Episode 23: Singing Pastures Holly Arbuckle - What Are The Benefits of Pasture Raising Livestock?
Release Date: 10/16/2024
Food For You and the Planet
David Finlay is the owner and co-founder of The Ethical Dairy which he co-founded with his late wife Wilma. David Finlay is renowned for his innovative and sustainable approach to dairying. As an early adopter of organic farming, he has led the movement in Scotland and the UK, integrating agroecological practices, renewable energy solutions, and forward-thinking dairying systems, such as cow-calf contact dairying. His commitment to sustainability is evident through his work on soil and pasture management, wind turbines, and biodigesters, winning him multiple accolades, including the...
info_outlineFood For You and the Planet
Professor Hermann Lotze-Campen, is Co-Author of the EAT Lancet Commission, an agricultural economist and Head of Research Department 2 "Climate Resilience" at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Professor of Sustainable Land Use and Climate Change at Humboldt University in Berlin. Professor Hermann Lotze-Campen grew up on a farm in Northern Germany and studied Agricultural Sciences and Economics at the University of Kiel and the University of Reading in England, where he graduated with a Master's degree in Agricultural Economics. For his doctoral studies he studied in...
info_outlineFood For You and the Planet
Tim Fink is the Vice President of Policy at the American Farmland Trust. Tim develops the American Farmland Trust’s overall policy direction and strategies and coordinates federal and relevant state policy work in close collaboration with American Farmland Trust national initiative leaders, regional directors, and partners. Before joining AFT, Tim was the director of research and policy analysis at the Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation, where he advocated for increases in USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, fundraised for the National Academies'...
info_outlineFood For You and the Planet
Chloe Sullivan is the PR and Communications Manager at Federation of World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) Organisations. Chloe Sullivan is the PR and Communications Manager for the Federation of WWOOF Organisations (FoWO). Her journey with WWOOF began in 2021 as a WWOOFer. After transformative experiences on organic farms in Denmark, the Netherlands, and the US, Chloe was inspired to share the WWOOF experience with others. She started sharing about her experience on social media, which led to a connection with the WWOOF Canada team and an opportunity to become more involved...
info_outlineFood For You and the Planet
Arthur Haines is a Senior Research Botanist at The Native Plant Trust. Arthur is a plant biologist specializing in the taxonomy and identification of New England tracheophytes. He is the senior research botanist for Native Plant Trust and author of Flora Novae Angliae published by New England Wild Flower Society and Yale University Press, and several other books, including Flora of Maine, A New Path, and Ancestral Plants (a two-volume set on edible, medicinal, and useful plants). In addition to his work studying advancement in plant systematics, Arthur is an administrator for the Go...
info_outlineFood For You and the Planet
Kate Mendenhall is the Executive Director of the Organic Farmers Association. Kate Mendenhall has served as the Executive Director of Organic Farmers Association since it was founded in 2016. Before OFA, she built a career working with organic farmer organizations from California (CUESA & PAN), New York (NOFA-NY), and Iowa (IOA) getting to know what organic farmers need to be successful in different regions and markets. She now lives in her hometown of Okoboji, Iowa where she balances running a small diversified organic livestock farm, raising two kids, and leading OFA. Her...
info_outlineFood For You and the Planet
Sally McGee is the Director of Climate and Strategic Initiatives at the Nature Conservancy and Leader of the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition. Sally McGee works for the Nature Conservancy where she is the Director of Climate and Strategic Initiatives for the Global Aquaculture Program. Her areas of focus include the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition, Sustaining Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR), and projects focused on seaweed cultivation. Sally also developed, owned, and operated an oyster farm, Sixpenny Oysters, in Noank, Connecticut. Previously, Sally was TNC’s...
info_outlineFood For You and the Planet
Abby Barrows is the Owner and Operator of Deer Isle Oyster Company and microplastics research scientist. Abby Barrows grew up and currently lives on an island off the coast of Maine. The ocean has been her passion driving her personal and professional path. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tasmania and a Master of Philosophy in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic. Directing microplastics research since 2012, she initiated the first baseline data map of microplastic pollution distribution in Maine. She concluded her work as the Principal Investigator...
info_outlineFood For You and the Planet
Michael Mazourek, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Breeding and Genetics, and Horticulture. Michael Mazourek, PhD, is the Calvin Knoyes Keeney Associate Professor of Vegetable Breeding at Cornell University. Michael is a breeder of peas, beans, squash, cucumbers and peppers and has released numerous cultivars and breeding materials that are shared by small, regional seed companies and incorporated into breeding program of the world’s largest seed companies. Michael’s specialty is biochemical genetics in vegetables; he explores the...
info_outlineFood For You and the Planet
Karen Mapusua is the President of IFOAM Organics International. Founded in 1972, IFOAM Organics International is a membership-based organization working to bring true sustainability to agriculture across the globe. The mission of IFOAM Organics International is to lead change, organically. Its goal is the broad adoption of truly sustainable agriculture, value chains and consumption in line with the principles of organic agriculture. Through its work, it builds capacity to facilitate the transition of farmers to organic agriculture, raises awareness of the need for sustainable...
info_outlineHolly Arbuckle is the CEO and Co-Founder of Singing Pastures.
Holly and her husband John own and operate Singing Pastures. John is a 9th generation farmer from the Midwest. They saw a gap in the market because there were a lot of grassfed beef sticks, but no pasture-raised pork. They started a brand in 2016 with no initial investment. Holly owns 51% of the company and is the CEO who runs the brand while her husband is the primary farmer and COO. Their current home farm is in Maine.
Singing Pastures produces high-quality pork Snack Sticks and Salami. Singing Pastures believes delicious food starts with healthy land. Pasture Raised Pork is the foundation. Their pork is raised in lush, grassy pastures on family farms with no added hormones or antibiotics. They use time honored traditional methods to craft amazingly delicious snacks.
TOPICS EXPLORED
0:00 – 1:19 – Introduction
1:19 – 2:28 – What is Singing Pastures and what types of products does it create?
2:28 – 4:17 – How did you and your husband become interested in a career in sustainable food and agriculture?
4:17 – 6:14 – How did you and your husband start Singing Pastures?
6:14 – 10:31 – What types of sustainable agriculture practices do you implement on your farm?
10:31 – 14:55 – You are working with Ag Allies to monitor bird populations on your farm. Can you tell me a little bit about that collaboration and the transformation that has taken place on your farm as you’ve pasture-raised your livestock?
14:55 – 18:38 – What are the diets of the animals on your farm?
18:38 – 21:41 – Can you tell me about the products you create?
21:41 – 24:44 – What makes your products unique?
24:44 – 26:37 – You are part of a team that was recently selected for a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant. Can you tell me a little bit about the research that grant will fund?
26:37 – 29:09 – What are some of the ways you were able to fund the growth of your business?
29:09 – 31:35 – How did you scale up production to make your products available nation-wide?
31:35 – 34:46 – What are some of the challenges you encountered on your journey and how did you overcome them?
34:46 – 37:03 – What are some of the greatest lessons you’ve learned from growing your business?
37:03 – 38:34 – Things to share and wrap up
SINGING PASTURES INFORMATION
https://singingpastures.com/
RESOURCES
Stone Barns 2024 SARE Grant on Grain and Vegetable Production in a Rotationally-Grazed, Pasture-Dominant Ley System – Implications for Soil Health, Soil Microbiome, and Forage: https://projects.sare.org/sare_project/FNE24-081/
Singing Pastures 2017 SARE Grant on Nutrient Density Profiles for Conventional vs Pasture-Raised Pork: https://projects.sare.org/sare_project/fnc17-1067/
Singing Pastures 2012 SARE Grant on The Cheapest Way to Produce the Best Egg: Comparing how Different Supplemental Feeds Affect the Cost and Nutrient Density of Eggs from Heritage and Hybrid Pastured Hens: https://projects.sare.org/sare_project/fnc12-844/
FOOD FOR YOU AND THE PLANET PODCAST INFORMATION
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/food-for-you-and-the-planet/id1739416396
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7pkAIuXxl9dzD48b7qMOL1
RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/506343/rss
Podcast Instagram: @foodforyouandtheplanet
TAGS
Food
Environment
Health
Podcast
Sustainability
Agriculture
Pasture Raised