Libsyn Directory

Thinking ecologically—about human health

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

Doctor and professor of public health Wendy Johnson saw in her medical practice people who thrived against all odds, and those who suffered grave challenges due to environmental factors like toxicity, poverty, stress, loneliness, and isolation. Her new book, Kinship Medicine, explores the reality that 80% of our health is determined by factors outside of us—which are largely ignored by our industrialized medical system. What's missing is ecological thinking, and understanding ourselves as part of an environment—from our microbiome to our community, to our ecosystem.

Cultivating community in urban food forests

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

Orion Kriegman and his friends started clearing a trashed vacant lot in Boston to create green space and grow food. City hall was not on their side at first, but with persistence and community effort they were able to secure that lot as permanent green space—and so was born. A dozen more urban lots were acquired and put into Community Land Trust by the coalition, but the stewardship and management of each food forest belongs to the neighborhoods. These are spaces for food, community, shade, gardening, education, wildlife, kids, and more. With more food forests created every year, the...

Women ranchers finding their power

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

Montana rancher Amber Smith didn't grow up in agriculture, but ranching became her life's work. As a young adult Kristen Kipp left the family ranch in the Blackfeet but felt a deep longing to go back to her home and the work of raising livestock. Amber is the executive director of , which was first a part of the and then later became an independent non-profit, and Kristen is a board member. They talk about raising families on the ranch, about discrimination against women and Native people in agriculture, and about leadership that challenges the dominant model––and is often more effective...

Women ranchers in their power

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

Montana rancher Amber Smith didn't grow up in agriculture, but ranching became her life's work. As a young adult Kristen Kipp left the family ranch in the Blackfeet but felt a deep longing to go back to her home and the work of raising livestock. Amber is the executive director of , which was first a part of the and then later became an independent non-profit, and Kristen is a board member. They talk about raising families on the ranch, about discrimination against women and Native people in agriculture, and about leadership that challenges the dominant model––and is often more effective...

Making the transition to local, sustainable living

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

is a worldwide network of people working locally to move away from fossil fuel-base infrastructure toward locally-based systems. Projects include community-owned renewable energy utilities, local food security projects and farmers markets, local currencies, conversions of lawns into edible landscapes, waste reduction, ecosystem restoration, social entrepreneurship—all things that cultivate resilient and healthy communities. , long-time leader in the Transition Towns movement, with a background in permaculture and organic farming, is author of the new book, . In the podcast he talks about...

From backyard veggie garden to profitable livestock ranch

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

Eileen Napier and Stan Hayes of teamed up around their common interests in organic gardening, permaculture, and healthy living. They started on two acres and sold eggs on the honor system, and then the project grew––they bought ranch land in the Pend Oreille Valley, in the northeastern corner of Washington State and soon expanded to 240 acres. Brining in business skills from their own experiences outside of agriculture, they've built a enterprise that employs twelve people and has a thriving online component, while still serving a predominantly local community.

Fair Trade: Good for farmers, the land, consumers—and business

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

started out as an anti-capitalist labor organizer, working with coffee farmers in Nicaragua in the 1980s. Over time he saw that what growers needed most was a fair price for their product––and so began his work as a Fair Trade advocate. He returned to the US to study business, and founded , where he was CEO for 26 years. Winner of many awards for social and ethical innovation, he’s author of the new book, .

Federal fiasco for farmers

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

Since the new administration took office, programs benefitting farmers have been slashed, frozen, paused, and canceled––and the effect is leaving agrarians in a tough position. Carolina Mueller, Associate Coalition Director of the , and Leah Ricci, Interim Executive Director of join us on today's podcast to talk about what they're hearing from folks on the ground, what resources are available to help people navigate, and what ordinary citizens can do to make their voices heard.

Let it Flow: Restoring balance to parched and flooded landscapes

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

Minni Jain and Philip Franses are co-founders of , and they are co-authors of the new book, . In this podcast they explore the process of helping communities around the world to restore streams and rivers, prevent flooding, and recover local water wisdom. For decades they have been working to help communities regenerate their landscapes, using traditional methods that can be implemented and maintained by the communities themselves. The book, recently published by by , tells the stories of people around the world whose land and ways of life have been upended by colonialism and...

Landscape restoration: letting nature do the work

Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast

Bill Zeedyk restores landscapes—streams, wetlands, even rural roads—by using simple, low-tech tools and letting nature do most of the work. The result is healthy, lush desert ecosystems. Filmmaker Renea Roberts' recently released a five-part documentary series about his work, .

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