We often think of a farm as a place that grows food. But a small farm does so much more than that.

It holds up a local economy, circulating dollars in a way no chain store can. It creates belonging, the feeling of being known by the person who grows your food.

It carries the identity of a family and a town.

And it quietly supports the mental health and the very future of the place it calls home.

In this quick episode, we explore how small farms fortify our communities, drawing on research and the real voices of people across the country.

We also look at what unravels, slowly and often invisibly, when a farm disappears. Because supporting a farm is never just about food.

It's about the kind of town and world you want to live in.

One Bite is Everything explores the connections between food, health, community, the environment, and the economy. Through conversations with farmers, chefs, researchers, advocates, and food system leaders, host Dana DiPrima examines how food touches every aspect of our lives and why understanding our food system has never mattered more.

Top 3% of all podcasts globally

Top 100 food podcasts (22)

Top 100 agriculture podcasts (87)

More engagement than more than 88% of all podcasts on Spotify

Five-star rating average

Part of Heritage Radio Network, home of the top voices in food

Follow Dana at @xoxofarmgirl and learn more about the For Farmers Movement at forfarmersmovement.com.

What does the USDA actually do? Who does it serve? And why does it seem like some farmers receive support automatically while others struggle to access even basic resources?

In this episode of One Bite Is Everything, Dana DiPrima takes listeners through a practical USDA 101. From its origins as Abraham Lincoln's "people's department" to its modern role overseeing everything from SNAP and school lunches to crop insurance, conservation programs, and rural development, this episode explores one of the most powerful and least understood agencies in American life.

Dana examines the difference between programs that maintain the existing agricultural system and programs designed to build opportunities for the next generation of farmers. She explains why commodity crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, and peanuts benefit from long-established safety nets, while many small, diversified, and beginning farmers operate without comparable protections.

The conversation also looks at major USDA changes since 2025, including staffing reductions, program cancellations, shifts in conservation funding, trade-related assistance payments, and changes to nutrition programs. Along the way, Dana asks a larger question: if the USDA was created to serve farmers, which farmers is it serving today?

This episode is not about politics. It's about understanding the systems that shape our food, our farms, and our future.

• Why Abraham Lincoln called the USDA "the people's department"
• The USDA's role in food, farming, nutrition, conservation, and rural America
• The difference between commodity support programs and market-building programs
• How crop insurance, price supports, and farm safety nets work
• Why many small and diversified farms operate outside those systems
• Recent USDA staffing cuts and program changes
• Farm bankruptcies and what they reveal about the state of agriculture
• Why understanding the USDA matters to everyone who eats

Because if we're going to talk about the future of food, we need to understand the institutions helping shape it.

One Bite is Everything explores the connections between food, health, community, the environment, and the economy. Through conversations with farmers, chefs, researchers, advocates, and food system leaders, host Dana DiPrima examines how food touches every aspect of our lives and why understanding our food system has never mattered more.

Top 3% of all podcasts globally

Top 100 food podcasts (22)

Top 100 agriculture podcasts (87)

More engagement than more than 88% of all podcasts on Spotify

Five-star rating average

Part of Heritage Radio Network, home of the top voices in food

Follow Dana at @xoxofarmgirl and learn more about the For Farmers Movement at forfarmersmovement.com.

What happens when people step out of the grocery store and onto a working farm?

In this episode of One Bite is Everything, Dana sits down with chef and educator Gary Podesto of Climate Farm School, an organization that brings people directly to farms to learn about food systems, soil health, climate resilience, and regenerative agriculture. Through immersive, week-long experiences on farms around the world, participants gain a deeper understanding of where food comes from and the people responsible for producing it.

Gary shares what draws people to these experiences, from health concerns and climate anxiety to parenthood and simple curiosity. Together, Dana and Gary explore why so many people feel disconnected from their food, what happens when they reconnect with the land, and why understanding food systems often changes the way people think about everything from farming to community to personal responsibility.

The conversation also examines the unique role chefs play in our food system. With more than half of America's food dollars spent in restaurants, chefs have an opportunity not only to feed people, but to help consumers understand the farms, farmers, and choices behind every meal. Gary reflects on how food can become a powerful tool for education, storytelling, and connection, helping bridge the gap between the people who grow our food and the people who eat it.

• What Climate Farm School is and how it works
• Why people are seeking a stronger connection to the land
• The role of soil health in food, climate, and resilience
• How regenerative agriculture differs from conventional systems
• Why local food systems matter
• The challenges and realities facing today's farmers
• How chefs can help reconnect consumers with agriculture
• The power of food as a tool for education and community

Gary Podesto is a chef, educator, and facilitator with Climate Farm School. Drawing on decades of culinary experience, he helps participants explore the connections between food, farming, ecology, and community through immersive learning experiences on working farms.

Climate Farm School is an educational nonprofit that helps people reconnect with the land through immersive learning experiences on working farms. Participants spend time with farmers, educators, and food system leaders exploring topics such as soil health, regenerative agriculture, climate resilience, local food systems, and the challenges facing modern agriculture.

Operating on partner farms in the United States and internationally, Climate Farm School combines hands-on learning, discussion, and community-building to help participants better understand how food is produced and how farming intersects with environmental, economic, and social issues. The program brings together people from diverse backgrounds who share a curiosity about food, farming, and the future of our food system.

Through its courses and alumni network, Climate Farm School seeks to shorten the distance between consumers and producers, creating opportunities for meaningful connection, practical education, and informed action.

Learn more here: https://www.climatefarmschool.org

One Bite is Everything explores the connections between food, health, community, the environment, and the economy. Through conversations with farmers, chefs, researchers, advocates, and food system leaders, host Dana DiPrima examines how food touches every aspect of our lives and why understanding our food system has never mattered more.

Top 3% of all podcasts globally

Top 100 food podcasts (22)

Top 100 agriculture podcasts (87)

More engagement than more than 88% of all podcasts on Spotify

Five-star rating average

Part of Heritage Radio Network, home of the top voices in food

Follow Dana at @xoxofarmgirl and learn more about the For Farmers Movement at forfarmersmovement.com.