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Thanks for joining us, today we welcome Doniga Markegard a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher, speaker, and author. Doniga and Monte have a wonderful conversation discussing the methods Doniga and her family are using to graze their animals, how they observe and interact with nature, to lead towards a more biodiverse and balanced ecosystem and they are seeing incredible results. Along with her husband and four children, Doniga owns and operates Markegard Family Grass-Fed raising grass-fed beef, lamb, pastured pork and chicken supplying the Bay Area with local, nutrient dense foods. The family ranch leases land through out the Bay Area spanning over 11,000 acres. Doniga Markegard is a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher, speaker, and author of Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild and Wolf Girl: Finding Myself in the Wild. Her teen years in nature school started her on a path that led to a career in animal tracking and then permaculture and ranching in at her farm in California, Markegard Family Grass-Fed, where she works to regenerate both soil and community through farming. Using the innovative, carbon-storing methods of regenerative ranching, she's restoring the land she tends, bringing native grasses and wildlife back. Doniga is a consultant and guest instructor at Nature Awareness Programs around the country, has led retreats in places such as 1440 Multiversity, Canyon Ranch and is a regular speaker at events such as the Bioneers Conference, Food Inspiration Trendsummit, and The Grassfed Exchange. She is a certified educator with Holistic Management International. She has worked with companies such as Patagonia, Tesla and Google, and has been featured in articles from Civil Eats, FastCompany, GreenBiz, The San Francisco Examiner, and NPR. Most recently she has been featured in the film Kiss the Ground available on Netflix. Along with her husband and four children, Doniga owns and operates Markegard Family Grass-Fed LLC raising grass-fed beef, lamb, pastured pork and chicken supplying the Bay Area with local, nutrient dense foods. The family ranch leases land through out the Bay Area spanning over 11,000 acres. Doniga's work expands beyond her family ranch into policy and advocacy. She has organized a stakeholder working group at the State Capital for small dairy herds. She then took the lead on legislation that would enable family farms to be more sustainable and utilize pasture in an economical and productive way. Doniga's deep observation experience aids in her ability to monitor grassland health, biodiversity and to manage land based on the principles and patterns found in nature. Doniga is passionate about large-scale restoration of Western Rangelands through cattle grazing. The Markegard Family has forged partnerships with some of the largest land trust groups in California, private landowners, as well as regional open space parks. Each ranch has a grazing plan and conservation management plan developed in conjunction with landowners and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. She is dedicated to finding ways to regenerate lands and community through ranching practices that build soil, sequester carbon, capture and purify water and enhance habitat. Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we'll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we'd love to hear from you.
Doniga Markegard is a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher, speaker, and author of Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild and Wolf Girl: Finding Myself in the Wild. Along with her husband and four children, Doniga owns and operates Markegard Family Grass-Fed LLC raising grass-fed beef, lamb, pastured pork, and chicken supplying the San Fransisco Bay Area with local, nutrient-dense foods. Doniga's deep observation experience aids in her ability to monitor grassland health and biodiversity, and to manage land based on the principles and patterns found in nature. She is dedicated to finding ways to regenerate lands and communities through ranching practices that build soil, sequester carbon, capture and purify water and enhance habitat. She has worked with companies such as Patagonia, Tesla and Google, and has been featured in articles from Civil Eats, FastCompany, GreenBiz, The San Francisco Examiner, and NPR. Most recently she has been featured in the film Kiss the Ground available on Netflix. https://www.markegardfamily.com/Become a Patreon Member today! Get access to podcast bonus segments, ask questions to podcast guests, and even suggest future podcast guests while supporting Warwick: https://www.patreon.com/journeyonpodcastWarwick has over 650 Online Training Videos that are designed to create a relaxed, connected, and skilled equine partner. Start your horse training journey today!https://videos.warwickschiller.com/Check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarwickschillerfanpageWatch hundreds of free Youtube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/warwickschillerFollow us on Instagram: @warwickschiller
Every now and then you meet someone when they are smack dab in the middle of being molded by the universe into who they will later become. You get a front row seat to a pivotal moment for them when everything changed or came together or they took that first step towards the rest of their life. If you stick around long enough you may even get to see where they were led. This week's guest was 16 years old in 1997 when we met at the Wilderness Awareness School (WAS) in Redmond, Washington. I was 23. Doniga Markegard is a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher, speaker, and author of Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild and Wolf Girl: Finding Myself in the Wild. Her teen years in nature school started her on a path that led to a career in animal tracking and then permaculture and ranching in at her farm in California, Markegard Family Grass-Fed, where she works to regenerate both soil and community through farming. Using the innovative, carbon-storing methods of regenerative ranching, she's restoring the land she tends, bringing native grasses and wildlife back. Here are some things you'll discover in this episode: What regenerative agriculture practices are and why they matter.How we can work with the rhythms of nature to heal the land and ourselves.The importance of staying connected to where our food comes from, who grows it and how.The teachings from Lakota elder and our mentor Gilbert Walking Bull that shaped her and her philosophy of stewardship.Ways to reconnect to nature, impact your local food system and understanding that using these practices it's proven to work to restore biodiversity, soil health and regenerate lands.and so more… Enjoy! Connect with Doniga Markegard here: Website:: https://www.markegardfamily.com/Instagram:: https://www.instagram.com/dawn.again/ Quick note, I just want to say thank you for listening to this episode. I know it means a lot to myself and my guests. If you enjoyed this episode, you will also like: Episode #21: Erin Sharaf: The Intersection of Mindfulness and Magic Episode #38: Chris Kresser: Adapt, Thrive and Flourish Episode #14: Palek Patel:The Power of Food to Heal Community What can you do to support this channel? Subscribe, every new listener counts to us!Engage, we are a community who supports each otherLeave a review, let us know what you thinkShare, know others who may get some value - then share out channel MORE ABOUT DONIGA MARKEGARD: Doniga Markegard is a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher, speaker, and author of Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild and Wolf Girl: Finding Myself in the Wild. Her teen years in nature school started her on a path that led to a career in animal tracking and then permaculture and ranching in at her farm in California, Markegard Family Grass-Fed, where she works to regenerate both soil and community through farming. Using the innovative, carbon-storing methods of regenerative ranching, she's restoring the land she tends, bringing native grasses and wildlife back. Doniga is a consultant and guest instructor at Nature Awareness Programs around the country, has led retreats in places such as 1440 Multiversity, Canyon Ranch and is a regular speaker at events such as the Bioneers Conference, Food Inspiration Trendsummit, and The Grassfed Exchange. She is a certified educator with Holistic Management International. She has worked with companies such as Patagonia, Tesla and Google, and has been featured in articles from Civil Eats, FastCompany, GreenBiz, The San Francisco Examiner, and NPR. Most recently she has been featured in the film Kiss the Ground available on Netflix. Along with her husband and four children, Doniga owns and operates Markegard Family Grass-Fed LLC raising grass-fed beef, lamb, pastured pork and chicken supplying the Bay Area with local, nutrient dense foods. The family ranch leases land through out the Bay Area spanning over 11,000 acres.
We love to challenge ourselves to broaden the way we look at our health. Living a healthy life is a very large concept and it's always refreshing to look at it from a new perspective. Our guest this week, Doniga Markegard, helps us do just that. Doniga Markegard is a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher, speaker, and author of Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild and Wolf Girl: Finding Myself in the Wild. Doniga Markegard has a background in nature and permaculture. This has given her a perspective on the real risks that we are facing as a species. In her youth, she was mentored by some of the leading wildlife trackers, naturalists and Native spiritual elders. She spent years alone and with a small group of passionate youth in the Western Washington Wilderness learning the ways of the ancestors, immersing in nature, bird language, survival skills, and wildlife tracking. Along with her husband and four children, Doniga owns and operates Markegard Family Grass-Fed LLC raising grass-fed beef, lamb, pastured pork, chicken, and dairy supplying the Bay Area with local, nutrient-dense foods. The family ranch leases land throughout the Bay Area spanning over 10,000 acres. She is dedicated to finding ways to regenerate lands and community through ranching practices that build soil, sequester carbon, capture and purify water and enhance habitat. In this week's episode, Doniga introduces us to the world of permaculture, regenerative agriculture, and shows us how to find our 6th sense, intuition, and inner knowing. Doniga walks us through her upbringing as a non-traditional student and how this led her to be able to cultivate relationships with both nature and our own human nature. She teaches us how we can leave more life in the world than we take, how we can create strong relationships with ourselves by connecting to nature, practical tips to find your 6th sense, intuition, and inner knowing, and how we can all play a small role in restoring carbon back into the soil. You'll definitely learn something new from this episode whether or not you are new to these concepts, and we know you'll come away from this episode feeling inspired to connect more deeply to nature no matter where you live. We truly hope you enjoy this episode. If you find this episode valuable, please share it with a friend. Your support helps our show grow, and we cannot thank you enough! Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and let us know what your favorite part of this episode is. We are now choosing one review to read every week live on the show. If you want to hear yours, be sure to leave one! Love, Meg & Maggi Find us on social media: Instagram: @themegandmaggipodcast @maggifitzpatrick @meganross___ Facebook: The Meg and Maggi Podcast TikTok: @themegandmaggipodcast YouTube: The Meg and Maggi Podcast Connect with Doniga: Instagram: @dawn.again Website: https://www.markegardfamily.com/ Buy Doniga's Book Here
Doniga Markegard is a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher, speaker, and author of Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild and Wolf Girl: Finding Myself in the Wild. In this episode, Cheryl and Doniga talk about the connection between our health and the health of the soil. Doniga's teen years in nature school started her on a path that led to a career in animal tracking and then permaculture and ranching at her farm in California, Markegard Family Grass-Fed, where she works to regenerate both soil and community through farming. Using the innovative, carbon-storing methods of regenerative ranching, she's restoring the land she tends, bringing native grasses and wildlife back. Doniga is a consultant and guest instructor at nature awareness programs around the country, has led retreats in places such as 1440 Multiversity, Canyon Ranch, and is a regular speaker at events such as the Bioneers Conference, Food Inspiration Trendsummit, and The Grassfed Exchange. She is a certified educator with Holistic Management International. Most recently, she has been featured in the film Kiss the Ground which is available on Netflix. If you enjoy this conversation, please leave a review in your podcast app. CancerTalks is a platform for anyone who has been touched by cancer. If you'd like to be in community with other cancer thrivers seeking personal transformation join us on Zoom - every other Thursday at 5 pm Pacific. Visit cancertalks.com/zoom to register. CancerTalks is an inter-dependent community project with a production team of three and we count on your contributions. We'd like to thank Carolyn Buck-Luce and Rob Evans for their contribution. If you've learned from or been inspired by these conversations please consider joining Carolyn and Rob and becoming a donor. To support us starting at $5 a month, or to make a larger tax-deductible contribution, visit Patreon.com/cancertalks. Doniga's Reading List: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Grow Wild and Move your DNA by Katy Bowman
Regenerative ranching is a balance between agriculture and nature, using mindful restoration methods and making space for the wild. In the latest podcast, Lauren speaks with Doniga Markegard, a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher at Markegard Family Grassfed and author of Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild and Wolf Girl: Finding Myself in the Wild. They discuss how to retain, protect, and restore the wild spaces around them while nurturing the "wildness" that's innate within each of us and the habitats we influence.
Whether tracking wolves across the Pacific Northwest, or shepherding cattle across California’s coastal prairie grasslands, Doniga Markegard aims not just to tend the land but to become one with its inhabitants.Doniga’s 2017 memoir, Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild details all of the ways this intrepid tracker-turned-rancher has tackled the fundamental question of nature connection, from the tumultuous adolescence which led her to wilderness survival training, to professional wildlife tracking, to holistic land management, and eventually to the idyllic rolling hills where the Markegard Family Farm continues to grow and expand just south of San Francisco.She’s got a great story and a really unique perspective, and it was such a pleasure for me to be able to visit the Markegard’s ranch and pick Doniga’s brain for the better part of an hour about life out on the coastal prairie.As you’ll hear, our conversation was recorded in two parts: I arrived in the early evening, and we sat down at Doniga’s kitchen table for the first half. Before sunset we took a break so Doniga could take care of evening chores with the animals, and by the time we were ready to start up again the family had gotten home and taken over the house, so we moved to the barn from there, and you’ll hear chest freezers humming behind us.In the first half we get a sense of who Doniga is and what she’s all about, and in the second half the conversation shifts focus to the hazy elephant in the room: the wildfire smoke that was blanketing the ranch and the entire region during my visit.Thankfully, despite the hardships Doniga had some really encouraging and optimistic thoughts to share, and that’s always a relief to hear from someone with boots on the ground doing the hard work of restoring land on a pretty massive scale.
Most of us have removed ourselves from the natural dance and cycles of nature. We see ourselves as separate from all of the other living creatures and this has a negative impact on our health. We can turn things around by reconnecting with the wild--spending time in nature, observing the ecosystem & wildlife all around us, and basking in its beauty and rhythms. On today's episode, Doniga Markegard, regenerative rancher, naturalist, and author of “Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild,” explores the topic of nature's role in our health. She challenges us to consider how each choice we make leads to either a regenerative or a degenerative lifestyle. Doniga tells the story of her own unconventional childhood and youth. She goes deep and explains beautifully what it means to live a truly healthy lifestyle. Our diet--even if filled with healthy, nutrient-dense foods--is a part of it, but not the whole. Doniga walks the talk and this conversation will inspire all to live more in tune with the world around us. For more on Doniga, visit her website: markegardfamily.com Check out our sponsor: Green Pasture Sign up or learn more about our Wise Traditions conference here. Check out our two California events: Calling All Lunch Ladies and Pasadena Potluck
Author of Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild and regenerative rancher Doniga brings a perspective rooted in nature. She has a background in wildlife tracking and permaculture. In her youth, she was mentored by some of the leading wildlife trackers, naturalists, and Native spiritual elders. She spent years alone and with a small group of passionate youth in the Western Washington Wilderness learning the ways of the ancestors, immersing in nature, bird language, survival skills, and wildlife tracking. Along with her husband and four children, Doniga owns and operates Markegard Family Grass-Fed LLC raising grass-fed beef, lamb, pastured pork, chicken and dairy supplying the Bay Area with local, nutrient-dense foods. The family ranch leases coastal ranches throughout the Bay Area spanning over 10,000 acres. She is dedicated to finding ways to regenerate lands and community through ranching practices that build soil, sequester carbon, capture and purify water and enhance habitat. Show Sponsored by: Four Sigmatic - http://www.foursigmatic.com Use code: DIYS to save 10% on your order Keto Kookie - http://ketokookie.com?aff=156 Use Code: DIYS to save 10% on your order Mistobox Coffee Club - http://mbox.coffee/Y9FA Use Code: DIYS to save $10 on your subscription Full Shownotes: http://www.dirtinyourskirt.com Join the Facebook Group: http://www.dirtinyourskirt.com/tribe Support the Show: http://www.dirtinyourskirt.com/support
On this episode of the Sustainable Dish podcast, I talk with Doniga Markegard about wilderness immersion school, wildlife tracking and her new book Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild.
Can agriculture be a sustainable path forward? This is the main question surrounding today's episode: Can we use the same technology that, arguably, has been one of the single-most destructive advents in the epoch of human history to move or usher us forward into a time where we're projected to hit an all-time population density of 9.5 BILLION people by 2050? With global desertification, warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets, glacial retreats, decreased snow cover, rising sea levels, declining arctic sea ice, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events… What tools do we have at our disposal? How can we make an impact where it seems like none can be made? That's what we're here to find out. And why, in today's episode, my guest Doniga Markegard shares with us: Her amazing story of triumph as a child being taught traditional ecological knowledge through an experimental wilderness school in the Pacific Northwest, What holistic planned grazing is and what that means for the future of agriculture, Doniga dispels the jargon around grass-fed, finished, pastured, and free-range, and... Much, much, more... Episode Breakdown Doniga talks about her past with wildlife tracking and permaculture Doniga explains an ah-ha moment that came from a time when she was young and thrown from her horse Doniga briefly speaks about her time as a teenager in an experimental wildlife school in Washington Why Doniga tracked wolves in Yellowstone and what that meant for the biodiversity of the ecosystem Doniga talks about her new book (Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild) that is being released this fall Why Doniga is excited to work with Proprioception Press Doniga briefly shares a few experiences she has while traveling alongside wolves and other wild animals Why Doniga says her culmination of past experiences has led her to discover holistic ways of stewardship How Doniga's particular style of land management mimics the trophic cascade of predator, prey, and plants Doniga makes a big distinction between traditional ranch lifestyle and traditional industrialized agriculture The similarities between Doniga and Allan Savory Why tracking is so important and how that helps you develop your personal awareness Doniga mentions what she believes to be the sixth sense Why the Bay Area has is so prolific and why it may be a wild food foragers paradise Why Doniga says it's important that people realize that these grasslands evolved with grazers Why holistic land management is about people, planet, and profit The difference between grass-fed and finished beef Why Doniga says Cowspiracy is extreme vegan propaganda Why Doniga has gripes about the word Organic The difference between traditional and conventional agriculture Doniga breaks down the problem of desertification and why we need grassland grazers to help build carbon in our soil Why practicing survival skills and challenging herself within the rigors of the wild helped shape Doniga into the steward she is today Doniga gives solid tips for the consumer to move forward with becoming a steward of the land herself And much, much more...
Today we talk with author, rancher, and wildlife tracker Doniga Markegard ...about her new book, Dawn Again - Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild. Listen to Doniga's talk about her journey from her early days in wilderness immersion school to tracking wolves to running a ranch. Attention! The Dawn Again Book Launch Party is Coming Up! On the show, Doniga mentions her book launch party, coming up on October 29th. Hurry and get your tickets, here: dawnagainbooklaunch.bpt.me Come celebrate the launch of Dawn Again with Doniga and us, get your book signed, and have an amazing lunch and party at the Markegard Ranch! Dawn Again with Doniga Markegard We are excited to have a very special guest today. We met her last year in November, when we visited the Markegard ranch in Northern California. We were really struck by the beauty and harmony of the environment there. Rolling green hills met ocean and sky and it felt like we were taken thousands of years back to a time when people and nature lived in harmony. We got to experience the deep nourishing quality of the local food and learn a little about how humans and land can have a hopeful future together. We wanted to know more and knew our listeners would love that, too. When we heard today’s guest, Doniga Markegard had written a book, we reached out to get her on the show. We’ve just finished reading her book, Dawn Again – Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild, and we love it, and can’t wait for you to hear all about it. Topics Discussed 1. Please tell us a bit about your day. What does it look like living on a ranch? Is that much different than the life of say, your great- grandparents who had their homestead? What do you do in a day and how do you balance all the care for the ranch, the customers, motherhood, homeschool? What's a day in the life of Doniga? 2. Can you explain to our listeners what permaculture is and how the way we have tried to “cheat” nature is really leading to destruction of our land? How did we go so far off what is natural into what is now agriculture? 3. What is "grass farming ,"and how does movement of animals support the ecosystem? What is the place of humans and raising animals in the natural cycle? Is it possible that we can take and put back in? 4. We hear some arguments by different groups and lobbies that we don’t have enough land to feed everyone in a sustainable way? How do you feel about that? 5. Can you talk a bit about the difference between grassfed meat and commercial meat? What is the difference for the animal, for the planet and how does it affect us personally, healthwise? 6. Since eating food that is organic, farmed and sustainably raised can become very costly, what is some advice you have for people on a budget who still might want access to better food? 7. Say our listeners really want to develop a relationship with a farmer. What kind of questions can they ask the farmer to find out how they raise their animals? 8. How do we teach city kids about farming and animals and the connection between farming and nature? I grew up so close to all of this, yet my city raised step kids have no concept of land and animals. Where do we start? How has it been for your kids to grow up on a ranch? 9. Let’s tell our listeners about your book. I was so excited to read it and to be able to share it with others! Tell us what the book! And of course, when and where can they buy it? 10. With fall coming up, what is on your calendar and do you have any events or news you want us to tell people about? Book signings? Appearances? 11. Where can people find the ranch and more about you? About Doniga Markegard Doniga Markegard has a background in wildlife tracking, holistic management and permaculture. Along with her husband Erik and four children, Doniga lives on a coastal ranch in San Gregorio, CA. Doniga is passionate about finding ways to regenerate lands and community through practices that build soil, sequester carbon, capture and purify water and enhance habitat. Doniga has an immense passion for the natural world and helping others live a life of balance with the earth and all living things, leading a life of example where her own actions are deliberated into the health of the future generations. Dawn Again Book Links and Resources Dawn Again is currently available for pre-sale with a special, free bonus offer at donigamarkegard.com Get "Tracking for Beginners" free when you pre-order directly through the publisher through September! Pre-order your copy of Dawn Again through the publisher's site and get access to Tracking for Beginners, a special stand-alone 30-minute audio in which Doniga offers advice and tips to help you become more attuned to the nature around you, and the secrets and stories it holds. Dawn Again - Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild Earth care comes alive in this deeply moving personal story. With prose good enough to be called poetry, Doniga captures and explains the heart and soul of creation stewardship, bringing us on a profound journey of awakening and awareness. – Joel Salatin With chapters on food, permaculture, and more, Dawn Again dives into Doniga’s real-life experiences while equipping readers with practical knowledge. When Doniga tracks mountain lions with Erik, a rancher, she finds herself falling in love with more than just nature. She settles down on a cattle ranch on the California coast to start a family, and has to learn how to apply the deep, unshakeable lessons of the wild to her everyday life. Dawn Again takes readers along on Doniga’s journey: the wilderness immersion school where Indigenous elders and wildlife trackers were among her teachers, hitchhiking across the pacific northwest, the moment she first connected with a deer using owl eyes and fox walking techniques, and to Alaska where she fell in love with tracking white wolves and the rigor of wilderness survival. Through the Pacific Northwest forests and along the rugged coastal shores of California, Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild is a memoir of exploration and survival. To learn more about Doniga and her wonderful book, visit donigamarkegard.com Love the show? - Subscribe and Review the EatMoveLive52 Podcast Reviews help spread the word, big time! It only takes a minute to leave a quick one. And subscribing brings each show to you and your phone automatically! Subscribe or review on Apple/iTunes Subscribe or review on Podbean Subscribe or review on Stitcher Subscribe or review on Google Play Use the rss feed in your favorite podcast app Our podcast theme music is "Protofunk" by Kevin MacLeod of incompetech.com. Licensed under Creative Commons 3.0. Talk soon, Roland & Galina