Rooted in Resilience: The Climate Chronicles

Farming at the Edge: Resilience in the Tijuana River Valley with S&S Friendly Ranch

At S&S Friendly Ranch in Southern California’s Tijuana River Valley, Frank Buncom IV and his family are stewarding land shaped by flooding, pollution, and constant change.
In this episode, we explore what resilience looks like on the ground—from rebuilding soil and shifting crops, to growing mushrooms for both food and bioremediation. This is a story of adaptation, community, and learning to work with the land in a complex and uncertain environment.

Rangeland Wildfires with Sara Miller of Magpie Ranch

Sara Miller, a pastoralist in northeast Oregon, shares her experience facing the 2022 Double Creek Fire on open rangeland. She reflects on preparing for wildfire in a remote setting, navigating losses to fencing and forage, and what recovery has required in the years since.
This episode was created in partnership with American Farmland Trust for their innovative Wildfire Learning Circles. 

Reciprocal & Reparative Recovery at Lazy R Ranch [Part II: After the Fire]

In Part I, you heard Beth Robinette—fourth-generation rancher at Lazy R Ranch in eastern Washington—walk us through the day the fire came, what it felt like to leave her animals and her home, and the ways her land, her community, and her management shaped what happened next.
In this episode, we pick up after the smoke clears.
Beth returns to a burned landscape, damaged infrastructure, and the immediate, overwhelming work of holding things together—rebuilding fence, finding her cattle, and beginning the long process of recovery. We also talk about what she’s doing differently now, from financial preparedness to forest management, and how her understanding of fire continues to evolve.
This is part of a two-part episode in collaboration with American Farmland Trust. If you haven’t listened to Part I, we recommend starting there. But if you’re joining us here, this episode stands on its own as a look at what it takes to keep going after wildfire.

Ranching with Wildfire at Lazy R Ranch [Part 1: The Fire Story]

When wildfire moves through a working ranch, decisions have to be made fast—and not everything can be saved. 
In this first episode, Beth Robinette, a fourth-generation rancher at Lazy R Ranch in eastern Washington, shares her experience living through the 2023 Gray Fire: the moments leading up to evacuation, the uncertainty of leaving, and what it meant to watch fire move across her land.
This two part episode is part of a special collaboration with American Farmland Trust. 
In Part II, we follow what comes next—the long, complex work of returning, rebuilding, and rethinking life and land after fire.
*Heads up: In this episode, our guest shares a personal story about evacuating during a wildfire and becomes emotional while describing it. If you’ve been through wildfire or similar experiences, you may want to take care while listening.

Finding Joy: A Farmer’s Path Through Climate Grief

In this episode of Rooted in Resilience, farmer and Oregon State University Extension professional Maud Powell shares her experience of grief and leaving a long-held farm after the 2021 heat dome, leading her to start nationwide workshops for farmers navigating climate change. The conversation explores climate distress, mental health in farming, and how cultivating joy, connection, and agency can support farmers facing ongoing climate stress.

Kinship as Resilience: Lessons from Indigenous Agriculture with Brandon Francis

In this episode of 'Rooted in Resilience, The Climate Chronicles,' host Katie Brimm speaks with Brandon Francis, a Diné farmer and researcher at New Mexico State University. Brandon shares insights on mega droughts, water-saving methods, and the deep wisdom of indigenous communities. He discusses his work in preserving agricultural history and adapting seeds for future generations. Tune in to hear Brandon's perspective on the importance of kinship, sustainability, and the sacred duty of feeding others, as well as how he balances traditional farming practices with modern climate adaptation strategies.

Farming through Wildfire Season with Turkey Tail Farm

In this episode, we talk with Turkey Tail Farm in California. The farmers share their decade-long journey to build their farm and the major crisis they faced during the 2018 Camp Fire. They discuss how they rebuilt, implemented new wildfire resilience strategies, and launched a nonprofit for bioremediation to help other fire-affected farmers. Despite challenges, they continue to thrive, offering mushrooms, flowers, eggs, and livestock products to their community.

Ruminations on Resilience: Grazing as Climate Action with Shepherdess Land and Livestock Co

In this Episode, Farmer Campus talks with Cole Bush of Shepherdess Land and Livestock Co. We explore how prescribed grazing techniques can bolster resilience in grazing systems, highlighting the benefits and strategies for implementing controlled grazing practices with sheep and goats in Southern California. Cole also reflects on the realities of building a young business amidst climate disasters.

Climate, Community, and Cooperatives with The Grasshopper Collective

Farmer Campus traveled to the high desert of Mancos Valley, Colorado, where the Grasshopper Collective grows food in an extremely short and erratic growing season. In this episode, we explore the model of collectives and human resilience as well as hear why farmer Mike Nolan thinks being able to pivot is key to adapting to climate change. Oh, and we’ll definitely be talking about lots and lots of grasshoppers- and the crop that withstood them all. 

Cold Snap: The Future of Fruit with Ela Family Farms

Join Farmer Campus in this captivating episode with Regan Choi from Ela Family Farms in Hotchkiss, Colorado. She shares their story of overcoming a major climate shock. As stewards of a perennial crop, fruit tree growers don’t have the option to uproot to find friendlier climates. Hearing their stories is an important place to start when thinking about the future of food.