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Survey Quotes

Rachel is just fantastically effective at carrying out an interview by asking the right questions in the right manner, and adds her own charm which overall makes her a joy to listen to.
- Free the Seed! listener

The host is extremely well prepared to ask questions. I like that the guests are given a lot of space to talk, without interruption. That, of course, is the result of the host's concise questions.
- Free the Seed! listener

There have been a great mix of guests on the program and its been very inspiring to hear the specifics of different peoples' work with different crops. I have shared a number of episodes with participants in the new farmer training program I work with. Very well done. Not too shallow but understandable for anyone really interested.
- Free the Seed! listener

This podcast has been an invaluable resource for me, and I look forward to hearing more in the future!
- Free the Seed! listener

I am the creator, producer and host of Free the Seed!, the Open Source Seed Initiative podcast that tells the stories of how new plant varieties make it into our seed catalogues and onto our tables. I am passionate about strengthening regional food security in the Pacific Northwest through providing farmers the support they need to thrive.

I received my Master's in Plant Breeding & Genetics from Cornell University, where my work in the Mazourek Lab focused primarily on participatory plant breeding of bell peppers and winter squash under the Northern Organic Vegetable Improvement Collaborative (NOVIC), and on establishing priorities for organic vegetable breeding in the Northeast. Prior to studying at Cornell, I interned at Let Us Farm (a diversified organic veggie farm near Olympia, WA) and worked for the Agricultural Development Initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.