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Growing the World's Best Wool
In this episode, we sit down with Jen Hunter and Andy Wear of Fernhill Farm and Fernhill Fiber, recognized as the 2022 Sheep Farmers of the Year by Farmers Weekly. With decades of shepherding under their belts, they share insights on how they've transformed their hilltop farm into a thriving cultural and ecological hub, cross-breeding 6 types of sheep to produce premium wool, on-farm events with 20,000 attendees, how EOV data informs their management, and more. +++ ALL EPISODES: 👉 https://savory.global/podcast JOIN THE COMMUNITY + GET MEMBERS-ONLY PERKS: 👉 https://savory.global/member GET INVOLVED WITH SAVORY INSTITUTE: 👉 https://savory.global/find-your-path +++ 00:00 Intro 01:25 Fernhill’s Fiber Experience event 07:19 Setting the stage 11:10 Jen’s background 15:57 The history of Fernhill 22:38 From shepherding to Holistic Planned Grazing 28:24 Trading weddings for wool 37:17 Join the movement 38:18 Financial planning 47:23 Field observations 56:27 Balancing ecological & nutritional needs 01:00:38 Ecological monitoring 01:09:16 Partnering with HD Wool 01:11:17 Cross-breeding 6 types of sheep 01:21:47 Future aspirations 01:28:27 Final Thoughts +++ MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: – https://www.fernhill-farm.co.uk/ – https://fernhillfibre.co.uk/ – https://fernhillfibre.co.uk/events/fernhill-fibre-experience-21st-march-2026 – https://www.fieldmargin.com/ – https://www.3lm.network/ – https://fernhillfibre.co.uk/eov-regenerative-verification – https://www.hdwool.com/ +++ This episode is brought to you by Savory’s Regenerating Members, a global community restoring over 100 million acres through Holistic Management. For less than $1 per day, you can help regenerate 400+ acres every year: 👉 https://savory.global/member Want to sponsor an episode? 👉 https://savory.global/podcast +++ FIND US ON SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savoryinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savory-institute/ +++ HAVE A GUEST SUGGESTION? We’d love to hear your thoughts: 👉 https://www.tfaforms.com/5169997 +++ Music written & performed by https://www.youtube.com/@travismcnamara9313
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1:33:41
Ecological Monitoring & Nomadic Living Across Europe
In this episode of Ruminations, we explore what it means to be in relationship with place—even while living a nomadic lifestyle. Our guest is Leon Bucher: Holistic Management educator, EOV Verifier, and one of five members of Savory’s Global Quality Assurance team for Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV). Together, we unpack how EOV works—not just the mechanics, but the deeper meaning. Leon shares insights from years of walking land with producers across Europe, explaining how ecological indicators serve as feedback loops for better management. From baseline monitoring to five-year trend analysis, we look at what getting EOV actually involves for a farmer or rancher—and why, in Leon’s words, regeneration is ultimately about relationship. +++ ALL EPISODES: 👉 https://savory.global/podcast JOIN THE COMMUNITY + GET MEMBERS-ONLY PERKS: 👉 https://savory.global/member GET INVOLVED WITH SAVORY INSTITUTE: 👉 https://savory.global/find-your-path +++ 00:00 Intro 02:13 A German nomad lands in northern Sweden 09:54 Career shifts 26:28 Learn everything or just get started? 31:31 Why do ecological monitoring? 34:01 TAKE MORE PHOTOS! 39:37 Monitoring for marketplace differentiation 41:18 Regenerating Members 45:20 What is EOV? 50:41 Calibrating data by eco-region 57:07 How indicators correlate to ecosystem processes 01:00:08 Leon’s favorite ecological indicators 01:01:34 Engaging your senses in monitoring 01:08:35 Setting up EOV on your farm or ranch 01:17:34 Trendlines & comparing to reference sites 01:20:27 Walking through an EOV report 01:23:37 Quality Assurance review 01:34:29 “Regeneration is relationships” 01:39:51 Final Thoughts +++ MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: – https://landregeneration.eu/en/ – https://savory.global/increasing-caring-capacity/ – https://youtu.be/-9b6nwJayqY?si=vL2drwUvy2UKPftM – https://www.anadolumera.com/en – https://natcapsolutions.org/product/purchaseafinerfuture/ – https://savory.global/eov/ – http://leonbucher.com/ – https://www.instagram.com/leon_regenerative_journeys/ +++ This episode is brought to you by Savory’s Regenerating Members, a global community restoring over 100 million acres through Holistic Management. For less than $1 per day, you can help regenerate 400+ acres every year: 👉 https://savory.global/member Want to sponsor an episode? 👉 https://savory.global/podcast +++ FIND US ON SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savoryinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savory-institute/ +++ HAVE A GUEST SUGGESTION? We’d love to hear your thoughts: 👉 https://www.tfaforms.com/5169997 +++ Music written & performed by https://www.youtube.com/@travismcnamara9313
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1:43:13
The Dirt on Soil Health Policy & Legislation
In this episode of Ruminations, we dig into the legislative soil beneath America’s regenerative agriculture movement with Aria McLauchlan, co-founder and executive director of LandCore. Aria brings a rare insider’s view of how soil health is making its way into federal and state policy—often against the odds. We explore how LandCore is reshaping the policy landscape by working alongside USDA, legislators, producers, and investors to mainstream soil health as a critical lever for economic resilience, food security, and climate action. You’ll hear about their groundbreaking risk modeling tools, the Soil Health Bill Tracker, and what it actually takes to get meaningful policy passed in a system designed for the status quo. +++ ALL EPISODES: 👉 https://savory.global/podcast JOIN THE COMMUNITY + GET MEMBERS-ONLY PERKS: 👉 https://savory.global/member GET INVOLVED WITH SAVORY INSTITUTE: 👉 https://savory.global/find-your-path +++ 00:00 Intro 03:20 Welcome Aria 04:20 Aria's Journey into Policy 09:55 Founding LandCore: Mission and Goals 12:15 Economic Incentives for Farmers 16:48 Navigating Capitol Hill: Engaging Policymakers 24:51 Risk Mitigation and Soil Health 32:31 LandCore's Risk Modeling Tool 37:55 Challenges in Modeling Grazing Practices 42:05 Practice-Based vs. Outcomes-Based Approaches 44:27 LandCore's Policy Priorities 45:56 The Farm Bill 51:28 Engaging with Legislators 59:49 Broader Implications and Agencies Involved 01:04:59 Global Perspectives 01:08:33 Economic Case for Soil Health 01:22:18 Future of Soil Health Policy 01:28:20 Final Thoughts +++ MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: – https://landcore.org/ – https://landcore.org/bill-tracker – https://landcore.org/news-post/2024/05/02/land-core-risk-model-interactive-beta-tool – https://landcore.org/news-post/public-comments-hhs-dietary-guidelines – (BONUS) https://landcore.org/news-post/rooted-in-health-the-soil-and-human-health-connection +++ This episode is brought to you by Savory’s Regenerating Members, a global community restoring over 100 million acres through Holistic Management. For less than $1 per day, you can help regenerate 400+ acres every year: 👉 https://savory.global/member Want to sponsor an episode? 👉 https://savory.global/podcast +++ FIND US ON SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savoryinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savory-institute/ +++ HAVE A GUEST SUGGESTION? We’d love to hear your thoughts: 👉 https://www.tfaforms.com/5169997 +++ Music written & performed by Travis McNamara.
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1:32:51
Regenerating Patagonia's Grasslands
In this episode we're joined by Pablo Borelli, co-founder of Ovis 21, the Savory Hub in Argentina. With a background in agronomy and extensive experience in Holistic Management, Pablo shares insights on how Ovis 21 has impacted over 26 million hectares and trained over 5,000 people in Holistic Management over the last decade. The conversation explores Pablo’s journey, the underlying principles and key insights of Holistic Management, and the transformative effects it has had on Patagonian grasslands and livestock management. Plus, dive into case studies and real-world applications that highlight the importance of planned grazing, recovery periods, and the ecological benefits of regenerative agriculture. +++ ALL EPISODES: 👉 https://savory.global/podcast JOIN THE COMMUNITY + GET MEMBERS-ONLY PERKS: 👉 https://savory.global/member GET INVOLVED WITH SAVORY INSTITUTE: 👉 https://savory.global/find-your-path +++ 00:00 Intro 04:35 Challenges and Innovations in Holistic Management 10:05 Early Adoption and Training in Patagonia 26:39 Holistic Management Principles and Practices 39:57 Understanding Holistic Grazing Plans 40:20 Redefining Overgrazing 43:25 The Concept of Overresting 48:08 Four Key Insights of Holistic Management 50:29 Importance of Holistic Context 58:16 Holistic Planned Grazing Explained 01:04:39 Recovery Periods in Grazing Plans 01:11:53 Advice for New Holistic Managers 01:13:09 The Future of Regenerative Grazing 01:20:22 Final Thoughts +++ This episode is brought to you by Savory’s Regenerating Members, a global community restoring over 100 million acres through Holistic Management. For less than $1 per day, you can help regenerate 400+ acres every year: 👉 https://savory.global/member Want to sponsor an episode? 👉 https://savory.global/podcast +++ FIND US ON SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savoryinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savory-institute/ +++ HAVE A GUEST SUGGESTION? We’d love to hear your thoughts: 👉 https://www.tfaforms.com/5169997 +++ Music written & performed by https://www.youtube.com/@travismcnamara9313
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1:23:34
The Nutritional Merits of Animal Sourced Foods
In this episode of Ruminations, we sit down with registered dietician and author Diana Rodgers to discuss her recent peer-reviewed paper on the nutritional benefits of animal-sourced foods. We delve into the challenges and biases she faced in getting her research published and break down common misconceptions about meat consumption. The conversation covers detailed nutritional information, the importance of protein, iron, zinc, B12, and the environmental and ethical aspects of meat production. Additionally, Diana shares her personal journey and announces her shift towards a new chapter in life centered around art and community. +++ ALL EPISODES: 👉 https://savory.global/podcast JOIN THE COMMUNITY + GET MEMBERS-ONLY PERKS: 👉 https://savory.global/member GET INVOLVED WITH SAVORY INSTITUTE: 👉 https://savory.global/find-your-path +++ TIME STAMPS: 00:00 Intro 05:25 Challenges in Nutrition and Dietetics 14:32 Understanding Scientific Studies 23:56 Nutritional Benefits of Red Meat 33:59 Protein Intake and Dietary Recommendations 45:10 Exploring Protein Needs for Older Adults 46:31 Challenges in Publishing Nutrition Research 48:12 Historical Roots of Anti-Meat Bias 54:30 Nutritional Benefits of Red Meat 01:04:50 Debunking Anti-Meat Arguments 01:18:23 Advice for Vegetarians and Vegans 01:23:28 Transitioning to a New Chapter 01:27:10 Final Thoughts and Resources +++ This episode is brought to you by Savory Institute’s Regenerating Members, a global community committed to restoring grasslands. Learn more and join for just $15/month at 👉 https://savory.global/member Want to sponsor an episode? +++ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Considering the Nutritional Benefits and Health Implications of Red Meat in the Era of Meatless Initiatives – https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1525011 Sacred Cow documentary – https://youtu.be/hjyBUk6AQ1M?si=Y6ZvTnkeMcibbXmg Sacred Cow (book) by Diana Rodgers & Robb Wolf – https://savory.global/science_library/sacred-cow-the-case-for-better-meat/ Dr. Gabrielle Lyon – https://drgabriellelyon.com Olivia Robertson Moe – https://www.instagram.com/revolveprimalhealth/ Rachel Paul (The College Nutritionist) – https://www.drrachelpaul.com/ +++ Stay in Touch with Diana sustainabledish.com @sustainabledish +++ FIND US ON SOCIAL: YouTube: @SavoryInstitute Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savoryinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savory-institute/ NEVER MISS AN EPISODE: Spotify Apple Podcasts +++
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1:32:55