For New England farmers 2016 was a year hit hardest by drought. The most recent statistics from the US Drought Monitor shows Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut still with large percentages of areas in severe drought. As a more unpredictable climate is upon New England questions are raised about sustainability, the economy of farming, innovation and why local and regional food systems just might be the best solution for changing weather patterns.

In this episode of Under Reported I speak with Farmer Chris, the man behind a small farm in Massachusetts called Vanguarden, Severine von Tscharner Fleming founder of The Greenhorns and Brian Donahue, Chair of Environmental Studies at Brandeis University.

“I really think we need mechanisms by which we increase the rate at which land is protected as in these visions but that it’s being protected by entities that are very interested in seeing it worked. And seeing it producing sustainable wood products and food products and seeing it help build the local economy.”

— Brian Donahue

Severine von Tscharner Fleming - 2015

Whirley Pop at Farmer Chris' - found at the dump.

Farmer Chris' seedlings.

Brian Donahue, Chair Enviornmental Studies at Brandeis University.

Brian Donahue's yard; pristine wood piles.

“The most critical lesson for all of this is the sovereignty, the self-determination and the confidence as an individual to be operating within an ecological system, within nature and to make management systems and to engineer systems that will produce food.”

— Severine von Tscharner Fleming

Resources:

Episode 02: The Future of Food in New England