Rows of corn, red barns, men in overalls. This is definitely part of the story of food and farming in the Midwest, but it’s not the whole story. The Taproot Project digs deeper. In each episode, you’ll hear about people across the Midwest who are reclaiming farming as a connector— to the land, to ancestors, and to a sense of purpose.
We talk with farmers, brewers, ranchers, conservationists, and historians about land, legacy, and what sustains their work.
The Taproot Project is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance, and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [https://www.organictransition.org/].
Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell.
Podcast art by Geri Shonka.
All content for The Taproot Project is the property of Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Rows of corn, red barns, men in overalls. This is definitely part of the story of food and farming in the Midwest, but it’s not the whole story. The Taproot Project digs deeper. In each episode, you’ll hear about people across the Midwest who are reclaiming farming as a connector— to the land, to ancestors, and to a sense of purpose.
We talk with farmers, brewers, ranchers, conservationists, and historians about land, legacy, and what sustains their work.
The Taproot Project is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance, and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [https://www.organictransition.org/].
Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell.
Podcast art by Geri Shonka.
The Delta region of Arkansas is an area of intensive chemical agriculture. The controversial herbicide Dicamba is used heavily in the area, sprayed by airplane over thousands of acres of crops like corn and soybeans. In Phillips County, in the heart of the Delta, one community dreams of an organic farm. Kate speaks with Martin and Jennifer about the efforts to establish an organic farm in Phillips County and the challenges they're up against.
The Taproot Podcast is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [http://organictransition.org/].
Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Guest Bios
Martin Blocker is a farmer and lifelong resident of Phillips and Desha County. His family has been in the area for at least 160 years. He is an active organizer in the effort to establish an organic farm in Phillips County. He is trying to pass along the landmark knowledge of his ancestors to the next generation.
Jennifer Hadlock is a community organizer, genealogist, movement lawyer, and member of New Day Landmark Collective. She learned about the Elaine Massacre of 1919 as a Board member of the Fund for Reparations Now!! and was subsequently asked by Black massacre descendants and supporters to research land ownership and theft in Phillips County, Arkansas.
Helpful Links
* New Day Landmark Collective [https://www.newdaylandmarkcollective.org/]
* Arkansas official says vandals targeted him over dicamba [https://apnews.com/6c050cd64dfaa5fc83d8acb94787db94], Associated Press
* The Elaine Riot, [https://archive.org/details/TheArkansasRaceRiot/page/n1/mode/2up] Ida B. Wells
* These Walls Can Talk [https://if-these-walls-could-talk.shorthandstories.com/these-walls-can-talk/index.html], Elaine Legacy Center
* American Congo: African American Freedom Struggle in the Delta [https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1m46fx0], Nan Woodruff
Credits
This work was funded and supported by the USDA National Organic Program, the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) [https://www.organictransition.org/]
Produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell. [https://airmedia.org/talent/kate-cowie-haskell]
Podcast art by Geri Shonka.
Music:
* Chiado by Jahzarr, from the Free Music Archive
* Gentle Rain by John Bartmann, from the Free Music Archive
The Taproot Project
Rows of corn, red barns, men in overalls. This is definitely part of the story of food and farming in the Midwest, but it’s not the whole story. The Taproot Project digs deeper. In each episode, you’ll hear about people across the Midwest who are reclaiming farming as a connector— to the land, to ancestors, and to a sense of purpose.
We talk with farmers, brewers, ranchers, conservationists, and historians about land, legacy, and what sustains their work.
The Taproot Project is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a project funded by the USDA National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and technical assistance, and to grow the greater organic community. Learn more at organictransition.org [https://www.organictransition.org/].
Hosted and produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell.
Podcast art by Geri Shonka.
