Small Farms Radio

Contact: Jamie Johnson

Stories for Change - The Diversity, Hope, and Resilience of Our Food System

Small Farms Radio is a monthly podcast by the Cornell Small Farms Program, that serves as a hub of conversation for New York farmers and provides a window into the state's small-scale agricultural world for the broader public. We center stories of the diversity, hope, and resilience of our farmers and food system.

For more than two decades, the Cornell Small Farms Program has supported small farms across New York State and beyond. We have seen how farmers work tirelessly to keep their farms viable in a system that was not built for them. We have seen an increasingly diverse group of people who dream of farming try to navigate land access. There are so many stories scattered across our state, just waiting to be told. Through our Small Farms Radio, we share the stories our farmers: why they do this work, what they struggle with, and their visions for the future.

Green circular logo with the text “SMALL FARMS RADIO • STORIES FOR CHANGE” surrounding a tire tread pattern. In the center: “CORNELL Small Farms PROGRAM” in a decorative badge.

We highlight stories of hope and resilience around climate change, food sovereignty, and building diversity in our local food systems. Our podcast episodes convene farmers, ag educators, and others in the food system to share their thoughts about where they think the future of agriculture should be heading and what they’re doing to move it in the right direction.

Small Farms Radio is produced by the Cornell Small Farms Program, with contributions from farmers, educators within Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), faculty and researchers with the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), and other service providers across the Northeast. The podcast is supported by a Rural Humanities Grant, which focuses on learning from rural New York's histories, cultures, challenges, and futures.

We welcome anyone who has a story to share.

News and Updates

Founding the West Branch Commons

Founding the Commons: Small Farms Radio Dives into West Branch Land Access Project

By Kacey Deamer | April 24, 2025

The last episode of the Small Farms Radio podcast spotlighted West Branch Commons, an innovative land access project that allows beginning farmers to lease affordable farmland with built-in market logistics…

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Founding the West Branch Commons V2

West Branch Commons: Small Farms Radio Explores an Innovative Land Tenure Model

By Kacey Deamer | March 10, 2025

One of the greatest challenges facing a new farmer is the search for land. It is difficult and costly to find quality acreage with the infrastructure needed to support a…

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A 3x3 grid with alternating photos and farm-themed icons, including small farms, tomatoes, hay bales, a farmer, fields, a tractor, and various illustrations of farming activities and sunny weather.

Who Is A Farmer? First Episode of Small Farms Podcast Explores Farming Identities

By Kacey Deamer | February 13, 2025

What comes to mind when you imagine a farmer? Is it someone navigating a combine across thousands of acres of wheat? Perhaps it is someone in a dense city, managing…

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Green circular logo with the text “SMALL FARMS RADIO • STORIES FOR CHANGE” surrounding a tire tread pattern. In the center: “CORNELL Small Farms PROGRAM” in a decorative badge.

Welcome to Small Farms Radio, Our New Podcast

By Kacey Deamer | February 9, 2025

We are excited to share that the Cornell Small Farms Program has launched a monthly podcast, Small Farms Radio. For more than two decades, the Cornell Small Farms Program has…

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Contact Small Farms Radio

For more information about Small Farms Radio, contact our multimedia producer, Jamie Johnson, at jpj46@cornell.edu.

Calling Into the Podcast

Small Farms Radio invites listeners to call in and share their stories, reactions to episodes, and answers to the questions we pose.

If you are interested in sharing your voice, and potentially being included in a future episode, email Jamie or call us at [phone number].