In the Spotlight

The good work that we've been blessed to share here at Heartsong Farm gets an occasional burst of attention. We'll keep you posted about recent interviews and other goings-on that have touched our lives. What's most fun about these sorts of things is the serendipitous networking with other like-minded souls that inevitably follows.

The Betsy Lydon Ark Award Goes To Michael Phillips, Organic Orchardist

Betsy Lydon devoted herself to sustaining small-scale food producers by encouraging local, seasonal eating and an appreciation for diversified farming. She helped found Mothers and Others for a Livable Planet, shortly after the 'Alar apple scare' of 1989, and served on the board of directors of the Organic Farming Research Foundation. In celebration of the life and work of this wonderful woman and mother, the first annual Betsy Lydon Ark Award was presented to Michael in recognition of his lifelong journey with the organic apple.

"The real question in all this," said Michael in accepting the 2005 award at a Slow Food USA ceremony in New York City, "is how community-based orchards can succeed everywhere. Betsy would be pleased to know that because of the consciousness she helped spark, the fruits of small growers using ecological methods are being sought out. Artisanal ciders and freshly-picked apples that reflect regional heritage have become niche local markets, and to that I can only lift up my cup high and give three cheers!"

Update: The Slow Food Ark Award pages now include a 2009 interview with Michael that delves into his vision to empower a community orcharding movement. Scroll down to the award write-ups to get to that interview.

Acres USA Interview

Barbara Berst Adams put together an in-depth interview with Michael and Nancy about the goings on at Heartsong Farm that was featured in the July 2004 issue of Acres USA. We've posted that article at Apples Meet Herbs on a New Hampshire Farm as a good way of sharing more of our philosophy.

Michael &Nancy on Public Radio!

New Hampshire Public Radio invites us on occasion onto their Front Porch show to talk about herbs and apples. Michael's recent interview with Shay Zeller about "The State of the Apple" can be downloaded direct at Apple Grower on NHPR. You can obtain a copy of an earlier intriguing conversation about herbal healing with both Nancy and Michael (on either CD or tape) by going to Village Herbalist on NHPR.