Wish You Were Here
Hosted by folk singer, author, and rancher Eliza Blue, Wish You Were Here is a traveling show that celebrates rural life across the Northern Plains through stories and songs.
Stories & Songs from the Northern Plains
Hosted by folk-singer, author, and shepherd Eliza Blue, Wish You Were Here is a traveling concert show featuring an eclectic mix of musicians, artists, and artisans. From Lakota hoop dancer Kevin Locke, to banjoist-turned-farmer Jami Lynn, to fiber artists, print-maker botanists, and rock star Billy Talbot of the band Crazy Horse, WYWH covers a lot of ground literally and figuratively as it explores the iconic and diverse geography & culture of the rural Upper Midwest.
Take a Journey Across the Plains
The traveling music series works as a visual ethnographic almanac, following the ecology and seasonality of raising food on the high plains, interspersed with original stories, an appreciation of nature and art, and songs about life on the prairie. The pilot season of WYWH was broadcast January 2021 – May 2021 online and on television via SDPB. It was later picked up by Praire Public and Pioneer Public, two other PBS affiliates.
Sparking Connection
As a country we need to reimagine our collective understanding of agrarianism and the pastoral archetype as an important step in repairing our relationships with our respective ecosystems, and to creating healthy and sustainable agri-cultures. We need to enliven the conversation around these topics to include not only the ‘science of soil health’ but also the poetry of the soil, the poetry of the grass, the poetry of the seeds, and the folks who sow them.
Watch the Show
To view the first three seasons, please visit: https://www.pbs.org/show/wish-you-were-here/
Featured Episodes
Season 3, Episode 1: Good Roots
Good Roots Farm is located in South Dakota near Brookings and is manager by Bill and Julie Ross. The pair decided early in their tenure on the farm to create a place that serves as both literal soil to cultivate crops and figurative soil to cultivate community. Eliza hosts musician and music writer, Jon Bakken, for an episode about how to grow food and community.
Season 2, Episode 4: Sheepwagon to Shawl
Filmed in a sheepwagon, in this episode Eliza shares a little of the backstory about how she ended up as a shepherd after spending most of her life as a confirmed urbnaite. She also takes viewers to the studio of fiber artist Kelly Knispel, to see how raw fleece becomes yarn.
Season 2, Episode 7: Signs of Spring
This episode of Wish You Were Here takes part in that yearly ritual all dwellers of the Great Plains share: Looking for spring signs. Join host Eliza Blue as she shares her spring world on the ranch while also sharing springtime with Tiana Spotted Thunder, Lori Byers Walsh, reading the poetry of Linda M. Hasselstrom and The Teels!
Recognition
Wish You Were Here was nominated for the Upper Midwest Emmys under arts and entertainment in long form.
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