Regenerative Agriculture Podcast

Keith Berns, co-founder of Green Cover Seed, is a key figure in the regenerative agriculture movement. Raised on a farm in South Central Nebraska, Keith was a teacher for 10 years before returning to the family farm in 1998, where he and his brother Brian adopted no-till techniques. In 2006, they got introduced to multi-species cover crops, which transformed their farming approach.

Inspired by the positive effects of diverse cover crops on soil moisture retention, plant health, and livestock, Keith and Brian co-founded Green Cover Seed in 2009. The company has since grown significantly, now providing seed for over a million acres annually and playing a pivotal role in promoting regenerative farming practices across the U.S.

In this episode, John and Keith discuss:

• Experimentations that led to diverse cover crop systems
• Moisture efficiency in multi-species cover crops
• Weed management through cover crops
• Increased livestock performance with diverse pasture
• Nutrient cycling with broadleaf cover crops

Additional Resources To learn more about Keith and Green Cover Seeds, please visit: https://greencover.com/ To download Green Cover’s Soil Resource Guide, please visit: https://greencover.com/freeguides/ To learn more about AEA’s seed treatment products, please visit: https://advancingecoag.com/seed-treatments/

About John Kempf John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.

Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition – a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.

Support For This Show & Helping You Grow Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture.

AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA’s science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.

AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.

Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.

Learn more about AEA’s regenerative programs and products: https://www.advancingecoag.com

Steven Cardoza is a second-generation organic raisin grape grower. His 400-acre farm is south of Fresno, California. His father transitioned from conventional to organic growing in 1998 after discovering some of the inputs he was using were making him ill. Steven took over the business in 2017 with a massive jumpstart on the pathway to regenerative agriculture. Since moving from an organic to a regenerative approach, Steven has changed his management methods to enact many exciting results such as increased soil organic matter, increased yields and quality, and the elimination of pesticide use.

In this episode, John and Steve discuss:

• Tillage reduction
• Spider mite challenges
• Nutrition management on organic vs regenerative systems
• Cover crop management
• Water percolation in sandy soil
• AEA products and applications

Additional Resources To hear more about Steven’s regenerative journey, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItT3FLaAZ6g The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast with Greg Pennyroyal: https://regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com/episodes/microbial-influences-on-crop-quality-with-greg-pennyroyal-2/

The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast with Mike Omeg: https://regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com/episodes/the-regenerative-orchard-cherry-success-with-mike-omeg-2/

About John Kempf John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.

Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition – a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.

Support For This Show & Helping You Grow Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture.

AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA’s science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most. AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.

Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.

Learn more about AEA’s regenerative programs and products: https://www.advancingecoag.com

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VIDEO: To learn more from John Kempf about regenerative agriculture, watch this conversation between John and three AEA grower partners about how regenerative agriculture is changing lives and conventional farming: https://youtu.be/n9U6GwbYPDk

Dr. Kris Nichols has conducted innovative research on soil biology, understanding how to regenerate soil health quickly. She is the founder and principal scientist of KRIS (Knowledge for Regeneration In Soils) Systems Education & Consulting Services. Dr. Nichols has also been the Chief Scientist at Rodale Institute and a Research Soil Microbiologist with the USDA.

In this episode, Kris and I discuss how to harness the power of fungi to decrease the use of synthetic fertilizers, the symbiosis between bacteria and water retention, and climate-resilient crops.

Support For This Show & Helping You Grow

This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email [email protected] or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant.

Resources

• David Montgomery
• Judith Schwartz (Cows Save the Planet, Water in Plain Sight)
• Kristin Ohlson (The Soil Will Save Us)
• William Schlesinger (Biogeochemistry: An Analysis of Global Change)

Episode 11 - Kris Nichols - Highlights

3:00 - What are some of the highlights that have lead Kris to where she is today?

• Kris researched mycorrhizal fungi at the University of Minnesota
• Kris worked with USDA and fell back in love with agriculture, especially when seeing concepts from the lab being practically implemented

7:00 - Not being able to regenerate soil to full potential when using synthetic fertilizer

• Organisms in the soil have huge potential to resolve nutrient issues in plants
• In a lab, Kris could see this to be true - but many growers were still relying on synthetic fertilizers
• Need to put the tools in place to optimize organisms in soil (mycorrhizal fungi especially) to maximize effects on plants

10:10 - Applying soluble phosphorus fertilizers removing the need for a symbiotic relationship between plants and mycorrhizae

• Timing is very important when adding amendments - making sure the plant needs are being met when it has those needs
• Many times, plants are unable to make use of all the fertilizer applied
• Can’t “outsource” the job of mycorrhizal fungi

17:10 - What other fertilizers could have a damaging effect?

• Soluble fertilizer does the most damage in “outsourcing” the jobs of the microbial community
• Organic fertilizers are broken down by the microbial communities, and so they do not cause this same damage

19:20 - Plant and root absorption of amino acids and proteins

• The untruth of using synthetic fertilizers to avoid “mining” the soil

27:10 - Water use efficiency

• We have no idea how much water a plant actually needs!
• There are cellular water needs, but also in the rhizosphere around the plant
• Getting efficient mycorrhizal fungi (especially early on) allows the creation of a network for water and nutrient delivery in plants

34:10 - Layers of efficiency from mycorrhizal fungi

• Able to extend beyond the root system
• Phosphate soluble bacteria interactions with mycorrhizal fungi
• An analogy for how this bacteria helps: Plants are figuring out how to get water “from the driveway to the house”, instead of “from the neighboring town to the house”
• Nutrients moving between plants in a system through mycorrhizal fungi

43:00 - What has been something that ...

John Warmerdam is a third-generation stone fruit grower in the San Joaquin Valley of California. His grandfather came to the area from Holland in 1911 and started a small farming operation that John’s father, John N. Warmerdam, eventually took over. Today John and his dad farm over 350 acres of peaches, plums, nectarines, kiwi, and almonds. The Warmerdams also have one of the largest cherry-growing operations in the southern San Joaquin Valley and have been innovators in the fruit packing industry for 45 years. In this episode, they discuss:

• Cultural management practices for stone fruit
• Transitions in his farming systems
• Mite management
• Driving factors for considering regenerative management
• Pruning and thinning management
• Future water usage issues
• Generational shifts in farming

Additional Resources: Concepts for Understanding Fruit Trees by Theodore DeJong

Learn more about Warmerdam Packing Learn more about John Warmerdam

About John Kempf John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture. A top expert in the field of biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.

Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition – a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.

Support For This Show & Helping You Grow The recognized leader in regenerative agriculture since 2006, AEA (Advancing Eco Agriculture) is on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable.

AEA works directly with growers on the application of its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data gathering techniques, AEA’s science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.

AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with their products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers in North America to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.

Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers around the world who thirst for actionable information about regenerative agriculture.

Learn more about AEA’s regenerative programs and products and check out the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast.

VIDEO: For more conversations with John Kempf about regenerative agriculture, watch this amazing conversation between John and three AEA grower partners about how regenerative agriculture is changing lives and conventional farming: https://youtu.be/n9U6GwbYPDk

In this episode, I explore the characteristics shared by farm managers whose operations are exceptionally successful, and consistently outperform similar farms in the region.

In my experience as a field consultant and working with AEA's growers, I’ve observed a set of distinctive managerial patterns in the more successful growing operations. These traits bring outstanding results when farmers apply them over time. Listen to this episode for insights on these characteristics, and how they make growers more successful on their operations.

This podcast episode was originally recorded an exclusive webinar and received such fantastic feedback, I wanted to share it with you. Because this was a webinar, the audio quality is a somewhat lower than usual.

The concepts I cover include:

• Focusing personal energy on increasing revenue, while delegating responsibility for decreasing costs to managers
• Developing an intimate understanding of the agronomic science needed to increase revenue
• Focusing on developing manageable data, measuring, and documenting which techniques work or don't
• Making decisions based on data, particularly economic data
• Having an intuitive heart connection to your crops

Click here sign up for our email list and get updates when new episodes are available.

Support For This Show & Helping You Grow

This show is brought to you by AEA, leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006.

If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue and quality, email [email protected] or call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant.

Related Resources

Extraordinary farm managers do more of these things, than others:

• Focus their time and energy on increasing revenue (spend 80% of own finance related planning time)
• Delegate decreasing costs to accountants, advisors, and/or other staff (spend 20% of own finance related planning time)
• Develop an intimate knowledge of the science needed to increase revenue
• Put a big focus on developing data sets, measuring, and documenting the techniques that work and don't work
• Are decisive and make decisions based on data, particularly economic data
• Plan for the long-term
• Expect perfect implementation and execution from themselves and staff
• Have close relationships with staff, bordering on family
• Spend time learning new information (reading books, attending events, listening to educational media)
• Are open-minded to exploring new information
• Think big, start small, and scale fast
• Have an intuitive heart connection to their crops

Feedback & Booking

Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event -- to [email protected]. You can email John directly at [email protected].

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