Episode 17 – Laura Ingalls Wilder — the story of the land behind the Little House stories

by Lynne Whitbeck | Apr 24, 2018 | Down to Earth

Laura Ingalls Wilder — the story of the land behind the Little House stories Caroline Fraser just won the Pulitzer Prize for biography for her new book, Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder. For those who read the Little House books,...

Episode 16 – Does Money Really Grow on Trees?

by Lynne Whitbeck | Apr 3, 2018 | Down to Earth, Economics

Does Money Really Grow on Trees? Author and sustainability ecologist Tony Juniper talks about his book, What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? How Money Really Does Grow on Trees. He explains the value of natural ecosystems in a variety of economic contexts, from food...

Episode 15 – Organic production agriculture in Montana: Scaling up at Vilicus Farms

by Lynne Whitbeck | Mar 20, 2018 | Apprenticeship, Down to Earth, Farming, Soil

Organic production agriculture in Montana: Scaling up at Vilicus Farms Doug Crabtree and Anna Jones Crabtree are the owners of Vilicus Farms in Havre, Montana. The 6800-acre organic farm is as far from industrial agriculture as you can get — they grow as many as 20...

Episode 14 – Science on the range: studying wide open landscapes in the American West

by Lynne Whitbeck | Feb 28, 2018 | Down to Earth, Grazing, Rangeland Science

Science on the range: studying wide open landscapes in the American West Geographer Nathan Sayre talks about homesteaders, hubris, and healing … and the challenges facing public and private lands and the people and creatures who inhabit them. He is a professor of...

Episode 13 – Cows Save the Planet

by Lynne Whitbeck | Feb 14, 2018 | Climate Change, Down to Earth, Grazing, Policy, Soil

Cows Save the PlanetJudith Schwartz is the author of Cows Save the Planet: And Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth.We talk about ecosystems, biodiversity, soil, climate change mitigation, and alternatives to the current industrial food model. How...

Episode 12 – Opening the conversation about living soils

by Lynne Whitbeck | Jan 31, 2018 | Down to Earth, Soil

Opening the conversation about living soilsChris Jagger is a vegetable farmer in Oregon, and he’s founder of the Living Soils Symposium, an annual gathering of farmers and people interested in regenerative agriculture. He talks about the many challenges of farming,...