Regenerative Agriculture Podcast

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing a great farmer and friend of mine, Klaas Martens. Klaas has been farming for more than 30 years and has driven the adoption of sustainable farming practices through his work with numerous national organizations and advisory committees. This episode contains some really great information from Klaas's many years of experience developing sustainable farming systems. In this episode, we talk about the cultural practices that form the basis of weed control, how Klaas thought he had discovered a pathogen that could become a new herbicide, and what it turned out to be, how to see and monitor field variables, crop rotations, and how Klaas has managed the weed control on his farm in upstate New York for the past 30 years. Support For This Show & Helping You Grow This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006. If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant. Episode 8 - Klaas Martens - Highlights 2:50 - Going from conventional farming to completely organic 3:40 - Having to unlearn some things from a university education 4:20 - Klaas was noticing that his observations in farming were contradicting his learned models and assumptions 5:15 - What have been the memorable moments that have lead Klaas to where he is today? Learning that cultural practices form the basis of all weed control - chemicals are auxiliary only Cultural practices are everything you do in the tending of your fields - what you do to set up the situation the crop is growing in What happens if you abandon a field? See the crop rotation in nature 10:20 - Why was Klaas looking for info in books written before 1945? These chemicals were all recent - agriculture had existed long before Knowledge was lost when chemicals came long 12:00 - How does this relate to how Klaas manages crops and weeds on his operation? Klaas realized work today will have results later Reframing from "How do I kill it?" to "Why is this here? What is its function?" Klaas started to study what various weeds and pests actually did in the soil - How do you read what the soil is trying to tell you? 15:00 - The weed that frustrated Klaas and made it seem organic farming was going to be impossible Pests were moving in because they were attracted to unhealthy weeds 18:00 - John's experience with Canadian thistles There is an organism that lives on the deeper roots of Canadian thistles that it needs to survive - it can only live in anaerobic soil 21:30 - What advice would Klaas give to growers to emulate some of his success? Shifting soil biology leads to shifting weed populations Changing the microbiology of the soil 24:50 - What practices lead Klaas to this result? Diverse rotation Cover crops - tried not to have soil uncovered over winter The importance of the smell of the soil We are looking above ground at the plants when we should be looking below ground at the soil 27:00 - Healthy Soils, Sick Soils by Dr. Franz Sekera and Margareth Sekera Sekera took soil and put it under a microscope to see what he could see - discovering the organisms were water living Soil breaking down at 70 degrees F 31:00 - Klaas's experience with producing dry beans and mustard Klaas had a great experience with dry beans, but it dropped very significantly over the years Klaas's rotation wasn't reducing pathogens, it was promoting them Some plots had great looking beans, some had beans that died - Some crops made the problem worse, some didn't have an effect, and some resulted in very healthy beans. One that was very beneficial was yellow mustard 36:00 - How did Klaas's weed profile change after incorporating these changes? The soil was trying to say something - that's why the mustard kept coming up 37:40 - What is Klaas's crop rotation? 20-30 different crops Flexible - Klaas wants to respond to what the soil is telling him They used a basic rotation, but they worn it out 41:30 - What are the variables Klaas is monitoring? Fields having a certain color point to different problems. Yellow points to sulfur. Blue is often a phosphorus indicator. White can be potassium or calcium. These are little data points, still need to do soil testing' 45:40 - How has Klaas seen the ecosystem evolve in regards to disease and insect resistance? Bugs don't hit healthy plants Using epsom salts instead of insecticides when plants are low on magnesium Insects will avoid plants when all three magnesium, sulfur, molybdenum are adequate supply 51:00 - Putting on a nutritional application resulting in all insects disappearing. Plants can launch a defence when they have supplied proper nutrition 52:30 - Most nutritional imbalances are not a result of deficiencies, they are the results of excess of products that growers apply. Overapplication causes imbalances 53:40 - What does Klaas believe to be true about modern agriculture that others do not believe to be true? The soil is basically screaming when the farmer is doing something they shouldn't be - in the form of weeds, insects, etc. These are the symptoms. We aren't dealing with the underlying problem Too reliant on point and shoot solutions 56:00 - What are some books or resources that Klaas would recommend? Weeds by Walter Conrad Muenscher Soil Grass & Cancer by Andre Voisin Use what you already know and draw your own conclusions on your farm 1:00:45 - What is a question Klaas wishes John had asked? "Where do we find help and guiding in managing our farms?" No one person is the source of knowledge for these topics Sharing observations and ideas with other farmers is invaluable - but also to keep yourself and others grounded Feedback & Booking Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event -- to production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. You can email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. Sign Up For Special Updates To be alerted via email when new episodes are released, and get special updates about John speaking, teaching, and podcast LIVE recordings, be sure to sign up for our email list.

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Groff, a farmer and cover crop pioneer who has also worked with the University of Maryland on extensive cover crop research. Steve founded Cover Crop Coaching in 2016 and has spoken to audiences across North America, Europe, Australia, Japan, and many other parts of the world on the use of cover crops across the full range of agricultural applications. In this episode, we talk about important management tools to incorporate with cover crops, the causes of erosion in a soil system, and how farmers can supply consumer demand for nutritional value. We also discuss farm economics, the books Steve read that started him in cover cropping and a step by step guide for growers who want to start developing healthy soil. Support For This Show & Helping You Grow This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006. If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant. Resources recommended by Steve Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David R. Montgomery The Biological Farmer: A Complete Guide to the Sustainable & Profitable Biological System of Farming by Gary F. Zimmer Stubble Over the Soil: The Vital Role of Plant Residue in Soil Management to Improve Soil Quality by Carlos Corvetto Lamarca The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming by Masanobu Fukuoka Episode 7 - Steve Groff - Highlights 3:00 - What are some of the memorable moments that have lead Steve to where he is today? Steve started no till in the early 80's - Solely to stop soil erosion A key moment for Steve was 3 years into doing no till - He noticed his soil was beginning to "mellow out" Today we can transfer to no till much faster than ever before In 1995 Steve started researching cover crops - he noticed after a drought year that he had 28 bushels more of corn preceding the previous 3 years Steve is all-in on cover crops! 8:20 - Erosion is a symptom of a bigger problem Healthier soil isn't going to blow or wash away We don't have a runoff problem, we have a water infiltration problem Steve is encouraged by seeing mainstream agriculture start to clue in 10:00 - Can we completely resolve erosion with the use of cover crops? We can greatly reduce it Not just cover crops - there are many other practices however they are a key component. Cover crops are a tool - you need to manage them properly Having a living root in the soil as long as possible is important Having diversity of species is important - we can enhance this with cover crops! Less/zero soil disturbance is important 12:30 - What are some of the other important tools farmers should incorporate? Fertility management - (Ex: Avoid anhydrous ammonia, high salt fertilizers) Once you get your soil functioning, you can start unlocking things that were locked before, such as allowing more access to certain minerals Steve isn't saying everyone needs to be no till - but does advocate it. Tillage is a destructive event 15:10 - How important is it to have a diversity of cover crops? There is a time and a place for single species cover crops Steve always plants mixed species You have to play around and see what works on your farm! How many species do you need? Going beyond 6-8; advantages start to level off. Mixed species doesn't necessarily have to be expensive Cover crop mixes can be thought of as a "one plus one equals three" solution 20:30 - What is something that Steve has puzzled over? The link to human health from how we grow plants and nutrient density Steve noticed that the USDA doesn't say how they establish the averages for nutritional value Steve is looking into creating branding for nutritional basis 26:00 - Does Steve believe it is possible that farmers will be compensated for growing quality Generally, Steve thinks yes. Majority of plant genetics are made for yield - so it may take awhile to get right There are some plant breeders that are now breeding for quality over yield 30:50 - Buyers care about flavor and aroma - These are the same markers of nutrient density Flavor and aroma is what makes repeat customers These can also be traced back to plant genetics and breeding - it's important to build from the ground up Big similarities between microbiome of our gut and the microbiome of soil 35:50 - What is something that has surprised Steve in his work? The importance of soil health - What tools like cover crops and no tillage are capable of Once you get the system working, you don't need as much input! Steve expects to continue being surprised as he tries to discover more 38:00 - What does Steve believe to be true about agriculture that many others do not? Reducing input is not going to lead to "mining out" the soil That the use of insecticides and fungicides can be reduced "Would you take chemo to prevent cancer?" 41:40 - What does Steve believe to be the biggest opportunity in agriculture today? Cycles always come and go Regenerative agriculture and growing with reduced input Steve believes there is a bright future ahead 45:00 - What is a book or resource that Steve would recommend? Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David R. Montgomery The Biological Farmer: A Complete Guide to the Sustainable & Profitable Biological System of Farming by Gary F. Zimmer Stubble Over the Soil: The Vital Role of Plant Residue in Soil Management to Improve Soil Quality by Carlos Corvetto Lamarca The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming by Masanobu Fukuoka 46:50 - What ideas or technology is Steve excited about for the future of agriculture? Advancement on cover crop equipment 50:10 - Is Steve having fun? YES! Steve finds it fulfilling to help farmers and being a steward of God's earth 51:10 - What would Steve recommend to a farmer starting down this path today? Ask: What do you want to accomplish? Good to prioritise when you're new Time of year will determine species to plant Only apply a new practice to the amount of plants you can afford to lose Learn all you can - Talk to and follow those who are achieving what you want to do 54:40 - What does Steve wish John had asked? How the economics work out - "How can I do this, and flourish?" 56:20 - What has been the economic impact of cover crops on Steve's operations? Looking at 5 years - Fertilizer went down 50%, and chemicals went down 37% 58:20 - What was the cost of these results? Growing your own cover crops cuts down on cost 60-80 lbs of nitrogen instead of 175-200 lbs Average corn yield is between 185-200 For pumpkins: Can cut nitrogen rate to 45-50 lbs Feedback & Booking Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event -- to production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. You can email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. Sign Up For Special Updates To be alerted via email when new episodes are released, and get special updates about John speaking, teaching, and podcast LIVE recordings, be sure to sign up for our email list.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Don Huber, a leading plant pathologist and Professor Emeritus at Purdue University. We discuss how to manage soil-borne diseases by managing crop rotations, and the management needed to grow 500 hundred bushels corn. Don shared intriguing observations on how soil-borne disease pathogen populations remain present in the soil constantly and are actually 'beneficial' saprophytic fungi until the right environment is present. Root diseases are a result of the soil environment, not a result of the presence or absence of the organism. Support For This Show & Helping You Grow This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006. If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant. Related Resources Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease by Lawrence E. Datnoff (Author, Editor), Wade H. Elmer (Editor), Don M. Huber (Editor) Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants by Horst Marschner (Author) Episode 4 - Dun Huber - Highlights 2:40 - What are Don's most memorable moments leading him to where he is? Don has fun wherever he is! 3:10 - What has puzzled Don in his research work? Studying soil ecology is looking at a black box. Need to slowly build a picture of everything involved. 4:10 - What is something that has surprised Don? How seemingly contradictory things all work together, such as a lot of nutrient relationships Secondary functions of things like manganese and iron start to come into play What are the ecological niches that make the system work? 6:30 - Challenge of manganese availability. What is contributing to that? It's a dynamic relationship with soil and fungi. Need organisms and nutrients to increase uptake Need the bacteria that are responsible for the valiant state - oxidizing groups and reducing groups Manganese can be there, but not available for uptake 11:10 - Pathogens dependant on manganese oxidation. Are they directly dependent, or are they producing a manganese-deficient plant? Both can be correct. They don't necessarily need the oxidation. Enzyme isn't going to work for you without a cofactor 13:50 - How do populations change when you have a crop infection? The plant is providing nutrients and resources for the pathogen Soil inhabitant vs soil colonizer A soil colonizer is an organism that can be provided its nutrient base from a host Infection isn't the result of the presence of the pathogen, but the level of plant health and microbial ecology in the rhizosphere 20:20 - What are the tools the growers have available to manage soil ecology most effectively and to develop a disease suppressant soil profile. Crop rotation - each crop influences a certain group of organisms in the soil Cover cropping Time of tillage Farming is really managing ecology 28:30 - Is it also possible to use these tools to manage and suppress soil-borne pathogens? Definitely! 31:20 - What are some useful crops or cover crops that have a strong disease suppressive effect? Depends on disease and overall soil biology Perhaps the best crop: Oats! 36:50 - What are the key characteristics shared by disease suppressing crops? Boils down to nutrition - may be indirect or direct 39:10 - Can fall tillage application create a rebalancing effect of both reducing organisms as well as oxidizing organisms?. Yes! Doesn't have to be every year Long term no-tillage can reduce the efficiency of ecology 41:20 - What are the impacts of nitrogen on developing disease suppressive soils? Most soil organisms are hungry for 2 things: nitrogen and carbon Changes can cause massive stimulation 44:30 - What is the impact of ammonium on an ecosystem with reduced nitrogen Tremendous reduction of disease Reducing environment creates an increase of manganese availability 46:30: What is the impact of carbon-nitrogen ratio on disease suppressive soils as well as yield? Depends on the carbon source It's not the carbon to nitrogen ratio, it's the form of nitrogen involved Ratio works if working with the same nutrient source 48:30 - Quality/Quantity of photosynthesis - How can we increase quantity of photosynthesis and quantity of root exudates in soil profile. Manganese, manganese, iron, sulfur, etc. are essential for photosynthesis Mineral nutrient deficiency will reduce overall efficiency. 54:30 - We are not tapping into efficiency of plants by limiting carbon dioxide 55:10 - Increase in photosynthesis producing increased biomass 55:30 - What is the potential for plants to increase their volume of photosynthesis? The potential is 100% 5-10x depending on what the plant it, starting point, etc. 1:00:30 - What kind of yields did Don achieve during his yield trials? What plant populations were growers using? 350+ bushel 1:07:10 - What happened from then, to today when growers are struggling to grow 250 bushel? Why were these not adopted on a broader scale? Focus moved to other areas when there was "too much production" Requires a long term commitment Private company interest is the bottom line We forget it's an ecology that needs to be managed 1:11:30 - What is something Don believes to be true about modern agriculture that others do not believe to be true? Have to think about entire systems, and not focus on a single piece You have to make a few mistakes in order to get there 1:14:00 - What does Don see as the biggest opportunity in agriculture today? Reinventing the wheel! Getting back to nutrient density Eliminating pesticides, especially glyphosate Agriculture is the basic infrastructure of society. Recognizing the stewardship we have to the soil 1:18:10 - What are some books or resources Don would recommend? Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease by Lawrence E. Datnoff (Author, Editor), Wade H. Elmer (Editor), Don M. Huber (Editor) Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants by Horst Marschner (Author) Systems looking at nutrient density 1:22:30 - What is a question Don wishes John had asked him? Glyphosate's impact on soil ecology Don is excited to see cover crops being used Maintaining balance within soil environment Supporting the crop with nitrogen Feedback & Booking Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event -- to production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. You can email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. Sign Up For Special Updates To be alerted via email when new episodes are released, and get special updates about John speaking, teaching, and podcast LIVE recordings, be sure to sign up for our email list.

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Matt Kleinhenz, a professor at the Ohio State University in vegetable crop physiology who has done research in many areas of horticulture and crop sciences. We talk about high quality food production, how growers and consumers view nutrient density, how farmers can influence the market, Matt's views on nutritional yield, and how growers can stay up-to-date on the latest crop breakthroughs. Support For This Show & Helping You Grow This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006. If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant. Episode 5 - Dr. Matt Kleinhenz - Highlights [0:03:20] - Matt's memorable moments that have brought him to where he is today Matt's interactions with growers bringing him questions, especially focusing on "how to produce more of a better quality product?" [0:04:10] - Where is the demand coming from for growers who want to produce a higher quality product? Some demand comes from grower's ethics who see themselves as part of a larger picture. Business wise - maybe coming from complaints or questions of the quality of their product. [0:05:00] - What defines quality for growers? What are they seeking to produce? What does quality mean in the eyes of a particular group? Shape, size, texture, aroma, flavor, etc. [0:07:00] - What has Matt observed in terms of nutrient density? Will there be a demand for "nutrient dense" foods? Nutrient value/density is a complex topic, and we need to be specific when discussing it. Will there be a time when more people are paying more attention? Matt thinks so, but we aren't there yet. [0:11:00] - Is there evidence we have lost nutrient density in our food supply? Matt thinks it's possible. The market is not demanding nutritional value, so it makes sense farmers are not focusing on it. How does a farmer display nutritional value? [0:19:00] - Organic industry confusion [0:20:40] - What has been the one thing that has really puzzled Matt for a long time? Matt has seen some farmers have a lack of understanding around the basic biology of the crops they grow. You can't be as effective as possible without a firm grasp of the basics. People are following a process, not understanding the crop they are growing. [0:23:40] - What are the important pieces growers should study? Understanding can come from many different places. Study the process of farming: Take notes, take pictures, and review these. Install ways to record information such as temperature and rainfall. This information is good for farmers themselves, and when getting outside help. Read, listen, watch videos. Keep a healthy skepticism, but not to the point of being close minded. Implement as many ways of knowing as possible, and start with the simple ones. How do other professions describe nutritional value? [0:30:00] - One characteristic of the most successful growers They seek to understand "How do we make money?" They seek to understand the specific characteristic to their crop that is most desired by the market, and how to manage it. Repeat sales come from quality. Improve the value of the transaction by improving the product. BRIX has little bearing on nutrition [0:34:54] - What does Matt believe to be true about agriculture today that most don't believe to be true? One area Matt hears about less is asking what role growers play in society and our daily lives? [0:36:35] - How to remedy underappreciation for growers? Matt thinks growers need to ask more of themselves, and they could be more assertive about what they do, how, and why. [0:38:50] - What makes growers who make an impact stand out from the rest? Growers need to be able to see their product as the buyer sees it, not as a farmer. [0:42:50] - John's story of farm with hail damage with an interesting crop response [0:48:05] - What is the job the buyer wants from food? Growers should be as informed as possible about what their buyers expect from the product, and what they aspire to. The different perspective of food of cancer survivors, for example. Are growers knowledgeable about what these people are looking for? [0:52:20] - Where is the greatest opportunity for growers today? Continue to do what they've done, but better! Be a partner in the process of enhancing the social component of what they do; be connected. Use natural resources well. Be a student of the farm and all aspects of the business. [0:54:20] - Matt's single recommendation for growers to learn more Learn something new. Challenge yourself to learn new things about your crops or your farm. Get an alternative point of view, and don't become too comfortable with what you "know" to be true. Get exposure to research if you have none. Be aware of some of the newest trends [0:57:30] - What technology or ideas is Matt excited about for the future of agriculture? Grower-friendly technology for monitoring environment. More computing power to take advantage of data [1:00:10] - What is the question Matt wished he was asked? What would Matt like to discuss the most? Nutritional yield = yield x nutrient value Can we move the needle on nutritional yield? What are growers hearing from people in terms of quality? [1:02:00] - Should we measure crop production in terms of carbohydrate or protein production per acre? Some of this is already being done. It's hard to ask farmers to fully understand this, but getting an understanding is important. Growers need to create the market, not just respond to it [1:02:40] - How can a grower shift perspectives in the market? Be as informed as possible. Be conversant with this information to be able to showcase nutrient density when it isn't obvious Being able to understand what contributes to making better color and flavor, for example, and how these characteristics relate to the nutrition of the food. Feedback & Booking Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event -- to production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. You can email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. Sign Up For Special Updates To be alerted via email when new episodes are released, and get special updates about John speaking, teaching, and podcast LIVE recordings, be sure to sign up for our email list.

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Tom Dykstra, the founder and laboratory director at Dykstra Labs, who also has advanced degrees in entomology and has worked with Dr. Phil Callahan. In this episode, we talk about plant and insect communications, and how plants can only see and feed on plants who are unhealthy (insects are only attracted to unhealthy plants). We also discuss Dr. Dykstra's current day work in bioelectromagnetics, entomology, and agriculture. This episode is a truly amazing glimpse into these very fascinating areas and how they relate to plant physiology. Support For This Show & Helping You Grow This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006. If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant. Episode 4 - Dr. Dykstra - Highlights 3:00 - What memorable moments lead Tom to where he is today? Getting fired at the University of Florida leading to the path he's on now Work with flea larvae leading into Tom's PhD project Insect bioelectromagnetics 5:40 - What is the potential impact of Tom's work on agriculture? What might farmers be able to apply? Optimizing photosynthesis to optimize Brix level - leading to healthier plants 8:30 - Photosynthesis thoughts. How much is it possible to increase photosynthesis beyond what is normal? What tools can optimize it? You can increase it substantially Most plants between 4-8 brix. 12 serious insect damage stops. 14 is a genuinely healthy plant Plants are not working up to anywhere near their potential It's a matter of getting the photosynthetic rate up Need to not be putting up blockages - ex. pesticides Brix is by far the easiest thing to do to measure plant health Need to be weaning off pesticides immediately 17:30 - What can we do to increase energy flow in the soil profile? How much can you afford to lose? Start here Allow weeds to grow here - put out sugar as often as you can This is the cheapest and simplest way to clean out soil as fast as one season Switching over immediately can be a little painful, but anyone can transition slowly Cover crops can also help, but not quite as fast Erosion has recently become a problem 25:00 - Cover crops or applying sugar directly Cover crops take time and can help soil more over time - directly applying sugar is a massive dose Variety of cover crops is better than just one 27:30 - Why has erosion become such a challenge? Because microbes are gone - leading to fluffy soil that is easily washed away 28:40 - What has been something Tom has puzzled over for a long time? How insects smell - Tom's own research 10-15 years where Tom was unable to put the pieces together In Nov 2016, they were able to decipher details in how insects smell 31:20 - Why some insects are attracted to certain regions while others are not? Insects smell with antenna and palps Certain insects are "tuned" into certain smells Some plants will advertise themselves as unhealthy - insects will not attack healthy plants Insects are only looking for digestible plants (unhealthy) 35:20 - What are some of the compounds that serve as insect attractants we could manage and monitor? Ethanol is a universal odorant advertising plants as unhealthy - a lot of plants will release some sort of alcohol Every insect has its own brix cutoff where it will not attack a plant Massive brix level drop before a storm - temporary measure in plants 42:30 - Are nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen insect attractants? Indirectly, yes! High nitrogen is not a direct attractant, but the imbalance in the plant causes the plant to advertise itself because it's stressed 48:10 - What are the possible detection distances for these insect signaling compounds? They can be detected by great distances! Tremendous. No matter the distance. 50:20 - Why do some people seem to attract mosquitoes, and some do not? Like plants, this is the difference between healthy and unhealthy people. Mosquitoes seek people who advertise themselves as having disgestable blood. Mosquitoes have a choice, and are going to choose the most digestible blood available 54:10 - What are the differences between healthy and unhealthy mosquitoes? Not all insects are going to have the same diseases. They have states of health and unhealth 57:00 - What has been something that has really surprised Tom? How different insects are smelling the same molecule - Tom's focus in his research Insects have multiple receptors for smell Tom has learned throughout his life how little we know so far on these topics 1:01:20 - What does Tom believe to be true about agriculture that many others do not believe to be true? Insects are only attracted to unhealthy plants Because of this, pesticides are unnecessary 1:06:30 - What is a book or resource Tom would recommend? Going out there and talking to farmers directly Tom likes giving direct advice Feedback & Booking Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event -- to production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. You can email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. Sign Up For Special Updates To be alerted via email when new episodes are released, and get special updates about John speaking, teaching, and podcast LIVE recordings, be sure to sign up for our email list.

In this episode, I had an awesome time interviewing Dr. Michael McNeill, who is an agronomic consultant with several degrees in soil fertility, plant physiology, and quantitative genetics. We discuss how fertility and genetics impact plant response to disease invasion, what causes the suppression of soil health, Michael's experience quickly regenerating soil, how farming has changed since the green revolution, and how to develop a plant profile that protects against disease. Mentioned In This Episode: N. A. Krasil'nikov SOIL MICROORGANISMS AND HIGHER PLANTS Support For This Show & Helping You Grow This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006. If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant. Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, Episode 3 Timestamps: 4:10 - Michael's background Michael's seen the transition of his farm going from all horses, to the GPS guided tractors they use today. He sees a need to bring back certain aspects of the type of farming he learned from his grandfather, especially In terms of improving soil health and maintaining soil fertility. Michael's operation has gone completely organic. Around 42,000 acres of organic crops in Michael's area, with farmers ranging from 320 acres to 15,000 acres of organic area. 6:50 - Michael's professional work Michael left the farm for a few years for a degree at Iowa State University, majoring in agronomy for a B.S. degree in soils and soil fertility. Michael has a masters degree in plant physiology, and a PhD in quantitative genetics. After university, Michael studied the impact of diseases as weapons and how to defend crops against diseases. Michael learned about how fertility and genetics can create environments that can defend against pathogenic invasion. Michael had experimented with GMO's and moving genes from different species into plants, which he chose to step away from. This lead to focus on a quantitative genetic approach, and more into soil fertility and health. Michael has moved into agricultural consulting as well 11:00 - What is the scope of Michael's work? Most of Michael's work is working with soil health and soil fertility. Michael says soil health never used to be a big issue compared to today 11:30 - What has changed with soil health? Michael noticed plants in old photos looked much healthier Michael asked: what changed from back then? He says it's due to use of herbicides. 14:30 - Production dropping on farms Michael has observed a drop from 200 bushels per acre to 70-80. Michael has seen this across many farms. 16:10 - How do you go from depressed yields to back up to larger numbers Michael advises to firstly figure out what is going wrong, and stop doing that. "Get the food right" for the soil. There is no magic bullet solution 19:00 - What is causing the suppression of soil health? Excessive tillage doesn't seem to bother soil. However, you must be careful with which tillage tool to use. Tillage does not cause the same damage as herbicides, anhydrous ammonia, or high sulphur fertilizers 21:40 - What are the damaging effects of herbicides on soil health? Michael thinks we haven't paid enough attention to soil micronutrients They are important to plant growth, and easily chelated by pesticides. 23:00 - What did Michael learn from his grandfather would be relevant today? Crop rotation is lacking. Michael's grandfather had to grow oats for his horses, which are great at improving soil health. Michael says we should think of oats as an excellent cover crop. No better fertilizer than animal manures. 26:00 - What did Michael learn from studying diseases as a weapon? Diseases can continue to kill crops for many years. Antibiotic type products can strip soil protection It hard to fix contaminated soil. There is microbial life in soil that will keep everything in balance, provided you can provide the right nutrition. 29:40 - Is it possible to grow crops that don't have disease? Michael says yes! It's very hard to get disease to invade a perfectly healthy plant An unhealthy plant cannot convert sugars into complex sugars, which disease can't use. 33:10 - What has been something that has puzzled Michael? Michael's answer: The impact of lack of micronutrients in crops. Minerals are being chelated inside the plant tissue by herbicides Sap analysis correlates more with what plants are showing visually 36:20 - What are the things Michael believes to be true that others don't believe to be true? Michael believes soil can grow healthy and high yielding plants with minimal additional inputs 37:10 - How to grow healthy, high yield crops without fertilizer Creating healthy soil that allows plant roots to go deep into the soil for access to needed minerals 40:10 - What does Michael not believe to be true? Michael's answer: Most people believe you have to put a lot of inputs in to get decent yield. Most people don't understand how the system works and are trying to swim upstream. 41:20 - What technology or ideas is Michael excited about? More involvement in food production Wasting too much good soil 42:10 - Where is the biggest opportunity in agriculture? Growers that are looking to improve sustainability of their operations 43:00 - What is the one book Michael would recommend for growers? Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease - Lawrence E. Datnoff, Don M. Huber, Wade H. Elmer Books relating to microbial life in soil 45:20 - What is the one action Michael recommend growers take? "Stop poisoning the soil" Transitioning vs. stopping all at once Michael has had total success with other farmers implementing this Feedback & Booking Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event -- to production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. You can email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. Sign Up For Special Updates To be alerted via email when new episodes are released, and get special updates about John speaking, teaching, and podcast LIVE recordings, be sure to sign up for our email list.

In this episode, I interviewed Gabe Brown, a rancher who is a veteran no-tiller and the owner of Brown's Ranch in Bismarck, N.D.. We discussed Gabe's experience farming without applying any fertilizers, the ability to feed more people with regenerative agriculture than with the current system, the economics of grazing beef, and the tremendous opportunity of growing non-commodity crops. This episode is a great look at the practical applications of regenerative agriculture systems. Gabe's new book, Dirt to Soil, will be available in fall 2018 from Chelsea Green and Amazon. Support For This Show & Helping You Grow This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006. If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant. Episode 2 - Gabe Brown - Highlights 0:02:40 - What moments have lead Gabe to where he is today? Since Gabe wasn't born and raised on a farm, he didn't have any preconceived notions, and was open to new ideas Gabe went to no tillage Gabe learned how to use the land without the use of synthetic inputs 0:04:40 - What were the key pieces Gabe changed to how he had been farming? Incorporating livestock Lowering synthetic inputs 0:07:20 - How important is it to incorporate livestock? Soil health revolves around carbon We can still definitely improve soil health without livestock, however they will not reach the levels of soil that had livestock Cover crops are still a no-brainer, however! 0:12:00 - Commodity crop mindset We have a human health crisis Nutrient density is a fraction of what it used to be Health of soil ecosystem is causing downward trend in nutrient density Focus on human health is a coming wave 0:16:40 - Do we actually have a food production problem? We have a distribution problem, not a food production problem. 0:20:50 - Iowa's change from 1946 Gabe is succeeding by focusing on growing different things Money coming from working on little things 0:25:00 - Agriculture is fun again! Much more enjoyable to work with a model of life rather than death 0:26:20 - We have a model of agriculture antagonistic to growers core values There are human health implications 0:28:30 - Can we increase meat consumption globally and produce an equivalent or greater amount of meat using the system Gabe has described? Absolutely yes! Not having animals out on the land causing issues Commodity vs regenerative model - growing cover crops, grazing 0:32:40 - Growing food as medicine What's Making Our Children Sick?: How Industrial Food Is Causing an Epidemic of Chronic Illness, and What Parents (and Doctors) Can Do About It by Dr. Michelle Perro (Author), Vincanne Adams (Author) 0:34:10 - What has really puzzled Gabe? Dealing with perennial weeds We have to get fungal activity back into soils 0:38:20 - What has surprised Gabe? Not able to be truly regenerative without removing or significantly backing off the use of synthetics 0:40:40 - What synthetic fertilisers has Gabe been using? Dry synthetic fertilisers such as urea They were significantly over applying nitrogen and phosphorus Need to wean off of synthetics 0:43:40 - What does Gabe believe to be true about modern agriculture that others don't believe to be true? We aren't given an owners manual for our soil Need to realize soil is living, dynamic, resilient ecosystem What thing that sets Gabe's operation apart: Living growing root in the ground as long as possible throughout the year 0:47:00 - Most growers haven't observed truly healthy plants 0:48:20 - What is the biggest opportunity in agriculture today? Advancing soil health to produce more nutrient dense food Consumers are starting to think of food as health Farmacology: Total Health from the Ground Up Daphne Miller M.D. (Author) 0:51:00 - What is a book or resource Gabe recommends? A Soil Owner's Manual: How to Restore and Maintain Soil Health by Jon Stika (Author) What's Making Our Children Sick?: How Industrial Food Is Causing an Epidemic of Chronic Illness, and What Parents (and Doctors) Can Do About It by Dr. Michelle Perro (Author), Vincanne Adams (Author) Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown (upcoming) 0:53:30 - What ideas and technology is Gabe excited about for the future of agriculture? Leaps in knowledge of soil biology Instrumentation to scan a food item to scan nutrient density Advancements in measuring carbon 0:58:00 - What actions would you recommend for growers? Educate themselves - have a desire to learn 5 principles - least amount of disturbance possible, armor on the soil, diversity, living root in ground as long as possible, animal integration. Try these 5 on a given field for 5 years Getting more perennials growing 1:01:50 - What question does Gabe wish John had asked? Just try something! Don't have to do it all to start Need to not drive young people away from agriculture Feedback & Booking Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event -- to production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. You can email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. Sign Up For Special Updates To be alerted via email when new episodes are released, and get special updates about John speaking, teaching, and podcast LIVE recordings, be sure to sign up for our email list.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Robert Kremer, a microbiology scientist for the USDA who also works as a professor in plant sciences at the University of Missouri. In this episode, we discuss Robert's project with the USDA decomposing weed seeds in soil, native soil microorganisms and microbial interactions, and the implications of AMPA and glyphosate on soil biology. We also discuss Robert's thoughts on the challenge of manganese availability, how growing GMO's impacts soil health, building soil carbon, how to choose soil inoculants and many more fascinating insights from a highly respected soil scientist. Support For This Show & Helping You Grow This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006. If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant. Episode 1 - Dr. Kremer - Highlights 0:03:00 - What are Robert's memorable moments leading up to where he is today? Robert was asked by the USDA Agricultural Research Service to look at the possibility of decomposing weed seeds in soil used in microbiological approaches. Robert saw in the 80's, weed and pest management was mainly chemical based. Through trying natural ways of controlling weeds and attempting to understand what pesticides do, which lead him soil quality/health. 0:05:50 - Has Robert had success in developing biological controls? Are there tools available for farmers to use today? Robert found it almost impossible to control all weed growth. Modern input based agriculture ecosystems built up many weed seeds in the operations Robert was working on. Robert's work has helped set the stage for other work that has been done in this area. 0:08:10 - Is Robert aware of any development relevant to fruit and vegetable production systems? Or in areas where ecosystems have longer crop rotation incorporating cover crops? Agri-Food Canada has contributed to this area However, Robert doesn't believe there is a lot of development 0:09:40 - The impact of pesticides? Robert has found some pesticides to be damaging to certain microorganism, while the same pesticides can be stimulating to other microorganisms Microorganisms were able to adapt to commonly used insecticides and herbicides These compounds were building weed resistance, but also altering the soil microbial community at the same time Finding residual glyphosate in the soil 0:14:40 - How long does Robert find that glyphosate residues are remaining in soil? Plots that had gone a year without RoundUp had as high glyphosate levels as plots that received the glyphosate in the same year, showing there was a carry over of residual glyphosate Robert found it seemed random which plots had high levels of residual glyphosate AMPA can be just as toxic as glyphosate itself Robert was observing 10-50x more AMPA than glyphosate 0:17:40 - What are the implications of high concentrations of AMPA in soil profile? AMPA has very similar effects to glyphosate on soil 0:18:30 - What defines soil quality and health? Two main indicators: soil organic carbon, and microbial diversity A high proportion of soil organic carbon is active carbon. This is the portion of carbon that supports the microbial community and plant growth protection Diversity in fungi and bacteria 0:25:00 - What can a farmer today do to start measuring these factors? Labs exist that can put together soil assessments Some states have incentives for farmers to do this 0:27:00 - What are the long-term impacts of soil quality/health by compounds such as glyphosate or AMPA? Robert has noticed glyphosate tends to suppress beneficial groups of bacteria Manganese can become "tied up" because the plant cannot access micronutrients 0:31:00 - What are the long-term implications of manganese immobility in soil profiles? Shift in microbial diversity. Including cover crops or different crops in rotation can help free up manganese 0:33:30 - What crops are really effective at having a reducing effect and shifting the availability of manganese in the soil profile? When you have a diversity of cover crops, some will be able to mobilize micronutrients Common example: Buckwheat Sorghum 0:35:20 - How to GMOs impact soil microbial community Some early GMO soybeans roots seemed to release higher levels of amino acids and soluble carbon, which can attract potential pathogens In some GMO corn varieties, side effect of having more lignin 0:39:10 - What does Robert believe to be true about modern agriculture that many others don't believe to be true? Depletion of soil organic matter. Robert has seen a drop from 3% organic matter down to around 1% 0:41:00 - How can we regenerate the soluble carbon component in the soil profile? Having a diversity of plants, and having living roots in the soil as long as possible Follow corn or soybean with wheat 0:43:20 - What is a book or resource Robert would recommend to growers? Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis Mycorrhizal Planet by Michael Phillips 0:45:10 - What is the question Robert wishes John had asked? Robert is often asked about biological products 0:46:00 - What ideas or technologies is Robert really excited about? Lots of classifications of biological productions: Biological stimulants, probiotics, prebiotic Robert has been impressed with what some prebiotics can do Although, some show promising signs but end up not improving total yield 0:51:30 - Do we have the conditions to give an inoculant or probiotic the opportunity for success? 0:53:40 - What is the one action Robert would recommend that growers should take? Need to keep soil covered, even better to keep living plants on the soil Integrate livestock with crops is a great, but mostly forgotten practice 0:55:00 - What are the economic implications of managing grazing very closely and carefully? Not only benefit for crops, but for the quality of meat as well. We've gotten away from what an agricultural ecosystem should be Feedback & Booking Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event -- to production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. You can email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com. Sign Up For Special Updates To be alerted via email when new episodes are released, and get special updates about John speaking, teaching, and podcast LIVE recordings, be sure to sign up for our email list. Credits Hosted by John Kempf. Co-created & Directed by Geoffrey Shively. Produced by Anna Kempf, Jenna Sodano, and Nathan Harman, and Cody Nesbit.