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Real Organic Podcast

Real Organic Project

253 episodes

22 hours ago

#246: In this talk from the Saving Real Organic conference at Churchtown Dairy, Emily Oakley explains why so many small-scale, soil-based farms are dropping USDA certification - and why the time may be right for Real Organic Project to pursue its own standalone label. A founding farmer of our movement and former NOSB member, Emily asks one of the most urgent questions in the organic movement today: Can small farms still trust the USDA seal? She outlines what such a certification could look li...

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#246: In this talk from the Saving Real Organic conference at Churchtown Dairy, Emily Oakley explains why so many small-scale, soil-based farms are dropping USDA certification - and why the time may be right for Real Organic Project to pursue its own standalone label. A founding farmer of our movement and former NOSB member, Emily asks one of the most urgent questions in the organic movement today: Can small farms still trust the USDA seal? She outlines what such a certification could look li...

Show more...

Health & Fitness,

Episodes (20/253)

Real Organic Podcast

Emily Oakley: A Standalone Label for Real Organic Project

#246: In this talk from the Saving Real Organic conference at Churchtown Dairy, Emily Oakley explains why so many small-scale, soil-based farms are dropping USDA certification - and why the time may be right for Real Organic Project to pursue its own standalone label. A founding farmer of our movement and former NOSB member, Emily asks one of the most urgent questions in the organic movement today: Can small farms still trust the USDA seal? She outlines what such a certification could look li...

11 hours ago

23 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Saving Real Organic: Linley + Dave At Churchtown

#245: Recorded live at the Saving Real Organic conference at Churchtown Dairy on September 27, 2025, co-directors Linley Dixon and Dave Chapman share a joint message about the future of organic farming and our movement’s next chapter. Linley exposes how USDA inaction has eroded organic integrity - from fraudulent grain imports to hydroponic berries - while Dave reflects on the legacy of pioneers like Fred Kirschenmann and Joan Gussow, who built the organic movement from the ground up. Togethe...

1 week ago

54 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Bob Quinn: Healing Earth By Growing Food As Medicine

#244: Montana farmer and author Bob Quinn believes the cure for chronic disease begins in the soil. His research comparing ancient and modern wheat varieties has led him to found his own 600 acre institute in the middle of his organic grain farm. Here Bob catches up with Dave to share an update on his White House meeting with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of Health RFK Jr and about rethinking agriculture as public health. https://realorganicproject.org/bob-quinn-...

2 weeks ago

1 hour 7 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Naomi Oreskes: The True Cost Of Doubt

Celebrated historian of science and author of Merchants of Doubt Naomi Oreskes exposes how powerful corporations distort science to protect profits, by using scientists who seek to promote their personal ideologies. She draws the lines between climate denial, food system disinformation, and the fight to preserve soil-based organic farming. This conversation is a call to defend both science and farming integrity against corporate control. https://realorganicproject.org/naomi-oreskes-true-...

3 weeks ago

1 hour 1 minute

Real Organic Podcast

Abby Rockefeller: Sewage Sludge Activist

#242: Abby Rockefeller has spent her life pushing back against the toxic legacy of sewage sludge. In this interview, she unpacks how America’s sewer systems pollute water, contaminate farmland, and endanger farmers and eaters alike. From compost toilets to PFAS contamination, Abby makes the case for radically rethinking our waste and a returning to systems that support soil, water, and life. https://realorganicproject.org/abby-rockefeller-sewage-sludge-242 The Real Organic Podcast is hosted b...

4 weeks ago

51 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Adam Nordell + Johanna Davis: PFAS Contamination + Organic

#241: Johanna Davis and Adam Nordell built their farm from scratch, growing vegetables and grains while weaving their community together through food and place. But after more than a decade of farming, they discovered their land, water, and bodies were poisoned by PFAS chemicals - “forever chemicals” spread decades earlier as sewage sludge billed as fertilizer. Their journey reveals the devastating impact of toxic contamination on farms and the urgent need to protect soil, farmers, and ...

1 month ago

1 hour 11 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Barbara Kingsolver: Food Systems + Truth-Telling With Joan Gussow

#240: Barbara Kingsolver reflects on her lifelong connection to food, her friendship with Joan Gussow, and the spiritual, cultural, and political meaning of how we eat. She shares why fiction can change hearts, why capitalism has reshaped food culture, and why hope is a responsibility we must practice every day. https://realorganicproject.org/barbara-kingsolver-ode-to-joan-gussow-240 The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited a...

1 month ago

56 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Larry Jacobs: Lawsuits + Labeling In USDA Organic

#239: California organic farmer and Del Cabo cooperative founder Larry Jacobs returns to discuss why organic farming must remain firmly rooted in soil and not bend to allow hydroponics. Larry’s proven commitment to integrity comes through via his role in a lawsuit against the USDA over the inclusion of hydroponics under the organic seal, as well as his efforts to educate his staff about the issues facing the organic movement, beyond their daily work. https://realorganicproject.org/larry-jacob...

1 month ago

36 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Cameron Molberg: Real Organic Poultry At Scale

#238: Cameron Molberg of Greener Pastures Chicken shares how he’s building a vertically integrated model for pasture-raised organic chicken without cutting corners - as is typically done with the majority of usda organic labeled poultry found in chain supermarkets. From animal welfare to USDA loopholes, and feed fraud to school lunch programs, Cameron lays out the challenges and opportunities of scaling real organic poultry in a system that favors confinement. https://realorganicproject...

1 month ago

1 hour 12 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Dick Schwartz: IFS and the Middle Way

#237: In this follow-up conversation, Dick Schwartz, founder of Internal Family Systems therapy, speaks with Dave about how IFS applies far beyond the therapy room. Together, they explore the “middle way” in activism - finding courage and clarity without being consumed by rage or fear. From conflicts in the Middle East to economic inequality and corporate power, Schwartz explains how healing our inner parts can ripple outward to transform politics, community, and the planet. https://realorgan...

2 months ago

46 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Emily Oakley: Small-Scale Farming In A Changing World

#236 - Small-scale, diversified farmer Emily Oakley returns to share her evolving philosophy on farming, business, and life as she continues to align her daily work with her personal value system. From growing fertility on the farm instead of relying on purchased inputs, to adapting to climate challenges, to finding a sustainable rhythm between work and personal life, Emily offers candid reflections on what it means to grow food with purpose in a changing world. https://realorganicproject.org...

2 months ago

1 hour 4 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Steve Ela: Organic Isn't Linear Thinking

#235 - Steve Ela, longtime organic fruit grower and former NOSB member, reflects on the shift from chemical farming to a biological mindset. He shares lessons from decades of growing tree fruit in Colorado, and why soil health, systems thinking, and real food matter more than ever in the fight for organic integrity. https://realorganicproject.org/steve-ela-organic-isnt-linear-episode-235 The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edit...

2 months ago

58 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Episode Swap: JM Fortier Interviews Dave Chapman, Round Two

#234 - In our second episode swap with the Market Gardener Podcast, JM Fortier and co-host Chris Moran sit down with Dave Chapman and trade insights on decentralization, food politics, and how organic values can thrive in today's shifting agricultural landscape. From health and climate to corporate consolidation, their reflections connect farming and activism in powerful ways. https://realorganicproject.org/jm-fortier-interviews-dave-chapman-234 The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chap...

2 months ago

2 hours 19 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Nicole Dehne: When Certification Meets Conviction

#233 - Nicole Dehne, director of Vermont Organic Farmers, shares what it means to uphold real integrity in a shifting organic landscape. From hydroponics and organic standards to the struggles of small farms, she explains how certifiers like VOF are fighting to preserve the original values of organic - transparency, soil health, and farmer-driven accountability - in a system increasingly influenced by industrial interests. https://realorganicproject.org/nicole-dehne-conviction-meets-certifica...

3 months ago

59 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Eli Pipkin: Mastering Whole Grain Bread

#232 - Stone Barns head baker Eli Pipkin reveals what it takes to bake whole grain bread that is alive with flavor, nutrition, and story. Rooted in the mission of chef Dan Barber's Blue Hill, Eli shares how his team mills fresh flour, bakes with intention, and builds a bread program that honors farmers and soil. This conversation digs deep into how bread - when made right - can restore health to people, ecosystems, and food culture itself. https://realorganicproject.org/eli-pipkin-mastering-w...

3 months ago

50 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

The Real Story Of Whole Grain Bread with Michael Pollan + Dan Barber

#231 - In this special conversation, Michael Pollan and Dan Barber and other food system leaders explore the deep relationship between whole grain bread, human health, and agricultural resilience. From the nutrient losses caused by industrial milling to the taste and vitality of freshly milled, soil-grown grains, this episode calls attention to the most overlooked staple on our plates - and how its transformation mirrors the rise of processed food and holds the key to reclaiming health and de...

3 months ago

1 hour 1 minute

Real Organic Podcast

Paul Hawken: Reversing Ecological Collapse

#230 - Paul Hawken returns to share his hopeful and hard-won perspective on how organic farming and climate solutions go hand-in-hand, and to reflect on the themes in his latest book Carbon. Drawing from his decades of work in food systems and regeneration, he explains why soil is one of our greatest allies and how organic farmers are leading the charge toward a livable, equitable future. https://realorganicproject.org/paul-hawken-reversing-ecological-collapse-230 Paul Hawken is a climate act...

3 months ago

1 hour 28 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Marion Nestle: Follow the Food Money

#229 Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics, joins us to discuss how corporate money shapes what ends up on our plates - and why nutrition science so often serves industry over public health. From USDA dietary guidelines to food marketing in schools, Nestle explains how power, politics, and policy collide in the American food system. With decades of research and advocacy behind her, she makes a compelling case for real transparency and accountability in what we eat. https://realorganicproject...

3 months ago

1 hour 2 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Dan Barber: Farming Flavor First

#228: Dan Barber returns to explore how farming for flavor - not just yield or shelf life - can transform our food system from the ground up. As a chef and co-founder of Row 7 Seeds, Dan argues that seed breeding should begin in the kitchen, with taste driving innovation in the field. From soil-grown crops to flavor-forward farming, this episode digs deep into what we’ve lost - and what we can grow back by connecting chefs, farmers, and crop breeders. https://realorganicproject.org/dan-barber...

4 months ago

55 minutes

Real Organic Podcast

Kate Mendenhall: Defending Organic Integrity Nationwide

#227: Kate Mendenhall, Executive Director of the Organic Farmers Association, breaks down the strategic grassroots campaign to keep organic standards rooted in soil, transparency, and trust. As corporate influence grows, Kate outlines how OFA is working to ensure the organic label still reflects its original values and that farmer voices are always at the forefront. https://realorganicproject.org/kate-mendenhall-defending-organic-integrity-nationwide-227 Kate Mendenhall is the Executive Direc...

4 months ago

1 hour 18 minutes