Tuned in to the Land

The California Rangeland Trust Podcast

About the Podcast

Hosted by Rangeland Trust CEO Michael Delbar, our new podcast features long-form conversations about ranching, conservation, land use, wildlife, fire prevention, and so much more! Special guests include partners, scientists, conservationists, and landowners who exemplify the importance of preserving California’s working lands through their lives and careers.

Tune in every month to learn how you can be involved in preserving the future of the Golden State for generations to come. 

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Season 2 Episode 12: Helping People Help the Land

Today we are joined by Carlos Suarez, the California State Conservationist at NRCS. Together Michael and Carlos discuss the projects that the Rangeland Trust has completed with funding from the NRCS, how the NRCS is funded, the different programs that they offer for funding, as well as how they can work together to help meet our conservations and funding needs.

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Season 2 Episode 11: Voices Matter

In this episode, Kevin Kester, Rangeland Trust ranching partner, shares with us his experiences as a fifth-generation rancher and advocate of the beef industry. Kevin knows the power that ranchers’ voices can have, and today we want to share his.

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Season 2 Episode 10: Navigating the Threats to California Agriculture

Agriculture is a crucial contributor to California’s economy, generating over $132 billion annually by producing more than 400 commodities, some of which are only commercially produced here. It plays a major role in ensuring food security, promoting economic well-being, and maintaining environmental quality.

However, farmers and ranchers face various challenges, including unjust criticism and stringent regulations, which exacerbate their hardships. With the dwindling number of these essential stewards, California, as well as the nation and the world, faces the potential of food insecurity.

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Season 2 Episode 9: Sharing California’s Ranching History

In this episode, Michael is joined by Jared Mathis, President of the Moulton Museum located in Orange County, a valued organization that shares our passion for honoring California’s rich ranching history. Now approaching its one-year anniversary, Jared and the team at the Moulton Museum have worked tirelessly to bring the spirit of the West back to life in Orange County by by actively archiving, restoring, and preserving the regions historical artifacts—everything from farm implements and buggies to documents, artwork, and images.

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Season 2 Episode 8: The Sardella Ranch

For this episode, Michael traveled to the Sardella Ranch in Sonora, CA to chat with Michael and Julie Sardella. During their conversation, Michael and Julie Sardella discuss their journey on the ranch, their commitment to conservation, their longstanding partnership with CAL FIRE, and the significance of preserving working lands in California.

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Season 2 Episode 6: Gate-Getting vs. Gatekeeping

Gate-getting is like a right of passage in the ranching industry. Whether you were sitting in the passenger seat, you were the youngest in the vehicle, or you drew the short straw for the day, we have all been there. But, gate-getting doesn’t stop after the gate is latched. Though there’s the literal meaning of opening the gate to get you where you need to go, it can also mean opening up opportunities for others.

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Season 2 Episode 5: Wildfire Awareness and Preparedness

May is Wildfire Awareness Month.

As Californians, we are all too aware of wildfires and the destruction they inflict upon on our local communities, people, and the land. Each year, it seems like wildfire season extends longer and longer, burning millions of acres. In 2021 and 2022 alone, over 3 million acres of land burned in California displacing people, wildlife, and livestock, alike. That’s why it’s important that we look at prevention through tools like grazing and prescribed fire.

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Season 2 Episode 4: Rock Front Ranch

Our landowner partners represent the heart and soul of the Rangeland Trust. Because of their admirable decisions to conserve their ranches, California will always have places available for local food to be grown, air to be cleansed, freshwater to flow, wildlife to roam, and spectacular viewsheds to be admired.

In this episode, Michael is joined by landowner partner, Alisha Taff. Alisha is the owner of the Rock Front Ranch in the Cuyama Valley in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.

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Season 2 Episode 3: Women in Ranching

Today is National Ag Day where we get to celebrate the land, its bounty, and those who steward it. And on top of that, it’s also Women’s History Month. How befitting is it that National Ag Day converges with this month-long celebration of women’s achievement, especially given the multitude of hats, leadership roles, and essential responsibilities women have held for generations in family farming and ranching operations?

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Season 2 Episode 2: Sustainability in the Beef Industry

What does “sustainability” mean, and why does it matter for the future of the beef industry?

In this episode of Tuned in to the Land, Michael sits down with Dr. Samantha Werth, Executive Director for the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and Senior Director of Sustainability for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, to discuss what sustainability means, how the beef industry is achieving environmental, economic, and social sustainability, and the U.S. Roundtable’s work to advance sustainability throughout the the beef value chain.

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BONUS: Cheers to Ecosystem Services

Together, Michael Delbar and Chad Ellis, CEO of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, go over each state’s ecosystem services research and the subsequent markets that come from those services that serve as incentives for our landowner partners.

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Episode 12: A Look Back at 2022

2022 has been a big year for the Rangeland Trust, but 2023 promises to be even bigger! In this episode, Michael Delbar, CEO of the Rangeland Trust, recaps the exciting things we have been up to over the last 12 months and previews what’s to come in 2023, as we celebrate the Rangeland Trust’s
25th anniversary!

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Episode 9: Reflecting on the Last Two Years with Dr. Dave Daley

In 2020, the Bear Fire ravaged part of the Plumas National Forest, which the Daley family has grazed cattle on since the late 1800s. Sadly, most of the Daley’s cattle herd was lost in the fire. The event and horrific days that followed prompted Dr. Dave Daley, past California Cattlemen’s Association President, to keep a journal detailing his heart-wrenching experience. Shortly after, he shared his account on social media. His story went viral and helped change hearts and minds across the country and around the world.

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Episode 7: Get to Know Rominger Brothers Farms

On this month’s episode of Tuned In to the Land, Rangeland Trust CEO Michael Delbar visits Bruce Rominger, co-owner of Rominger Brothers Farms in Yolo County, CA. Seated under an old oak tree on the Rominger Ranch, Michael and Bruce discuss the Romingers’ commitment to environmental sustainability, which is demonstrated through their farmland and rangeland management practices.

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Episode 6: Policy Updates

On this month’s episode of Tuned In to the Land, Rangeland Trust CEO Michael Delbar sits down with Erik Glenn, Executive Director of the Colorado Cattleman’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) and President of the Partnership of Rangeland Trusts (PORT).

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