Fighting climate change with cattle…
A scientist-rancher’s view of a new landscape.
Allen Williams is a sixth-generation farmer and rancher from South Carolina, where he grew up around a multitude of farm animals and fresh, homegrown fruits and vegetables. His academic education taught him industrial agriculture methods, but over time he has come full circle and returned to an ecosystem-based view of food production, in which grazing animals actually restore land and live in cooperation with wildlife in rich polyculture landscapes. In this program he explains how he came to his vision, where it’s being done successfully around the world, and why it’s urgent that we move away from industrial agriculture as quickly as possible.
He is based at Joyce Farms in Mississippi, and works with the Grassfed Exchange. He is author of the book, Before You Have A Cow, which is for people going into cattle growing. He will be a speaker at the upcoming Quivira Coalition Conference in November.
More Episodes
Episode 133 – Healing Grounds: The enduring cultures of regenerative agriculture
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 132 – Innovative approaches to regeneration on a California ranch
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 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.