116: Mike Sands | Liberty Prairie Foundation | Flint Hill, VA

In Episode 96 Alison Parker from Radical Root Farm in Illinois talked about the  Liberty Prairie Foundation and how it helped them get their start and so today Mike Sands is here to tell us about his farming experiences as well as the Foundation.

“With over 30 years of experience in sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation and community based economic development, Mike has worked on a broad range of innovative projects around the world. Now a Senior Associate of the Liberty Prairie Foundation, he served as the organization’s founding Executive Director from 1995 to 2010.” from the Liberty Prairie Foundation‘s website biography.

Highlights:

What is your favorite activity to do in the garden.

Harvest!

I love planting too.

What is the best gardening advice you have  ever received?

Probably, something along the lines of “Relax, don’t worry about it. Something will work. Don’t fret, watch learn relax …”

That’s great! That’s kind of been a theme with my show, lots of things are going to work out so don’t worry about it.

Is there a favorite tool that you like to use? If you had to move and could only take one tool with you what would it be?

Probably some form stirrup hoe. Doesn’t make sense because I hate weeding?

No it makes perfect sense because if you hate weeding that must make it easy to do when you want to.

A favorite recipe you like to cook from the garden?

Love to cook, most of my cooking is around meat production and lamb. Lots of eastern lamb mediterranean recipes.

Oh share with listeners. My husband’s always asking me what what do you do with lamb?

There’s thousands of things.

JerusalemDeveloping things for cheap cuts of lamb . . . lamb middle eastern lamb meatballs … different combinations with either, all the spices, like turmeric and cardamon, paprika, all spice! All of those are great! I guess one of my favorites would be lamb shanks with pomegranate, with cous cous and mint.

Just braise up the lamb shanks. Put them in the big, heavy steal, skillet, throw the other stuff in, vegetable stock, or carrots, add at the end raw, but still only takes 20-30 min. Other you simmer an hour or two.

If people are interested I have a great cookbook called  Jerusalem A Cookbook that has fabulous recipes.

A favorite internet resource?

Not a single source, I go to all different kinds of places researching, I do a lot of stuff. Most of mine is around grass production and grazing and stuff. A lot of my resources. There’s a grazing one called

On grass…

The grass whisperer

A favorite reading material-book, mag, blog/website etc you can recommend?

StockmanGrassFarmerMagazine

I guess again, still more in the farming side.

the stockman grass farmer.

GrassFedCattle

There’s a book, the best book on Grass Fed Cattle.

One of the best experiences I’ve had since I’ve had my podcast is Lower Valley Farm who had grasped beef and sheep and thy did the rotations. 

 

 Full shownotes to come soon!

 

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About the author, Jackie Marie

I'm an artist and educator. I live at the "Organic Oasis" with my husband Mike where we practice earth friendly techniques in our garden nestled in the mountains of Montana.

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