Sprouts is a weekly collaborative program that showcases local stories produced by community radio stations and grassroots media groups around the world. The program is coordinated and distributed by Pacifica Radio and offered free to all radio stations.

Theme music:  Torpedoes on Tuesday by Poison Control Center

Sprouts

Encore Presentation

Christmas stories and memories from The Apple Seed.

Minnesota Storyteller Kevin Kling shares the story of a gig with the Minnesota Dance Theater's production of The Nutcracker, and Andy Offutt Irwin shares the story of a Christmas Prank. Members of The Apple Seed team chime in with their own Christmas memories, too.

Photo by Jill Wellington
https://freerangestock.com/photos/133758/view-of-christmas-village.html

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12.20.23 / Christmas Stories with The Apple Seed

Encore Presentation

Theresa Marquez speaks with Chef Ann Cooper, an internationally recognized author, chef, educator, public speaker, and advocate of healthy food for all children.

 In a nation where kids are born with shorter estimated life expectancies than their parents due to diet-related disease, Chef Ann has been a constant champion of school food reform as an important avenue through which to improve childhood nutrition.

Photo of Chef Ann Cooper / TEDxBoulder2011
Photo by Rocky Mountain Joe
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rockymountainjoe/6195976063/in/photolist

Pacifica Radio Network - Sprouts

12.27.23 / The Renegade Lunch Lady

While living on the war front in Kharkiv in Eastern Ukraine, Alla Olkhovska supports her family with her Flower garden. In poverty with a husband with Covid, and two elderly relatives in ill health, leaving the area was not an option when the Russians invaded.

Olkhovska learned to care for her family and build an online business as a gardener, author, and artist in the ongoing war zone, while they endure missile attacks, power, and heat outages. She was discovered by Floret, a flower farm in the US, who produced and recently released a documentary film about her: Gardening in a War Zone.

Director Rob Finch describes the making and meaning of the documentary film and Alla herself describes her experience of gardening in the middle of war, in an extraordinary and inspiring story about the power and importance of beauty. 

Photo by Forest Wander
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beautiful-flowers-clematis-blue.jpg

Pacifica Network - Sprouts

01.03.2024 / Gardening in a War Zone

In our heated national conversation about transgender youth, one major stakeholder's voice has been largely silent: transgender elders. Sandy Stone is now known as the founder of Transgender Studies, a performance artist, a noted recording engineer. But she first stepped away from her parents home as a confused boy, unsure of why her inner self didnt match external expectations.

This episode shows how Sandy navigated a world in which the word "transgender" wasn't even coined yet, and sheds light on the experiences and needs of today's transgender youth. She explains, "I really became a person, a human being, when I became a woman."

Photo used with permission of Sandy Stone

01.10.24 / A View from A Transgender Elder

Today we look at the state of Iowa, land of agriculture, through a less than common lens... through wildness.

Iowa farmers and environmentalists gathered last November in Des Moines, Iowa, at the Drake University campus for the Iowa Nature Summit. We were at the conference with a grant from BeWild BeWild, a group who describe themselves as a loosely-knit group of volunteers with a passion for wild things. They asked us to interview conference goers about the concept of wildness, when approaching environmentalism in Iowa.

Produced and Hosted by Ursula Ruedenberg & Stephanie Schubert
Photo by Ursula Ruedenberg

01.17.24 / Is There a Place for Wildness in Iowa?

Favorite homespun stories from Eddie Holahan in a live recorded show in Viroqua, WI (10.07.23) called The View From Here.

The View From Here is a weekly five minute essay about this funny, desperate, beautiful life. If Confucious and Andy Rooney co-authored a radio broadcast, it would sound like The View From Here.

What was it like to stand next to those magnificent Ocean Liners of the 50s and 60s? Which composer's birthday did Eddie's brother celebrate every year? How much can it really snow in the midwest? And how can a grandfather give a unicorn to his granddaughter?

Eddie Holahan began writing and reading The View in 2010 after a long career inventing toys and games. He was born and raised in New York City and currently resides, happily, in Southwest Wisconsin.

The View From Here is an independent production originating in the studios of WDRT, Viroqua. The stage show was a fundraiser for WDRT Viroqua, WI.

Photo from WDRT Promotion

01.24.24 / The View From Here Stage Show

Psychotherapist and clinical psychologist Narendra Keval observes that racism demands certainty-- the opposite of curiosity. His is a thoughtful call for cultivating social spaces for curiosity and exercising our capacity to think under fire.

"Curiosity can be quite a treacherous journey. And what I'm interested in, particularly, is what are the moments when one might retreat again from discovery." ~ Narendra Keval

Photo used with permission of Narendra Keval

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01.31.24 / Curiosity & Racist Mindsets with Narendra Keval

With Good Reason's Jamal Millner speaks with musicians (David McCormick & Ernie Jackson) about the great but little known Black musicians and composers in early America. These musicians include the descendants of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, otherwise known as the Scott Family Band or the fiddlers of Monticello, and gifted musician, abolitionist, and freemason Justin Holland.

Sound clips are included.

CC Image of Justin Holland
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maud_Cuney_Hare-222-Justin_Holland.jpg

02.07.24 / Black and Fine

Encore Presentation for Black History Month

During WWII, the glamorous lighthearted entertainer, Josephine Baker, worked as a spy for the French Resistance, while hiding in plain sight.

Ursula Ruedenberg talks with author Christopher Klein about Josephine Baker's humble beginnings to superstardom, and her unexpected turn in aiding the war effort against the Nazis.

Josephine Baker photo public domain
https://www.flickr.com/photos/37001233@N07/7289905846

Sprouts - Pacifica Network

02.14.24 / Josephine Baker: The Spy Who Hid in Plain Sight

Encore Presentation for Black History Month

This episode features an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King's speech: "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?"

Pacifica's Steve Zeltzer speaks with retired Secretary Treasurer of ILWU Local 10 Clarence Thomas. Thomas spoke about Dr. Kings relationship with the ILWU and his impact on the struggle of workers today.

He also spoke about how Dr. King was perceived before his death, and how he connected militarism, capitalism, and racism.  

Produced and hosted by Akua Holt of KPFT

CC photo
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bswise_/49551058501

02.21.24 / The Radical Side of MLK

Part 23 (FINAL in the series): Right-wing myths and the dismantling of the separation between church and state.

Is it "indoctrination" when schools teach kids about LGBTQ issues? How do we respond when parents and schools seek to censor what's discussed in schools in the name of "protecting" children?

In this edition, we explore the myths pushed by right-wing politicians -- the people who are actually abusing children through their anti-LGBTQ policies. We also talk about what to do when the courts undermine equality and the separation of church and state.

Joining us to delve into this issue is Jennifer C. Pizer. Jenny is the Senior Counsel and Director of Law and Policy for Lambda Legal, the country's oldest and largest legal organization seeking full recognition of the civil rights of LGBT people and everyone living with HIV.

Drag Queen Storytime with Meesha Perú 
Photo by Multnomah County Library https://www.flickr.com/photos/multnomahcountylibrary/31190681758

mfpg.org or OutCastingMedia.org

02.27.24 / Religious Liberty vs LGBTQ Equality - part 23

What is a sustainable diet for people and the environment? Salwa Khan explores this question with Senior Food and Agriculture Policy Specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity Mark Rifkin.

Compared to meat-based diets, plant-based diets are significantly less harmful to the environment in terms of greenhouse gases produced, and air, soil and water pollution, and use far fewer natural resources such as soil and water. With the worlds population growing every day, there is simply no way our planet can sustain an increased demand for meat.

Plant-based diets are also far healthier, considering the many diet-related diseases prevalent in the United States. 

From Mothering Earth / Producer and Host - Salwa Khan

CC photo 
https://www.rawpixel.com/image/5919013/image-public-domain-food-free

03.06.24 / A Sustainable Diet

Maria Stephan describes how you can more effectively advance a multi-racial democracy.

Stephan has collaborated with Erica Chenoweth in seminal research comparing the relative effectiveness of violence and nonviolence. They found that nonviolence on average advanced democracy, win or lose, while violence doesn't.

Their 2011 book on "Why Civil Resistance Works" won the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award from the American Political Science Association in 2012 as the best book published in the U.S. during the previous calendar year on government, politics, or international affairs.

Not coincidentally, Chenoweth is now the Frank
Stanton Professor of the First Amendment and Academic Dean for Faculty Engagement at Harvard in recognition of the value of their work.

Stephan was interviewed by Spencer Graves with the Forum Committee of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Kansas City.

Creative Commons photo of Gandhi
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gandhi_smiling_1942.jpg

Pacifica Radio Network – Sprouts

03.13.24 / The Effectiveness of Non-Violence

Reporting from the Iowa Nature Summit in Des Moines, Iowa: This conference took place at Drake University in October of 2023, a gathering of farmers and environmentalists throughout the state of Iowa.

We were at the conference with a grant from the BeWild ReWild program, a group of Iowans with a passion for wildness whose motto is Big River Connectivity.

What does Big River Connectivity mean? The BeWild ReWild program is specifically talking about the connections in the Mississippi watershed, rivers, wetlands, natural areas and the people who care about them.

Have you ever actually seen a map of the Mississippi Watershed? It's huge, covering 40% of the continental United States, which really brings the vision of Big River Connectivity to life.

We start today's show with a conversation about a documentary film sponsored by the BeWild ReWild program. The film is called Moved by Waters, produced by the Emmy award winning Fourth Wall Films and was featured at the conference. 

Photo by Ken Lund / Photo cropped due to size requirements
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenlund/3939485153

03.20.24 / The Mississippi Watershed: Connecting Water and People

Reporting from the Iowa Nature Summit in Des Moines, Iowa: This conference took place at Drake University in October of 2023, a gathering of farmers and environmentalists throughout the state of Iowa.

We were at the conference with a grant from the BeWild ReWild program, a group of Iowans with a passion for wildness whose motto is Big River Connectivity.

What does Big River Connectivity mean? The BeWild ReWild program is specifically talking about the connections in the Mississippi watershed, rivers, wetlands, natural areas and the people who care about them.

Have you ever actually seen a map of the Mississippi Watershed? It's huge, covering 40% of the continental United States, which really brings the vision of Big River Connectivity to life.

We start today's show with a conversation about a documentary film sponsored by the BeWild ReWild program. The film is called Moved by Waters, produced by the Emmy award winning Fourth Wall Films and was featured at the conference.

neuron image by Fotis Boboias
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fbobolas/3822222947

03.27.24 / Why Neuroscience Matters, with Ilya Monosov

The Rev. Martin Luther King's messages about the triple evils of racism, poverty and militarism, as well as about being awake, remain as relevant as ever.

Scholar activist Dr. Mtagnlise Sanyika, who worked with King, says we must continue to build social justice movements.

Produced by Akua Holt and Fahima Seck

Editing by Esther Iverem , and Polina Vasiliev

Special thanks to Capitalism, Race, & Democracy

Sprouts theme music, Torpedoes on Tuesday, by Poison Control Center
 
CC: Image of Dr. King Montgomery arrest 1958 / Charles Moore
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Montgomery_arrest_1958.jpg

Pacifica Network: Sprouts

04.03.24 / BEYOND THE DREAM: MLK's Triple Evils of Racism, Poverty and Militarism

Encore Presentation

Before becoming Mayor of her hometown of Viroqua, Wisconsin in 2018, Karen Mischel spent 17 years in the Merchant Marines followed by her current occupation as an organic farm inspector.

Mischel shares:

- Lessons learned in communication from working on the ship;
- The challenges of managing a rural community with new and old residents;
- Why hard conversations are important and non-violent communication is the key in her community;
- Her work on banning herbicide spraying on public places in Viroqua and on leased public agricultural land;
- Her focus on prioritizing clean water, healthy soil, organic farming, and community health;
- Why educating people in the community should be a political responsibility. 

Photo by Marco Verch
https://foto.wuestenigel.com/earth-on-fertile-soil-saving-environment-earth-day-conservation-world-concept/

04.10.24 / Why Hard Conversations are Important and Making a Stand for Healthy Soil

Women tell a new story about money.

The women of An Economy of Our Own ask a simple question: What would happen if the free and low-paid labor provided by women were actually measured in our economy?

Photo of Rickey Gard Diamond, author of Screwnomics, used with her permission.

04.17.24 / An Economy of Our Own

As Monday, April 22nd, marked the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover, Republican Senators Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley called for the National Guard to be sent to Columbia University.

This was in response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the Columbia campus as well as other campuses around the country, protesting Israel's bombing of Gaza.

Protests on college campuses have a long history in the U.S. As we approach May 4th, the anniversary of the infamous Kent State killings in 1970, when the National Guard was brought in to quell protests on a college campus, we bring you a re-broadcast of Lawrence Reichard's Sprouts show, Kent State Remembered.

CC Photograph of Kent State shootings 
https://nara.getarchive.net/media/photograph-of-campus-scene-during-shootings-at-kent-state-university-24cde4

Pacifica Radio Network-Sprouts

04.24.24 / Kent State Remembered

What are the factors to consider when young transgender people want to medically transition?

These questions are posed in a climate of uproar about bathrooms and locker rooms and investigations into parents who provide medical care to their trans kids.

There's a lot of misinformation out there about exactly what medical care is for trans kids, so we consider transgender youth who want to start medical transition at a relatively early age.

Of course, parents often worry that their children may be too young to know what they really want and that medical transition may include surgery and other medical treatments that can be difficult or impossible to undo.

To answer some of these questions, OutCaster Lauren talks with Dr. John Steever, a physician, and Dr. Matthew Oransky, a psychologist. Both doctors work at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and help young transgender people with transitioning.

Photo / Ted Eytan / Capital TransPride Washington / flickr / photo is cropped 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/taedc/34635190032/

05.01.24 / Medical Transition for Trans Youth - part 1

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