Carrie Jennings has spent her career piecing together how our landscapes came to be—and what’s happening to them now. A geologist by training and now Research and Policy Director at Freshwater, she’s spent decades mapping Minnesota’s glacial past, teaching at the University of Minnesota, and turning science into action to protect our rivers and groundwater.

In this episode, Carrie takes us deep into the story of the Minnesota River Basin. We start with the glaciers that carved it out thousands of years ago and then fast forward to today, where farming practices, drained wetlands, and tiled fields have transformed it into what she calls “an agricultural drainage ditch.” The result? Rivers running brown, biodiversity wiped out, sediment loads ten times higher than historical levels, and small towns struggling to keep up as floodwaters rise and infrastructure strains.

Carrie helps us connect these dots—how the choices we’ve made on the land ripple through everything from water quality and fish habitat to the cost of raising highways and dredging navigation channels. And she shares how her work has pushed past research into real change: new state programs to hold more water on the land, restore wetlands, and rebuild soil health; support for perennial crops that keep living roots in the ground year-round; and a growing recognition that this is a “Dust Bowl moment” for Minnesota, one that demands systemic change.

This isn’t just a conversation about rivers—it’s about how we live on the land, how federal farm policy shapes our choices, and what it will take for Minnesota to chart a different path. Carrie’s perspective brings both deep time (glaciers and plate tectonics) and an urgency grounded in the present: if we don’t act, we risk doubling down on the very patterns—corn, soy, and now biofuels—that are driving the problem.

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Kathy Zeman has seen agriculture from every angle: growing up on a dairy farm, working in animal genetics and feed, and now running Simple Harvest Farm, her 20-acre certified organic, direct-to-consumer farm in Minnesota. Today, she also leads the Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association, representing more than 10,000 local food vendors across the state.

In this episode, Kathy helps us unravel the tangled web of industrial farming, policy, and local food. We talk about how agricultural policy—from crop insurance to the Farm Bill—has systematically favored Big Ag and commodity crops while leaving local food farmers underfunded and unsupported. Kathy shares how these inequities ripple through our food system, shaping not only what we eat but also how we treat our soil, our water, and our rural communities.

Kathy lays out her vision for building resilient local food systems through practical, unglamorous solutions: commercial kitchens in town halls, shared food storage and transport, micro-insurance programs for small farmers, and policies that level the playing field between industrial agriculture and the “little ag” food farmers.

Support Kathy’s farm: https://simpleharvestfarm.com/

Join the conversation:

🎟 Live Event (Aug 28): Sign up here
🌐 Website: theyoungike.org
📷 Instagram:@theyoungike
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🤝 Support our partner:Minnesota Valley IWLA

Call to Action:

If you enjoyed this episode, please add the show to your library, download it, share it with a friend, and leave a review. It’s a small thing that makes a huge difference in helping us grow and keep these conversations going.

Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman from Bluffton, Georgia, and the force behind White Oak Pastures—a farm his family has run since 1866. For decades, Will managed it under the conventional industrial model. But in the mid-90s, he made a radical pivot, transforming White Oak into one of the nation’s most respected regenerative farms. His work is about far more than food—it’s about healing land, water, and rural communities through farming that works with nature instead of against it.

In this episode, we talk about the century-long shift from small, local food systems to today’s industrial agriculture, and why Will believes reviving local “food sheds” is key to restoring both ecosystems and rural economies. We dig into how regenerative practices can rebuild soils, reduce runoff, and even revive dying watersheds downstream. Will also reflects on what it takes for consumers, communities, and policymakers to break Big Ag’s grip and reconnect farming to its natural cycles.

This conversation isn’t just about farming—it’s about rethinking how we feed ourselves, and what it will take to build a food system that sustains both people and the planet.

Order Will’s book, “A Bold Return to Giving a Damn” : https://whiteoakpastures.com/pages/a-bold-return-to-giving-a-damn?srsltid=AfmBOorGzEzcxS0fFkWENnXSkKCupy_MPw6rM9cG-DBCA4vVsy_bMpWB

Join the conversation:

🎟 Live Event (Aug 28): Sign up here
🌐 Website: theyoungike.org
📷 Instagram:@theyoungike
📧 Contact us: [email protected]
🤝 Support our partner: Minnesota Valley IWLA

Call to Action:

If you enjoyed this episode, please add the show to your library, download it, share it with a friend, and leave a review. It’s a small thing that makes a huge difference in helping us grow and keep these conversations going.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is one of the most pristine natural landscapes in the United States—but its future is at risk. Becky Rom, national chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, joins The Young IKE to discuss the fight against mining near the Boundary Waters, the legal and political battles over Minnesota’s mineral resources, and why conservation is more urgent now than ever.

Rom shares insights on how conservation efforts have evolved, the push-and-pull between economic development and environmental protection, and how everyday citizens can take action to preserve and protect the nature we love.

Guest Information:

Guest Name: Becky Rom

Bio: Becky Rom is a lifelong conservationist and the national chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, leading efforts to protect the BWCAW from sulfide-ore mining and environmental degradation. With decades of advocacy experience, she has been instrumental in shaping policy and legal strategies to safeguard public lands.
Links:🔹 Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters – https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org

Episode Outline:

🔹 Why the Boundary Waters Matter – The ecological, cultural, and recreational significance of the BWCA.

🔹 Mining Threats & Environmental Risks – How proposed sulfide-ore mining projects could devastate the region’s fragile ecosystem.

🔹 The Legal & Political Fight – The state and federal policies shaping the future of the Boundary Waters.

🔹 Balancing Conservation & Economic Interests – Impact of mining on local economies and tourism.

🔹 How You Can Help – The role of grassroots advocacy and public engagement in protecting public lands.

Episode Sponsor:

🎙️ The Young Ike is bringing these conversations into the real world with live, quarterly community dialogues. Thank you to the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the IWLA for making this possible.

Learn more at iwlamnvalley.org

Host & Show Info:

Host Name: Griffith Pugh

Podcast Website: www.theyoungike.org

Community & Calls to Action:

📩 Contact the host: [email protected]

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As demand for lithium, cobalt, and other rare earth minerals skyrockets, the question isn’t if we mine—it’s how. Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), joins The Young IKE to explore the challenges of responsible mining, the global supply chain, and why communities must be involved in decision-making.

We discuss the feasibility of ethical mining, how standards like IRMA’s certification system can create accountability, and whether true sustainability is possible in an industry built on extraction.

Guest Information:

Guest Name: Aimee Boulanger

Bio: Aimee Boulanger is the Executive Director of IRMA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to setting global standards for responsible mining.

Links:

🔹 IRMA (Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance) – https://responsiblemining.net

Episode Outline:

🔹 What is ‘Responsible Mining’? – Defining ethical mineral extraction and its real-world challenges.

🔹 Holding Corporations Accountable – How IRMA works with companies like BMW, Microsoft, and Ford to promote responsible sourcing.

🔹 The Future of Ethical Mineral Extraction – The role of transparency, policy, and consumer awareness in shaping the mining industry

Episode Sponsor:

🎙️ The Young Ike is bringing these conversations into the real world with live, quarterly community dialogues. Thank you to the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the IWLA for making this possible.

Learn more at iwlamnvalley.org

Host & Show Info:

Host: Griffith Pugh

Podcast Website: www.theyoungike.org

Community & Calls to Action:

📩 Contact the host: [email protected]

Help Us Grow:

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theyoungike

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In order to transition to green energy, we need to build infrastructure—but to build that infrastructure, we must mine for critical minerals. Journalist and author Ernest Scheyder, a senior correspondent for Reuters, joins The Young IKE to discuss his National Book Award-longlisted book, The War Below, and the hidden costs of the modern mining boom.

We explore the economic, political, and environmental trade-offs behind mining, why rare earths are the oil of the 21st century, and how we can transition to clean energy without repeating the mistakes of the past.

Guest Information:

Guest Name: Ernest Scheyder

Bio: Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent at Reuters, covering the green energy transition and the critical minerals industry. His book, The War Below, was longlisted for the National Book Award and explores the untold stories behind mineral extraction.

Links:

🔹 Order The War Below – HERE

🔹 Ernest Scheyder, Reuters– HERE

Episode Outline:

🔹 The New Oil? – Why rare earth minerals are the driving force behind 21st-century geopolitics.

🔹 Too Special to Mine? – The debate over mining in protected lands like the Boundary Waters and Indigenous territories.

🔹 Supply Chains & The Global Economy – How the pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in the mineral supply chain.

🔹 Responsible Mining & Transparency – The rise of certification programs, ethical sourcing, and corporate accountability.

🔹 What Comes Next? – How government policy, industry standards, and public awareness can shape a more sustainable future.

Episode Sponsor:

🎙️ The Young Ike is bringing these conversations into the real world with live, quarterly community dialogues. Thank you to the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the IWLA for making this possible. Learn more at iwlamnvalley.org

Host & Show Info:

Host Name: Griffith Pugh

Podcast Website: www.theyoungike.org

Community & Calls to Action:

📩 Contact the host: [email protected]

Help Us Grow:

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theyoungike

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The push for green energy requires a massive increase in rare earth minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel—but sourcing these materials comes with environmental and ethical challenges. Dr. Roopali Phadke, a political scientist and climate policy expert at Macalester College, joins The Young IKE to discuss the ‘green metals dilemma’—a framework for balancing resource needs, energy justice, and sustainability.

We explore whether responsible mining is possible, the role of policy and public engagement, and what it will take to build a circular economy that reduces reliance on mining.

Guest Information:

Guest Name: Dr. Roopali Phadke

Bio: Dr. Roopali Phadke is a professor of environmental policy at Macalester College, specializing in climate solutions, energy transitions, and sustainable mining policies.

Links:

🔹Macalester College Faculty Page – HERE

Episode Outline:

🔹 The ‘Green Metals Dilemma’ – Why green energy depends on mineral extraction and the tough choices we face.

🔹 E-Waste & Urban Mining – The future of electronic waste recycling and circular economies.

🔹 Can Mining Be Sustainable? – The debate over ethical extraction and energy justice.

Episode Sponsor:

🎙️ The Young Ike is bringing these conversations into the real world with live, quarterly community dialogues. Thank you to the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the IWLA for making this possible.

Learn more at iwlamnvalley.org

Host & Show Info:

Host Name: Griffith Pugh

Podcast Website: www.theyoungike.org

Community & Calls to Action:

📩 Contact the host: [email protected]

Help Us Grow:

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theyoungike

⭐ Rate & Review on Apple or Spotify 

📢 Share this episode with a friend!

🎤 TYI Live Event in March 2025! The Young IKE is bringing these conversations into the real world with live quarterly community dialogues.

Stay tuned…

Follow us on Instagram: @theyoungike
Visit our website: www.theyoungike.org

Thank You to the Minnesota Valley Chapter of IWLA. Learn more at: iwlamnvalley.org