Regeneration Rising

Quivira Coalition occasionally hosts interns, often for summer projects and occasionally for longer-term projects. Meet two of Quivira's interns in this episode! Levi Shije is a Tribal member of Zia Pueblo and alum of the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, who conducted compost research at his family farm over the summer of 2021. And Luis Rodriguez weaves together sustainable agriculture and architecture while conducting research on the ground through his internship. Join host Leah Potter-Weight as she learns more about each of their lives, connection to land stewardship, goals for the future and advice for fellow land stewards.

Maggie Hanna is the Director of External Relations at the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust. New Agrarian Program Colorado Manager Taylor Sanders has a conversation with Maggie, which helps us understand what conservation easements are, why they matter in the West, and she shares some of the rewarding aspects of being involved in conserving vast landscapes in her home state.

Byron Palmer has a storied career with beginnings in the suburbs of California, attending "hippie camp" in the countryside as a young agrarian, and then working for Sonoma Mountain Institute and beginning his own direct-market, consulting, and grazing business, Grounded Grassfed. Taylor Sanders, NAP Colorado Manager talks with Byron about the struggles of the transition from urban/suburban to rural life, strategies to cope with loneliness, and chats about how young agrarians can fit into the many careers involved in regenerative agriculture. Follow Byron: Facebook - @groundedgrassfed Instagram - @groundedgrassfed Sonoma Mountain Institute Grounded Grassfed Music attribution: Wanderlust by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, Taylor Sanders, the Colorado Manager for Quivira's New Agrarian Program, talks with Alyssa Barsanti of Marigold Livestock Co. Taylor and Alyssa met several years ago while working together at ACES Rock Bottom Ranch. Alyssa talks about her recent experience starting her own livestock operation on leased land, including some of the unanticipated challenges and expenses she's encountered along the way. Find Alyssa on Instagram and Facebook.

Quivira Coalition's executive director Sarah Wentzel-Fisher talks with Meghan Filbert, the Livestock Program Manager at Practical Farmers of Iowa. In addition to supporting beginning farmers and ranchers through her work at Practical Farmers, Meghan has advice to share that stems from her own journey starting a livestock operation in central Iowa. Find Meghan on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Music attribution: Wanderlust by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In the first episode of Season 2 of Regeneration Rising, Quivira Coalition's Southwest Coordinator Tarryn Dixon, talks with apprentices Noelle McDonough and Sam Schmidt, both in their second year at San Juan Ranch in Saguache, Colorado. Noelle and Sam talk about their path into agriculture, why they sought out a New Agrarian apprenticeship, and the unexpected lessons they found in their first year of apprenticeship." Find Sam and Noelle on Instagram: @nodeyoddle -Noelle @punchin_sam -Sam Also find them on the New Agrarian Voices Blog Music attribution: Wanderlust by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Julie Morris, Joe Morris (Morris Grassfed Beef) and Marissa Taylor (Lonetree Ranch) discuss the thrills and challenges of their calls to ranching, searching for a life in agriculture that contributes to the common good, the double-edged sword of having access to robust consumer markets, and the hope of bringing land stewards back to the land.

Deborah Clark (Birdwell & Clark Ranch) and Katie Scarbrough (Wellborn 2R Ranch) discuss their development as business owners and entrepreneurs. Managing a ranch takes more than physical labor; it takes strong people skills and business skills to create profitability. Deborah and Katie also reflect on their partnerships, being kind to themselves, and the importance of having a holistic goal.

In this episode, Louis Martin, mentor and manager of Round River Resource Management sits down with Christopher Burke, Round River's Director of People and Culture, and apprentices Marianna Zavala, Willard Humphries III, and Daniel Cleveland, to have an engaging conversation about what it means to live in community and grow as new agrarians.

Betsy Ross, Christine Su, and Nicole Masters have an intergenerational conversation about the connections between soil health and community health. Christine Su is the co-founder and CEO of PastureMap, grazing and livestock management software helping producers improve profits on healthy grasslands. Christine is joined in conversation with Nicole Masters, an agroecologist, systems thinker, and the director of Integrity Soils, and Betsy Ross, the co-owner and founder of Betsy Ross Grassfed Beef as well as the CEO of Sustainable Growth Texas, LLC. Betsy Ross brings deep experience to the conversation from many years managing her grassfed beef operation. Betsy, Nicole, and Christine discuss their experiences and what they’ve seen on the land, and draw parallels between soil and community resilience. Here are a few of our favorite ideas from their conversation: composting personal failures, leaving mental pore space for new people and ideas, and taking time to regenerate ourselves in addition to regenerating the land. If you were at the Quivira Coalition's Regenerate Conference in early November, you caught their conversation as the keynote panel, "Sisters of the Soil."

Wendell Gilgert and Bre Owens discuss passion, purpose, deep listening, and the importance of collaboration between folks with different land ethics. Bre is the owner of Cobblestone Ranch and the Rangeland Watershed Initiative Coordinator at Point Blue Conservation Science, where she works under the mentorship of Wendell Gilgert to assist owners and operators of working lands in implementing conservation practices designed to improve landscape function for the benefit of wildlife and ranch sustainability. Mentioned in this Episode: Cobblestone Ranch Point Blue Conservation Science Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold The Shepard’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape by James Rebanks

Anna Jones-Crabtree, Doug Crabtree, and their new Farm Operations Foreman Paul Neubauer discuss building a new agrarian community, the role of long-term mentorship, and important moments in their respective agrarian journeys. Paul is the new Farm Operations Foreman at at Vilicus Farms, an organic, dryland crop farm in Northern Hill County, Montana founded by Anna Jones-Crabtree and Doug Crabtree. Since 2009, Vilicus Farms has grown to a 7,400-acre organic farming operation with a conservation-based ethic. In addition to stewarding their land, Anna and Doug are also committed to cultivating beginning farmers. They launched a beginning organic farmer apprenticeship program in 2013 to build their community in Northern Montana. We hope you enjoy the inaugural episode of the Regeneration Rising podcast.