The Regenerative Journey with Charlie Arnott

Charlie caught up with Mick Wettenhall at his property 'Weemabah' at Trangie, NSW to dig into his own regenerative journey. Mick most recently has been progressing research into a little know fungi that has an enormous capacity to sequester carbon in the soil. Mick would rather see an agricultural evolution than an agricultural revolution, highlighting that if we are to support the adoption of regenerative practices it needs to be 'adaptable' to their current farming situations.

To start a dialogue and converse more about topics raised in this podcast, please visit The Regenerative Journey Podcast Facebook Group.

Mick is an ex-saddle bronc rider | ‘Agriculture needs to be an evolution not a revolution’ | He was conventional farming at Trangie back in early 2000 | Mick highlights the situation agriculture and the human race is in, that of the 'Frog boiling in the pot', the environment and human health is in decline and we are not noticing the rapid decline in both | Mick is farming multi species forage crops and cattle now from a conventional mixed farming and cotton operation prior to him taking over management from his father in-law | The potential to build soil carbon is enormous | The environment is subsiding the cost of food |Family succession was managed by Micks father in law very well, which is not always the experience of farming families | Mick was inspired by a presentation by Tim Flannery in 2006 on climate change | The catalyst for the creation of Soil C Quest was at the Carbon Conference Dubbo 2013 with Mick's good mate Guy Webb | Peter McGee was the microbiologist who had discovered the particular fungi that Soil C Quest are furthering the research on to sequest significant amounts of Carbon in soil | Carbon is lost to the environment when in the presence of air or water | Carbon found in a micro aggregate was determined to be put in there by fungi and consequent research identified that the fungi could increase C levels by 17 times in 10 weeks in this particular case | melanised endophytic fungi | How do we get main stream agriculture to adopt practices to sequestrate Carbon | Soil C Quest (NFP) is developing an Endophytic innoculum seed dressing | The Soil C Quest big break came when Mick was interviewed on the BBC | Horizons ventures become interested and are now the lead investor | Soil Carbon Company created to develop the product The seed application product is applicable to grazing systems and however needs more research required.

Episode Links

Soul C Quest

Grassroots video - A story about farmers, the soils they work and a piece of powerful knowledge that nearly slipped through their fingers. Grassroots follows Guy Webb and his friends, unlikely heroes on a quest to bring a genuine climate change solution to the world.

AFR article on Horizons Ventures & Soil Carbon Co

Horizons Ventures - Venture capital firm

Soil Carbon Company

In part 2 of this interview, Charlie and Charles detail the difference between Complex Adaptive Systems and the Industrial Method of farming. Charles’ resonates his free flowing insight into the direct relationship between farming, food systems, human health and its effect on the mental health of ourselves and our children. They summarise the consequences of our increasing divorcement from nature and the job description of a regenerative farmer.

Charles Massy is a devotee for regenerative farming and patriarch for land care advocates in Australia. He is a farmer, author and storyteller who has brought life to the ideals of so many scholars and forward thinkers that are fundamental to our human interaction on the ecosystem. He has deep empathy for nature that is in sync with land management.

To start a dialogue and converse more about topics raised in this podcast, please visit The Regenerative Journey Podcast Facebook Group.

Episode Takeaways:

Emergent Properties are the name they’ve given to elements within the system that will emerge when it needs to adapt. The solution lies within | If you have a healthy environment and you degrade it too far it will go to a stage that it’s almost impossible to get it back | In industrial farms you have drug addicted plants waiting for their fertiliser dose | Modern industrial food is causing all of these diseases causing havoc on human health | Most indigenous women in hunter-gatherer societies can identify at least 500 food or medicinal plant in their landscape | We now find devastating evidence that the world’s most widely used herbicide is in almost all modern foods | For every child in Australia under aged under six, only 1 in 4 has ever climbed a tree or a rock | The solutions are simple: grow and eat healthy food and get out into nature as much as you can |

Episode Links: Holistic Management – Alan Savoury Nourishment - Fred Provenza Last Child In The Woods – Richard Louv Di Haggerty – Cropping Farmers A Thousand Days Program Zach Bush - Holistic Health and Wellbeing Patagonia Provisions – Yvonne Chouinard

Scott Gooding's home at Whale Beach in the Northern Beaches of Sydney is a far cry from his childhood in the UK. Finding his culinary feet in the kitchen of his families pub, he developed his skills here in Australia in a somewhat unconventional way, faced a debilitating 7-year health crisis and now advocates for healthy living, eating and thinking through a number of projects and initiatives, including his latest, The Good Farm Shop, supporting regenerative & ethical farmers and supplying 'artisanal, real meals, thoughtfully made' to a discerning customer base.

Episode Links

• Jordan B Petersen - https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/
• 'Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee' Dee Brown - https://www.booktopia.com.au/bury-my-heart-at-wounded-knee-dee-brown/book/9780099526407.html
• My Kitchen Rules TV show - https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxhn42
• Sustainable Table - https://www.sustainabletable.org.au/
• The Good Farm Shop - https://thegoodfarmshop.com/
• Harris Farm - https://www.harrisfarm.com.au/blogs/campaigns/regenerative-farming
• Rachel's Farm - https://theregenerators.org/rachels-farm/

Season Sponsor:

This season we've teamed up with Highland Beef Pastoral a grass-fed beef supply chain servicing the growing US grass-fed market.

The Highland Beef program uses an innovative model to change how farmers and customers interact.

Essentially, this Australian-owned business places cattle on their member graziers’ properties at their expense and provides farmers competitive returns for every kg of beef produced, allowing them to focus on improving their businesses in a capital-free, risk-free environment.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this program visit hbpastoral.com.au/charliearnott.

Episode Credits:

Thank you to all who’ve made this show possible. Our host Charlie Arnott. Our producer is Rhys Jones of Yaga Media. And, of course, we are grateful for our sponsors, Patreon supporters, and listeners.

Patrons get access to exclusive videos, a discussion community, and much more. Go to https://charliearnott.com.au/podcast/ to support my work.

Join Charlie and Angelica as they delve into this first welcome-back episode about self-reflection, grounding practices, and the power of wisdom. They discuss assessing values, beliefs, and the importance of staying on track amidst life's challenges (and lack of gas). As they share personal grounding methods, explore the significance of foundational practices, and reflect on recent experiences, they provide listeners with thought-provoking perspectives and inspiration for regrouping and prioritising in their own lives.

Episode Links:

• Nico Plowman - https://nichoplowman.com/
• Wise Than Me Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wiser-than-me-with-julia-louis-dreyfus/id1678559416
• Foundation Stone Meditation - https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA260/English/FSFTSe_index.html

Season Sponsor:

This season we've teamed up with Highland Beef Pastoral a grass-fed beef supply chain servicing the growing US grass-fed market.

The Highland Beef program uses an innovative model to change how farmers and customers interact.

Essentially, this Australian-owned business places cattle on their member graziers’ properties at their expense and provides farmers competitive returns for every kg of beef produced, allowing them to focus on improving their businesses in a capital-free, risk-free environment.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this program visit hbpastoral.com.au/charliearnott.

Episode Credits:

Thank you to all who’ve made this show possible. Our host Charlie Arnott. Our producer is Rhys Jones of Yaga Media. And, of course, we are grateful for our sponsors, Patreon supporters, and listeners.

Patrons get access to exclusive videos, a discussion community, and much more. Go to https://charliearnott.com.au/podcast/ to support my work.

Baden is a multi-generational farmer based at Bingara in Northern NSW, with a curious mind and humble disposition implementing several regenerative farming practices which he would call more 'natural farming' methods. Baden has created a wonderful opportunity for his sons to return home to continue the legacy, and the landscape is clearly in safe and conscientious hands for the next generation of his family.

Episode links

• Land to Market - https://www.landtomarket.com/
• Atlas Carbon - https://www.atlascarbon.ag/
• David Burton-https://www.facebook.com/david.burton.58555941
• Graeme Sait https://blog.nutri-tech.com.au/author/graeme-sait/
• Geoff Bassett https://www.farmmojo.com/about

Season Sponsor:

This season we've teamed up with Highland Beef Pastoral a grass-fed beef supply chain servicing the growing US grass-fed market.

The Highland Beef program uses an innovative model to change how farmers and customers interact.

Essentially, this Australian-owned business places cattle on their member graziers’ properties at their expense and provides farmers competitive returns for every kg of beef produced, allowing them to focus on improving their businesses in a capital-free, risk-free environment.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this program visit hbpastoral.com.au/charliearnott.

Episode Credits:

Thank you to all who’ve made this show possible. Our host Charlie Arnott. Our producer is Rhys Jones of Yaga Media. And, of course, we are grateful for our sponsors, Patreon supporters, and listeners.

Patrons get access to exclusive videos, a discussion community, and much more. Go to https://charliearnott.com.au/podcast/ to support my work.