Cows Save the Planet with Judith D Schwartz
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Cows have become a punchline in climate conversations. The story is simple. Cattle are the problem, meat is the problem, and the solution is to remove animals from the land. The issue is that this story skips the part where grasslands exist because of grazing animals. It also ignores what happens when soil stops functioning, water stops cycling properly, and landscapes start drying out.
In this episode, Tristan Haggard talks with journalist Judith D. Schwartz about a different way to look at the “cows and climate” debate. Judith explains why soil is water infrastructure, why carbon is only one piece of the puzzle, and how land management can either degrade ecosystems or rebuild them. The thread running through the conversation is practical. If you want real climate resilience, you have to care about soil, water, and the health of living landscapes.
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Meet the Guest
Judith D. Schwartz is the author of Cows Save the Planet and Water in Plain Sight. She covers regenerative agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and how natural cycles, especially soil and water, shape climate and food systems. In this conversation, she breaks down big ideas in plain language and connects them to what’s happening on real land with real producers.
Connect with Judith D. Schwartz on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for event updates, and visit her website for her books and writing archive.
Episode Highlights
This episode challenges the idea that climate is only about emissions. Judith frames climate problems as signs of distorted carbon, water, energy, and nutrient cycles, and she explains why soil health sits at the center of all of it. When land is degraded, soil loses its ability to act like a sponge. Rain runs off, erosion increases, plant cover disappears, and the ground heats up, which drives a feedback loop that makes restoration harder.
The conversation also gets specific about what rebuilds land. Judith explains holistic planned grazing as a decision-making framework that uses animals as tools for grassland restoration. Done well, grazing concentrates impact in a controlled way, which helps incorporate plant material into soil, supports microbial life, and encourages regrowth. She also discusses “green water,” the water held in soil and plants, and why protecting it matters as much as what we see in rivers and lakes.
In this episode:
- Practical ways to support better land outcomes by buying directly from producers and avoiding heavily processed commodity foods
- Why soil acts like water infrastructure, and what happens when it stops holding water
- The difference between focusing only on carbon numbers and restoring natural cycles that regulate climate
- How tilling and excess fertilizer use can degrade soil health and drive carbon loss
- What holistic planned grazing is, and why grazing animals can restore grasslands when managed correctly
- Why grasslands and ruminants co-evolved, and why removing animals can worsen land function in certain environments
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Meet Our Sponsor
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Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. The content presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or dietary changes. Reliance on any information provided by this article is solely at your own risk.
