Scott Chichester, Production Manager at Nash’s Organic Produce, was raised in Sequim. He liked to garden and was curious about where food comes from, so it was natural for him to find a job at Sunny Farms after he graduated from high school. He worked there for three years, acquiring skills in retail sales, produce displays, and customer service. Organic agriculture was what really intrigued Scott, and he also realized that he wanted to find work that would allow him to be outdoors most of the time, so in 1996 he started working at Nash’s. Scott had an Associate of Applied Science degree from Peninsula College but still wanted to complete a bachelor’s degree. He took the 1997-98 academic year to go to Olympia and study at The Evergreen State College where he received a Bachelors of Science degree. At Evergreen, students create their own programs, and Scott took the opportunity to study fungal biology and taxonomy and soil microbial ecology—how microbes and other life forms interact in soil environments. Another of Scott’s goals is learning how to produce seed, not just for the farm’s use but to protect genetic diversity for organic agriculture in general. He says, “Farming can be hugely stressful, but amazingly rewarding. It’s incredible to do such important work outdoors in this beautiful place.”

Megan Paska grew up gardening with her mother and grandmother in Maryland, and spent her summers on her family's 450-acre farmstead in rural Virginia. When she moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2006, she found that her landlords were enthusiastic about her putting up a raised bed vegetable garden in the backyard. Soon after came bees and honey, then the chickens and fresh eggs. She created the Brooklyn Homesteader blog to chronicle her backyard and rooftop adventures in agriculture, as well as her experiences with urban farming organizations like BK Farmyards, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, and Brooklyn Grange, with whom she coordinates educational Beekeeping workshops. Megan also hosts workshops and classesfrequently from her backyard garden and in local businesses as well as private classes on subjects like gardening, mushroom growing, food preservation and beekeeping. She is currently in the planning process of starting a farm, The Homestead at Seven Arrows, on 20 acres of leased land just outside the city. This program has been sponsored by The Heritage Meat Shop.

"I love beekeeping...you never stop learning, and that's a humbling feeling."

"That's why we started Hayseed's. We were having a hard time finding good quality things like chicken feed, soil, and soil amendments for a reasonable price." -- Megan Paska on Greenhorn Radio

Joe Morris, with his wife Julie, has owned and operated Morris Grassfed Beef since 1991 when Joe took over the management of his grandparent’s 200-acre ranch near San Juan Bautista, just south of San Jose, California. Today, they lease an additional 7,000 acres and run 250 cows to serve their grassfed beef direct marketing business, as well as approximately 1,800 stockers. Joe comes from a lineage of ranchers stretching back five generations, the most recent of which was his grandfather who ranched into the 1980s. He is deeply influenced by the vaquero tradition that grew out of two complimentary influences — the indigenous skills of Native North Americans in using animals to take care of the land and the horsemanship of the Spanish settlers in California. The tradition emphasizes caring equally for the well being of the land, the animals and the people, recognizing their interdependence and its potential to produce beauty. Today's episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

"We first have to move from bare soil and annual grasses to coverage soil and perennial grasses. And that's when we can start seeing this real boost in productivity, and that productivity feeds a lot of diverse life." [16:35] --Joe Morris on Greenhorn Radio