Anastasia started her career as a seasonal agricultural worker at the age of 17 when a series of fateful events led her to the blueberry barrens of Downeast Maine. She raked berries every year for the next 8 years, and also did some apple picking, morel mushroom hunting, and tree-planting which eventually became her primary occupation. This lifestyle kept her on the road for the better part of 13 years and enabled her to become intimate with many parts of the country. She has been based out of Tucson, AZ (the city of her birth) for the past 10 years where her home has evolved into an urban, desert farm. Anastasia has just earned a degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management from the University of Arizona. She is looking forward to integrating her experiences and skills in ways that will help to produce food and other products from the land while sustaining and enhancing natural and cultural resources. This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

"I think what I really loved about it [seasonal agriculture] was the bizarre social scene that grew around it... I also got really into the physical aspects of it... grueling, repetitive work out in the hot sun... But I don't wanna paint a rosy picture of seasonal agricultural work because it's not that way for many people."

"The fact that we can make food from animal products without altering the land is really important to our food security." -- Anastasia Rabin on Greenhorn Radio

On this episode of Greenhorn Radio, Severine interviews Michael Meier from the Brooklyn Grange Farm in Long Island City, Queens. Michael is a south Florida citrus country native who was introduced to farming as a youngster spending summers at his grandparents' farmstead in the North Carolina Smokies. He moved to New York City in 2005 and quickly became a part of the local food scene there. He spent a few years working in the ad industry and honing urban homesteading techniques to grow food on the side, before taking an apprenticeship position in 2011 at Brooklyn Grange, a one-acre rooftop farm in NYC. As farm manager with Brooklyn Grange this season, Michael is learning what it takes to run a quickly expanding farm business and is working towards a lifetime career in agriculture, whether on city rooftops or in the country like normal folks. Tune in to hear Michael talk about the Grange's role in the urban farming landscape, and how it serves as a model for a for-profit farm that can help feed the city. Hear about some of the factors that make Brooklyn Grange different from a traditional rural agricultural farm. This episode was brought to you by Hearst Ranch.

"The point of our farm isn't to try to provide every last vegetable or leafy green people need in the city, but to help create a business model for a sustainable urban agriculture that works and can generate jobs and revenue... Looking at the environmental benefits and the educational and social impact that we have, it's a constellation of things, but we are a farm and our main priority is producing food... We're hoping that by constantly testing, working, and spurring innovation in this space that we'll help grow an industry." --Michael Meier on Greenhorn Radio

This week on The Main Course, Patrick Martins is joined by Dorothy Cann Hamilton, the Founder and CEO of The International Culinary Centers in New York and California, which houses The French Culinary Institute. Hear about her experiences working closely with legends like Julia Child and Robert Mondavi and what future plans she has for her schools. Also find out what Dorothy has planned for her brand new show on Heritage Radio Network, "Chef's Story". Later in the program, hear from food editor for Sunset Magazine and author of "One Block Feast", Margo True as she discusses the process of really making food from scratch. From seed to table, Margo tells stories of beekeeping, cheesemaking, beer brewing and more! This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

"I applied the total immersion educational method to cooking, which is why at the FCI the programs are 6 months long...22,000 students have been through our school!"

"Our latest dean that we announced this week is Jose Andres, and now we will have a Spanish program."

--Dorothy Cann Hamilton, founder and CEO of The International Culinary Centers on The Main Course

"Back in the day hops were used to stuff pillows because it had a sedative effect!"

"Raising chickens is a breeze. Once they have feathers - they are good to go! You just have to protect them from predators."

--Margo True, author of "One Block Feast", on The Main Course