Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to Christopher Grallert, President of Green City Growers, a Boston-based urban farming company. https://greencitygrowers.com/ Founded in 2008, Green City Growers’ original mission was to provide home owners with the infrastructure, tools, and education to grow their own produce at home and help create more environmentally sustainable, nutrient-dense food sources from small urban and suburbanspaces. By spring of 2009, GCG had expanded to serve both residential and commercial customers by forging long-standing partnerships with companies like Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare and B.good restaurants.

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to Dr. Ada Szczepaniec, Associate Professor Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State UniversityColorado Center for Sustainable Pest Management. https://agsci.colostate.edu/ Her current work is focused on sustainable approaches to management of pests associated with industrial hemp in conventional and organic hemp production, incorporating biological control in IPM of hemp and specialty crops, insecticide resistance, and management of new emerging pests. She finds that despite IPM being around for over 40 years now, we can’t talk enough about it.

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to Jocelyn Molyneux, owner of Waste Not Farms Worm Farm. https://wastenotfarms.com/ Unlike some worm farms, Jocelyn Molyneux’s operation doesn’t sell its worms for bait. At Wastenot Farms, more than a million earthworms have been put to work munching through compostable waste to produce all-natural plant food for urban farmers. Molyneux first came up with the idea for the farm when she started working for a large waste management company after graduating from university. The self-professed “garbage geek” quickly learned that the company was sending compostable materials and recycling to a landfill. Nothing was being disposed of sustainably.

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to The Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert. www.supermarketguru.com For more than 25 years, Phil, an expert analyst on consumer behavior, marketing trends, new products and the changing retail landscape, has identified and explained impending trends to consumers and some of the most prestigious companies and trade associations worldwide. Known as The Supermarket Guru® he is an author and speaker who alerts customers and business leaders to impending corporate and consumer trends, and empowers them to make educated purchasing and marketing decisions.

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to Kim & Karl Milikowski, owners of Foster Hill Farm and Garden Shop, Stafford Connecticut. www. http://www.FosterHillFarmAndGarden.com & http://www.facebook@FosterHillFarm The couple started keeping miniature donkeys in 2008. They initially kept only 2 as pets while they searched for a property where they could have greenhouses and develop a breeding program for the mini donkeys. After looking for years at many properties that were not suitable, Karl and Kim found the perfect place in Stafford in 2008. They also raise flowers, herbs, over 100 varieties of heirloom tomato plants and pepper plants for sale in the Garden Shop. Visitors are able to walk through the barns and see the donkeys.

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to Cameron and Natalie Andelin of Andelin Family Farm. www.Andelinfamilyfarm.com Cameron and Natalie were married in 1998 and moved to Sparks NV where Cameron had grown up. His family bought a 150 acre farm, and although they lived in town, they raised cattle on the land and grew hay. Eventually they built a house on the property and moved there. A simple pumpkin patch has led to Baby Animal Days and Tulip Festival in April, Sunflower festival in August and Fall Festival in October with a Pumpkin Patch adventure farm, Corn Maze, Zombie Paintball and Corn Creepers Haunt. Now, tens-of-thousands visit annually.

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to Richard Lyon of Lyon Family Farms. https://www.lyonfamilyfarms.com/ Lyon Family Farms is owned and operated by Richard and his wife Shelley Lyon. Richard grew up on his parents’ farm at a time when the family grew primarily 200 acres of Christmas trees. But, today, that farm is primarily a wholesale vegetable and row cropping farm. Lyon Family Farms has grown into the Farm Attraction of the Tennessee Valley, with families coming from all over Tennessee and Alabama to experience the annual Fall Festival.

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to Callie Cline, Texas 4-H Marketing & Communications Specialist, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/ Through her current position at the Texas 4-H Youth Development Program, she now have the ability to give back to an organization that raised her, and to spread light on the incredible opportunities offered through 4-H. 4-H is a nationwide club for kids and teens ages 8 to 18 in grades 3 to 12, connected to land-grant Universities in each state.

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to Aaron Fields, Head of Horticulture at Eden Green Technology. www.edengreen.com He has worked in the horticulture and agriculture industry since 2008. Aaron grew up in a small ag town in Southern Illinois, has worked in traditional farming in Salinas Valley, CA, flat tray greenhouses in Brooklyn, NYC at Gotham Greens, and has led vertical farming at Eden Green for the past 5 years. He's seen it all when it comes to commercial food production, sustainability, and R&D within the industry. He believes that our future will depend on Hydroponics, food supply chain, greenhouse management, plant nutrition, AI and automation within the AG-Tech industry, and lighting in indoor farming.

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan http://www.eastleighfarm.com introduces us to Dave Fleming of Shady Brook Farm. www.shadybrookfarm.com In 1913 Shady Brook started as a produce stand off the back of a truck by T. Herman Fleming. The farm expanded to 40 acres, growing crops that were delivered to wholesale markets and grocery stores in the Philadelphia area. In 1984, Shady Brook opened its first retail market with pick-your-own strawberries. In 1990 the market expanded from a produce stand into a barn that was moved from a neighboring farm. Seasonal events andfield trips were added in the early 1990’s. Over the next few decades, and under the management of the 4th generation of Flemings, Shady Brook Farm continued to grow into a large farm market complete with full service deli, homemade ice cream department (run by Uncle Dave’s Homemade Ice Cream), garden center and pub; and has become a hub for top notch seasonal events.