MOSA provides our clients with much more than just certification.

Joe Pedretti

MOSA Client Services Director

The Taproot Project Podcast

The Taproot Project A podcast that celebrates the roots and resolve of farmers across the Heartland

 

The Taproot Project is a podcast with stories that dig deeper. It’s about people from across the Midwest who are reclaiming farming as a connector—to the land, to a sense of purpose, to people, and to their ancestors.  

 

The Taproot Project invites farmers, ranchers, conservationists, brewers, researchers, historians, and advocates to share about land, legacy, and what sustains their work. The first season offers 11 episodes rooted in curiosity and connection around agricultural ideas, experiences, and systems that shape how we live—and how meaningful change takes hold.

 

  • Episode 1 A queer farmer thriving in rural Iowa: Hannah shares about her life as a farmer, why so many queer people want to farm, and the importance of community. 
  • Episode 2 Restoring Midwest Prairies and Reviving Indigenous Traditions: Learn about prairie restoration and advocating for the return of the American Buffalo. 
  • Episode 3 Digging into Detroit's Food Sovereignty Movement: Hear about Detroit’s grassroots urban farming and food sovereignty movement. 
  • Episode 4 Midwest Grain Chain - Cultivating Relationships and Markets: What does it take to restore a regional grainshed? 
  • Episode 5 Branching Out with Agroforestry in Indiana: The methods and motivations that intentionally incorporate trees into farm operations. 
  • Episode 6 Fields of Fleece - Fiber Farming in Ohio: An Ohio shepherd and sustainable wool advocate talks about organic fiber farming and its place in U.S. agriculture. 
  • Episode 7 Going for Organic in the Arkansas Delta: One community dreams of an organic farm despite the challenges they’re up against. 
  • Episode 8 Developing Domestic Elderberry Production and Markets: The story behind the collaboration to revitalize elderberry production in the U.S. 
  • Episode 9 From Mexico to Illinois, One Farmer’s Journey: A northern Illinois farm-to-table pioneer’s passion for farming and feeding the community.  
  • Episode 10 Farmland Commons - A Legacy of Sustainability: A community-centered approach for farmland succession; long-term tenure for farmers and ecological stewardship. 

  • Episode 11 Organic as a Movement: The USDA organic seal represents food and fiber that was produced using cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that support the cycling of on-farm resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. 

     

The Taproot Project is an initiative of the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) and is produced by Kate Cowie-Haskell, a food systems organizer and storyteller based in Minnesota. The podcast features discussions, insight, and research about a variety of farming practices and motivations across the Midwest. “The Taproot Project evolved from the belief that strong models and systems of regenerative, sustainable agriculture exist and have existed across the Midwest. The podcast highlights the inherited wisdom and stewardship of those who came before us, the ingenuity and enterprise of today’s farmers, and the new relationships evolving every day around food and farming across the Heartland,” said Kate. The Taproot Project weaves a common thread about the value and importance of sustainable agriculture for the health of our food, environment, and communities. 

 

Find new episodes from The Taproot Project wherever you get your podcasts.