Viva Farms is a farm incubator for new and Latino farmers, but they also maintain a large production farm. Produce from the Viva farm and the incubator farms feeds into the Viva Farms "food hub" along with other local products, which is then distributed to a 1,200 member CSA and various wholesale accounts in the greater Seattle market. Chris oversees it all, helping to cultivate new farmers as a relatively young farmer himself. He has worked on farms and ecological preserves for over 10 years, farming in Montana, Ecuador, New Mexico and Washington. Chris is both a hardcore farmer and a teacher, managing production, interns, and a bilingual farm crew while troubleshooting in the field with new farmers. His experience and perspective would make for a great conversation about young farmers--particularly beginning Latino farmers! This program has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch.

"Most of the farmers in our program are Latinos that have grown up as farm workers, and now they have the chance to be farm owners." [8:00] -- Chris Elder on Greenhorn Radio

This week on A Taste of the Past we take a trip to the Abbey of Fecamp in Normandy where the Benedictine monk Dom Bernardo Vincelli created the liqueur Benedictine in the 16th century. With the help Benedictine brand ambassador Martin Duffy, learn all about the history of this ancient libation as well as some delicious holiday drinks that will keep you warm all winter long. This episode is sponsored by Heritage Foods USA

"Putting a little Benedictine in your hot chocolate is sure to 'warm your cockles'."

--Martin Duffy on A Taste of the Past

This week on Growing Good Alessandra is joined by her home-team of mommies: Melissa McCallister, Sarah Trogdon, and Amy Woodruff. They talk about their home-made products from natural beauty products for babies to Goldies Soaps to all natural sunblock. Learn about the natural deodorizing properties of witch hazel and uses of borax and more. This episode is sponsored by the The NOFA-NY Locavore Challenge.