Regenerative Agriculture Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Measuring Nutrient Density with Dan Kittredge Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

Before we present our newest episode, we have a request for you. As we complete our second season of the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, we have a supporting base of over 5,000 listeners who engage with our episodes shortly after we post them. We now ask for your feedback on the podcast, whether there are topics you'd like to hear more about, and what suggestions you have for improvement. We've put together a survey that allows you to tell us what you think. Here's the link: advancingecoag.com/podcast. We are appreciative of your feedback and we look forward to implementing it to make the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast ever better!

Thank you for permitting the interruption…now, on to the show notes!

In this episode of the podcast, John interviews Dan Kittredge, the Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food Association, whose development of sustainable agriculture techniques has connected him to farmers worldwide.

In this interview, John and Dan delve into the science of growing crops as it relates to human nutrition, describing how agricultural production practices can produce a better nutrient profile in our foods and the potential this holds for human health. He explains why a balanced, as well as a higher nutrient density in crops, is desirable. He discusses the complex relationships between the sun, soil, and plants that lead to these higher and balanced levels of nutrition. Dan explains that across the same food types, i.e., all carrots, wheat, milk, etc., there can be discrepancies in the reported nutritional values and how nutritional data on food packages can be wildly incorrect.

Over the past few years, Dan has been working on the development of a BioNutrient Meter, a handheld spectrometer which tests mineral levels in fruits and vegetables. Dan describes the science of spectroscopy, which is based on the frequencies emitted by each chemical element --this same technology helps scientists and astrophysicists determine the composition of stars six light-years away in our solar system. By measuring the frequencies and light particular elements emit, they can measure the percentage of hydrogen, helium and other gases. With the science of spectroscopy, and other new technology, Dan and his team at the BioNutrient Food Association have built a first-generation model of a miniaturized consumer-priced spectrometer for testing the nutrient levels in crops.

Listen to this provocative conversation between two pioneers who are truly passionate about growing food as medicine to learn:

How Dan founded BFA, and how this non-profit provides support and education for farmers about the use of biological systems
The science behind plant resistance to insects, and why these resistant crops make good, in fact better, food for humans.
The differences in nutrient density between instances of the same crop when grown on different soil under different conditions
How soil and plant health correlates to nutrient density
How the compounds that correlate with flavor and aroma are those that make the plant indigestible for an insect or disease
The science of spectroscopy, and how the new BioNutrient Meter works

Resources

The BioNutrient Food Association is having their annual Soil & Nutrition Conference in Massachusetts on November 13 to 17, 2019. For more information, visit soilandnutrition.org.

For more information on the BioNutrient Meter, visit the BioNutrient Food Association website.

Our community impact spot for this episode is provided by Hourglass Films. Hourglass Films has developed a documentary about regenerative agriculture called Sustainable, a film about the land, the people who work it and what must be done to sustain it for future generations. The film features some regenerative growers who work with AEA, and is currently available on Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and more. We hope you watch this documentary and find it engaging and useful.

We've put together a survey; here's the link: advancingecoag.com/podcast. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!

Support For This Show

This show is brought to you by AEA, helping professional growers make more money using regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you grow on a large scale and are looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant.

Rebuilding The Soil Carbon Sponge, and Cooling the Climate Fast with Walter Jehne Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, John Kempf interviews Walter Jehne, an Australian soil microbiologist and the Director of Healthy Soils Australia. Walter has written and taught extensively about the earth's soil carbon sponge and hydrology as they relate to climate change.

Walter provides context for the extreme weather events we are experiencing, and clearly identifies the role that water plays as a climate regulator. He describes how we can manage water to safely and naturally cool the planet and regulate climate change.

Walter has developed a perspective on the impact that farmers can have on the climate that is different than the dominant narrative on carbon sequestration. While carbon sequestration is an important piece of the puzzle, Walter explains how managing the way our soils retain and hold water has a much bigger impact due to the way the hydrological system functions as a regulator for the planet. Walter describes how specific tactics in the management of water in our soils can reduce extreme weather events.

Here are a few things Walter and John discuss in this engaging episode:

Why rising co2 levels are a symptom, rather than the cause, of the abnormal warming of the past 250 years
How improving the soil's water-holding capacity contributes to a more stable climate
The foundational principles of atmospheric physics and the climate
The effect of land degradation on the hydrological dynamics of the planet
How regenerating the soil carbon sponge is the critical bridge between carbon management and hydrology management
How increasing photosynthesis and "green longevity" is the key to restoring the hydrological balance, thus restoring climate balance and reducing extreme weather events

Support For This Show

This show is brought to you by AEA, helping professional growers make more money using regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you grow on a large scale and are looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant.

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 The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast email list.

Feedback & Booking

Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or a booking request: production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Email John directly: John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Credits

This episode was recorded by John Kempf and Walter Jehne and produced by Nathan Harman, Robin Kitowski, and Anna Kempf.

Providing Affordable Food as Medicine At Scale with Pierre Weill Sep 17, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, John interviews French agronomist, Pierre Weill, who created a feed company in 1992 in French Brittany with the intention of producing health-oriented animal nutrition. He then went on to co-found a nonprofit association called Bleu-Blanc-Cœur, which connects all the actors involved in the food chain to help producers and consumers connect the dots between reduction in disease and the quality of food production.

Pierre's fascinating research trials examine the differences in human health when animal products from animals fed high-quality forage-based diets are consumed versus products from conventionally fed animals. In one group of six trials, conventionally fed animals were fed a diet of corn and soybeans, and the animals with a healthy diet were fed high-quality forages and seeds. Consumers in the trials were divided into control groups who ate milk, eggs, and other animal products from the conventionally fed animals, and experimental groups that ate the same from animals which were fed the higher-quality products.

The two groups ate the same quantity and type of foods. The only difference was the diet of the animals. In this way, the producer's behavior, and not the consumer's behavior, was measured.

As a proof of concept, the omega 6 and omega 3 levels, which correlate with the inflammatory processes, were measured in both groups of people, and a significant difference was found. The ratio of omega 6 and omega 3, which is healthy at a level of 5 and pro-inflammatory at a level of 10, was 15 in the control groups, and five in the experimental groups.

Pierre also talks about the structure of a new trial, currently underway, testing the immunity of breastfed children with the mothers' diets being the differential, once again measuring the quality of the diets eaten by the animals whose products the mothers consumed.

John and Pierre delve into the link between soil health and human health, and how the human gut microbiome is linked to a larger microbiome in the soil. The health of one is reflected in the health of the other.

John and Pierre also discuss Bleu-Blanc-Cœur, and how Pierre developed this organization to address the problems of access to high food quality among populations with lower economic status and producer incentives to serve these groups. Within Bleu-Blanc-Cœur, producers pay close attention to the quality of animal health and diet and are connected with consumers who enjoy better health because of the producer's choices.

As an experienced animal nutritionist, Pierre provides information on the most optimal diets for hens, cows, and pigs. He discusses the impact of a healthy animal diet, on-farm economics, and describes how the longevity, higher fertility, and higher yield of milk and butterfat lead to an increase on the bottom line for farmers employing healthy animal diets.

Pierre's recommended resources (that are not written in French):

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollack

To learn more about Pierre's work to improve the nutritional and environmental quality of our food, visit the Bleu-Blanc-Cœur website here.

Follow Pierre's research, and read the results of past peer-reviewed studies.

Our community impact spot for this episode is No-Till on the Plains, a non-profit organization that provides education, networking, and inspiration for growers who focus on soil health. No-till on the Plains will be hosting their annual winter conference in Wichita, Kansas, in January of 2020 where John Kempf will speak and present workshops about regenerative agriculture systems. To learn more about this conference and to register, visit the event information page on the web.

Support For This Show

This show is brought to you by AEA, helping professional growers make more money using regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you grow on a large scale and are looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant.

Feedback & Booking

Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or a booking request: production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Email John directly: John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Credits

This episode was recorded by John Kempf and Pierre Weill and produced by Nathan Harman, Robin Kitowski, and Anna Kempf.

Encouraging Achievement on the Farm with Vernon Peterson Aug 27, 2019

Show notes

John Kempf and Vernon Peterson take the stage for a live-recorded conversation at the inaugural Acres U.S.A. Healthy Soil Summit, held at the University of California Davis Conference Center on August 21, 2019, for this Regenerative Agriculture Podcast episode.

Vernon's experiences from 30 years of growing tree fruit and other crops on both conventional and organic acreage in California's water, weather, and labor-challenged environment inform the wisdom he posits here.

Peterson was the recipient of the Grower of the Year Award from the California Certified Organic Farmers Association and the Organic Produce Network in 2017. He farms 300 acres of stone fruit, including peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots. Vernon's operation also packs fruit for almost 80 neighbors, including stone fruit, pomegranates, and citrus.

Listen to hear Vern's strategies for activating employees to achieve their fullest potential, his knowledge of organic fruit production and marketing, and a call to farmers to tell their story through knowing the nutrient value of their food. Vernon also discusses how he's formed a unique alliance of growers that work together in marketing, sales, operations, and compliance areas, resulting in successes for multiple small-scale organic operations.

Vernon describes the "aha!" moment when farmers realize that organic production is more than just the conventional input substitution.

He provides examples of measuring fruit tree production and worker productivity on his own operation, describing why it's important for employees to have access to the data and tools needed for their own improvement. He shares how a simple pay scale increased the output quality without costing him more while paying the workers double. He makes the case for how extraordinarily close relationships with employees lead to greater business success.

Vernon also turns the ag production paradigm on its head when he suggests that growers should start by selling the crop, then focusing on marketing and packaging, before growing the fruit. He also shares his overarching goal of reinvigorating agriculture through organic production. He believes that documenting and publishing the nutritional quality of food holds the potential to turn the tide of agriculture in America.

Vernon's recommended resources:

The Stockman Grass Farmer

BizBooks Ag Software

The nutrient meter mentioned by John:

BioNutrient Food Association's BioNutrient Meter

Our community impact spot for this episode is the cover crop provider, Green Cover Seed. Green Cover Seed shares the benefits of cover crops with the farming community. They do an excellent job of conducting and disseminating research into cover crops species, blends, and uses. While there are many excellent cover crop providers out there, Green Cover Seed stands out for their education, outreach, and variety.

Website: https://www.greencoverseed.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrK9tSdYXpHFxbhKxgcMbw

Support For This Show

This show is brought to you by AEA, helping professional growers make more money using regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you grow on a large scale and are looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant.

Feedback & Booking

Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or a booking request: production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Email John directly: John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Credits

This episode was recorded live by John Kempf and Vernon Peterson at the Healthy Soil Summit and produced by Nathan Harman, Robin Kitowski, and Anna Kempf.

Weather Resilience Through Cover Cropping - A Panel Discussion Jul 17, 2019

Show notes

Record rainfall has resulted in an unprecedented number of unplanted acres in 2019. Farmers must now consider how best to manage these fields for the remainder of the season. In an otherwise fallow year, cover cropping options abound during a unique summer planting window.

In this episode of the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, John Kempf hosts a panel of American Midwestern agronomists and farmers, Steve Groff, David Kleinschmidt, Brad Hobrock, and David Chance, to discuss wet weather, the inability to plant in sodden areas and the options to sow cover crops in empty fields.

David Kleinschmidt, a midwestern agronomist, and owner of Progressive Agronomy Consulting Services, consults with growers across the Midwest where his in-depth knowledge of soils and soil health helps farmers realize better yields.

Brad Hobrock is the owner of AgriBio Systems in Illinois where he farms several thousand acres of corn and soybeans. His voice and experience show the issues of cover cropping and weather challenges from a farmer's perspective.

David Chance, the owner of Chance Farms and several thousand acres in Indiana, shares his expertise on cover crop mixes, dry weather planting, and farm subsidies.

Steve Groff, the Cover Crop Coach and founder at Cover Crop Coaching, is based in Pennsylvania. He travels across the country teaching farmers the techniques and value of cover cropping systems.

John and his guests outline the challenges farmers are facing this season, with a record number of unplanted corn and soybean acres throughout the Midwest due to excessive rain and flooding. They explain how cover crops can pay for themselves by decreasing the need for fertilizer applications while improving soils and yields in subsequent years.

Listen to hear a broad array of perspectives on:

The benefits and drawbacks of various species and their best uses
How to determine your cover crop mix with your goals and budget in mind
A comparison of simple one or two-species blends versus a diverse mix of cover crops
The differences between cool- and warm-season legumes
The value of cover crops in diffusing herbicide residue
The value of cover crops in managing carbon and nitrogen
The importance of bacterial and fungal inoculation
The role of crop insurance programs
Which cover crops can shift the soil's microbial population from bacterial to fungal dominance
Which cover crops speed up the bioremediation process of pesticide residues in the soil profile

This podcast serves as an invaluable resource for any grower whose planting window has passed without the ability to get in the field and for anyone considering the use of cover crops.

The Community Impact Partner for this episode is the NOFA Summer Conference, a three-day conference that offers a wide-range of seminars, workshops, and other educational opportunities. Immerse yourself in a community of like-minded practitioners and curious learners eager to share inspiration and ideas for organic food, farming, health, activism, and beyond. The NOFA Summer Conference is a family-friendly event in Massachusetts where you can bring the whole family to enjoy workshops for adults, kids and teens, over 60 vendors, live music, games, and amazing food! Learn more about the conference and register here.

The Community Impact Partner for this episode is also the Healthy Soil Summit. This August, Acres USA will host the Healthy Soil Summit in Davis, California. Join farmers, consultants, researchers, and others for two days of engaging learning from world-renowned experts in the field of regenerative agriculture including John Kempf, Gary Zimmer, and Brendan Rocky. Wherever you are in your farming journey, this event will provide you the tools to enhance the productivity and profitability of your operation through biological practices. Go to acresusa.com to learn more about the Healthy Soil Summit. Email us at events@acresusa.com or call us at 1-800-355-5313.

Support For This Show

This show is brought to you by AEA, helping professional growers make more money using regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you grow on a large scale and are looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant.

Feedback & Booking

Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or a booking request: production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Email John directly: John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Credits

This episode was recorded by John Kempf, Steve Groff, David Chance, Brad Hobrock, and David Kleinschmidt, and produced by Nathan Harman, Robin Kitowski, and Anna Kempf.

The Carbon Capture Business with Jerry Hatfield Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, John interviews Dr. Jerry Hatfield, Ph.D., a plant physiologist who runs the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa. Jerry has done extensive research on the interactions between soils, plants, and the environment. Jerry describes his findings from some of these tests which track interactions among different types of cover crops with different soil and plant variables. Jerry also studies agriculture as a molecular geneticist, testing which genes are activated in plants during drought versus flood conditions and other environmental factors.

John and Jerry also discuss the differences between the terms sustainable agriculture and regenerative agriculture, and answer the questions: What are the steps to regenerative agriculture? What is the return on this type of system?

To quote Jerry, "If you go down this road of improving your soil, you increase your profitability, you increase your yield stability, and you'll sleep better at night."

In this episode John and Jerry cover:

The carbon balance in terms of improving the soil-plant-health continuum
The roadmap provided by regenerative agriculture for increased profitability
The needs of biology and how to fuel those needs to provide climate resilience

Listen to learn how the carbon cycle can shift and change when growers begin to manage soils and crops differently with regenerative management, rather than with present mainstream management. Jerry says, "Agriculture is in the carbon capture business," and this episode explains why, drilling into the role of carbon in regenerative agriculture.

The Community Impact Partner for this episode is the Regenerative Organic Alliance, the developer of the Regenerative Organic Certification, a holistic agriculture certification encompassing pasture-based animal welfare, fairness for farmers and workers, and robust requirements for soil health and land management. Brands are already seeking to bring ROC-certified products into their supply chain. You are invited to research and join the ROC program. The first step is to download the ROC Participant Handbook on their website.

Support For This Show

This show is brought to you by AEA, helping professional growers make more money using regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you grow on a large scale and are looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or call 800-495-6603 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant.

Feedback & Booking

Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or a booking request: production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Email John directly: John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Credits

This episode was recorded by John Kempf and Jerry Hatfield, and produced by Nathan Harman, Robin Kitowski, and Anna Kempf.

A Geological Perspective On Regenerative Agriculture with David Montgomery May 15, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, John interviews David Montgomery, Professor of Geomorphology at the University of Washington. John and David discuss soil regeneration at length, pulling from David's experience developing new topsoil in dead, stony ground and his deep dive into the science behind it.

David came to the field of regenerative agriculture from a unique position. As a geologist studying erosion, he became curious about agricultural impacts on soils.

When David set out to write his first book, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, he imagined it would tie the subject of landscape formation over millennia to how soil erosion affected ancient civilizations. He ended up writing about the history of farming, because that's where soil erosion and degradation connects back to human societies. Spending more than a decade looking at how agriculture has influenced soil loss resulted in an epiphany that led him to see regenerative agriculture as the solution to historically degenerative agricultural problems.

In this thought-provoking interview, John and David discuss:

How conventional farming practices have contributed to mining the soil, and how this impacts the future of global societies.
David's observations of rebuilding soil at scale and the science behind it
The 3 principles of successful soil regeneration:
1. Minimal ground disturbance
2. Keep the surface covered
3. Grow diverse crop rotations
How the key to rapid restoration of soil fertility is about kick-starting the biology
Why David is an unrepentant optimist on the issue of reversing soil degradation, something he didn't think would happen when he wrote the book on erosion.

John and David explore the soil-life effects of glyphosate as an antibiotic and mineral chelator, and conjecture as to it's human health impacts. There is a fascinating glimpse of a South African farm that doubles as a cheetah rehabilitation area, that may spur new ideas on meshing agriculture with wildlife conservation. David shares about his two musical projects as well. https://www.bandmix.com/bigdirt/

David is the author of two books:

Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations 2007

Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life 2017.

David's recommended reading list from the episode:

Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown

Organic No-Till Farming by Jeff Moyer

The Third Plate by Dan Barber

The Community Impact Partner for this episode is Jerry Hatfield, director of the National Lab for Agriculture and the Environment at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service. The ARS seeks partners to participate in on-farm research to further our collective knowledge about best farming practices. Please consider getting involved with this important work as a citizen-scientist, and look forward to a future podcast interview with Jerry soon!

Website: www.ars.usda.gov/nlae

Email: jerry.hatfield@ars.usda.gov

Phone: (5l5) 294-5723

Support For This Show

This show is brought to you by AEA, helping professional growers make more money using regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you grow on a large scale and are 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.

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

Email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Credits

This episode was recorded by John Kempf and David Montgomery, and produced by Nathan Harman, Robin Kitowski, and Anna Kempf.

The Regenerative Orchard: Cherry Success with Mike Omeg Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

Mike Omeg is a 3rd generation cherry grower who has spent the last few decades farming 350 acres of cherries in The Dalles, Oregon. Mike is an innovator with the vision for new approaches and the analytical mind to measure results. He's tested myriad techniques in his quest for the best and most profitable methods of growing cherries, and was awarded the Good Fruit Grower award by the Fruit Grower News in 2017.

In this conversation, John and Mike delve into the type of bio-intensive system Mike has developed and the data he has collected in his trials. Mike has shown that profitable large-scale agriculture and regenerative practices are entirely compatible and speaks to how his operation has scaled regenerative practices. He also thinks deeply about return on investment, the economic growth of his operation, and discusses the positive impact that regenerative methods have had.

Believing that one of the fastest ways to improve soils is to grow a healthy crop, Mike explains his view of the tree as the conduit for putting carbon into our soils more efficiently than mulch or compost. Supported with the correct nutrition, the tree is simultaneously building this year's crop and boosting nutrient levels in the soil for building future crops.

In the episode, Mike gives in-depth information on his experiments with different types of cover crops saying, "When we talk about having a return on our investment, we need to have every seed that goes into that mix be there because we know it's going to earn us a return - not because we want to feel good that we're maybe doing something that we read in a book was important."

Close to the end of this conversation, Omeg says, "I'm excited for every day to bring new challenges in farming. And focusing upon biological and restorative agriculture has just brought a real sense of joy to me when I walk through the orchard. It's exciting, and I love it." Mike is truly an important figure in the landscape of stone fruit production. Check out his YouTube channel where he covers not only some of the most innovative stone-fruit production methods, but also a host of other fascinating topics.

Whether you grow cherries or cherry tomatoes, you will find this conversation between John and Mike to be fascinating and informative, with lessons that span all of agriculture.

Listen to this conversation to hear Mike explain:

His very practical experience and cost/benefit analysis with mulch, compost, cover crops and interplanting
How mow-and-blow replaced Mike's use of compost
How plant sap analysis influenced his inputs management process
Mike's extensive trials, and thinking process, for finding cover crops suitable for orchard alleyways
Specific information on Ajuga (Ajuga reptans), Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia), and Comfrey (Symphytum officinale var. patens)
Nutritional defenses against the two major cherry diseases, bacterial canker and powdery mildew that he never imagined possible
An interesting anecdote on freeze resistance
The value of fish and other inputs on orchard plantings
The ROI on a bio-intensive system based on increased cherry size and firmness
How biologically intensive practices and large scale production fit together

Resources:

SeaShield (fish product mentioned by Mike)

Mike's recommended sources for information:

YouTube

The Farming Ladder by G. Henderson

Please remember to support our Community Impact featured partners! Acres USA is North America's premier publisher on production-scale organic and sustainable farming. For more than four decades they have been helping farmers, ranchers and market gardeners grow food organically and sustainably. Acres USA is dedicated to the mission of educating growers about the benefits of ecological farming, with content that is designed to help you grow your operation in an ecologically and economically sound way. Check out their books, podcast, and monthly magazine!

Support For This Show

This show is brought to you by AEA, helping professional growers make more money using regenerative agriculture since 2006.

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

Email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Credits

This episode was Recorded by John Kempf and Mike Omeg, Edited by Nathan Harman, Produced by Nathan Harman, Robin Kitowski, and Anna Kempf.

A Conversation With Plants & Pascal Fafard Mar 12, 2019

Show notes

Pascal Fafard is a consultant and crop advisor in Quebec, Canada, working primarily with fruit and vegetable growers.

He holds a bachelor's degree in agronomy and has been supporting and mentoring fruit and vegetable growers for more than 25 years. While working in IPM, nutrition and vitality advising, and the typical agronomic considerations, he realized that taking care of growers is as important as the grower taking care of plants.

This shift in focus led to his unique take on agriculture that has inspired advisors and growers to adopt more intuitive farming practices in the hopes of fostering greater peace of mind, increased clarity and enjoyment, better plant vitality and improved business productivity.

As you will hear, Pascal is committed to life in all its many forms and brings a perspective that stresses the importance of a close partnership between man and nature. His innovative approach encourages advisors and growers to unlock their full potential and to strive to realize what is most important to them.

This episode is largely the story of Pascal's thought journey on the nature of farming, the relationships we hold with nature, and the opportunity to make both more meaningful. He and John talk about the development of techniques to increase communication between growers and their plants, and a much more subtle way of interacting with our crops, which is intended to provide greater fulfillment to the grower, and better results.

We may be challenged to step outside our comfort zones, hearing what Pascal offers, but one may find it to be of great value.

"If there is something I want to say today...my only desire is... open new possibility to the grower, and if there is something that resonates in themselves from what I say, just take it. If there is something that doesn't talk to you just...throw it in the garbage."

In this episode, John asks the question "What is it that plants desire from the grower?"

This episode introduces a Regenerative Agriculture Podcast first: quotes from actual plants, as translated by Pascal.

He notes that "When you communicate with nature you can receive information as a thought, as an image, as an emotion, you can be pulled to go somewhere in the field. It depends on the person...be open minded...it's got to be your way."

There are many stories from the field and a few action items, but this interview is not about science and agronomy. It's about a farmers relationship to life, and passion for the work of farming. These are esoteric concepts that Fafard presents eloquently and practically.

Pascal's course suggestions:

Maya Kincaid: The Sedona International School for Animal and Nature Communication

Pranic Healing - International course offerings: (USA EAST site: https://pranichealingusa.com/) (USA west site: https://pranichealing.com/)

And John's suggested reading on the topic: The Lost Language of Plants and The Secret Teachings of Plants, both by Stephen Harrod Buhner.

If you have questions or would like to set up a consultation with Pascal, please reach out to him at info@pascalfafard.com

Please remember to support all of our Community Impact featured partners! Chelsea Green is an employee-owned and mission-driven company and a leading publisher of hundreds of great titles, including Gabe Brown's recent book, From Dirt To Soil -- which we featured Gabe & his book on this show, in Season 1. If you like this podcast, you will love their books. And there is just enough winter left to read a few. Visit them at www.chelseagreen.com and enter the code "REAG30" at checkout, for a generous discount just for listeners of this show.

And finally, we are very pleased to announce the recent release of AEA's new online learning platform, the Regen.Ag Academy, https://academy.regen.ag/

The first course is ready and more are on the way. This self-paced series of courses, each comprised of multiple video lessons, and graded quizzes, is geared toward the agricultural professional, Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), student, or highly motivated grower who wants to further their studies in regenerative agronomy. It is an accredited course and can be taken for CEU points from the ASA. We've been working hard to set up a platform where the best of John Kempf's teachings can be received, and where you can assess your own knowledge. We look forward to your participation and feedback. Check out Regen.Ag Academy here, and sign up to be notified of future course releases.

Thanks for Listening!

Support For This Show

This show is brought to you by AEA, helping professional growers make more money using regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you grow on a large-scale and are 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.

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

Email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com

Credits

This episode was Directed by Geoffrey Shively and Nathan Harman, Edited by Nathan Harman, Produced by Nathan Harman, Robin Kitowski, and Jenna Sodano.

Season 2 Kickoff with Don Huber Feb 16, 2019

Show notes

Hi Friends!

Welcome to Season 2 of The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast!

Thank you for listening, spreading the word, and helping to make this show such a hit, while expanding our community in the fast-growing regenerative agriculture movement.

It is my honor to be part of this community along with you as we launch Season 2 of this show.

For this season-opening episode, we are immeasurably pleased to bring Dr. Don Huber back again, sharing more of his wealth of accumulated knowledge. Don was our first guest on the show in Season 1, and you can listen to the first-ever Regenerative Agriculture Podcast episode with Don, here.

Dr. Don Huber is a leading plant pathologist, Professor Emeritus at Purdue University, and prolific author, contributor, or editor of more than 300 published academic writings and three books.

For more than 50 years, Don has been a renowned researcher and principal voice in the field of crop-plant pathology, especially as it relates to the overlapping spheres of mineral fertility and microbial ecology.

As a research partner, consultant or advisor, he has contributed to work in more than a dozen countries and been awarded numerous honors and awards for his copious scientific contributions.

Critical among these, has been his work in: nitrogen efficiency; nitrification inhibitors; plant and microbial metabolite interactions; development of aminopeptidase profiling, whereby unknown micro-organisms can be rapidly identified and then cultured, by their amino acid profile; and copious work vastly furthering the understanding of mineral/ microbe/ disease/ herbicide interaction.

There are some heavy science topics in this show that may compel your own further research. But no matter what or where you grow, there are some truly high-value practicalities laid out in this conversation.

This all makes him a really exciting guest to have on the show.

In this episode, listen as Dr. Don Huber covers the following and more:

Reducing vs. non-reducing sugars and the role they play in energy storage and metabolism.
High levels of reducing sugars (glucose and fructose) are an attractant of insects and disease.
Manganese is an enzyme cofactor for the sucrose phosphate synthase enzyme that converts glucose and fructose.
Reducing sugars are exuded from roots, attracting pythium, Phytophthora, actinomycetes, oomycetes. Non-reducing sugars are less exuded and a poorer food source for these organisms.
Most soil pathogens remain dormant and harmless until activated by external nutrient sources. The grower can control this.
In disease suppressive soils, soil bacteria colonize the resting structures of dormant fungal or oomycete spores, causing fungistasis, keeping them dormant. Reducing sugars, as root exudates, disrupt this suppression by giving bacteria a more ready food source.
Airborne pathogens are also attracted to a deficient nutrient profile of the above-ground plant parts.
Rusts require an exogenous source of Zinc on the leaf surface for spores to germinate.
Siderophores can be prevented by antibiotics, nutritional integrity, and immune responses.
Some early fungicides did not affect the fungus, but rather the amino acid profile of the plant, denying the fungus its food source. Apple Scab example.
Aminopeptidase profiling that Don developed. Not directly practicable for farmers, but a fascinating and now commonly used lab practice, in microbiological research.
Nitrogen is not just N, from the periodic table.
Ammonium, Nitrate and Amino Nitrogen must be considered as unique substances, that affect systems differently and should be used differently.
Molybdenum's role in the Nitrate Reductase enzyme functioning, and other details on nitrogen conversion and storage.
Ammonium is the most efficient form of Nitrogen for corn and wheat.
Nitrate requires 12-16% of all sugars just to convert to a plant usable form.
Ammonia, however, cannot be stored and must be metabolized as its taken up, which can be stressful for very small plants.
Efficient urea use and its reliance on the relatively abundant urease enzyme to hydrolyze ammonia.

At the end of the show, Don gives this reminder:

"It's truly remarkable how everything is integrated to such a dynamic degree that it all relates together… Just look at the whole picture and make sure that we're meeting the needs of the plant… We need to look for the specific elements, but recognize that they're all part of an integrated system." ~Don Huber

For more reading of Dr. Huber's work, view his selected bibliography and further bio.

Be sure to check out the links below as I have some exciting announcements to make!

Enjoy!

John and The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast team at AEA

PS...

I am excited to announce that, in alignment with my mission of making regenerative agriculture the new standard for agriculture, and due to popular demand, I am opening an online academy, the Regen.Ag Academy! The first course is entitled Precision Ag Nutrition Management, offering powerful and engaging information, along with 2 CEUs upon completion. We will be launching soon so signup for our Regen.Ag Academy email list here.

In the introduction section of this episode, you will hear the amazing Seth Godin (author of 18 best-selling books) mention his new Business of Food Workshop. It is worth checking out. I find a terrific amount of value in Seth's workshops.

If you are a large-scale grower of corn, popcorn, pinto beans, or other grains and broadacre crops, I welcome you to attend an event I will be hosting on February 27, The Regenerative Soil and Plant Health Academy and AEA grower lunch in Garden City, Kansas. Click here to learn more. Hope to see you there!

Support For This Show

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.

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.

Credits

This episode was Directed by Geoffrey Shively and Nathan Harman, Edited by Nathan Harman, Produced by Nathan Harman, Jenna Sodano, Robin Kitowski, and Anna Kempf.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Regenerative Agriculture Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected