Episode 133: The Power of Companion Planting with Ian Gould
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Release Date: 10/17/2024
Episode 156: Data-Driven Regeneration with Jonathan Lundgren
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Jonathan Lundgren is an agroecologist, farmer, rancher, and beekeeper, and founder and director of the Ecdysis Foundation and Blue Dasher Farm. Ecdysis Foundation is leading the Thousand Farms Initiative, providing data to validate regenerative agriculture’s impact on soil health, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. His work challenges conventional farming by fostering farmer-scientist collaboration and advocating for sustainable practices that address global ecological issues. In this episode, John and Jonathan discuss: How fully regenerative farms can store carbon equivalent to seven...
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Episode 155: Rethinking Agriculture, Health, and the Science That Connects Them with Robert Verkerk, Ph.D.
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Robert Verkerk, Ph.D., is an environmental scientist and the founder of the Alliance for Natural Health, with over 40 years of experience studying the interplay between human health, agriculture, and ecosystems. His work focuses on promoting regenerative agricultural practices and natural health solutions, emphasizing the need to reconnect food production with ecological and human well-being through science-based advocacy and policy reform. His contributions to regenerative agriculture are vital because they bridge the gap between soil health, food quality, and human health, challenging...
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Episode 154: Soil, Sheep, and Superior Grapes with Ivo Jeramaz
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Ivo Jeramaz, a mechanical engineer turned vintner, immigrated from former Yugoslavia (now Croatia) to Napa Valley, where he rediscovered his ancestral connection to farming. Initially resentful of agriculture due to its demands in his youth, Ivo’s perspective shifted dramatically within weeks of arriving in Napa, where he embraced grape growing and winemaking as a fulfilling life’s work, now leading Grgich Hills Winery with a commitment to regenerative practices. Raised in a family that produced much of their own food and clothing, Ivo brings a deep-rooted appreciation for self-sufficiency...
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Podcast Extra: Our Food Systems Should Heal the Earth with Alana Mooi, Zach Bush, MD and John Kempf
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
In this Podcast Extra episode, John Kempf joined an Earth Day conversation hosted by Farmer's Footprint, alongside Managing Director Alana Mooi and Founder Zach Bush, MD. Together, they explore the urgent need to regenerate our soil and food systems, emphasizing the deep connection between agriculture, human health, and the health of the planet. The discussion highlights how food systems must be understood as a web of relationships with the Earth, and how healing the land is inseparable from healing ourselves. They offer insights into why working with nature, rather than against it, is...
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Podcast Extra: Ask Me Anything with John Kempf - April 14
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
This Podcast Extra episode is from John's Ask Me Anything webinar from April 14. Drawing from his extensive research and firsthand experience, John will provide insights and practical solutions to help growers achieve healthier, more resilient crops. In this discussion, the topics cover: Nutritional management with copper, nitrogen, potassium, and calcium prevents wheat and barley lodging better than PGRs. Soil aeration and oxygen flow enhance paramagnetism more effectively than paramagnetic rock powders. Side-dressing potassium, like potassium nitrate, benefits soil biology more than...
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Episode 153: Soil, Science, and the Politics of Knowledge with Dr. Anna Krzywoszynska
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Dr. Anna Krzywoszynska is a social scientist at the University of Oulu in Finland who studies how farmers and scientists can collaborate to foster regenerative agriculture. An expert on soil knowledge and values, with experience farming organically in Italy, Dr. Krzywoszynska examines the knowledge systems shaping food production. Currently, she’s investigating how to transform agricultural research to support local communities, including turning research stations into hubs for collaboration between farmers and scientists. Her projects aim to align scientific inquiry with local needs,...
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Episode 152: Family Farming and Modern Economic Realities with Mike Omeg
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Mike Omeg is a fifth-generation farmer who grew up on a diverse family farm in Oregon, initially producing cherries, hay, cattle, apricots, apples, and wheat. Over time, he honed in on fresh cherry production. The scale of his operation leaped 10x—from 350 acres to 3,600 acres—when he became a partner with Orchard View Cherries, where he is now the director of orchard operations. Mike’s journey reflects a pragmatic approach to regenerative agriculture, balancing family farm traditions with the economic realities of modern agriculture. By affiliating with Orchard View Farms, he...
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Episode 151: People, Purpose, and Pasture with Clay Conry
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Clay Conry is the host of the Working Cows Podcast. Clay’s journey into podcasting stems from a blend of personal experience growing up on a South Dakota ranch, a love for conversation, and a desire to capture the wisdom of ranchers, influenced by his background as a youth pastor and his participation in the High Plains Ranch Practicum. Over seven years, Clay has built a platform that delves into regenerative agriculture, emphasizing holistic management and the importance of human and environmental relationships. In this episode, John and Clay discuss: The importance of managing personnel...
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Episode 150: Grazing Beyond the Mainstream with Jim Elizondo
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Jim Elizondo is a trailblazer in regenerative agriculture, supporting his accounting degree and agronomy engineering training with hands-on experience. He spent 20 years as a dairy nutritionist and managed a grazed dairy for 28 years, shaping his unique perspective on grazing management. Jim’s work centers on revolutionizing grazing practices to enhance soil health and livestock productivity. He developed the Total Grazing program, which emphasizes non-selective grazing to prevent overgrazing and build long-lived soil carbon, drawing from his observations across climates from Florida...
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Episode 149: Farming, Fashion, and Biodynamics with Cate Havstad-Casad
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Cate Havstad-Casad is a regenerative farmer, entrepreneur, and hatmaker. She and her husband operate Casad Family Farms in Central Oregon on 1,400 acres. Over 11 years, their operation evolved from a small organic vegetable farm to a diversified model focused on holistic grazing, grain production, and direct-to-consumer meat sales of beef and pork, driven by necessity after losing 80% of their irrigation water. Cate is also the founder of Havstad Hat Company and Range Revolution, where she handcrafts high-quality, custom felt hats and leather goods, using sustainable and traditional...
info_outlineIan Gould is a leading figure in regenerative agriculture in the UK, whose focus is on incorporating plant diversity into conventional farming systems to improve both environmental health and productivity. His work includes researching how companion planting and varietal differences within the same species, such as wheat, can enhance crop resilience, improve nutrient uptake, and optimize biomass production.
In this episode, John and Ian discuss:
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The role of multi-species cover crops in improving soil health and productivity
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Innovations in companion cropping and intercropping for increased yields and reduced pest pressures
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The challenges and benefits of integrating plant variety diversity into mainstream agricultural
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How smaller, more vegetative plants are often more resistant to frost in the UK climate
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Nutrition management for disease and pest resistance
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The importance of varietal differentiation as a critical component for optimizing yield and achieving environmental benefits
Ian is the director of Oakbank Game and Conservation Ltd. His work is driven by his early experiences in plant breeding. He first encountered regenerative ideas at the UK’s Groundswell Festival.
Additional Resources
To learn more about Ian’s work at Oakbank, please visit: https://oakbankgc.co.uk/
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