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
Regenerating a desert wetland oasis
On New Mexico’s Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Don Boyd and David & Hui-Chun Johnson are restoring agricultural soils—to grow food for migrating waterfowl.
The awe-inspiring beauty hidden in our food
Artist and science educator Robert Dash creates art from micro- and macroscopic photographs of food crops. His new book explores both the science of our food system and the role of art in finding a more healthy and loving way forward.
Painterland Sisters Yogurt: Regeneration at every step from farmer to consumer
Hayley and Stephanie Painter saved their farm by creating a national yogurt brand—and they’re committed to fostering not only nutrient dense, regenerative food, but also health at every level of the supply chain.
Agave, mesquite, and a carbon drawdown game-changer
André Leu knows what it takes to pull massive amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and put it into the soil–permanently. We talk about his new book, The Regenerative Agriculture Solution.
Commerce, the destruction of nature, and the uphill path to sustainability
Environmental historian Sara Dant’s book Losing Eden looks at the American West from the time of wooly mammoths to the near destruction of entire ecosystems—and the movement to bring nature and industry into balance.
Colorado peaches: delicious for the eaters, fair for the workers
Gwen Cameron took over her father’s peach farm, and has been balancing regenerative methods, fair work practices, and diversification of markets to run a successful business.
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.