How to deal with mental and physical challenges–on the farm and beyond
Dr. Robert Fetsch grew up on a dairy farm in Texas, and saw first hand the stresses of rural life. He now works with farm and ranch families with disabilities and helps them manage their stress, anger, depression, and suicidal thinking. He is co-project director of the Colorado Agrability project, Professor in the College of Health and Human Sciences Department at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
More Episodes
Episode 161 – Farm Aid: Food, Festivity, and Fighting for Farmers
Farm Aid: Food, Festivity, and Fighting for Farmers In 1985 Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young organized a concert to benefit farmers and spread awareness of the crisis U.S. farmers were facing. Held in Champaign, Illinois, before a crowd of 80,000 people,...
Episode 160 – Healthy fish snacks––what cod be better?
Healthy fish snacks––what cod be better? Nick Mendoza grew up in a cattle ranching family in New Mexico, but when he moved to San Diego he fell in love with the ocean and got hooked on fish and marine science. Taking the lessons from regenerative cattle production to...
Episode 159 – The Carbon Credit Conundrum
The Carbon Credit Conundrum Carbon credits were designed as a market mechanism to incentivize projects that sequester carbon and reduce carbon emissions. The idea is to pay people who are doing climate friendly projects, and sell credits to carbon emitters. But do...
Episode 158 – At The Table: Chefs advocating for a better food system
At The Table: Chefs advocating for a better food system Katherine Miller, author of At The Table: The Chef’s Guide To Advocacy, began her work toward a healthier food system with a deep background in political advocacy. She trains chefs to use their position as...
Episode 157 – The six-legged livestock: Bees
The six-legged livestock: Bees Beehives take up little space on the land, but, like other livestock, bees need space to roam, and they need a varied diet. Beekeeper Melanie Kirby is a “landless farmer,” who sets up her beehives on farms and ranches, where the bees can...
Episode 156 – Bonus episode: Ask Me Anything!
Bonus episode: Ask Me Anything! Anica Wong is Quivira Coalition’s communications director and she had the idea for an “ask me anything” episode with Down to Earth host Mary-Charlotte Domandi… and here it is! Listeners asked questions and we answered as best we could,...
Episode 155 – Photographing grasslands: beauty, community, life
Photographing grasslands: beauty, community, life Photographer Sally Thomson‘s new book, Homeground, is a deep exploration of rangelands in the Southwest––landscapes, livestock, water, wildlife, and the stewards who keep the land thriving. With her background in...
Episode 154 – Land, sheep, and the inefficiency of being too efficient
Land, sheep, and the inefficiency of being too efficient Elena Miller Ter-Kuile is a sixth-generation farmer living in southern Colorado. At Cactus Hill Farm she and her father raise sheep for wool, grass-fed meat and organic grain and hay––practices held by her...
Episode 153 – Transforming 40 million acres of lawns into thriving ecosystems
Transforming 40 million acres of lawns into thriving ecosystems Erik Ohlsen has been working in permaculture and land restoration for 25 years. Founder and owner of Permaculture Artisans, he’s the author of the new book, The Regenerative Landscaper: Design and Build...
Episode 152 – Sheep and goats for healthy land, thriving businesses, and fire reduction
Sheep and goats for healthy land, thriving businesses, and fire reduction Cole Bush is a shepherdess, entrepreneur, and educator. Founder of Shepherdess Land & Livestock and Grazing School of the West, she uses a “flerd” (flock-herd) of sheep and goats to restore...
Episode 151 – Words of wisdom from a holistic veterinarian and regenerative dairy farmer
Words of wisdom from a holistic veterinarian and regenerative dairy farmer Dr. Hubert Karreman studied soil science in college, and working on the land he fell in love with dairy cows and organic farming. Working with large animals led him to study veterinary...
Episode 150 – Funneling federal ag money to the people who most need it
Funneling federal ag money to the people who most need it The Biden administration has allocated significant funding to promoting healthy and resilient food systems, and they’re directing it toward smaller and midsize businesses, not the huge conglomerates. But how...
Episode 149 – How to have family business meetings that are productive––and short
How to have family business meetings that are productive––and short Jenn Wheeling and her four siblings were raised at the James Ranch in Durango, Colorado. At 18 they were sent out into the world, but one by one four of the five came back to live on the ranch and...
Episode 148 – Weathering global change on an Oregon sheep ranch
Weathering global change on an Oregon sheep ranch Jeanne Carver and her husband were doing regenerative practices, including no-till and rotational grazing, at the Imperial Stock Ranch in Maupin, Oregon. But when the company that had been buying their wool for over a...
Episode 147 – From mountaintops to farm fields: Landscape scale restoration
From mountaintops to farm fields: Landscape scale restoration Jan-Willem Jansens has been restoring landscapes in New Mexico for three decades. Owner of Ecotone Landscape Planning, he is part of a network that works to restore land that has been damaged by generations...
Episode 146 – A food forest on an eighth of an acre
A food forest on an eighth of an acre Roxanne Swentzell was a young mother on a small piece of land at Santa Clara Pueblo when she was introduced to permaculture design principles––which dovetailed with her indigenous views and land use. She turned her yard from hard,...