On this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good, Nathan Harkleroad, Program Director at Agriculture and Land Based Training Association, talks with us about his path to farming, the value of agricultural work, helping people get their own farms going and more.
A San Diego kid and product of Southern California’s surfing scene, Harkleroad had no plans for a career in farming growing up. (He didn’t even have 4-H in his urban community.) But opportunities to work on farms abroad in Panama and Scotland planted the seeds for agricultural work in his life. He found work on a university farm upon his return to California, learning the full gamut of farming knowledge to pursue a career in agriculture. Working alongside other farm workers, he heard the hopes and dreams of fellow farm workers to start their own farms. Today, he works as an educator and program director with Agriculture and Land Based Training Association, a role that involves, in part, helping aspiring farmers learn the skills to own and operate their own farms.
Hear Nathan discuss the importance of training and empowering populations that want to do the hard work of farming. Listen in as he talks about cover cropping, which he describes as his favorite type of farming for the value it brings to soil. Learn his favorite farm meal, which he, as a food lover, describes as “ironic,” and hear his recommendation for a hearty farm-fresh meal option. Also, peppers!
