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
Pueblo values + engineering expertise = resilient landscapes
Phoebe Suina draws on advanced studies in engineering and management and deeply held cultural values and knowledge of the land to lead a native- and woman-owned environmental restoration company.
Documentary digs deep into grazing science — and society
Filmmaker Peter Byck assembled a group of maverick scientists to study regenerative and conventional grazing side by side. The result is an extraordinary new documentary, Roots So Deep You Can See the Devil Down There.
Saving seeds, saving ecosystems
Seed Savers Exchange is a small non-profit that’s making a big difference. For a half century, they’ve been saving seeds, getting them out into gardens, telling their stories––and cultivating biodiversity that has been badly diminished with the rise of corporate agriculture and seed production.
Investing in regenerative ag
Dirt Capital Partners takes a “slow money” perspective on investing, helping farmers get land access and regenerate not only the soil but also their communities.
From suburban Illinois to rural Montana: the journey of a bison rancher
Matt Skoglund was an attorney with a conservation non-profit, but over time was drawn to work on the land. With no prior agrarian experience he started a successful bison ranch using regenerative principles.
A matter of conscience: Will Harris on regenerating an industrial ranch
In his new book Will Harris describes the moment when he saw that his industrial ranch was cruel to animals and bad for the land. And before he’d ever heard the phrase “regenerative grazing” he started doing it. The rest is history.
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.