Regenerative Renegades
We are gradually losing our soil, and along with that our rural economies. If we don’t change, suddenly we WILL lose everything. And we’ll no longer be able to nourish ourselves or sustain our American rural way of life.
Renewal is possible through Regenerative Agriculture. The restoration of soil and nature. And the revitalization of rural economies. At the grassroots, there are many determined folks who are making this revitalization happen, many who have worked decades, relegated away to relative darkness. Not doing it for fame or fortune, but because they knew changes in our food system were necessary for our collective health and future.
These are the stories of the Regenerative Renegades.
In this podcast, host and regenerative agriculture expert Matt Maier talks to these passionate, resilient people as they share their stories of trial, hope, and triumph. Are you a Regenerative Renegade? We hope you’ll join us.
The opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of Thousand Hills as a presenting partner.
Episodes
22 episodes
Tommy Jensen: The Evolution of Nutrition in College Athletics
What if the future of elite performance comes down to what’s on your plate? On this episode of Regenerative Renegades, host Matt Maier sits down with University of Minnesota Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Nutrition, Tommy Jensen, for a f...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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48:46
Scott Davis: The Art of Cooking with Intention
What if the most satisfying meals don't start in the kitchen, but rather in fields and pastures?In this episode of Regenerative Renegades, host Matt Maier joins chef and distiller and executive chef Scott Davis in the kitchen for a hands...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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39:39
Allison Hohn: Driving Food Innovation Through Connections and Collaboration
In this episode of Regenerative Renegades, host Matt Maier talks with Allison Hohn, Executive Director of Naturally Minnesota, about her food industry journey and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Drawing on her experience in food scienc...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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53:10
Todd Lein: Lessons from Two Decades in Regenerative Agriculture
In this episode of Regenerative Renegades, host Matt Maier sits down with Todd Lein, Thousand Hills’ first employee and longest-tenured team member, to reflect on more than 22 years of regenerative agriculture in action. Todd shares an inside l...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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1:00:15
Jessica Wright and Scott Dicker: Informing Wellness Trends and Conscious Consumption
In this episode of Regenerative Renegades, host Matt Maier sits down with SPINS leaders Jessica Wright, Vice President of Product Intelligence at SPINS, and Scott Dicker, Director of Market Insights at SPINS. SPINS is an industry-leading data a...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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1:06:41
Dan Kittredge: Connecting Soil Health to Human Health
In this episode of Regenerative Renegades, guest host Melissa Larsen—an expert in nutrition and public health—engages Dan Kittredge in an enlightening discussion about improving nutrient value in our food system. Dan, the founder of the BioNutr...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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1:01:35
Finian Makepeace: The Power of Each Additional Person in the Regenerative Agriculture Movement
Join Matt Maier, host of Regenerative Renegades, in a conversation with Finian Makepeace — co-founder of Kiss the Ground, producer of the acclaimed films Kiss the Ground and Common Ground, and partner at The Ryzosphere. They explore Finian’s jo...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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1:09:54
Thomas Schroeder: How Connection Creates Conservation
In Part 2, Thomas Schroeder, Senior Partnerships Manager for Audubon Conservation Ranching, returns to discuss how Audubon’s work with ranchers and producers is helping biodiversity take flight.This episode explores the power of connection,...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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30:19
Thomas Schroeder: Bringing Birds Back to the Land
In this two-part series, Thomas Schroeder, Senior Partnerships Manager for Audubon Conservation Ranching, joins host Matt Maier to discuss how ranchers and conservationists are teaming up to restore grassland ecosystems and protect declining bi...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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36:16
Kevin Ouzts: The Necessity of Honest Food
Join Matt Maier, host of Regenerative Renegades, in a conversation with Kevin Ouzts, chef-turned-founder of The Spotted Trotter. They discuss the evolution of food and farming, Kevin’s journey from fine dining to charcuterie making, and the imp...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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1:02:46
Jonathan Lundgren: Can Regeneration Feed the World?
Join Matt Maier for a conversation with Dr. Jonathan Lundgren — agroecologist, former USDA scientist, and founder of Blue Dasher Farm and the Ecdysis Foundation. Jonathan shares why he walked away from conventional research to pursue regenerati...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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1:02:17
Carrie Balkcom: Beyond the Label— What Grass-Fed Really Means
Join Matt Maier, host of Regenerative Renegades for a sit-down interview with Carrie Balkcom, Executive Director of American Grassfed Association. Carrie shares her journey into agriculture and the pivotal role she's played in establishing trus...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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43:00
Stephan Van Vliet: Our Hidden Hunger
This week on Regenerative Renegades, host Matt Maier continues his conversation with Dr. Stephan Van Vliet, a leading nutrition scientist at Utah State University with deep expertise in metabolomics. In Part 2, they dig into an omnivorous diet,...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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47:48
Stephan Van Vliet: You are What Your Food Eats
This week on Regenerative Renegades, host Matt Maier kicks off a two-part conversation with Dr. Stephan Van Vliet, a leading nutrition scientist at Utah State University with deep expertise in metabolomics. Together, they explore how regenerati...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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42:18
Elizabeth Ries: Beautifully Simple Food
In this episode of Regenerative Renegades, we're shaking things up! Host Matt Maier steps aside to introduce a special guest host- his daughter and the show's producer, Melissa Maier. Melissa takes the reins to interview Minnesota's media power...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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49:43
Anthony Hauck: Audubon Conservation Ranching “Birds and Herds”
In this episode of Regenerative Renegades, host Matt Maier welcomes Anthony Hauck of the National Audubon Society to discuss the symbiotic relationship between grazing cattle and grassland birds. Mr. Hauck serves as Communications Manager of th...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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1:06:57
Patrice Bailey: Stretching Diversity of Mindsets; Global, State and Local Agricultural Perspectives
Patrice Bailey, Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture for Minnesota Department of Agriculture Patrice Bailey speaks with host, Matt Maier, about a range of topics His path from Harlem to agriculture
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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1:03:42
Ben Leber: Living Intentionally and Making Healthy Choices
In this episode of Regenerative Renegades, former NFL linebacker and Minnesota Viking Ben Leber shares a great message of being intentional about our lives through daily practices – everything from scheduling our daily lives, family life, nutri...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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55:20
Alan Lewis: The Good Food Fight
In this final segment of Regenerative Renegades, we sit down with Alan Lewis, Vice President of Government Affairs and Organic Compliance at Natural Grocers, to discuss the progress of regenerative agriculture and the hope it bri...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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32:21
Alan Lewis: Getting Back to the Way Food Was
In this episode of Regenerative Renegades, we sit down with Alan Lewis, Vice President of Government Affairs and Organic Compliance at Natural Grocers, for a wide-ranging conversation that peels back the curtain on the politics of food...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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26:52
Alan Lewis: How We Lost Our Agrarian Way of Life
Alan Lewis personifies what Regenerative Renegades are all about: the restoration of soil, nature, and the renewal of rural economies. This discussion with Alan is a fascinating story of “The Way Food Was” and how we lost our agrarian way of li...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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36:15
Coming soon! Regenerative Renegades: A regenerative revolution in land management and healthy eating.
The Regenerative Renegade Podcast tells stories of people focused on regenerative agriculture and food system rejuvenation. Podcast guests are passionate, resilient people as they share their trials, hope, and triumph. Renewal is possible throu...
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Season 1
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1:13