Episode 101: Making the Most of Water Variability with Joel Grosbach
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Release Date: 01/25/2024
Podcast Short: Fast Five with John Kempf on the Permaculture Orchard Podcast
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
In this Podcast Short, John Kempf returns to the Permaculture Orchard Podcast with Stefan Sobkowiak and his son Zach to share actionable agronomic tips and key mindset shifts for regenerative growers. He explains that adding sugar to foliar sprays boosts plant metabolism and can halve fertilizer application rates, while establishing at least eight plant families triggers quorum sensing for ecosystem collaboration. John warns that most fruit quality issues stem from self-inflicted excesses of nitrogen and potassium, advocating for an internal shift from "what to kill" to "how to nurture."...
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Podcast Extra: John Kempf on Soil Biophysics, Plant Immunity & Foliars on the Permaculture Orchard Podcast
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
In this Podcast Extra episode, John Kempf joins Stefan Sobkowiak and his son, Zach, on the Permaculture Orchard Podcast . During the course of the episode, they discuss John’s background growing up on an Ohio Amish farm ; plant biophysics, including seeds as living microbial inoculants and quantum mechanics in photosynthesis ; high-ROI grower tips like adding sugar to foliar sprays to cut nutrient inputs in half , planting eight plant families to trigger quorum sensing , and avoiding excess nitrogen and potassium to prevent pest outbreaks and extend storage life ; and Advancing Eco...
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Podcast Extra: Ask Me Anything with John Kempf - July 10, 2026
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
In this Podcast Extra, Join John as he answers a wide range of grower-submitted questions covering challenges in agriculture. The discussion focuses on managing high summer leaf temperatures, optimizing organic nitrogen budgets, and navigating severe base saturation imbalances. John emphasizes the critical connection between precise crop nutrition, active soil biology, and the natural suppression of destructive diseases and pests. Other topics discussed include: Managing nutrition and the microbiome through AEA's to help achieve crop resistance to spotted wing drosophila in berries. Reducing...
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Episode 185: Pioneering Solubilized Urea and Foliar Nutrition with the Fabian Family
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Patrick Fabian and his two sons Andrew and Stephen operate a third and fourth-generation farm in Southern Alberta, Canada. Farming on 100% irrigated land, they specialize in producing a diverse range of pedigreed seeds, including cereals, flax, corn, alfalfa, canola, and peas. Their operation encompasses roughly a thousand acres and revolves around cultivating high-quality seeds that boast robust germination and exceptional vigor. In their transition to regenerative agriculture, the Fabians drastically reduced upfront synthetic nitrogen, opting instead to spoon-feed crops with highly...
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Episode 184: The Crisis of Blandness in Agriculture with Mark Schatzker
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Mark Schatzker’s path into food science and journalism began in 1997 when an unforgettable Chilean steak completely changed his perspective on taste. Armed with a degree in philosophy, he became obsessed with understanding why standard North American food had lost its flavor. This curiosity sparked a decades-long global journey investigating the deep connection between soil quality, plant genetics, animal nutrition, and culinary excellence. Today, Mark is the acclaimed author of three groundbreaking books—Steak, The Dorito Effect, and The End of Craving. Beyond his writing, he collaborates...
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Episode 183: Overcoming the Ammonium Death Spiral with Jim Dunlop
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Jim Dunlop is a senior agronomist with Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA) whose journey into agriculture began after serving in the Marine Corps. He used the GI Bill to study biology and chemistry at CSU Stanislaus. While there, he started a CSA farm in the Yosemite foothills, which grew significantly as he collaborated with organic growers. Jim later managed a pasture livestock operation on California's Central Coast and spent a year traveling the country in an RV to visit diverse farms. He eventually settled in Oregon's Columbia Gorge, transitioning from a compost facility to managing orchards...
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Podcast Extra: Ask Me Anything with John Kempf - June 4, 2026
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
In this Podcast Extra, Join John as he answers a wide range of grower-submitted questions covering challenges in agriculture. The discussion focuses on managing high summer leaf temperatures, optimizing organic nitrogen budgets, and navigating severe base saturation imbalances. John emphasizes the critical connection between precise crop nutrition, active soil biology, and the natural suppression of destructive diseases and pests. Other topics discussed include: Distinguishing between air temperature and leaf temperature, highlighting how a healthy wax lipid layer lowers a plant's canopy...
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Episode 182: Reclaiming Independence from Corporate Meat with Cole Mannix
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Cole Mannix is a multi-generational rancher from central and western Montana who serves as the founder of Old Salt, a vertically integrated startup enterprise. Coming from a background rooted in mountain grazing and extensive holistic management, Cole spent decades working alongside his family and regional producers to optimize ecological function, riparian health, and predator coexistence on their expansive home landscapes. Recognizing the vulnerabilities ranching families face as processing and retail channels become increasingly consolidated, Cole launched Old Salt to construct an...
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Episode 181: Plant Immunity Through Custom Foliars and Targeted Nutrition with Peter Henry
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Peter Henry is a first-generation farmer who manages a diverse, seven-hectare operation in the mountainous terrain of Puerto Rico alongside a dedicated four-person workforce. He transitioned to agriculture during the pandemic after a successful career as a tech executive and startup vice president, initially purchasing the abandoned land with the intent of establishing a shade-grown specialty coffee farm. After encountering significant challenges with his initial coffee crops, Peter successfully shifted his operation toward passion fruit and a highly specialized niche market growing...
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Episode 180: Shifting Management Logistics to Build a Better Lifestyle with Tom Cotter
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Tom Cotter is a third-generation farmer from Austin in southeast Minnesota who operates a diverse operation alongside his family and brother-in-law, Tony. He began farming with his dad in 1994 under a purely conventional system characterized by full tillage and routine chemical applications. Tom’s journey into soil health began unexpectedly when his father purchased a tile plow and they noticed how much easier the equipment pulled—and how much better subsequent yields were—following a 20-acre test planting of rapeseed cover crops. Today, Tom manages an operation encompassing 340 acres of...
info_outlineJoel Grosbach is a fifth-generation farmer and AEA customer growing dryland and irrigated crops in Southwest Nebraska. Since his area only receives seven inches of average annual rainfall, incorporating regenerative practices such as cover crops, crop rotation, animal grazing, and minimal tillage are critical for water management. Joel grows a variety of crops, including popcorn and dry edible beans, and grows for his neighbor, who owns a seed production business.
In this episode, John and Joel discuss:
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Regenerating local ecosystem rainfall
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Structuring his farm only to use 7” of irrigation each season
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Choosing crops based on water needs
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Importance of cover crops and crop residue
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Reducing inputs and eliminating fungicides
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Mindset shifts that occur when transitioning to regenerative agriculture
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