Pivot Points

Dan Fillius; Sarah Janes Ugoretz
  • 5,0 (12)
  • Nghề nghiệp
  • Series đã hoàn chỉnh

Season 1 is a wrap! Help us with future seasons: - Sponsor or partner with us to support future seasons - Send us ideas for farmers or topics to feature in future episodes Contact us at fillius at iastate.edu or sarah.janesugoretz at wisc.edu What happens when a vegetable farmer decides it's time to completely reinvent their operation—or even walk away entirely? From candid exit interviews to stories of creative collaborations and dramatic business makeovers, Pivot Points explores creative solutions that turn farming challenges into new possibilities. Whether farmers are scaling up, scaling down, or finding entirely new ways forward, Pivot Points asks the big question: when your farm stops working for your life, what's your next move? Hosted by Sarah Janes Ugoretz, farm labor educator with UW Extension and Fair Share CSA Coalition, and Dan Fillius, Iowa State University Extension field specialist for commercial vegetables.

Xem tất cả

  1. Tập 1

    Local Civic Engagement as a farmer with Janaki Fisher-Merritt and Kat Becker

    Organic farmers Kat Becker of Cattail Organics and Janaki Fisher-Merritt of Food Farm share how stepping out of their fields and into civic life — from school boards to food pantries — has made them better farmers and more grounded community members. Both farmers reflect on how structured volunteer commitments create the "hard stops" that farming rarely provides on its own, helping them reclaim balance without sacrificing their drive to contribute. Whether you're feeling the urge to get involved in your community, or simply curious about what civic engagement looks like in rural America, this conversation will leave you rethinking where your skills could make a difference beyond the farm gate. This episode is made possible by the support of the Wisconsin Farmers Union

  2. Tập 2

    Statewide and National Civic Engagement as a farmer with Jack Hedin and Bill Pluecker

    Jack Hedin of Featherstone Farm and Maine State Representative Bill Pluecker of Begin Again Farm share how their decades of civic engagement grew directly out of their identities as farmers and their desire to shape the policies that affect rural communities. Both farmers are candid about the real costs of that engagement, whether it's nearly losing a carrot crop while advocating in Washington or scaling a farm down from $120K to $10K in gross sales to make room for legislative work. From practical first steps like calling your rep's agriculture staffer to big wins like Maine's first-in-the-nation ban on sludge application, this episode showcases how farmers can play both the inside and outside game of civic power.

  3. Tập 3

    Pivot Points Season 2 Preview

    Season 2 of Pivot Points spotlights creative land access and farm transition stories—from incubator farms and cooperative stewardship to ex-spouses still farming together and a multigenerational melon farm. Tune in mid-September to hear how farmers are finding land, redefining success, and securing fair exits without selling everything at auction.

  4. Tập 4

    Carly and Ethan Zierke & Barb Kraus on The Impact of Farm Incubation and Land Access Support

    Carly and Ethan Zierke of Sweet Season Farm and Barb Kraus of Canoe Creek Produce near Decorah, Iowa, detail their experience working together to scale down one farm business while incubating another.  Carly and Ethan share how their incubator arrangements with Barb and with the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust provided a low-risk place to experiment, develop their markets, and gain confidence. Along the way, Barb details her own experience with scaling back and sharing not just her decades' worth of knowledge but her land, infrastructure, and equipment as well. This conversation explores creative approaches to farmland access, work-life balance, and the value of shared infrastructure, mentorship, and flexibility as farms grow and change.  This episode is made possible by the support of the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust. Carly and Ethan Zierke of Sweet Season Farm and Barb Kraus of Canoe Creek Produce near Decorah, Iowa, detail their experience working together to scale down one farm business while incubating another.  Carly and Ethan share how their incubator arrangements with Barb and with the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust provided a low-risk place to experiment, develop their markets, and gain confidence. Along the way, Barb details her own experience with scaling back and sharing not just her decades' worth of knowledge but her land, infrastructure, and equipment as well. This conversation explores creative approaches to farmland access, work-life balance, and the value of shared infrastructure, mentorship, and flexibility as farms grow and change.  This episode is made possible by the support of the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust. Carly and Ethan Zierke of Sweet Season Farm and Barb Kraus of Canoe Creek Produce near Decorah, Iowa, detail their experience working together to scale down one farm business while incubating another.  Carly and Ethan share how their incubator arrangements with Barb and with the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust provided a low-risk place to experiment, develop their markets, and gain confidence. Along the way, Barb details her own experience with scaling back and sharing not just her decades' worth of knowledge but her land, infrastructure, and equipment as well. This conversation explores creative approaches to farmland access, work-life balance, and the value of shared infrastructure, mentorship, and flexibility as farms grow and change.  This episode is made possible by the support of the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust.

  5. 3 thg 4

    Preview: Farmer Civic Engagement Special

    Coming Soon! Farmers share their experiences with civic engagement — from building deeper community connections at the local level to influencing agricultural policy in state and national legislative chambers. Tune in for this special two-episode series of Pivot Points, featuring Janaki Fisher-Merritt, Kat Becker, Jack Hedin, and Bill Pluecker. Hosted by Dan Fillius, with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and Sarah Janes Ugoretz, of Dane County Extension and FairShare CSA Coalition.

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Giới Thiệu

Season 1 is a wrap! Help us with future seasons: - Sponsor or partner with us to support future seasons - Send us ideas for farmers or topics to feature in future episodes Contact us at fillius at iastate.edu or sarah.janesugoretz at wisc.edu What happens when a vegetable farmer decides it's time to completely reinvent their operation—or even walk away entirely? From candid exit interviews to stories of creative collaborations and dramatic business makeovers, Pivot Points explores creative solutions that turn farming challenges into new possibilities. Whether farmers are scaling up, scaling down, or finding entirely new ways forward, Pivot Points asks the big question: when your farm stops working for your life, what's your next move? Hosted by Sarah Janes Ugoretz, farm labor educator with UW Extension and Fair Share CSA Coalition, and Dan Fillius, Iowa State University Extension field specialist for commercial vegetables.

Thông Tin

  • Nhà sáng tạo
    Dan Fillius; Sarah Janes Ugoretz
  • Tập
    13
  • Mùa
    2
  • Xếp hạng
    Sạch
  • Bản quyền
    © 2025
  • Trang web chương trình
    Pivot Points