Down to Earth
Down to Earth is a podcast about regenerative agriculture. It’s about the place where food production and conservation come together, where the food we eat actually improves the health of land, water, people—and climate.
Above all, it’s a podcast about hope. We focus not on doom but instead on people who are developing practical, innovative solutions. We invite you to meet farmers, ranchers, scientists, land managers, writers, and many others on a mission to create a world in which the food we eat is healthy—for us, for wildlife, for the lives and livelihoods of the producers, and for the planet.
Recent Programs
Western Wildfires: Facing a hotter and drier future
Wildfires across the West are burning out of control and causing catastrophic losses to landscapes and communities. How did we get here, and how can we better manage fire in the future? Lesli Allison walks us through the complexities and dangers––and the critical importance of land management.
The path to positive food policy: Making the case for a more regenerative farm bill
For the US to have a resilient food system at a large scale will require changes in national policy. Aria McLauchlan and Harley Cross of Land Core lay out how the Farm Bill, which will be reauthorized in 2023, can stimulate healthy–and long-term sustainable–farming practices.
Making the regenerative transition
Healthy-soil agriculture has the potential to solve a lot of big problems from climate to nutrition. But how do you bring it to scale within the realities of a competitive market system with narrow profit margins? Jessica Chiartas of Regen1 tells us––and it’s not easy or fast.
Restoring landscapes…with goats and sheep
Landscapes evolved with animals and need animals to thrive. “Goatscaping” substitutes animals for machines and toxic chemicals to produce more resilient and healthy soil, plants, and even beneficial insect populations. They’re also incredibly cute.
Restoring resilience on native land
For over 25 years Santa Ana Pueblo has been engaged in a large scale project to restore wildlife, plants, and watersheds long degraded by invasive practices. The results for agriculture, culture, and the land itself have been dramatic.
The Sequestration Solution: Soil
Cooling the earth’s climate is not just about cutting emissions––it’s about removing masses of carbon from the air. Karl Thidemann of Soil4Climate makes the case that the secret of sequestration is in the soil––with win-win benefits for ecosystems, nutrition, profitability, and community.
Our Roots
Down to Earth is produced by Mary-Charlotte Domandi, long-time public radio and podcast producer/host, in collaboration with the Quivira Coalition, a non-profit organization that promotes healthy agricultural lands and food systems across the West—and across the world.
We’re dedicated to the idea of the Radical Center, in which people from divergent political, cultural, and professional worlds leave their differences aside and come together to work on the things they believe in—healthy soil, landscapes, and food…clean water and air…wise use of science and technology…and flourishing rural communities.
