Monday’s guests were Jim Kovaleski and Tanner Johnson from Freedom Farm in New Port Richey.

About our guests

Jim Kovaleski has been farming since 2008. Spending 7 months of the year farming on two urban lots in New Port Richey, and the remainder of the year farming in down east Maine. He grows a variety of crops supplying 60-70 families with their vegetables throughout the year. Jim’s farming philosophy runs deep, and his practices hold true. There are few farmers pushing for the kind of simplicity that Jim is advocating and practicing on his farm- with little more than recycled wood chips in Florida, and a scythe in Maine. Jim is paving the way for an entirely different kind of farmer.

Tanner G. Johnson started farming in 2017. He came into farming the way many modern folks do, from without. While living in New York City, a longing for a life closer to nature came over him. Farming became the vessel to affirm an alternative way of being in the modern world. A way to earn an honest and rewarding livelihood that sat in line with his passion for the environment, and humanity.

Freedom farm’s history

In the summer of 2022, Tanner went to visit Jim in Maine searching for the next step in his farming journey. Jim offered Tanner the opportunity to take over his farm in New Port Richey, and the rest is history in the making.

These guys wanted to be one with the land and produce food for a large community. The amount they grow and package up for consumers of good organic food is huge. The success they are having by working with building the soil and carefully tending within that delicate environmental loop is a testament to what can be done. This urban farming can be mimicked in one’s own yard or on vacant land… it takes time to build but with dedication it will thrive with abundance.

Currently there are 2 yards that are being farmed but one is being sold. It needs to be saved for the land to remain productive and viable for a farmer to support their family. There is a YouTube link below for donations, so any little bit is your contribution to keeping this land viable and productive for many years to come. Soil doesn’t just happen; it’s built, so losing it would be a great loss.

Let’s see what we can do as a group!

Youtube Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pypi86KQDa4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sq4FzNfMZU

Links below for USF and Tarpon Springs events

Also Jim Kovaleski’s market garden training series ( GreenDreams )

Plus, lots of other interesting things we talked about.

You can listen on demand below or go to the entire show on our broadcast page.

Make SURE to Tune in next Monday morning at 11 for the next Sustainable Living Show. We will have Dee Morales with 813 The Hood Garden and / Tracy Cook-Person with Southern Alchemy

REMEMBER, if you are looking for someone to save the world – look in the mirror.