Voices of the Valley is a podcast of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center, a human services, education, arts & events center situated in a small rural community twenty miles north of San Francisco. Voices of the Valley is about the power, diversity and mysteries of community. What does truly living in community mean to you? Twice a month we interview a dynamic and diverse cast of extraordinary ordinaries—people being people having a quietly profound impact on their local community. Along the way we learn what community can mean in 21st century America. From calloused-hand ranchers and western-style outlaws, to tech entrepreneurs, hold-out hippies, new immigrants, unhoused philosophers, old-school laborers, as well as famous musicians and artists keeping a low profile in the redwoods. Are we really part of the "coastal elite?" What does that even mean? Don't we have the same concerns and challenges as an equal-sized rural community in Nebraska or Arkansas? What are the common bonds that hold communities together in a currently disunited states of America? Does engaging with and participating in community really extend your lifespan? Listen in and find out, meet some new friends, and learn what's possible for your community. Each episode includes a discussion of the latest available local resources—from foodbank to Narcan distribution as well as emergency preparedness updates, and upcoming arts and events programming.
Connecting in Community Over Tea: An Interview with David Lee Hoffman
Join us for a fascinating episide with longtime valley resident and tea connoissure, David Lee Hoffman. David has spent more than four decades traveling the remote backcountry of Asia in search of the world's finest rare, organic, and wild pure leaf teas, becoming the first American to work directly with tea farmers in China and to form joint ventures with long-established tea gardens. This deep engagement with place and culture is captured beautifully by his photographic essay of his 1971 journey to the remote Himalayan region of Dolpo, Nepal, where he documented landscapes and communities rarely seen by outsiders. Whether through tea or photography, Hoffman's work is marked by respect, authenticity, and a commitment to preserving moments, traditions, and environments on the cusp of change.
to learn more about David's work and specialty teas go to: http://thephoenixcollection.com/
And here's a great article: http://thephoenixcollection.com/press/all-the-tea-in-china.pdf
20 Feb 2026
Stories of Wine & Place: An Interview with Patrick McNeil
Join us for a terrific interview with Nicasio resident wine industry mover & shaker Patrick McNeil who shares some amazing family stories about the history of his fascinating family, Nicasio and Northern California at large.
Patrick McNeil is a native Californian with roots and influences in both Southern California and the Bay Area,. Patrick McNeil's personal history is entwined with—and endures in—this state's world-class wine industry. Since graduating from UC Davis in 1996, Patrick has enjoyed a fully integrated career in all aspects of wine: from sales, marketing, and distribution to winemaking and viticulture—with healthy doses of creative entrepreneurship to fuel his efforts along the way. His experience building wine brands has brought hard-earned national attention to some first-rate estates, from Napa Valley to Paso Robles.
19 Feb 2026
The Poetics of Community: An Interview with Aja Couchois Duncan
Aja Couchois Duncan is a social justice coach and capacity builder of Anishinaabe, French and Scottish descent living on the ancestral and stolen lands of the Coast Miwok / Tamal-ko people. Her debut collection, Restless Continent (Litmus Press, 2016) was selected by Entropy Magazine as one of the best poetry collections of 2016 and awarded the California Book Award for Poetry in 2017. In 2020, Sweet Land—a collaborative opera project which brought together composers Raven Chacon and Du Yun, librettists Aja Couchois Duncan and Douglas Kearney, and co-directors Cannupa Hanska Luger and Yuval Sharon—was produced in the Los Angeles State Historic Park to critical acclaim and named the Best Opera of 2020 by the Music Critics Association of North America. Her forthcoming book, The Intimacy Trials will be published in early 2026 by the University of Chicago Press as part of its Phoenix Poets series. When not writing or working, Aja can be found running the west Marin hills, training with horses, or weaving small pine needle baskets. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and a variety of other degrees and credentials to certify her as worthy. Great Spirit knew it all along.
Join us for an exceptional episode about poetry, indentity and creativing community right where you are!
For more information about Aja Couchois Duncan's work go to https://ajacouchoisduncan.com/
For more information about the San Geronimo Valley Community Center and to donate go to www.sgvcc.org
Who has been a guest on Voices of the Valley Podcast & Radio Show
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Gabby Huffman
Vernon Huffman
Sasha Gulish
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 23 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
33
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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