In this informal, conversational video, the hosts discuss three intertwined threads. First, they recount a two‑week editing boot‑camp for the "Great American Farm Tour" documentary, noting progress through footage from Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, and expressing confidence that the edit will be far along by the end of the two weeks. Second, they give a quick tour of a typical backyard garden, describing the modest mix of annuals (turnips, volunteer tomatoes), perennials (Red Russian kale, collards, an avocado tree), and chickens that have contributed to the garden’s bounty. Third, they share a humorous anecdote with guest Ben Grimes about a stubborn pig that escaped during a farm visit, detailing Ben’s attempts to coax the pig back with food and fence options, and the pig’s obstinate refusal. Throughout, the speakers emphasize the idea that some of America’s greatest farms may be right in people’s own backyards, blending enthusiasm, humor, and a sense of discovery.
Chapters
I began the 2 weeks of editing boot camp, the Great American Farm Tour documentary. It's coming along really well. Got to the tail end of Florida where I was reminded of the pits and surprised of our discovery, our early on discovery of just who had some of America's greatest farms.
I'm excited about this backyard because I think this represents a typical backyard. It represents what you guys are capable of. It's just getting started. We don't have a— we don't have this 5-year-old permaculture food forest here. We have mostly annuals, right? You do have some perennials. So let's jump right in. Do you guys remember Kevin?
It's very minimal as of right now. We just left our winter season here in Florida, which is very short, extremely short. So we have turnips growing right here. They're just petering out. They're getting ready to be done completely. We've got We've got some volunteer tomatoes that actually popped up that were planted by our chickens this last fall, which was awesome for us. We've got some Red Russian kale, some collards, just a couple of collard plants. That's plenty for us. We didn't have to plant a whole row or anything like that. We just did a couple for our family. We've got some— we've got an avocado tree that I planted 2 years ago. In the next couple years, it should be producing well for us, we hope.
Don't be surprised if we don't find out on this tour that the greatest American farms are in your backyard. You guys got to see this. Oh my word.
Oh my gosh.
That's a beautiful cabbage. Makes me just want to kiss it.
After Florida, if you remember, we swung up through South Carolina, butchered chickens in the rain, and then back home we visited there, and then across our entire state Remember Ben? Ben Grimes? Remember the pig got out?
This house though, my word. I'm left-handed too, can you tell?
How are you?
You know what, I'm the second-born child in my family. So how are you gonna get that pig up, Ben?
I am— you know, um, there's not really a way to force a pig to do anything. They're bigger and stronger and more stubborn than you are. So for the most part, I'm gonna give him an option to go back in, and, uh, we'll see if he chooses to. Option number one, go back in where there's food and his friends are at and there's water.
He's stopping for some clover. Okay, so what's option number 2?
Option number 2, he stays out another day.
So you came back. That's what we were hoping, buddy.
You guys want to see a friendly pig? Hey guys, how's it going?
Wow, the pig's moving! Is that what you wanted this pig to do, Ben? Follow you? He said that pig can do whatever he wants to do. He's just gonna hope it wants to go back inside that fence. Maybe we'll hope he'll go under it here.
He's like, nope, nope.
So they've been— Ben's got a restaurant source for them, scraps from a restaurant. And that pig still isn't going in there, Ben. Yeah, my gosh. And you just want so bad to get behind him and just spook him in there.
Yeah, unfortunately that's not how pigs work, and it doesn't work.
That's hard to believe.
We don't want these ones to scatter either. I just did it nicely, but I think I got lucky. Didn't get the pig whisperer.
No, I think I got lucky.
Trying to keep a little fun in there for the kids. Well, the adults like to laugh too. And then on north, all, you know, through Virginia, Joesalatin, DC, John Suscovitch, Connecticut, all the way to Massachusetts and those amazing strawberries. And then I made it all the way to Maine, guys. I didn't start editing Maine, but I made it all the way. Editing's going really good. At this pace, I should be very far by the end of 2 weeks.
