Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast

In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we speak with two North Dakota farmers who represent the future of agriculture.

Jake Callander is a farmer raised on a 3,000 acre conventional farm who now runs his own market garden farm with sales of delicious fruits and vegetables direct to customers. Jake is also the facilitator of the Farm Beginnings program with FARRMS (Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resources Manage...

In today's episode, we speak with soil health expert Jon Stika about lessons from his career and his influential book A Soil Owner's Manual: How to Restore and Maintain Soil Health.

Listen to the episode to learn how to apply the principles of soil health to any farm, ranch, or garden. Listen to deepen your understanding of how healthy soil is supposed to function, and how healthy soil has many cost benefits to a farmer'...

In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we talk with Mary Keena of NDSU Research Extension Center about how to compost dead livestock and manure.

Listen to the episode to discover how Mary became North Dakota's go-to expert on manure and mortality management, and to learn the 4 steps for composting livestock that dies before making it to market.

This episode was produced by Crista Fiala, with theme music provided by...

In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we talk with folks from Ducks Unlimited about how wetlands and grasslands are not only good for ducks, but for soil health and working farms and ranches.

Join us for our conversation with Robert Ford, a biologist for Ducks Unlimited, and Emily Schwartz, an agronomist. We speak with Robert and Emily out on a protected wetland site, during the spring migration season.

In this episod...

In this episode we ask: how can a birds-eye view of flyover country help us to rethink our approach to grasslands conservation with the help of farmers and ranchers? To tackle this question, we take you to "Flyover Country," where we talk with three grassland bird researchers about how ranchers and conservationists can work together to preserve the prairie.

The episode features interviews with Dr. Susan Felege of the Fele...

In today's episode, we talk with the United Prairie Foundation to learn how seed collection, public outreach, and fire management work together to restore prairie ecosystems.

Throughout the episode, founder John Devries and biologist Patrice Delaney repeat the phrase "no fire, no prairie."

Listen to the episode to learn why fire is so vital to the prairie and to hear about how the United Prairie Foundation is working to "make prai...

In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we take a tour of local farmer Steve Enger's farm in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. Join us on the tour to learn why Steve adopted soil health principles and how he continues to learn about his soil while he digs for earthworms in his cover crops. Stick around to listen to Steve serve us a homemade lunch and to learn what he believes it will take for other farmers in t...

In this episode, we visit with Naeem Kalwar, soil health specialist at the NDSU Langdon Research Extension Center in North Dakota.

Naeem tells the story of growing up in Pakistan, where his father was an agronomy professor and his uncles farmed in a nearby village.

Today, Naeem helps to lead soil health initiatives in North Dakota.

Listen to our conversation to learn more about the principles of soil health, the fascinating biolo...

In Episode 3, we ask "what does it take to change our minds and our relationships to land?" And, "how could we begin to think like a prairie?"

To explore these questions, we talk with Dr. Curt Meine, senior fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the Center for Humans and Nature.

Listen to the episode to learn how Aldo Leopold's mind changed about land over the course of his illustrious career. From his w...

In Episode 2, we talk with three incredible women working to restore grassland bird habitat in partnership with local farmers and ranchers.

In our first interview, we meet up with Jodie Provost and her hunting dog Ava at their restored prairie grassland in the Drift Prairie region of the Sheyenne River Valley. Jodie serves as the communications director of the North American Grouse Partnership, which is the only conservation organi...

In Episode 0, we introduce you to Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast. Join Dr. Josh Anderson on his journey through the rich and rugged landscapes of North Dakota, where he introduces a wide range of guests involved in conservation efforts.

Listen to Episode 0 to learn how Josh went from a professor of American literature in New England to a conservationist in his home state of North Dakota. Listen to learn how famed American author...

In Episode 1, we talk with Mike Jacobs, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and avid birder, whose column "Always in Season" has delighted readers and bird lovers in the Great Plains for over 40 years.

We met up with Mike at Kelly's Slough National Wildlife Refuge, which shares ground, water, and air space with the Grand Forks Air Force Base and supports migratory waterfowl and shore birds in North Dakota.