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
Think like a chicken: transforming the poultry industry
Reginaldo Haslett Marroquín‘s team observed chickens for a year before engineering a prototype for an efficient and humane poultry farm. Equal parts indigenous wisdom and industrial design, they’ve created a scalable model that can be adapted to virtually any place on earth.
Restoring Texas prairie land: From big ag to a prosperous family farm
Jonathan and Kaylyn Cobb found a healthier way of farming when they rejected industrial methods and embraced regenerative practices. They tell the story of restoring degraded land through trial and error–and a big paradigm shift.
Bringing regenerative meat to the marketplace
How do food companies make products that use regeneratively-produced animals? How do they work with ranchers, and how do they tell their story to customers? We talk to Gina Asoudegan of Applegate Natural and Organic Meats and Katie Forrest of Epic Provisions.
Money where your mouth is: Investing in a healthy food system
Why is it that so many investors want a healthy planet and a sustainable food system, but aren’t actually putting dollars into it? Rancher-investor-philanthropist Sallie Calhoun tells us — and offers a different model.
Converting from industrial to regenerative agriculture: White Oak Pastures
Sixth-generation farmer Will Harris has led his farm back to its 19th century roots — and built on that to create a closed-loop, no-waste farm using regenerative practices and revitalizing their small Georgia town in the process.
Working at the “Radical Center”
We hear daily that our nation is “polarized.” But there are important areas of collaboration and common ground that are happening under the radar. MacArthur genius Gary Paul Nabhan‘s work brings together environmentalists and food producers — with exciting results.
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.
