Talkin' Dirt

Talkin’ Dirt is a podcast about farming, soil, and the people working to grow real food today.Host Robert Peters travels to farms big and small, sitting down with growers, ranchers, and agricultural innovators who are rebuilding soil, feeding their communities, and finding creative ways to make farming work.Each episode is an honest conversation about the challenges, traditions, and surprising successes happening in agriculture right now.If you care about food, land, and the future of farming, you’ll feel right at home here.

Talkin' Dirt is a science podcast hosted by Robert Peters, with 31 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Robert Peters hosts Talkin' Dirt, a science show with 31 episodes published.

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  Episode #30

  Speedy and Flo’s Sweet Corn: Fifty Acres and a Montana Following

  Sep 19, 202650 min

  In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Flo and his dad, Speedy, from Speedy & Flo’s Sweet Corn in Hardin, Montana. Speedy came to the United States from Mexico in the late 1970s and has spent most of his life working in agriculture. What started with a few acres of sweet corn has grown into a family operation with around 50 acres of corn, a greenhouse, vegetables, flowers, and three generations of the family involved. We talk about Speedy’s journey from Mexico to Montana, how the sweet corn operation grew, and what it takes to plant, harvest, and sell that much corn during a short Montana growing season. Flo and Speedy explain how they stagger their planting to keep fresh corn coming throughout the summer, load up their vans, and sell directly to customers across the area, including plenty of regulars who wait for Speedy & Flo’s corn every year. We also get into working alongside family, dealing with hail and unpredictable weather, their approach to pesticides and pests, and why they still love farming despite the long days and hard work. Speedy’s story also leads us into a conversation about immigration, agricultural labor, and how the process of coming to the United States has changed since his own experience decades ago. Speedy & Flo’s Sweet Corn: https://www.speedyandflosweetcorn.com/ Connect with Talkin’ Dirt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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  Episode #29

  Flowers, Farming and a Healthy Dose of Optimism with Aimee Miklovic

  Sep 7, 20261h 10m

  In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Aimee from Full Bushel Farm in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. Aimee didn’t grow up farming, but after finding her way into working with plants, she discovered she had a knack for growing things and eventually decided to turn that into a farm of her own. We talk about how Aimee got started growing flowers, what it was like building a business on rented land, and some of the challenges that came with trying to figure out flower farming as she went. We also get into the commercial flower industry, why locally grown flowers are so different from the bouquets most of us see at the grocery store, and what goes into growing and selling flowers on a small scale. Full Bushel is about more than flowers. Aimee also raises dairy cows, chickens, ducks, turkeys and goats, and we talk about the ways she’s trying to connect all of those pieces through composting, food scraps and other waste streams that can be put back to work on the farm. We also get into the importance of local agriculture, what Aimee sees for the future of small farms, and why a certain amount of optimism might just be necessary if you’re going to make a living planting things in the dirt. If you enjoy the show, follow Talkin’ Dirt and leave a rating or review wherever you listen. It’s one of the easiest ways to help more people find the podcast. Learn more about Full Bushel Farm: https://fullbushelfarm.com Connect with Talkin’ Dirt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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  Episode #28

  From Starting a Small Berry Patch to Running a Commercial Pollen Business with Jennifer and Scott Beddard

  Aug 26, 20261h 25m

  In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Jennifer and Scott Beddard, former owners of Beddard Berry Farm in Washington’s Yakima Valley. Jennifer and Scott share the story of building their berry farm from the ground up, learning as they went, raising a family alongside the farm, and eventually making the difficult decision to close the operation. From there, we dive into a side of agriculture most people rarely get to see: commercial pollination. Jennifer and Scott spent years working with fruit growers throughout the region, collecting blossoms, extracting and testing pollen, and helping orchardists make sure their trees actually produced a crop. We talk about the surprisingly complicated science behind pollination, why different varieties of fruit trees depend on one another, and just how much can go wrong during the short window when an orchard is in bloom. After selling their commercial pollination business, Jennifer and Scott found another way to put all of that experience to use. They started PollenPro, where they now provide small quantities of commercial-grade fruit tree pollen specifically for backyard growers. Toward the end of the episode, we talk about how that idea came together and how home growers can use supplemental pollen to help get fruit from trees that might otherwise struggle with pollination. Learn more about PollenPro and their pollen for backyard fruit trees here: https://www.pollenpro.com/ We also zoom out and talk about what Jennifer and Scott have witnessed happening in agriculture around the Yakima Valley; the challenges facing smaller farms, the increasing pressure from larger operations, and what it takes to make a living in farming today. It’s a conversation about starting a small farm, walking away from it, finding a different place within agriculture, and seeing firsthand just how complicated the system behind our food really is. If you enjoy Talkin’ Dirt, follow the show, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with somebody who might enjoy it. Every little bit of support helps more people find these conversations. Connect with Talkin’ Dirt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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  Episode #27

  One Acre and a Full Heart with Pete Temrowski

  Aug 14, 20261h 39m

  In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Pete Temrowski of Full Heart Farm, a one-acre farm in Carnation, Washington. Pete’s path to farming took him from growing plants as a kid in Atlanta, to working in the cannabis industry, to eventually starting a farm of his own in the Snoqualmie Valley. Today, he’s building Full Heart slowly and intentionally, growing vegetables, herbs, flowers and perennial crops while experimenting with seed saving, composting, low-till practices and ways to improve the health of his soil. We talk about what it actually takes to start a small farm with limited resources, the importance of community among local farmers, why Pete has become so interested in saving and adapting seeds, and the realities of trying to make a living on a one-acre operation. Pete is refreshingly realistic about what he’s building. He’d love to farm full time someday, but he also recognizes that farming may always be something he does alongside other work. For him, it’s less about getting big and more about growing good food, feeding his family and community, and getting to spend his life working with plants. This is a great conversation about small-scale farming, soil, seeds, community, and simply doing something because you love it. Connect with Talkin’ Dirt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠⁠⁠

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  Episode #27

  Virginia Hemp Under Pressure: The Cost of Compliance at Redfern Hemp

  Jul 31, 20261h 26m

  In this episode of Talkin' Dirt, I sit down with Graham Redfern, founder of Redfern Hemp, and Joe Domino, the company's research director. Graham's path into agriculture wasn't a traditional one. After careers in construction and banking, he became convinced that industrial hemp had the potential to transform everything from building materials and textiles to wellness products and sustainable manufacturing. What followed was years of farming, research, product development, and advocacy as Redfern Hemp grew into one of Virginia's leading hemp companies. Our conversation begins with the story of how Redfern Hemp came to be but quickly expands into the complex regulatory landscape surrounding hemp production in the United States. Virgina's laws regarding hemp are changing on August 15th of this year. Graham and Joe explain how Virginia's changing hemp laws are reshaping their business, why full-spectrum hemp products have become the center of a growing legal debate, and what it's like trying to build a company when the rules governing your industry continue to evolve. Along the way, we discuss the promise of industrial hemp, the realities of running a vertically integrated agricultural business, and the practical challenges facing farmers trying to invest in an uncertain future. More broadly, this conversation explores a question that reaches far beyond hemp: What happens when regulation becomes one of the defining forces shaping an agricultural industry? We talk about the relationship between public policy and innovation, the growing cost of regulatory compliance, and whether changing rules unintentionally make it harder for small producers to compete. Regardless of where you land on the issues discussed, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how agriculture, entrepreneurship, and government policy intersect—and why those conversations matter for the future of farming. Connect with Talkin’ Dirt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠⁠⁠

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