Ben is a full-time and part-time organic farmer. By day he works as the Organic Farm Manager for the University of Kentucky's Organic Farming Research and Education Farm, a job he has held for the previous five years. The university farm is home to a 80-member CSA, grant-funded research, and extension and education efforts relating to organic vegetable production in Kentucky. By night he operates his own (leased) farm in Fayette County, Kentucky where he grows organic sweet potatoes, cabbage, winter squash, and watermelons on 10 acres.

"What's been so great about having the farm is because it has created a visual component to the organic agriculture program [at the University of Kentucky]."

"I've found this movement of young farmers is very inclusive. There's a lot of passion."

-- Ben Abell on Greenhorn Radio

This week on Greenhorn Radio, Severine talks with Dan McManus of Common Hands Farm in Hudson, NY. Dan has lived much of his life around biodynamic communities, both from his early years in South Australia, and moving to New York working and apprenticing on numerous farms. Dan began to realize for himself, after desiring a more direct connection to what nourishes himself and others, that there is no art more beautiful or important right now than growing food and designing effective and low impact systems of living from and supplying healthy, organic vegetables. Dan studied regenerative community design at Goddard College in Vermont, has managed a community garden project in low-income areas of Detroit, and has focused his masonry skills by working on transformational social sculpture with mentor and teacher Johannes Matthiessen throughout the world. He has also studied tracking and primitive skills in Vermont and holds a certificate in Permaculture Design. Through his studies and interests in associative economics, social-threefolding and peer-lead learning models, Dan seeks to continue learning through farming and working with others. This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

"The work that people are doing with food culture- and just documenting what is going on is amazing. And these resources are what have really kept us going...the amount of stuff going on in the community is what really makes it possible to be a starting farmer today." -- Dan McManus on Greenhorn Radio

We spoke with Lisa Klig of Council of Jewish Emigre Community Organizations (COJECO), which supports the Russian Jewish Community of New York. A large portion of the 250,000 Russian Jews living in New York live in Southern Brooklyn which got hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.

"We’ve had an incredible outpouring of volunteer, the rest of community that has really bandied together. And everybody has really been trying to do their part of be sure everybody is fed, warm and feeling okay for the time being."--Lisa Klig of Council of Jewish Emigre Community Organizations (COJECO)