4 The Soil: A Conversation: Recent Episodes
Eric Scott Bendfeldt
Soil. What is it, really? It’s more than the dirt under our feet and the ground we stand on.
Soil is living and life-giving.
Listen as we unlock the mysteries of soil by speaking with people at the forefront of the soil health movement.
“4 The Soil: A Conversation” is part of the 4 The Soil Awareness Campaign led by the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The campaign’s purpose is to raise awareness of soil as an agricultural and natural resource critical to social, economic, and environmental health.
Hear and learn from farmers, agricultural professionals, conservation leaders, master gardeners, and many more on how and why to be 4 The Soil.
The podcast is a collaboration of Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, On The Farm Radio, USDA-NRCS, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition with specific funding from the Agua Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Virginia Tech’s Department of Agriculture, Leadership, and Community Education’s Community Viability grant program.
Stay tuned for the release of our first episode in October!
Would you like to be part of a community that protects grassland bird species and builds landscape resiliency? Justin Proctor, coordinator of the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative of the Smithsonian Institute's Virginia Working Landscapes' program, shares how they are building a community and are able to offer incentive payments to farmers and landowners willing to adopt bird-friendly management practices that better accommodate birds' nesting seasons and habits.
Two bird-friendly practices that Justin highlights out of ten best management practices include adjusting the cutting height when harvesting hay and delay cutting until after July 1. Additionally, Justin emphasizes how important building community is around shared values (e.g., clean air, water quality, soil health, farmland protection, etc.) and getting out to meet your neighbor.
If this episode, Jeff lays out a specific land ownership and management scenario for Justin and asks how he would work with the landowner to address resource concerns, management objectives, common interests, and discuss incentives for management of grassland birds. Walking the farmland with the owner is one of the initial steps but Justin also recommends reading their booklet Meet Your Virginia Grassland Birds, which is available in English and Spanish.
Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Do you love to watch birds? Are you occasionally surprised on a morning walk by the flutter and fury of birds emerging from a nearby tree or grassland? Justin Proctor, coordinator of the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative of the Smithsonian Institute's Virginia Working Landscapes' program, shares his insights, expertise, and passion for his work with Jeff, Mary, and Eric. Justin also emphasized that more than 60 bird species depend on Virginia grassland for their habitat and survival.
Virginia is unique as a migratory fly zone where many migrating birds will briefly stop in fields to rest and refuel before continuing a northward migration in the spring and southward migration in the fall. Therefore, knowing nesting times, habitat protection strategies, and migration patterns are critical to help these species to flourish.
If this episode encouraged you to enhance the habitat for grassland birds on your farmland, the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative has plenty of practical factsheets, educational workshops, incentive programs, and partners to assist you. For those interested in hosting a conservation-minded speed-dating workshop, please refer to this event planning guide and checklist.
Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
What do healthy soils and healthy people have in common? According to Dr. Ray Weil, they both thrive when they're kept active. And just like staying active begins with a purpose, every successful cover crop system starts with a goal. Jeff, Mary, and Eric continue their conversation with Dr. Weil of the University of Maryland, exploring how your objectives—from reducing erosion and improving water infiltration to building soil health and increasing resilience—should guide every cover crop decision. Along the way, Dr. Weil explains how living roots keep soils active, feeding the biology belowground, and strengthening the system over time. Whether you're new to cover crops or looking to refine your approach, this episode offers practical insights grounded in decades of research and real-world experience.
If this episode got you thinking more deeply about cover crop systems, the University of Maryland’s Cover Crop Innovation Center is a great next stop—dig into how researchers are keeping living roots in the ground year-round and rewriting what “resting soil” really means.
Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
In this special National Soil Health Day episode, Jeff, Mary, and Eric talk with Dr. Ray Weil of the University of Maryland. An internationally recognized soil scientist, Dr. Weil shares how a desire to make a difference in the world led him from an interest in medicine to a lifelong career in soil science. The conversation explores his early experiences managing an organic farm, decades of work pioneering cover crop research, and his belief that plants are among the most powerful tools for improving soil health. From living roots and plant diversity to soil biology and resilient farming systems, Dr. Weil highlights how working with nature and using plants to feed and protect the soil can benefit both the soil and the people who depend on it.
In celebration of National Soil Health Day, keep the learning going by reading and watching! Dive into The Nature and Properties of Soils, co-authored by Dr. Ray Weil, and then head to YouTube to watch In the Soil Pit #1 with Professor Ray Weil: Soil Horizons. Whether you're new to soil science or a longtime enthusiast, these resources bring the world beneath our feet to life!
Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additional, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, or how you can celebrate National Soil Health Day on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Lauren Hines-Acosta of the Chesapeake Bay Journal returns to talk with Jeff, Mary, and Eric about emerging issues that affect regional agriculture and the Bay ecosystem. Laura's scientific research and writing includes increased concern about biosolid applications to agricultural fields and possible contamination with "forever chemicals"; how artificial intelligence can increase nitrogen use efficiency; and how other technologies can detect what nutrients are being contributed by cover crop mixtures to ensuing crop rotations.
If you are interested in Lauren's recent articles about biosolids, artificial intelligence, and conservation easements, please visit the Chesapeake Bay Journal website at https://www.bayjournal.com/
Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additional, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, or how you can celebrate National Soil Health Day on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
The Chesapeake Bay watershed is a national treasure with many small and expansive wonders. Lauren Hines-Acosta is a scientific journalist and staff writer with the Chesapeake Bay Journal's Virginia office. Lauren took a keen interest in science at a young age and was particularly intrigued by physics and astronomy. As a science writer covering Virginia's portion of the Bay watershed, Lauren is able to share through her writing about the small and expansive wonders she discovers in her research.
Lauren talks with Jeff, Mary, and Eric how the Chesapeake Bay impacts and engages people and communities on many levels, especially those people who live near and depend on the water. Lauren's inquisitiveness has led to writing recent articles about "forever chemicals", menhaden, solar, and other topics related to the care of soil and the overall health of the Bay.
If you are interested in Lauren's recent articles about declining water levels in Virginia's Potomac River aquifer and "forever chemicals", or Karl Blankenship's Agriculture and the Bay series, please visit the Chesapeake Bay Journal website at https://www.bayjournal.com/
Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additional, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and starting your journey to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Soil loss and erosion can occur by rainfall or wind. Kim Melton, the soil health coordinator for the Red River Basin Commission, emphasizes that soil loss by wind erosion is farmers' and soil conservationists' number one resource concern because crop fields are so flat throughout the region.
The movement of soil off cropland and the landscape by wind or rain means critical nutrients and soil organic matter are also being lost. Building up, maintaining, and keeping soil organic matter (SOM) in the soil through cover crops and crop rotations is particularly important for preventing erosion and retaining moisture. One percent of SOM equates to about an additional 14 days of moisture for crops.
Farmers want soil to be a sponge. Similarly, farmers keep the soil covered and armored to prevent "snirt" (that is, snow plus dirt) from sullying road banks and rural views during the winter months.
To learn more about Kim's work and the Red River Basin Commission, please visit https://www.redriverbasincommission.org/. For more information about the Supply Chain Soil Health Partnership and its goals to improve the food value chain from the soil up, please visit https://www.redriverbasincommission.org/soil-health-partnership
If you are interested in working trees and incorporating agroforestry on your farm, please visit the U.S. Forest Services' s National Agroforestry Center for free publications and factsheets at https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/resources/publications/index.php
Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additional, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and starting your journey to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Keeping soil on the land is a sound way to grow and move agriculture forward. Kim Melton is the soil health coordinator for the Red River Basin Commission. Kim coordinates soil health education and outreach across three states, one province, and two countries in the Red River Valley.
Kim shares with Mary, Eric, and Jeff how soil health goes beyond just sustaining agriculture to include understanding the marriages of different perspectives among farmers, scientists, and others who can impact agriculture in a positive way.
To learn more about Kim's work and the Red River Basin Commission, please visit https://www.redriverbasincommission.org/. For more information about the Supply Chain Soil Health Partnership and its goals to improve the food value chain from the soil up, please visit https://www.redriverbasincommission.org/soil-health-partnership
Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additional, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and starting your journey to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Soil health is a foundation for healthier communities, stronger economies, and more resilient landscapes. And yes, hippos can be major pests. During this episode of 4 The Soil: A Conversation, Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt share who and what is for(4) the soil. Celebrating Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, is a great way to build on that foundation.
Tune in, subscribe, and like anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.
You're invited to join an online presentation and conversation with previous podcast guest Bob Jones Jr., co-owner and chief executive officer of The Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio!
"The Chef’s Garden: The Flavor of Health and Resilience"
Monday, April 20, 2026
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. (EST)
Online via Zoom
REGISTER HERE: https://tinyurl.com/VAF2T-ChefsGarden-register
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional upcoming educational webinars and field days, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational conservation activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Vegetable farming is a food and health business that requires dogged persistence, curiosity, and a no-quit attitude. Bob Jones, Jr., is a second-generation vegetable farmer and the chief executive officer of The Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio, who has been growing vegetables for over 40 years.
Bob and The Chef's Garden team collaborate with culinary professionals, physicians, and oncologists to test the taste, flavor, aesthetics, nutrient density, and food as the foundation of health. More than 700 chefs tour the farm and exchange ideas in The Chef's Garden's Culinary Vegetable Institute. Additionally, they worked with Regenified to certify their farm as regenerative for the practices that nourish healthy soils, water, plants, people, and communities.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- (Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil naked).
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- (Gentle, take it easy).
3) Maximize living roots -- (Keep roots growing)
4) Energize with diversity -- (Thrive with diversity of plants, rotations, and livestock).
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and starting your journey to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Bob Jones, Jr., is a second-generation vegetable farmer and the chief executive officer of The Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio. Bob co-owns the vegetable farm and business with his brother Lee. Bob and his brother love producing and selling flavorful, healthy, nutritious vegetables, microgreens, and edible flowers.
Bob shares the history of The Chef's Garden with Mary, Jeff, and Eric, including a review of Economics 101 from the 1980s when interest rates peaked at 24%, and the farm went from 1,200 to six acres.
Bob and the Chef's Garden team work closely with their customers, culinary professionals, physicians, and oncologists on taste, flavor, aesthetics, nutrient density, and food as the foundation of health. As a certified regenerative farming operation, their vision is to cultivate and nourish healthy soils, healthy plants, healthy people, healthy communities, and ultimately a healthy planet.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- (Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil naked).
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- (Gentle, take it easy).
3) Maximize living roots -- (Keep roots growing)
4) Energize with diversity -- (Thrive with diversity of plants, rotations, and livestock).
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and starting your journey to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Doug Fifer of Fifer Family Farms joins Jeff, Mary, and Eric for a second episode to discuss how Doug manages change, inputs, and tighter margins with his farming and cover cropping systems. Doug acknowledges that we are all creatures of habit and have our comfort zones. Doug began experimenting and stretching his comfort zone with no-till farming and cover crops in 2010.
As Doug built his cropping system and expanded his focus on cover crops as an integral input for soil biology and building organic matter, Doug's only regret is that he did not start when he was 25 rather than 50 years old. Doug reiterates that farmers are facing higher input costs and tighter margins; therefore, farmers need to be mindful of their actual return on investment (ROI) rather than solely focusing on yields. Return on investment is the bottom line.
Cereal rye and vetch are two of Doug's go-to cover crops. However, he planted an 11-species cover crop mix last fall and will be doing a side-by-side comparison of the effects of the two systems on corn production. To learn more about the Virginia No-Till Alliance (VANTAGE) and its farmer-to-farmer mentoring, please visit https://www.virginianotill.com/
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and starting your journey to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Where do you need to go with your farming? Doug Fifer of Fifer Family Farms joins Jeff, Mary, and Eric to talk about his experience and journey with no-till crop farming over the past fifteen years. Doug raises turkeys and cash crops in Mount Solon, Virginia, and is the president of the Virginia No-Till Alliance (VANTAGE).
For Doug, his journey with no-till farming began in 2010 when he began questioning where his farm needed to go. As a youth, Doug remembers having to pick up rocks from the field after tilling and cultivating the soil for planting. He and his family eventually sent the moldboard plow to the scrap heap and stopped tilling the soil completely.
In Doug's journey, he continues to learn, read, and experiment with vetch and more families of cover crops. He particularly enjoys meeting with and mentoring other farmers, and sharing his experience and lessons learned. One of Doug's regrets is that he did not start no-till farming sooner.
To register for the VANTAGE Winter Conference scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds, please visit https://www.virginianotill.com/winter-conference. You will benefit from hearing Dr. Ray Weil, James Hoorman, and the panel discussions with farmers.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and starting your journey to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
What priorities excite you? Heirloom Chrysanthemums, soil health, and contributing back to the community are exciting priorities for Harmony Harvest Farm. In the previous episode, we learned the vision of Harmony Harvest Farm and their overarching aim to help people live and experience a better life through fresh flowers. Our returning guest, Jessica Hall, talks with us about her passion for growing heirloom mums and building healthy soil, and how these are two essential ingredients for achieving their vision.
Jessica emphasizes the importance of engaging your roots and making them stronger. For Jessica and her team, the farm business roots started with research, collection, and cultivation of heirloom mums. Mums are dear to Jessica's heart and are a phenomenal crop with great potential for small-acreage flower farmers in Virginia and beyond.
To learn about their heirloom chrysanthemums, plan a pick-your-own flower trip, experience a virtual mum summit and on-farm educational events, or order a floral bouquet, please visit Harmony Harvest Farm's website.
To register for the Virginia No-Till Alliance (VANTAGE) Winter Conference scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds, please visit https://www.virginianotill.com/winter-conference. Speakers of note include Dr. Ray Weil and James Hoorman.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and composting practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
How can we live and enjoy a better life? Harmony Harvest Farm began with a lofty dream in 2011 and a vision of helping people to live and experience a better life through fresh flowers. Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Farm and Flower Genius joined Mary, Jeff, and Eric for a conversation about the farm business's vision, mission, values, and history.
Jessica owns and operates the farm business with her mom and sister in Weyers Cave, Virginia. Jessica and her family believe Virginia-grown and American-grown flowers should be accessible to everyone, everywhere. To fulfill this vision and mission, they built up soil health and nourished their flowers from the start, while being mindful of good land management, soil erosion, irrigation needs, and bed layout to fit the topography.
Jessica emphasizes that a sustainable business that lives its values needs a complete toolbox with the right tools at the right time for the right application. For Jessica and Harmony Harvest Farm, the toolbox includes a strong, growing network of personal and business mentors.
To learn about their heirloom chrysanthemums, plan a pick-your-own flower trip, experience a virtual mum summit and on-farm educational events, or order a floral bouquet, please visit Harmony Harvest Farm's website.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
A desire and passion for caring for the earth, soil, and the natural environment can start at a young age.
Fatema Mohajir and her family are from the Bamyan province in central Afghanistan. As a child, Fatema's family lived in Iran, where her father worked at a large-scale vegetable farm. Fatema's father and older brother inspired her interest in soil science and farming.
Fatema studied at Kabul University and graduated in 2020. As a part of her studies, Fatema participated in a year-long Permaculture Program led by Rosemary Marrow from Australia. After graduating, Fatema received a scholarship to study in Uzbekistan, where she focused on bioeconomy and irrigation.
Fatema moved to the United States in 2023 and has been working at the Farm at Willow Run in Harrisonburg for the past two seasons. Fatema shares about her interest in organic farming and her overall aim to be a role model for others in caring for the earth, soil, and the bioeconomy.
To learn about Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community's farm-to-table initiative and the Farm at Willow Run, please visit https://www.vmrc.org/the-farm. You can listen to Rosemary Morrow's Journey to Permaculture on The Permaculture Podcast.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
How can we care for the soil and farm for better health outcomes?
Dr. Christine Mahoney of the University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Wayflowering Flower Farm joins Mary and Eric for a conversation about soil health, regenerative farm design, and organic flower farming.
Dr. Mahoney shares how better outcomes, such as health, peace, and tranquility, can be achieved through enriching the soil, enhancing biodiversity, sequestering carbon, strengthening local ecosystems, and supporting pollinator habitats. For Dr. Mahoney, caring for the soil and creating an incredible place for flowers, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators is foundational and inspirational.
Please visit https://www.wayflowering.com/ to learn more about cut-your-own flower opportunities and immersive experiences at Wayflowering Flower Farm. For details about the flower farming course and podcast that inspired and influenced Dr. Mahoney's thoughts on farm design and organic no-till flower farming, please visit Floret Flowers and The No-Till Flowers Podcast.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
How can social entrepreneurship help build soil health and achieve ecological goals?
Mary and Eric explore this question with Dr. Christine Mahoney of the University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Wayflowering Flower Farm. Dr. Mahoney shares her own experiences with social enterprises, systems thinking, and regenerative organic flower farming in this episode.
Dr. Mahoney reflects on the catalytic effect organizations and businesses can have on innovation and change, such as enriching the soil, enhancing biodiversity, sequestering carbon, strengthening local ecosystems, and supporting pollinator habitats.
To learn more about cut-your-own flower opportunities and immersive experiences at Wayflowering Flower Farm, please visit https://www.wayflowering.com/.
If you want to become a member of the Central Virginia Flower Collective, send an email inquiry to CVAFlowers@gmail.com.
If you are interested in impact investing, specifically related to displaced people and refugees, please visit the Refugee Investment Network that Dr. Mahoney helped found at https://refugeeinvestments.org/
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid bare fallows;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, high-quality food for soil and plants, farm enterprises, and livestock integration.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Health and nutrition start with caring for the soil. Food can and should be our medicine. Dr. Robin "Buz" Kloot of the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health and Soil Health Labs shares his perspective on connections with soil health and public health with Eric, Mary, and Jeff in this episode.
Buz reflects on his own research but also points out what he has heard from farmers and ranchers he has worked with through the years. Building on the idea that eating is an agricultural act and food can be medicine, Buz would like health professionals, agronomists, soil scientists, farmers, and ranchers to collaborate more on soil and public health research and education.
In addition to your own research and study of soil and human health, Buz recommends reading Fred Provenza's book Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom.
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid bare fallows;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, high-quality food for soil and plants, farm enterprises, and livestock integration.
The 4 The Soil team recently commissioned a new set of art posters to help people remember the four principles of soil health and celebrate that “We Are 4 the Soil!”. If you are personally or professionally interested in printing and framing the soil health artwork, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Changing course is never easy, especially if the change requires a complete overhaul at the most basic, fundamental level. Dr. Robin "Buz" Kloot of the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health and Soil Health Labs talks with Eric, Mary, and Jeff about this paradigm shift among farmers and within the soil science community.
Buz explains how the shift in thinking and paradigms occurred. In many cases, people were focused more on the symptoms rather than the cause, for instance, soil loss through erosion or poor water infiltration. Understanding the underlying cause required a whole-system approach. For Buz, an open mind to farmers' stories and experiences, and a beginner's mindset as a scientist were required to truly grasp the dynamic nature of soil.
If you are beginning your journey with soil health and cover cropping systems, the featured length Under Cover Farms video, Buz and his team produced, provides a good introduction and uplifts the initial experiences of farmers in South and North Carolina.
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid bare fallows;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, high-quality food, farm enterprises, and livestock integration.
The 4 The Soil team recently commissioned a new set of art posters to help people remember the four principles of soil health and celebrate that “We Are 4 the Soil!”. If you would like to learn about the history of the art posters and access a link to purchase an individual poster or the set of five 4 The Soil posters, please visit our recent blog post: Spreading the Message for Healthy Soil with Posters!
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Did you know soil microorganisms of all sizes and shapes need water, air, shelter, and care to function and thrive? Dr. Ashley Jernigan, assistant professor and director of Virginia Tech's Sustainable and Organic Vegetable Crops Production Lab, returns to talk with Jeff and Mary about what farmers and gardeners can do to encourage a hospitable habitat for soil microorganisms.
As a soil ecologist, Ashley recommends keeping track of your soil organic matter level and its aggregate stability, and how these soil health indicators compare to native biological systems. Soils, like people, need quality food in diverse and complex forms (compost, green manures, plant roots, etc.). Similarly, farmers and gardeners should avoid leaving the soil naked and bare. Being gentle and reducing the intensity of tillage is also key to maintaining a comfortable environment for soil critters and not disrupting the structures and networks that soil organisms establish.
We would encourage our listeners to visit Andy Murray's A Chaos of Delight: Exploring Life in the Soil website and tour the gallery of photos of different soil microorganisms.
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid bare fallows;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden ;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, high-quality food, farm enterprises, and livestock integration.
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
How do you regenerate and bring back life to worn-out soils? Does your garden soil just fall apart in your hands? Dr. Ashley Jernigan, assistant professor and director of Virginia Tech's Sustainable and Organic Vegetable Crops Production Lab, in visiting with Jeff and Mary, advises doing your own test in your garden or crop field with a shovel.
As someone who enjoyed digging soil pits as a seven-year-old, Ashley recommends sampling to a six-inch depth to get a sense of your soil's tilth and aggregate stability. If the soil does not have a good, varied crumbly structure, the soil's organic matter content and aggregate stability may be low. Therefore, feed your soil and soil animals to feed your plants to start the biological journey and bring back the life in the soil.
If you have ever wondered what soil animals like springtails and soil mites look like, Dr. Jernigan developed a Soil Mesofauna: Who are They? resource guide to help. Ashley also highly recommends Andy Murray's Chaos of Delight: Exploring Life in the Soil website for wonderful photos and videos.
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, farm enterprises, and/or livestock integration.
More details about the Virginia Farm-to-Table Feast and Harvest Celebration scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at On Sunny Slope Farm in Rockingham, Virginia, can be found at https://virginiafarmtotable.org/2025vaf2tharvestcelebration/
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Is the economic rationale of soil health always the top priority for farmers? Or, do other soil values rise to the top of farmers' minds, for example, having a healthy habitat for soil fungi? Kasper Krabbe, a doctoral student at Aarhus University in Denmark and a visiting guest scholar at Virginia Tech, returns to talk with Mary, Jeff, and Eric about his research into understanding farmers' intrinsic and extrinsic values in caring for soil.
Kasper states that a deeper understanding of farmers' values and motivations is needed because of the degraded condition of agricultural soils globally. For instance, peer pressure to maintain and strive for tidy fields can inhibit experimentation with alternative minimum till systems and diverse cropping mixtures because of neighboring farmers' perceptions of certain aesthetics.
The videos Kasper created of his interviews and interactions with cooperating Danish farmers as part of the Soil Values research initiative can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxwHRB9ybRM
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, farm enterprises, and/or livestock integration.
More details about the Virginia Farm-to-Table Feast and Harvest Celebration scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at On Sunny Slope Farm in Rockingham, Virginia, can be found at https://virginiafarmtotable.org/2025vaf2tharvestcelebration/
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and the financial rationale of soil health, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
When you close your eyes, how do you envision your farm and soil ecosystem? What ideals, values, and priorities are part of your vision and farm business model? Kasper Krabbe, a doctoral student at Aarhus University in Denmark and a visiting guest scholar at Virginia Tech, talked with Mary, Jeff, and Eric about these questions and his research interest in farmers' perceptions and decision-making.
Kasper is particularly intrigued by the human and cultural elements of farming and how context informs and shapes the agroecological system and soil health of individual farms and regional farming. Kasper's ongoing inquiry into the agroecological dynamics of farming, soil health, and specific values-based business models aligns with the objectives of the European Union's Soil Values project https://soilvalues.eu/.
Additionally, Kasper has created videos based on his interviews and interactions with cooperating Danish farmers. This sample Soil Values video is with a Danish farmer who owns and operates a community-supported agriculture farm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxwHRB9ybRM
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, farm enterprises, and/or livestock integration.
More details about the Virginia Farm-to-Table Harvest Celebration scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at On Sunny Slope Farm in Rockingham, Virginia, can be found at https://virginiafarmtotable.org/2025vaf2tharvestcelebration/
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and farm decision-making dynamics you may be facing, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Feeding hay to livestock in the winter is very expensive, and often results in a sacrifice lot where manure gathers. At the same time, manure is considered gold because of its nutrient content, ability to supply organic matter, and to build soil life. In this second episode, Dr. Summer Thomas, education and outreach specialist with the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, takes us on a deeper dive into her research on the benefits of round bale grazing and how it pertains to the four core soil health principles
Summer explains how livestock and round bale grazing are land and soil health management tools for reducing machinery costs, better distributing manure and essential nutrients across pastureland, and truly energizing the system with biodiversity.
Overall, round bale grazing is a sound management practice that leads to healthy soils, healthy plants, and healthy animals.
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, farm enterprises, and/or livestock integration.
More details about the Virginia Farm-to-Table Harvest Celebration scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at On Sunny Slope Farm in Rockingham, Virginia, can be found at https://virginiafarmtotable.org/2025vaf2tharvestcelebration/
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, 4-H and FAA opportunities, and conservation activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Everything good starts with the soil and a conservation stewardship mindset. In the 101st episode, Dr. Summer Thomas, education and outreach specialist with the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, explains how agriculture and soil health are good for everyone. As a third-generation farmer from Delaware, former watermelon queen, a trained soil scientist and educator, and an overall advocate for agriculture, Summer shares some of her earliest experiences of 4-H and FFA with Jeff, Mary, and Eric in public speaking, youth education, and land stewardship.
These early education and outreach experiences were a launch point for her passion for agriculture and career pursuit.
Summer emphasizes that soil health and agriculture provide many positive community connections and must be fun for the next generation of farmers. Additionally, soil health is foundational to resilient farm businesses and systems.
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, farm enterprises, and/or livestock integration.
Yes, soil health is a great conversation starter. We encourage everyone to have a five-minute conversation about soil every day because we can all be 4 The Soil and for the future!
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, 4-H and FAA opportunities, and conservation activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
During this 100th episode of 4 The Soil: A Conversation, Jeff, Mary, and Eric take a look back at some of the most memorable topics and guests. They share how (and why) the podcast started in 2021, and also offer their vision for the future of the podcast.
To help us commemorate this milestone, please share how and why you are 4 the Soil with us and others.
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends and allies;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, farm enterprises, and/or livestock integration.
Yes, soil health is a great conversation starter. Have a five to ten minute conversation about soil today because we can all be 4 The Soil and for the future!
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational conservation activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Building confidence and knowledge through mentorship is necessary for farmers to overcome fears and take bigger steps towards meeting their goals. Dara Booher wears many educational hats. Dara is the coordinator of the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council's farmer-mentor program and the facilitator of the Virginia Farmer Mentor Network, a collaboration of Virginia State University, the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council, the Virginia No-Till Alliance (VANTAGE), and Virginia Tech's Eastern Shore Agriculture Research and Education Center (AREC).
In her work with youth and farmers, Dara recommends getting to know people and meeting them where they are, particularly for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and understanding people's goals, aspirations, and motivations.
The Virginia Farmer Mentor Network provides mentoring connections to any farmer interested in peer-to-peer learning on crop production, grazing, direct and intermediated marketing, and beginning farming. To find out more, contact mentor coordinator and facilitator Dara Booher at VFGCFarmerMentor@gmail.com or 540.481.6001 (call or text).
For details about Virginia's Graze 300 program and principles, please visit https://ext.vt.edu/agriculture/graze-300.html
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers and follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation and/or livestock integration.
Yes, soil health is a great conversation starter because we can all be 4 The Soil and for the future!
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Soil and agriculture provide us with something every day. Dara Booher is an agricultural educator with Shenandoah County Public Schools and a farmer-mentor coordinator with the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. Dara loves talking to youth and others about soil and agriculture. In this episode, Dara shares her enthusiasm for youth education and soil health with Mary, Eric, and Jeff, along with many teaching and demonstration resources (e.g., Enviroscape, Soil Your Undies, etc.) for immersive experiences and classroom fun.
Dara recommends the National Agriculture in the Classroom teacher center for lesson plans and a full suite of educational resources. Additionally, Dara encourages farmers to visit the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council's website for farmer-to-farmer networking opportunities.
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers and follow the four core soil health principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation and/or livestock integration.
Yes, soil health is a great conversation starter because we can all be 4 The Soil and for the future!
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
In this episode of the podcast, Jeff Ishee chats with Susan Watkins of Watkins Farms in Dinwiddie County Virginia, a 3500 acre farm growing soybeans, corn, and wheat. Susan shares information about the long history of her family far, their transition to cover crops and no till over twenty years ago, and their approach to cover cropping. She shares about the cost and labor savings that have come from transitioning to these practices.
Watkins Farms is located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which means conservation practices like no-till planting and the use of cover crops have an impact beyond the soil health of the land itself. Farmers play a key role in improving the water quality in the Bay. You can find more info at: https://farmersforsoilhealth.com/success-stories/seven-generations-of-stewardship-with-susan-watkins/
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers and follow the four core soil health principles: 1) Keep the Soil Covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity and life in the soil; and 4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation and/or livestock integration. Yes, soil health is a great conversation starter because we can all be 4 The Soil and for the future!
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
The three-year transition to certified organic farming can present a formidable challenge for farmers. A whole community working together can make the process smoother. In this second episode, Elizabeth "Liz" McMullen and Garland Mason of Organic Valley Cooperative (OV) share how the company and its farm membership nourish a whole community perspective to benefit existing farmer member-owners and reduce obstacles for farmers who are curious about organic production and joining the cooperative as members.
Liz and Garland state that OV regional pool managers can talk with farmers about the certification process, requirements, and specific on-farm organic practices. Liz and Garland also advise reaching out to neighboring OV farmers in your state who have gone through the process.
Organic Valley's Rootstock blog provides glimpses into the day-to-day on-farm work routines and the values, practices, and experiences that inform organic farming as a business and build a whole community. To learn more about Organic Valley's commitment to cooperation, sustainability, soil health, and thriving farms and communities, please visit https://www.organicvalley.coop/
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers and follow the four core soil health principles: 1) Keep the Soil Covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity and life in the soil; and 4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation and/or livestock integration. Yes, soil health is a great conversation starter because we can all be 4 The Soil and for the future!
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Public Relations Specialist Elizabeth McMullen and Sustainability Funding and Communications Specialist Garland Mason of Organic Valley Cooperative join Mary and Eric to share about the common ties that are essential to the farmer-owned cooperative. Cooperation and a strong commitment to the sustainability of small and mid-size family farms, local culture, and community are the most basic ties. In this episode, Elizabeth and Garland outline the history of Organic Valley and how the business started as a vegetable cooperative in 1988 and now has over 1,500 dairy farmer-member owners in 29 states with an average herd size of 70 cows per farm.
Preserving small family farms was an impetus for Organic Valley's start. In carrying that mission forward, Organic Valley assists farmer member-owners to be sustainable and profitable through on-farm practices such as solar, composting, solid and liquid separation of manure, reduced tillage, and nutrition management to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and gas emissions. Most recently, OV farmers have experimented with Agolin Naturu, which is an organic certified enteric feed supplement made of essential oils of coriander, clove, and carrot that results in better fermentation, digestibility, and less burping.
To learn more about Organic Valley's commitment to cooperation, sustainability, and soil health, please visit https://www.organicvalley.coop/ The website also provides recipes and a searchable database of Organic Valley farms near you.
As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers and follow the four core soil health principles: 1) Keep the Soil Covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity and life in the soil; and 4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation and/or livestock integration. Yes, soil health is a great conversation starter because we can all be 4 The Soil and for the future!
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Farmers talking with farmers is key to building soil health, encouraging innovation, and expanding peer-to-peer mentoring. Anthony Beery of Beery Farms and Cumberland Hay and Straw LLC shares his journey of learning, mentoring, and on-farm experimenting with Mary Sketch Bryant and Jeff Ishee. In the previous episode, Anthony talked about how he benefitted from his father's counsel and encouragement. Anthony provides similar mentorship to his children and fellow farmers through the Virginia No-Till Alliance (VANTAGE) and Virginia's Integrated Cropland Agronomy (ICA) program so others can generate new ideas and enjoy success.
Like the majority of farmers, Anthony is constantly learning and gleaning new information through his on-farm experiments with no-till farming, multispecies cover cropping, composting, and observing the soil and plant ecosystem. As a self-described general gleaner, Anthony recommends talking with other farmers, attending conferences like the Annual VANTAGE No-Till Conference, and reading books and publications available through USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and agricultural partners. In Anthony's work with multi-species cover crops, he uses Green Cover Seeds' SmartMix Calculator as one of his reference tools.
As always, we encourage you to talk with other farmer mentors and follow the four principles of soil health: 1) Keep the Soil Covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity and life in the soil; and 4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation and/or livestock integration. Yes, soil health is a great conversation starter since we can all be 4 The Soil!
To enjoy the recent 4 The Soil blog posts and We Are 4 the Soil song created by the Flip Charts, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.4thesoil.org/#we-are-4-the-soil-video. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Soil health is attainable. Anthony Beery of Beery Farms and Cumberland Hay and Straw LLC shares that message with Mary Sketch Bryant and Jeff Ishee based on his farming experience and journey. Anthony grew up in the Shenandoah Valley where he and his father Danny raised dairy cows and poultry. Anthony benefitted from his father's mentorship and encouragement to be open to new ideas and experimenting.
Anthony and his family moved to Cumberland County in 2018 to begin custom crop production and start Cumberland Hay & Straw LLC. Anthony received the 2024 Carl Luebben Soil Health and Water Quality Award at the Virginia Farm-to-Table Conference for his commitment, example, and mentorship of other farmers.
If you are just starting your soil health journey, Anthony emphasizes taking a step and starting with the basics: learn the soil type and previous land use, test for nutrient content and pH, and understand the areas where nutrients are low and high. For Anthony, soil compaction was a limiting factor on his farm that started his commitment to earnest no-till farming, experimenting with diverse cover crop rotations, and continued devotion to core principles of soil health.
As always, we encourage you to start your soil health journey and follow the four principles of soil health: 1) Keep the Soil Covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity and life in the soil; and 4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation and/or livestock integration. Yes, soil health is attainable and we can all be 4 The Soil!
To enjoy the recent We Are 4 the Soil song created by the Flip Charts, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/#we-are-4-the-soil-video. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
In this episode, Nicky Schauder of Permaculture Gardens continues the conversation about permaculture and the ins and outs of compost tea with Mary Sketch Bryant, Marian Dalke, and Jeff Ishee. Nicky received two USDA-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Producer Grants to specifically research the benefits of compost tea and its effects on plant growth, yield, soil biology diversity, and the stability of soil health. Nicky's research question was does compost tea make certain leafy vegetables grow bigger or not?
To read the Permaculture Gardens blog and other resources about soil regeneration, compost tea, permaculture, and growing food yourself, please visit https://www.permaculturegardens.org/
Bill Mollison's books Introduction to Permaculture and Permaculture: A Designer's Manual are available online or through your local independent bookstore. Information about USDA-Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education's (SARE) grant programs and their free publications are accessible at https://southern.sare.org/
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement at https://www.4thesoil.org/ and follow the four principles of soil health: 1) Keep the Soil Covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity and life in the soil; and 4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation and/or livestock integration. And please share your stories of how you are regenerating soil on your farm, in your garden, or backyard. Yes, we can all cheer "for" soil and be 4 The Soil!
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Nicky Schauder and her family started Permaculture Gardens to make permaculture and growing food accessible to everyone - especially families and children. Nicky shares her story and experience with learning, researching, and growing food with Mary Sketch Bryant, Marian Dalke, and Jeff Ishee. Nicky is constantly learning by experiment. Nicky is a two-time recipient of USDA-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Producer Grants for Research and Experimentation with permaculture and compost tea.
Permaculture Gardens' Grow-It-Yourself (GIY) program stems from Nicky's learning, experimentation, and efforts to debunk the idea that growing food is neither accessible nor possible. The Live Plant Your Pantry Challenge started this week March 31 - April 5 and can be joined at https://www.permaculturegardens.org/plant-your-pantry-challenge.
To read the Permaculture Gardens blog and other resources about soil regeneration, compost tea, permaculture, and growing food yourself, please visit https://www.permaculturegardens.org/
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and share your stories of how you are regenerating soil on your farm, in your garden, or backyard. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Nicole Shuman is a community agriculturalist and educator at Cornerstone Farm at Fairfield Middle School in Henrico County, VA. Nicole shares that education is the first and foremost goal of Cornerstone Farm. As a functioning farm, students and the school community learn what and how food is grown, while also gaining hands-on knowledge and experience growing food for a farmstand cost-effectively.
Nicole outlined the big picture and how the farm provides additional service learning opportunities and a place to learn about sound nutrition, environmental sustainability, food security, and ways to contribute to the community in tangible ways.
To learn more about Cornerstone Farm and the context of the agricultural learning program at Fairfield Middle School, please visit https://henricogives.org/cornerstone-farm-a-context-for-authentic-learning/
The video Nicole Shuman created about cover crops when Nicole worked as an extension agent with Virginia Cooperative Extension is accessible at https://www.facebook.com/VCEGoochland/videos/cover-crops/576420333030946/ The recent 4 The Soil blog post featuring the Soil for Water video series can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/post/farmers-ranchers-and-creatives-behind-the-soil-for-water-case-studies
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and share your stories of how you are building soil health on your farm, in your garden, or backyard. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Context is foundational to authentic, experiential learning, and understanding how to build soil health within a landscape context. Hands-on educational activities and programs help students of all ages better understand the context and real-life application of learning objectives, principles, and practices. Nicole Shuman is a community agriculturalist with Henrico County Public Schools. Nicole shares her experience with Mary, Jeff, and Eric and how she became interested in soil health and agricultural education work, Nicole specifically talks about her community agriculture work at Cornerstone Farm at Fairfield Middle School and how the farm helps get the students outside and gives them hands-on experiences.
Nicole offered the Soil Your Undies experiment and demonstration as one activity that provides context and experiential learning in a variety of settings on the farm. A 4 The Soil blog post that describes and further explains the Soil Your Undies activity and experiment can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/post/featured-resource-soil-your-undies-challenge
To learn more about Cornerstone Farm and the context of the agricultural learning program at Fairfield Middle School, please visit https://henricogives.org/cornerstone-farm-a-context-for-authentic-learning/
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and share your stories and the context of your agricultural and soil health work on your farm, in your garden, or backyard. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Clarenda "Farmer Cee" Stanley of Green Heffa Farms is someone who does not take health and wellness for granted but actively seeks to catalyze and cultivate wellness from the soil up. Farmer Cee is the founding CEO and owner of Green Heffa Farms, a black woman-owned Certified B Corporation, wellness brand, and herb farm based in North Carolina. Farmer Cee believes everyone can start on a path to wellness with care of the soil beneath their feet.
In this episode, Farmer Cee shared with Mary, Jeff, and Eric what Green Heffa Farms does to care for the land, stay strategically competitive, promote transparency, and harness the power of nature and plants. Farmer Cee's values-based approach to farming includes working towards better health outcomes, less stress on people and the planet, more sustainable businesses, and healthier soil for everyone.
To learn more about Farmer Cee and Green Heffa Farms, please visit https://www.greenheffafarms.com/farmer-cee.
The “We Are 4 the Soil” song and video created by the FlipCharts and Social Impact Studios that Jeff mentioned is available on the 4theSoil.org homepage at https://www.4thesoil.org/#we-are-4-the-soil-video
Additionally, the recent blog post about Mr. Elisha Barnes of Pop Son Farm and his single-origin redskin peanuts that he specially grows for Hubbard Peanut Company can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/post/a-shocking-history-and-future-with-elisha-barnes-of-pop-son-farm
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and share your stories and photos of how you are honoring the land and soil on your farm, in your garden, or backyard. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Defying obstacles, honoring the land, and giving voice to sustainability and business ethics requires commitment and dedication to a vision. Clarenda "Farmer Cee" Stanley is a visionary entrepreneur, farmer, herbalist, and advocate for ethical business and sustainable living. Known affectionately as "Farmer Cee," she is the founding CEO of Green Heffa Farms, a wellness brand and herb farm that celebrates the power of nature to heal and nourish.
Beyond her work as an executive, farmer, and herbalist, Farmer Cee is also a passionate educator and community leader. Her farm has achieved the distinction of becoming the nation's premier Black-owned farm to earn the Certified B Corp credential, a significant recognition denoting Green Heffa Fams' commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
Farmer Cee shared with Mary, Jeff, and Eric the obstacles she has defied and about caring for the planet's well-being, honoring the land, being devoted to prosperity and entrepreneurship, giving support to the least supported, and bringing more voices to conversations around sustainability and ethical living.
To learn more about Farmer Cee and Green Heffa Farms, please visit https://www.greenheffafarms.com/farmer-cee. For more information and lists of certified B corporations, please visit B Lab Global at https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and share your stories and photos of how you are honoring the land and soil on your farm, in your garden, or backyard. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Understanding context and establishing baselines are critical for developing systematic approaches to change for the right reasons. Rick Clark of Clark Land & Cattle and Farm Green Consulting is a fifth-generation farmer who farms 6,000 plus acres of certified organic crops in Warren County, Indiana. In addition to cash, oilseed, and cover crops, Rick raises cattle and sheep using his system of regenerative organic stewardship with no tillage. Through the years, Rick has worked to reduce synthetic inputs on his farm and focused on the return on the investment of any input and how that affects overall profitability.
In talking with Mary, Jeff, and Eric, Rick is adamant that farmers need to understand their context (i.e., geographic, financial, emotional, etc.) and establish sound baselines for every aspect of the farm operation. Regenerative agriculture is a journey and not a destination: you have to start slowly, keep working at it, and plan accordingly.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
For additional thoughts and resources from Rick Clark on regenerative organic no-till farming, please visit https://www.farmgreen.land/. Other resource people that Rick mentioned included Gabe Brown of Brown's Ranch and John Kempf of the Regenerative Agriculture podcast.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
As always, we encourage you in your commitment to building soil health; understanding the context of your farm, garden, and community; and joining the 4 The Soil movement. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Building soil health and finding system balance requires commitment, fortitude, adaptability, and working with Mother Nature. Rick Clark of Clark Land & Cattle and Farm Green Consulting is a fifth-generation farmer in Warren County, Indiana. Rick farms corn, soybeans, wheat, milo, cover crops, small grains, and other oilseed crops using regenerative organic no-till methods and systems thinking on all his acreage. Rick refers to his system as regenerative organic stewardship with no tillage. Rick was a guest speaker at the recent Profitable Soil Health Field Day held in Franklin County, Virginia.
In talking with Mary, Jeff, and Eric about his experience and organic no-till journey, Rick emphasizes the need for early success with cover cropping and soil health-building practices, particularly when people are shifting farming systems and paradigms. Rick warns that with current volatile input costs and low cash crop prices, this is not a time to be a hero but to start slowly and wisely. However, Rick also states: "If you're not uncomfortable with what you're doing, then you're not trying hard enough to change."
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
For additional thoughts and resources from Rick Clark on regenerative organic no-till farming, please visit https://www.farmgreen.land/.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
As always, we encourage you in your commitment to building soil health; finding system balance on your farm, in your garden, and community; and joining the 4 The Soil movement. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Our conversation with Maureen McNamara Best and Maureen "Mo" McGonagle on regional food system development and networks continues this week with a specific focus on food as medicine. Maureen McNamara Best is the executive director of LEAP (Local Environmental Agriculture Project) and Maureen "Mo" McGonagle is the director of the Roanoke Foodshed Network. In this episode, Maureen and Mo discuss educational and community outreach programs that connect to soil health and medical approaches to healing and prevention of diet-related illnesses. Maureen shares about the Virginia Fresh Match program and LEAP's Kids Bucks program. These two programs are aimed at promoting healthy people and healthy children. Mo reflected on her time coordinating the Pharmacy Garden for the New River Valley Health District. Taste, flavor, dignity, choice, and access, along with diversified agriculture and active community engagement, are important ingredients to food as medicine programs.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
The three educational resources that Maureen and Mo referenced included Civil Eats magazine, Ken Meter's Building Community Food Webs, and Adrienne Maree Brown's Emergent Strategy.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, or community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
What does a regional food system network look like? Maureen McNamara Best is the executive director of LEAP (Local Environmental Agriculture Project) and Maureen "Mo" McGonagle is the director of the Roanoke Foodshed Network. Maureen and Mo provide a perspective lens into food system relationships and community collaborations emerging and developing in the Roanoke region of Virginia. Maureen shares that stories and relationships are critical in coming together; community and farm connections must be visible and more tangible. Mo offered that food system networks also require good soil health to cultivate change, where choice, dignity, equity, and values are encouraged and practiced individually and collectively.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
To learn more about LEAP and their community collaboration with the Roanoke Foodshed Network, please visit https://www.leapforlocalfood.org/ and https://www.roanokefoodshednetwork.org/
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, or community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Nate Sloan, executive chef and owner of Bloom Restaurant and Wine Bar in Roanoke, Virginia shares with Jeff, Mary, and Eric how restaurants can be a conduit of flavor, sustainability, health, and food security. Nate grew up on his parents' farm in Franklin County, Virginia and these roots inspired his vision as a restaurateur and commitment to local farms and food entrepreneurs. Nate has worked in restaurants across the country and understands the importance of flavor and ingredient quality. Nate encourages everyone to have a conversation with farmers and explore their curiosity and what excites them about food and farming. Similarly, the importance of place, regionalism, and soil health comes through in flavor and taste so needs to be nurtured and celebrated.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
Nate Sloan has been named to the 40 under 40 list by Roanoker Magazine and has received multiple awards as an executive chef and restaurant owner. Nate is extremely grateful for the community's support of Bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar through the years. Learn more at bloomrke.com.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, or community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
In this episode, we journey from soil to plate with Nate Sloan, the visionary owner and executive chef of Bloom Restaurant and Wine Bar in Roanoke, Virginia. Nate speaks with Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt about his journey from his roots in farming in Franklin County, Virginia to being a restaurateur committed to farm-to-table production. Nate has worked in restaurants across the country and understands the importance of flavor and ingredient quality. Nate sees the deep connections between food, soil health, eating well, and being in community; and he shares that we all can make choices to support our local foodshed.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
Nate Sloan has been named to the 40 under 40 list by the Roanoke and has received multiple awards as a chef and restaurant owner. Learn more about Bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar at bloomrke.com.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, or community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Are you interested in community collaboration and finding your agroecological voice and lens? Nicole Masters, founder of Integrity Soils and author of For the Love of Soil, discusses how an agroecological lens is used to view entire farm systems and value human dynamics with Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt. Nicole has a love and fascination with soil but understands the risks involved with farming and starting new approaches to regenerating landscapes. Nicole highlights how "Biological Barbecues" were used in New Zealand to allow men and women to share their ideas and hear about emerging innovations in a comfortable environment while questioning existing dogma. Nicole emphasizes starting small and building soil health well because it just makes sense.
Nicole will be a keynote speaker and trainer at the 2024 Virginia Farm-to-Table Conference in December and will present about agroecological leadership and resilience. Nicole will provide training and insight on the novel agroecological education methods and systems thinking she has practiced throughout Australasia, the United Kingdom, and North America in helping people align their dreams with their landscapes and contexts.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
More information about Nicole Masters and Integrity Soils is available at https://integritysoils.com/ along with links to how to order and obtain Nicole's book For the Love of Soil. Nicole also recommended John Kempf's Regenerative Agriculture podcast as a continuing education resource. The Regenerative Agriculture podcast can be accessed at https://regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com/
To learn about the 2024 Virginia Farm to Table Conference and to register to attend, please use the following link: https://tinyurl.com/2024VAF2TConfRegistration. Visit Virginia Cooperative Extension's website to learn about other educational programs, resources, and events.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, or community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
How do we create a love and fascination for the soil to better fit into the landscape? Nicole Masters, founder of Integrity Soils and author of For the Love of Soil, shares with Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt how central people are to agroecology. Nicole grew up in New Zealand and developed an early love and fascination with soil. As an agroecologist, educator, systems thinker, and author, Nicole has extensive practical expertise and experiences in regenerative soil and landscape practices and coaching and training the trainers.
Nicole will be a keynote speaker at the 2024 Virginia Farm-to-Table Conference in December and will present her love for soil and the foundations of agroecological leadership. Nicole will provide training and insight on the novel agroecological education methods and systems thinking she has practiced throughout Australasia, the United Kingdom, and North America in helping people align their dreams with their landscapes and contexts.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
More information about Nicole Masters and Integrity Soils is available at https://integritysoils.com/ along with links to how to order and obtain Nicole's book For the Love of Soil.
To learn about the 2024 Virginia Farm to Table Conference and to register to attend, please use the following link: https://tinyurl.com/2024VAF2TConfRegistration. Visit Virginia Cooperative Extension's website to learn about other educational programs, resources, and events.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, or community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Are you interested in improving the water and nutrient-holding capacity of your soil? Have you heard about biochar as a soil amendment? Dr. Wayne Teel of James Madison University has studied and researched biochar for more than 15 years. Wayne discusses the promise and potential of biochar with Mary Sketch Bryant and Jeff Ishee as a follow-up to their conversation about agroforestry.
Dr. Teel describes how biochar is formed through a combustion process with little or no oxygen present. Wayne distinguishes between types of biochar and those combusted at high and low temperatures as well as those types that may have nutrients already attached versus simple wood and plant-based materials.
Biochar has been used throughout history to improve soil fertility and carbon sequestration. Its first recorded use was by people living in the Amazon River basin.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
To learn about Dr. Teel's education and research interests, please visit JMU's faculty expert site at https://www.jmu.edu/university-communications/faculty-experts/experts/teel-wayne/index.shtml. If you are learning about biochar, Dr. Teel recommended two books by Albert Bates: The Biochar Solution: Carbon Farming and Climate Change and Burn: Using Fire to Cool the Earth.
For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office. You may also be interested in Virginia Cooperative Extension's educational programs and Virginia's Agroforestry Regional Knowledge (ARK) Exchange.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, or community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
We all could benefit from reconnecting to soil, land, trees, and where our food comes from and how food is produced. Dr. Wayne Teel is a professor of geography at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He shares with Mary Sketch Bryant and Jeff Ishee how he works with his students at JMU to connect them to a farmer or field experience so the connection is real and tangible.
Dr. Teel shares stories of his own experience working on a farm in the Columbia River basin in eastern Washington and his international experience working with farmers in Kenya and Mozambique. Wayne discusses and defines agroforestry for us and how managing interactions between plants, trees, and livestock can provide multiple benefits. He encourages farmers and landowners who are interested in agroforestry and practices like a riparian buffer of trees and plants to start small and observe what is naturally in the streamside area.
To learn about Dr. Teel's education and research interests, please visit JMU's faculty expert site at https://www.jmu.edu/university-communications/faculty-experts/experts/teel-wayne/index.shtml. Dr. Teel's book "Regenerating the Ecology of Place" is available online and from independent bookstores.
For questions about agroforestry and soil and water conservation practices like riparian buffers, call or visit a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office. You may also be interested in Virginia Cooperative Extension's educational programs and Virginia's Agroforestry Regional Knowledge (ARK) Exchange.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and to reconnect with soil, land, trees, and the farm community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
Do you like to volunteer, dig in the soil, and get your hands dirty? Planting and harvesting vegetables, experimenting with cover crops, and reducing tillage can be great fun as well. Virginia Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and the Fauquier Education Farm offer two tangible ways to volunteer, dig in the soil, get your hands dirty, and give back to the community.
Tim Ohlwiler elaborates on how these volunteer-based programs serve as living laboratories where theory and hands-on practice merge for the benefit of participants and communities. Tim is an extension agent for horticulture with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) in Fauquier County, Virginia. Tim was recognized as a friend of 4-H for his youth educational programming in 2023. Tim helps coordinate the local Master Gardener program and serves on the board of the Fauquier Education Farm.
To learn about Virginia Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener, please call your local Virginia Cooperative Extension unit. Enjoy a virtual tour of the Fauquier Education Farm and learn about its programs and ways to support its mission at https://www.fauquiereducationfarm.org/.
For questions about soil and water conservation and the protection of natural resources, call or visit a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office near you to learn about education programs, funding opportunities, and the technical assistance offered.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement through gardening, farming, and volunteering in your community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.
To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
What are the realities for building soil health in orchards and vineyards? Tree fruit and grapes require different strategies for reducing competition from other woody perennials and weeds. Tension can exist between balancing crop needs and building soil health in orchards and vineyards.
Tim Ohlwiler is an extension agent for horticulture with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) in Fauquier County, Virginia. Tim works with nurseries, landscapers, orchards, vineyards, small fruit growers, and vegetable growers in the Northern Piedmont Region. In this episode, Tim talks with Jeff, Mary, and Eric about horticultural realities and soil health and how he is working with orchards and vineyards to minimize soil disturbance, while also working to get school children excited and energized about soil science.
For specific follow-up questions for Tim Ohlwiler, his contact information is available at https://fauquier.ext.vt.edu/staff.html If you have questions about building soil health within orchards and vineyards or the benefits of following climate-smart principles in your cropping and farming systems, please visit your local Virginia Cooperative Extension unit, a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office near you.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/.
To review the four core soil health principles and access the recent 4 The Soil blog posts that Jeff Ishee referenced, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/.
As always, we would love to learn about your soil health journey and encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
Farming and market gardening require continually learning and appropriately managing risks. Robert "Bob" Waring of Brandon Farms in Essex County, Virginia is a proponent of cover crops, soil health, and on-farm research. Bob states he sees the beginning of a movement, particularly as farmers learn from other farmers. He has embraced cover crops, and he consistently maps biomass yields and samples his fields' soil nutrient levels.
In testing theories and making observations through the years, Bob has been able to reduce external inputs of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and lime, while increasing yields and return on investments. Bob attributes some of these results to improved biological activity in the soil and restored natural nutrient cycling. In addition, the summer cover crops he plants protect soil moisture, reduce soil temperatures compared to bare ground, and buffer soil pH.
If you have questions about building soil health and the benefits of following climate-smart principles in your cropping and farming systems, please visit your local Virginia Cooperative Extension unit, a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office near you.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/.
To review the four core soil health principles and access the recent 4 The Soil blog posts that Jeff Ishee referenced, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/.
As always, we would love to learn about your soil health journey and encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement.
The economics of farming are always tenuous and subject to many market and climatic forces. Robert "Bob" Waring of Brandon Farms of Dunnsville, Virginia describes himself as a return-on-investment (ROI) kind of guy. With the tenuous, volatile nature of farming, Bob is constantly evaluating Brandon Farms' cropping system as a whole and looking for sound input reduction strategies. Over the past fifteen years, Bob has focused on growing his fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and farm profitability through timely cover crop mixtures and management. Hairy vetch and black oats have worked well in his corn and soybean rotations and helped Brandon Farms dramatically reduce fertilizer and pesticide costs. If you are new to cover cropping, Bob recommends finding a legume like clover, cowpeas, or Austrian winter pea that fits in your system as a starting point.
American Farmland Trust's Soil Health Case Study of Brandon Farms is accessible at https://farmlandinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/brandon-farms-soil-health-case-study.pdf
If you have questions about the economic and climate resilience of your cropping and farming systems, please visit your local Virginia Cooperative Extension unit, a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office near you.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. To access the recent 4 The Soil blog posts that Jeff Ishee referenced, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. As always, we would love to hear your experience and perspective on ways you have invested in soil health and what financial and ecological returns you have experienced.
To know where our food comes from, we are encouraged to know the farmer who grew our food. Nicolas "Nico" Melas of Mill Song Bakery approaches his craft as a farmer-miller-baker in the tradition of the artisans he apprenticed to in France. Nico emphasizes that you should know your local baker to fully understand and appreciate the quality of wheat and other grains. Nico reflects on how the growing, sourcing, processing, milling, fermenting, and mixing of grain and flour all play a role in the artisanal baking process. For Nico, flavor and health go together; and bread needs to smell and taste like freshly milled grain.
Mill Song Bakery's inspiring story, values, and bread-baking techniques can be accessed at https://www.millsongbakery.com/about-us. The video Jeff referenced Against the Grain, Beyond the Grind outlines farm-to-table connections from local soils and farms to a local stone-ground mill and local bakery.
Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman is available online or can be ordered from a local bookstore.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. We would love to hear your experience and perspective on how flavor and health go together, particularly as we learn more about meaningful connections related to nutrition and human health from the soil up.
Nicolas "Nico" Melas of Mill Song Bakery is a thought leader within Virginia's regional food systems and a catalyst with the expanding Common Grain Alliance. Nico and his family, along with a growing network of farmers, millers, bakers, and food businesses in Virginia and the greater Mid-Atlantic Region, are working through artful farming, milling, and baking to seed and feed a strong, resilient, diverse localized food grain economy. Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt talk with Nico about his journey in farming and baking and how healthy grains and bread benefit soil health, water quality, food security, and community nutrition.
To learn more about Mill Song Bakery's inspiring story, values, and bread baking, please visit https://www.millsongbakery.com/about-us. The video Against the Grain, Beyond the Grind outlines farm-to-table connections from local soils and farms to a local stone-ground mill and local bakery and how food eventually makes its way to local tables.
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear how your artful and healthful foodways support soil health, water quality, local farmers, and community-building.
Ennis and Phil Carter of Flip Charts and Social Impact Studios bring together their expertise in social sciences and education to amplify a simple message that soil health and music are for everyone. We can all "literally" dig soil health and music in a multitude of ways. In part II, Ennis and Phil explain how memories and stories help us find common ground, connect dots, and stir our imaginations. Ennis spoke of the recent 4 The Soil coloring book developed by Social Impact Studios and the playful characters of an owl and a worm (Hoot and Annie) that stirred their imaginations for a 4 The Soil song and a musical hootenanny.
You are encouraged to bring your musical instruments (banjos, guitars, mandolins, harmonicas, etc.) and lawn chairs to the Hoot-n-Annie event that will be held this Sunday, June 23, 2024, in celebration of National Soil Health Day, Sunday. The Hoot-n-Annie will be held from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Camp pHyre in Rice, Virginia. Ennis and Phil provided a teaser of the schoolhouse-style 4 The Soil song to inspire and remind us soil health and music are for everyone. To learn more about Flip Charts, the 4 the Soil cartoon characters, and the Hoot-n-Annie event, please refer to our recent 4 The Soil blog post at https://www.4thesoil.org/post/join-the-flipcharts-and-camp-phyre-s-hoot-n-annie-event
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Again, we would love to hear and see pictures of how you celebrated National Soil Health Day.
In anticipation of National Soil Health Day, Ennis and Phil Carter of Flip Charts and Social Impact Studios composed a fun 4 The Soil song to celebrate and emphasize how we can all take action for the soil and planet. Ennis and Phil bring together more than forty years of life and creative work. Their collaboration and creativity integrate music, culture, anthropology, graphic design, and community organizing. Ennis and Phil highlight how music and art translate our emotions and hearts into action.
The upcoming Hoot-n-Annie event will be held on National Soil Health Day, Sunday, June 23, 2024, at Camp pHyre in Rice, Virginia. During our conversation, Ennis and Phil shared a snippet of the schoolhouse-style 4 The Soil song to engage and inspire all of us. To learn more about Flip Charts and the Hoot-n-Annie event, please refer to our recent 4 The Soil blog post at https://www.4thesoil.org/post/join-the-flipcharts-and-camp-phyre-s-hoot-n-annie-event
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear how you celebrated National Soil Health Day and the ways you are taking action to support soil health and the planet.
The aroma of freshly milled and ground grain is distinct and inviting whether in preparing bread, pizza, or a vat of beer. Madelyn Smith of the Common Grain Alliance offers a freshly milled perspective on a range of topics needed to strengthen the regional food system and build the supply of regional grains to meet consumer demand. Madelyn says that bakers and chefs are often the best storytellers of why local grains are so important to their businesses, however, it is often the taste, flavor, and aroma of the food and beverages that create a lasting love and commitment to local and regional grains.
The Common Grain Alliance is a growing network of over 120 farmers, millers, bakers, and food businesses throughout Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic Region. For more information about the Common Grain Alliance and the many new video resources on growing and marketing small grains, legumes, and dryland rice, please visit https://www.commongrainalliance.org/
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear how you are supporting soil health, local farmers, bakers, chefs, and a stronger regional food system and grain economy.
How can we reinvigorate the local and regional grain economy? What is possible if grain farmers, millers, maltsters, bakers, brewers, pasta makers, educators, and researchers dream and work together? Why are local, high-quality, sustainably raised small grains like rye, oats, and others not more easily available in the Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic Region marketplace? Mary Sketch Bryant, Jeff Ishee, and Eric Bendfeldt speak with Executive Director Madelyn Smith of the Common Grain Alliance (CGA) about these questions and the growing effort to reinvigorate the local grain economy. Madelyn shares her journey of working on conservation and facilitating policy development for soil health and conservation practices. She also shares how CGA started in Virginia and continues growing as a network of over 120 farmers, millers, bakers, and food businesses from southern Pennsylvania to northern North Carolina.
For more information about the Common Grain Alliance, its membership, upcoming gatherings, and shopping for Mid-Atlantic small grains, please visit https://www.commongrainalliance.org/
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear how you are diversifying your cropping and farming systems for soil health and a stronger local economy.
Can we emulate nature with our soil health-building systems? Where do local small grains fit in the soil health puzzle? Ray Archuleta of the Soil Health Academy and retired soil health educator with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service discusses why working in concert with nature is important to farming. Ray is a big proponent of no-till farming and putting life back into systems. Tillage disrupts and kills soil fungi and sets the system back. Ray sees food and the health of the soil as medicine and critically intertwined with nature.
Dr. Heather Coiner of the Common Grain Alliance adds to this discussion and shares how small grain crop rotations are another essential piece to the soil health puzzle and biological pathways. In addition, a stronger local grain economy can provide multiple benefits to farmers, communities, and the overall health of people.
For more information about the Soil Health Academy and Common Grain Alliance, please visit their websites at https://soilhealthacademy.org/ and https://www.commongrainalliance.org/
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear how you are working with nature and what you are doing to know your farmer in support of local and regional agriculture.
Have you ever been on a walk and observed a dung beetle or two rolling a bit of dung down the path? Have you wondered what conditions make a good steady rain? While many things are out of our control, we can control some things if we are willing to learn and work together as a community.
Dr. Elizabeth Heilman, Professor of Education at Wichita State University, elaborates on the power of observation in ecology and farming with Mary Sketch Bryant, Jeff Ishee, and Eric Bendfeldt, specifically as the power of observation relates to weather patterns, peer-to-peer learning, and creating more stable farming systems.
Dr. Heilman shares how a "community of practice" can be a safe place to share experiences and build relationships that can help farmers "balance out the weather cycle" and "reduce drought and flooding."
For a description of Dr. Heilman's teaching, research, and recent publications, please visit https://www.wichita.edu/profiles/academics/applied_studies/School_of_Education/Heilman-Elizabeth.php
For the free soil health resource guides that Dr. Heilman referenced, please visit Green Cover Seeds at https://greencover.com/freeguides/ The tenth edition is currently accessible. Copies of the fifth edition are available in English, French, and Spanish.
To access the seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast and additional resources on soil health-building principles, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear how you work to balance the water cycle on your farm, ranch, or garden.
Are you resistant to change or risk averse? You may need to calm your lizard down and understand how important safety and security are to change, risk aversion, and the adoption of new behaviors.
Dr. Elizabeth Heilman, Professor of Education at Wichita State University, talks with Mary Sketch Bryant, Jeff Ishee, and Eric Bendfeldt about how our "lizard brains" relate to farming and ranching. For farmers and ranchers, many day-to-day factors (i.e., markets, weather, public policy, etc.) are out of their control. The lack of control can cause stress and anxiety that activate our lizard brains.
In thinking about emotional and environmental ecology, Dr. Heilman shares several strategies for self-care and calming down the anxious parts of our brain and nervous system. The strategies include keeping a done list; a gratitude list; your mission statement visible; and remembering to Eat That Frog.
For a description of Dr. Heilman's teaching, research, and recent publications, please visit https://www.wichita.edu/profiles/academics/applied_studies/School_of_Education/Heilman-Elizabeth.php
To access close to seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast and additional resources on soil health-building principles, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear your stories about self-care and strategies for regenerating the ecosystem health of your farm and organization.
A passion for gardening and tasty, flavorful tomatoes, cucumbers, and hot peppers continues to drive Bill Patterson's experimentation with crop rotations, mulching, composting, and winter and summer cover crops in his home garden. Mary Sketch Bryant and Eric Bendfeldt talked previously with Bill about his conservation work with soil health and grazing lands. Bill is equally passionate about his home garden as he is about farmers' grazing lands.
He uses his garden as an experimentation station to test and observe the soil health-building principles. Bill emphasizes: "rotations, rotations, rotations," and allowing the critters to do the tillage for you. With his love for building soil carbon and enjoying a great-tasting tomato, Bill's gardening rotation includes a diverse mixture of summer and winter cover crops.
To learn about winter and summer cover crops, please visit the Southern Cover Crops Council's website at https://southerncovercrops.org/ The site includes a selection tool for vegetables, grazing, and row crops. For information about careers and programs of the Virginia USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, please visit https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/virginia
To access close to seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast and additional resources on soil health-building principles, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear your stories about the passion you have for experimenting with the four core soil health principles in your garden, cropland, and grazing lands.
A love and curiosity for soil sparked a fifty-year career in soil and natural resources conservation. Mary Sketch Bryant and Eric Bendfeldt talk with Bill Patterson, retired district conservationist and present grazing specialist with Virginia USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, about his career and to hear his insights on soil health and grazing. Bill is affectionately called "Pops" and has served as a mentor for many farmers and soil conservationists. Bill was recently recognized at the Virginia Farm to Table Conference for his lifetime achievement with the 2023 Carl Luebben Soil Health and Water Quality Award.
In reflecting on his career that started in 1974, Bill states that we know more about soil health, but there is still a whole lot more to learn. The more we learn, the less we know. Therefore, it is important to ask good questions, be observant, remain flexible, stay curious, and love what you do.
To learn about careers and programs of the Virginia USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, please visit https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/virginia
To access more than sixty episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast and additional resources on soil health-building principles, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear your stories and the ways you follow the four core soil health principles and express your love for the soil.
Are we there yet? Have we arrived at the intended destination? Have we reached the goal we set out for improving soil health and how soil functions? Have our good intentions of attempting to loosen the soil resulted in negative unintended consequences?
In part one of our conversation with Dale Stricker of Regenerative Wisdoms, Dale stated that tillage and soil disturbance make farmers very susceptible to drought. However, in relying on deep tillage and subsoiling to remove a mechanical barrier (i.e., a compacted layer or hardpan), farmers may exacerbate the problem, and tillage can result in unintended and unforeseen consequences in decreased root growth, increased compaction, and limited soil porosity. Dale shares how roadbuilding is very analogous to the procedures that farmers follow in subsoiling and the multiple tillage passes often used to try to loosen the soil. Dale encourages farmers and market gardeners to consider soil health as a bank account, where deposits outweigh withdrawals that encourage real wealth and health.
For more information about Dale's books on drought resilience, pasture management, restoring soil health, and the overall mission of Regenerative Wisdom, please visit https://www.regenerativewisdom.com/
To access two years of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast archives and additional resources on soil health-building principles, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear your stories and the ways you are following the four core soil health principles.
How functional and drought-resilient is your soil? Is your soil a week away from a drought and an hour away from a flood?
Dale Strickler of Regenerative Wisdom talks with Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt about ways to increase drought resilience moving forward. Dale draws on his experience and expertise as a farmer, cattle rancher, college soil science instructor, and current agronomist to provide sound information for restoring soil function so the soil can hold water and allow water to infiltrate.
Does tillage and subsoiling pay and make soil more drought-resilient? Dale states that tillage and soil disturbance make farmers very susceptible to drought. In many cases, farmers think they are moving forward with deep tillage and subsoiling to remove a mechanical barrier. However, subsoiling can increase the sealing of the soil surface and decrease soil porosity so oxygen and water are less available to plant roots.
For more information about Dale's books on drought resilience and the overall mission of Regenerative Wisdom, please visit https://www.regenerativewisdom.com/
To access two years of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast archives and additional resources on soil health-building principles, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear your stories and the ways you are addressing drought resilience and soil health on your farm or in your garden.
How does a purposeful mindset contribute to soil health and rebuilding soil fertility? What can we learn from culture, history, and mindset in storing our farm landscapes?
Rebekah Slabach recently became the associate director for the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture within Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Formerly, Rebekah was an extension agent for agriculture and natural resources with Virginia Cooperative Extension in Halifax County. Rebekah reminds us that culture and history are part of agriculture and that managing soil health through changing weather, markets, and environmental demands requires a purposeful mindset. In striving to keep the soil covered with more species of cover crops, Rebekah emphasizes that a planted cover crop is better than waiting to plant the perfect cover crop mixture and that something covering the soil is better than a bare fallow.
The Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture is a pilot program that seeks to incentivize and reward farmers and ranchers for adopting climate-smart agricultural practices. To learn more about the Alliance and Virginia Tech's role, please visit https://www.allianceforcsa.org/
The basic information and core principles of soil health, along with two years of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast archives, can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. To pledge your support to 4 The Soil, fill out the form at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge and tell us about your mindset for building soil resilience and health in your community.
What are the ingredients of change? How can you fuel and be an agent of change in your community? Rebekah Slabach serves as an extension agent of agriculture and natural resources with Virginia Cooperative Extension in Halifax County. Rebekah shares her early involvement with 4-H and Youth Conservation Camp as two educational opportunities growing up that sparked her interest and passion in agriculture and the environment. Rebekah sees her work with Extension to fuel and encourage positive change on farms and the broader community. Mindfulness, passion, and perspective are key elements for fueling change but also knowing your goals and not getting distracted by seemingly urgent needs. Soil fertility and health have to be managed for short-term and long-term profitability, resilience, and community change.
To learn more about Virginia Cooperative Extension's Natural Resource and Environmental Education programs and the Virginia's Soil and Water Conservation Districts' Youth Conservation Camp, please visit https://ext.vt.edu/4h-youth/nree.html and https://vaswcd.org/conservation-camp/
The basic information and core principles of soil health, along with two years of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast archives, can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. To pledge your support to 4 The Soil, fill out the form at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge and tell us how you are building soil resilience and health in your community.
The power of observation and a receptive mind are critical to farming, soil health, research, and all discoveries. Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt start the New Year and third season of the 4 The Soil podcast with another conversation with Dr. Stuart Grandy, Professor of Natural Resources and the Environment, at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). It turns out the most powerful tool farmers and gardeners have regardless of size is taking time to observe and reflect on what is happening and observing how soil and plants respond to different management strategies. This tool can be used while sitting in a lawn chair or on a tractor. Therefore, the power of observation, good on-farm research, and a receptive mind should never be undervalued in building soil health and discovering the multiple functions and resilience soil can provide particularly during times of drought.
To learn more about Dr. Grandy's research at the UNH Center of Soil Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology, please visit https://colsa.unh.edu/soil-biome. More information about Dr. Grandy’s mentor and peer Dr. Matt Liebman, Professor Emeritus and Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, can be accessed at https://www.agron.iastate.edu/people/liebman-matt/
Archives of two years of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcasts can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/podcast. Also, to pledge your support 4 The Soil, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge and let us know what you are observing on your farm or in your garden in building soil resilience and health.
How does one measure and monitor what's happening below the ground in the soil food web? Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt caught up with Dr. Stuart Grandy, Professor of Natural Resources and the Environment, at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) to discuss the diversity of soil life and emerging sensor technologies to probe soil organic matter, soil carbon, and overall health. Dr. Grandy outlines why core soil health principles are essential for encouraging fungal hyphae, increasing the diversity of habitats, and enhancing food substrates needed to build a robust soil food web. He emphasizes how important the power of observation is and how he is constantly inspired by farmers' observations and their ongoing on-farm research for increasing productivity and reducing environmental impacts.
To learn more about Dr. Grandy's research at the UNH Center of Soil Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology, please visit https://colsa.unh.edu/soil-biome
Archives of two years of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcasts can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/podcast. Also, to pledge your support 4 The Soil, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge and let us know what you are doing to build soil health and life on your farm or in your garden.
Since October 2021, Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt have had sixty conversations about the health and fertility of soil as part of the podcast. To celebrate World Soils Day 2023, we are sharing three recaps of conversations that were quite memorable with Dr. David R. Montgomery and Anne Bikle authors of What Your Food Ate and Growing a Revolution; Clare Tallamy of Virginia Tech's 2022 Soil Judging Team; and Lee Rinehart a grazing specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology.
World Soils Day was organized to bring attention and focus on the importance of healthy soil and the sustainable management of soil resources. David Montgomery and Anne Bikle start the conversation off with a discussion about soil life and how the health of soil can ultimately affect diet and nutrition at a basic level. Clare Tallamy gives a summary of how to assess and judge soil from inside a pit, while Lee Rinehart emphasizes how critical soil health is for grazing management, water quality, and drought resilience.
To join the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and listen to the other 4 The Soil: A Conversation episodes, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org/podcast
To nourish and (re)imagine collaboration, conservation, and community, plan to register and attend the upcoming 2023 Virginia Farm to Table Conference.
How do we identify community and natural resource needs? What are people doing to thrive as well as survive? Executive Director Nelson Muiru of Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO) talks with Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt for a second episode on how they seek to balance the everyday social and financial needs of people and communities in the Central Highlands of Kenya in East Africa with important natural resource needs. Farming is a primary livelihood and source of sustenance for many people in rural Kenya. At the same time, people and communities rely on forests for timber and charcoal for everyday use and as a source of income. Therefore, it is essential to understand community needs and what people require to thrive while balancing and communicating how indigenous forests provide critical ecosystem services such as water catchment, erosion control, air purification, and pollinator habitat that benefit the local community, towns along the Kikuyu Escarpment, and even cities like Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, and Mombasa. KENVO provides community-based leadership and education to link farmers and communities to existing and emerging markets for farm and forest crops, value-added agricultural consumer goods, and non-timber forest products.
To learn more about Kijabe Environment Volunteers' (KENVO) community-focused conservation work, please visit https://kenvo.org/
To join the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge
To nourish and (re)imagine collaboration, conservation, and community, plan to register and attend the upcoming 2023 Virginia Farm to Table Conference.
How do you work with communities and individual farmers to build trust and achieve multiple social, financial, and ecological goals? Executive Director Nelson Muiru of Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO) talks with Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt about how their organization seeks to maximize biodiversity, ecosystem services, and food security in the Central Highlands of Kenya in East Africa. Like many countries, Kenya is working to conserve and preserve non-renewable resources (i.e., soil, water, culturally significant forests, etc.) to benefit people's livelihoods and communities. KENVO provides leadership and education to conserve biodiversity in the Kikuyu Escarpment, while also preserving natural habitats, protecting water quality, and building soil health. For Nelson and his colleagues, this means working closely with local communities to identify mutually beneficial goals and advancing eco-friendly income-generating businesses (e.g., forest farming, beekeeping, water bottling, solar-dried foods) through trust, accountability, and ongoing conversations with farmers and communities.
To learn more about Kijabe Environment Volunteers' (KENVO) community-focused conservation work, please visit https://kenvo.org/
To join the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge
To nourish and (re)imagine collaboration, conservation, and community, plan to register and attend the upcoming 2023 Virginia Farm to Table Conference.
How do we improve lawn soil health by adjusting mower deck height? Can adjusting your lawnmower deck from three inches to four or more inches save you time and energy? Is genetically modified turfgrass in the future of your lawn?
Extension Turfgrass Specialist Dr. Mike Goatley of Virginia Tech (Dr. Turf) talks with Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt about emerging and applied research in turfgrass and lawn management including developments in turfgrass breeding. For overall lawn care and health, Dr. Goatley recommends adjusting the lawnmower deck height upwards starting on Memorial Day and until Labor Day to encourage root growth and prevent weed seed from getting established, particularly for less drought-tolerant cool season grasses. Testing your soil is a critical first step for improving and building soil health. Mike also emphasizes how an annual application of a quarter inch of compost as part of a maintenance regimen can help with lawn health by adding organic matter and being a slow-release source of needed nutrients.
For additional information on turfgrass and lawn management, please visit the Virginia Tech Turfgrass website at https://turf.spes.vt.edu/ The National Turfgrass Evaluation Progam and database on the performance of different turfgrass species can be accessed at https://www.ntep.org/. Information about 2023 - 2024 Virginia Turfgrass Variety Recommendations can be found at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/SPES/spes-518/spes-518.html
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge
President Abraham Lincoln stated in 1858 that "Every blade of grass is a study; and to produce two, where there was but one, is both a profit and a pleasure." The profit and pleasure of turfgrass still require observation, care, and ongoing research. Extension Turfgrass Specialist Dr. Mike Goatley of Virginia Tech (Dr. Turf) talks with Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt about his journey into studying and researching turfgrass and lawn management. Mike provides guidance on the value of turfgrass for water quality, erosion control, soil stabilization, temperature moderation, and drought resilience. Knowing the eight different types of grass that grow and thrive across Virginia's climatic transition zones can help, but overall turfgrass performance and resilience to drought begins with managing soil for fertility and health.
For additional information on turfgrass and lawn management, please visit the Virginia Tech Turfgrass website at https://turf.spes.vt.edu/ Also, if you want to become a Virginia Certified Fertilizer Applicator, Virginia Cooperative Extension offers certification training opportunities at https://www.ext.vt.edu/cfa.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge
Like author Simon Sinek, Daniel Austin of Green Sprig Ag and Little Hen Farm encourages people to start with their “why.” Doing so will help people understand their motivation and refine their purpose in life and work. Knowing both the “why” and the “how” of farming and building soil health is critically important to economic viability, community well-being, and true sustainability. Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt continue their conversation with Daniel by phone to learn more about his “why” and “how” of farming and growing local grains.
Daniel emphasizes that farmers need to know and understand their "why" for all aspects of their farm operation. On his farm, he aims to care for and rebuild the soil while also maximizing the number of farm enterprises the land can sustain. Daniel also encourages farmers to continually surround themselves with positive mentors and peers. Similarly, he desires to be a good mentor for others in the same way that key mentors have been instrumental in his own journey
Green Sprig Ag is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.in Franklin County, Virginia. To learn about the Common Grain Alliance and the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Grain Fair and Conference, please visit https://www.commongrainalliance.org/mid-atlantic-grain-fair
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge
What are the resource concerns and aspirations for your farm and land? Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt catch up by phone with farmer, entrepreneur, and soil health champion Daniel Austin of Little Red Hen Farm and Green Sprig Ag. Daniel is a fifth-generation farmer in Franklin County and shares the history of how his interest and passion for soil health started with a loathe of picking up rocks and erosion. In a nutshell, he and his family grow, process, and package local grains (wheat, spelt, buckwheat, and open-pollinated corn) for as direct farm-to-table sales to families, bakers, millers, and brewers as possible. Additional enterprises of Little Red Hen Farm and Green Sprig Ag include a flock of sheep to graze on the rolling hills and the selling of cover crop seeds for food, feed, and conservation. Green Sprig Ag tailors cover crop sales to address farmers' and growers' resource concerns and priorities. For many people, the primary resource concern is the prevention and elimination of erosion. Daniel gives guidance on how he would walk through ways to address erosion concerns with a producer and landowner and how people can then possibly supply nitrogen, add the proper amount of organic matter, and prevent compaction with a cover crop mixture.
Green Sprig Ag is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.in Franklin County, Virginia To learn a bit more about Little Red Hen Farm's and Green Sprig Ag's investment in soil health practices, please watch this video produced by the Common Grain Alliance at https://www.commongrainalliance.org/videos
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge
What is your passion? Where do you experience a sense of wonder and hope? Jeff Ishee and Mary Sketch Bryant talk with Kate Bracken and Craig Fracker of the Goochland-Powhatan Master Gardener Association about how they empower communities with research-based garden education from the soil up, and specifically about their HOPE (Helping Our Planet Endure) initiative. Kate and Craig as Master Gardener volunteers with Virginia Cooperative Extension share how their local association builds and maintains active interest among their community in the care of lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, gardens, and most importantly soils. Without soil, there are no gardens.
To learn more about Virginia Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and the Goochland-Powhatan Master Gardener Association's Hope from the Garden initiative, please visit https://ext.vt.edu/lawn-garden/master-gardener/Become-a-Master-Gardener.html and https://www.hopeftg.org/
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge
How do we encourage stewardship of the land and our communities in the next generation? In this episode, Jeff Ishee, Eric Bendfeldt, and Sarah Koth continue their conversation with Kathy Yoder, the Education Outreach Program Director at Vine and Fig in Harrisonburg, Virginia, about the organization’s work to get youth outdoors and experience nature. Kathy discusses the mental health and learning benefits she sees in students from experiential learning in the garden and in nature. She also dives into the integrative farm-to-school work that she is involved with in Harrisonburg and how it has increased access to healthy nutritious food and benefitted both the area’s youth and the community more broadly.
To learn more about Vine and Fig and the New Community Project please visit https://www.vinefigeducation.org/ and https://www.vinefigncp.org/.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge
Healthy soil means healthy plants which means healthy people and a healthy planet. In this episode, Jeff Ishee, Eric Bendfeldt, and Sarah Koth speak with Kathy Yoder, the Education Outreach Program Director at Vine and Fig in Harrisonburg, Virginia, about the nonprofit’s local programs to strengthen local food systems, ensure access to wholesome nutrition for underserved communities, and educate youth on food production and sustainability.
Kathy digs into the importance of empowering young minds to understand the connection between the life in the soil and a sustainable environment, specifically as relates to compost production and use. Listen to learn how Vine & Fig and the New Community Project are sowing the seeds of positive change to cultivate a healthier, more sustainable future for all from the soil up.
To learn more about Vine and Fig and the New Community Project please visit https://www.vinefigeducation.org/ and https://www.vinefigncp.org/.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
Soil is important infrastructure on our landscapes and in our communities. Jeff Ishee, Eric Bendfeldt, and Mary Sketch Bryant talk with Carl Stafford of Virginia Cooperative Extension in Culpeper County about the George Washington Carver Center, a food and business incubator and agricultural service center serving communities in and around Culpeper County. Carl is the Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent in Stafford County and has an expertise in livestock forages, beef cattle management, and has been an active member in the community for years. In this episode, Carl discusses the intersection of food, soil, history, and community that the Carver Center embodies.
To learn more about The George Washington Carver Center and educational programming of Virginia Cooperative Extension in Culpeper County, please visit https://www.ext.vsu.edu/carver-center and https://culpeper..ext.vt.edu/
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
What does the health of plants and animals have to tell us about life underground? In this episode, Jeff Ishee, Eric Bendfeldt, and Mary Sketch Bryant talk with Carl Stafford of Virginia Cooperative Extension in Culpeper County about the importance of grazing with intent for the benefit of plants, animals, and the soil. Carl is the Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent in Stafford County and has an expertise in livestock forages, beef cattle management, and is an active leader in the Graze 300 program. In this episode, Carl discusses the importance of paying attention to the biological components of soil and the role that well managed livestock and grass management systems can play in supporting life underground. He shares who his mentors have been over the years and the importance of peer-to-peer networks for promoting innovation.
To learn more about Graze 300 and educational programming of Virginia Cooperative Extension in Culpeper County, please visit https://ext.vt.edu/agriculture/graze-300.html and https://culpeper..ext.vt.edu/
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
How can you really know your soil is alive, biologically active, and not sterile? Well, the answer is brief. Yes, really! Soil your undies, that is, bury a pair of your 100% cotton undies in an area of your garden or cropland where you are curious about its biological activity and wait about 60 days to see what happens and if the undies decompose through time due to the microbial life in the soil.
Elizabeth Mullins Baldwin and Meagan Dyer of Virginia Cooperative Extension's (VCE) Page County Office share with Jeff Ishee and Mary Sketch Bryant how they first learned about the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service's ‘Soil Your Undies Challenge’ and how they have incorporated the demonstration into their ongoing soil health educational programming efforts with farmers, gardeners, 4-H youth, school children, and anyone who is interested in enhancing soil life through core soil health-building principles.
To learn more about the "Soil Your Undies' demonstration and the overall educational programming of Virginia Cooperative Extension in Page County, Virginia, and the surrounding area, please visit https://page.ext.vt.edu/
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, pledge your support for soil health, and ways you might celebrate National Soil Health Day at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org
We can all make a difference and construct the world we want to see and experience now and into the future. In part one, Taona Makunje Chigwenembe, the executive director of Creative Solutions for the Environment of Malawi shared with us the importance of honoring indigenous knowledge, practicing permaculture, and integrating agroforestry systems. The conversation continues about cover crops, compost, legumes, nitrogen-fixing trees, green manures, and ongoing resolute support of family, neighbors, and community in making a difference for soil health, water conservation, and educational leadership.
Taona also highlighted an educational initiative titled, "A Girl and a Bike," which provides scholarships, bicycles, and temporary housing to enable underprivileged girls in rural Malawi to have access to quality secondary school education. Taona and her team with Creative Solutions for the Environment believe that formal education is integral for protecting the environment and improving overall community life.
Tune into the conversation wherever you get your podcasts!
Creative Solutions for the Environment ( https://csemw.org ) is a non-profit organization founded in Malawi with a passion to care for the Earth and its people to creatively provide integrated community-focused solutions that tackle both environmental issues and poverty. A short video about the "A Girl and a Bike" project administered by CSE can be viewed at https://youtu.be/TWh71zP9gs4
Taona reiterates we can all make a difference to expand our educational and leadership footprint in soil health and ecological management to benefit all.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, pledge your support for soil health, and plan to celebrate and acknowledge National Soil Health Day at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org
Whether you live in the United States or Malawi in southeastern Africa, you can be 4 The Soil because soil health has national and international inspirations and applications. Soil health is foundational to food security and can catalyze community change. Taona Makunje Chigwenembe is the executive director of Creative Solutions for the Environment in Malawi and a board member of the New Community Project. Taona shares with us the mighty, great things she and her colleagues are doing to rebuild and regenerate soil health by honoring indigenous knowledge, practicing permaculture, and integrating agroforestry systems.
Being in touch with the land and soil health is critical in dealing with weather variability and extreme conditions of being too dry or too wet. The dry season lasts more than two hundred days now in the area where Taona works. When it does rain, widespread flooding can occur.
Therefore, community-based agriculture and forest-related solutions have to start with the soil and a deep respect for people's histories and knowledge of land and crops. The people and communities that Creative Solutions for the Environment work with and alongside in Malawi have planted more than two million trees (about 400,000 per year) with an 87% survival rate, and have plans to plant another ten million trees in the coming years.
Creative Solutions for the Environment (https://csemw.org/) is a non-profit organization founded in Malawi with a passion to care for the Planet Earth and its people to creatively provide integrated community-focused solutions that tackle both environmental issues and poverty.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, pledge your support for soil health, and discover the recent 4 The Soil coloring book at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
Cover crops have many different functions and benefits from adding biomass to alleviating compaction to providing habitat for beneficial pollinators. People may be hesitant to plant a mixture of cover crops if they have not previously planted cover crops. Mike Parrish, senior extension agent with Virginia Cooperative Extension in Dinwiddie County, discusses the ins and outs of cover cropping and how different cover crops can serve specific roles in farming, gardening, lawn renovation, and land reclamation. Mike highlights the benefits of buckwheat, cereal rye, and pearl millet. He discusses how winter and summer cover crop mixtures can provide a bridge throughout the growing season, be aesthetically appealing, and be a good source of specific types of pollen for honeybees.
Additionally, Mike has created a number of videos and resource materials to demonstrate the importance and extensive nature of Virginia agriculture. The Desktop Farm Day website that Mike developed to improve agricultural awareness and answer common farm questions can be accessed at https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/desktop-farm-day/home
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, pledge your support for soil health, and discover the recent 4 The Soil coloring book at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
Farmers, gardeners, and homeowners can face different challenges in managing and building soil health. Mike Parrish, senior extension agent with Virginia Cooperative Extension in Dinwiddie County, encourages everyone to do their own research and side-by-side trials. Learning by trial and error allows for direct comparisons and works in a specific context. Mike works closely with commercial growers who grow everything from corn, soybeans, cotton, cereal rye, and other agronomic crops, but also provides educational programming to homeowners and other landowners who might have a problem with soil compaction, water holding capacity, or other common soil ailments.
Mike emphasizes that cover crops are applicable to cropland, a garden, and even a lawn where the soil is ailing and not functioning as it should. For gardeners and homeowners, Mike advises everyone to take advantage of Virginia Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener programs and resources.
Additionally, Mike does a fantastic job at communicating and educating just how diverse Virginia's agriculture is through videos and storytelling. In the course of the conversation, Mike discussed the Desktop Farm Day website he has developed to improve agricultural awareness and literacy about common farm questions and everyday activities, which can be accessed at https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/desktop-farm-day/home
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, join the 4 the Soil conversation, and read the latest Soil Health Tip Tuesday blog post at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
In celebration and recognition of Earth Day 2023, we are resharing a deeply meaningful and inspiring conversation with Karen Washington of Rise and Root Farm about soil health, intergenerational knowledge, and heeding nature's wisdom that was really well-received last year. Karen recently received and shared the 2023 James Beard Humanitarian Award with Olivia Watkins for their ongoing leadership and vision for community-focused change. Karen recalled how planting a tomato seed changed her life and introduced her to nature, land, and soil. She emphasizes the importance of having hard conversations about eating healthy so people and communities are all part of the solution and meet people where they are with soil health and environmental justice. There is room for everyone to grow food.
Additionally, Karen Washington encourages all of us but especially the youth to sit down with our grandparents and parents to understand history, capture intergenerational knowledge, and listen to Mother Nature. What is nature telling us about soil health and the environment? What do previous generations know about soil health and nature? In the end, Mother Nature can guide us in what is needed; sometimes that means stopping and listening to the land and soil.
To learn more about Karen Washington and her ongoing work, please visit https://www.riseandrootfarm.com/. We also encourage you to check out the new 4 The Soil blog at https://www.4thesoil.org/blog
Who inspired you in your career and spurred your interest in soil health? Beth Sastre is an extension agent for commercial horticulture in Loudoun County with Virginia Cooperative Extension. Beth was inspired to pursue a career in agriculture and natural resources by her grandfather and by Mother Nature. Beth's grandfather was an agronomist in Mexico and worked closely with farmers on soil and water conservation-related issues. Additionally, Beth was fascinated early in her life by Mother Nature, the beauty of natural resources, and how our farming practices affect soil health. Beth shares her own inspiration and fascination with soil health with farmers, homeowners, students, and Future Farmers of America in Loudoun County and across Virginia through her educational programs and scientific expertise.
To learn about Virginia Cooperative Extension Loudoun County's local educational programs, please visit https://loudoun.ext.vt.edu/programs.html
If you are interested in learning about or participating in Loudoun County's Master Gardener program, please visit https://loudouncountymastergardeners.org/
To pledge your commitment to soil health, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition website for the upcoming release of a 4 The Soil coloring book.
Get to know your 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast team. Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, Sarah Koth, and Eric Bendfeldt share their background and aha moments in learning about and building soil health. Jeff mentioned the influence of his father but also his library of soil health books he has accumulated since his retirement from the U.S. Navy. Mary recalled her earlier work in environmental and conservation studies and the importance of the human dimension in soil health and the protection of natural resources. Sarah highlighted her background in environmental communications and advocacy at James Madison University and her introduction to soil health in interning and volunteering with community-based organizations that were working to address food security and justice. Eric reflected on his introduction to soil health and fertility issues working with the Mennonite Central Committee, the relief, peace, and development agency of the Mennonite church, in Tanzania, East Africa.
In listening to Jeff, Mary, Sarah, and Eric, it is easy to recognize that no matter what our various backgrounds and experiences are that we can all be 4 The Soil! We would be interested in learning about your aha moments with soil health and the care of natural resources.
A few soil resource authors mentioned during this episode included Jon Stika, Wendell Berry, Gene Logsdon, Joel Salatin, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Leah Penniman.
Virginia Graze 300 is a program of Virginia Cooperative Extension whose mission is to enable Virginia farmers to achieve 300 days of livestock grazing by facilitating better pasture management and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Virginia Graze 300, please visit https://ext.vt.edu/agriculture/graze-300.html
If you want to pledge your commitment to soil health, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge or the Virginia Soil Health Coalition website.
Why do I farm this way? Context, values, and passion are all part of the equation and reason. Becky Szarzynski of Mountain Glen Farm is a well-spoken, highly knowledgeable young, innovative farmer in the Shenandoah Valley. Becky shares specifically why she farms the way she does and emphasizes the importance of walking your land, observing what is happening in the ecosystem, and not being afraid to try something new because you might be surprised by a hawk, Bobwhite quail, or dung beetle.
Becky serves as a coordinator of the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council's and Virginia Soil Health Coalition's farmer-to-farmer mentor programs. Becky generously shares what she has learned through the years and the mentors who have shared their knowledge and experience with Becky and others.
To learn more about Mountain Glen Farm and the educational videos that Becky mentioned, please visit https://mountainglenfarm.com. The mentors that Becky mentioned included her parents, but also Greg Judy, Gabe Brown, Allen Savory, Dr. Elaine Ingham, and others.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ Please visit our new website with additional conversations and resources at https://www.4thesoil.org.
How do you work with nature to build soil health? Do diversity and pasture bouquets fit into your grazing management regimen? Becky Szarzynski of Mountain Glen Farm shares her own journey in building soil health, raising South Poll cattle, managing animal impact, and growing a bouquet of diverse forage species.
Becky also serves as a coordinator of the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council's and Virginia Soil Health Coalition's farmer-to-farmer mentor programs. Becky emphasizes that people and systems have to be adaptive to meet challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that emerge with soil health, grazing management, and new markets.
To learn more about Mountain Glen Farm and the educational videos that Becky mentioned, please visit https://mountainglenfarm.com. If you are interested in the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council's farmer-to-farmer mentor program, please refer to the Council's website at https://vaforages.org.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ Please visit our new website with additional conversations and resources at https://www.4thesoil.org.
Delving into soil health is like peeling the layers of an onion back: new layers to soil health are brought to light every day. David Montgomery and Anne Bikle share what they learned and synthesized about soil health and food connections in writing their latest book: What Your Food Ate. As we learn about soil ecology and nutrient cycling, the urgency for caring for health from the soil up is increasingly apparent. David and Anne mention the importance of phytochemicals, micronutrients, fat balances, and microbial metabolites to plant and animal foods, and that new layers and directions for study continue to emerge. Overall, David and Anne encourage farmers and gardeners to do their own on-farm research, particularly in minimizing and eliminating tillage. Similarly, they encourage taking regional approaches to improve soil health and increase farm profitability so we can move forward in new ways.
Montgomery, D. R. & Biklé, A. (2022). What your food ate: How to heal our land and reclaim our health. W. W. Norton Company. Available for purchase online at https://www.dig2grow.com/books or from other independent bookstores.
Notes and resources for What Your Food Ate: https://www.dig2grow.com/_files/ugd/efeec1_9af7d03df12f447f90dee61521c08707.pdf
David and Anne's books were written in the following order: Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations; The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health; Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life; and What Your Food Ate: How To Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ Please visit our new website with additional conversations and resources at https://www.4thesoil.org.
How do we nourish people rather than just feed them? Is there a more direct link between soil health and human health than we thought? David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé, authors of What Your Food Ate, talk with us about the deeper, more intriguing aspects of soil health, nutrition, and its implications for human health with us. David and Anne emphasize the importance of asking questions about the foundations of health: soil and nutritious food.
David is a professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. Anne attended the University of California, Santa Cruz earning degrees in Biology and Natural History. She holds a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Anne’s career has included work in biology, watershed restoration, environmental planning, and public health.
Montgomery, D. R. & Biklé, A. (2022). What your food ate: How to heal our land and reclaim our health. W. W. Norton Company. Available for purchase online at https://www.dig2grow.com/books or from other independent bookstores.
Notes and resources for What Your Food Ate: https://www.dig2grow.com/_files/ugd/efeec1_9af7d03df12f447f90dee61521c08707.pdf
David and Anne's books were written in the following order: Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations; The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health; Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life; and What your Food Ate: How To Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and read the latest Soil Health Tip Tuesday blog post at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ Please visit our new website with additional conversations and resources at https://www.4thesoil.org.
You might know soil remembers and has a long memory but do you know soils continually tell stories? Soils often tell an overarching story based on history and geology that includes how soils were formed due to factors such as parent material, climate, landscape position, time, and the presence or absence of soil organisms. Current and past management of topsoil and the soil ecosystem adds new chapters to a soil's history and memory.
Clare Tallamy, a recent graduate of Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (SPES), shared several stories from her experience as a member of Virginia Tech's Soil Judging Team and the team's time in many different soil pits in Virginia and across the U.S. and world. In Part I, Clare described how a soil pit is dug and shared a way to understand a soil profile. In this episode, Clare explains further how soil remembers but also how a soil's story can be adversely altered through mismanagement and neglect or significantly improved by following core soil health principles that enhance overall soil biology and focus on what you can change in the system.
For more details about Virginia Tech's Soil Judging Team and how soil judging in various agricultural and engineering contexts, please visit https://gobblerconnect.vt.edu/organization/soiljudging.
To learn about the long memory of soil, please refer to Dr. Henry Janzen's recent Soil Science Society of America Journal article titled, 'The Soil Remembers' at https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2136/sssaj2016.05.0143
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, join the 4 the Soil conversation, and read the latest Soil Health Tip Tuesday blog post at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
Do you have a vision and picture of what happens in a soil judging pit? Clare Tallamy, a recent graduate of Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (SPES), shared her passion for soil health and soil judging in this episode. Clare was a member of Virginia Tech's Soil Judging Team and helped the team win its seventh collegiate national championship. Clare also distinguished herself as the individual winner at the 2022 International Soil Judging Contest that was held in Scotland. As an avid gardener growing up in Northern Virginia, Clare took a keen interest in soil science and joined Virginia Tech's Soil Judging to follow her passion to learn more about soil physics, chemistry, and ecology in a very practical way -- as part of a team down in a soil pit.
Clare describes how a soil pit is dug and shares a picture to understand and judge the different layers of a soil's profile. Additionally, Clare emphasizes that we can learn a lot about the history of how the soil was formed and why keeping soil covered is important to building soil health through the soil judging process down in the pit.
For more details about Virginia Tech's Soil Judging Team and its recent national championship, please refer to the following article: https://vtx.vt.edu/articles/2022/05/soils-soil-judging-2022-champs.html.
To view the winning submissions of the recent Healthy Soil, Healthy Life art competition sponsored by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, please visit the 4 The Soil blog at https://www.4thesoil.org/post/va-association-of-soil-water-conservation-districts-names-winners-of-healthy-soils-healthy-life.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, join the 4 the Soil conversation, and read the latest Soil Health Tip Tuesday blog post at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
What are the foundations of happy soil biology? Jon Stika of UnderstandingAg, a part-time research professional at North Dakota State University's Dickinson Research and Extension Center, and author of A Soil Owner's Manual shares his perspective on keeping soil biology alive and happy.
Jon draws his soil biology insights from his career as a conservationist, agronomist, soil scientist, researcher, and teacher with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. He discusses how integrating livestock as a means of energizing with diversity can stimulate plant growth and biological activity when grazing is properly managed.
For Jon, feeding the soil is integral for feeding the plants -- and ultimately people. Once the soil is properly fed without being disturbed, key soil functions begin to be restored and regenerated, which can be good for farmers', ranchers', and gardeners' financial bottom lines as well. In Jon's experience, happy biology is foundational to sustaining food and farming systems from the soil up.
A Soil Owner’s Manual: How to Restore and Maintain Soil Health is published independently by Jon through Amazon Books and is available on UnderstandingAg’s website. Jon's soil biology mentors include Drs. Jill Clapperton, Elaine Ingham, and Kristine Nickols.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, join the 4 the Soil conversation, and read the latest Soil Health Tip Tuesday blog post at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
How does soil actually function? Jon Stika of UnderstandingAg (recently retired from USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service) emphasizes that all of us as students, managers, and caregivers of soil need to understand how soil functions as a living ecosystem with biological, physical, and chemical processes. All of us must become students of what makes soil healthy. It’s that simple and there are no shortcuts. Jon states from this starting point farmers, graziers, gardeners, and landowners will then be able to treat the problems limiting soil health and not just the symptoms.
In Jon's career as a conservationist, agronomist, soil scientist, researcher, and teacher with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, an eye-opening experience was just how important biology is to the overall soil ecosystem and how carbon serves as currency to drive nutrient cycling, soil aggregation, and so many other processes.
Jon encourages people to not be overwhelmed by the complexity of the system but to start small, follow the four soil health principles, focus on one principle out of the four that can be improved, and experiment with that principle on a section of your farm, pasture, garden, or backyard.
A Soil Owner’s Manual: How to Restore and Maintain Soil Health is published independently by Jon through Amazon Books and is available on UnderstandingAg’s website.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, join the 4 the Soil conversation, and read the latest Soil Health Tip Tuesday blog post at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org.
Who inspired you in your soil health journey? Lee Rinehart sustainable agriculture specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) shared about two people who inspired him in his journey into sustainable, regenerative agriculture and soil health. In sharing about his maternal grandfather's influence and the writings of Wendell Berry, Lee reiterates stories about the care of land and people being critically important for affecting change, building camaraderie, and inspiring new ideas that can be adopted and implemented.
Lee also emphasized how we need to learn from one another what has worked, what continues to be a challenge, and what emerging opportunities are there to build soil health and regenerate landscapes.
To join a dynamic community of people in Virginia and across the world who are curious about water and soil practices, please visit National Center for Appropriate Technology's Soil for Water initiative at: https://soilforwater.org/
The 1977 classic book that Lee referenced by Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture, can be obtained online or from a local independent bookstore.
To read the latest Soil Health Tip Tuesday blog post that Jeff mentioned about what to do with leaves, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog/soil-health-tip-tuesday-ways-to-save-the-gold-and-red-and-brown-leaves.
Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and hear the conversation on our websites, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org or wherever you get your podcasts!
What are appropriate and inappropriate technologies for soil to benefit water? Lee Rinehart of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) shares the history behind this question as well as how the question relates to their ongoing Soil for Water initiative. People may hear of appropriate technology in relation to an international context but Lee reminds us that no matter the context appropriate technology should be locally-adaptive, place-based, and people-centered to be most beneficial socially, ecologically, and economically.
Lee tells several stories of when technologies were introduced and did not have the desired anticipated benefits but disrupted relationships that were naturally more integrated such as the carbon cycle and the integration of livestock in agricultural and rural landscapes.
To learn more about the National Center for Appropriate Technology's Soil for Water initiative and join a dynamic community of people in Virginia and across the world who are curious about water and soil practices that create resilient, profitable agricultural systems, please visit: https://soilforwater.org/
The classic book by E.F. Schumacher that Lee referenced, Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics As If People Mattered, can be obtained online or from a local independent bookstore.
We can all be 4 the Soil, 4 the Water. Therefore, we encourage you to do your place-based, locally-adaptive part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, and in your landscape. Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and hear the conversation on our websites, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://www.4thesoil.org or wherever you get your podcasts!
If you were an earthworm, what type of farm would you like to be living on? This question was posed to Mike Phillips of Valley View Farms in Mauzy, Virginia, who is a student of history and a champion of soil health. Jeff Ishee was able to catch up with Mike at a recent Soil Health and Cover Crop Field Day in Rockingham County to learn how Mike seeks to mimic nature in his farming and soil health principles.
Mike is always cognizant of keeping soil covered, nurturing soil biology, and managing his above and below-ground livestock. He encourages us all to know we are part of a system and that all living things are sacred. Therefore, we should manage our lives, farms, and soils to be in harmonious balance. Mike has been inspired by many people throughout his life and he is fiercely intent on inspiring others, particularly young and beginning farmers, to farm and live as part of the land and sacred system.
Context is a critical precept for customizing soil health to your farm and landscape. To learn more about Mike Phillips's passion for farming and care of the land, please take six minutes to listen to two of Virginia Cooperative Extension's Soil, Conservation, and Place videos at https://youtu.be/Sgbqt_AnA8s and https://youtu.be/HyW858Hb12k
Learn more and hear the conversation on our website www.4thesoil.org or wherever you get your podcasts! As always, we encourage you to do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, and in your landscape.
The 4 the Soil: A Conversation podcast was collaboratively launched on October 12, 2021, to bring farmers, graziers, market gardeners, agricultural professionals, educators, researchers, conservationists, and community leaders together to hear and share stories about agriculture, soil health principles, and shared values. The First Anniversary Edition is aimed to be a "best-of" episode to celebrate the milestone and offer a sample of memorable conversations of the first year.
Special thanks to all of our guests and listeners. We hope you will join us in this celebration and continue to support and share the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast as we work together for the common good and health of the soil and the future.
Learn more and hear the conversation on our website www.4thesoil.org or wherever you get your podcasts! As always, we encourage you to do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, and in your own backyard.
Will soil health work on your farm? That is a question that farmers often ask related to soil health-building principles and practices, particularly in relation to multi-species mixtures and diversified enterprises. Brian Downing of Crooked Row Farm is a second-generation farmer located in Randolph County in central North Carolina. He shares his perspective on farming by the square foot and making soil health work on his farm. Faced with a soil compaction resource concern, he began experimenting with cover crop mixtures, a diversity of livestock and crop species, and enhancing the carbon currency on his farm. Brian highlights the need to understand what is happening on your farm by the square foot and to realize your farm has its own micro-economy that requires investments and savings in carbon and soil health. Additionally, farming and soil health accounts require sound recordkeeping to know where, how, and if wealth and health are growing and accruing as part of a stable micro-economy that naturally includes deposits and withdrawals.
Learn more and hear the conversation on our website www.4thesoil.org or wherever you get your podcasts! As always, we encourage you to do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, and in your landscape.
What do you want to accomplish on your farm, in your garden, or in business? Do you have a specific resource concern such as lessening tillage? Do you want to provide your family, friends, and customers with nutrient-dense food? Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff shared in the previous episode about keeping the soil alive and well. The conversation continues with Steve emphasizing that farmers need to learn all they can and understand how soil health concepts, principles, and practices are applicable to their individual farms and context. Similarly, Steve encourages farmers, graziers, and gardeners to visit with other farmers locally as well as virtually for camaraderie and peer-to-peer networking. There are many ways to learn and continue to self-educate ourselves as we face challenges of living longer than ever, and unfortunately, in many cases, being sicker than ever.
For more information about soil health for your farm, pasture, garden, or backyard, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition's Tips and Resources website at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/resources-1. To take the pledge to follow and educate others about the four core soil health principles, please visit the 4 The Soil website at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html.
To learn about Steve Groff's soil health journey, mindsets, and the changing context of farming, you can read his new book The Future-Proof Farm: Changing Mindsets in a Changing World, which is available online at https://stevegroff.com.
What research is emerging around plant health and soil biology in relation to nutrient-dense food? What role can farmers and gardeners play in building soil health to grow nutrient-dense food? Farmer, on-farm researcher, author, and Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff shares his experience and insights on keeping soil biology alive and well for soil and human health. Steve is a third-generation farmer based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who was an early innovator in using a roller-crimper in his no-till commercial vegetable operation to manage and terminate his cover crops. His grandfather was an early adopter of cover crops in the 1950s. Steve was at the forefront in using a daikon radish or "Tillage Radish" to naturally bio-till the soil with the plant's tuberous roots to alleviate compaction and encourage biological life. Steve also emphasizes that farmers need to continue to do their own on-farm research and have an adaptive mindset for the ever-changing world of agriculture, particularly as research on nutrient-dense food as prevention and medicine continues to grow and be rediscovered.
To learn about Steve Groff's soil health journey and mindset, you can read his new book The Future-Proof Farm: Changing Mindsets in a Changing World, which is available online at https://stevegroff.com.
For more information about soil health and cover crops, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition's Tips and Resources website at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/resources-1. To take the pledge to follow and educate others about the four core soil health principles, please visit the 4 The Soil website at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html.
Please visit the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Library of Medicine at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ for emerging research studies and findings on soil and human health connections. The 2007 NIH-supported Human Microbiome Project is a multi-year research study that specifically includes research on the connections between soil diversity and the microbiological life of the human gut.
How does soil health relate to clean, abundant water? Dr. Ryan Stewart is an Associate Professor in Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. Ryan's research focus is on the interactions between water, soil, and plant communities. His sustainable water resource management work spans soil science, ecology, engineering, agriculture, and urban systems. He shares the science of measuring and quantifying soil health and the effects of management principles and practices on how soil functions. Ryan and his research colleagues identified 42 different indicators, but in our conversation emphasized the importance of systematically building soil organic matter and enhancing biology for plant life and water cycling.
For additional Tips and Resources and to pledge your commitment to restoring and maintaining soil health, please visit the 4 The Soil website at https://www.4thesoil.org/tips--resources.html and https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html.
A free downloadable version of the fourth edition of Building Soils for Better Crops: Ecological Management for Health Soils is available from USDA's Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE) at https://www.sare.org/resources/building-soils-for-better-crops/
The Virginia Soil Health Coalition welcomes your participation and collaboration in building and supporting soil health. To learn more, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/
There cannot be agriculture without culture. Duron Chavis executive director of Happily Natural Day shares his passion for soil health and cultural activism as a means to address systemic issues and transform the built environment. Duron is a thought leader, educator, activist, and changemaker in the Greater Richmond region. He integrates music, art, and cultural identity in his work in urban agriculture, gardening, farming, and orchards as a tool for social change, public health promotion, and community transformation. Duron emphasizes that healthy, fertile soil is an imperative and the crux of landscape resilience, food security, and environmental justice.
To learn more about Happily Natural Day's mission and dedication to holistic health, cultural awareness, and social change, please visit https://thenaturalfestival.com/.
For additional soil health resources, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition's website at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/resources-1.
We also welcome you to show your support 4 The Soil by taking the pledge to build healthy, fertile soil at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html
How can we purposefully enhance soil life? Lydia Fitzgerald is an integrated cropland agronomist with Virginia's USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Virginia Tech. Lydia grew up on a family farm in Nelson County, Virginia, and was inspired by her family to take active participation in Future Farmers of America (FFA) in high school to dream of and pursue a career in agriculture and natural resources. In her outreach and education role, Lydia uses hands-on soil health demonstrations and research to encourage farmers, ranchers, market gardeners, and land managers to take an integrated approach to soil, crop, and natural resource management. Lydia shares that purposeful cover cropping and no-till systems that enhance deep root development and minimize disturbance are essential for enhancing soil life and resilience.
To learn more about educational and technical assistance programs as well as possible career opportunities with Virginia USDA-NRCS, please visit https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/va/home/
For additional soil health resources and information, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition website at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/resources-1. To make your pledge towards improving soil health and to become an ambassador, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html
Keeping local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay clean requires everyone to be actively involved in protecting water quality, managing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, and building soil health. Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt caught up with Matt Kowalski of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) at a recent field day to talk about soil health and water quality. Matt serves as a watershed restoration scientist in Virginia for CBF and specifically focuses on agricultural best management practices and projects to restore wetland and riverside areas. Matt emphasizes that keeping water clean needs to happen farm by farm and lawn by lawn, and that we all can do our part to improve water quality and save the Chesapeake Bay.
To learn more about the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Mountains-to-Bay Grazing Alliance, please visit https://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/multi-state-grazers-alliance.html and https://www.m2balliance.org/.
For information about year-round lawn care and ways to possibly incorporate a legume like Dutch white clover into your lawn for water quality and pollinators, please visit https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/document/yardcare.pdf and https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/soil-water-conservation/you-your-land-landscape
As always, please join the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and 4 The Soil movement. You can commit to doing your part to build soil health and protect water quality by taking the pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html
In this second part of our conversation with Michael Carter Jr. of Carter Farms in Orange County, Virginia, Michael shares his unique insights and perspectives on history and its ongoing relationship to soil health and farming. Michael is a fifth-generation farmer with a passion for small farm outreach, the decline in the number of black farmers and black-owned farms, and efforts to restore equity and justice in farming and access to land. Michael recounts the foresight his grandmother and her family had in buying their farm and land in Orange County after World War II. He also shares the significant role and contribution George Washington Carver had in extension education and outreach related to cropping and the care of the soil. Michael points out the spiritual elements of soil health and how many religious traditions recognize the value of soil in building community, trust, and faith.
To learn more about Carter Farms and the interdisciplinary teaching platform Africulture, please visit https://thecarterfarms.com/.
For book recommendations and other resources, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition website at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ . We also encourage you to join the soil health movement and take the 4 The Soil Pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html.
How do culture, history, and mindset influence soil health? Michael Carter Jr. of Carter Farms in Orange County, Virginia shares his insights and perspectives in this 4 The Soil: A Conversation episode. Michael is a fifth-generation farmer who grew up on a century farm and learned from the many agricultural teachers in his family and community. Michael provides historical context and examples of mindsets that can affect and limit soil health much like a compacted hardpan layer below the soil surface. Michael offers that cultural richness, racial literacy, and microbiological diversity are essential to soil health-building processes and community life.
To learn more about Carter Farms and their work growing ethnic, African tropical vegetables organically and its Africulture interdisciplinary teaching platform, please visit https://thecarterfarms.com/.
In recognition and celebration of National Soil Health Day on June 23, 2022, please remember to take the 4 The Soil Pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html.
How did a grandmother's passion for gardening inspire her grandson's career in taking care of the soil? In this episode, Cory Guilliams, district conservationist with Virginia USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), recalls the influence and lessons learned from his grandmother about soil health and winter cover crops as he helped her as a youth in picking and weeding beans and potatoes. Cory shares the history and definition of no-till farming in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic Region and how important the practice is for aggregating soil particles and reducing erosion. Tillage can be extremely destructive so minimizing soil disturbance is critical. We can all be 4 The Soil and do our part to build health from the soil up.
To learn more about soil health and possible careers in natural resources conservation and environmental sciences, please visit the Virginia USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/va/home/.
For more information about cover crops, no-till practices, and other ways to build soil health or share your own story of how you became interested in taking care of the soil, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition website at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/resources-1.
Soil is an amazing foundation for all of us. Soil nourishes, fuels, and sustains all life. In this episode, Janet Aardema and her daughter Sylvie of Broadfork Farm share their enthusiasm and experiences with farming and soil health as the basis for their business and educational outreach. Janet and Sylvie discuss how they use the core principles of soil health but also composting, permaculture, forest farming, and food recovery to capture carbon and decrease our carbon and ecological footprints. They elaborate on specific practices they use to keep the soil covered and maximize living roots as they grow more than fifty diverse vegetable crops but also how they are working with their peers and classmates.
To learn about Broadfork Farm's and Teens Acting for Carbon Capture's (TACC) ongoing work with soil health, vegetable production, and their educational efforts on climate resilience and mitigation, please visit their websites at https://broadforkfarm.net/ and https://tacc.earth/.
For additional resources on agriculture, soil health, and climate change, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) websites at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://sustainableagriculture.net/publications/
In the episode, Virginia's Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr shares his passion and perspective on soil health, conservation, and the future of farming. As a fifth-generation Virginia poultry and beef farmer, Secretary Lohr sees the progress farmers are making to move the needle and build soil health to benefit water quality, agricultural production, and climate resilience, specifically with cover cropping, crop rotations, conservation tillage, and farmer-to-farmer mentoring. Virginia farmers are doing well but farmers and all of us can do our part and do better. Education, outreach, and peer-to-peer learning continue to be important to make people aware of what financial, technical, and educational assistance is available at the local, state, and federal levels. Secretary Lohr also reiterates that new and beginning farmers should not go it alone but realize mentors and resources are available to help aspiring farmers learn and succeed.
To learn more about Virginia's commitment to supporting rural economic development, preserving farmland and forestland across the state, and priorities to ensure that all Virginians, especially those who are most vulnerable, have access to safe, healthy foods, , please visit the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry's website at https://www.ag-forestry.virginia.gov/
To become involved in the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the 4 The Soil movement, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and http://4thesoil.org/
Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt spoke with Dr. Alan Franzluebbers at the 2022 Winter Forage Conference. Dr. Franzluebbers is a professor and researcher of soil ecology and management with North Carolina State University and USDA's Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS) based in Raleigh. Alan played in the dirt at a young age and this early interest grew into a lifelong career in studying and researching soil microbial life. He speaks of how important soil organic matter and biology are to nutrient cycling and how earthworms are an indicator of resources for decomposition being present. Additionally, he encourages a whole-system view of agriculture to enhance diversity to improve soil structure and overall ecosystem activity.
Dr. Franzluebbers recommended 'Managing Cover Crops Profitably' published by USDA-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) to anyone interested in learning about cover cropping systems and soil health, which is a free online publication available at https://www.sare.org/resources/managing-cover-crops-profitably-3rd-edition/
For a list of Dr. Franzluebbers' recent research articles, please visit https://cals.ncsu.edu/crop-and-soil-sciences/people/ajfranzl
In celebration and recognition of Earth Day 2022, Mary Sketch Bryant, Eric Bendfeldt, and Jeff Ishee share a deeply meaningful and inspiring conversation with Karen Washington of Rise and Root Farm about soil health, intergenerational knowledge, and heeding nature's wisdom. Karen recalls how planting a tomato seed changed her life and introduced her to nature, land, and soil. She emphasizes the importance of having hard conversations about eating healthy so people and communities are all part of the solution and meet people where they are with soil health and environmental justice. There is room for everyone to grow food.
Additionally, Karen Washington encourages all of us but especially the youth to sit down with our grandparents and parents to understand history, capture the intergenerational knowledge, and listen to Mother Nature. What is nature telling us about soil health and the environment? What do previous generations know about soil health and nature? In the end, Mother Nature can guide us in what is needed; sometimes that means stopping and listening to the land and soil.
To learn more about Karen Washington and her ongoing work, please visit https://www.riseandrootfarm.com/. We also encourage you to check out the new 4 The Soil blog at https://www.4thesoil.org/blog
Thomas Bolles of Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Master Gardener Program joins Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt on this episode of 4 The Soil: A Conversation. Thomas is an extension agent for agriculture and natural resources based in Prince William County and works with homeowners, gardeners, farmers, landscapers, and the community. He shares how soil health should be a passion and a responsibility for everyone. He encourages everyone to test their soils on a regular basis to get a baseline and be able to understand the trends in soil fertility and health. A baseline and trendline allow everyone to know when nutrients and soil amendments such as compost might be needed. Whether growing a lawn, tending a garden, managing cropland or a pasture, a good ground cover for soil health can maximize solar energy and maximize the overall function of the ecosystem from the soil up. Thomas also offers insights and advice on compost, use of clovers as a nitrogen source, soil testing, and ways to diversify your soil health management.
Thomas recently wrote an Extension publication guide to help homeowners understand and interpret a soil test report. The publication includes best management practices for improving and maintaining healthy soils in the garden and landscape. The guide and additional resources are available through Virginia Cooperative Extension at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/SPES/spes-384/spes-384.html
Eric Bendfeldt and Jeff Ishee visit with Nicolette Hahn Niman author of Defending Beef at the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council's Annual Conference in part two of their conversation on the strong relationship between soil health and human health. Nicolette is an environmental law attorney, a former vegetarian activist turned cattle rancher, and the author of Defending Beef: The Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat. Nicolette points out that healthy soil is one with diverse microbiological activity with earthworms, insects, microbes, bacteria, and fungi. Similarly, people need a balanced diverse nutrient-rich diet that provides nourishment for a healthy active lifestyle. Nicolette emphasizes we can learn from nature and do less tinkering with natural systems to focus on principles, practices, and real whole foods that are truly nourishing for soil, animals, and humans.
For more information about sustainable and regenerative grazing in Virginia, please visit https://vaforages.org/ and check out Nicolette’s new book and her case for sustainable grazing and livestock care at your local bookstore.
This episode was recorded live at the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council’s 2022 Annual Conference. Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt talked with conference guest speaker Nicolette Hahn Niman. Nicolette is an environmental law attorney, a former vegetarian activist turned cattle rancher, and author of Defending Beef: The Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat. In part one of this conversation, Nicolette discusses how raising livestock sustainably through rotational grazing systems that mimic nature can lead to healthier animals, communities, landscapes, and soils. Raising, managing, and integrating livestock is an essential ingredient to energize the system with diversity, which is a core soil health principle.
For more information about sustainable and regenerative grazing in Virginia, please visit https://vaforages.org/ and check out Nicolette’s new book and her case for sustainable grazing and livestock care at your local bookstore.
In this episode, Mary Sketch Bryant, Jeff Ishee, and Eric Bendfeldt have a conversation with Karen Washington of Rise and Root Farm. Karen Washington was the recipient of the 2014 James Beard Leadership Award and continues to work for food justice, community change, and the overall wellness of the planet for everyone. She shares about the deeply rooted connections of soil health to power, dignity, racial justice, community, and a sense of belonging. As a physical therapist and grower, she reflects on the impact of soil fertility on where people live, where people play, and where people eat. Good soil means good health. Soil is alive and can reconnect people to the history and intergenerational knowledge of agriculture as a starting point for cross-pollinating greater understanding and wellbeing.
To learn more about Karen Washington and her ongoing work, please visit https://www.riseandrootfarm.com/. We also encourage you to follow the four core principles of soil health and take the 4 The Soil pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html
In this episode, Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt speak with Robert Shoemaker, nutrient management specialist with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Robert discusses the work of DCR in partnering with agricultural producers across the state, the intersection of soil health and water quality, and some of the conservation practices that DCR works with farmers to implement that build healthy soils and protect the watershed. He also shares the role of soil testing in understanding the state of your soil fertility “bank account” and the need to monitor withdrawals and deposits.
For more information about the Department of Conservation and Recreation and Division of Soil and Water Conservation visit https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/ and to learn more about the 47 soil and water conservation districts visit https://www.vaswcd.org/.
In this episode, Jeff Ishee and Mary Sketch talk with Dr. Rory Maguire, professor at Virginia Tech in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the supervisor of the Virginia Tech Soil Testing Lab. Rory discusses his background in agriculture in Ireland, the complexity of soil in Virginia, and the importance of testing your soils. He also shares his appreciation for American history, particularly the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and what the expedition and history have to teach us today.
Find out more about soil testing and how to get your soil tests at https://www.soiltest.vt.edu/. Don’t forget to share your support for healthy soil by signing the pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/.
In this episode, we talk with Chief Executive Officer John Piotti of the American Farmland Trust about how soil health can increase productivity and provide other benefits like the storing of carbon. Additionally, we talk about regenerative agriculture, climate change, pollinator habitat, and 'the silver lining' of healthy soils in mitigating increasing challenges to agriculture and the planet. John reiterates there are different case studies, tools, and practices that can help each farm improve the health of their soil. Technical educational service, good information, and financial assistance can be critical.
For more information about American Farmland Trust, please visit https://farmland.org/ We would also encourage you to visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition's website for additional technical and educational resources on soil health and other farming practices at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/
In this episode, Jeff Ishee, Eric Bendfeldt, and Mary Sketch continue their conversation with Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman’s Delicatessen and Community of Businesses. In Part 2, Ari builds on his metaphor of building our cultural soils, discussing the importance of playing the long game of fostering a healthy organizational ecosystem. To read Ari's recent reflections on the metaphor, please visit https://www.zingtrain.com/blog/the-importance-of-organizational-culture/
Also, please don’t forget to share your commitment and your organization's commitment to soil health and a healthy ecosystem by taking the 4 The Soil pledge today at www.4TheSoil.org/#Pledge.
In this episode, Mary Sketch of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and Jeff Ishee of On the Farm Radio talk with Virginia's Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring who shares her love for and tie to nature, forests, and soils; and how that love and those connections made a difference in her trajectory and career. Secretary Ring was introduced to gardening and nature by her grandparents and parents and the connections they made for her to land, water, and soil. Secretary Ring admits that she would "nerd out" on soil early on in her life because she was so intrigued with the biology and the science of soil formation. Her knowledge of soil provided a solid foundation for her career as a state forester, urban forester, natural resource conservationist, and secretary for agriculture and forestry.
Thinking long-term, we want to eliminate erosion and keep soil in place. Secretary Ring says we all need to be soil keepers and take the 4 The Soil pledge for the future of the Commonwealth and for a healthy viable economy.
To do your part as a soil keeper, take the pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/#Pledge
In this episode, Jeff Ishee, Eric Bendfeldt, and Mary Sketch speak with Ari Weinzweig, CEO and co-founder of Zingerman’s Delicatessen and Community of Businesses in Ann Arbor Michigan. Ari is a successful entrepreneur, leader, writer, and visionary. In this episode, we move away from the technical aspects of soil health and hear from Ari on how healthy organizations are like healthy soils. In his thinking and writing, Ari explores and explains why cultural soil health is important to an organization's ecosystem and the broader community, particularly as people seek to better align their lives and values. You can read more from Ari on enhancing our cultural soils here: https://www.zingtrain.com/blog/another-deep-look-at-how-we-can-continue-to-enhance-our-cultural-soils/.
In preparation and celebration of World Soil Day on December 5, 2021, 4 The Soil and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition offer a special episode to hear and learn from the wisdom and insights of Ira Wallace of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. In this episode, Ira shares about the importance of soil health to vegetable and food production, but specifically how soil health is relevant to seed saving, heirloom varieties, and land ownership. Mary Sketch and Jeff Ishee share their own excitement about different seed and heirloom varieties ranging from peanuts to kale. You can also learn how Ira and her colleagues at Southern Exposure Seed Exposure started to build soil health and renovate the soils early on in the history of their farming operation, which included multi-year cover cropping rotations and never leaving the soil bare during a fallow between crops.
Ira's one resource she would share with 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast listeners is Margaret Roach's podcast A Way to Garden at https://awaytogarden.com/
In this episode, Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt continue with part two of their conversation with Dr. John Galbraith, a renowned soil scientist at Virginia Tech in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. In Part 2, John shares his expertise and perspective on soil health management based on leading and mentoring the Virginia Tech Soil Judging Team and his role in growing vegetables as part of a gleaning initiative to meet community needs in the New River Valley Region of Virginia. Did you know that Virginia Tech's Soil Judging Team has won six National Championships and finished in second place five times? If you are interested in a career in agriculture or horticulture, you will want to hear and learn more about soil judging from Dr. Galbraith. Similarly, if you are not familiar with the concept of gleaning, you will want to tune in to the conversation.
Remember to visit www.4TheSoil.org to sign the pledge today and access more resources on soil health!
For additional information about soil judging and gleaning, please visit the following sites:
https://gobblerconnect.vt.edu/organization/soiljudging
https://localwiki.org/bburg/New_River_Valley_Glean_Team
https://endhunger.org/virginia/
In this episode, Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt speak with Dr. John Galbraith, who is a renowned soil scientist at Virginia Tech in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. John discusses his background in agriculture and how he became a student and teacher of soil science, while he explores the diverse soil types found across the state (including the Virginia state soil!) and touches on the different soil characteristics. Remember to visit www.4TheSoil.org to sign the pledge today and access more resources on soil health!
In this episode, Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt talk with Chris Lawrence, State Cropland Agronomist with Virginia Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Chris discusses how the soil works for all of us and the importance of taking care of and respecting it by following the four principles of soil health. Virginia NRCS and Chris Lawrence first started the Virginia Soil Health Coalition in 2013 to increase communication and promote consistency around soil health. You can find more information about Virginia NRCS and soil health in Virginia at the NRCS website. And don’t forget to check out the two books recommended in today’s episode: Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations by David Montgomery and The Worst Hard Times by Timothy Egan.
In the inaugural episode of “4 The Soil: A Conversation,” host Jeff Ishee sits down with Eric Bendfeldt, Community Viability Specialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Mary Sketch, Coordinator of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. Mary and Eric have been working through Virginia Cooperative Extension and with partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition to launch the 4TheSoil Awareness Initiative. The initiative seeks to raise awareness of soil as a critical resource and get people to see themselves as important stewards of the land and soil. In this episode, they discuss why everyone should care about soil health and why they are launching a podcast to help increase awareness. For more information on the 4 The Soil Awareness Initiative and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, please visit www.4TheSoil.org and www.virginiasoilhealth.org.