Grazing the Land: Wildfire Prevention & The Return of Pastoralism

EcoJustice Radio

Pastoralism. New (and Old Agrarians). Prescribed grazing. Adapting to our changing climate. Returning to ancient traditions for modern times. Throughout history, humanity has engaged pastoralism and grazing animals as a way of life, from Africa, to the Tibetan Plateau, the Eurasian steppes, to the Andes and Australia. As of 2019, 75% of all countries still maintain pastoral communities who graze animals for subsistence including cattle, camels, goats, yaks, llamas, reindeer, horses, and sheep. Diane Anastasio, Programs Manager of Shepherdess Land & Livestock [http://brittanycolebush.com/], based out of Ojai, California. joins us on this show to put the new generation of grazing on the land in perspective. Today, smaller ruminants such as goats and sheep are integral and essential to ecological restoration, regeneration, and reconnecting us to animals and the land itself. Ruminants help balance ecosystems and usher in biodiversity, when handled conscientiously, with the future in mind. Overgrazing has also led to land degradation and desertification worldwide, however, many view animals as a sacred key to revitalizing land and renewing our relationship to animals and Nature. Sheep and goats offer back end fertilization, food, fiber and help prevent fire hazards. Prescribed Grazing creates ecological resilience and healthier landscapes adaptable to the whims of climate change. In the US, pastoral practices and economies have virtually been eradicated due to colonization, industrialization, and the individualization of livestock production. Ours is a time for renewing pastoralism culturally and economically, in order to foster a life of balance and reverence upon the lands, in connection with all life. Diane Anastasio [https://www.dianeanastasio.com/] joins us to share the potentiality of prescribed grazing, ecological resilience and a pastoral life. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Featured Videos: Shepherdess Land and Livestock IG: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsB6F4mpXxD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link LATimes 404 IG: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C00TQb7Lpoh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Intro Video The Selby: https://vimeo.com/708353057 Diane Anastasio is a weaver, writer and shepherd currently working with prescribed grazing business, Shepherdess Land & Livestock [https://shepherdesslandl.co/] in Ojai, California. Diane arrived in agriculture through overlapping explorations of food systems, nutrition, education and a deep desire to carry on the work of their agrarian ancestors. Diane is passionate about creating accessible pathways into prescribed grazing and has been collaborating on the development of the Grazing School of the West [http://grazingschoolofthewest.com/] in order to support new generations of agrarians in the field. Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt Hosted by Carry Kim Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 207 Photo Credit: Pickhard for Shepherdess Land and Livestock