Female Farmer Podcast

Female Farmer Project: the podcast · Farm (and other F words) with Sarah K Mock

Why do we love the idea of small family farms? Female Farmer Project's guest, Sarah K Mock says it’s because we’ve been told the stories about family farms from an early age through nursery rhymes and picture books. But does that bucolic ideal exist? Sarah provides an agriculture insider’s critique of the romantic agrarian ideal of the small family farm. She lays bare the shortcomings of that narrative — not all is as virtuous as it seems. In this thought-provoking conversation, Mock challenges the many conceptions about farming and farmers and asks the hard questions about the viability of the current systems. (originally seen on FemaleFarmerProject.org)

The seed for Sarah K Mock’s passion for farming was planted on her family’s farm in Wyoming. As it grew, so too did her need to find the answer to a critical question: is it possible to farm without exploiting farmers, farmworkers, the environment, or communities? Mock’s search for answers took her around the globe, working in and around agriculture for non-profits, government organizations, Silicon Valley companies, the national news media, and directly with farms.

Farm (and Other F Words)-- We love The American Farmer. We trust them to grow our food, to be part of children’s nursery rhymes, to provide the economic backbone of rural communities, and to embody a version of the American dream. At the same time, we know that “corporate farms” are disrupting the agrarian way of life that we so admire, and that we’ve got to do something to stop it. So what’s our plan for saving the farms we love?
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In Farm (and Other F Words), Sarah K Mock dismantles misconceptions about American farms and discovers what makes small family farms work, or why they don’t. While exploring the intersection of farming and wealth, Mock offers an alternative perspective on American agricultural history, and outlines a path to a more equitable food system moving forward.

Ultimately, Mock suggests a solution without putting the onus for change on struggling consumers and reminds us that, “the future of American agriculture is not yet decided.”

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