Farming as Healing with Amber Tamm

How can growing food heal us and ground us in a world that seems to have gone crazy? After the devastating trauma of her father murdering her mother while she was in school, Amber Tamm lost herself, and then found herself, in the world of farming. Today she's a floral designer, horticulturist, and farmer in New York City focused on nourishing a better food system, one plant at a time. In this fearless conversation she shares: Why so many modern farming practices persist despite not being environmentally or economically sustainable. What working on farms taught Amber about the prevalence of racism and sexual assault in agriculture. Why Black farmers are often left out of the narrative of farming in America. What changes she seeds as necessary to improve our food system for better and for always. If you're looking to understand agriculture, race, or American history in a new way, this episode has a lot to offer you. Episode Show Notes:Amber's headshot is by Safiyah Chiniere. Check out her Instagram here. Learn more about Amber Tamm on her Instagram page and her website. There were nearly 1 million Black farmers in 2020 but there are just 45,000 today. Black farmers won 1.25 billion dollars in the Pigford racial discrimination lawsuit against the USDA. We discussed the book "Farming While Black" by Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm. Amber admires Indian scholar and food sovereignty activist Vandana Shiva. Amber recommends learning more about the story of activist Assata Shakur.

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Newsflash — We have a waste problem in this country. Want proof? In the United States, about 40% of our food supply goes to waste. And that’s just food. We know it's easy to get overwhelmed by how wasteful we are in modern America. Maybe what's missing is some hope, some inspiration, and a helpful way to get started on the path to a more sustainable lifestyle.Welcome to Unwasted — a podcast all about inspiring everyone to live less wasteful, more meaningful lives. Each week, we hear the powerful stories of people on a mission to end our addiction to waste. We’ll have conversations full of food-for-thought, fun facts, and actionable tips, tricks, and recipes that you can try at home. Because while we all may not see eye to eye on everything, the one thing we can agree on, is that we only have one life, one planet, and it would be a shame to waste any of it. So join us, every week, on Unwasted with Imperfect.