48. Gowan Batist on the Impact of Sustainability Partnerships

In this episode, I talk to Gowan Batist of Fortunate Farm in Caspar, CA off the Mendocino Coast. She manages a compost operation using spent brewing grains from her partnership with North Coast Brewing Company and runs a market garden that includes pumpkins and flowers as well as planned grazing with sheep, cattle, and geese. Gowan spoke about her partnership with North Coast Brewing and how farming is a family affair.

  You'll also hear:   >> How using compost has increased the organic matter in Fortunate Farm's sandy soils   >> How she's been mentored by women in agriculture, including her mother and grandmother   >> How their irrigation works being beside the ocean   >> How list-making helps keep Gowan stay on task throughout the day and manage the complexity that is farming   >> Why at 30 years old, Gowan strives to have mentors that are younger than herself   >> A discussion about the history and cultivation of dahlias   >> Why dogs are Gowan's favorite farming 'tool'!   >> Why she encourages young farmers to reach out to green businesses and B corporations to form partnerships as a way of getting their farm off the ground   About the Guest: Gowan Batist is the Co-Owner of Fortunate Farm and the Sustainability Manager at North Coast Brewing Company. Gowan studied metal fabrication and sustainable agriculture in college and farmed in Portland, Oregon before returning to Mendocino to manage the Noyo Food Forest, Fort Bragg Unified School District’s farm-to-school program. During her three seasons as manager of the Noyo Food Forest, Gowan began composting spent grain from North Coast Brewing Company as a hobby. The hobby became a mission and a career and evolved into a formal partnership with North Coast Brewing Company.

 

In this episode, I talk to Gowan Batist of Fortunate Farm in Caspar, CA off the Mendocino Coast. She manages a compost operation using spent brewing grains from her partnership with North Coast Brewing Company and runs a market garden that includes pumpkins and flowers as well as planned grazing with sheep, cattle, and geese. Gowan spoke about her partnership with North Coast Brewing and how farming is a family affair.

  You'll also hear:   >> How using compost has increased the organic matter in Fortunate Farm's sandy soils   >> How she's been mentored by women in agriculture, including her mother and grandmother   >> How their irrigation works being beside the ocean   >> How list-making helps keep Gowan stay on task throughout the day and manage the complexity that is farming   >> Why at 30 years old, Gowan strives to have mentors that are younger than herself   >> A discussion about the history and cultivation of dahlias   >> Why dogs are Gowan's favorite farming 'tool'!   >> Why she encourages young farmers to reach out to green businesses and B corporations to form partnerships as a way of getting their farm off the ground   About the Guest: Gowan Batist is the Co-Owner of Fortunate Farm and the Sustainability Manager at North Coast Brewing Company. Gowan studied metal fabrication and sustainable agriculture in college and farmed in Portland, Oregon before returning to Mendocino to manage the Noyo Food Forest, Fort Bragg Unified School District’s farm-to-school program. During her three seasons as manager of the Noyo Food Forest, Gowan began composting spent grain from North Coast Brewing Company as a hobby. The hobby became a mission and a career and evolved into a formal partnership with North Coast Brewing Company.