REAP/SOW

FERN
  • 4.9 (103)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
REAP/SOW

Dispatches from the frontlines of food, farming, and the environment. From the Food & Environment Reporting Network, the producers of Hot Farm, REAP/SOW brings you narrative and investigative reporting that examines the consequences of what we choose to eat and why.

  1. “Farmin’ ain’t easy” from the Points North Podcast

    OCT 15

    “Farmin’ ain’t easy” from the Points North Podcast

    Nic Theisen and his wife, Sara, operate a small but bustling farm in northern Michigan, growing flowers and vegetables with the help of a large team of farmworkers. It's backbreaking work, the farm hardly makes a profit… and Nic's a little surprised he’s doing this at all. It’s real life on a small farm. This episode, originally entitled “Labor of Mixed Emotions” is courtesy of the “Points North” podcast, and was originally aired on September 13th.

    16 min
  2. The divers keeping the water flowing on California’s farms

    AUG 15

    The divers keeping the water flowing on California’s farms

    California transports water to Central Valley farmers through a complex network of reservoirs, aqueducts, and canals. This water system is controversial… and without constant maintenance, it might collapse. For REAP/SOW, reporter Lisa Morehouse, host of the “California Foodways” podcast, profiles California’s irrigation canal divers. This episode was produced in partnership with “California Foodways” and KQED’s “California Report” podcast.

    17 min
  3. Redfish blues

    JUL 9

    Redfish blues

    Boyce Upholt's report on the environmental threat to redfish on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana anchors this episode of REAP/SOW. It dives deep into the cultural history of this fish that was made globally famous by Paul Prudhomme’s blackened redfish dish, while also engaging with the modern-day politics driving how much – if at all – it should be taken from the water. This episode was produced in partnership with WWNO’s “Sea Change” podcast.

    40 min
  4. A native people fight for their stolen waters

    JUN 6

    A native people fight for their stolen waters

    Los Angeles was running out of water in the early 1900s, and Payahuunadü, "land of flowing water" in the Nüümü language, had lots of it. City officials hatched a plan to take the water from what white settlers had renamed the Owens Valley. Today, about a third of L.A.'s water comes from Payahuunadü and other parts of the Eastern Sierra, and many of its streams and lakes are mostly gone. FERN staff writer and REAP/SOW host Teresa Cotsirilos digs into Indigenous efforts to forge a modern resolution of this water conflict. This episode was produced in partnership with KQED’s California Report.

    29 min
  5. The forever chemicals on the farm from What You’re Eating

    MAY 2

    The forever chemicals on the farm from What You’re Eating

    This episode, courtesy of the podcast “What you’re eating,” heads to Maine to investigate PFAS, a category of chemicals known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down over time. Found in everything from pizza boxes to rain jackets, PFAS is now being discovered in our farms, our food, and in our bodies. Originally released in September 2023, we hear from family farmers Fred and Laura Stone about how these chemicals got into their ground – and what we have to do to get them out.

    56 min
  6. Farming with ghosts

    APR 4

    Farming with ghosts

    David “Mas” Masumoto says he farms with ghosts. This episode of REAP/SOW is a FERN/KQED California Report partnership, telling the story of a Japanese-American farming family that’s survived generations of discrimination. Masumoto’s small organic farm just south of Fresno, California is on land that’s been in his family for decades. In 2012, he uncovered a secret about his family that showed him how truly resilient and strong they were. Reported by longtime FERN contributor Lisa Morehouse as part of her California Foodways project, this episode was originally produced in 2023.

    31 min
  7. White gold fever from Snap Judgment

    MAR 5

    White gold fever from Snap Judgment

    In a small fishing village in Mexico, Belen Delgado made a discovery that would change his life: a massive cache of callo de hacha, a large black scallop that’s one of the most prized species in the Gulf of California. Years of overfishing had depleted the area’s fish and seafood, and Belen knew his discovery could change his village’s economic future. But reaching the scallops was only the first challenge: Belen would also have to protect it. Originally released in 2022, this is a partnership between FERN and Snap Judgment.

    28 min
  8. Weaponized food from The Switchyard Podcast

    FEB 15

    Weaponized food from The Switchyard Podcast

    FERN contributor Ted Genoways interviews Jori Lewis and Siddhartha Deb, two writers taking on popular foods and their fraught cultural history – the racist cultural history of the watermelon, and the Hindu nationalist politics of beef in India. The final installment of a collaboration between FERN and Switchyard, a magazine and podcast from the University of Tulsa and Public Radio Tulsa.

    50 min
See All (18)

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
103 Ratings

About

Dispatches from the frontlines of food, farming, and the environment. From the Food & Environment Reporting Network, the producers of Hot Farm, REAP/SOW brings you narrative and investigative reporting that examines the consequences of what we choose to eat and why.

Information

  • Creator
    FERN
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 FERN
  • Show Website
    REAP/SOW

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