Marie Raboin shares the importance of farmer dates in new GrassCast podcast episode

The latest news from the Grassland 2.0 team on grassland-based agriculture and sustainable agriculture.

Author: Anne Nardi

Marie Raboin shares the importance of farmer dates in new GrassCast podcast episode

Marie Raboin is a Conservation Specialist for Dane County, Wisconsin. She has spent over a decade working in and around southern Wisconsin to get farmers to adopt conservation practices. She currently serves as an advisor on the Grassland 2.0 project, and this summer she sat down for an interview with GrassCast, the Grassland 2.0 podcast.

Introducing Grassland 2.0’s Digital Dialogue Series

Cows grazing at WICST. Photo by Finn Ryan

This fall Grassland 2.0 is hosting a 4-part Digital Dialogue focusing on the question – What are healthy agroecosystems? The series will explore the different aspects that make up a healthy agroecosystems and the benefits these systems have on people, farms, communities and the land.

Kevin Oppermann shares his most common questions from customers in new GrassCast podcast episode

Kevin Oppermann is a beef farmer at Highland Spring Farm south of Madison, Wisconsin where he raises Scottish Highland cattle. For Kevin, his time on the farm has progressed over time. He used to concentrate on the management full-time, but more and more, he has found his knack for direct marketing his beef.

Farming for the future: Research demonstrates the potential of pastures to sequester carbon

Story by Ashley Becker

What gives me hope for the future? Farmers. Farmers can shift our landscape towards agricultural systems that are regenerative and I admire those who have committed to adopting sustainable practices. As I travelled throughout Wisconsin collecting soil samples and conducting interviews at a range of grazing operations, it became evident that Wisconsin graziers should be listed among those regenerative farmers.

“In Her Boots” podcast provides a voice for women in organic and sustainable agriculture

The latest episode of the GrassCast podcast follows a different format than some of our previous episodes: we’re sharing a promotional trailer for a new podcast being released by our collaborators at the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service or MOSES.

Grassland 2.0 and Wormfarm Institute partnering for Fermentation Fest: Grassland Edition September 25th and 26th

Grassland 2.0 is happy to announce that it is partnering with the Wormfarm Institute to host Fermentation Fest: Grassland Edition! The festival features a two-day jamboree of live ”grassical” music, fermentation tastings and demonstrations, grazing demonstrations, art activities and local food. The event will showcase the promise and possibilities of regenerative agriculture to support healthy ecosystems, communities and people across the rural-urban continuum.

Where do plant-based milk substitutes fit into the Grassland 2.0 vision?

There is a debate raging over plant-based milk substitutes (PBMS). These include beverages made from soy, rice, almond, cashew and other nuts (apparently, you can make “milk” from any kind of tree nut), coconut, oats, and hemp. They’re all white and opaque like milk, but I won’t call them “milks” because that’s one of the sources of controversy.

Midwest bumble bees declined with more farmed land, less diverse crops since 1870

As farmers cultivated more land and began to grow fewer types of crops over the last 150 years, most native bumble bee species became rarer in Midwestern states.

New research reveals that these species declined while the average number of different crops grown in these states was cut in half and as modern agriculture began to focus on intensive production of corn and soybeans. A handful of hardy species continue to thrive today, but they also seem to prefer areas with a more diverse assortment of crops such as hay, beans, potatoes and oats in addition to corn and soy.

Land stewardship mirrors agroecological change at Sinsinawa Mound

If we seek to truly regenerate the land, we must do the same in our own communities. This connection between the health of the land and the health of our communities is abundantly clear at the Sinsinawa Mound located just east of Dubuque. The Catholic sisters at Sinsinawa Mound live and work in this parallel, recognizing these processes as equally ecological, social, and spiritual transformations.

Research on Agro-IBIS aims to estimate the ecological and economic benefits of grazing and cover-cropping

Every day, people in the agricultural sector, from farmers to advisers and planners, need to make tough decisions to balance the increasing demand for food, fiber, biofuel, and clean water. These decisions are only getting more complex due to new crop varieties, climate change, shifting markets, government policies, and changing human demands.