Christina Chan interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2020-12-07
Christina Chan is the owner and farmer at Choy Divison, a small diversified vegetable farm focusing on sustainably grown Asian vegetables in Chester, New York. As a second-generation Chinese American, growing Asian produce is a way for Christina to reconnect with her culture and her family. She talks about how her interest in food and agriculture developed, the establishment of her farm, and her…
Ariana de Leña interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2020-12-14
Ariana de Leña is the owner and farmer at Kamayan Farm, a vegetable and flower farm east of Seattle. Ari describes the variety of work she has done throughout the food system, the establishment of her farm, the influence of her mixed Filipino American identity on her work, and the communities she has relied on and built around her work.
Megan Brakeley interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2020-12-17
Megan Brakeley is the Food and Garden Educator at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. She describes the path she took to become the Food and Garden Educator at Middlebury College, her love of the outdoors, her experiences as a transracial, transnational Korean adoptee, and the work she is doing to create an inclusive space at the College's educational farm-garden.
Lawrence Tse interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2020-12-29
Lawrence Tse runs Dig Acres, a mixed vegetable operation and incubator program in the Black Dirt Region of the Hudson Valley that supplies the Dig restaurant group. Larry discusses his personal, academic, and professional experiences with food and farming and the unique position they are in at Dig Acres to educate people, incubate new farms, and serve the community. He also talks about how…
Scott Chang-Fleeman interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-01-12
Scott Chang-Fleeman is the owner and farmer at Shao Shan Farm in Sebastopol, California. After learning about food and farming from an academic perspective and falling in love with the work of growing food, Scott began to think more about the connection between food and identity. He describes how a personal project to explore his mixed Chinese American identity led him to start a…
Kellee Matsushita-Tseng interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-01-15
Kellee Matsushita-Tseng is a farmer and educator at the University of California's Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Kellee talks about how her interests and experiences led her to farming, and more specifically, to her work with seeds. She discusses the importance of seed sovereignty and describes how she engages with the topic as both a student and a teacher.
Gabrielle Lee interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-01-18
Gabrielle Lee is the owner and farmer at Lunaria Flower Farm in Pescadero, California. Gaby specializes in flowers from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traditional Western Herbalism, and fresh and dried ornamentals. She talks about her path to farming, how she came to start her own farm, and how her Chinese American identity shapes her work.
Emily Tzeng interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-01
Emily Tzeng is the owner and farmer at Local Color Farm and Fiber in Puyallup, Washington. She produces fresh vegetables, heritage breed lamb, and naturally dyed fibers. Emily talks about how she arrived at farming and started her own farm and fiber business. She also discusses how she thinks about her Taiwanese American identity within her work and her community.
Amanda Wong interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-03
Amanda Wong is a co-partner at Star Route Farm, a small-scale diversified vegetable, herb, and small grain farm in Charlotteville, New York. Amanda discusses how she began growing food and why she loves farming, her time living and working in Mexico, the farm's transition to a donation-based model, and her identity as a Chinese American, especially as it relates to her work.
Laura Xiao interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-10
Laura Xiao farms in southern Vermont. Laura talks about her love of food, how she got into farming, her views on using farming to subvert capitalism, and race within and outside of the food system, especially as it relates to her identity as an Asian American woman.
Leslie Wiser interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-17
Leslie Wiser is the owner of Radical Family Farms in Sebastopol, California. The farm focuses on mixed Asian heritage vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Leslie discusses her family's food culture, her experiences living with both sets of grandparents, her career change and the establishment of her farm, and her biracial Taiwanese/German American identity in her life and work.
Mai Nguyen interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-22
Mai Nguyen specializes in growing heirloom crops using organic, drought-tolerant, and soil-enriching methods in Sonoma County, California. Mai describes their family's culture around food, their entry into farming through waste management and climate research, their farm and business, race, and their work with the Asian American Farmers Alliance.
Christopher Wang interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-23
Christopher Wang is the owner and fisherman at The Gypsy Fish Company. He catches wild Alaskan salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska and sells it throughout California. Chris talks about his connection to and values around food, his experiences working in the food industry, how he got into the fishing industry and established his business, and some of the ways his life experiences have been…
Fredrick Lee interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-24
Fredrick Lee is the owner of Sang Lee Farms, a three-generation organic produce farm on Long Island, New York. Fred discusses his family's history, the establishment and evolution of his family's farm, their transition to an organic Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, and the role of race in his and his family's lives.
Kristyn Leach interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-05
Kristyn Leach is the owner and farmer at Namu Farm in Winters, California. Kristyn reflects on her adolescence, young adulthood, and identity as a Korean American adoptee. She also discusses how she got into farming, how her farm came to be, the importance of seed saving, and the ways in which heritage, identity, and the Korean and broader Asian American community are at the…
Arthur Lee interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-09
Arthur Lee is the owner and farmer at Mazu Mushrooms in Santa Cruz, California. He specializes in growing organic mushrooms to nourish people and heal the land. Arthur talks about his experiences with food and farming growing up, how his interest in farming developed, his love for mushrooms and the establishment of his business, the specifics of growing mushrooms and how to capitalize on…
Jade Sato interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-18
Jade Sato is the owner and farmer at Minoru Farm in Brighton, Colorado. She focuses on no-till methods to promote the flavors and produce of multi-cultural Asian communities. Jade talks about her love for food, her Japanese family's history, her experiences farming for other people, the establishment of her own farm, and how her biracial identity influences her work.
Lan Dinh interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-23
Lan Dinh is one of the co-founders of Vietlead, a grassroots community organization in Philadelphia and South Jersey that is creating a vision and strategy for community self-determination, social justice, and cultural resilience. Lan talks about the importance of food in her family, her first experiences with food justice work, her time at the University of California Santa Cruz's farming apprenticeship program, the founding…
Madalyn Warren interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-24
Madalyn Warren is the owner and farmer at East Branch Farms in Roxbury, New York. East Branch Farms uses organic and biodynamic farming practices to grow vegetables, herbs, and medicinal plants for people and to promote vibrant ecosystems for the soil, microbes, birds and beneficial insects. Madalyn describes how she fell in love with farming and established her own farm, the evolution of the…
Mika Shibuya interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-04-11
Mika Shibuya is an owner and farmer at Rock Steady Farm, a queer-owned and operated cooperative vegetable farm in Millerton, New York, that is rooted in social justice, food access, and farmer training. Mika talks about how her mixed race Japanese American queer identity impacts her perspectives and experiences within and outside of the food system. In addition to describing her personal journey with…
Sarah Sohn interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-04-14
Sarah Sohn is the farmer-gardener at Young Sohn Gardens in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Sarah talks about her upbringing and her family's culture around food, her long-held interest in growing food, her work as a lawyer, her work with beginning farmers, and the ways in which her Asian American identity has come to the forefront of her food and farming work.
Gregory Witscher interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-07-06
Gregory Witscher is one of the co-owners and farmers at Understory Farm in Bridport, Vermont. Understory Farm provides high-quality specialty cut flowers to the Vermont community throughout the growing season. Gregory discusses the farming journey that he and his wife, Jessie, have been on since their early twenties, the establishment and evolution of their farm, and the recent work he has done to accept…
Audio RecordingChristina Chan interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2020-12-07 Christina Chan is the owner and farmer at Choy Divison, a small diversified vegetable farm focusing on sustainably grown Asian vegetables in Chester, New York. As a second-generation Chinese American, growing Asian produce is a way for Christina to reconnect with her culture and her family. She talks about how her interest in food and agriculture developed, the establishment of her farm, and her…
Audio RecordingAriana de Leña interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2020-12-14 Ariana de Leña is the owner and farmer at Kamayan Farm, a vegetable and flower farm east of Seattle. Ari describes the variety of work she has done throughout the food system, the establishment of her farm, the influence of her mixed Filipino American identity on her work, and the communities she has relied on and built around her work.
Audio RecordingMegan Brakeley interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2020-12-17 Megan Brakeley is the Food and Garden Educator at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. She describes the path she took to become the Food and Garden Educator at Middlebury College, her love of the outdoors, her experiences as a transracial, transnational Korean adoptee, and the work she is doing to create an inclusive space at the College's educational farm-garden.
Audio RecordingLawrence Tse interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2020-12-29 Lawrence Tse runs Dig Acres, a mixed vegetable operation and incubator program in the Black Dirt Region of the Hudson Valley that supplies the Dig restaurant group. Larry discusses his personal, academic, and professional experiences with food and farming and the unique position they are in at Dig Acres to educate people, incubate new farms, and serve the community. He also talks about how…
Audio RecordingScott Chang-Fleeman interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-01-12 Scott Chang-Fleeman is the owner and farmer at Shao Shan Farm in Sebastopol, California. After learning about food and farming from an academic perspective and falling in love with the work of growing food, Scott began to think more about the connection between food and identity. He describes how a personal project to explore his mixed Chinese American identity led him to start a…
Audio RecordingKellee Matsushita-Tseng interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-01-15 Kellee Matsushita-Tseng is a farmer and educator at the University of California's Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Kellee talks about how her interests and experiences led her to farming, and more specifically, to her work with seeds. She discusses the importance of seed sovereignty and describes how she engages with the topic as both a student and a teacher.
Audio RecordingGabrielle Lee interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-01-18 Gabrielle Lee is the owner and farmer at Lunaria Flower Farm in Pescadero, California. Gaby specializes in flowers from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traditional Western Herbalism, and fresh and dried ornamentals. She talks about her path to farming, how she came to start her own farm, and how her Chinese American identity shapes her work.
Audio RecordingEmily Tzeng interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-01 Emily Tzeng is the owner and farmer at Local Color Farm and Fiber in Puyallup, Washington. She produces fresh vegetables, heritage breed lamb, and naturally dyed fibers. Emily talks about how she arrived at farming and started her own farm and fiber business. She also discusses how she thinks about her Taiwanese American identity within her work and her community.
Audio RecordingAmanda Wong interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-03 Amanda Wong is a co-partner at Star Route Farm, a small-scale diversified vegetable, herb, and small grain farm in Charlotteville, New York. Amanda discusses how she began growing food and why she loves farming, her time living and working in Mexico, the farm's transition to a donation-based model, and her identity as a Chinese American, especially as it relates to her work.
Audio RecordingLaura Xiao interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-10 Laura Xiao farms in southern Vermont. Laura talks about her love of food, how she got into farming, her views on using farming to subvert capitalism, and race within and outside of the food system, especially as it relates to her identity as an Asian American woman.
Audio RecordingLeslie Wiser interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-17 Leslie Wiser is the owner of Radical Family Farms in Sebastopol, California. The farm focuses on mixed Asian heritage vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Leslie discusses her family's food culture, her experiences living with both sets of grandparents, her career change and the establishment of her farm, and her biracial Taiwanese/German American identity in her life and work.
Audio RecordingMai Nguyen interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-22 Mai Nguyen specializes in growing heirloom crops using organic, drought-tolerant, and soil-enriching methods in Sonoma County, California. Mai describes their family's culture around food, their entry into farming through waste management and climate research, their farm and business, race, and their work with the Asian American Farmers Alliance.
Audio RecordingChristopher Wang interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-23 Christopher Wang is the owner and fisherman at The Gypsy Fish Company. He catches wild Alaskan salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska and sells it throughout California. Chris talks about his connection to and values around food, his experiences working in the food industry, how he got into the fishing industry and established his business, and some of the ways his life experiences have been…
Audio RecordingFredrick Lee interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-02-24 Fredrick Lee is the owner of Sang Lee Farms, a three-generation organic produce farm on Long Island, New York. Fred discusses his family's history, the establishment and evolution of his family's farm, their transition to an organic Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, and the role of race in his and his family's lives.
Audio RecordingKristyn Leach interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-05 Kristyn Leach is the owner and farmer at Namu Farm in Winters, California. Kristyn reflects on her adolescence, young adulthood, and identity as a Korean American adoptee. She also discusses how she got into farming, how her farm came to be, the importance of seed saving, and the ways in which heritage, identity, and the Korean and broader Asian American community are at the…
Audio RecordingArthur Lee interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-09 Arthur Lee is the owner and farmer at Mazu Mushrooms in Santa Cruz, California. He specializes in growing organic mushrooms to nourish people and heal the land. Arthur talks about his experiences with food and farming growing up, how his interest in farming developed, his love for mushrooms and the establishment of his business, the specifics of growing mushrooms and how to capitalize on…
Audio RecordingJade Sato interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-18 Jade Sato is the owner and farmer at Minoru Farm in Brighton, Colorado. She focuses on no-till methods to promote the flavors and produce of multi-cultural Asian communities. Jade talks about her love for food, her Japanese family's history, her experiences farming for other people, the establishment of her own farm, and how her biracial identity influences her work.
Audio RecordingLan Dinh interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-23 Lan Dinh is one of the co-founders of Vietlead, a grassroots community organization in Philadelphia and South Jersey that is creating a vision and strategy for community self-determination, social justice, and cultural resilience. Lan talks about the importance of food in her family, her first experiences with food justice work, her time at the University of California Santa Cruz's farming apprenticeship program, the founding…
Audio RecordingMadalyn Warren interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-03-24 Madalyn Warren is the owner and farmer at East Branch Farms in Roxbury, New York. East Branch Farms uses organic and biodynamic farming practices to grow vegetables, herbs, and medicinal plants for people and to promote vibrant ecosystems for the soil, microbes, birds and beneficial insects. Madalyn describes how she fell in love with farming and established her own farm, the evolution of the…
Audio RecordingMika Shibuya interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-04-11 Mika Shibuya is an owner and farmer at Rock Steady Farm, a queer-owned and operated cooperative vegetable farm in Millerton, New York, that is rooted in social justice, food access, and farmer training. Mika talks about how her mixed race Japanese American queer identity impacts her perspectives and experiences within and outside of the food system. In addition to describing her personal journey with…
Audio RecordingSarah Sohn interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-04-14 Sarah Sohn is the farmer-gardener at Young Sohn Gardens in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Sarah talks about her upbringing and her family's culture around food, her long-held interest in growing food, her work as a lawyer, her work with beginning farmers, and the ways in which her Asian American identity has come to the forefront of her food and farming work.
Audio RecordingGregory Witscher interview conducted by Katelyn Reuther, 2021-07-06 Gregory Witscher is one of the co-owners and farmers at Understory Farm in Bridport, Vermont. Understory Farm provides high-quality specialty cut flowers to the Vermont community throughout the growing season. Gregory discusses the farming journey that he and his wife, Jessie, have been on since their early twenties, the establishment and evolution of their farm, and the recent work he has done to accept…