Fields

Heritage Radio Network
  • 4.8 (14)
  • FOOD
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Fields

Fields brings you the stories of people who are working in urban agriculture—for money, for fun, to feed the hungry, and for entirely other reasons. In each episode, hosts Melissa Metrick and Wythe Marschall delve into different foods grown in cities. Moreover, we investigate the whys behind getting up in the morning and working as a farmer in the shadow of skyscrapers. You don’t need to be a farmer to enjoy this podcast, or even a foodie! With their expert guests, Melissa and Wythe break down the realities and possible futures of urban farming to their elements.

  1. OCT 16

    A Farewell to Fields (For Now)

    Big news: it's goodbye for now from the team of Fields. Melissa and Wythe would like to thank Liam Werner and everyone at Heritage Radio Network for a great run. You'll still be able to enjoy all 4 seasons of Fields on the HRN website and wherever you find fine agriculture podcasts, so tell your friends! Happy planting, from NYC to wherever you live and grow!

    19 min
  2. The Farm Report Episode 4: What’s the Future of Urban Agriculture?

    FEB 15

    The Farm Report Episode 4: What’s the Future of Urban Agriculture?

    Melissa and Wythe were honored to join The Farm Report team for this special and important series on the Farm Bill and the politics of food. Please check out the interview, and follow The Farm Report for more critical news and analysis of what's happening across all of agriculture. Despite an increasing number of farmers growing food in cities urban agriculture wasn’t acknowledged in the farm bill until 2018. Lisa Held, journalist with Civil Eats and former Farm Report host provides the scoop on how the Farm Bill will impact the future of urban ag. Melissa Metrick and Wythe Marschall, co-hosts of HRN’s Fields podcast, give us some perspective on urban land-access challenges and what’s happening on the ground in cities across the country. And, our very own co-host Alita Kelly shares some of the urban agriculture projects she’s been working on in her community.

    46 min
  3. Vicki Sando on Green Roofs at Schools

    FEB 8

    Vicki Sando on Green Roofs at Schools

    Wythe chats with NYC educator Vicki Sando about her years of research into green roofs—especially those on schools—and her creation of the illustrated book What is a Green Roof? Vicki created the book to help kids and adults understand the benefits of green roofs, including to urban farmers. We talk about her own work to green the roof of one school in New York, how green roofs help kids learn across subjects, and how some of our favorite green roofs function. This is an excellent introduction to the topic for all listeners, young and young-at-heart! Here are links to resources that Vicki mentions during the episode: • www.educationalgreenroofs.org • www.greenroofsnyc.com • www.grownyc.org • www.cretf.org • www.kidsfightclimatechange.org • www.ps41.org/m/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=357954&type=d

    50 min
  4. Henry Obispo on the Resilience of the South Bronx

    12/17/2023

    Henry Obispo on the Resilience of the South Bronx

    Melissa and Wythe host the inspiring food and urban agriculture entrepreneur Henry Obispo. Henry is founder of Born Juice, the United Business Cooperative, and ReBORN FARMS. We talk about Henry’s background, the importance of the South Bronx in inspiring him, why he started a juice company, and how he started organizing other Bronxian food entrepreneurs into a worker cooperative. Henry tells us the story of the Bronx Salad, and we discuss his future plans for growing greens in the Bronx.

    1h 11m
  5. Henry Gordon-Smith on the State of Indoor Farming

    12/08/2023

    Henry Gordon-Smith on the State of Indoor Farming

    Following up on their review of recent bad news in the field of vertical farming, Melissa and Wythe catch up with an expert: Henry Gordon-Smith, founding CEO of the urban and controlled environment agriculture consultancy Agritecture. Henry relates his thoughts on recent shifts in commercial indoor and urban agriculture, reflecting on some of Agritecture’s experiences and what could happen in the near future. It’s a short, fun, and informative conversation!

    34 min
  6. Catching Up with Wythe: The Recent Troubles in Vertical Farming

    11/30/2023

    Catching Up with Wythe: The Recent Troubles in Vertical Farming

    Melissa and Wythe catch up with each other regarding a recent trend in urban agriculture: the closure or financial restructuring of several high-profile indoor farms in urban areas. We look at recent news articles on this topic, theorize why the indoor ag-tech sector is struggling, and speculate about what could happen next. We’ll return to this important topic with guests over the course of the season, so subscribe!

    54 min
  7. Catching up with Melissa: Harvest Time at the NYU Urban Farm Lab

    11/17/2023

    Catching up with Melissa: Harvest Time at the NYU Urban Farm Lab

    To kick off a new season of Fields, Wythe and Melissa chat about Melissa's current work as both an instructor of urban agriculture at New York University and the manager of the school’s Urban Farm Lab on Houston Street. Recorded in October 2023, just before harvest time, this informal conversation covers a range of subjects, from the crops students grow to how Melissa’s syllabus has covered different aspects of the history of urban agriculture over time.

    45 min
  8. Michael Treglia on Green Roofs, Birds, and Pollinators

    08/17/2023

    Michael Treglia on Green Roofs, Birds, and Pollinators

    To round out Season 3, Melissa and Wythe talk about the concept of the “urban forest” in NYC with scientist Mike Treglia of The Nature Conservancy. Mike was trained as a herpetologist (reptile scientist), but he now focuses on the total ecological systems of cities, especially trees. The Nature Conservancy itself works to study and protect land in many different ways, including in New York City. Mike also works with Forest For All NYC, supporting policy that can create and realize a comprehensive plan for NYC’s treescape. Mike also co-organizes the Green Roof Researchers Alliance (GRRA), with NYC Audubon. The GRRA coordinates research on green roofs in the city, including the mapping of these roofs and helping us know what animals live across these heterogeneous spaces. Mike tells us all about the types of work that different research groups are up to, and how these individual scientific efforts connect with a larger social movement to create green roofs and steward them successfully. We also talk a lot about policy, especially given extreme temperatures and the roles green roofs can play in keeping buildings cooler. (Plus, lightning round: pizza in Staten Island!)

    55 min
See All (56)

Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Fields brings you the stories of people who are working in urban agriculture—for money, for fun, to feed the hungry, and for entirely other reasons. In each episode, hosts Melissa Metrick and Wythe Marschall delve into different foods grown in cities. Moreover, we investigate the whys behind getting up in the morning and working as a farmer in the shadow of skyscrapers. You don’t need to be a farmer to enjoy this podcast, or even a foodie! With their expert guests, Melissa and Wythe break down the realities and possible futures of urban farming to their elements.

Information

  • Channel
    Heritage Radio Network
  • Creator
    Heritage Radio Network
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2020 Heritage Radio Network
  • Show Website
    Fields

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