This is one of my favourite conversations, and it starts a mini-series of sorts. I’ve had many listeners ask how things feel in this US election year. So, after months speaking with all kinds of people as we travelled through half the states of this country, throughout October, as the election approaches, I’ll offer what we’ve observed, in conversation with people doing some of the more outstanding things we’ve learned about along the way.

Today, meet Chloe Maxmin. Chloe left the farm she grew up on in Maine, as many young folk do, and headed for the city. But against frequent advice, she returned. And soon after, wondering why a kind community was voting for unkind politics, at age 26, she would stand for office and become the first Democrat ever to represent Maine House District 88, and the youngest member of the 129th Maine Legislature. Two years later, she’d become the youngest female state senator in Maine's history.

Chloe achieved all this with a community movement akin to what is transforming Australian politics right now. And we see a similar thing happening nationally here right now - notwithstanding the different electoral system. All helped along by organisations like the one Chloe was trained by, a book (Dirt Road Revival) and film (Rural Runners) about her experience, and now a non-profit Chloe has co-founded that trains yet more people, called Dirtroad Organizing. In short time, 38 alumni are now running at the coming election.

This episode has chapter markers and a transcript (available on most apps now too).

Recorded 8 September 2024 at Begin Again Farm, Maine.

Title slide: Chloe just before our chat (pic: Olivia Cheng).

See more photos on the website, and for more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests (thanks to Josie Symons).

Get tickets:
Rural Runners screenings on the US west coast next week.

Rural Runners screening in West Virginia.

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The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free & freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by clicking the link above or heading to our website.

Become a member to connect with your host, other listeners & benefits, via our Patreon page.

Visit The RegenNarration shop to wave the flag. And please keep sharing the podcast with friends. It all helps. Thanks for your support!

This mid-week mail run comes to you from Savannah Georgia, as a hurricane nears the Florida coast and the storms begin here in advance of it. As usual with these brief episodes, I reply to text messages from listeners through the new link in our show notes. And this time I also announce the recent winners of the book giveaway.

That’s before sharing some concerning news for independent podcast creators like me, as Apple announces a controversial 30% premium on Patreon subscriptions made through their iOS app. I run through some implications, ways to avoid this charge, and other subscription options. Then we close with a quick look at what’s coming up.

This episode has chapter markers and a transcript (available on most apps now too). The transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully provides greater access for those who need or like to read.

Recorded 26 September 2024.

Title slide: The view from where this was recorded, by the rising marsh.

See more photos on the website, and for more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
By Jeremiah Johnson.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests (thanks to Josie Symons).

Send us a text

Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free & freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by clicking the link above or heading to our website.

Become a member to connect with your host, other listeners & benefits, via our Patreon page.

Visit The RegenNarration shop to wave the flag. And please keep sharing the podcast with friends. It all helps. Thanks for your support!

A new holistic farming festival is about to launch back home in Australia. Inspired by the famed Groundswell in the UK, GROUNDED! lands in beautiful southern Tasmania on the 4th and 5th of December - with a pre-festival event on the 3rd of December too. It’s billed as a cross between a world class conference, an informative field day and a cracking food festival. This is big news, and a huge undertaking by some great folk. So with the draft program released, it was time to chat about it with founder Matthew Evans.

Matthew is also a farmer, and TV producer, and was recently called ‘perhaps the best food writer in the world today’, in a Country Life UK review of his new book. No surprise to us, having had Matthew on the podcast a few times now. So this gave us a chance to talk briefly about the new book too. It’s called ‘MILK: The truth, the lies, and the unbelievable story of the original superfood’. And as it lands in a context where milk and dairy are often reported to have large climate and biodiversity loss footprints, I’m all ears. All the more given my 30-year avoidance of the stuff!

This episode has chapter markers and a transcript (available on most apps now too). The transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully provides greater access for those who need or like to read.

Recorded 22 September 2024 (intro recorded outside by the wetland once the traffic had died down at night).

Title slide: Fat Pig Farm, the site of GROUNDED! (pic: from the festival website)

For more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests (thanks to Josie Symons).

Find more:
Get tickets to GROUNDED!

Listen to ep.209, Ultrawilding with Steve Mushin.

Send us a text

Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free & freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by clicking the link above or heading to our website.

Become a member to connect with your host, other listeners & benefits, via our Patreon page.

Visit The RegenNarration shop to wave the flag. And please keep sharing the podcast with friends. It all helps. Thanks for your support!