The Only Thing That Lasts offrange.org en They say there’s only one thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, and worth dying for. It’s not love or money, not vengeance or virtue. It’s land. To understand how the existence, value, and costs and benefits of our agricultural lands affects us all, join journalist Sarah Mock for a journey into American’s mysterious farm landscape. An Offrange podcast. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/d292b730-9b68-11ee-9b47-ff10f5bc774c/image/0688bd6d861eb2c36a753cbe20f8bfd4.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress The Only Thing That Lasts offrange.org episodic Unraveling the Mysteries of American Farmland Sarah Mock / Ambrook They say there’s only one thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, and worth dying for. It’s not love or money, not vengeance or virtue. It’s land. To understand how the existence, value, and costs and benefits of our agricultural lands affects us all, join journalist Sarah Mock for a journey into American’s mysterious farm landscape. An Offrange podcast. They say there’s only one thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, and worth dying for. It’s not love or money, not vengeance or virtue. It’s land.

To understand how the existence, value, and costs and benefits of our agricultural lands affects us all, join journalist Sarah Mock for a journey into American’s mysterious farm landscape.

An Offrange podcast.

]]> Offrange research@ambrook.com Chapter 9: Bought the Farm After 8 episodes of The Only Thing That Lasts, looking at the deeply complicated history of farmland in America, host Sarah Mock brings us into the present day, with an episode on the factors working to both a) lessen our collective amount of farmland and b) make it more challenging for aspiring farmers to get their own plot. It's a challenging situation, but Sarah doesn't despair: She speaks to farmers and farmland investors who are working to consider new ways to approach the land question. Not all hope is lost! Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:39:00 -0000 Buying the Farm full 1 9 Sarah Mock / Ambrook What happens when investors buy up all the farmland, and farmers can't afford to farm? After 8 episodes of The Only Thing That Lasts, looking at the deeply complicated history of farmland in America, host Sarah Mock brings us into the present day, with an episode on the factors working to both a) lessen our collective amount of farmland and b) make it more challenging for aspiring farmers to get their own plot. It's a challenging situation, but Sarah doesn't despair: She speaks to farmers and farmland investors who are working to consider new ways to approach the land question. Not all hope is lost! After 8 episodes of The Only Thing That Lasts, looking at the deeply complicated history of farmland in America, host Sarah Mock brings us into the present day, with an episode on the factors working to both a) lessen our collective amount of farmland and b) make it more challenging for aspiring farmers to get their own plot.

It's a challenging situation, but Sarah doesn't despair: She speaks to farmers and farmland investors who are working to consider new ways to approach the land question. Not all hope is lost!

]]> 3244 Chapter 1: Is the U.S. Running Out of Farmland? https://ambrook.com/research/podcast/chapter-1-the-only-thing-that-lasts-farmland-disappearing In the first episode of our 8-episode limited series, agriculture journalist Sarah Mock unpacks the dire warnings advocates are making — namely, that we're losing thousands of acres of U.S. farmland every day. What does this loss actually mean, contrasted with issues like our lack of affordable housing? And, perhaps more importantly, should we be worried about our food supply? Sat, 06 Sep 2025 12:54:00 -0000 Is the U.S. Running Out of Farmland? full 1 1 Sarah Mock / Ambrook Advocates are sounding the alarm — we're losing millions of acres of farmland, and it's an existential threat to our food supply. How worried should we be? In the first episode of our 8-episode limited series, agriculture journalist Sarah Mock unpacks the dire warnings advocates are making — namely, that we're losing thousands of acres of U.S. farmland every day. What does this loss actually mean, contrasted with issues like our lack of affordable housing? And, perhaps more importantly, should we be worried about our food supply? In the first episode of our 8-episode limited series, agriculture journalist Sarah Mock unpacks the dire warnings advocates are making — namely, that we're losing thousands of acres of U.S. farmland every day. What does this loss actually mean, contrasted with issues like our lack of affordable housing? And, perhaps more importantly, should we be worried about our food supply?

]]> 2086 Chapter 5: Raise Less Corn and More Hell Long before "populist" became a nebulous buzzword used to describe everyone from Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump, the farmer-founded Populist Party was a formidable force in American elections, fighting against monopolies and corruption in defense of the everyday citizen. In this episode, host Sarah Mock looks back to look forward, connecting the fiery history of agrarian politics with the elections of 2020 and 2024. Sat, 06 Sep 2025 12:49:00 -0000 Raise Less Corn and More Hell full Sarah Mock / Ambrook Farmers are the third party. Long before "populist" became a nebulous buzzword used to describe everyone from Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump, the farmer-founded Populist Party was a formidable force in American elections, fighting against monopolies and corruption in defense of the everyday citizen. In this episode, host Sarah Mock looks back to look forward, connecting the fiery history of agrarian politics with the elections of 2020 and 2024. Long before "populist" became a nebulous buzzword used to describe everyone from Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump, the farmer-founded Populist Party was a formidable force in American elections, fighting against monopolies and corruption in defense of the everyday citizen.

In this episode, host Sarah Mock looks back to look forward, connecting the fiery history of agrarian politics with the elections of 2020 and 2024.

]]> 2862 Trailer Uncovering the mysteries of American farmland. Sat, 06 Sep 2025 12:46:00 -0000 full Sarah Mock / Ambrook Uncovering the mysteries of American farmland. Uncovering the mysteries of American farmland.

]]> 85 Chapter 8: The Land Is Dead, Long Live the Land (part 2) You probably know about the trolley problem, where someone is forced to make a decision between inaction that kills five people, or making an effort that kills only one. In this episode of The Only Thing That Lasts, host Sarah Mock looks at this quandary from an agricultural lens. As in, when do we let nature simply take its course, or when do we take action to minimize harm — even when there can be other, peripheral harms? It's an episode that explores differing views on conservation, and how we manage agriculture in America. Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:52:00 -0000 full Sarah Mock / Ambrook You probably know about the trolley problem, where someone is forced to make a decision between inaction that kills five people, or making an effort that kills only one. In this episode of The Only Thing That Lasts, host Sarah Mock looks at this quandary from an agricultural lens. As in, when do we let nature simply take its course, or when do we take action to minimize harm — even when there can be other, peripheral harms? It's an episode that explores differing views on conservation, and how we manage agriculture in America. You probably know about the trolley problem, where someone is forced to make a decision between inaction that kills five people, or making an effort that kills only one. In this episode of The Only Thing That Lasts, host Sarah Mock looks at this quandary from an agricultural lens.

As in, when do we let nature simply take its course, or when do we take action to minimize harm — even when there can be other, peripheral harms? It's an episode that explores differing views on conservation, and how we manage agriculture in America.

]]> 2211 no Chapter 7: The Land Is Dead, Long Live the Land We tend to think of farmland and nature as distinct and easily distinguished, but in this episode, our host Sarah Mock poses the question: What if these boundaries are far more fuzzy than we imagine? How do the effects of intensive agriculture bleed into the surrounding environments, and how do our natural ecosystems dictate what can and can't be farmed? This may sound like a philosophical exploration, but it's also highly practical. Let Sarah explain why "farmland" — the very subject of this podcast — is an exceedingly complicated descriptor. Thu, 29 May 2025 18:32:00 -0000 full 1 7 Sarah Mock / Ambrook What even is "farmland?" We tend to think of farmland and nature as distinct and easily distinguished, but in this episode, our host Sarah Mock poses the question: What if these boundaries are far more fuzzy than we imagine? How do the effects of intensive agriculture bleed into the surrounding environments, and how do our natural ecosystems dictate what can and can't be farmed? This may sound like a philosophical exploration, but it's also highly practical. Let Sarah explain why "farmland" — the very subject of this podcast — is an exceedingly complicated descriptor. We tend to think of farmland and nature as distinct and easily distinguished, but in this episode, our host Sarah Mock poses the question: What if these boundaries are far more fuzzy than we imagine? How do the effects of intensive agriculture bleed into the surrounding environments, and how do our natural ecosystems dictate what can and can't be farmed?

This may sound like a philosophical exploration, but it's also highly practical. Let Sarah explain why "farmland" — the very subject of this podcast — is an exceedingly complicated descriptor.

]]> 2063 no Chapter 6: The Wine of Wrath Let's talk about the Dust Bowl. This distinctly American sliver of history, which most of us were schooled on with The Grapes of Wrath, was more than an act of God — it resulted from a host of short-sighted policy and farming practices. But the Dust Bowl's cloud of consequences have persisted to this day, helping shape virtually every element of modern agriculture. In the latest episode of TOTTL, Sarah Mock explores this complicated legacy, and how many mistakes are doomed to be repeated. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:07:00 -0000 The Wine of Wrath full Sarah Mock / Ambrook Reaping and sowing Let's talk about the Dust Bowl. This distinctly American sliver of history, which most of us were schooled on with The Grapes of Wrath, was more than an act of God — it resulted from a host of short-sighted policy and farming practices. But the Dust Bowl's cloud of consequences have persisted to this day, helping shape virtually every element of modern agriculture. In the latest episode of TOTTL, Sarah Mock explores this complicated legacy, and how many mistakes are doomed to be repeated. Let's talk about the Dust Bowl. This distinctly American sliver of history, which most of us were schooled on with The Grapes of Wrath, was more than an act of God — it resulted from a host of short-sighted policy and farming practices.

But the Dust Bowl's cloud of consequences have persisted to this day, helping shape virtually every element of modern agriculture. In the latest episode of TOTTL, Sarah Mock explores this complicated legacy, and how many mistakes are doomed to be repeated.

]]> 3169 Chapter 4: It's Highway Robbery "As through this world I’ve wandered,  I’ve seen lots of funny men.  Some will rob you with a six gun, And some with a fountain pen." Woody Guthrie's lyrics are a fitting frame for this episode of The Only Thing That Lasts, looking at the government taking land from its rightful owners — and the outlaws who fought back. Thu, 25 Jul 2024 14:51:00 -0000 It's Highway Robbery full 4 Sarah Mock / Ambrook Who is the bad guy? "As through this world I’ve wandered,  I’ve seen lots of funny men.  Some will rob you with a six gun, And some with a fountain pen." Woody Guthrie's lyrics are a fitting frame for this episode of The Only Thing That Lasts, looking at the government taking land from its rightful owners — and the outlaws who fought back. "As through this world I’ve wandered, 

I’ve seen lots of funny men. 

Some will rob you with a six gun,

And some with a fountain pen."


Woody Guthrie's lyrics are a fitting frame for this episode of The Only Thing That Lasts, looking at the government taking land from its rightful owners — and the outlaws who fought back.

]]> 2983 Chapter 3: Get Rich Homesteading The Homestead Act of 1862 changed the path of many thousands of Americans, who were given $1.1 trillion in free land to farm. Their descendents, who make up 25% of the U.S. population today, are still living off the legacy of those valuable gifts. Sat, 25 May 2024 15:31:21 -0000 Get Rich Homesteading full Sarah Mock / Ambrook It used to be possible. The Homestead Act of 1862 changed the path of many thousands of Americans, who were given $1.1 trillion in free land to farm. Their descendents, who make up 25% of the U.S. population today, are still living off the legacy of those valuable gifts. The Homestead Act of 1862 changed the path of many thousands of Americans, who were given $1.1 trillion in free land to farm. Their descendents, who make up 25% of the U.S. population today, are still living off the legacy of those valuable gifts.

]]> 2696 Chapter 2: Alchemy of Farmland https://ambrook.com/research/podcast/chapter-2-the-only-thing-that-lasts-alchemy-farmland In the second episode of our 8-episode limited series, agriculture journalist Sarah Mock takes us on a journey to the origins of what we think of as farmland today — and with it, the very definition of private property. Your house, your land, and your concept of owning them, have everything to do with the agricultural origins of the United States. Sat, 23 Mar 2024 16:28:00 -0000 Alchemy of Farmland full Sarah Mock / Ambrook Farmland isn't something that always existed — it was created. And with it, the very notion of private property was born. In the second episode of our 8-episode limited series, agriculture journalist Sarah Mock takes us on a journey to the origins of what we think of as farmland today — and with it, the very definition of private property. Your house, your land, and your concept of owning them, have everything to do with the agricultural origins of the United States. In the second episode of our 8-episode limited series, agriculture journalist Sarah Mock takes us on a journey to the origins of what we think of as farmland today — and with it, the very definition of private property. Your house, your land, and your concept of owning them, have everything to do with the agricultural origins of the United States.

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