Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast

Walsh County Three Rivers Conservation District
  • 4.8 (8)
  • NATURE
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Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast is hosted by Dr. Josh Anderson, a former American literature professor who returned home to rural ND to help lead local conservation efforts. Often considered “flyover country,” North Dakota is the least visited state in the nation. But thanks to a generous grant from the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, you can experience this rich and rugged landscape. Josh travels to the pastures, grasslands, and wetlands to talk to Pulitzer Prize winning journalists, award-winning artists, soil health experts, conservation organizations, and local farmers & ranchers.

  1. 07/25/2025

    Episode 12: Grassroots Community-Building with Art and Science

    In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we talk with Dr. Alison Wallace, a biologist and ecologist from Minnesota State University, Moorhead, and a researcher who worked on the climate science team during the Biden Administration. We also talk with acclaimed artist Corinne Teed, a professor at Temple University who teamed up with Dr. Wallace and their students titled "Fragile Preservation: A Tallgrass Community," which is a permanent art installation at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo. Listen to the episode to hear how collaborations between science and art can drive policy and grow community across the prairie. Thank you to Crista Fiala for producing the episode and Matthew Connolly for the theme music. Special thanks to the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust for the generous grant funding that supports Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast.

    1h 3m

  2. 07/07/2025

    Episode 11: The Next Generation of Farmers and Ranchers

    In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we speak with two North Dakota farmers who represent the future of agriculture. Jake Callander is a farmer raised on a 3,000 acre conventional farm who now runs his own market garden farm with sales of delicious fruits and vegetables direct to customers. Jake is also the facilitator of the Farm Beginnings program with FARRMS (Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resources Management and Sustainability). Luke Rotunda is a self-described "city kid" who has joined his uncle to take on the family farm and ranch. We spoke with Luke at his ranch on a windy day in Nelson County, North Dakota, where he was joined by Robert Ford of Ducks Unlimited to discuss their partnership in conservation working lands management. Special thanks to Crista Fiala for producing this episode and to Matthew Connolly for our theme music. Thanks also to the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust for providing the grant funds that support our efforts here at Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast. We hope you enjoy today's episode.

    51 min

  3. 06/16/2025

    Episode 10: How To Restore Soil Health with Jon Stika

    In today's episode, we speak with soil health expert Jon Stika about lessons from his career and his influential book A Soil Owner's Manual: How to Restore and Maintain Soil Health. Listen to the episode to learn how to apply the principles of soil health to any farm, ranch, or garden. Listen to deepen your understanding of how healthy soil is supposed to function, and how healthy soil has many cost benefits to a farmer's bottom line. Listen to learn why Jon says that the most important step to restoring soil health begins with changing our attitudes and our mindsets toward the soil. Thank you to Crista Fiala for producing today's episode and to Matthew Connolly for providing our theme music. Special thanks to the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust for providing a generous grant to support our work here at Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast.

    58 min

  4. 05/28/2025

    Episode 9: Sh*t Talk and Deadstock: Livestock Composting with Mary Keena

    In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we talk with Mary Keena of NDSU Research Extension Center about how to compost dead livestock and manure. Listen to the episode to discover how Mary became North Dakota's go-to expert on manure and mortality management, and to learn the 4 steps for composting livestock that dies before making it to market. This episode was produced by Crista Fiala, with theme music provided by Matthew Connolly. Thanks to the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust for the generous grant that makes Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast possible.

    55 min

  5. 04/01/2025

    Episode 8: Wetlands, Waterfowl, and Working Lands with Ducks Unlimited

    In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we talk with folks from Ducks Unlimited about how wetlands and grasslands are not only good for ducks, but for soil health and working farms and ranches. Join us for our conversation with Robert Ford, a biologist for Ducks Unlimited, and Emily Schwartz, an agronomist. We speak with Robert and Emily out on a protected wetland site, during the spring migration season. In this episode, you'll learn why small wetlands are a big deal for migratory birds. And how wetlands and grasslands contribute to soil health. Thanks to the ND Natural Resources Trust for the grant funding that made today's episode possible. Thanks also to Crista Fiala, our sound editor, and Matthew Connolly, who produced our theme music. We hope you enjoy the show!

    54 min

  6. 03/03/2025

    Episode 7: Flyover Country

    In this episode we ask: how can a birds-eye view of flyover country help us to rethink our approach to grasslands conservation with the help of farmers and ranchers? To tackle this question, we take you to "Flyover Country," where we talk with three grassland bird researchers about how ranchers and conservationists can work together to preserve the prairie. The episode features interviews with Dr. Susan Felege of the Felege Wildlife Lab at the University of North Dakota, Dr. Andy Boyce of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and Ashlyn Herron, a graduate student at the University of North Dakota, who has been building relationships with local ranchers throughout the northern Great Plains. Thanks to Crista Fiala for producing today's episode and special thanks to Matthew Connolly for our theme music. We hope you enjoy today's episode, which wouldn't be possible without the generous support from the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, the Walsh County Three Rivers Conservation District, and listeners like you.

    57 min

  7. 10/18/2024

    Episode 6: Prairie Fire and Prairie Smoke: The United Prairie Foundation

    In today's episode, we talk with the United Prairie Foundation to learn how seed collection, public outreach, and fire management work together to restore prairie ecosystems. Throughout the episode, founder John Devries and biologist Patrice Delaney repeat the phrase "no fire, no prairie." Listen to the episode to learn why fire is so vital to the prairie and to hear about how the United Prairie Foundation is working to "make prairie common again" (a phrase they recently trademarked). Please consider supporting the ⁠United Prairie Foundation⁠ by visiting their website and learning about their incredible work in North Dakota and Minnesota. We also encourage our listeners to purchase a copy of Under Mother Tree, the beautiful and thought-provoking children's book illustrated by Patrice Delaney. The book offers young readers a stunning introduction to the mycelium fungi network under trees and a heartfelt story of interspecies connection including frogs, birds, and a host of other living creatures. Under Mother Tree is available for purchase on ⁠Amazon⁠ and ⁠Thrift Books⁠. Special thanks to Matthew Connolly for producing our theme music and to Crista Fiala for producing today's episode. As always, thanks to ND Natural Resources Trust for the generous grant that makes our work at Common Ground possible. We hope you enjoy this month's episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast

    59 min

  8. 09/10/2024

    Episode 5: Living Roots and Perennial Cultures in Agriculture

    In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we take a tour of local farmer Steve Enger's farm in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. Join us on the tour to learn why Steve adopted soil health principles and how he continues to learn about his soil while he digs for earthworms in his cover crops. Stick around to listen to Steve serve us a homemade lunch and to learn what he believes it will take for other farmers in the region to adopt soil health principles. After lunch with Steve, we talk with Dr. Aubrey Streit Krug, director of the Perennial Cultures Lab at the Land Institute in Salinas, Kansas. Dr. Streit Krug grew up on a family farm and ranch, and today she works on the "culture side of agriculture." Listen to our conversation to learn how she combines her passions for literature and land to foster resilient and perennial human and plant communities on the prairie. Special thanks to Matthew Connolly for providing the theme music and to Crista Fiala for producing today's episode. We hope you enjoy this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast.

    51 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast is hosted by Dr. Josh Anderson, a former American literature professor who returned home to rural ND to help lead local conservation efforts. Often considered “flyover country,” North Dakota is the least visited state in the nation. But thanks to a generous grant from the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, you can experience this rich and rugged landscape. Josh travels to the pastures, grasslands, and wetlands to talk to Pulitzer Prize winning journalists, award-winning artists, soil health experts, conservation organizations, and local farmers & ranchers.

Information

  • Creator
    Walsh County Three Rivers Conservation District
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Walsh County Three Rivers Conservation District
  • Show Website
    Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast