PODCAST · health
Deep Roots Radio
by Sylvia Burgos Toftness
This show is about connecting the dots between what we consume and how it affects the health - of our environment, our bodies, our culture, and our economy. Every dollar we spend on food, clothes, health care, recreation, and building materials either supports pollution or clean water, worker poverty or economic health, nutrition or empty calories, and humane or cruel livestock conditions. Guests from across the country and around the world share insights for a healthier culture, lifestyle, and planet. There is hope. Let's be the change.
Episodes
-
WI Governor Proclaims Fall 2026 Agtourism Season Kick-Off
What's better than enjoying a beautiful fall day on a farm? Not much!! Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has again proclaimed the start of the fall agritourism season. In this Deep Roots Radio chat, Sheila Everhart describes the huge range of activities waiting for visitors to Wisconsin farms.…
more -
Ticks!! Yuck. University of Wisconsin-Madison's Bug Guy on what they do and what to do about them.
It's summer. You want to go for a hike in the woods, or stroll in the meadow. Maybe you love to garden. And wouldn't it be fun to run across the grass with your dog? But the ticks! It's not just about the fact that they bite, but that they may transfer disease. In this Deep Roots Radio interview,...
-
Smart phone Digital Passports kick up on-farm fun in Wisconsin
I love that thunk when my passport gets another stamp proving foreign travel. Now that badge of adventure is happening in Wisconsin when people travel to farms for food, fun, and education excitement. In this Deep Roots Radio interview, Sheila Everhart, Executive Director of the Wisconsin...
-
Get ready for farm fun, food and adventure! Apple River Farm Tour is July 11, 2026.
Twelve regenerative, small family farms are on the map for your self-guided tour of the Apple River Farm Tour, July 11, 2026, from 10AM to 4PM. Think mushrooms, sheep, lambs, furry Highland cattle, chickens, fresh veggies and fruit, and so much more. This Deep Roots Radio chat with tour director...
-
Small Wisconsin town has new textile & needlework biz with international reach
Sometimes you just can't predict when you'll bump into a thriving textile business. Black Cat Stitchery is one of those. Just 18 months in its new storefront, the small space is an expression of quality, creativity and warm welcome. While the store front boasts shelves of needlepoint and...
-
Katrina Rodabaugh - Slow Fashion movement through making, thrifting and mending
Connecting the dots between what we wear and environmental impact creates a scary picture. According to the EPA, billions of pounds of textiles ends up in landfills every year. Why? One of the reasons may be our culture's habit of hoping from one fashion trend to another every few weeks. That's...
-
May 9th River Rd Farm Crawl, Osceola WI
The day's are bright, the air fresh - perfect time to visit a nearby farm and learn about how our food is grown, how livestock are raised, and taste delicious local food. The 2026 farm visiting season kicks off with the May 9 River Road Farm Crawl in Osceola, Wisconsin. Visit their Facebook page...
-
Curlee Acres naturally-colored yarn from Shetland Sheep
When March hits, Wisconsin can be a roller-coaster of temperature and snow - nasty. Yet this is the time of year when new lambs decide to baaa their way into the world. At Curlee Acres, a small sheep farm near Centuria (north central Wisconsin), sheep herder/yarn producer Andrea Seifert is hoping...
-
Z-Orchard - the cold and warm of making maple syrup in Wisconsin
When you think "maple syrup" what comes to mind? Vermont? Canada? Nah, think Wisconsin. Z-Orchard in Amery, WI was recently featured in a syrupy article in the New York Times, and the recognition is well deserved. Z-Orchard's syrup is pure and delicious. In this Deep Roots Radio chat, Z-Orchard...
-
Wisconsin lavender farm invites you to color, fragrance, flavor and health.
Many travel to France for the annual display of lavender: fields of purples ranging from dusky to intense. Luckily for us in the Upper Midwest, we need go no further than Kiel, Wisconsin to drink in the site and fragrance of acres of lavender at Country Lavender & Orchard. In this Deep Roots…
more -
Take action: Laws that help or hurt Wisconsin agricultural tourism
Wisconsin loses more than a farm a day because of the high costs and low incomes to farmers. Not a new story: WI lost 10% of its farms between 2017 and 2022. Yet, there is a clear way for farmers to increase their income: agricultural tourism. And it will not cost the taxpayer a dime. Despite…
more -
Plan 2026 on-farm adventures & help remove obstacles to agtourism opportunities
Sheila Everhart, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association points visitors to on-farm fun all across Wisconsin. She also asks the public to help remove barriers to agricultural tourism opportunities. Hundreds of Wisconsin farmers are eager for you to visit their farms…
more -
Elspeth Hay, Part 1 - journalist/author, "Feed Us With Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food"
In this first of two Deep Roots Radio interviews, journalist Elspeth Hay introduces us to her fresh off the presses book, Feed Us With Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food. She describes what describes what agriculture looked like before Columbus, how European settlers forced change, and what we’ve...
-
LSP's Laura Schreiber on developing policies for better agriculture/food system
Land Stewardship Project has been working for the health and growth of small family farms and practices that restore soil health, and extend the affordable access to land. In this Deep Roots Radio interview Laura Scheiber, LSP's Government Relations Director, describes the links between public...
-
Are turtles and salamanders the "canaries" for land and water health?
When we think of gauging the health of our soils and water, we usually imagine lab tests. When we say the word "farm," it's common for images of livestock and row crops to come to mind. However, just as the "canary" came to signal toxic air conditions in a coal mine, there are animals that can…
more -
Agtourism adventures at the Classic Green Reunion
It's spring: time to find and schedule on-farm adventures all across Wisconsin. One you don't want to miss is The Classic Green Reunion, June 12-14, 2025, West Bend, WI. In this Deep Roots Radio interview, Sheila Everhart, Exec Dir of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association (WATA)…
more -
Cuddling new Farm Babies at Govins Farm
Who can resist a cuddly lamb or bouncing baby kid? It seems thousands of us love watching videos about them. Well we don't have to settle for virtual clips. Every Spring, Govin's Farm, in Menomonie, Wisconsin opens its barn to visitors so that they can experience the joy of farming as new life...
-
Marcus Carpenter - Supporting emerging BIPOC farmers in Upper Midwest
This episode originally aired in 2023.
-
Dawn Combs -- Honey as medicine, not just sweetener
We think we know honey. As kids, we drizzled it on toast, dolloped in into tea, and swirled it onto cereals. But now we can tap into its real power: as medicine, and especially wen combined with other helpful herbs and spices. This is nothing new, says Dawn Combs in this Deep Roots Radio…
more -
Alondra Cano - Revving up Amery's new Engine Room cocktail bar and artisenal foods
Deep Roots Radio in-studio chat with Alondra Cano, the energy and collaborator behind the Engine Room, in downtown Amery, WI. The new cocktail bar is just off the blocks and gaining speed with expertly crafted cocktails and artisenal foods featuring the ingredients and flavors of the Upper St....
-
Anne Stobart Part 5 Audio: Designing a medicinal forest garden, small or large
In this 5th Deep Roots Radio conversation, Anne Stobart describes major considerations when designing a medicinal forest garden of any size. In our chat, she talks about the steps she took - over several years - to establish and grow Holt Wood in Devon, England. Anne is an experienced and...
-
Anne Stobart Part 5 Video: Designing a medicinal forest garden, small or large
In this 5th Deep Roots Radio conversation, Anne Stobart describes key considerations when designing a medicinal forest garden of any size. In our chat, she talks about the steps she took - over several years - to establish and grow Holt Wood in Devon, England. Anne is an experienced and...
-
Anne Stobart Part 3 Video: Household medicine in 17th century England
Anne Stobart joined me for the third in a five-part series of Deep Roots Radio interviews about medicinal shrubs and trees that heal. A clinical herbalist, permaculture designer, and author, Anne holds a PhD from her extensive research into the history of medicine. This Deep Roots Radio...
-
Anne Stobart Part 2 Video: North American trees and shrubs that heal
This is the second of five interviews with Anne Stobart: clinical herbalist, permaculture educator, author, and presenter. Chatting from Devon, England, in this episode, Anne reviewed some of the medicinal shrubs and trees of North America. This series was prompted by the publication of her…
more -
Anne Stobart Part 1 Video: Her introduction to trees and shrubs heal
This is the first in a five-part series with Anne Stobart, educator, author, clinical herbalist, and developer of medicinal permaculture forests. In this episode, Anne looks back and describes how she became interested in and focused on medicinal herbalism. She also explains her commitment to...
-
Anne Stobart Part 4 - Video- England's medicinal trees and shrubs
This Deep Roots Radio Face-to-Face interview with Anne Stobart. It's the 4th of a 5-part series based on her latest book, Trees and Shrubs That Heal (2024). Stobart is a clinical herbalist, scientist, historian and author. Her other books on medicinal herbs are Household Medicine in 17th Century...
-
Anne Stobart Part 4 - England's medicinal trees and shrubs
In this Deep Roots Radio audio podcast, Anne Stobart tells of her experience with the many English trees and shrubs with medicinal value. This is the fourth conversation in a series of five about medicinal shrubs and trees. Anne is an experienced and formally educated clinical herbalists,...
-
Anne Stobart Part 3 - Herbal Medicine in 17th Century England
Did English peasants comb the woods for herbal remedies? Were physicians in the 1600s aware of the deadly impact of mercury and blood-letting? Anne Stobart gives us a glimpse into the use of herbal remedies as used in households and by apothecaries, physicians and surgeons. With a PhD from her...
-
Anne Stobart Part 2 - North American trees and shrubs that heal
This second conversation with master herbalist and author Anne Stobart focuses on several of the many helpful trees and shrubs she's encountered in her practice and in visits to the United States. These are plants you may have in your own backyard! Anne is an expert in permaculture, clinical...
-
WISCONET - building a network of weather stations across Wisconsin
What if you could get weather information - the details - updated every five minutes? Well, you can thanks to this widening network of weather monitors.
-
John Jeavons on how well-planned small-scale agriculture can produce food and profit
John Jeavons has proved his small-scale agricultural approach in communities all around the world. In this interview he describes how a living wage, environmental stewardship and food production can be achieved. The director of Ecology Action, Jeavons is the author of the best-selling How To Grow...
-
Gearld Fry on the need to know the power of bovine genetics
With over 50 years of practical experience, Gerald Fry knows the powerful influence of genetics in building a healthy grass-fed beef herd.
-
Ben Hewitt on his book - The Town That Food Saved
In this 2016 #DeepRootsRadio chat, author Ben Hewitt describes the New England culture behind his book, The Town That Food Saved. This is a story about economic potential and impact when a town deliberately anchors its future on a web of food-based businesses.
-
The growth of China's farmers markets
In this interview, we learn about how farmers markets are growing in China.
-
Angelica's Garden - the business and nutrition of fermented foods
In this interview we learn how the demand for healthier foods helped grow Angelica's Garden, a producer of small-batch fermented foods.
-
John Ikerd on the future of farming
Economist John Ikerd describes the economic and health issues farmers and consumers will face in the near future.
-
How farmers can prepare to invite visitors to their farms
Hundreds of farmers welcome tourists to their properties every year for fun, relaxation, education, food and lots of activities. This interview examines how farmers can prepare for safe and enjoyable on-farm adventures.
-
Investigative researcher Jo Robinson - real food in canned and frozen foods
Investigative reporter, Jo Robinson describes real foods from canned and frozen foods. In this #DeepRootsRadio interview, she summarizes key points of her high researched book, Eating on the Wild Side.
-
Thorny Hawthorn, Part 3 - EagleSong Gardener's world wide travels for Hawthorn
In this third #DeepRootsRadio conversation with EagleSong Gardener, she describes her encounters with the many species of Hawthorn around the world.
-
Thorny Hawthorn, Part 2 - EagleSong Gardener on Hawthorn for healthh
In this second #DeepRootsRadio chat with EagleSong Gardener, she describes how this very thorny tree is used as remedy and food.
-
Keeping local bees through the harsh winters of the Upper Midwest
How do you keep bees alive when Wisconsin winter temps commonly dip to 10 below? In this @DeepRootsRadio chat, the Zieglers describe the challenges and rewards of keeping bees.
-
The challenges of mushroom hunting
We're all tempted, but do we dare pick and eat that mushroom? This interview with a very experienced mushroom hunter provides the skinny. Enjoy.
-
Anne Stobart Part 1 - Introduction to trees and shrubs that heal
Anne Stobart is a clinical herbalist, permaculture designer, educator/lecturer, blogger and author. This five-part series was prompted by the January 2024 release of her latest book, Trees and Shrubs That Heal. In this first conversation, Anne describes her early years in herbal studies, which...
-
Marcus Carpenter -How Route 1 is helping emerging BIPOC farmers
In this Deep Roots Radio interview Marcus Carpenter, founder of Route 1, describes what his nonprofit is doing to encourage and support emerging BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) farmers in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.
-
Julia Skinner - how fermention has shaped cultures and communities for generations
In this Deep Roots Radio interview, author, researcher, historian and teacher Julia Skinner talks about "Our Fermented Lives." In this lively half-hour chat, she describes how the activities around fermented foods have shaped cultures and communities around the world over hundreds of years.
-
Wisconsin celebrates women working in agricultural/land conservation
Deep Roots Radio chats with Kriss Marion, communications lead for the Wisconsin Women in Conservation about their work with women and men across the state.
-
Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association celebrates 30th
Deep Roots Radio chat with Sheila Everhart, Exec Dir of Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association about three decades working to help farmers welcome visitors and the public find ag-based adventures across the state.
-
Rosalee de la Foret on the power of holistic herbal medicine and food
Deep Roots Radio chat with best-selling author, teacher and herbalist Rosalee de la Foret about what holistic herbalism is and how it works.
-
Wisconsin gov't pushes laws likely to cripple event barns/venues
Deep Roots Radio interview focuses on legislative moves with high probability of constraining farm-based event venues ability to do business and meet public demands
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
This show is about connecting the dots between what we consume and how it affects the health - of our environment, our bodies, our culture, and our economy. Every dollar we spend on food, clothes, health care, recreation, and building materials either supports pollution or clean water, worker poverty or economic health, nutrition or empty calories, and humane or cruel livestock conditions. Guests from across the country and around the world share insights for a healthier culture, lifestyle, and planet. There is hope. Let's be the change.
HOSTED BY
Sylvia Burgos Toftness
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Deep Roots Radio have?
Deep Roots Radio currently has 49 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Deep Roots Radio about?
This show is about connecting the dots between what we consume and how it affects the health - of our environment, our bodies, our culture, and our economy. Every dollar we spend on food, clothes, health care, recreation, and building materials either supports pollution or clean water, worker...
How often does Deep Roots Radio release new episodes?
Deep Roots Radio has 49 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Deep Roots Radio?
You can listen to Deep Roots Radio on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Deep Roots Radio?
Deep Roots Radio is created and hosted by Sylvia Burgos Toftness.
URL copied to clipboard!