BROADCASTS.com

Hey Listeners, Patti Armbrister filled in for me this summer and did this interview when I couldn’t make it so it’s little different. Patti: Welcome to the Organic Gardener Podcast. How are you doing today? This is Patti Armbrister the guest host, I have not hosted before but I am doing it. We are sharing some time with Rohani. So go ahead and introduce  and tell us a little bit about yourself. Rohani: I am Rohani Foulkes I am co founder of the Farmer’s Hand which is a primarily local, meaning Michigan Grown, Michigan Made Gourmet Market and take out counter called the Farmer’s Hand which is located in Detroit and State of Michigan. Patti: Wow! Exciting! I am actually from Michigan! From a rural community between Detroit and Chicago out on farm I was raised. That’s fantastic in Michigan you can grow almost anything! Rohani: That’s surprising to me, as I am obviously not native to the area. I am intrigued to find out that we have such a big agricultural industry here in Michigan Patti: I think that and tourism are probably your top ones right? Rohani: Yeah, I believe so. Yeah. Patti: So where did you come from and how did you end up in Detroit? Rohani: I am originally from Australia, and my business partner was born and raised in Detroit, we have been in multiple cities here in America, overseas also. My husband is originally from Detroit. I met my business partner here in Detroit at a time when we were both looking to open a very similarly thought out local market in the city of Detroit and yeah, that’s kind of what led us to the Farmer’s Hand and beginning that adventure together. Patti: That’s great! I’ll bet that’s exciting working with someone with the same interests. What part of the business do you prefer? Rohani: Clarify that questions there are so many parts to it. Patti: Maybe through a day? Rohani: For the market side of things, there’s also a restaurant we recently opened on the same block something new we do logistically day to day. The market side of things on delivery days we get big flushes of beautiful local produce coming and it’s just great to interact with local farmers and see all that produce come in and then watch it walk out the door after its been harvested not so long ago with customers who are just supporting this ecosystem that exists here around the world in terms of eating local food and supporting local farmers. Patti:  I love to hang out with farmers really and find out what they’re doing and what they’re growing. That’s fantastic! Then making the connection from the food to the consumer is just grand! Can you tell me about your first garden? My personal first garden? Oh Yes, I guess my first garden would have been back in Australia.  My mother introduced me to gardening at a very young age, and I got into it later in life on a bigger, grander scale. I grew up in a very temperate climate back in Australia where you can grow things, pretty much year round and by things I mean most every thing year round like tropical fruit mangoes passion fruit bananas paw paw My mom often had a paw paw tree in the garden lemon grass things that are going crazy now like finger limes kafir lime citrus all different  kinds of citrus, seeing that kind of food, I’ve always been interested in food. I’m a chef as well by trade so seeing that cycle of food growing and harvested and prepared is really intriguing to me. I later went on to have my own small gardens in homes that I have lived in over the years but then after moving to Michigan my husband and I owned a 10 acre farm for a short period. I farmed a small lot of that land for our own purposes and for sharing with friends and family. We had a dozen chickens that we reared on the property and a couple of children who were very into that as well. Yeah! I have a bit of experience with farming along side the business as well. Patti: I bet the kids loved it. Rohani: I think it’s very Support this podcast