In Search of Soil

In this episode of In Search of Soil , we're talking to Italian soil Scientist Dr. Adriano Sofo to shed some light on the importance of soil macrofauna, earthworms, beetles, ants, and the like, and their roles in building healthier soil for more sustainable agriculture. Dr. Adriano Sofo is an associate professor in the University of Basilicata in Matera, Italy. Cited more than four thousand times,...

In this episode of In Search of Soil , we're talking to one of the pioneers in developing probiotic technology, Dr. Matthew Wood, to shed some light on what efficient microbes (EM) are, what they do to the soil, and how our soils can benefit from adding them. Dr. Matthew Wood earned his Bachelor's degree in Soil and Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his Master's deg...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we're talking to soil scientist Dr. Kurt Spokas of the United States Department of Agriculture to walk us through what biochar is, what it can potentially do, and what its limitations are when it comes to applying it to agricultural production. Dr. Kurt Spokas is a soil scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture who has dedicated years of researc...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we're talking to Dr. David Laird of Iowa State University to shed some light on what it means to have clay soil, what its benefits and drawbacks are on agricultural production, as well as de-mystifying some common misconceptions on clay soils. Dr. David Laird is a professor at Iowa State University Department of Agronomy. As a soil scientist, he has authored a...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we're talking to 3Bar Biologic's Dr. Jane Fife to shed some light on microbial biologics, realistic expectations of what they can do to our soils and our crops, and a little bit about the biological products industry. Dr. Jane Fife is the Chief Science Officer at 3Bar Biologics as well as an Adjunct Faculty at The Ohio State University. With more than twenty y...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we have Dr. Gary Harman of Cornell University on the show to talk about what Trichoderma is, what it does to the soil and all the benefits that it brings to plants and crops. Dr. Gary Harman is a Professor Emeritus at Cornell University College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science. His fields of specialization include biologic...

In recent years, there's been a visible shift of farmers and growers, especially the younger ones, moving into more regenerative agricultural practices. That as may be, there are still a sizeable amount of growers who are firm in their conventional practices for one reason or another. In this episode of In Search of Soil, we're talking to Dr. Gabe Kenne of the University of South Carolina to share...

As farmers and growers, one of the number one things we need to take good care of to ensure good production is our soil. Now, there are a ton of practices and amendments available that supposedly make our soils healthier, from compost to compost teas, to biochar, to a lot of other things. Consequently, one such amendment that's coming more and more into light these past few years is live microbial...

In this episode of In Search of Soil , we have Dr. Johannes Lehmann, one of the leading scientists in the field of soil biogeochemistry. We'll discuss and question everything we know—or think we know—about humus, biochar, and soil organic matter with insightful, thought-provoking discussions. Dr. Johannes Lehmann is a professor at Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we have biochar scientist and citizen scientist advocate Francesco Tortorici to fill in those knowledge gaps and encourage you to push forward with being a responsible citizen scientist. Francesco Tortorici is an engineer by trade, and since 2014, he has worked with the Port Townsend designing and building biochar filters that remove heavy metals from stormwat...

We're collecting a new batch of In Search Of Soil episodes! Season 2 starts next week. We know you'll love what comes next! Stay tuned for more deep-dive explorations into the science behind your soil! While you wait, we'd love for you to experience some of the other great stuff we have to offer: WATCH FULL EPISODES   YouTube https://bit.ly/watchISOS SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING   → Shop: https://growep...

We're cultivating a new crop of In Search Of Soil episodes for you, and Season 2 is coming soon! Stay tuned for the next batch of explorations into the science behind your soil! While you wait, we'd love for you to experience some of the other great stuff we have to offer: WATCH FULL EPISODES   YouTube https://bit.ly/watchISOS SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING   → Shop: https://growepic.co/shop → Seeds: http...

We're collecting a new batch of In Search Of Soil episodes! Season 2 is in the near future, and we know you'll love what comes next. Stay tuned for the next batch of deep-dive explorations into the science behind your soil! While you wait, we'd love for you to experience some of the other great stuff we have to offer: WATCH FULL EPISODES   YouTube https://bit.ly/watchISOS SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING  ...

We've heard and talked about compost and compost teas. We've also discussed all the different ways to make your own compost and compost teas. But say that you just don't have the time to make your own - you'd probably just hop on over to the municipal composting site, grab a truckload, and go home.  How can you tell that the compost you got is actually good quality compost? Does it matter? Our gue...

Carbon sequestration, carbon emission, carbon building. Soil carbon, organic carbon, and accessible carbon. They all keep popping up here and there in the farming space, but what exactly do they all mean? With carbon being thrown around everywhere, it's understandable to get confused somewhere along the line. This is why today's guest, Dr. Bruno Basso of Michigan State University, will shed some l...

What if your soil test just came back, and suddenly someone tells you that your soil's nutrient values will stay consistent regardless of whether or not you put amendments? Understandably, you would find that hard to believe. You'd probably ask, where is it coming from, and where does it go? Today, we're talking to Dr. Buz Kloot of Soil Health Lab to discuss just that. Dr. Buz Kloot began his prof...

One of the members of the soil ecology that is mentioned on a generalized note is fungi. Although we recognize their importance, there aren't a lot of specifics tied to mycology—and that's because there's still a lot we don't know about them.  As a branch of science, mycology is still relatively new, and a lot less studied compared to other fields of study. Today, mycologist Peter McCoy sheds some...

With how far science has come, we're still at odds in the face of finding the holy grail of agricultural research: finding nitrogen-fixing bacteria that affiliate with non-legumes. The search has been going on for 50 years with no luck. And this is where synthetic biology comes in. Synthetic biology strives to engineer beneficial microbes to give growers the same, or better, optimized solutions th...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we'll get information about compost tea from soil consultant Troy Hinke. There is a multitude of soil amendments out there just bursting out of the catalogs, and each kind promises one, two, or a few things. Some are met with skepticism, while others are met with excitement. One of those things is compost tea. It's one of the soil amendments that is sworn to b...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we'll be learning information about biochar straight from a biochar expert, Kelpie Wilson. There are as many soil amendments out there as there is soil. Some of them are well-known and widely accepted, while others are a little bit more controversial because of the amount and quality of information readily available. One such amendment is biochar. With the amo...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we're talking to microbiologist and co-creator of the Johnson-Su bioreactor, Dr. David Johnson about composting, fungal-dominated compost, and just how much compost you really need to help improve the soil and rebuild the microbial communities there.  Dr. David Johnson is an adjunct professor for the College of Agriculture at Chico State University and a Facul...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we have farm educator Jim Hoorman of Hoorman Soil Health Services, and he'll walk us through some of the questions you might have about tillage and soil compaction—what it is, how it happens, and how to remedy the problems along with a lot of talk on the many benefits of cover crops.  Follow Jim Hoorman - https://www.hoormansoilhealth.com/ WATCH FULL EPISODES...

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we'll be talking about the truths behind soil, breaking the myths behind it, and illuminating some interesting and intriguing ways to go about how to build soil. Our guest is one of the world's leading soil biologists, Dr. Elaine Ingham, who will help us see soil in a new light.  Follow Dr. Elaine - https://www.soilfoodweb.com/ SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING   → Shop:...

Welcome to the weird, mysterious world under our feet: the soil. Hosted by Diego Footer and a part of the Epic Gardening Podcast Network. In this show, you'll learn - and unlearn - crucial information about soil, directly from scientists, researchers, and other experts that call the soil their home. We hope you enjoy - and as always... Keep on growing.