New ‘Pivot Points’ podcast explores transitions for farmers

AMES – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension Dane County and FairShare Community Supported Agriculture Coalition, has launched a new podcast, “Pivot Points.”

The podcast explores significant changes farmers have made in their business models and, by extension, in their lives

Host Dan Fillius, horticulture field specialist for commercial vegetables with ISU Extension and Outreach, said “Pivot Points” takes a closer look at what it means when farmers decide to “shake things up,” from shifts in production and ownership models to lingering questions around sustainability and identity.

“When a successful grower announces they're leaving the industry, other growers often wonder about the reasons behind it, and it can undermine their confidence in their own capabilities,” Fillius said.

“This podcast started as exit interviews with vegetable farmers who have left the industry but grew to include other growers who have made large changes to their business model in order to survive.”

The podcast is also co-hosted with Sarah Janes Ugoretz, farm labor extension educator with Dane County Extension and FairShare.

“In these conversations, we learned that farmers tend to keep their concerns to themselves out of fear that they will be isolated from their community or lose their identities,” Ugoretz said.

“With the benefit of hindsight, growers told us that once they opened up, it created more space for them to explore the full range of possibilities for their futures.”

Farmers from all backgrounds are encouraged to listen to the episodes in Season 1, which are released weekly. Episode titles and release dates are listed below.

Sept. 10: Katie and Hans Bishop of PrairiErth Farm on Quitting Vegetables to Raise Row Crops (sponsored by Practical Farmers of Iowa)

Sept. 10: Hannah Weber and Nate Lada of Green Things Farm Collective on Joining Forces to Survive

Sept. 17: Jim Crawford and Jenni Glenister of New Morning Farm on Transitioning to New Ownership

Sept. 24: Ellen Polishuk of Plant to Profit and Ariel Pressman of Whole Farm Strategies: Former Farmers who Support Current Farmers

Oct. 1: Jenny Quiner of Dogpatch Urban Gardens on Pivoting out of Farming (sponsored by Practical Farmers of Iowa)

Oct. 8: Jordan Scheibel of Middle Way Farm and Adam Montri of Ten Hens Farm on Focusing on Family and Personal Life (sponsored by Practical Farmers of Iowa)

Oct. 15: Season 1 Reflections with your hosts, Dan and Sarah