The Grounded Hope podcast is a series that collectively introduce the people of Ohio to the past, present, and future of Ohio agriculture. Listeners will learn how historical farming practices--including those of indigenous people and early Black farmers--hold ideas for how our degraded soils can be regenerated. They will travel Ohio cities and back roads to meet current farmers and learn how they are rebuilding local food systems that can be resilient in the face of pandemics and climate change. They will hear about unusual crops and the hope they hold for new products--including fibers, medicines, and foods. And they will be invited to examine how Ohio economics is embedded in agriculture and how that both supports and challenges the state and its communities.

Please visit the Grounded Hope podcast website www.GroundedHope.org to learn more about the podcast, listen to the episodes, see resources for educators, and find ways to "dig deeper". You can also listen to this podcast on Spotify, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, PRX, and more!

Latest Episode of Grounded Hope:

Our Story

The inspiration for the name “Grounded Hope” came from hearing Laura Lengnich, author of Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate, during her keynote address at the 2020 OEFFA Conference: A Climate for Change in Dayton, Ohio. During her keynote, she defined “grounded hope” for the audience:

"Grounded hope is the belief that in order to create the future that you desire, you have to be part of creating that. Turns out, grounded hope is very much a community-based thing. You get together with others, you agree on the desired future, and you start to head that way together.”
– Laura Lengnich

Shortly after the OEFFA conference which took place on February 13–15 of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the state of Ohio and much of the world. In the face of the pandemic, failing global supply chains, and the increasingly devastating global climate challenges – the need for Agraria’s work of cultivating community resilience, strengthening our local food system, and providing vital education about soil regeneration as a tool to mitigate climate change became what seemed to be more apparent than ever before.

Thankfully, we weren’t the only ones inspired by Laura Lengnich’s message.

Near the end of 2020, Renee Wilde, an award-winning public radio producer (who was also Lengnich’s audience at the OEFFA conference), reached out to Agraria to partner on producing a podcast that would not just amplify Agraria’s work, but the voices and work of the many people and communities from all over the state of Ohio with whom we are co-creating a shared desired vision of the future with.

With the help of Renee Wilde as our podcast director and host, our sponsor the Ohio Humanities Council, and our education scholars Rick Livingston from Ohio State University and Beth Bridgeman from Antioch College — Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice began 2021 with the launch of Grounded Hope’s first episode on January 12, 2021. Renee Wilde has since passed her host duties to Lauren Shows, who is now carrying the torch of being a voice for Grounded Hope until the end of the season. 

Season 1 of Grounded Hope collectively introduced the people of Ohio to the past, present, and future of Ohio agriculture. We learned how historical (and current) farming practices such as those of Indigenous peoples and Black farmers hold ideas for how our degraded soils can be regenerated. We traveled to various Ohio cities and back roads to meet with growers to learn how they are rebuilding our local food system to be more resilient in the face of pandemics and climate change. We heard about “unusual” crops that hold hope for new food, fibers, and medicines; the importance of livestock in regenerating soils; experienced the Brood X cicadas as they emerged after 17 years; learned about what is being done to protect Ohio’s water, and for those who explored our resources for educators – learned new (and delicious) edible recipes related to each episode!

Wow. What a journey it has been. And, it’s just begun.

In 2022, we’ll be launching Season 2 of Grounded Hope. We’ll introduce new stories and new storytellers as we delve into the past, present, and future of Black farming and efforts around food justice, community healing, and collective empowerment, in the Dayton area and beyond.