in Organic Agriculture

    The Amish and Mennonite communities have had an outsized impact on agriculture in the midwest– specifically in organic dairy and the popularization of the produce auction. In this episode Kate explores why the organic dairy has come to rely on small Amish dairy farms, and how produce auctions have become fixtures of midwestern produce sales in the last few decades. The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Guest Bios Phil Forbes is a highly experienced leader in regenerative agriculture and organic dairy supply chain management based in Kalona, Iowa. He currently holds multiple senior leadership roles, including Executive Director of the Kalona Regenerative Network and Director of the Small Farm Program for Kalona Farms and Kalona SuperNatural. Phil has been involved in organic and regenerative agriculture for the past 35 years in a diverse array of areas, to include medicinal herbs, market gardening, beef cattle, bison, pastured eggs, custom grazing, organic dairy, and sheep. Sheldon Raber is the manager of the Arthur Produce Auction in Arthur, IL and a member of the Mennonite community in the Arthur area. He is also the owner of ABC Shop in Arthur, a one-stop-shop for books, in-season produce, jigsaw puzzles, and more. Helpful Links Kalona Supernatural  Performing Amish Agrarianism: Negotiating Tradition in the Maintenance of Pennsylvania Dairy Farms by Nicole Welk-Joerger The Success of Plain People’s Produce Auctions and Partnership with Missouri Extension by James QuinnCreditsThis work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell Podcast art by Geri Shonka Music: Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, from the Free Music Archive Chasin It by Jason Shaw, from the Free Music Archive

  3. Apr 22

    Midwest Linen Revival

    Fiber flax is a crop well-suited to the cooler, damp climate of the upper Midwest– but there’s never been a thriving flax market in the US. Cheap cotton, subsidized by slave labor, outcompeted all other potential fiber markets– and left a traumatic history of textiles behind it. Today, a growing group of fiber flax advocates are bringing forth a new era of US textiles rooted in right relationship. In this episode we welcome Leslie Schroeder, the founder of Midwest Linen Revival, to talk about the potential of flax fiber to shape the future of Midwest agriculture. The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Guest BiosLeslie's Schroeder's background is a blend of practical skills, community engagement, and a deep connection to nature. She enjoyed fourteen years as a stay-at-home homeschooling parent of two which provided her the flexibility of time to deepen into the contemporary fiber crafts of sewing, knitting, and learning to weave on a floor loom, while also exploring traditional textile skills of twining wild cordage and hand tanning buckskins.  She has become similarly accomplished in foraging all the wild goodies - nuts, berries, mushrooms. These avenues to connect in ways fundamental, tactile, and untamed to such basic parts of life as food and clothing, have been informative in directing her daily life ever since. Finding continuity from all that is ancient and modern in fiber flax, Leslie became smitten with linen. In that same time, Leslie led several impassioned local advocacy movements including efforts which changed city policy around retaining canopy trees. For her work she has received awards in such diverse realms as local LGBTQ advocacy and historic restoration and preservation. Drawing it all together is an inspiration that there is something sacred in mending our relationship with our clothes. Founder of Midwest Linen Revival, Leslie has been enthusiastically working to bring all that she has in passion and organizing skill into reviving a fiber-flax industry in The Midwest. She sleeps outside whenever she can. Helpful Links Midwest Linen Revival  Fantasy Fibre Mill North American Linen Organization Flax Growing and Processing: Fantasy Fibre MillCreditsThis work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell Podcast art by Geri Shonka Flax processing audio from Rosie Bristow and Matt Tatwood at Fantasy Fibre Mill Music Chasin It by Jason Shaw Are We Loose Yet by Blue Dot Sessions Butterfly by Kate Kody

  4. Feb 11

    Organic as a Movement

    What does the USDA organic seal really mean? The USDA organic seal represents decades of organizing within the agricultural community to establish a codified system of principles and practices for crop and food production that works in partnership with nature, rather than against it. In this episode, Kate speaks with two long-time organic advocates and farmers about the effort to establish and uphold a national standard for organic foods and the value of the USDA organic seal for the consumer and producer. The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Guest BiosMac Stone was Executive Director of Marketing for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. He administered the Kentucky Proud Program and helped establish the USDA National Organic Program organic certification accreditation. He was the Certifier Representative on the National Organic Standards Board and is now Chair Emeritus. Mac recently retired from Kentucky State University, where he administered a grant program for small-scale farmers after 20 years of managing their research farm. He now focuses on farming and marketing organic foods with his family on Elmwood Stock Farm.Harriet Behar has visited thousands of organic farms across the upper Midwest in her role as an organic inspector, educator, advocate, and conservation coach. Since the mid-1990s, she has taught inspectors, farmers, processors, government officials, bankers, and more about the organic regulations.  Her 216-acre farm has been certified organic since 1989, selling bedding plants, vegetables, herbs both fresh and dried, and small grains as well as honey and eggs.  She served on the National Organic Standards Board, with one year as the chair. She currently works with the Organic Farmers Association.Helpful Links Organic Basics National Organic Program National Organic Standards Board NOP Organic Standards Organic Food Production Act 1990 Kentucky ProudCreditsThis work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell Podcast art by Geri Shonka Music Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, from the Free Music Archive Chasin It by Jason Shaw, from the Free Music Archive

  5. Feb 4

    Farmland Commons - A Legacy of Sustainability

    Any conversation about the future of farming eventually hits the issue of land access. Land is expensive, and within the market system a parcel of land will typically sell to the highest bidder– making existing farmland susceptible to development. But taking farmland out of private ownership can stabilize farmland and ensure it serves the community for generations. Our guests will share about the Farmland Commons model and what it looks like on the ground in East Knoxville, Tennessee. The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Guest BiosFemeika Elliot Femeika loves speaking passionately about transforming your everyday dishes into healthy masterpieces using fresh ingredients to uplift the lifestyle of others. She started her health foods brand Meik Meals, in 2019 and continued to pivot in the entrepreneurial scene to address major health crisis within the black community such as mental health, postpartum medical and food apartheid becoming the founder of The Lotus Program Experience and the Rooted East Knoxville Collective. Femeika brings her background of 6 years in whole foods education, sacred medicine and ancestral practice with over 10 years in the social work field serving marginalized and underrepresented communities. Femeika founded Rooted East Knoxville to address the inequities of the American food system; recreating the food landscape—increasing access for East Knoxville residents. She enjoys being a social justiceprenuer and advocates for marginalized communities as Black health, liberation and restoration remains at the forefront of her vision. Ian McSweeney comes from generations of immigrants, refugees, activists, abolitionists, and colonists from southeastern Massachusetts. Ian is deeply committed to bringing about innovations to holistically evolve farmland conservation, equity, secure and affordable access and tenure to build community resilience ensuring regenerative, diversified food production that benefits soil, human, and community health. Ian is Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of The Farmers Land Trust. Helpful Links The Farmer’s Land Trust East Tennessee Farmland CommonsCreditsThis work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell Podcast art by Geri Shonka Music Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, from the Free Music Archive Chasin It by Jason Shaw, from the Free Music Archive

  6. Jan 14

    From Mexico to Illinois, One Farmer's Journey

    Antonio Delgado has been a trailblazer in northern Illinois’ food system since 1980, when he moved to Elgin from Michoacan, Mexico. He helped establish one of the region’s first farm-to-table restaurants and has since gone on to operate his own farm and farm-to-table restaurant. Kate speaks with Antonio about farming journey. This episode was supported by Raices Latinas, a storytelling project that celebrates the contributions of Latine farmers to McHenry county. The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Guest BiosAntonio Delgado is a farmer and restaurant owner based in Marengo, Illinois. He has been a life-long food entrepreneur, since working on his family farm in Paracaurao, Michoacan, Mexico. Antonio has carried the traditional farming practices he learned into his life as a farmer in Northern Illinois, where he currently owns and operates Rancho El Pitayo  and Isabel’s Family Restaurant. He believes in eating simply and eating well. Sheri Doyel has been working with direct-market farmers for the past 20 years, supporting them through education, consultation, and networking.  In 2006, as the Farm Forager for the City of Chicago, Sheri recruited farmers to sell in the city-run markets and enforced producer-only standards at both City markets and the independently-run Green City Market.  For ten years at Angelic Organics Learning Center in Caledonia, IL, Sheri facilitated the year-long Stateline Farm Beginnings program and provided leadership to strengthen the CRAFT network (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training), as well as working nationally on best practices in farmer training via the Farm Beginnings Collaborative.  In 2019, Sheri joined McHenry County College as the Director for the new Center for Agrarian Learning.  She also owns and operates a very part-time farm business, Tiny Tempest Farm, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  Tiny Tempest Farm is a micro-nursery specializing in vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings for home gardeners. Helpful Links Raices LatinasCreditsThis work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell Podcast art by Geri Shonka Music: Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, from the Free Music Archive Chasin It by Jason Shaw, from the Free Music Archive

  7. 12/17/2025

    Developing Domestic Elderberry Production and Markets

    In the 90s, a small team of researchers from the University of Missouri tasted some elderberry wine and wondered why this ubiquitous native fruit wasn’t a part of local farming operations. Nearly three decades later, Missouri leads the country in elderberry production. Kate speaks with Patrick Byers and David Buehler, two people who helped build the domestic elderberry market, about the cross-sector collaborations that made it possible. The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Guest BiosPatrick Byers, recently retired from the position of Horticulture Field Specialist with the Webster County office of University of Missouri Extension, was born in Nebraska and raised in the Midwest. His educational background includes horticulture degrees from the Universities of Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. Patrick’s 33-year career touched all aspects of horticulture, and his most recent job focused on advisement to fruit and vegetable farmers with the goal of supporting sustainability and profitability. His passions include berries (especially elderberry), garlic, native fruits and nuts, hops and orchids. In retirement he is developing his own homestead on 24 rocky Ozark acres in south Missouri. David Buehler, known to most simply as Farmer Dave, is the founder and driving force behind Buehler Farms, which he owns and operates alongside his wife and business partner, Ann Buehler. Their farm sits on land that has been in Dave’s family since 1899. Buehler Farms serves as the umbrella company for their broader elderberry ecosystem, including ElderFarms, which produces finished consumer elderberry wellness products, and Nobleberry, their emerging functional elderberry soda line. Dave has spent years studying and refining elderberry production, from nursery propagation to large-scale orchard design. Buehler Farms supports growers across the region through custom American elderberry installations with a berry buyback program, raw bulk product supply, and practical, experience-based consulting. His approach centers on clear communication, proven methods, and helping growers create real opportunities to diversify and strengthen their operations. Dave’s vision is simple: help build a strong regional elderberry network where the small, ordinary farmer can thrive. Helpful Links Elder Farms Elderberries are a successful niche crop at a crossroads: go big or stay smallCreditsThis work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell Podcast art by Geri Shonka Thank you to Jackie Casteel and Will Chiles for the inspiration for this episode. Music: Ghost Solos by Lucas Gonze, from the Free Music Archive Chasin It by Jason Shaw, from the Free Music Archive

  8. 12/17/2025

    Going for Organic in the Arkansas Delta

    The Delta region of Arkansas is an area of intensive chemical agriculture. The controversial herbicide Dicamba is used heavily in the area, sprayed by airplane over thousands of acres of crops like corn and soybeans. In Phillips County, in the heart of the Delta, one community dreams of an organic farm. Kate speaks with Martin and Jennifer about the efforts to establish an organic farm in Phillips County and the challenges they’re up against. The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Guest BiosMartin Blocker is a farmer and lifelong resident of Phillips and Desha County. His family has been in the area for at least 160 years. He is an active organizer in the effort to establish an organic farm in Phillips County. He is trying to pass along the landmark knowledge of his ancestors to the next generation. Jennifer Hadlock is a community organizer, genealogist, movement lawyer, and member of New Day Landmark Collective. She learned about the Elaine Massacre of 1919 as a Board member of the Fund for Reparations Now!! and was subsequently asked by Black massacre descendants and supporters to research land ownership and theft in Phillips County, Arkansas. Helpful Links New Day Landmark Collective Arkansas official says vandals targeted him over dicamba, Associated Press The Elaine Riot, Ida B. Wells These Walls Can Talk, Elaine Legacy Center American Congo: African American Freedom Struggle in the Delta, Nan WoodruffCreditsThis work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell. Podcast art by Geri Shonka. Music: Chiado by Jahzarr, from the Free Music Archive Gentle Rain by John Bartmann, from the Free Music Archive

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5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Rows of corn, red barns, men in overalls. This is definitely part of the story of food and farming in the Midwest, but it’s not the whole story. The Taproot Project digs deeper. In each episode, you’ll hear about people across the Midwest who are reclaiming farming as a connector— to the land, to ancestors, and to a sense of purpose. We talk with farmers, brewers, ranchers, conservationists, and historians about land, legacy, and what sustains their work. The Taproot Project is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance, and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org. Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell. Podcast art by Geri Shonka.

Information

  • Creator
    Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    The Taproot Project

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