Podcasts about Great Plains

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The EU is trying to hit back, they have now placed 50% tariff on steel imports, this will destroy their economy. The fake news is now building the narrative that Trump has caused a recession. It has begun. Trump has trapped the [DS]/[CB] in the tariff money, he will use it to push the reversal of the impoundment act of 1974. Trump is now setting the stage. He putting all the pieces in place. He is moving the NG into position, he is building the narrative for the insurrection so the people understand what is about to happen. Comey is now isolated, in the game of chess you isolate the knight, the pressure is now on Comey. Trump has the leverage and the people are with him, the polls show this.   Economy EU proposes 50% steel tariffs to counter Trump The European Commission has proposed a 50% tariff on steel imports above an annual quota, claiming the move will protect the EU's metals industry from international competition and US duties. An agreement struck earlier this year by EC President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump, viewed in the EU as lopsided, set a baseline 15% US tariff on most exports from the bloc, but left steel and aluminum at 50%. Source: rt.com  Steel-using sectors like automotive, construction, and appliances—consuming millions of tonnes annually—face rising input prices, potentially adding to production costs and consumer inflation. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) has warned the measures "go too far," risking competitiveness in global markets.  Diverted cheap steel could flood unprotected markets, but within the EU, it may lead to shortages or imbalances if quotas are exhausted quickly. This protectionism could spark retaliatory tariffs, fracturing global trade and harming EU exporters.  Analyses suggest short-term gains for steel (e.g., price floors) are outweighed by long-term damage, including higher overall prices and reduced efficiency in integrated value chains. Emerging markets might see surplus dumping, indirectly pressuring EU trade partners.  the tariffs are likely to hurt parts of the EU economy—particularly downstream industries through higher costs and potential inflation—but they could provide a net benefit to the steel sector by saving jobs and enabling sustainability investments.  The Trump recession may already be upon us A Trump recession is reportedly already crashing down on many American families, and Republicans have only themselves to blame. Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C., are experiencing recessions, while another 13 states are flashing serious economic warning signs, according to an estimate from economic research firm Moody's. Moody's finds that both red and blue states are being dragged into these poor economic circumstances, but those two groups won't hurt equally. Contracting red states, like Iowa and West Virginia, are already struggling to overcome the hangover effects of Trump's sweeping cuts to federal services. Those states are now more vulnerable to sudden spikes in community need, such as for food assistance, which Trump's government slashed. As the United States careens toward a recession that Republicans swear isn't real, it will be the nation's low-income and working families who bear the brunt. If the economic situation continues degrading across the Great Plains and the Rust Belt, the GOP may soon find they have more than blue states' “soft secession” to worry about.

Food plots can be a beneficial tool for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, but do they serve the same purpose throughout the geographic range of white-tailed deer in the United States? Join Drew  and Joe as they discuss the uses of food plots, tips on what to plant, and when they are most productive in the Great Plains. Dr. Joe Gerken and Dr. Drew Ricketts are extension specialists and faculty members in the Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management Program at Kansas State University. Find out more about the program at http://hnr.k-state.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/wildlife-outdoor-management.html

In this episode of The Birdshot Podcast, Nick Larson welcomes Tom Carpenter, aka Carp, back to the show for a discussion on prairie grouse hunting and sharp-tail grouse hunting. Fresh off a couple of hunting trips, Tom shares his expertise and experiences in the Great Plains, hunting sharp-tails, prairie chickens, as well as the unique challenges of these beautiful birds. Carp also reflects on the joy of hunting with dogs and the importance of understanding grassland habitat for both the hunter and the bird. Tom Carpenter, affectionately known as Carp, is a seasoned bird hunter, author, and long-time advocate for prairie grouse. With decades of experience, Tom is passionate about hunting sharp-tails, prairie chickens, and other upland game birds across the Great Plains. He's spent countless days hunting with his bird dogs and has become a prominent voice in the upland hunting community, especially when it comes to prairie grouse. Expect to Learn Tom's experiences hunting prairie chickens in Minnesota and sharp-tails across the Midwest The best hunting strategies and terrain for finding prairie grouse Insights into managing a bird dog for prairie grouse hunting Tips on dog training during sharptail hunts and what makes prairie grouse hunting unique The importance of native grasses and proper grazing for the sharp-tailed habitatEpisode Breakdown with Timestamps: [00:00:00] - Introduction [00:06:18] - Success of hunting prairie chickens [00:10:01] - How prairie chickens differ from other upland birds  [00:14:09] - Difference between ankle-high grass, calf-high grass, and knee-high grass [00:22:15] - Have you ever put a snowberry in your mouth? [00:30:56] - How to train a bird dog [00:39:51] - Popcorn flushing  [00:42:49] - Breakdown of hills and wind direction [00:53:09] - Hunting in thick cover vs thinner hills [01:05:49] - Favorite sharp-tail recipe [01:16:42] -The pheasants forever journal [01:17:40] - Wrapping up the episode Follow the Guest Tom:  Tom as an Editor of Pheasants Forever: https://pheasantsforever.org/Newsroom/2018-April/Changing-of-the-Guard-Pheasants-Forever-Promotes-T.aspx  Company's Website: https://www.pheasantsforever.org  Company's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pheasantsforever  Company's Email: contact@pheasantsforever.org  Pheasant Hunting (book): https://amzn.to/46JZptD  Follow Host Nick: Instagram: @birdshot.podcast Website: www.birdshotpodcast.com Listening Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@birdshot.podcast SUPPORT | http://www.patreon.com/birdshotUse Promo Code | BSP20 to save 20% on https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app Use Promo Code | BS10 to save 10% on https://trulockchokes.com/ The Birdshot Podcast is Presented By: https://www.onxmaps.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beni Paulson is a North Dakota rancher who breeds, trainings, and sells bucking bulls, beef cattle, and country-western music that is more western than eastern. He sings of what he knows. And he's learned a thing or two about grazing to heal pieces of the northern Great Plains that were degraded through cropping and overgrazing. If you've never heard of the American Bucking Bull breed . . . I hadn't . . . tune in to this interview. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-167-beni-paulson-bucking-bull-breeding-country-music-and-good-grazing for the transcript of this interview and for links to resources mentioned in the show.

SPONSORS: 1) GHOSTBED: Right now, as a Julian Dorey listener, you can get 25% off your order for a limited time. Just go to https://GhostBed.com/julian and use promo code JULIAN at checkout. WATCH PREVIOUS EPs w/ LUKE CAVERNS: EPISODE #272: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1y3J9LDyM8cYPj7a5ZqG7M?si=c4d36462976b48fb EPISODE #271: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cFYnkOaUMCS3tJbp7oLjt?si=tjgrw-T_TX2Xp_JnexqXpg EPISODE #176: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2tHWPYnu8MDfIn4O4jA4oo?si=69874d0df0c040a6 EPISODE # 175: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wK2JCEiy7KZbkhKquh29n?si=87146b35294e4b4a PATREON https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Luke Caverns is an Ancient Civilizations Historian, Researcher, and Anthropologist. He specializes in the lost civilizations of Egypt, South America & the Amazon Jungle. FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey LUKE LINKS - YT: https://www.youtube.com/@lukecaverns - X: https://twitter.com/lukecaverns JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 - Intro 01:15 – Hotel Julian, Luke's Books, Meso America, Cortez, Aztecs, Olmecs, Teotihuacán 12:15 – Mercenaries, Lake Texcoco, Betrayal, Aztec Empire, Military-State 24:25 – Two Phases, Talud Tablero, Blueprint, Loyalty, 1519 Peak, Rome, Bartering, Gold 34:39 – Polarizing, Spaniards vs Aztecs, Tenochtitlan, Maya, Montezuma, Warfare, D3aths 43:56 – Tenochtitlan, Cortés, Cabral, 1500–1700, Flower Moon, Summer Moon, Civilization 54:42 – Primordial America, Great Plains, Comanches, Expansion 1:02:05 – Cortés, Gods?, Disease, March to Tenochtitlan, 150 Men 1:07:25 – Conquering, Smallpox, Peru, Temples, Geoglyphs 1:18:01 – Amazon, Garden Theory, Clickbait, Preservation 1:26:12 – Conquest, Olmecs, Coatzacoalcos, Agriculture, 17 Heads, Transport, Engineering 1:34:34 – Aliens?, Gods, Psychedelics, Ego Death, Shamanism 1:49:02 – Middle Ground, Understudied, Progress, Family, Athens 1:57:46 – Troy, Greece vs Americas, History Beneath, Squanto 2:13:00 – Croatoans, Broken Spears, Colonial History, Fort San Juan, Bias 2:23:04 – Transatlantic Accent, Olmecs, Monument 19 2:33:06 – Olmecs vs Maya, Stone of Kings, Trade, La Danta, El Tigre, El Mirador, Macchu Picchu 2:47:51 – Ancient City Patterns, Fibonacci, Tuning In 3:01:48 – Luke's Work CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 341 - Luke Caverns Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The American pronghorn is North America's most unique big game animal, a Great Plains living relic from the end of the Ice Age—a creature of speed, agility and beauty that once shared the landscape with the American cheetah, lions, dire wolves, steppe bison. The pronghorn has outlasted them all to become an icon of the wide open spaces and a species honored and beloved (if sometimes cursed in frustration) by anyone who has ever hunted them. But now, the pronghorn, like the American Great Plains ecosystem, needs our help. Beset by the disruption of migration corridors, the conversion of prairie to farmland, development of every kind, loss of sagebrush steppe to fire and invasive plants, ill-considered fences, and the list of challenges goes on. Each challenge has a solution. Join us for a conversation with hunter-conservationists Erik Dippold of Washington state, and Brock Wahl of South Dakota, and learn about the newly launched American Pronghorn Foundation, a BHA partner-org dedicated to making sure this ancient and noble species thrives in our fast-changing world.  

In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, writers Ian Frazier and Cora Frazier discuss the art of writing humor and the family stories they mine for comedy. Ian Frazier is the author of Travels in Siberia, Great Plains, On the Rez, Lamentations of the Father and Coyote V. Acme, among other works, all published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. His latest work, Paradise Bronx: The Life and Times of New York's Greatest Borough, is his magnum opus: a love song to New York City's most heterogeneous and alive borough. He graduated from Harvard University and is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey.Cora Frazier is a writer of humor and fiction based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, McSweeney's, The New York Times, n+1, and Saturday Night Live. She is the co-creator and writer of the psychological thriller and Audible Original I Think You're Projecting.Cora is also a teacher and speaker. She has taught first-year writing, literature, and journalism at the City University of New York and creative writing at Rutgers University and New York University. She has given talks on humor writing at the University of Colorado Boulder and the Amsterdam Writing Workshops.Resources:Harvard LampoonJIm Downey Jack HandeyPatricia MarxNightlight: A Twilight Parody by The Harvard Lampoon Will Rogers Quotes William Trevor Girl by Jamaica Kincaid George Trow Cora's Harvard Gazette piece Alan DershowitzIan's Mi Chiamo Stan pieceBooks:A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events.The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids' Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch!Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.comSocial: @watchungbooksellersSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

Buildings and light pollution are taking a heavy toll on migrating birds. Some cities in the Midwest and Great Plains are working to fix that._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

In this episode of the NWTF Turkey Call All Access Podcast NWTF staff members from the Great Plains region explore the vital connection between wild turkeys, riparian ecosystems, and NWTF's Waterways for Wildlife Initiative. Together, they break down why riparian corridors—those narrow but powerful “ribbons of life” along rivers and streams—are so important to turkeys, hundreds of other wildlife species and the communities who depend on them. Listeners will hear firsthand how science and research are guiding conservation decisions in the Great Plains, the on-the-ground work NWTF and its partners are doing to restore and protect waterways and the lasting impact this initiative will have on wildlife and people alike. From invasive species removal to landowner collaboration, this conversation highlights how Waterways for Wildlife is shaping a healthier, more resilient future for America's Great Open Spaces.

For this episode, we will depart from the usual back road or mountain trail, far from where the Great Plains, the Ozark Mountains and the Indian Territory collide for the cobble stone street of London, 1854. This story has all the elements of a good Within The Realm tale: A significant event in an overlooked place, this time just with an English accent! Our story involves a doctor on the cutting edge, a neighborhood facing an overwhelming problem and a pump handle.     A dipiction of Dr. Snow's map.    A replica of the Broad Street pump sits just outside a pub named in honor of the good doctor.   SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ARTIST! SUPPORT INDEPENDENT VOICES! Episode archive, news and more! Check out all we have to offer at withinpodcast.com! Want to advertise, sponsor or otherwise support Within The Realm? Visit with us at contact@withinpodcast.com or Support Within The Realm  Our wonderful sponsors! It's important, now more than ever, to support folks like us! jandjpoolsafety@gmail.com katchakid.com Katchakid has a 100% safety rating and have maintained that for over 50 years. That's a lot of safety and plenty of peace of mind when it comes to your pool and your family. Music: The Right Direction by Shane Ivers Martin Mountain Coffee: Small Batch Roaster for an Artisan Cup of Coffee! Check out Martin Mountain Coffee's signature Within The Realm Blend "Story Teller's Roast!" We won't be mad if you try the other great blends and roasts! Better yet, try a sample pack! It's better on the Mountain! Contact Us! Facebook: @withintherealm1 Instagram: within_the_realm contact@withinpodcast.com Now on Bluesky! https://bsky.app/profile/sfg64.bsky.social   Within The Realm is a fiercly Independent podcast written and produced by Steve Garrett for the enjoyment of the curious soul. WTR intro: Sweat Shirt (S. Garrett) WTR outro: Baby Boy (S. Garrett) Available for speaking engagements! Check out the website for details. withinpodcast.com Want to advertise, sponsor or otherwise support Within The Realm? Visit with us at contact@withinpodcast.com or Support Within The Realm  And as always, Thanks for listening!

Have you ever wondered how much life a tiny patch of land can hold? Nebraska scientist Chris Helzer photographed one square meter of prairie from every angle for two years, getting to know the creatures that call it home. By blending art and science, he hopes to open people's eyes to this underappreciated ecosystem on the Great Plains that is shrinking more and more every year.

The scariest part of the Dust Bowl is the very small amount we talk about it historically. The need for wheat during WW1 caused the wheat market to double. There was a lot of new agricultural land in the Southern Great Plains. Once the war was over, the government tried to prop up grain prices as best they could. In order to continue making the money they once did, farmers in the Southern Great Plains doubled down purchasing more land, and tearing more of the natural grasses from the earth. Then the Depression happened and prices for wheat bottomed out. Then drought hit the U.S. THEN the winds came. Without the native grasses holding down the top soil, the Great Plains became a literal dust bowl. Some left for California. Some road it out. Some never learned their lesson. Join us as we get Historically High on The Dust Bowl!Support the show

Teatime with Miss Liz, September 2nd, 3 pm EST. Title: Dogs Chase Cars: A Journalist's ReckoningTopic: Change, resilience, and truth-telling in a shifting media worldJoin me at 3 PM EST for Teatime with Patrick (Pat) Sangimino—veteran journalist and author of Dogs Chase Cars. Pat spent over 40 years in newsrooms and press boxes, chronicling big moments (from World Series nights to the everyday grit of local stories) before turning those lived insights into a powerful novel about the turbulence within modern journalism.  Guest Bio (short): Patrick Sangimino is a longtime reporter and award-recognized columnist (Kansas & Great Plains press honours) whose debut novel, Dogs Chase Cars, follows a Kansas City sports columnist over one consequential day—flashing back to career-defining moments—while confronting the industry's seismic changes.  Episode Description: We'll unpack the human side of newsroom downsizing, what it costs communities when local voices go quiet, and how storytellers reinvent themselves. Expect candid lessons on purpose, ethics, and finding your voice when the ground shifts under your feet—plus behind-the-scenes tales that inspired the book.  #TeatimeWithMissLiz #PatrickSangimino #DogsChaseCars #Journalism #Sportswriting #Storytelling #MediaChange #Resilience #WritersOfIG #AuthorInterview #BookTalk #LiteraryFiction #KansasCity #PressFreedom #TruthTelling #LiveShow #TodayAt3PM #missliztee

Charley & Ken chat about the final sector of the long western US road trip that Ken recently embarked upon. What was the biggest surprise, the biggest disappointment, the high point, and the low point?! Sprague's Pipit recording courtesy of Andrew Spencer, XC13750. Accessible at https://xeno-canto.org/13750. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/naturallyadventurous?fan_landing=true⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Feel free to contact us at: cfchesse@gmail.com &/or ken.behrens@gmail.comNaturally Adventurous Podcast Nature - Travel - Adventure

What happens when rural communities face development projects that promise prosperity but threaten local resources and way of life? Trent Luce, the voice behind Luce Trails Media for 26 years, joins us for a frank conversation about the changing landscape of America's heartland.Trent shares his journey as a sixth-generation American farmer whose family built their Illinois barn in 1889—a structure that still stands today as his nephew prepares to become the seventh generation of land stewards. This deep connection to agricultural heritage frames our discussion about modern challenges facing rural America.We dive into Trent's formative experience managing a pig farm on the Rosebud Reservation, where he hired and trained tribal members amidst 87% unemployment rates. While the project initially offered hope, it ultimately revealed how development initiatives can divide communities along unexpected lines. This experience transformed Trent into a passionate advocate for transparent communication about food production and rural development.The conversation shifts to today's pressing rural development issues—particularly AI data centers consuming unprecedented amounts of electricity and water in small communities. When Trent reveals that a single AI center in Cheyenne will use five times the electricity of every home in Wyoming combined, we're forced to question the true cost of these projects. Are the promised jobs worth the resource drain? Who truly benefits when tax credits drive development decisions?We also explore the status of controversial CO2 pipeline projects across the Great Plains and how South Dakota's grassroots opposition has effectively challenged corporate interests. Throughout our discussion, one message rings clear: when communities organize and show up at public meetings, they retain control over their future. As Trent powerfully states, "We haven't shown up to hold accountable the people representing us in this representative republic. If we start showing up, we actually dictate the direction of the ship."Ready to understand what's at stake in your community? Listen now and discover how property rights, resource management, and citizen engagement intersect to shape rural America's future.Follow at www.americalandauctioneer.com and on Instagram & FacebookContact the team at Pifer's

Statewide office holder races are growing for the 2026 elections.Attorney General Gentner Drummond wants changes in who gets executed next in Oklahoma.State fairs are popping up across the Midwest and Great Plains.You can find the KOSU Daily wherever you get your podcasts, you can also subscribe, rate us and leave a comment.You can keep up to date on all the latest news throughout the day at KOSU.org and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram at KOSU Radio.This is The KOSU Daily, Oklahoma news, every weekday.

From Florida's first black bear hunt in a decade to new pheasant camps in the Plains, Fred Bird breaks down your weekly outdoor news and the biggest stories in hunting, fishing, and conservation across the nation.  We kick off with Florida's black bear hunt returning for the first time in 10 years. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to reinstate a highly regulated season with limited tags and fair-chase methods, marking a major win for science-based wildlife management. In Delaware, Governor Matt Meyer officially joins the Governor's Sportsmen's Caucus, strengthening bipartisan support for hunting, angling, and outdoor heritage at the state and national level. Meanwhile, Western states face conservation funding challenges, with agencies in Washington and Oregon navigating historic budget shortfalls that could impact hatcheries, pheasant programs, and wildlife access. On a brighter note, new hunter opportunities are launching in the Great Plains, including South Dakota's first youth deer camp and Nebraska's ladies pheasant hunt program—designed to mentor and recruit the next generation of outdoorsmen and women. Finally, we highlight a prescribed fire project in Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest, a critical initiative to restore white oak habitat, strengthen wildlife populations, and support industries like bourbon and wood products. Whether it's hunting policy, fishing access, or other conservation programs, The Sportsmen's Voice is your trusted source for outdoor news that matters.   Get the FREE Sportsmen's Voice e-publication in your inbox every Monday: www.congressionalsportsmen.org/newsletter   Sign up for FREE legislative tracking through CSF's Tracking the Capitols tool: www.congressionalsportsmen.org/tracking-the-capitols/   Follow The Sportsmen's Voice wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/1705085498  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this solo episode, Carlton breaks down five of the most common misconceptions about Great Plains archaeology—from the myth of an “empty” landscape to the oversimplification of bison jumps and arrowheads.LinksThe Archaeology of the North American Great Plains by Douglas B. Bamforth (2021)Archaeology on the Great Plains Edited by W. Raymond Wood (1998)Carlton's KU Anthropology Faculty BioContactInstagram: @‌pawnee_archaeologistEmail: greatplainsarchpodcast@gmail.comAPNAPN Website: https://www.archpodnet.comAPN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnetAPN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnetAPN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAPN ShopAffiliatesMotion

This month we are joined by Dr. Larkin Powell, Director of the School of Natural Resources at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. With years of research experience in the Great Plains and beyond, Dr. Powell narrates the story of how our agricultural landscapes have changed over time and the opportunities and challenges that come along with these changes. We also discuss Dr. Powell's upcoming book, "The Best of Intentions: A story of landscape change in the Great Plains." Resources: The Best of Intentions: a history of landscape change in the heart of the Great Plains by Dr. Larkin Powell USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service   Dr. Larkin Powell [website, academic profile, LinkedIn, @larkinpowell] Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] Nathan Pflueger [website] AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]   Watch these podcasts on YouTube If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!   We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/ Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/   Music by Humans Win Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin  

Kayakers are trying to clean up garbage from the Kansas River, but new trash keeps coming. Learn about the small nonprofit group determined to protect the waterway. Plus: Extreme drought in the Midwest and Great Plains is allowing a fungus that kills trees to flourish. How are forestry crews and experts adapting to rapidly changing tree canopies?

This month we are joined by Dr. Larkin Powell, Director of the School of Natural Resources at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. With years of research experience in the Great Plains and beyond, Dr. Powell narrates the story of how our agricultural landscapes have changed over time and the opportunities and challenges that come along with these changes. We also discuss Dr. Powell's upcoming book, "The Best of Intentions: A story of landscape change in the Great Plains."  Resources:  The Best of Intentions: a history of landscape change in the heart of the Great Plains by Dr. Larkin Powell  USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service    Dr. Larkin Powell [website, academic profile, LinkedIn, @larkinpowell]  Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]  Nathan Pflueger [website]  AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]  Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]    Watch these podcasts on YouTube  If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!    We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/  Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/    Music by Humans Win  Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

In the early days of the Institute for Regional Studies, at NDSU (established 1950, the country's oldest academic studies center for the history of the Great Plains), there were certain faculty members of the AC who demonstrated a truly entrepreneurial spirit, doing wonders with really no appropriated budget. Chief among these was an English prof named Leonard Sackett, a legendary collector of manuscripts. I'll write more about him another day, but now let me dive into the boxes of what he considered his greatest acquisition: the papers of J. B. Power, acquired from heirs in 1955.

Migratory birds connect the Northern Plains with many parts of the Western Hemisphere. Lark Buntings, Baird's Sparrows, Upland Sandpipers, and many other birds winter from Central to southern South America. But their reproduction depends on the bounty of the prairie spring. Disrupting any part of their annual life cycle — breeding habitat, stopover places during spring and fall migration, and wintering habitat — reduces the survival of the species.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Jason discusses the advantages of drilling and his new relationship with Great Plains with Justin Henderson a Great Plains Product Specialist. 

(00:00-21:34) Head Coach of the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team, Tony Vitello joins us on the phone lines. Good memories of Pearl Jam in St. Louis. Coach Vitello tells us what the Cardinals are getting in Liam Doyle. Doyle getting in shape and improving his velocity. SEC dominance in college baseball and the intimidating venues to play in. Building a culture in Knoxville. Tanner Franklin another Vol signing with the Cardinals. Great beard on that Coach Vitello.(21:42-34:01) Bangers. Never a bad time for some CCR. Welly gets his wish and Pestus from Festus is on the line. Pestus wants Pallante gone. Sonny Gray gone. Get rid of three catchers. Would you rather get hit in the face with a baseball or a hockey puck? Goalies not wearing masks.(34:11-55:38) Classic Francesa clip talking San Francisco Giants coming home to New York. Revisiting Francesa's reveiw of the Superman movie. Jackson's best asset is his ability to learn. Doug can't get past Grown Up 2. Chairman is trying to produce Movie Boy. Bob Barker's beauties. Welly's favorite cities in the Great Plains.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After travelling more than 1,000 miles across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, the party of 148 Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley led by Brigham ...

Send us a textStep back in time to the American frontier of 1872, where massive buffalo herds still thundered across the plains in their ancient migration patterns. Through the eyes of George W. Brown, we witness these magnificent beasts as they moved with the seasons—northward in spring to the Dakotas and Canada, then southward again as winter approached, seeking shelter in the river valleys of the Great Plains.Brown's tale centers on a hunting expedition along the Smoky Hill River with his colorful companion, Dave "Prairie Dog" Morrow. As they track buffalo herds through territories known to be hunting grounds of the Cheyenne, Brown uncovers the entrepreneurial spirit that earned Morrow his unusual nickname. From catching and selling prairie dogs to eastern tourists for five dollars a pair, to developing increasingly sophisticated trapping methods, Prairie Dog's business ventures reveal the speculative mindset that drove many frontier entrepreneurs until competition inevitably flooded the market.The narrative takes an unexpected turn when Prairie Dog mysteriously vanishes one morning, leaving Brown to encounter other characters like Thomas Nixon—a former Nevada miner who claimed to have killed over 2,000 buffalo in just over a month. These personal stories unfold against the backdrop of a rapidly changing West, where railroads were pushing into new territories and the massive buffalo herds that had dominated the landscape for centuries were facing their final days. This episode offers not just a glimpse into the practical aspects of buffalo hunting, but also the camaraderie, competition, and challenges that defined life on America's western frontier during this pivotal era.Support the showIf you'd like to buy one or more of our fully illustrated dime novel publications, you can click the link I've included. "Edward Masterson and the Texas Cowboys," penned by Michael King, takes readers on an exhilarating ride through the American West, focusing on the lively and gritty cattle town of Dodge City, Kansas. This thrilling dime novel plunges into the action-packed year of Ed Masterson's life as a lawman, set against the backdrop of the chaotic cattle trade, filled with fierce conflicts, shifting loyalties, and rampant lawlessness. You can order the book on Amazon.

“Early impacts of cover crop selection on soil biological parameters during a transition to organic agriculture” with Nick Boodages. Incorporating cover crops is an important step in the transition from conventional to organic growing practices, but in Texas, limited resources can bring complications. In this episode, Nick joins me to discuss his work researching how to help farmers make the leap. Tune in to learn: ·        What challenges Texan farmers face when hoping to transition to organic agriculture ·        Which cover crops perform best in the Texas high plains ·        Which challenges Texan farmers face when growing cover crops ·        How cover crops impact crop yields during the transition to organic If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20532 This paper is always freely available. Contact us at podcast@sciencesocieties.org or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don't forget to subscribe. If you'd like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: https://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/. If you would like to reach out to Nick, you can find him here: nicholas.boogades@ag.tamu.edu Resources CEU Quiz: Coming soon Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/transcript/Njg2ZTdhM2M3MTljMjMzZjYxOWE2ODlidXpYcmF2ZDF0Z04x/o/VEMwNzYxNzAyNjY3  Texas A&M AgriLife extension: https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/ Lewis and Burke Labs: www.txsoillab.com Organic Transition-Cotton Peanut Rotation extension paper: https://agriliferollingplainsagronomy.org/2022/11/22/organic-transition-cotton-peanut-rotation/ Alternative Certifications for Organic Transition: Quality Assurance Initiative (QAI)-Certified Organic Transition: https://www.qai-inc.com/certification-services/transitional.php/ Non GMO project: https://www.nongmoproject.org/ Certified naturally grown: https://www.naturallygrown.org/ Grazing Cover Crops in the Great Plains with Drs. John Holman and Augustine Obour: https://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/grazing-cover-crops-in-the-great-plains-with-drs-john-holman-and-augustine-obour Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode. Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

The main character in Chickasaw writer Danica Nava's debut novel gets into trouble for making some questionable claims about her Chickasaw identity to try and get ahead in the working world. Cherokee citizen Christina Berry writes about an Austin woman's sometimes funny, sometimes heart wrenching desire to start a family. And Karen Kay's historical novel explores an interracial connection on the mid-1800s Great Plains frontier. What each of these books has in common is the quest for true love. They also have honest, complex, and engaging portrayals of Native characters written by Native authors. We'll hear from them about their work and Native representation in modern romance literature. (This is an encore show, so we won't take calls from listeners). GUESTS Danica Nava (Chickasaw), author of The Truth According to Ember Karen Kay (Choctaw), historical romance author Christina Berry (citizen of the Cherokee Nation), contemporary romance author Break 1 Music: Death Row Love Affair (song) Tom Wilson (artist) Break 2 Music: Love Affair (song) Pepper (artist) In with the Old (album)

Accountability in Fraternity and Sorority Chapters is a reality! Darrian Stringer serves as the Interfraternity Coordinator at Mississippi State University. He began this role in May of 2024 and has been a higher education professional for the last two years. Previously he worked as a chapter consultant for The Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity. Darrian oversaw 16 chapters in the Northwest and Great Plains, assisted 9 chapters in recruitment efforts, and finally established a provisional chapter at Pepperdine University. In 2023, he received his bachelor's degree in journalism with a focus in broadcast from the University of South Alabama. During his time as an Intern at WKRG Channel Five News in Mobile, Alabama, he learned all the necessary skills to excel as an anchor, reporter, MMJ, or sports reporter. His experience before becoming a chapter consultant taught him valuable skills such as how to interview someone efficiently, edit and produce using Adobe Premiere Pro, serve as on-air talent, and even write scripts for the afternoon sports segment. In episode 586 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why Darrian chose the University of South Alabama for his undergraduate experience, what made him choose Pi Kappa Alpha over the other fraternities on campus, how to build a healthy and sustainable chapter culture, how to create a values-based experience while still having fun, how to build accountability in fraternity and sorority chapters, how fraternities and sororities can work more effectively with local reporters to boost their PR, how to manage chapter reputation during difficult situations, and advice on how to rebuild chapter culture after a rough year. Enjoy!

Once nearly wiped out, the plains bison, or buffalo, as they are often called by Native Americans, are returning to the Great Plains — and with them, a powerful story of cultural renewal, ecological restoration, and Indigenous leadership. In this episode of Nature Breaking, WWF's Heather Dawn Thompson (a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) shares how Native Nations are leading efforts to restore buffalo populations, reclaim food sovereignty, and heal the land. From spiritual connections to practical conservation, this interview explores how buffalo are more than just wildlife — they are relatives, providers, and symbols of resilience. Learn about the Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration, the role of buffalo in grassland ecosystems, and how communities are working together to bring these iconic animals home.

Summer's heating up but we are cooling things down--perhaps too much! In this episode of South Dakota Legends and Lore we learn about the blizzard that hit the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains regions of the United States on January 11, 1888. It became known as the Children's Blizzard or Schoolhouse Blizzard and caught most folks unprepared for the dangerous drop in temperature, high winds, and blinding ice and snow. We focus on (South) Dakota Territory survival stories and experiences, and provide additional reading suggestions.Voiced and edited by Adrian LudensSnowstorm sound effects by Dauzkobza, used by permission

Why should an SCD prioritize branding and marketing? Is it all about the “free swag”, or does the quality of services and community relationships also play into branding your SCD? How do you balance bringing in new services with current employee workload? When is it time to hire workers to help expand the services offered? -Join Hannah Nordby, along with Dustin Kruger, Molly Carlson, and Kelli Schumacher as they discuss these questions andmore!-Go head grab a cup of joe and settle in as we converse about serving, preserving, and conserving across the Great Plains, you don't want to miss out!-For more information related to NDSoil Conservation Districts, please reference these resources:Contact us at: ndsu.sscc@ndsu.edu Website:https://www.ndsu.edu/ndssc/ Google Drive Resources:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jibUaQrF_YL_-gvxfV-sSfpAETfhUPOm?usp=drive_link-ND Employees Association Website & Contact Information: https://ndcdea.com/board-of-directors--scd-offices.html

As settlers and prospectors moved into Dakota Territory, conflicts increased between the newcomers and the people who had long called the Great Plains home. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 was an attempt to reduce that conflict and allow for free passage through Native American lands. The treaty established territory for the exclusive use of different tribes. Unfortunately, the terms began to unravel almost immediately. The United States lacked the resources to stop the flow of prospectors and settlers.

Tonight's guest joins us from Bonn, Germany — and from the far side of the clock, where it's 2 a.m. local time! Lars Lowinski is a seasoned meteorologist with international experience spanning Europe and New Zealand. He now works with WetterOnline, one of Europe's largest weather platforms, where he connects their U.S. business operations with German-based product development and training. He's also an avid storm chaser who's pursued Great Plains supercells and participated in the Hazardous Weather Testbed in Norman, Oklahoma. Lars has been a loyal WeatherBrains listener since 2008 — and we're thrilled to finally have him on the show!  Thanks for joining us tonight. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Is tornado season over?  (02:30) Forecasting in the Southern Hemisphere and working with oil and gas industry (17:50) Compare/Contrast experiences in NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed (20:00) Importance of doing a thorough hand analysis before utilizing model data when assimilating forecasts (21:00) Discussing the European Severe Storms Laboratory (23:00) Importance of working together internationally/globally when communicating severe weather risks (28:00) Breaking down barriers in the science of meteorology through simple human interaction (35:00) Approaches/challenges in weather messaging across different cultures and languages across the world (35:30) Looking back at Lars's storm chasing experiences (45:30) Discussion of deadly July 1916 Austria tornado and it's experiences lost in history due to World War One (55:00) European severe weather warning process vs U.S. severe weather warning process (57:45) Weather-aware subculture in the United States (01:13:00) Rise of Digital Meteorologists (01:16:00) NWS budget update/analysis (01:29:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:26:20) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:28:00) E-Mail Segment (No segment this week) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1015: Lars Lowinski Photography Picks of the Week: Lars Lowinski - Monster HP supercell in France (06/13/2025) James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: Three feet of rain in Tulsa, OK since January 1st/Wettest April 1-June 30 on record in Tulsa (Back to 1931) Jen Narramore - Lightning strike injures 2 at Northland HS soccer field in Columbus Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Earth's Clouds on the Move John Gordon - Kyle J Gillett on X: Panhandle, TX boundary collision John Gordon - Ronca-HohnWx on X: Memphis, TN boundary collision Bill Murray - Out James Spann - June 28th, 2025 Deuel County, South Dakota tornado The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, recorded live at Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville, host Brad Hine sits down with Justin Suhr, Senior Director of Construction Engineering at Great Plains Communications. With over two decades of experience in telecom and a deep background in fiber deployment and outside plant engineering, Justin shares insights on the company's transformation from a 115-year-old telephone provider into a modern fiber-forward operator. They dive into the evolution of broadband deployment strategies in the face of paused BEAD funding, the shift toward multi-gigabit services, the role of AI and system integration in field operations, and the importance of digital transformation across construction and customer service. Justin also reflects on his personal journey in the industry, from field engineering to leadership, and how Great Plains is tackling both urban and rural broadband challenges through strategic planning, software integration, and a forward-thinking approach to workforce development.

Send us a textThe afternoon of April 14, 1935, began with an unsettling calm across the southern Great Plains. After weeks of relentless dust storms, this brief moment of respite felt almost divine—until an ominous black line appeared on the horizon. Witnesses described a sky divided between golden sunlight and a monstrous curtain of dust that towered a thousand feet high, churning like a reverse waterfall.When this apocalyptic wall struck, it transformed day into a darkness "worse than any midnight." The assault was multi-sensory and terrifying. Wind-driven sand lacerated exposed skin, buildings trembled, and the air itself became a choking hazard loaded with particulate matter. Perhaps most bizarre were the electrical phenomena—static electricity generated by billions of dust particles created blue sparks dancing between animals' ears and enough charge to short-out automobile engines or knock people to the ground with a handshake.Black Sunday wasn't merely a weather event but the physical manifestation of America's worst man-made ecological disaster. This catastrophe emerged from a perfect storm of misguided federal policies, economic desperation, and ecological ignorance. The transformation of native grasslands into unsustainable farmlands had stripped away nature's defense mechanisms against drought and wind. When these elements combined with economic pressures of the Great Depression, the result was catastrophic—a haunting reminder that our relationship with the natural world requires respect for systems that evolved over millennia. What lessons can we draw from this devastating chapter in American history as we face our own environmental challenges today?Support the showIf you'd like to buy one or more of our fully illustrated dime novel publications, you can click the link I've included. "Edward Masterson and the Texas Cowboys," penned by Michael King, takes readers on an exhilarating ride through the American West, focusing on the lively and gritty cattle town of Dodge City, Kansas. This thrilling dime novel plunges into the action-packed year of Ed Masterson's life as a lawman, set against the backdrop of the chaotic cattle trade, filled with fierce conflicts, shifting loyalties, and rampant lawlessness. You can order the book on Amazon.

This week brought another significant tornado outbreak to parts of Minnesota. Downtowns for the Twin Cities, Rochester and Duluth were spared from any storm damage, but are cities safer from tornadoes than rural parts of Minnesota? Does the urban heat island effect spare urban residents from a tornado tearing through their cities? “The urban heat island probably would not save you if the storm were in a position to enter that urban area,” said climatologist Kenneth Blumenfeld. “We should definitely disabuse ourselves of this myth.”Blumenfeld, who has researched urban tornados, said the probability of tornadoes striking skyscraper-filled cities like the Twin Cities, or smaller downtowns, are just as high as elsewhere. “All the big cities, [in] tornado prone regions like the Midwest, the South and the Great Plains, have relatively high amounts of tornado activity — it's a lesson for all of us that tornadoes can and do hit cities.”To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

I was at a professional meeting recently and I heard an inspiring and insightful and forward-looking talk by journalist and author Roger Thurow. Roger was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal for 30 years, 20 of them as a foreign correspondent based in Europe and Africa. Roger has written a number of books including one on world hunger and another what I thought was a particularly important book entitled The First 1000 Days, A Crucial Time for Mothers and Children and the World. Now comes a new book on farmers around the world and how they are coping with the unprecedented changes they face. It was hearing about his book that inspired me to invite Mr. Thurow to this podcast and thankfully he accepted. His new book is entitled Against the Grain: How Farmers Around the Globe are transforming Agriculture to Nourish the World and Heal the Planet. Interview Summary I really admire your work and have loved the new book and what I've read before. So, let's talk about something that you speak about: the wisdom of farmers. And you talk about their wisdom in the context of modern agriculture. What do you mean by that? Farmers of the world, particularly the small holder farmers, indigenous farmers, family farmers as we know them in this country, they're really bold and pioneering in what they're doing. And these farmers, kind of around the world as we go on this journey around the world in the book, they've seen their efforts to earn a living and feed nourish their families and communities turn against. So, while conforming to the orthodoxies of modern industrial agriculture practices: the monocropping, the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides and insecticide chemicals, the land expansion, at the expense of savannas, forest wetlands, biodiverse environments. In the face of this, they've really witnessed their lands degrading. Their soils depleting. Their waters dwindling. Their pollinators fleeing. Their biodiversity shrinking and becoming less diverse. Their rains becoming ever more mercurial., Their temperatures ever hotter. And their children and families and their communities becoming ever more hungry and malnourished. So, they've really seen the future of their own impacts on the environment, and then the impacts of changing climates, of more extreme weather conditions. They've really seen this future. They've experienced, lived it, and it's ugly what they see and what they've experienced on their farms. So, that's their wisdom, and they'll really tell us that it doesn't have to be that way if we listen. That such a future isn't inevitable. Because out of their desperation, you know, these farmers have begun farming against the grain. So, there's the title of the book Against the Grain of this modern agriculture orthodoxy to reconcile their roles as both food producers and nourishers of us all, and stewards in the land. They're pushing forward with practices like agroforestry, agroecology, regenerative agriculture, kind of whatever one calls it. Farming with nature instead of bending nature to their will, which is what we too often done and with kind of the larger modern industrial agriculture techniques. So, farming with nature as opposed to against it as they strive to both nourish us all and heal our planet. Give us a sense, if you will, about how important these small farmers are to the world's food supply? So how important are these? They're really important. Extremely vital for the global food chain, certainly for their own families and communities, and their countries. In a lot of places, say in Africa, in many of the countries, on the continent, it's the small holder farmers that are producing the majority of the food. In their communities and in their countries and across the continent. Still not enough. Africa then must become a substantial importer of food. But these small holder farmers are so key and the more success that they have in feeding their communities and families, the more success we all have then in this great goal of ending hunger and malnutrition. Equally important, these farmers are the stewards of the land. And they're on the front lines of these environmental challenges. The threats from the changing climate and more extreme weather conditions. They're the first impacted by it, but they also increasingly see, and that's what stories in the book are about, how they see that their own actions are then impacting their environment and their climates. And this is why they're so important for all of us is that they find themselves at the center of what I think is this great collision of humanities two supreme imperatives. One, nourish the world, so nourish us all. That's the one imperative. And then the other imperative, kind of colliding with that, is to preserve, protect, and heal our planet from the very actions of nourishing us. So, these are these two colliding forces. You know as I think we already know agriculture and land use activities are responsible for about a third of the greenhouse gases impacting our climate and weather patterns. And the greatest impact of this then is felt by the farmers themselves. And they see what's happening to their soils and the depletion of their soils. Their lands being so terribly degraded by their very actions of nourishing their families and then contributing to nourishing us all. I think that's why they're so important for us. I mean, there's certainly kind of the canaries in the coal mine of climate change. Of these environmental challenges that we're all facing. And how they're then able to adjust their farming, as we kind of see in the book and that's this wisdom again. How can we learn from them and what are they seeing in their own situations. They're then having to adjust because they have no other options. They either have to adjust or their farms will continue to degrade and their children and their families increasingly malnourished and hungry. Roger let's talk through this issue of colliding imperatives just a bit. The fact that protecting the planet and nourishing people are colliding in your view, suggests that these two priorities are competing with one another. How is that the case? Some of the techniques of the monocropping, which is basically planting one crop on the same plot of land year after year, after year, season after season, right? And by doing that, these crops that are pulling nutrients out of the soil, many of the crops don't put nutrients back in. Some of them do. They'll restore nitrogen they'll put other nutrients in. But with the mono cropping, it's kind of the same depletion that goes on. And, has been particularly practiced in this country, and the bigger farmers and more commercial farmers, because it's more efficient. You are planting one crop, you have the same technique of kind of the planting and tending for that. And the harvesting, kind of the same equipment for that. You don't need to adjust practices, your equipment for various other crops that you're growing on that land. And so, there's an efficiency for that. You have then the price stability if there is any price stability in farming from that crop. That can be a weakness if the price collapses and you're so dependent on that. And so, the farmers are seeing, yeah, that's where the degrading and the weakening their of their soils comes from. So, what's their response to that when their land's degrading? When their soils become weak, it's like, oh, we need additional land then to farm. So they'll go into the forest, they'll cut down trees. And now there's virgin soil. They do the same practices there. And then after a number of years, well that land starts depleting. They keep looking for more. As you do these things, then with the soils depleting, the land degrading, becoming really hard, well, when the rain comes, it's not soaking in. And it just kind of runs away as the soil becomes almost like concrete. Farmers aren't able to plant much there anymore or get much out of the ground. And then so what happens then if the water isn't soaking into the soil, the underground aquifers and the underground springs they become depleted. All of a sudden, the lakes and the ponds that were fed by those, they disappear. The wildlife, the pollinators that come because of that, they go. The bushes, the plants, the weeds that are also so important for the environment, they start disappearing. And so you see that in their efforts to nourish their families and to nourish all of us, it's having this impact on the environment. And then that drives more impacts, right? As they cut down trees, trees drive the precipitation cycle. Tthen the rains become ever more mercurial and unpredictable. Without the trees and the shade and the cooling and the breezes, temperatures get hotter. And also, as the rains disappear and become more unpredictable. It has all this effect. And so, the farmers in the book, they're seeing all this and they recognize it. That by their very actions of cutting down trees to expand their land or to go to a different crop. Because again, that's what the commercial agriculture is demanding, so maybe its sugar cane is coming to the area. Well, sugar cane doesn't get along with trees. And so, the farmers in this one part of Uganda that I write about, they're cutting down all their trees to plant sugarcane. And then it's like, wow, now that the trees are gone, now we see all these environmental and ecosystem results because of that. And so that's where this collision comes from then of being much more aware, and sensitive in their practices and responding to it. That they are both nourishing their families and then also being even better stewards of their land. And they're not doing any of this intentionally, right? It's not like they're going 'we have to do all this to the land, and you know, what do we care? We're just here for a certain amount of time.' But no, they know that this is their land, it's their wealth, it's their family property. It's for their children and future generations. And they need to both nourish and preserve and protect and heal at the same time. Well, you paint such a rich picture of how a single decision like mono cropping has this cascade of effects through the entire ecosystem of an area. Really interesting to hear about that. Tell me how these farmers are experiencing climate change. You think of climate change as something theoretical. You know, scientists are measuring these mysterious things up there and they talk about temperature changes. But what are these farmers actually experiencing in their day-to-day lives? So along with the monocropping, this whole notion that then has expanded and become kind of an article of faith through industrial and modern agriculture orthodoxies, is to get big or get out, and then to plant from fence post to fence post. And so, the weeds and the flowers and plants that would grow along the edges of fields, they've been taken down to put in more rows of crops. The wetland areas that have either been filled in. So, it was a policy here, the USDA would then fund farmers to fill in their wetlands. And now it's like, oh, that's been counterproductive. Now there's policies to assist farmers to reestablish their wetland. But kind of what we're seeing with climate change, it's almost every month as we go through the year, and then from year after year. Every month is getting hotter than the previous months. And each year then is getting subsequently hotter. As things get hotter, it really impacts the ability of some crops in the climates where they're growing. So, take for instance, coffee. And coffee that's growing, say on Mount Kenya in Africa. The farmers will have to keep going further and further up the mountains, to have the cooler conditions to grow that type of coffee that they grow. The potato farmers in Peru, where potatoes come from. And potatoes are so important to the global food chain because they really are a bulwark against famine. Against hunger crises in a number of countries and ecologies in the world. So many people rely on potatoes. These farmers, they call themselves the guardians of the indigenous of the native potato varieties. Hundreds of various varieties of potatoes. All shapes, sizes, colors. As it gets warmer, they have to keep moving further and further up the Andes. Now they're really farming these potatoes on the roof of Earth. As they move up, they're now starting to then farm in soils that haven't been farmed before. So, what happens? You start digging in those soils and now you're releasing the carbon that's been stored for centuries, for millennia. That carbon is then released from the soils, and that then adds to more greenhouse gases and more impact on the climate and climate change. It kind of all feeds each other. They're seeing that on so many fronts. And then the farmers in India that we write about in the book, they know from history and particularly the older farmers, and just the stories that are told about the rhythm of the monsoon season. And I think it was the summer of the monsoon season of 2022 when I was doing the reporting there for that particular part of the book. The rains came at the beginning, a little bit. They planted and then they disappear. Usually, the monsoons will come, and they'll get some rain for this long, long stretch of time, sometimes particularly heavy. They planted and then the rains went away. And as the crops germinated and came up, well, they needed the water. And where was the water and the precipitation? They knew their yields weren't going to be as big because they could see without the rains, their crops, their millet, their wheat crops were failing. And then all of a sudden, the rains returned. And in such a downpour, it was like, I think 72 hours or three days kind of rains of a biblical proportion. And that was then so much rain in that short of time than added further havoc to their crops and their harvest. And it was just that mercurial nature and failing nature of the monsoons. And they're seeing that kind of glitches and kinks in the monsoon happening more frequently. The reliability, the predictability of the rains of the seasons, that's what they're all finding as kind of the impacts of climate change. You're discussing a very interesting part of the world. Let's talk about something that I found fascinating in your book. You talked about the case of pigweed in Uganda. Tell us about that if you will. Amaranth. So here, we call it pigweed. That's a weed. Yeah, destroy that. Again, fence post to fence post. Nah, so this pig weed that's growing on the side or any kind of weeds. The milkweed, so I'm from northern Illinois, and the milkweed that would kind of grow on the edges of the corn fields and other fields, that's really favored by monarch butterflies, right? And so now it's like, 'Hey, what happened to all the monarch butterflies that we had when we were growing up?' Right? Well, if you take out the milkweed plants, why are the monarch butterfly going to come? So those pollinators disappear. And they come and they're great to look at, and, you know, 'gee, the monarchs are back.' But they also perform a great service to us all and to our environment and to agriculture through their pollinating. And so, the pigweed in Africa - Amaranth, it's like a wonder crop. And one of these 'super crops,' really nutritious. And these farmers in this area of Uganda that I'm writing about, they're harvesting and they're cultivating Amaranth. And they're mixing that in their homemade porridge with a couple of other crops. Corn, some millet, little bit of sugar that they'll put in there. And that then becomes the porridge that they're serving to the moms, particularly during their pregnancies to help with their nutritional status. And then to the babies and the small children, once they started eating complimentary food. Because the malnutrition was so bad and the stunting so high in that area that they figured they needed to do something about that. And the very farmers that this program from Iowa State University that's been working with them for 20 years now, first to improve their farming, but then wow, the malnutrition is so bad in these farming families. What can we do about that? Then it was, oh, here's these more nutritional crops native to the area. Let's incorporate them into farming. This crop is Amaranth. Basically, neglected in other parts of the world. Destroyed in other parts of the world. That is something that's actually cultivated and harvested, and really cared for and prized in those areas. It's a really interesting story. Let's turn our attention to the United States, which you also profile in your book. And there was a particular farmer in Kansas named Brandon that you talk about. And he said he was getting divorced from wheat. Tell us about that. Yes, thank you. That's a really interesting story because he's standing there kind of on the edge of his farm, looking at the wheat crops across the road that his neighbor was planting and he had some himself. And he's saying, yeah, I need to get a divorce from wheat. Because of the impact that that was having on the environment. Again, the planting of the wheat, you know, year after year. It's the wheat belt of our Great Plains, which then is legendarily known as the breadbasket, not only of America, but the breadbasket of the world. This wheat is particularly good and appropriate for the label of Breadbasket because it's really good for breads, baking materials. But he's looking at here's the impact it had on his soil. The organic matter on the soil has been dwindling. In the season that the wheat is underground, and the topsoil is uncovered, then you have the problems with erosion. He's seen the impact over time of the year after year after year of growing the wheat. What's interesting, he says, you know, I need to get a divorce from wheat. Well, it's his relatives, because he's a fifth descendant, of the Mennonite farmers from what is now Ukraine - one of the world's original grain belts, who brought their hard red winter wheat seeds with them when they came to the Great Plains in the 1870s. They're the ones that wed Kansas, the Great Plains, the United States to wheat. So now this farmer, Brandon-I-need-to-get-a-divorce-from-wheat, well, it's your ancestors and your descendants that wed us to that. There's kind of historic irony that's taking place. But along with the wheat seeds that came, then also came the plowing up the prairie lands for the first time. And wheat is an annual crop. It's planted year after year one harvest. With each planting, the soil is disturbed, releasing carbon that had been stored, that had been stored in the soil for millennium when they first started plowing. Carbon along with methane released by agricultural activities is, again, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. And in addition, you know, this annual plowing exposes the soil to erosion. You know, relentless erosion with the wind and the rain in the plains. That's what eventually led to the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. Some environmental and conservation agricultural practices come along because of that, but now that continues. And Brandon himself is seeing the impact as he measures the organic matter in the soil. These are the microorganisms in the soils that naturally work with the soils to grow the crops to feed us all. The nutrients in the soil are weakened and depleted, which then results in the need for more and more chemical enhancements and fertilizers, particularly nitrogen and all the rest. And then you see the runoff of the nitrogen into the water system. And so, yeah, he's seen the impact of all of this, and he's like I need to do something else. And so, he's taken a rather radical step than of planting and growing perennial crops, which you plant one season and then they'll grow for three or four years, maybe more and longer. He has some cattle, so he is able to graze that on those perennial crops. One in particular called kernza, which is an ancient intermediate wheat grass. Has some of the properties of wheat. And so the Land Institute in Kansas then is also working on perennial crops and how can they then be cultivated and harvested also as crops that we all eat. And so Kernza is very high in protein. There's all sorts of breads and pasta, pastries, that you can make with it. Cereals. It's a good ingredient for brewing. There's Kernza beer. And there's promise with that. And then so these perennial crops, then it's like, okay, so we don't have to plow every year. We plant, they grow, they provide a cover crop, but they also provide food for all of us. So perennials, good for our nutrition, good for the soils, good for the environment. You know, we've recorded a series of podcasts with farmers who've been doing regenerative agriculture. And the kind of story that you talk about Brandon, quite similar to what you hear from some of the other farmers. Farming was in their family for many generations. They were accustomed to a particular type of industrial agriculture. They saw it harming the land, thought it bad for the planet, and decided to really retool and do things entirely different. And they're making a go of it, which is really exciting. Roger, I wanted to ask you about Native Americans. As you write about their agriculture, spirituality, kinship, and how all these things come together. Tell us about that. Exactly. Thank you. And so, if you go travel a little bit further in our great plains from Kansas up to South Dakota, and the Sicangu Lakota communities in the southern part of South Dakota close to the Nebraska border. They're trying to reestablish their food sovereignty and the agriculture practices of the Native Americans destroyed, as we tried to destroy them and their communities. By taking of their land, forced relocations, the Trail of Tears, the Trail of Death, in various parts of the country, from various of the Native American communities. And they realize that, as you and the researchers at Duke, know really well, the health impacts that has had on the Native American communities and the high rates of diabetes and obesity, the shortened life expectancies in those communities. And one of the main factors then is their food pathways, and their nutrition being disturbed through all this. So how can they reestablish their food sovereignty? The emphasis on the crops that they used to grow, particularly the three sisters' crops, the maize, the beans, the squash. And then that they would have crops and taste and nutrients that were so vital to their systems traditionally. To recapture that in various growing projects that they have. And then also, with the Sicangu Lakota, they are trying to reestablish the buffalo herd, which was basically decimated from upwards of 30 million or more size of the herd basically down to several hundred with the intentional slaughter of the buffalo in order to really oppress and impact the Native American community. So vital not only to their food sources and nutrition, but basically everything. Clothing, tools - so using every inch of the buffalo. And then spiritually. And as they explain their approach to regenerative agriculture, they would put a picture of a buffalo as the very definition of regenerative agriculture. Just by the way that the buffalo grazes and then moves around. It doesn't graze to the soil it leaves something behind. Then the grasses grow quicker because there's something that's left behind. They leave things behind for other animals. The way that they migrate, and then kind of knead the soil as they go along. That also helps with the soil. So, all these regenerative agriculture, regenerative soil, healthy soil healing practices of it. And then they also say, look the spiritual nature of things that the buffalo represents their kinship. Their kinship of the people to the buffalo, to their land, to the environment. And to them, regenerative agriculture isn't just about food, about soils, about the cultivation and the planting, but also about this kinship. It is a kinship and a spirituality of kind of all of us together. We're all combined on this global food chain. And so that whole kinship element to regenerative agriculture, I think is also really important for us to all understand. Getting back to your original question about the wisdom. This is the wisdom of these farmers, these indigenous farmers, small holder farmers, family farmers. Like Brandon, the small holder farmers of African, India and Latin America are learning so much about their crops that we have so much to learn from.vIt's inspiring to think that some of the remedies that people are coming up with now in the face of all these challenges actually have historic roots that go back thousands of years is pretty inspiring. And it's nice to know that the resurrection of some of these techniques might really make a difference in the modern world. Roger, there are so many questions I'd love to ask you. And I'd urge people to read your book Against the Grain to further explore some of these issues. But I wanted to end with something. Are you hopeful that things will change in a positive direction? I am. I'm also concerned that we need to recognize the need to both nourish and heal. Recognize that this collision is looming, but it's already happening. And I think my hope, and cautious optimism I guess, then comes from the farmers themselves. They're very resilient, and they have to be, right? If you'd asked them the question about where their hope comes from or their optimism or their motivation and inspiration to keep going, it's they don't have any other option. I mean, this is their land. This is what they do. They're farmers, they're nourishing their families. If their families are to be nourished and to end the effects of poor nutrition as we see in this country, which is then common around the world, they need to adjust. So Abebe, a farmer Ethiopia this is kind of where my hope and inspiration comes from. And he begins the book. He's at the outset of the book and in the prologue. His land in Ethiopia was utterly degraded and you couldn't plant there anymore. They had already cut down trees, moved into areas that had been forested. The humble forest in the area had basically disappeared, in kind of the greater area of where Abebe lives. The bigger kind of ecosystem, environmental changes that then come from that, or the disappearance of a forest. And he had been following then the practices and the orthodoxies of modern agriculture. He realized that that was then behind the degradation of his land and the soil. He couldn't plant anymore. And the World Food Program, the Ethiopian government, other kind of NGOs, were then seeing, look these farm communities, these families, we're going to have to be assisting with food assistance forever because their lands are so degraded. They're not able to nourish their families from them unless we do something to restore and heal the land and bring the land back. And so, Abebe and his family and many others in his community, the kind of wider neighborhood and in this area, the humble forest, a lot of them, they stop farming on their land and they're given assistance saved by the World Food Program, kind of food for work. And they set about rehabbing their land. Kind of terracing their land so it'll hold the water. Digging shallow water pans to collect the rain so it then soaks into the soil, into the ground, and then regenerates the underground springs and sources of water. Planting grasses, bushes, letting kind of the land heal and regenerate itself. After a number of years, they see that happening. They move back to the land, and now he has this wide diversity as opposed to planting say corn every year or other mono cropping. Now he has this wide, wild, riotous array of different crops and vegetables and fruit trees. Some of the staple crops that he's grown also in rotation. Working with trees that have then grown up. Springs, a little pond has reformed that he didn't even know was there had come up because of the conservation the water. And he says, you know, my land, which once was dead, he's living again. Right? A profound statement and a realization from this farmer of this is how we can bring it back. So again, as I say, they've seen the future and it's ugly, right? He's seen his land degraded. He couldn't nourish his family anymore. He then does these practices, takes heed of this. I need to heal my land at the same time as farming it. And now his land is living again. So that to me is kind of a wonderful parable. So again, the wisdom of the farmers. It's through the stories and the wisdom of Abebe, that kind of the hope comes forward. Bio Roger Thurow is a journalist and author who writes about the persistence of hunger and malnutrition in our world as well as global agriculture and food policy. He was a reporter at The Wall Street Journal for thirty years, including twenty years as a foreign correspondent based in Europe and Africa. In 2003, he and Journal colleague Scott Kilman wrote a series of stories on famine in Africa that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting. Thurow is the author of four books: Enough: Why the World's Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty (with Scott Kilman); The Last Hunger Season: A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change; The First 1,000 Days: A Crucial Time for Mothers and Children – And the World; and, Against the Grain – How Farmers Around the Globe Are Transforming Agriculture to Nourish the World and Heal the Planet. He has also been a senior fellow for Global Agriculture and Food Policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, as well as a Scholar-in-Residence at Auburn University's Hunger Solutions Institute.

Mike Wieger joins me to talk through the latest in home tech and personal gadgets. We cover his switch from Cox to MetroNet fiber and compare Omaha's evolving internet options, including T-Mobile and Great Plains. Mike shares his 2.5 and 10 Gbps networking upgrades, covers DIY repairs, and explores self-hosting with Oracle VPS and VPNs via Tailscale. We also break down his experience with the WHOOP fitness tracker, from sleep and recovery data to hardware upgrades. Thanks for listening! In this episode of Home Gadget Geeks, we dive into a range of captivating topics with Mike Wieger, exploring innovations in

Sworn in as the 18th President of the United States on March 4, 1869, Ulysses S. Grant found himself in a bind. Prospectors were swarming into the West. New settlers made their way into Dakota Territory. The Transcontinental Railroad was nearly complete. Trails across the Great Plains were turning into roads. All this progress increased conflicts with Native American tribes.

What if teaching robots to play badminton was the beginning of the end? Scientists at ETH Zurich have successfully trained four-legged robots with mechanical arms to track shuttlecocks, navigate courts, and execute precise strikes against human players. But once these robots master the art of intercepting flying objects, what's next? Watch civilization unravel as badminton-playing robots evolve from harmless sporting partners to grenade-deflecting military units, eventually leading to wandering herds of sentient apartment buildings roaming the Great Plains while playing eternal badminton matches. From robotic sous chefs who season your cast iron wrong to buildings having midlife crises after the humans disappear, discover why teaching robots sports coordination might be humanity's final folly. Bonus: learn why nobody can fold a fitted sheet except Philip. Based on "Learning coordinated badminton skills for legged manipulators" by Yuntao Ma, Andrei Cramariuc, Farbod Farshidian, and Marco Hutter, published in Science Robotics on 28 May 2025 at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adu3922 --- Find out more about Gaby's science fiction short story! Here are the links for the anthology. The physical copy can be ordered here : https://www.neonhemlock.com/books/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention The ebook can be ordered here: https://www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention

In this fiery new episode of Blazin' Grazin' and Other Wild Things, we bring the heat with special guests from Quail Forever—Tanner Swank and Adam Ray. They join hosts John Weir and Dr. Mark Turner to discuss how fire, community collaboration, and science-based management are revitalizing Oklahoma's native grasslands and Cross Timbers. Learn how Quail Forever's landscape-level work benefits not only game species like bobwhite and pheasant, but also pollinators, deer, and the entire ecosystem. Whether you're a land manager, extension professional, or outdoorsperson, you'll leave with a renewed appreciation for the power of fire and the people who wield it wisely. Resources - Adam Ray - Tanner Swank - Oklahoma Quail Forever & Pheasants Forever - Great Plains Fire Exchange - Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Associations

On this episode of Good Skews, we interview Jane Kleeb, a seasoned grassroots organizer, author, manager, and political strategist in the Great Plains.Since December 2016, Kleeb has held the position of Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, and she is currently serving her fourth term, which extends until November 2026. She also holds the role of Chair of the Association of State Democratic Committees.Her leadership has fostered the creation of innovative programs such as Block Captains, 93-County Voter Guides, and the Candidates of Color Fund. She is the longest-serving Chair in the history of the Nebraska Democratic Party.Our conversation delves into the recent surprising upset in Omaha's mayoral election, where longtime Republican incumbent Jean Stothert was defeated with 56–44 percent of the vote. Ewing's victory marks a historic moment as he becomes the first Black mayor of Omaha and represents a strong rejection of anti-transgender campaign tactics.Support the show

In this episode of "Kent Hance,  The Best Storyteller in Texas," host Kent shares compelling stories about the Dust Bowl's impact on the Great Plains. Kent provides a detailed narrative on the history of farming in the region, the severe challenges faced during the Dust Bowl, and the government's response to the crisis. He recounts personal anecdotes, including the tragic loss of his brother to dust pneumonia, and highlights the resilience of the people who endured these hardships. The episode underscores the importance of sustainable farming practices and the enduring strength of community and family.

We're honored to host Dr. Dave Engle—Regents Professor Emeritus at Oklahoma State University and a pioneer in fire ecology. From wildland firefighting in New Mexico to building OSU's fire program with just two torches and a vision, Dave shares an incredible career rooted in science, stewardship, and some good ol' fashioned trial and error. We dive into the origins of patch-burn grazing, the challenges of managing the Cross Timbers, and why eastern redcedar became his lifelong nemesis. Dr. Engle reflects on the research that changed policy, perceptions, and the trajectory of conservation in the Great Plains. If you care about fire, land, or legacy, this episode is a must-listen. Resources: - Dave Engel, Ph.D. - OSU NREM Patch Burning Research - OK-FIRE - The Prairie Project - Patch Burn Grazing Research

Hey Dateline fans! As a bonus, we're giving you a special preview clip of our new podcast series, Murder in the Moonlight.  In this podcast, Keith Morrison takes listeners to a quiet farmhouse on America's Great Plains, where Sharmon and Wayne Stock have just celebrated Easter with their big, loving family. That night, under a pale moon, the couple is shot to death in their bedroom. The investigation includes four suspects, spans three states, and comes down to a single shiny clue: A gold ring found at the scene of the crime. If you like what you hear, just search Murder in the Moonlight to listen to the first two episodes now, completely free. Or subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or DatelinePremium.com. Subscribers get early access to new episodes and can listen to all Dateline podcasts ad-free. 

Hey Dateline fans! As a bonus, we're giving you a special preview clip of our new podcast series, Murder in the Moonlight. In this podcast, Keith Morrison takes listeners to a quiet farmhouse on America's Great Plains, where Sharmon and Wayne Stock have just celebrated Easter with their big, loving family. That night, under a pale moon, the couple is shot to death in their bedroom. The investigation includes four suspects, spans three states, and comes down to a single shiny clue: A gold ring found at the scene of the crime. If you like what you hear, just search Murder in the Moonlight to listen to the first two episodes now, completely free. Or subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or DatelinePremium.com. Subscribers get early access to new episodes and can listen to all Dateline podcasts ad-free. 

Hey Dateline fans! As a bonus for you, we're sharing the trailer for Murder in the Moonlight, an all-new original podcast series from Dateline and Keith Morrison.In this podcast, Keith Morrison takes listeners to a quiet farmhouse on America's Great Plains, where Sharmon and Wayne Stock have just celebrated Easter with their big, loving family. That night, under a pale moon, the couple is shot to death in their bedroom. The investigation includes four suspects, spans three states, and comes down to a single shiny clue: A gold ring found at the scene of the crime.Follow now to get the first two episodes on Monday, February 17th completely free. Or subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or DatelinePremium.com to hear the first two episodes now. Subscribers receive ad-free listening and early access to subsequent episodes.