High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA)

Sharon Maier-Kennelly, Executive Director of the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, believes that everyone deserves good food along with a sufficient quantity of affordable, culturally preferred, nutritious food that is sustainably produced in Central Oregon. HDFFA has been in the community for nearly 15 years and offers a variety of services, events, educations, to farmers, ranchers, and the community members.

Central Oregon for a Free Palestine

Andrea is an organizer with Central Oregon for a Free Palestine, the group that has been demonstrating on the streets of downtown Bend. They talk about what it's like to protest in the High Desert and their part in the global movement in support of Palestine.

Protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands as a National Monument

The Owyhee Canyonlands represent the largest unprotected area in the west, and 73% of Oregonians support its protection. Ryan Houston, Executive Director of the Oregon Natural Desert Association, talks about federal legislative efforts to protect it as a National Monument.

Sisters Farmers Market Opens for the 2024 season

Originally called the “Fresh on Fridays” Farmers Market,” it’d be an understatement to say that the Sisters Farmers Market is just a little one vegetable produce stand on the side of the road. Program Manager Willa Bauman talks about the big 2024 expansion of this venerable gathering place.

SCORE Assistance and Business Owners of SENDR

Kaye Kloster, SCORE Volunteer and Regional Coordinator explains SCORE services and how they help business owners through the life of their business. SENDR business owners and brothers, Ben and Drew Balzer, talk about the assistance they have received in specialty areas from SCORE volunteers as they run their business, now international.

La Pine 2045 - Building a Comprehensive Plan

City of La Pine Principal Planner, Brent Bybee, discusses the process for updating the city's Comprehensive Plan. Incorporated as a city in 2006, La Pine first filed a comprehensive plan in 2010, but it needs to be updated. The process will be driven by citizen interests. The timeline calls for adoption in 2025.

Conversation with Mary and Randy Travis: Life After a Stroke

Louise Kaplan, host of the Wednesday Point, shares her conversation with couple Mary Travis and country music star Randy Travis. Randy Travis suffered a stroke in 2010 and Mary and Randy share their inspirational story about the impact and how they are living with the challenges of aphasia. Randy and Mary Travis visited Bend at the invitation of Stroke Awareness Oregon to educate and share their story.

"Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land" with Marcus LeGrand and Sharon Maier-Kennelly

Carolyn Esky talks to Sharon Maier-Kennelly, Executive Director for the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, and Marcus LeGrand, COCC’s Afro-Centric Program Coordinator about the Central Oregon premiere of the film "Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land.”

To learn more about the Good Deeds Project that Marcus LeGrand mentions in this podcast, check out this Critical Conversations podcast with guest Riccardo Waites.

Seed to Table in Sisters, Oregon

Founder and Farm Director Audrey Tehan tells the Seed to Table story and why it's such an important part of Sisters Country. Learn how this four-acre nonprofit farm and has grown over the past 10 years to educate local school children, supply high desert food pantries, provide local produce shares to the community and operate the Sisters Farmers Market.