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PODCAST

The Farm to School Podcast

Rick Sherman & Michelle Markesteyn

Stories from the frontlines of food, farming, and education—where young minds grow and agriculture takes root. Join co-hosts Michelle Markesteyn and Rick Sherman as they explore what it means to bring local food into the school cafeteria and teach kids about where their food comes from with guests from around the world!UPDATE: Show notes, contact information and more at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/podcast/farm-school-podcastPlease stop by to say hello and to suggest a show topic!

education education for kids

All Episodes

52:30

A School Garden Without a Water Source? What about...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/10/05

What if the secret to growing great food isn't adding more water, but learning to use less? In this episode, we explore the surprising world of dry farming with guests Matt Davis of Oregon State University and Cassandra Waterman of the Dry Farming Institute. From intensely flavored tomatoes and climate-resilient crops to school gardens that *might* not need a hose, we discuss how farmers, educators, and students are rethinking our relationship with water and discovering powerful lessons in re...

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23:10

Door to door, state to state, coast to coast: The Don...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/09/21

What does it take to turn a family recipe into an award-winning cheese company? In this episode, we sit down with Francisco Ochoa of Don Froylan Creamery to trace a remarkable journey that began with homemade queso fresco sold door-to-door in Oregon's small towns. Today, Don Froylan's cheeses are winning international awards, reaching schools across the West Coast, and helping students experience authentic local foods. It's a story of family, culture, perseverance, and one very unforgettable ...

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49:16

All About Geoducks.. And Social Emotional Learning in...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/09/08

What do geoducks, school gardens, and social-emotional learning have in common? More than you'd think. In this episode, Farm to School veteran Erica Curry of Row by Row joins Rick and Michelle for a wide-ranging conversation that begins with the Pacific Northwest's most peculiar clam and blossoms into a thoughtful exploration of how gardens help students build confidence, empathy, resilience, and connection. From career pathways to SEL, this episode proves that some of the best learning happe...

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50:12

Farm to School at Any Scale, From Policy to Plate –...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/08/17

Farm to School isn’t just about local apples—it’s about rethinking the entire food system. In this episode, Andrea Alma shares how a public health problem-solver fell in love with school lunch—and went on to help reshape it from policy to plate. From early wins in D.C. to building one of the most innovative large-scale programs in Minneapolis, Andrea unpacks what it really takes to move from small efforts to system-wide change. We dive into root causes, school gardens, farmer partnerships, an...

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15:56

Hit “Record” and See What Grows.. an Unplanned School...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/08/03

Hit “Record” and See What Grows.. an Unplanned School Garden Conversation This episode proves that sometimes the best conversations happen that are unplanned. Recorded “on the fly” at the Oregon Farm to School Conference, Rick pulls up a chair with Corrina Hargett—teacher, school garden champion, coastal wonder‑cultivator.. and avid surfer—to talk about dirt, curiosity, broccoli that actually tastes good, and why gardens belong to everyone. From surfing the Oregon coast to growing pumpk...

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16:12

The Culture of Agriculture, Grounded: A Gift of Sound...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/07/13

This episode isn’t meant to be rushed. And it isn’t meant to be explained so much as experienced. In a world of packed agendas, buzzing hallways, and constant motion, today’s conversation offers a rare pause: a moment to breathe, to settle, and to remember that learning begins when we feel safe enough to arrive fully. Guided by educator and musician Kevion Devante, this episode is a gentle reset—using sound, stillness, and intention to ground our bodies, quiet our minds, and prepare the...

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29:17

Meet the Principal Farmer (yes, that's a real job!)

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/07/01

Today we’ll meet a principal who rides a horse to school, runs a campus with peacocks, emus, and tortoises, and believes learning should start with wonder. Joined by May Tsupros—self‑described “fire starter” and connector extraordinaire. We talk about agriculture as the great equalizer, disrupting broken systems, and what happens when the right people collide in a conference hallway. Equal parts laughter, philosophy, and farm dirt, this conversation will have you rethinking what school can lo...

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29:37

SnackTime Explorers

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/06/15

What happens when curiosity meets crunchy, colorful produce in the classroom? In this episode, we take you from curious kids tasting kiwi berries and (sometimes too-spicy) peppers to a behind-the-scenes look at the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program—where exposure, education, and a little bit of bravery can transform lifelong eating habits. Along the way, we connect the dots between school snacks, farmer livelihoods, and big-picture health outcomes, all through the lens of SnackTime Exp...

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28:23

Scratch Happens.. Training the Future of School Food

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/06/01

What does scratch cooking, workforce development, local ketchup, and a mysterious conference hall ice machine have in common? This episode. Recorded live(ish) from the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, we sit down with Patrick Garmong from the Institute of Child Nutrition to talk about the real work behind getting good food onto kids’ trays—training the people who make it happen. From ditching the “white‑hat chef” mentality to meeting school food professionals exactly where they are, thi...

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33:03

Pickles, a Cave, EMUS and the Daily Bear: Farm to...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/05/18

What happens when Vermont teenagers take farm to school on the road—and land in the middle of a national conference? In this joyful, unscripted hallway conversation from the Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Albuquerque, you’ll meet students and educators from Brattleboro Union High School who are growing food, running a café, and building community from seed to sale. From pickle factories and emu farms to the Daily Bear Café and the CAVE Kitchen, this episode celebrates youth leadership, exper...

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27:06

More Than Lunch: Food as a Classroom Tool

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/05/04

What does it really take to make food education for all more than just a great idea? In this lively, laugh‑filled episode recorded at the Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Albuquerque, the Farm to School Podcast crew digs into how food can be a powerful lens for learning—without becoming “one more thing” for schools. Joined by all‑star thought partners Alex DeSorbo‑Quinn of Pilot Light and Erica Curry of Row by Row, the conversation explores joy, standards, gardens, cafeterias, culture, and cre...

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33:54

The Fish that Didn’t Get Away (it Became a Taco):...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/04/20

Wouldn’t that be a great title for a children’s book? In this episode, we dive deep—pun absolutely intended—into the world of bay-to-tray (or boat-to-school) with former school nutrition director–turned–seafood innovator Jenn Lovewell. From discovering a fish with no market to building an entirely new supply chain for schools, Jenn shares how solving one small puzzle piece at a time led to a movement that now stretches from Monterey Bay to the Chesapeake. Joined unexpectedly in the hall...

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49:35

Showtime: the Art of School Food Excellence with...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/03/31

In this episode, we sit down with longtime school nutrition leader Michael Rosenberger to pull back the curtain on what excellence in school food service really looks like—and why it matters far beyond the lunch line. From boosting attendance and graduation rates to serving true “brain food” at breakfast, Michael, Rick and Michelle reveal how school meals can be one of a district’s most powerful academic tools. Along the way, we explore the hidden pressures of audits, the art of daily readine...

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24:33

Sticky Notes & Big Ideas from the ROC & the 585: Farm...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/03/16

In this episode, we head to Rochester, New York—aka “the ROC” and home of the legendary “garbage plate” (yes, recipe included in show notes) —to meet community food champion Mike Bulger. Mike takes us inside the city’s vibrant but complex food landscape, where apple orchards surround schools struggling with food access, and where parents, neighbors, and advocates are teaming up to transform wellness policies, school gardens, and local procurement. From play‑based learning to sticky‑note dream...

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24:36

A Problem We Can Eat Our Way Out Of

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/03/02

In this episode, we head to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where an ecological crisis has sparked one of the most creative—and delicious—farm to school innovations we’ve ever seen. Caroline County Public Schools and their partners at Real Good Fish are tackling the Chesapeake Bay’s invasive blue catfish by literally eating the problem. From kid‑approved fish cakes to the soon‑to‑be‑iconic “surf dog,” Beth Brewster and Holly Nuss walk us through how they turned a 100‑pound predator into a nutritiou...

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26:55

Where Regulations Meet Roots: Local Food in a...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/02/16

In this episode, we peel back the many layers of school food procurement—from the complex, regulation‑heavy world that veteran Nutrition Services Director Michael Rosenberger knows all too well, to the on‑the‑ground solutions taking root through Kevin Beltran’s work with the New Mexico Farmer’s Market Program. Together, their stories reveal both the challenges and the possibilities of bringing truly local, culturally relevant foods into school cafeterias. From navigating federal bids to celeb...

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30:57

Silos, Soil, and Storytelling: Phyllicia Moore of...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/02/02

Join us as live from the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Albuquerque, as we meet Phyllicia Moore from Houston ISD—an educator, agriculturalist, and idea-generator transforming farm to school at a massive scale. From 176 school gardens to a districtwide “farmer and chef for a day” experience, Phyllicia shares how Houston is growing connections between academics, agriculture, and community. It’s authentic, inspiring, and full of big ideas taking root. We would love to hear from you! Se...

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23:01

From Shreveport to SW Florida – Where culture,...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/01/20

Join us as we learn about the healing gardens of Louisiana to the vibrant school plots of Southwest Florida, where two inspiring leaders share how culture, community, and courage shape their farm to school journeys. Meet Di Plant Lady, whose roots in farm work and Caribbean heritage fuel her mission to heal soil and souls, and Kathleen, a Florida Extension powerhouse helping school gardens feed both cafeterias and curiosity. Together, their stories remind us why this movement matters: when we...

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47:45

The Old Guard, New Ideas: A Farm to School Reunion

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2026/01/05

In this special episode recorded at the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Albuquerque, Michelle and Guest Host Christy Sherding sat down with the “Old Guard” of the Farm to School movement — Leaders whose vision and persistence helped shape school food into what it is today. From Detroit to Minneapolis and beyond, these leaders have spent decades planting seeds of change, building gardens in unexpected places, and transforming cafeterias into classrooms of nourishment and equity. Their...

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37:34

From Heat-and-Serve to “Jedi-Level” Scratch Cooking:...

The Farm to School Podcast ·

2025/12/15

In this episode, we hang out with Greg Christian to explore how scratch cooking, kitchen “swarming,” and a whole lot of heart can transform cafeterias from stressed-out heat-and-serve hubs into joyful, efficient, good-food machines. Greg shares stories from the front lines of school kitchen makeovers, why cutting broccoli together can fix more than just lunch, and how real leadership (the kind that listens, laughs, and lets people shine) is the secret ingredient to lasting change. Pull up a t...

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74 results

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