Interview - Glenn Elzinga
Many of us have lost the thread that connects us to our food. Glenn Elzinga is spending his life trying to pick it back up.
Glenn is the founder of Alderspring Ranch, a certified organic grass-fed beef operation in the remote Salmon River country of central Idaho. But describing it as a beef operation barely scratches the surface. Each summer, Glenn and his family, along with a rotating crew of interns, ride on horseback across 70 square miles of mountain range, living alongside their cattle for months at a time, following the melting snow and the greening grass. It is, as Glenn describes it, an ancient practice of shepherding that modern agriculture has all but forgotten.
In this conversation, Glenn challenges some of the deepest assumptions embedded in how we raise animals and grow food. What does it mean to be a caregiver rather than a caretaker? What happens when we let a cow be a cow? And what is lost when we reduce agriculture to a production equation?
In this episode, we dive into:
How Glenn's model revives an ancient, nearly lost practice of herdsmanship
The difference between productivity and profitability, and why it matters for the land
What cows can teach us when we actually pay attention to them
Why 400 young people applied for unpaid, grueling ranch internships, and what they found there
The caregiver versus caretaker distinction, and what it reveals about our relationship to animals, land, and each other
Why Wendell Berry's diagnosis of American agriculture is as relevant today as it was 60 years ago
Why getting people to cook again might be one of the most radical things we can do
More about Glenn and Aldersping:
Glenn Elzinga is the head guy (aka CEO), and with Caryl, co-founder of Alderspring. Twenty-four years ago, he left his 9-5 forestry job, bought 7 cows and a small ranch, and began producing beef with his wife Caryl. Today, he owns and manages Alderspring (1650 deeded acres and 46,000 rangeland acres) while raising his 7 daughters and producing grass fed organic beef. His passion for wellness as an interconnected web of soil, land, animal, and human health led him and Caryl to create their "inherding" grazing paradigm. Glenn also currently speaks as a guest in both podcasts and regenerative agriculture conferences.
Agrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller, who also wrote our theme song. This episode was edited by Drew O’Doherty.