Can a bookstore and learning community reshape the world of farming? On our latest episode Taylor Henry, owner of Acres USA, makes a compelling case. He takes us through his journey into regenerative agriculture, sparked by the shelves of Acres USA’s iconic bookstore. Taylor shares how Acres USA is redefining what it means to learn the craft of farming, offering an education that can rival, and even surpass, the traditional university path.

We also dive into the upcoming Acres USA conference, where leaders and learners come together to inspire, innovate, and transform the future of agriculture. Taylor explains why it’s essential for farmers to see themselves as entrepreneurs and how Acres USA equips them to do just that.

“I believe there is something dangerous about our entire notion of what a solution to climate change even is. We’re trying to engineer our way out of an ecological crisis that we engineered ourselves into. Growing bigger and more complex might not help. We’re going to have to humble ourselves first.”

Rex Weyler

In this episode, we were joined by the one and only Rex Weyler - activist, author, co-founder of Greenpeace, and a veteran of the ecology movement - to examine why the early momentum for ecological change slowed and how our obsession with controlling nature has led us astray. He offers a compelling critique of our collective fixation on technological fixes, arguing that it blinds us to a deeper truth: we’re part of nature, not separate from it.

Rex challenges us to rethink what living sustainably truly means and to question the myths of “green technology” and perpetual growth that define our modern world. Instead, he advocates for a life rooted in simplicity and intentional choices, where individual and community well-being align with the rhythms of the natural world. Join us as we explore Rex’s vision for a society that is rooted in an ecological lens, and learn how living simply might be the most radical—and effective—path forward.

If most of us are honest—banking probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when we think about social and environmental change. But what if it could be?

In today’s episode, we talk with Charley Cummings, CEO of Walden Mutual, an innovative bank that’s restoring a community-driven model that has largely disappeared in the face of 50 years of banking consolidation.

Charley walks us through the recent history of US banking and how the fundamental thesis behind it has changed, leaving many behind. He explains how is own experience as the founder of Walden Local - a sustainable meats company - helped him see the lack of a local financing option that embodied his values. From there, Charley dives deep into their community driven model, showcasing what a relationship-driven, place-based banking model could mean for the future of local agriculture and our food systems at large.

What does it take to leave the city behind and embrace life as a cowboy? In this episode, we trace Tyler’s unique path from competitive running, to beekeeping and vegetable farming, to life as a regenerative cattle rancher. Tyler shares the transformative experience of building a relationship with the land, the day-to-day realities of ranching life, and the complex dynamics of being a non-binary person of color in a traditionally conservative rural setting. We also dive into the myths surrounding the cowboy legend, exploring its true, multicultural history.

Tyler’s journey is one of both personal and professional evolution. As we discuss the social challenges of transitioning from an urban environment to a rural community, Tyler opens up about their experiences of belonging, identity, and ambition.

For Cole Bush, life as a shepherd is more than a job—it’s a calling. As the founder of her own grazing business in Southern California, she's using livestock to help restore land, reduce wildfire risks, and promote sustainable farming. At the same time, she’s using her knowledge to train the next generation of pastoral graziers through the Grazing School of the West.

We’ll dive into her journey, sharing the insights she gained along the way about the co-evolution of humans, animals, and our environment. Cole’s work is changing the way people think about grazing, and today, she’s here to share how livestock can be a powerful tool for healing the land.

In the 1990s, the success of the US organic movement seemed undeniable. Demand for healthy, chemical-free produce skyrocketed amidst public health concerns and a growing environmental consciousness. As a consequence, many small organic farmers could make a real living selling healthy produce and restoring farmland in the process. In the decades since, however, the story has gotten much more complicated.

Carlyle Stewart is a living embodiment of many of the core ideas behind Agrarian Futures. Like many of us, he grew up without a close connection to farming or our agricultural landscapes, but that didn’t stop him from taking a massive leap to move across the country and establish himself as a skilled cattle rancher in Montana. He fuses these skills with wise-beyond-his-years thoughtfulness about what it means to steward the land, lift up rural communities, and confront the complicated -and often violent - history of westward expansion and ranching.

This conversation is bursting with insights from his time spent on the land as well as his background in divinity school and as a community organizer. We know you’ll enjoy this one.

Russell Wallack and team at Breadtree Farms are some of our favorite kind of people - the kind who not only imagine a different future for our communities and our planet, but put in the work to turn that vision into reality.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Russell walks us through the history of the chestnut tree in North America, which once made up over a quarter of all trees in the eastern US, and how they are harnessing its potential as a keystone crop for regenerative farmers once more.

Atlantic Sea Farms is working at the center of many of our favorite themes on this show - climate change adaptability, rural revitalization, the brass tacks of launching a business in the regenerative food space, and long term economic security for the people that grow and harvest our food.