The Cornerstones of Healthy Food Systems

Proper management of grazing land is critical for keeping ranchland profitable for ranchers.  It is also critical for providing ecosystem services that society as a whole values.  In today's episode, animal and rangeland scientist, Dr. Dean Anderson will share insights that led him down the road of invention.  During his career at the USDA Jornada Experimental Range, Dr. Anderson conceived an...

Guest Hank Reid from Natural Grandma Farms LLC  in Northwest Missouri.  Hank transitioned from conventional cattle grazing to an integrated system that includes beef and poultry.  Building on ideas put forth by the likes of Joel Salatin, Alan Savory, Jim Gerrish, and Greg Judy, Hank incorporates the 3 M's of mobile mob management to put beef cattle and chickens to work weeding and fertilizing...

Calcium is an abundant mineral that is unlikely to be missing in soils of semi-arid farmland.  Yet plants and people are often calcium deficient.  Host Mary Lucero discusses symptoms of calcium deficiencies and reasons why crops and soils may require added calcium.  She then shows us  why even when crops and soils have sufficient calcium, diets may still need  supplementation.    References Glypho...

This special edition episode was hosted and recorded by John Kempf, and originally aired on the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast , with the agreement that we would share the episode on both platforms.  John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture .  His Regenerative Agriculture Podcast brings experts from agriculture, ecology, and plant and soil sciences to the table for in depth convers...

Unearth the mysteries of soil health with us as we welcome  Sarah Burnett back for part two.  Sarah shares her personal journey towards leadership at Texas Earth, where she is taking her father's legacy to new heights by developing new products.  Her new, cotton seed-based fertilizer boasts a staggering 328% water holding capacity, promising to help soils retain moisture important for crop gr...

Join me as I sit down with Sarah Burnett from Texas Earth, a company at the forefront of biostimulant production.  Listen as Sarah takes us through her family's journey in this industry, which began when her father, Jim Burnett, accepted a calling to heal the soils of the earth. We will delve into the importance of soil microbes and the roles they play in crop nutrition.  If you are wondering...

In this episode Dr. Mary Lucero explains why the way we think is contributing to environmental decline, and offers ideas for regenerating our ecosystem by changing the way we think about everyday problems.  Listen to why: ·         We cannot effectively restore the environment until we recognize that we are the environment.  ·         Decisions about which new technology to adopt should be based i...

Public school systems are viewed by global experts as the very foundation of free society.  Yet many children find their school experience oppressive and demotivating  Some carry the scars of their public education experience throughout life.  In today's episode, host Mary Lucero explains why public schools that do a better job of addressing the needs, not of congressmen and top administrator...

Featured guest, Dr. Melissa Gomez is a board-certified Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine physician wh spent her early career in El Paso, Texas and in Las Cruces, New Mexico.   Today, she practices near Española, New Mexico, where she and her husband are building a farm. If you grew up in New Mexico, you will enjoy hearing her journey from her childhood in Las Cruces to the University of Notre...

Links to External (Independent) References Brix Level in your Forage.  What Does it Mean? Effect of temperature on photosynthesis Sensors and Instruments for Brix Measurement: A Review (Peer Reviewed Scientific Article)   The episode is supported by JAL Farms through Western SARE project FW22-399 . Project details can be found on the Western SARE website . The Cornerstones of Healthy Food Systems...

    Join host Mary Lucero to explore and challenge ideas stemming from new research.  These ideas suggest that because plant based diets for cats and dogs may have a lower greenhouse gas footprint than meatier pet foods.  But are they shortsighted?  Can cats and dogs stay healthy eating carbohydrate rich plant foods?  Can we find strategies for pet care that are more aligned with nature?   REFEREN...

The Great Resignation highlights an exodus of young workers that may have peaked during the pandemic, but started long before COVID-19.  Does this trend, marked by voluntary job exits at a time when robots are replacing people, mark a new stage in the evolution of freedom that began in 1776? Reference Flynn, Jack.  20 Stunning Great Resignation Statistics [2022]: Why Are Americans Leaving Their Jo...

Holiday obsessions with candy and baked goods for our families are filled with love and good intentions for most of us.  But for people who struggle with abnormally intense cravings, holidays and other food-filled social gatherings can provoke anxiety and exhaustion because the battle to maintain healthy eating habits becomes too intense. In todays episode, we explore the evidence for biochemical...

In today's episode, learn  five principles that will help you make better compost no matter what you are using for feedstock.   The episode is supported by JAL Farms through Western SARE project FW22-399 . Project details can be found on the Western SARE website . External Resource Links How to build a Johnson Su Composting Bioreactor Carbon:Nitrogen Ratios of Compost Feedstocks taken from th...

This episode highlights calcium carbonate, which you might recognize as caliche , as a form of inorganic carbon.  Calcium carbonate represents the world's largest terrestrial carbon sink, and cautions growers, policy makers, and carbon credit brokers to monitor carbon dynamics closely when capturing carbon through agriculture.    The episode is supported by JAL Farms through Western SARE proj...

In this episode, Dr. Mary Lucero discusses biologically sound strategies for preventing infections and staying healthy through cold and flu season.   Her strategies are based on peer reviewed research, including the studies referenced below. RESEARCH ON STRENGTHENING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Exercise and the Regulation of Immune Functions .  Get ready to review all those T-cell and cytokines you learned...

In her  first live  (ie: unedited) recording, Dr. Mary describes End-O-Fite Enterprises new website and subdomains, along with some changes in the podcast format and discusses the pros and cons of applying for government grants to support healthy food systems. Please check out our main site at endofite.com , and our subdomain site at cornerstones.endofite.com .   You can even find this podcast at...

LINKS FOR FURTHER READING Humic Acids and Lignins: Prebiotics for Soil Relationship Between Plant Lipid Bodies and Fungal Endophytes AFFILIATE LINK BLOOMIN' MINERALS    is made of 100% humic shale.  It offers  a great way to add carbon and trace minerals  to your garden See how Bloomin Minerals , in conjunction with a microbial based biostimulant (Symbiosis AgX) protected plants from brackish...

Time Stamps 0:10 What is a microbial economy and how does it mitigate greenhouse gasses? 1:09 Environmental homeostasis has gone wonkers, giving rise to climate anxiety. 1:45 Actions that promote healthy microbial communities can restore environmental homeostasis. 2:00 Primitive microbes diversified over half a million years to produce the first photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Plants came about 2 bi...

In Episode 11, we examine a tiny hormone with powerful effects.   Oxytocin, sometimes called the "Love Hormone," is best known for its effects on social behavior. When oxytocin levels are high, humans and other mammals feel drawn to one another.    Social animals require healthy bonding for survival, and oxytocin has probably evolved to reinforce those bonds.   Oxytocin released during c...

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Using hydrogel filled, embedded tubes to sustain grass transplants for arid land restoration . Guidelines for Planning Riparian Restoration in the Southwest (look for section on  Watering of planted containerized stock ) Treepots (unaffiliated product link) Hydrogels ( unafilliated product link) ABOUT EPISODE 10 1/3 of earth's land masses are class...

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE MK Design House MK Design House on Facebook SCORE List of Online Resources to Help Small Businesses The End-O-Fite Enterprises LLC Food Web Illustration (created by MK Design House) ABOUT EPISODE 9 Host Mary Lucero and special guest, Monica Kekuewa discuss the freedom that can be attained through owning a small business, and how private entrepreneurship...

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Medicinal Herb eBook and Newsletter Signup USDA Plants Database (Unaffiliated Public Website) ABOUT EPISODE 8 Host Mary Lucero discusses the benefits of including native plants in your farm or garden. Erosion Prevention Birds, Bees, and other Beneficials   Locally Adapted Warehouses of Beneficial Microbes and Genes.  Alternative Foods and Seasonings Med...

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Building Better Soils Online Course (host's website) Microbial Analysis for Growers Online Course (host's website) USDA-NRCS Flow Chart to Determine Soil Texture by Feel (free download from unaffiliated site) NAPT Participating Laboratories (unaffiliated site) Humic acids like this soil revitalizer can raise the CEC of your garden soil while s...

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Microbial Analysis for Growers Online Course (host's website) USDA-NRCS Flow Chart to Determine Soil Texture by Feel (unaffiliated site) NAPT Participating Laboratories (unaffiliated site) ABOUT EPISODE 6 Host Mary Lucero discusses: soil assessments you can perform at home to guide growing decisions the use of microscopes to analyze soil microorgan...