Anchoring with Nature: An Eco-Spiritual Journey on the Oneness of Being with Dr. Fred Provenza

12/07/23 • 54 min

Can you imagine sitting down to chat with a plant, asking it to share its innate wisdom with you, and then taking the nourishing messages of its flavors into your body as food and medicine? Well, guess what, whether you know it or not we all do this to some degree everyday.
Tune in for an enriching conversation with renowned Range Scientist, Dr. Fred Provenza and myself, your Land Food Life Podcast host Kara Kroeger. In this conversation Fred beautifully weaves his journey, from uncovering the remarkable functions of plants as food for livestock to appreciating their profound role in our social constructs, health, and spirituality. Together, we explore the powerful lessons that can be learned by recognizing the threads that weave all beings - humans, plants, insects, animals, land, and water - together and how anchoring ourselves with nature can regenerate our frazzled nervous systems and ecosystems.
Fred also shares about a time period when life pulled the rug out from under his feet, which opened the door to an ineffable feeling of oneness with the universe. Drawing inspiration from Fred and I's personal experiences, we explore the transcendental peace that can emerge from facing life-altering situations, like a health crisis. Through our personal anecdotes, we offer a unique perspective on cultivating an eco-centric vs. an ego-centric lifestyle through tethering ourselves to nature as a means of deepening our relationship with self and all that surrounds us.
Books Referenced:

Nourishment by Fred Provenza
The Art of Sheepherding by Fred Provenza
Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
The Power of Now by Echart Tolle
The Soul of the Indian by Charles Eastman
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell

Previous Episode

Shake, Shift, Evolve: Embracing Disruption as A Means to Change Your Mindset & Grow Personally with Kelsey Ducheneaux-Scott

What if disruption wasn't something to be feared, but rather embraced as a catalyst for growth and change? Join us for an unforgettable conversation with the steadfast Kelsey Scott, a woman who's redefining what disruptions means in her life to evolve as a human being. As a Lakota tribeswoman raised on The DX Ranch on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, Kelsey's unique insights on embracing disturbance, managing pressure, and enhancing resilience are informed by her life experiences on the ranch and her innovative approaches to engagement in Indian Agriculture as the Chief Strategy Officer of the Intertribal Agriculture Council.
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As our conversation winds down, Kelsey offers her perspective on the strides she and her father, the USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator, have taken in strategizing new ways to improve the quality of life for BIPOC agricultural leaders and producers. As we explore the power of resilience and community appreciation, we also dive into Kelsey's unique marketing strategies for DX Beef and how they've positively impacted her local community. This episode is a treasure trove of insights, offering a new outlook on embracing disturbance, managing pressure, and enhancing resilience in our lives. Tune in to be inspired and learn something new.
References:
Ray Hunt, Buck Brannaman, - Horsemanship
https://thedxranch.com/
https://www.projecth3lp.org/
https://www.indianag.org/

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Tales from the Soil: Nurturing Our Land Back to Life with Peter Brezny

Embark on a journey exploring regenerative farmscapes with myself, Kara Kroger, and the insightful Peter Brezny of Psycho Chicken Eco Farm. Together, we traverse the evolution from conventional to regenerative agriculture, uncovering the power of holistic farming practices. We promise a journey of enlightenment; from the role of energy efficiency and biological fertility to the perils of chemical dependencies, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone passionate about the future of farming, food, and our planet.
As we chart the course through our discussions, we honor the legacies of visionaries like Charles Walters of Acres USA and Rachel Carson author of Silent Spring, who've sparked a community eager for change. We examine the pivotal moments and conferences that have stitched together a tapestry of knowledge, encouraging soil-centric farming that mirrors the robustness of nature itself. The heartrending tales of bees decimated by insecticides and aquatic devastation serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of our actions, while the success stories of farmers like Jimmy Emmons in Oklahoma illuminate the path toward a regenerative horizon.
Concluding the episode, we celebrate the microscopic marvels beneath our feet – the soil bacteria. These tiny but mighty organisms are the unsung heroes of plant growth and nutrition, shaping the health of our soil and, ultimately, the food on our plates. The conversation surges with passion, emphasizing the importance of consumer choices and the interconnectedness of our well-being with that of the earth. Prepare to be inspired, challenged, and above all, equipped with knowledge that transcends the boundaries of conventional agriculture.

Land Food Life - Anchoring with Nature: An Eco-Spiritual Journey on the Oneness of Being with Dr. Fred Provenza

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:02.245

Welcome to the Land Food Life Podcast . I'm your host , kara Kroger . In each episode , I'm dedicated to enlightening you with invaluable insights on how we can heal the land , our ecosystems and improve our overall health and well-being .

Speaker 100:00:19.300

My goal is to raise your awareness about caring for nature as a whole and the life-giving breathing