If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time working on farms and gardens, it’s that podcasts fill a special niche in the agrarian ecosystem. Spending hours trimming suckers off tomato plants can be an opportunity to reflect on the immensity of Time and Being, but sometimes it’s more pleasant to put in a pair of headphones and enjoy some informative audio content. If you’re on the lookout for new podcasts to get you through the spring planting season, or morning commute—you’re in luck.
On Thursday, February 23, Agrarian Trust is launching the first episode of Commons Groundswell, our new podcast that examines human relationship with land through inspiring conversations with leaders, changemakers, and Agrarian Trust collaborators.
When Agrarian Trust launched the Agrarian Commons in 2020, it was with the principle that land is more than just a resource to be profited from. Commons Groundswell upholds, and advances this principle through creating a platform where radical thinkers, scholars, and land activists can weave together a new set of values for relating to the land.
“I really believe that part of what we need to do in order to survive and thrive as a species is to rekindle that ability to hear the language of the earth.” —Leah Penniman, Soul Fire Farm, Episode Two: Rekindling Our Ability to Hear The Earth
Over the course of the podcast’s eight episode first season, Commons Groundswell will cover a wide range of themes, from decommodifying the land through the Agrarian Commons to rebuilding land ownership for Black farmers, and the importance of rekindling spiritual connection with the land. Listen to leading voices in the fight for equitable land access, like Dr. Shakara Tyler of Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund, and Leah Penniman of Soul Fire farm as they share their perspectives, and expand and explore what it means to live on the land.
Start listening on Thursday, February 23 on the Agrarian Trust website, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.
