A show about grassland agriculture, resilient farmers, thriving communities, and environmental sustainability. Featuring stories, conversations and the science behind the future of perennial pasture. Brought to you by Grassland 2.0—a collaborative group of farmers, researchers, and public & private sector leaders working to promote grazing in the Upper Midwest.
Environmental benefits of rotational grazing & future trends in Wisconsin - Adam Abel
Grassland 2.0's final Digital Dialogue webinar of 2021 featured NRCS state grazing lands specialist Adam Abel. In this recording, Adam discussing his experiences with managed grazing and his plans for boosting support for grazing throughout the state.
15 Feb 2022
The many benefits of grazing to birds, bees, family and farm - Thelma Heidel-Baker
In Part Three of Grassland 2.0's Digital Dialogue Series, Thelma Heidel-Baker, an entomologist and organic dairy farmer in eastern Wisconsin, discusses the benefits of managed grazing for beneficial insects, other wildlife, and the farmers themselves.
16 Jan 2022
Understanding the Linkages between Animal and Human Health - Dr. Stephan van Vliet
In Part Two of Grassland 2.0's Digital Dialogue Series, Dr. Stephan van Vliet, nutrition scientist and metabolomics expert at the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University, discusses the link between animal and human health.
15 Dec 2021
Broken Ground: The Changing Culture of America’s Dairyland - Dan Smith
This episode features the first of Grassland 2.0's Digital Dialogue series, with a presentation by Dan Smith, President and CEO of the Cooperative Network. Dan discusses the changes dairying has experienced over the last 50 years and explore the economic, social and cultural impacts these changes have had through poem.
15 Nov 2021
Measuring perennial agriculture’s impact on water quailty - Research by Jacob Henden
Every couple of weeks, Grassland 2.0 participants meet on Zoom for a project-wide lab meeting. This episode features an edited recording of one of these meetings, in which UW-Madison graduate student Jacob Henden presents his research design and responds to comments from attendees. We'll hear how tricky it is to separate the influence of perennial groundcover from other related factors, and why making promises about improving water quality could backfire in the short-term.GrassCast is supported by the Grassland 2.0 project. This project is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
1 Oct 2021
”I’m big on farmer dates” - Marie Raboin on the importance of farmer networks
Marie Raboin is a Conservation Specialist for Dane County, Wisconsin. In this episode, you'll hear about Marie’s work with a new farmer network called the BFFs (Biological Farming Friends), why she’s big on farmer dates, and why you maybe shouldn’t invite everyone to the meeting. You can see more from this conversation on the Grassland 2.0 YouTube channel.Stories on Pasture is supported by the Grassland 2.0 project. This project is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
30 Aug 2021
”What are these hairy beasts?” - Kevin Oppermann shares his most common questions from customers
Kevin Oppermann is a beef farmer south of Madison, Wisconsin. In this episode, Kevin describes how he started farming after growing up in the suburbs, how selling at farmers markets has made him a better cook, and how managed grazing made his farming dreams possible. You can see more from this conversation on the Grassland 2.0 YouTube channel!Stories on Pasture is supported by the Grassland 2.0 project. This project is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
30 Jun 2021
Bees decline as crop diversity declines: New research by Claudio Gratton and Jeremy Hemberger
Claudio Gratton's entomology research focuses on how our agricultural landscapes influence the lives of beneficial insects. In this podcast, Claudio sits down for a conversation with a former student of his, Dr. Jeremy Hemberger. Hemberger, Gratton, and their colleague Michael Crossley have just released a paper showing that it is not necessarily the amount of land in agriculture, but the diversity (or lack thereof) of agricultural crops that has the greatest impact on bumblebees. Their research supports the idea that agriculture can provide ecological benefits and support beneficial insects as long as it mimics the biological diversity of healthy grasslands. To learn more about this research, or to see the excellent illustrations developed for the project, you can visit the Gratton lab website at https://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/ This research was recently featured at https://news.wisc.edu/midwest-bumble-bees-declined-with-more-farmed-land-less-diverse-crops-since-1870/This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
18 Dec 2020
Stories on Pasture: Edgar Navarro shares about the benefits of grazing from the farm worker perspective
**Este episodio esta disponible también en español. Lo encontraras en el feed o aqui.**Edgar Navarro is a farm worker with lots of experience working on dairy operations. He started helping his mother and stepfather with their small farm as a teenager, and has spent most of the last decade as an employee at dairy farms in the Dodgville area. In 2015, he found his way to Scott Mericka at Green Dairy and Uplands Cheese, the first dairy grazing farm he’d ever seen. And, he’s been there ever since! In our conversation, Edgar shares about his experience of working at Scott’s dairy grazing farm and how it measures up against the conventional operations where he got his start. His testimony is a powerful reminder that our farming systems effect people at all levels of the operation.If you’re interested in Edgar and his story, we’re happy to try to put you in touch—just give us a shout at grassland2.0podcast@gmail.com.The Interpreters Cooperative of Madison helped with translation of Edgar's original interview. And, you're hearing the voice of Giosue Alagna, who read Edgar's words.This episode's soundtrack is Donder by Blue Dot Sessions.Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Edgar was interviewed via phone call in October of 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
18 Dec 2020
Historias sobre la Pastura: Edgar Navarro comparte sobre los beneficios de pastoreo para el trabajador agrícola
**This episode is also available in English. You can find it in the podcast feed or here.**Edgar Navarro es un trabajador agrícola con mucha experiencia en granjas lecheras. Él empezó ayudando a su madre y padrastro en su finca como adolescente, y ha trabajado la mayoría de los 10 años pasados en diferentes granjas lecheras cerca de Dodgville. En 2015, él conoció a Scott Mericka, el dueño de Green Dairy and Uplands Cheese, lo cual fue la primera granja de pastoreo que había visto. Él ha sido un empleado allá desde entonces! En nuestra conversación, Edgar compartió sobre su experiencia trabajando en la granja de pastoreo de Scott, y cómo se mide contra la granjas convencionales donde él comenzó. Su testimonio es un recordatorio poderoso de que nuestros sistemas agrícolas afectan a las personas en todos niveles.Si a usted le interesa Edgar y su historia, con gusto tratamos de conectarles. Que nos manden un correo pidiendo una introducción a grassland2.0podcast@gmail.com.La banda de sonora de este episodio es Donder por Blue Dot Sessions.Historias Sobre la Pasura se base en entrevistas del metodología historia oral realizado como parte del proyecto Grassland 2.0. Entrevistamos a Edgar en Octubre de 2020.Este podcast es posible gracias a una subvención de Agricultura Coordinada en Sistemas Agrícolas Sostenibles del Instituto Nacional de Alimentos y Agricultura del USDA.
9 Nov 2020
Stories on Pasture: Serge Koenig shares about a shift to grazing happening in Sauk County
Serge Koenig has served for more than 25 years as a Conservation Technician for Sauk County in Wisconsin. He is passionate about his work--helping land owners think about how to best preserve the natural resources (especially water and soil!) that they steward. In recent years, Serge has turned to promoting grassland-based systems as a way to get to the root of the conversation problems that Sauk County faces. And, in our conversation, he shares about his approach, as well as the obstacles and opportunities that he's seen when helping farmers transition to grazing.If you want to learn more about Serge and the work that he does, check out the Sauk County Conservation Reserve Program. This episode's soundtrack is UpUpUp and Over by Blue Dot Sessions.Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Serge was interviewed via Zoom in August of 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
5 Oct 2020
Stories on Pasture: Jon Lee shares about working hard and getting by
Jon Lee is proud to be the fifth generation stewarding the 150 acres outside Coon Valley that his ancestors started farming more than a century ago. Today, he raises beef at Lee Farms, which he sells through the Wisconsin Grassfed Beef Cooperative. Jon is also an educator with more than two decade experience teaching locally and abroad AND a talented artist. In our conversation, Jon shares about his experience balancing many different jobs to keep the farm afloat. If you want to learn more about Jon, his farm, or his photography & ceramics businesses, give us a shout at grassland2.0podcast@gmail.com and we'll put you in touch.Our new soundtrack is Rabbit Hole, by Blue Dot Sessions.Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Jon was interviewed over the phone in June of 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
4 Sept 2020
Stories on Pasture: Lois & Sandi Schwert share about the joy and struggles of a new beginning
Lois and Sandi Schwert are the mother-daughter duo behind The Sand Farm—a new mixed vegetable and grassfed beef farm in the Driftless region of Wisconsin. They come from a long line of dairy farmers and have spent decades involved in their family's conventional dairy operation, Schwert Farms. They are also the innovators transitioning some family land away from dairy and into new enterprises. We spoke at length about the sometimes subversive way they've gone about making changes to Schwert Farms, as well as the excitement and frustration that comes with new beginnings.If you're interested in supporting Lois and Sandi, you can find them at the Farmers' Markets in Mills and Soldiers Grove.Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Lois & Sandi were interviewed at the Grassworks Conference in January 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
21 Aug 2020
Stories on Pasture: Greg Galbraith shares about grazing and change
Greg Galbraith is a former grazier and dairyman turned columnist and contributor for the farming publication Agri-View. He studied Dairy Science at the University of Illinois and, after graduating in 1981, went on to work as the Assistant Manager on two farms. Eventually, Greg before bought his own farm in eastern Marathon County Wisconsin, where his ancestors began farming in 1890. Together with his family, they ran the 120-cow grazing-based dairy operation for more than two decades. In our conversation, Greg shared passionately about the many hardships he and his family faced, and how the transition to grazing transformed his operation and the ways he interacted with the land.To learn more about Greg and see some of his writing, you can follow his column here. Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Greg was interviewed at the Grassworks Conference in January 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
7 Aug 2020
Stories on Pasture: Jacob Marty shares about coming home
Jacob Marty is a young farmer based in Monticello, Wisconsin. He's spent the last 5 years converting his family's 150+ year-old dairy operation into Green Fire Farm, where he now raises beef cattle, poultry, and pigs, and is working on putting in fruit & nut trees. In our conversation, Jacob shares about why he decided to return to the home farm, what it's been like working with his father, and the challenge that is re-entering a community.Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Jacob was interviewed at the Grassworks Conference in January 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
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