UNWON with Keely Covello

Keely Covello
  • 5.0 (14)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE

Underdog journalism from working, rural, and Western America. www.americaunwon.com

  1. 18H AGO

    WHO WOULD WANT THE POTTER VALLEY DAMS? Meet Darcy Burke of the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District

    Darcy Burke is vice president of the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District and a longtime California water professional. She was also featured in the tweet heard around Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma counties on Monday, when USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a potential buyer has emerged for the Potter Valley Project. Darcy joins me today to talk about why her board is interested in purchasing two dams in Potter Valley, California local politicians and corporations have assured us for years no one wants. Just what exactly is the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District? Why are they interested in purchasing this hydropower project? And most importantly: Do they plan on somehow defying the laws of physics and geography to steal Northern California’s water? No questions were off limits for this important conversation about the future of water in Northern California and how one rural community’s bipartisan, out-of-the-box effort to save their water, their future, and their way of life against tremendous odds sparked a unified California stand against the machine. Read previous coverage of the Potter Valley dam removals here. UNWON is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support independent Western journalism, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Show Notes Sponsored by Ranch Vision: www.ranchvision.ioSpecial thanks to Josh Woolwine for creating our intro. Follow Josh at www.instagram.com/hjwoolwine. Read More Get full access to UNWON at www.americaunwon.com/subscribe

    1h 3m

  2. 6D AGO

    FIGHTING BIG SOLAR with Alexandra Fasulo: One Farmer vs. the Industry Erasing Upstate New York

    America’s farmland is being destroyed in the name of green energy. Alexandra Fasulo is doing something about it. Alex is an influencer, entrepreneur, first generation farmer, and accidental activist. Not long after buying a farm in her home state of New York, a neighbor told her about a foreign-owned company that had approached him six times, offering well above market value to lease his hayfield for a solar complex. Her curiosity piqued, she attended a local hearing on a solar protection ordinance. A lobbyist from California confronted her in the parking lot. What was really going on here? Why were foreign-owned companies approaching farmers in upstate New York? Why were Santa Monica lobbyists flying to her tiny village to protest local laws? Those questions led Alex on a path to who she is today: A leading voice in the fight against unchecked industrial expansion of renewable energy projects on America’s working landscapes. From freelance writer to first-generation farmer to grassroots advocate, Alex’s story is about what happens when a corporation comes for your farm town and no one in power picks up the phone. Learn about the rural communities being erased by wind, solar, data center, and battery storage; the impact of foreign corporations and captured state agencies on America’s food production, nature, and wildlife; and how to save your own corner of the country. We talk about the importance of local engagement and the fight to save America’s small town soul. Meet Alexandra Fasulo (0:00) Big Solar Comes to Upstate New York (1:06) One Town Board vs. a Santa Monica Lobbyist (4:28) The Wildlife Management Area They Want to Bury in Panels (10:18) The Redacted Files: When the State Hides the Science (19:24) Foreign Corporations and ORES (39:57)The American Land Rescue Fund: Legal War Chest for Farmers (48:02) From Freelance Fairy to First-Gen Farmer (61:58) What to Do If a Solar Company Calls You (74:24) The Fight Is Not Over (81:55) Follow Alexandra Fasulo on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Substack. Support her legal fight at American Land Rescue Fund. Show Notes Sponsored by Ranch Vision: www.ranchvision.ioSpecial thanks to Josh Woolwine for creating our intro. Follow Josh at www.instagram.com/hjwoolwine. UNWON is reader-supported. To support independent Western journalism, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber on Substack. Get full access to UNWON at www.americaunwon.com/subscribe

    1h 21m

  3. APR 9

    RANCH BEAT: We Must Rebuild the American Cattle Herd

    Today, Dr. Rich Brazil and Grace Brazil join Keely for a discussion on the future of the U.S. cattle herd, which currently sits at a 75-year low even as consumer demand for beef skyrockets. Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. recently made waves with his comments asking ranchers to stop selling cattle and to help rebuild the domestic beef herd. Is this easier said than done? The group discusses. We also talk about how the Trump administration is helping create more demand for beef in the market and more opportunity for beef producers. Dr. Brazil shows how ranchers can use Ranch Vision to examine growth strategies on their unique operations. Consumers will hear a nitty-gritty discussion about the business of ranching, and hear how ranchers manage their beef, the kinds of questions they have to ask when making big decisions for the future, and what creating a ranch business strategy looks like on the ground. Then we wrap up with a myth about the industry debunked and a ranch vet story from Dr. Brazil’s archives! Join us on the next Ranch Beat to hear the truth about the beef industry and insights into Western and rural America you won’t hear anywhere else. Show Notes Tutorial on using Ranch Vision to plan a herd growth strategy: Follow Dr. Rich Brazil on Instagram at www.instagram.com/drbrazildvm and Facebook at www.facebook.com/DocBrazilDVM. Follow Grace Brazil on Instagram at www.instagram.com/grace_brazil. Special thanks to Josh Woolwine for creating our intro. Follow Josh at www.instagram.com/hjwoolwine. UNWON is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support independent Western journalism, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to UNWON at www.americaunwon.com/subscribe

    39 min

  4. 12/04/2025

    RANCH BEAT: What You Should Know About EHV-1 with Dr. Rich Brazil

    In this special Ranch Beat episode, Dr. Rich Brazil joins me to lend his insight on the current outbreak of Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) canceling major events across the horse world. He answers your questions like: What is EHV-1? Is there a vaccine? How does it spread? What are early symptoms? How should you handle a horse you believe may have been exposed? Then we answer a few audience questions and talk about his life as a large animal vet, father of eight (including me!), and Ranch Vision founder. Enjoy this episode and let me know what you’d like to learn about next! 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Rich Brazil04:45 Understanding EHV-1: The Outbreak and Its Impact09:43 Symptoms and Transmission of EHV-113:48 Preparing for a Career in Large Animal Veterinary Medicine19:36 The Future of Large Animal Veterinary Medicine Show Notes Sponsored by Ranch Vision: www.ranchvision.ioSpecial thanks to Josh Woolwine for creating our intro. Follow Josh at www.instagram.com/hjwoolwine. UNWON is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support independent Western journalism, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to UNWON at www.americaunwon.com/subscribe

    27 min

  5. 11/22/2025

    Mexican Gray Wolf: Crisis in the Southwest with Tate Bennett

    Ranchers in the American Southwest are dealing with an escalating threat. The Mexican gray wolf has become an increasing liability to ranchers and residents of Arizona and New Mexico. “Wolves have killed our cattle in Arizona and in New Mexico. Wolves have changed our culture. They have changed how we live in wolf country.” Tom Paterson, New Mexico Rancher Tate Bennett, head of Rural Policy at the America First Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., has co-authored a new white paper titled “The Mexican Gray Wolf: A Threat to Rural Prosperity.” In it, she addresses the problem ranchers are facing and encourages government action. She joins me today to discuss what ranchers are dealing with and how the government can properly implement the Endangered Species Act (ESA) so that the needs of rural Americans are balanced with those of wildlife in the American Southwest. Show Notes: "The Mexican Gray Wolf: A Threat to Rural Prosperity" by Tate Bennett https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/the-mexican-gray-wolf-a-threat-to-rural-prosperity Sponsored by Ranch Vision: www.ranchvision.io Special thanks to Josh Woolwine for creating our intro. Follow Josh at www.instagram.com/hjwoolwine. UNWON is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support independent Western journalism, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber at www.americaunwon.com. Get full access to UNWON at www.americaunwon.com/subscribe

    27 min

  6. 11/14/2025

    Maude Update: Heather Maude on How Bureaucracy is Killing Ranching

    Six months after the press conference in D.C. where Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced criminal charges against the Maudes had been dropped, Heather fills us in on what’s happened to her family since and answers your questions. We discuss what it has been like working with Secretary Rollins, Chief Schultz, and other members of the Trump administration; whether the Forest Service agents involved in her family’s case have been held accountable; the dire need for more voices from the American West in D.C.; and more. 02:13 Introduction to the Maude Case08:09 The Impact of Bureaucracy on Ranching Families14:01 Challenges in Communication and Resolution20:11 Internal Review and Accountability25:56 Concluding Thoughts and Future Outlook34:00 Cultural Change in Bureaucracy42:00 Legal Challenges and Resolutions48:15 The Impact of Bureaucracy on Agriculture54:19 Faith and Purpose in Adversity59:26 Grassroots Advocacy and the Future of Agriculture Sponsored by Ranch Vision: www.ranchvision.io Special thanks to Josh Woolwine for creating our intro. Follow Josh at www.instagram.com/hjwoolwine. Subscribe and support UNWON: www.americaunwon.com Get full access to UNWON at www.americaunwon.com/subscribe

    1h 7m

  7. 06/23/2025

    Lawman of the Emerald: Sheriff Matt Kendall on Cartels, Weed, and Water Wars

    Today I am speaking with Matt Kendall, sheriff of Mendocino County in California’s infamous Emerald Triangle, the epicenter of black market marijuana production. Sheriff Kendall blows the lid off some of the most under-covered and shocking stories in the U.S. today. Cartels are running rampant on Native American reservations and transnational criminal drug trafficking organizations are operating on U.S. soil including on our public lands and national forests. Illicit cannabis is stealing millions of gallons of water in the drought and fire-prone West every single day. Kendall also talks about being a California sheriff under Governor Gavin Newsom, his restrictions on working with ICE, and trying to advocate for victims in a state that is increasingly pro-predator. He explains how legalization has impacted the cannabis market, how over-regulation is killing rural America, and much more. This episode is shocking and you won’t hear this info anywhere else. Thank you for listening, please enjoy the show and be sure to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you tune in including YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Watch High Country Murder short documentary: More UNWON coverage: UNWON is reader-supported. Support independent journalism for rural America by becoming an UNWON subscriber. Get full access to UNWON at www.americaunwon.com/subscribe

    1h 36m

  8. 06/07/2025

    Dam DISASTER with Theodora Johnson: Water, Wolves, and Ranching on the Klamath River

    Theodora Johnson is a cattle rancher and mom of three, born, raised, and still ranching in Siskiyou County, California. She’s also an award-winning journalist; one of the few who covered the reality of the infamous Klamath Dam removals that California governor Gavin Newsom has touted as a major victory. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: We talk about what’s happened since the Klamath River dams were pulled in 2024. From destroying salmon to watersheds to small towns, pulling the dams has harmed Siskiyou County in profound ways, and the worst may be yet to come for ranchers. Theo warns that agriculture is being set up to take the fall for this man-made catastrophe. We talk about what appears to be the intentional targeting of small, independent producers in California. We talk about the intrusion of wolves in the Siskiyou County area, how the Endangered Species Act and “emergency drought declarations” have been used to control agriculture, and so much more. This episode is powerful and I’m so grateful for Theo’s voice as a journalist speaking truth to power in rural California. Read Theodora’s exposé on the Klamath Dam disaster here: Get full access to UNWON at www.americaunwon.com/subscribe

    1h 53m
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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Underdog journalism from working, rural, and Western America. www.americaunwon.com

Information

  • Creator
    Keely Covello
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Keely Brazil Covello
  • Show Website
    UNWON with Keely Covello

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