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...
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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...
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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...
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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.
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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, .
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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.
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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...
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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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Ducks, cows, and resilience
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Since the 1930s, has been protecting habitat for ducks and other migrating waterfowl, and has conserved over 18 million acres of wetlands and bird habitat in North America and beyond. Founded by hunters, the organization originally focused on duck breeding habitat in Canadian prairie lands. Over the decades their conservation work expanded to including the US, Mexico, and other parts of Latin America, and embraces both public and private lands. We talk with Billy Gascoigne is DU's Director of Agriculture & Strategic Partnerships, and Ryan Taylor, Director Of Public Policy for...
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Animal welfare is good for everyone—including farmers
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Adam Mason is Senior Manager of Farm Animal Welfare and Environmental Policy at the , the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In our conversation he talks about their multi-pronged approach to getting animals out of buildings and into cruelty-free lives in which they can express their natural instincts and behaviors. Farmers who make the transition from industrial/conventional livestock practices to animal-friendly practices report better lives for the animals and the farmers themselves, with benefits for land and water health, and often more autonomy and greater...
info_outlineWomen have been invisible in agriculture for too long: not counted in the census, not taken seriously for their work and management achievements, excluded from access to capital and credit––and even farm equipment is not made for their bodies. We talk to Jules Salinas of Women Food and Agriculture Network, which is addressing these issues in ways ranging from political action to storytelling.