New and noteworthy public media podcasts to check out this January

It's a new year and with it new podcasts are here! The NPR One team has gathered a few returning favorites as well as some new shows from across public media to add to your playlist.

Ghost Herd

It started as an American success story. The Easterday family took a couple hundred acres of farmland in Eastern Washington and grew it into a farming and ranching empire worth millions. Then, it all came crashing down.

Check out KUOW and Northwest Public Broadcasting's new show Ghost Herd, starting with Part 1: The Empire Builders.

The Statue

In a moment of reckoning and reimagining for monuments, why do millions of people each year from around the world visit Philly's Rocky Statue? What does a statue celebrating a fictional boxer tell us about how we memorialize some stories over others? Monument Lab's Paul Farber dives deep into the story of the statue to the greatest Philadelphian who never lived.

Start listening to WHYY's new show The Statue, episode 1 "Patron Saint of the Underdog."

Systemic: Equity & Education

Colorado Public Radio's Systemic, hosted and reported by Jo Erickson, is back for Season 2. This season, teachers, parents, students and administrators of color are asking hard questions about the American education system. What topics get to be included in the curriculum? How can educators make schools a place where every family feels like they belong? And how do we keep students safe?

Start listening to season 2 with "No Equity, No Voice."

Detours

Season 3 of DETOURS dives into the dirt behind some of the items found on America's favorite antiques show! Join Adam Monahan, host and longtime producer for GBH's Antiques Roadshow, as he reveals more never-before-told stories of fakes, fumbles, and unforgettable moments that happened after the cameras stopped rolling.

Listen to last season now and catch new episodes starting January 23.

Nerdette: Undercover

For the special series "Undercover," WBEZ's Nerdette crew is taking a deep dive into some of the different ways a book comes to life! First up, we take a look at a seemingly small, but very important element of a book: blurbs. Praise from well-known writers can help a new author find their footing, but the system is all about who knows who. We talk to authors, editors and readers about whether it's time for a revamp.

Start with part one, "Undercover: The thorny business of book blurbs."

Terra Firma

Terra Firma is a podcast about the outdoors, the sounds of the natural world and our place in it. Each episode runs about 5-10 minutes and pairs reflections on nature with gorgeous soundscapes captured in wild places. Terra Firma unites stories and musings by CMarie Fuhrman, a Colorado-born, Indigenous poet and writer, with audio captured by outdoor sound recordist Jacob Job.

Start with "Welcome to Terra Firma."

Studio B Sessions

KBIA's music and conversation series is dropping four new episodes for the holidays, featuring mid-Missouri's most dynamic musical acts.

Start with Episode 1: The January Lanterns.

The Zest

Hosted by WUSF's Robin Sussingham, The Zest explores the way Florida's unique culture is showcased in its food and shares fascinating culinary stories from around the globe.

Catch the season premiere with EPCOT culinary director Albert Youngman.

State Street

From KUER, State Street is the place where Utah politics tastes good. Where the stories are covered in fry sauce and you can boost your civic IQ without all the campaigning, cajoling and cross-talk. This is politics, the Utah way.

Start with "Before #UTLEG starts: So happy together."

Plus, it's not too late to catch up on these 15 podcasts to binge before the new year!

NPR One's Jack Mitchell curated and produced this piece.