Follow Ben Goldfarb
The Little Rodent That Could…
Ben Goldfarb is a “beaver believer.” He’s author of the new book, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter. We talk about the historical role of beavers in the ecosystems of the entire North American continent, how they were nearly wiped out, and why many communities are brining them back—and with them lusher wetlands and healthier rivers.
If you would like to buy the book, Chelsea Green Publishing is offering a discount code DTE30 at the online checkout.
Show Notes
2’48 how Ben became a “beaver believer”
5’21 what beavers actually do, how they store water
6’46 what this continent looked like with beavers everywhere
9’17 other species whose lives are made possible by beavers
10’17 the beaver pelt market and why it came to an end
12’53 examples of beavers’ contribution to Western ecosystems
15’45 cattle-beaver conflicts and cooperation
18’40 seeing agricultural land from a complex ecosystem perspective
19’28 Aldo Leopold thinking
20’35 crop agriculture and beavers?
23’28 beavers’ status in New Mexico
26’43 beaver coexistence with wildlife
29’28 California denial of beavers
31’51 non-lethal beaver management
34’14 killing beavers doesn’t work—they come back
35’29 Yellowstone, wolves, and beavers
39’59 grazing management and riparian areas
40’31 do beavers over-proliferate without predators?
42’37 accepting nature’s aesthetics rather than the clean lines of engineering
46’09 let the rodent do the work
48’30 also they’re so cute
48’53 what their lives and habitats are like
More Episodes
Episode 136 – Technology-assisted regeneration—a new vision for ecological agriculture
Industrial agriculture imposes a simplified production model onto complex ecosystems––with dire consequences. A new book show how technology is now able to capture nature’s intricacies––and help agrarians to grow food more ecologically and more profitably.
Episode 135 – Wolves in the West: Finding common ground
After being driven almost to extinction, wolves are back in some of their natural habitat. A new podcast explores how ranchers, conservationists, and others are coming together to find paths toward peaceful co-habitation.
Episode 134 – De-commodifying land: Challenging your inner capitalist
As land prices and development pressures rise, agrarians and land stewards have a hard time buying and staying on land. Neil Thapar and Mariela Cedeño talk about strategies to convert land from a commodity to what it really is––habitat, ecosystems, and where we grow our food.
Episode 133 – Healing Grounds: The enduring cultures of regenerative agriculture
In her new book Liz Carlisle explores rich food traditions from the Americas, Asia, and Africa that have survived and thrived in the U.S.—and how they are helping to restore land and climate, and bring about a more just and humane world.
Episode 132 – Innovative approaches to regeneration on a California ranch
TomKat Ranch manager Mark Biaggi talks about dealing with winter floods, summer droughts, and degraded landscapes––and the process of continual experimentation that leads to dramatic regeneration of damaged land.
Episode 131 – Giant bison, mammoths, and eagles: a deep history of the American continent
The land and its creatures looked very different when the first people arrived on this continent. Dan Flores‘ book Wild New World traces human impact up to the present––and the choices we’re looking at now.
Episode 130 – Sustainable development, climate mitigation, and biochar
For decades Brando Crespi has been working in communities damaged by extractive industries. He makes the case that biochar can and should be part of a global strategy do reverse climate change and grow more food with less water.
Episode 129 – Bringing dead land back to life: a filmmaker’s perspective
In 1995 John Liu began documenting the Loess Plateau in China, a landscape ruined by poor agriculture practices. Over decades he documented its return to vibrant life, and filmed many other restoration projects worldwide.
Episode 128 – Sustaining Southwest Agriculture
Gary Paul Nabhan knows how to grow food that’s healthy and profitable––even during times of drought and climate disruption.
Episode 127 – A vibrant pecan oasis in the desert
Coley Burgess didn’t intend to do regenerative agriculture, but a series of happy accidents led him down a path toward healthier trees, a herd of animals, virtually no chemical or tractor use––and a more enjoyable life for himself and his family.
Episode 126 – The food-housing nexus
Professor Phil Warsaw noticed that in urban Black and Latino neighborhoods the price of housing near grocery stores was higher––but the same wasn’t true in more affluent White neighborhoods. Why? And how can planners balance food access and gentrification?
Episode 125 – Leveling the growing field: promoting a fair farm system
Both big ag and small family farms have their problems…but what’s the alternative? We talk with agricultural journalist Sarah Mock about the some possible models.
Episode 124 – Big Team Farms––a new economic model?
Both big ag and small family farms have their problems…but what’s the alternative? We talk with agricultural journalist Sarah Mock about the some possible models.
Episode 123 – The USDA goes after a small sheep farm
Linda and Larry Faillace imported milk sheep following USDA guidelines and started a cheese making business in Vermont––only to have their animals confiscated and killed by the USDA under the pretext of a disease that sheep don’t get. Listen to find out why.
Episode 122 – Making your tax dollars work after fires and floods
New Mexico Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez is working not only to help the people and businesses affected by fires and floods, but also to build back land that is more resilient. All of which is easier said than done.
Episode 121 – Place, Power, And Purpose: Pollinators On Western Landscapes
Bees and other pollinators are facing threats from industrialization and habitat fragmentation. Beekeeper, scientist, and indigenous teacher Melanie Kirby knows that bees are vital to the food we eat—and is showing the way forward.