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PODCAST

Agrarian Futures

Agrarian Futures

Join hosts Emma Ractliffe and Austin Unruh as they explore what’s broken in our food system, and what it looks like to build something better.Visit agrarianfuturespod.com to join our email list for a heads up on upcoming episodes and bonus content.Agrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller, who also wrote our theme song.Instagram: @agrarianfuturespodTwitter: @agrarianfuturesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/103857304/

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All Episodes

42:38

Why Aren't We Eating Acorns? with Elspeth Hay

Agrarian Futures ·

2026/02/12

I’m willing to bet that most of our listeners - like us - have traditionally seen acorns as food for squirrels, not people. But as Elspeth Hay points out in this conversation, that assumption says more about our food system than it does about the acorn.For much of human history, acorns were a staple. They fed communities across North America, Europe, North Africa, and Asia - and in some cases - still do. They were managed, processed, stored, and celebrated. So how did we go from acorns as everyday

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35:43

Could Leather Be the Missing Piece for Regenerative...

Agrarian Futures ·

2026/02/03

We’ve spent a lot of time on this show digging into the dire state of modern farming and ranching, and the challenging economics for those trying to build a regenerative future. Our guest today, Cate Havstad, is no stranger to these challenges as a first-generation farmer and rancher. That experience led directly to an innovative solution that could be an important missing piece in this economic puzzle.As she explains, only about 65 percent of the cattle she sent out to slaughter was actually used,

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35:13

The Regenerative Rebellion with Joel Salatin

Agrarian Futures ·

2026/01/09

Joel Salatin is one of the most influential voices in the modern regenerative farming movement. As the founder of Polyface Farm in Virginia, he’s become known for building a radically different model of agriculture, one rooted in ecological systems, local markets, and a refusal to accept industrial “efficiency” as the end goal.In this episode, Joel shares what he’s learned from decades of farming and advocacy, why the middle of the food system is where so many good farms get stuck, and what it will

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46:47

Eating Fish in the Age of Limits with Paul Greenberg

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/12/19

Fish have long been one of the last wild foods, a source of nourishment that connects us to the powerful ecology of the planet’s waters. But as journalist and author Paul Greenberg chronicles in his award-winning book Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food, our relationship with the sea has dramatically changed over the past century. Once nearly all of the seafood we ate was wild; today, nearly half is farmed and the pressures on both wild and farmed systems are intensifying.In this

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39:06

The Future of Food, Health, and Rural Life with Bob...

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/12/01

If you want to understand what it takes to build a healthier local food system and bring rural communities back to life, you talk to someone who’s actually done it. Bob Quinn has spent decades farming in Montana, rebuilding soil, creating local markets, and pushing back against the idea that small towns and small farms are destined to disappear.Through his farm and the Quinn Institute, Bob is exploring what a healthier rural economy - and a healthier food system - could look like. That includes

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45:06

Why Soil Is the Key to Regeneration with David...

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/11/20

If regenerative agriculture is about rebuilding the foundations of our food system, then soil is where that story starts.Geologist and author David Montgomery has spent decades tracing how the health of our soil shapes everything else: the nutrition in our food, the resilience of our farms, and the long-term fate of entire civilizations. What he shows is both sobering and energizing. We have degraded our soils at an astonishing pace, yet we now understand enough about how they actually work to turn

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53:39

Building Collective Power in the Rural South with...

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/10/14

Across the south, generations of Black farmers and business owners have faced losing not just their land, but their livelihoods - pushed out by discriminatory lending, land theft, and the consolidation of power. Yet from that struggle has grown something powerful: a movement rooted in cooperation, where farmers pool their resources, share their knowledge, and build wealth together instead of competing for survival.That spirit of collective power is what drives the Federation of Southern

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59:28

Farming Against the Odds with Beth Hoffman

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/09/18

What happens when you leave behind a career in food journalism to take over a family farm in Iowa? For Beth Hoffman, it meant putting theory into practice - and learning firsthand just how difficult it is to make small and mid-sized farming work in today’s economy.In her book Bet the Farm and in her daily life raising grass-finished cattle and organic crops, Beth confronts the financial and cultural realities most farmers face: land that’s too expensive for beginners, markets that reward

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40:43

Restoring the Underwater Forests with Jon Dickson

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/08/13

Before industrial dredging, clear-cutting, and destructive fishing practices, our rivers and oceans were full of wood. Fallen trees, driftwood, and branches created underwater forests where fish and countless other creatures could thrive. That wood provided shelter, food, and the foundation for entire aquatic ecosystems. Today, much of it is gone, and so are the fish.Marine restoration expert Jon Dickson noticed this loss while working along Europe’s coasts and asked a deceptively simple question:

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46:06

How to Leave the Industrial System Behind with Will...

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/07/23

Years before regenerative ag and grass-fed beef hit the spotlight, Will Harris was figuring it out on his own land.At White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia, Will spent the last few decades unwinding everything industrial agriculture taught him: the chemicals, the confinement, the commodity mindset. In its place, he’s built a vertically integrated, closed-loop system that honors the land, the animals, the people who work it, and the rural town that depends on it.White Oak Pastures is now one of the

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65:50

Why Farmland Shouldn't Be a Commodity with Sarah Mock

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/06/30

We all need land to eat, but more and more, farmland has become a financial asset instead of a source of food, livelihood, and community. And when agriculture becomes just another investment, we risk losing something essential, not just for farmers, but for the health, resilience, and future of our entire society.Journalist and researcher Sarah Mock joins us to unpack the deep consequences of treating land like a commodity - from pricing out new farmers, to consolidating ownership, to weakening the

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58:15

Losing 10,000 Farms a Year — And How to Reverse It...

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/06/04

Are fewer, bigger farms putting our entire food system at risk?That’s the warning at the heart of Land Rich, Cash Poor, the latest book by Brian Reisinger. In it, he explores the forces—technological, political, and economic—that have hollowed out rural America and made it harder than ever to keep a family farm alive. Drawing from his own multigenerational farming roots in Wisconsin, Brian traces how policy choices and market consolidation have left farmers squeezed—sometimes literally sitting on

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59:12

Breaking the Beef Monopoly with Cole Mannix of Old...

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/05/21

What do we lose when our food comes from nowhere in particular?For Cole Mannix, that question is at the heart of his work. He’s part of Old Salt Co-op, a group of ranchers outside Helena, Montana working to unseat Big Beef—not with billion-dollar backing or slick marketing, but with community, collaboration, and a commitment to place.In today’s episode, we talk about what it means to break out of the commodity system, the power of cooperation in an industry dominated by consolidation, and how

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52:46

Lessons Learned Roadtripping Through a Divided...

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/04/03

It’s no secret our world is in upheaval right now—climate disasters, political unrest, economic uncertainty. But in the midst of it all, there are also stories of resilience, adaptation, and new ways forward.That’s a theme Anthony James, host of The Regen Narration Podcast, has explored deeply. From an extended road trip across the U.S., interviewing community leaders navigating climate adaptation, to studying how people respond to upheaval, Anthony has seen firsthand how crisis can be a catalyst

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32:02

Bringing Money Back Down to Earth with Claude Arpels

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/03/18

If we want regenerative farms and food businesses to thrive, we have to talk about money. How do we help them grow without forcing them to sell out their values?That’s exactly what Claude Arpels - and Slow Money NYC - is working to solve. Claude has spent years rethinking investment strategies to support regenerative food systems. After a first career in luxury fashion, he pivoted to impact investing, helping farms and food businesses secure the land and capital they need—without compromising their

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52:28

Financing Native Food Sovereignty with Skya Ducheneaux

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/01/14

On this show, we’ve talked a lot about how traditional banking and financial systems make it tough for new farmers or those without direct land ownership to get a fair shot. But those challenges run even deeper for agricultural producers in Indian Country.Enter Skya Ducheneaux, who’s tackling these barriers head-on as the leader of Akiptan—the first Native CDFI dedicated to serving agricultural producers all across Indian Country. Skya brings fresh eyes to lending, challenging old-school banking

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46:06

The Case Against Techno-Fixes with Chris Smaje

Agrarian Futures ·

2025/01/08

In the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, the solutions we hear the most are technological ones - many of which mirror the economic and philosophical approaches that precipitated these crises in the first place. But what if that vision is flawed? Chris Smaje, author of Saying NO to a Farm-Free Future, challenges the dominant eco-modernist philosophy head-on. He critiques its reliance on techno-fixes—not just on technological grounds, but also economic, political, and spiritual ones.In

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45:56

Living Without Fossil Fuels with Alexis Zeigler

Agrarian Futures ·

2024/12/17

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of climate change, but where can we find models for living in harmony with the planet—before it’s too late? Alexis Zeigler and the community at Living Energy Farm are doing just that: building a self-sustaining, non-extractive way of life and sharing their knowledge with others.Alexis brings a unique blend of practical, technical expertise and a deep philosophical vision for restoring our spiritual connection to nature—and to one another. These themes are at

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51:42

Building Rural Resiliency and Food Justice with Mark...

Agrarian Futures ·

2024/12/04

Today’s guest is proving that financial models can prioritize the well-being of farmers and the resilience of our food systems—not just financial returns. Mark Watson, president and chief investment officer of Potlikker Capital, leads a fund dedicated to supporting BIPOC farmers in the U.S. who operate at the intersection of racial and climate justice.Drawing from his extensive background in conventional finance, Mark sheds light on why our current economic systems fail small farmers—and how

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39:07

Empowering Farmers with Regen Media with Taylor Henry

Agrarian Futures ·

2024/11/12

Register for the Acres USA conference coming up on December 2-5, 2024. And if you can’t make those dates or its already passed, you can purchase the event recordings as well!Can a digital bookstore and learning community reshape the world of farming? On our latest episode Taylor Henry, owner of Acres USA, makes a compelling case. He takes us through his journey into regenerative agriculture, sparked by Acres USA's rich catalogue. Taylor shares how Acres USA is redefining what it means to learn the

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35 results

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