Can a small non-profit farm near NYC change the food system?

02/24/21 • 40 min

The Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture has a lofty mission: to change the food system. It’s an idyllic 400 acre farming property just north of New York City. It features an on-site, partner restaurant called Blue Hill, which has been made famous by chef Dan Barber and his book The Third Plate. Stone Barns also runs education programs and regenerative agriculture trials in crops and livestock, and welcomes the public to watch how it’s all done.
Jason Grauer is their Crops Director. He left his career in asset management to follow his passion for what he calls “soil-based” agriculture. His research focuses on seed genetics and organic seed trials to improve soil health, biodiversity, and taste. But how can a small, non-profit farm influence practices in large, commercial farms, let alone the entire food system?
In this episode, Jason talks about:

How he managed the transition from asset management to regenerative farming
The importance of seed genetics and the creation of a digital seed database
The experiments Stone Barns is running to make a difference to the broader food system

For more from Jason and our insights from this episode, check out our website.

How he managed the transition from asset management to regenerative farming
The importance of seed genetics and the creation of a digital seed database
The experiments Stone Barns is running to make a difference to the broader food system

For more from Jason and our insights from this episode, check out our website.

Previous Episode

Busting food and farming myths - Rob Paarlberg on a scientific approach to food policy

In a world where food and farming are highly polarized issues, Rob Paarlberg’s approach is to follow the evidence. This has earned him great respect, but also means his well-researched views tend to land him in no-man’s land between traditional industry views and the new food movement.
For instance, Rob supports modern commercial farming and the use of fertilizers; however, he’s not a blanket supporter of ‘Big Ag’. He is highly critical of the state of animal welfare in modern American livestock production, but he’s not against eating meat. As an author and Associate in the Sustainability Science program at the Harvard Kennedy School, Rob is renowned for debunking the popular myths about food and farming.
In his latest book, “Resetting the Table: Straight Talk About the Food We Grow and Eat, Rob argues that food policy, rather than farm policy, should be the focus for reform when it comes to the American food system.
In this episode, Rob discusses his latest book and:

Why returning to the ‘old ways’ of farming is not sustainable
How US farm subsidies make food more, not less, expensive
The cause of the obesity epidemic in America (and the food policies that could actually make a difference).
Why the agriculture industry needs to improve its treatment of animals (and the relatively low costs involved).

For insights and resources, visit our website.

Next Episode

The promises and pitfalls of making livestock sustainable

Livestock, and especially cows, get a bad rap when it comes to climate change. But is this fair? There’s no doubt that cows emit methane; however, scientific advancements are increasing our understanding of how methane contributes to global warming, and emerging companies are developing solutions to reduce enteric emissions through advancements such as feed additives and methods to accelerate genetic progress.
The path to sustainable livestock is fraught with controversy, but this week’s guests, Professor Frank Mitloehner, air quality specialist at UC Davis, and Kerryann Kocher, CEO of Vytelle, are up for the challenge. In this episode, we discuss livestock’s role in climate change, and both challenges and opportunities for a future of sustainable protein.
For more information, visit our website.