Seeds are sustained through the people who grow, save, and share them. In this episode of Sowing Connections, we explore the role that relationships and community can play in keeping seeds, farms, and local food systems thriving. First, we share the story of ‘Susan’s Polish’ tomato, a variety that traveled thousands of miles and has been carefully stewarded for decades. Then farmer and community organizer Elizabeth Henderson joins Seed Savers Exchange to reflect on a lifetime spent growing food and building community. An early practitioner of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in the United States, Henderson shares what she learned from bringing people together around a farm, why meaningful participation matters, and what small farms and local food systems need to thrive. She also discusses the challenges facing farmers today and the many ways people can become more involved in the farms, gardens, and food systems in their own communities. Episode chapters 00:00 — Opening00:34 — Welcome01:37 — Seed Story: ‘Susan’s Polish’ Tomato08:50 — Featured Conversation: Elizabeth Henderson and Mike Bollinger45:19 — ClosingFull Transcript About Elizabeth Henderson Elizabeth Henderson farmed at Peacework Organic Farm in Wayne County, New York, producing organically grown vegetables for the fresh market for over 30 years. In 1989, her started a CSA project to serve people in Wayne County and the city of Rochester. This was the first CSA in all of western NY and one of the first in the whole country. She is an active member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) policy committee, co-chairs the Policy Committee of the NOFA Interstate Council, and represents the Council on the Board of the Agricultural Justice Project. She is the Honorary President of Urgenci, the International CSA and Solidarity Economies Network. From 1993 – 2013, she chaired the Wayne County Agricultural Development Board, taking an active role in creating the county Farming and Farmland Protection Plan. In 2001, the organic industry honored her with one of the first “Spirit of Organic awards; in 2007, Abundance Co-op honored her with the “Cooperating for Communities” award; and in 2009 NOFA-NY honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award and then a Golden Carrot in 2013. In 2014 Eco-Farm presented her with their Advocate of Social Justice Award, the “Justie.” Her writings on organic agriculture appear in The Natural Farmer and other publications, and she is lead author of Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture (Chelsea Green, 2007), with translations into Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Spanish. She also wrote A Food Book for a Sustainable Harvest for the members of Peacework Organic CSA (aka GVOCSA) in its thirty sixth year in 2026, these days supplied by Mud Creek Farm. Retired from farming, Elizabeth continues to mentor younger farmers and is a member of the Rochester Food Policy Council and its Urban Agriculture Working Group. Learn more Find Elizabeth Henderson’s Sharing the Harvest Read CSA Job List from Sharing the HarvestRead Elizabeth Henderson’s CSA FoodBookRead A Season for SolidarityLearn more about Fruition SeedsLearn more about Food Chain Workers AllianceLearn more about HEAL Food AllianceLearn more about National Organic CoalitionLearn more about May Day 2028Learn more about Northeast Organic Farming AssociationLearn more about Seed Savers ExchangeExplore thousands of varieties offered through The ExchangeConnect Seed Savers Exchange: Website, Shop, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn Listen Listen on the podcast webpage, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Original theme music by Lissie. Learn More: Visit Seed Savers Exchange at seedsavers.org Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization dedicated to stewarding America’s culturally diverse and endangered garden and food crop legacy for present and future generations. We educate and connect people through collecting, regenerating, and sharing heirloom seeds, plants, and stories.
