Regeneration Rising

In this month's episode of Regeneration Rising, host Taylor Muglia speaks with Katie McInnes, Co-owner and Operator of The Dogs Run Farm near Clearwater, Manitoba, Canada. Katie talks about her journey from acting into farming and how community relationships and a bit of luck led her and her now husband Colin to securing land for farming. Katie also talks about what their farm looks like today, how they plan to grow, and how she integrates the farm with motherhood and mentorship through the Young Agrarians apprenticeship program.

On this episode of Regeneration Rising, our guest is Terrance Boyd, owner of Wild Boyd Farm in Matheson, Colorado. Terrance talks about his deep interest in being an active agent in his own food production, his journey into homesteading, and how he has turned the homestead into a ranch business that serves a variety of meat sales channels due to high demand for locally-raised meat in the Denver area. Terrance also talks about the complex cultural differences between rural/urban communities and challenges of equitable and affordable local food access.

Chase Hetler and Jessie Hook spent much of 2023 as Quivira Coalition interns through the Carbon Ranch Initiative, investigating the financial and ecological viability of compost application and erosion control structures on rangeland in the southwest. Host Taylor Muglia chats with both interns about their experiences and how their internships changed the way they see academia's role in ranching.

In this episode of Regeneration Rising, host Taylor Muglia chats with New Agrarian Program mentor Louis Martin, owner of Round River Resource Management near Rush, Colorado. They talk about Louis' background in agriculture and education, and how he found opportunities to access land and capital even though agriculture skipped a generation in his family. Louis has mentored over 60 apprentices; he explains what makes a great apprentice candidate, and how his ranch is specifically designed to support beginning ranchers. Music attribution:Wanderlust by Scott Buckley

In this episode, host Taylor Muglia sits down with current New Agrarian Program apprentices Ryan Koch and Samuel Moreno to talk about their experience in the past year. From applications and interviews to successes and struggles during the season to plans post-apprenticeship, this conversation has so many valuable lessons not only for future applicants, but anyone considering starting a career in agriculture. Photo of Sam by Alexis Bonogofsky You can find Sam online here and Ryan here.

In anticipation for the 2024 New Agrarian Program applications opening November 1st, we are spending some time today with mentor Layna Jansen, rancher and Beef Program Coordinator at the Home Ranch in Clark, Colorado. She shares details about her career path and what it takes to feel like you finally belong to a place after moving from Virginia to the Home Ranch as a young adult, and working her way up over almost 10 years. She shares her advice to folks considering apprenticeship and tips on how to create a positive work environment with a large team. Find Layna on Facebook and Instagram. Music attribution:Wanderlust by Scott Buckley

In this episode, host Taylor Muglia dives into the details of a creative land access model with Poudre Valley Community Farms Executive Director Stacy Lishka and one of the program's lessees Evanne Caviness, who also happens to be the Western Organizing Manager for the National Young Farmers Coalition. The two guests talk about what can go right and wrong with cooperative land leasing, and share insights they've gained along the way. These insights can help beginning farmers and ranchers find hope for land access in extremely expensive parts of the West, and inform public and private land managers to think about leasing land with an equitable and holistic mindset.

Emily certainly didn't see herself coming back to her family potato and barley farm in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, but a husband, child, and global pandemic later, she finds herself learning how to farm from her parents, participating in succession conversations, and becoming an advocate within the ag community. In this episode of Regeneration Rising, host Taylor Muglia talks with Emily Brown about her fascinating story. Find out more about Emily's work with Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and Annie's Project. We're Hiring a Communications & Podcast Intern! Find out more here.

The New Agrarian Program's Taylor Muglia sits down with Pork Rhyne "The Pork Evangelist" to talk about his career path as a young farmer and transition into public speaking and consulting, as well as lessons he's learned from helping clients build profitable livestock enterprises. You can follow Pork Rhyne by visiting the youtube channel Agro Educators International, or visiting their website. Photo Credit: Pork Rhyne

New Agrarian Program (NAP) alumni Graham Holtrop guest-hosts this episode, interviewing his former mentor Jim Spinner (current NAP mentor at The Veebaray). Graham and Jim discuss what he loves about ranching, what it takes to be ranch manager, and advice for first generation ranchers who may pursue ranch management, as opposed to ownership. Jim talks about his challenges raising a family and navigating work/life balance. And if you needed any more evidence of how cool Jim really is, we also learn that he does indeed have a ski boat, he does indeed drive 3 hours each way to the nearest Montana lake, and he did indeed teach Graham how to knee board. Not sure knee boarding can go on the program skill checklist, but we'll accept it. Find Jim on Instagram Find Graham on LinkedIn

Hannah Breckbill, co-farmer at Humble Hands Harvest in Decorah, Iowa, felt a desire to own land originally because of a yearning to incorporate perennials into her vegetable and sheep operation. This can be a frustration for land renters who feel unsure of their longevity on a piece of land. In this episode, Hannah sits down with Taylor Muglia of the New Agrarian Program to talk about the process of working with a community-owned land-holding company that served as a "bank" to allow her to purchase land at a reasonable pace with no interest. Hannah also talks about weaving all owners and employees into the Humble Hands business model in a cooperative way, and how she has found a deeply meaningful community through creating the Queer Farmer Network. Find Humble Hands Harvest on Instagram and Facebook.

New Agrarian Program (NAP) Alumna Natalie Berkman (Milton Ranch, 2020/2021) joined as a guest-host to interview Susan Elder (Charter Ranch, 2020/2021) for a conversation about their lives post-apprenticeship as managers of ranches in Montana and Kansas. The conversation highlights lessons learned from apprenticeship and challenges of the transition, with some good laughs sprinkled in about purple riding helmets and brie cheese. Find Susan on Instagram @ferrellranch or @susandalt

Tony Vorster, Research Scientist at Colorado State University (CSU), Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory sits down with host Taylor Muglia to talk details of the new CSU Western Ranch Management and Ecosystem Stewardship Program and options beginning agrarians might have for further education. They discuss the Summer Field Course, the importance of learning alongside peers of diverse specialties, and how to think about the "flavors" of grad school to choose the right path for you.

In this conversation, New Agrarian Program's Taylor Muglia has a powerful conversation with Ryan White, CEO and Founder of SnapLands LLC. Ryan talks about his winding road into agriculture, which is rooted deeply in his appreciation for nature which he has carried since childhood. Ryan discusses difficult career decisions he's faced in the industry of regenerative land management, expands upon "earning his meal ticket", and shares a few impactful pieces of advice for folks entering an industry that struggles to provide work/life balance, financial stability, mental health support, and amenities available to our counterparts outside of agriculture.

Quivira Coalition's Taylor Muglia sits down with Michelle Hughes, the Operations and Impact Director at National Young Farmers Coalition. Michelle speaks about her background in farming and livestock production and how she transitioned to advocacy work, then became staff at NYFC. She talks about the challenges and successes of weaving racial equity into an agricultural organization, and how accountability must be a part of that system. Michelle also speaks about her experience on the Equity Commission at USDA and how each young farmer can find their voice. Instagram @youngfarmers

Quivira Coalition's New Agrarian Program Colorado Manager Taylor Muglia sits down with Akwese Mbendang Milene Majolie. Akwese was an intern this summer with Quivira's Carbon Ranch Initiative. Working remotely from Rwanda where she attended school at the African Leadership University Rwanda, she helped with biochar projects and educational guides, and expanded her knowledge of regenerative agriculture with Quivira staff located in New Mexico. Originally from Cameroon, Akwese is passionate about sharing regenerative techniques with smallholder farmers in her region and innovating ways to reduce post-harvest loss. In this episode, she shares her story and dreams for the future. Find Akwese on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. And her project Chakula Poda on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) Land Advocacy Fellowship is a two-year advocacy and leadership fellowship for current and aspiring young farmers and ranchers. In this episode, host Taylor Muglia sits down with Benú Amun-Ra, Tanisha Diggs, and Óscar Vital, three Fellows from right here in Colorado. They talk about their land access goals, how it can be even harder for BIPOC to access agricultural land, capital, and resources, and they share their policy suggestions for the 2023 Farm Bill as a part of the One Million Acres for the Future Campaign—an initiative to ensure that land is equitably transitioned to the next generation of farmers.   Instagram - @youngfarmers Facebook youngfarmers.org Land Advocacy Fellowship NYFC National Survey Report One Million Acres for the Future Campaign

Caroline Caldwell is a rancher, academic, traveller, Corgi-owner, and Quivira's very own Northern Plains Manager here at the New Agrarian Program. In this episode, we pick Caroline's brain about land transition and her work with American Farmland Trust, her perspective on how new agrarians can find success without inheriting land, and what qualities you can work on to become a great ranch manager. Find Caroline on Instagram Photo credits: Charles Sullivan, Ada Smith, Bart Morris

If you've ever had to rush through evening chores, change your smelly boots, and make it to town in time for a date, this podcast will feel very relevant to you. Martha Skelley, Farm and Livestock Manager at Paicines Ranch sits down to talk about her "fast-tracked" path into agriculture, the general culture of workaholism she has noticed and embodied during her career, and the reality check of wanting more out of life (Ahem... Romance? Hobbies? Kids?) after being laser-focused, and quite successful, in reaching her career goals for the past 12 years.

Formally, you might know Donne Gonzales as the Los Sembradores Farm Trainer & Youth Education Coordinator at the New Mexico Acequia Association, but it's impossible to parse out where her personal passions end and her professional work begins. In this episode, Donne teaches about the magic of acequias, her work teaching farming skills (however big or small a garden might be) and preserving the traditions of her community for future generations. If you need a heaping dose of farming motivation, give this episode a listen!

In this episode of Regeneration Rising, NAP's Taylor Muglia sits down with Caleb Valdez, a young rancher and owner of Uncompahgre Farms in Montrose, CO. Caleb has built his grassfed beef business from scratch, starting out by knocking on doors of neighbors with land to see if he could graze his small cattle herd. He talks about building a rapport with the community, crafting a brand, using his background in wildland firefighting to use fire as a management tool, and his experience as a young person committed to growing a ranching business. Find Uncompahgre Farms on Instagram.

Caity Roberts, 2nd year Apprentice/Apprentice Coordinator at Ferrell Ranch/4L Grazing in Beaumont, Kansas sits down to talk about her journey in agriculture, and particularly how she has learned to care for her mental health and mindset while working on vineyards and ranches. Caity has helped Ferrell Ranch build their own apprenticeship program and has discovered the beauty and joy of living in the Flint Hills of Kansas.

Quivira Coalition's Taylor Muglia sits down with Geoffrey Van, Program Director of the Changing Hands Program at Rogue Farm Corps. Geoffrey talks about a childhood surrounded by concrete in Hong Kong, then moving to the US and finding his passion in farming, first on a goji berry farm, and then in raising livestock. He found himself learning butchery in Brooklyn, New York for a bit, which solidified his love for soil and being outside in the countryside. He started his own operation with some friends called Spoon Full Farm in 2017, then decided to walk away from that venture and help other farmers develop business plans and navigate the resources for starting a farm through the Changing Hands Program. We talk business plans, dreaming smaller, and advocating for what you need for a healthy life balance.

In this episode we speak with Shalini Karra. She's the Holistic Livestock Manager at Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark, California. Shalini didn't come from an agricultural background, but took several important opportunities - including a New Agrarian Program apprenticeship and working with Gabe Brown - that allowed her to develop a career in regenerative agriculture. She talks about the bumps in the road, but also some things that never lose their magic, including a healthy baby lamb.

Shepherdess, mother, and generational farmer Elena Miller- ter Kuile tells us more about the history of her family's operation, Cactus Hill Farm in La Jara, CO. She explains how she revived the sheep operation and developed a fiber business, with eyes on a direct-market lamb enterprise. Her family also helps run the farm operation with alfalfa, grains, and vegetables. Motherhood on the ranch has presented challenges, as well as sexism and racism, but Elena encourages other young people in regenerative agriculture to keep pursuing their dreams, and ignore the haters. Content Warning: We get a little graphic in our conversation regarding animal and human birthing processes. (But it really gave us a good laugh!)   Find Elena and Cactus Hill Farm on Facebook and Instagram.

In this episode, Taylor Muglia with Quivira Coalition's New Agrarian Program interviews Kate Mannix. She's a rancher, a natural dye/fiber artist, an employee at the Blackfoot Challenge, and former New Agrarian Program apprentice! Kate walks us through her path into ranching, her apprenticeship experience, and how she found her true community in Helmville, Montana. Along the way, she gives new agrarians some great advice about getting a foothold in regenerative ranching and finding a meaningful life doing it.

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 - @groundedgrassfedInstagram - @groundedgrassfedSonoma Mountain InstituteGrounded Grassfed    Music attribution: Wanderlust by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.comAttribution 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.auMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.comAttribution 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.auMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.comAttribution 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.