soil science

•  Brett Carver Ph.D.
•  OkState Wheat Improvement Team
•  NPK Blog
•  Wheat varieties developed at OkState
• 2022 Winter Crops School Videos

• Randy Raper Ph.D. 
• OSU Ag Research Facilities 
• New Frontiers Agricultural Hall 

- Karen Hicks Ph.D. 

- Environmental Science Program  

- Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law and Rules 

- USDA/NRCS Introduced, Invasive, and Noxious Plants - Oklahoma 

- ODAFF Weed Free Forage and Mulch Certification Rules 

- Thistle Identification OSU Extension 

• Tyson Ochsner Ph.D. 
• Oklahoma Mesonet 
• Oklahoma State University Soil Physics Program

When we think about climate change, we're usually looking up – towards the sky, where greenhouse gases form a heat-trapping blanket over the planet.

But some people — including Freya Mulvey — say part of the global warming equation is found in the other direction… right beneath our feet.

• Nathan Anderson 
• Payne County Extension Office
• NPK Blog post - To bale or not to bale
• FALL SOIL HEALTH FIELD TRAINING
  Thursday, September 1, 2022
  8:30 a.m.
  OSU Agronomy Research Station
• Find resources for crops in the Southern Great Plains at RedDirtAgronomy.com.

John Weir
OkState Fire Ecology
Oklahoma Prescribed Fire Council 
Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association 
Mesonet's OkFire 
RedDirtAgronomy.com

Amanda Silva Ph.D. https://experts.okstate.edu/silvaa

Ok State University Wheat Resources http://wheat.okstate.edu/

Ok State Wheat Blog https://osuwheat.com/

Blister Beetles https://extension.okstate.edu/e-pest-alerts/2022/be-aware-of-blister-beetle-activity-june-27-2022.html

Grasshopper Management OkState Factsheet https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/grasshopper-management-in-rangeland-pastures-and-crops.html

Ok State University Pest E-Alert https://extension.okstate.edu/e-pest-alerts/pest-e-alerts-2022.html

In some ways, Illinois farmers have it good. Much of the state boasts rich, dark soil that helps rank its production of corn and soybeans among the highest in the nation. Because the Prairie State is receiving frequent and more intense rainfall, it is increasingly important that farmers adopt conservation practices to keep soil nutrients in place. One of the best ways to combat this trend is to plant cover crops, which provide a natural way of protecting the soil and improving water quality. Thanks to American Farmland Trust’s support for the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Fall Covers for Spring Savings program, more Illinois farmers are using cover crops, saving cash, and engaging in sound conservation practices. 

In this episode of No Farms No Future, we’ll introduce you to 26-year-old farmer Frank Rademacher and AFT’s Midwest Director Kris Reynolds. Both are experienced Illinois farmers, and have been working with and promoting the use of cover crops for years. 

No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice.

Resources:

Rademacher Farms

Fall Covers for Spring Savings Crop Premium Discount Program

AFT Midwest District

Illinois Corn Growers Association

Illinois Dept. of Agriculture (Cover Crops page)

To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org. 

Episode photo by Shawn Linehan

No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast. 

When the U.S. outlawed alcohol during Prohibition, Kentucky farmers stopped growing rye, a key ingredient in one of Kentucky’s most iconic products—bourbon. As agricultural research compelled farmers to explore the benefits of cover crops, American Farmland Trust (AFT) detected an opportunity to revive rye. AFT launched the Kentucky Commercial Rye Cover Crop Initiative to capitalize on the synergy between Kentucky farmers, the state’s bourbon industry, and the quest to slow the impact of climate change.  

This episode of No Farms No Future will introduce you to farmer Sam Halcomb and AFT’s Billy Van Pelt and Scott Franklin. They are three of the many collaborators in the Bluegrass State—including leaders from the distilling industry, University of Kentucky, and many other farmers—who are powering the effort to put Kentucky rye back into the world’s best bourbon.   

No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice.

Resources:

Walnut Grove Farms

AFT’s Kentucky Rye Project

Brown-Forman Corp.

Woodford Reserve

DendriFund

University Kentucky Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

Kentucky Grain Growers Association

To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org. 

Episode photo by Shawn Linehan

No Farms No Future is powered by Simplecast. 

This week the Agronomists Happy Hour traveled to Des Moines, IA to attend the North Central Soil Fertility Conference.  Lots of great topics and speakers from that conference that we cover on this episode. 

Because we were in Iowa, beer this week came from West O Beer located on Lake Okoboji in northwestern Iowa. Tune in to the last 10 minutes to get our take on their beer. 

If you are interested in what FarmQA can do for your operation as a consultant or as a farmer, do not hesitate to reach out to Ben Munson to answer all of your questions how FarmQA can simplify your day. He can be reached via email at ben.munson@farmqa.com or call at 320-266-8120  

In this episode, we're exploring how to engage farmers, landowners and locals to improve soil health collaboratively. 

Our guest today - Jessica Gnad is a dedicated soil health advocate with over a decade of experience in the food and farming industries. Jess is the executive director of a new non-profit called Great Plains Regeneration which seeks to regenerate the vast Great Plains via collaboration with farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders and to mimic nature by using regenerative agriculture principles. 

Jess used to serve as an executive board member for Kansas State University Research and Extension. She also directs high impact events like Soil Health U, advises consulting company Soil Regen and is a speaker and soil advocate for Kiss the Ground.

Jess describes herself as a row crop farmer and an avid gardener. She's passionate about growing her own fruits and vegetables following regenerative practices.

Tune in to hear the soil health discussion between Rob and Jess. 

Follow Jessica Gnad on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagnad/
Learn more about Great Plains Regeneration: https://greatplainsregen.org/
Learn more about Kiss the Ground: https://kisstheground.com/

#027:  How many civilizations have collapsed due to extractive agricultural practices and soil degradation and how close is ours to reaching the same fate? Author and geologist David Montgomery talks us through the ultimate costs of taking our soils for granted and the difficulty of reversing course with modern technology. 

Author and geologist David Montgomery is a professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. He has written the books Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations and Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life, and along with his partner, Anne Biklé, he co-authored the book The Hidden Half of Nature and is currently working on You Are What Your Food Ate. David and Anne also run the website Dig2Grow and are both members of the Real Organic Project Advisory Board.

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/david-montgomery-clever-modern-technology-vs-ancient-soil-wisdom-episode-twenty-seven

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

The Real Organic Project Certification deadline for 2024 is 04/15/2024. Please visit RealOrganicProject.com/Apply to guarantee a 2024 visit and inspection!

Dr. Elaine Ingham discusses the soil food web in detail, explaining the complex relationships in biology taking place beneath our feet. 

Modern farming practices are destroying vital soil ecologies, and our patch work solutions aren’t making things any better. Today we are joined by Dr. Elaine Ingham, a leading soil ecologist who has established the Soil Food Web School, a platform that teaches people how to optimize their growing operation and advocates the return to greener practices. 

We discuss how we can repair the land using simple, natural, systems, and how in doing so we heal the planet by increasing carbon sequestration, depolluting water supply systems, catalyzing environmental justice and so much more.

Topics covered:

• Soil health before human influence
• Practical ways we can rebuild microbial populations for healthier soil
• Specialized relationships between soil fungi and plants
• Successions of ecosystem health from the soil to mature plants
• The adversaries of inorganic fertilizers 
• Analyzing ratios of the fungal and bacterial needs to grow healthy plants
• Cultivating and sourcing biocomplete compost
• Industrial level compost production and soil remediation
• Carbon sequestration in soil health

Show notes:

Soil Food Web website: https://www.soilfoodweb.com/

Dr. Ingham’s published work on soil ecology: https://www.soilfoodweb.com/publications/




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In this episode, we're discussing the role of microbe communities in soil. How microbes can be profiled to better understand what is happening underground, how to nurture and retain microbes and how they impact plant growth. We're also gonna talk about carbon storage in the soil and the main factors to encourage healthy soil. 

Our guest is Adrián Ferrero, CEO at Biome Makers.

Biome Makers was founded in Silicon Valley in 2015 and it's a global agtech company providing microbiome insights to empower smart agriculture. The company has developed a patented technology, integrating DNA Sequencing and ecological computing technologies using one of the more complex biomarkers: the soil microbiome. 

Today, Biome Makers have two headquarters - one in the US and one in Spain, 700 farmers, 60 ag-input manufacturers and 100 research institutions and labs in more than 35 countries benefitting from Biome Makers’ analytical tools - BeCrop® and Gheom®.

Tune in to hear the soil health discussion between Rob and Adrian.

You can follow Adrian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-ferrero-97a0153/
Learn more about Biome Makers: https://biomemakers.com/

Tune in to the CPHP May Garden Education podcast series. This is part 2 of the May episode with my friend, co-host, and fellow Earth Spirit; soil scientist and enthusiast, Dr. Akilah Martin discussing her passion - soil.

This is a timely episode in Chicago and USDA hardiness zones 5 and 6 that kind of overlap in Chicago as gardeners of all stripes swing into action. Chicago can be a tricky place to grow in the spring because this week we experienced temperatures near 90 degrees and as I write this on May 28th the temperature reached a high of 45 degrees. Subsequently, I will limit my spring gardening to hardy greens such as collards and kale and save crops such as spinach, mustard greens, cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower until the fall. The stretch of hot temperatures the past few years during the month of May compelled me to delay planting to avoid bolting crops, this year I guessed correctly.

We are looking forward to receiving seedlings from David Toledo of Contemporary Farmer, Inc. who, I shared seeds with in exchange for receiving seedlings.  We will be featuring the website information about many of our partners during the upcoming episodes in 2020. In the meantime see the website of a coalition we participate in, Chicago Grows Food.

Summarizing the episodes here are a few books that you may want to search for at your local library or pick up for you library. The selection is really a collection of books sitting in arms reach in our office library with over 300 books out of hundreds spread throughtout the house.

Soil Science for Gardeners: Working with Nature to Build Soil Health, Pavlis, Robert, New Society Publishers, 2020.

Grow Bag Gardening: The Revolutionary Way to Grow Bountiful Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits and Flowers in Lightweight Eco-friendly Fabric Pots, Espiritu, Kevin, Cool Springs Press, 2021.

Raised bed Gardening for Beginners, Wylie, Tammy, Rockridge Press, 2019.

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening, Riotte, Louise, Storey Publishing, 1998.

We seem drawn to Agtech and impact investing. And good-tasting fruit.
We kicked off our 2021 season with a discussion on impact investing or socially responsible investing, including with a startup (EcoRobotix) that produces solar-power farming equipment for AI-based precision application of herbicide. We've done a few episodes in the Agtech space, including with a startup (Strella Biotech)  that uses sensors to determine optimal fruit ripening in storage, reduce food waste and make our avocados not crummy. In this episode we continue these trends, and learn from TrueAlgae CEO Nathaniel Jackson about how their product can improve crop yields while simultaneously improving the sweetness and nutrient density of fruit, all while saving farmers' money and helping reduce the GHG impact of agriculture. This company is a true "double bottom line" company, or more like triple bottom line. Nathaniel himself was an impact investor at the Inter-American Development Bank, and has strong personal stake in seeing the impact investment sector succeed.

Please share the episode with your friends and ... thanks for being curious!

Welcome to the first episode of the Soil Health Hub Podcast! We're delighted to have Jake Freestone as our very first guest.  Jake is the farm manager for Overbury Enterprises, a LEAF accredited farmer and a Nuffield Scholar. In 2014, Jake won  Progressive Farmer of the Year by the Farm Business Awards and Soil Farmer of the Year 2020 by the Farm Carbon Toolkit. The discussion focuses on real-life examples and practical, long-term solutions to improving soil health. Tune in to find out more! #soilhealth