Episode 14: Under the Weather: How the Water Cycle Starts with Soil
Join us as we explore the critical relationship between soil, water, and weather with experts in climate science, regenerative ranching, and meteorology. Discover how land management practices influence water cycles, climate change, and resilience against extreme weather events.
Host, producer: Richard Tufton
Co-host, producer: Claire Mackenzie
Editor: Meg Chatham
Score: Matt Griffin (poet & farmer) Instagram: @neidpath_farms
Six Inches of Soil:
Website: https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/
Book: https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/book
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixinchesofsoil/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/six-inches-of-soil-b75059234/
GUESTS
Alpha Lowe
Alpha Lo is a scientist specializing in water research. He leads the Climate Water Project, where he writes the project’s newsletter ( climatewaterproject.substack.com) and hosts its podcast of the same name. He has taught water-focused content in Permaculture Design Courses, including how designing landscapes to infiltrate rainwater can enhance precipitation recycling (aka the small water cycle). He has studied physics and geography at the graduate level, where his research explored how water in the landscape influences rainfall.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alpha-lo-284900a8/
https://climatewaterproject.substack.com/podcast
https://climatewaterproject.substack.com/
Alejandro Carillo
Alejandro Carrillo is a fourth-generation rancher in the Chihuahuan desert. Rarely his
precipitation goes beyond 9” per year (< 225mm). He is not willing to waste any water in such a
brittle environment if he wants to graze year-round without inputs.
Alejandro’s ranch, Las Damas, has been part of multiple documentaries and studies focused on regenerative ranching and “greening the desert” using livestock such as Common Ground, Sacred Cow, To Which We Belong, and Water in Plain Sight.
Alejandro’s Grasslands Regeneration Project company assists ranchers and organizations on regenerative grazing projects in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia, China and the Middle- East. He also participates as a delegate to the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification.
Las Damas Cattle Ranch
Common ground - doco
Sacred Cow documentary
Mary Wasson:
Mary has worked as a meteorologist for more than 20 years, a career inspired by a childhood experience sheltering from a tornado with her family that sparked her fascination with storm development. A native of Winchester, Kentucky, she earned her undergraduate degree in communications from Morehead State University and later completed a Master of Science in Geoscience at Mississippi State University.
Throughout her career, Mary has worked in television markets. She now serves as a digital meteorologist, producing daily forecasts along with engaging and informative weather content for the Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle, and San Antonio Express-News.
Facebook: @Metrologist Mary Wassonn
Instagram: @wassonweather
Twitter: @Mary_Wasson
Bella Lowes (featured in the outro)
Bella is the resident grazing specialist at Mill Barton, where she stewards the land alongside a beloved herd of Red Devon cattle. With deep-rooted knowledge in pasture-based systems and bovine behaviour, Bella brings both integral understanding and instinctive care to her work. Her approach to grazing prioritises soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare, ensuring that the landscape thrives as much as the herd. Whether she’s planning a rotational grazing cycle or spotting subtle shifts in herd dynamics, Bella’s insight into all things cow is unmatched.
Website: https://www.diggandco.com/meet-the-team
Further Research:
Water Stories platform - YouTube - and a course where you can learn
FarmGate podcast - episode: how regenerative grazing can wash methane out of the atmosphere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCjvCQHX7mQ Beavers in Scotland