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Connections

How can farmers restore public trust in the concepts of "sustainable" and "organic" farming?

Ruth Blackwell and Greg Hartt appear on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, April 12, 2022.
Emmarae Stein
/
WXXI News
Ruth Blackwell and Greg Hartt appear on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, April 12, 2022.

An organic farming scandal revealed by prosecutors in Missouri in 2019 has dented public trust in foods labeled as "organic." Investigators called it "Field of Schemes," and revealed that one of the largest operations moving corn and soybeans was falsely labeled as organic -- as a means to raise prices and increase interest.

So what, really, do the terms "organic" and "sustainable" mean in American farming? For local farmers, they are important terms that represent a commitment to certain values and practices. Our guests explain how they work and how they're hoping to restore public trust in the concepts of "sustainable" and "organic."

Our guests:

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Emmarae Stein is the production assistant for "Connections with Evan Dawson."