Beakuency welcomes Spencer Fenniman, manager of Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent, Columbia County. In the biodynamic farming practiced at Hawthorne Valley, birds, insects, shrubs, cows, people, and all other elements are intertwined and contribute to the overall health of the microcosm that is the farm. Spencer shares observations about the interdependence of all these factors, land management techniques that maintain the balance between them, and efforts to create bird habitat on the farm over the past two decades.

When we invest in local farmers, they can provide public goods beyond healthy food, such as the regeneration of bird species or the restoration of landscapes from which we all benefit. Spencer explains how we can support the Bobolink Project, an initiative that compensates farmers for protecting grassland species in decline, and by joining CSAs, we can also grow our local economies and protect wildlife habitat.

Hawthorne Valley Farm https://farm.hawthornevalley.org/

The Bobolink Project https://www.bobolinkproject.com/

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Hosted by Mayuko Fujino, "Beakuency" invites the local community to be inspired by the joy, beauty, and wisdom bird enthusiasts find in the nature of our neighborhoods. Every episode features an interview with local bird people, plus a freeform mix of sound made by birds and humans inspired by birds.

Read the interview transcripts and see more photos at beakuency.substack.com.

mayukofujino.com