The Grow Renaissance

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time : The Grow Renaissance Series , host Neil Smith welcomes Alex Bell of NoFence, whose journey from mixed small-farm roots in rural France through a decade in global crop nutrition at Yara and then into regenerative agriculture and precision livestock management offers a rich perspective. Together they explore how agriculture is evolving—not just in embracing ne...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time , host Neil Smith welcomes Kai Olsen, a fourth-generation Alberta farmer, mechanic, and team roper, to dig into the realities of modern mixed-ag farming. From managing roughly a thousand acres of cropland (canola, barley, yellow peas) and a 120-head cow-calf herd via swath-grazing with his dad, Kai shares his journey from a 3,000-head feedlot to creating a lea...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time with Neil Smith , host Neil Smith sits down with landscape architect Blair Guppy, whose practice focuses on regenerative, climate-adaptive design that weaves together ecology, culture and human experience. Blair shares his journey from the natural landscapes of British Columbia to working in dense urban settings in Brooklyn and New York, reflecting on how we m...

In this episode of Grow Renaissance Fireside Chat , Will Taylor and Neil bring you into their world — from Grow’s breakthrough appearances at New York Climate Week to their vision for blockchain-powered agriculture — as they introduce Livestock NFTs , a bold initiative to link real-world assets like cattle and crops to digital tokens, strengthen sustainability through data transparency, empower fa...

On this episode of Pasture Prime Time , host Neil Smith chats with Sophie Brauns, Director of Growth & Partnerships at RIPE (Rural Investments to Protect our Environment), about her winding path from political organizing and integrative health work into regenerative agriculture. They explore what “regeneration” truly means versus soil function, the promises and pitfalls of corporate sustainabi...

In this first Grow Fireside Chat, Will Taylor and Neil Smith share exciting updates from the Grow Renaissance community and the Grow blockchain, diving into why integrity and truth are central to Grow’s mission, how its decentralized structure stands apart from Web2 and other Web3 platforms, and the vital role of nodes in community ownership and transparency. They explore real-world applications o...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time, we sit down with Sean Ortiz of EcoGem, a mechanical engineer turned entrepreneur and farmer, to explore how nature-based solutions like high-purity agricultural gypsum can help rebuild soil health and support the transition to regenerative agriculture. Sean shares his journey from launching a microalgae venture to founding We Are One Farms and leading EcoGem’...

This week on Pasture Prime Time , Neil sits down with rancher, writer, and unapologetic truth-teller Hobbs Magaret —author of Herd: The Animals That Gave Rise to Humanity and Why We Need Them More Than Ever . Hobbs brings a unique blend of cowboy heritage, ecological insight, and global grazing experience to the conversation. From bovine intelligence and soil as “insurance,” to the genetics behind...

In this episode, we welcome James Hague, a trailblazer in dairy science hailing from Europe. With roots on a Yorkshire dairy farm and over a decade of UK Government research under his belt, James explores everything from ruminant nutrition to grass varieties. His mission? To transform the dairy world. He shares how he built an award-winning dairy processing and delivery business, and launched Trac...

In this episode of The Grow Renaissance, host Neil Smith sits down with Nate Blatter, farm manager at Family Farms LLC in Utah, to explore how he brings regenerative agriculture to life—balancing drought realities with rotational grazing, innovative fencing, diverse cover crops, and resilient Highland cattle to enhance soil health and conserve water. Nate discusses the power of blockchain traceabi...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time, host Neil welcomes AJ Richards, founder and CEO of From The Farm, to explore the power of knowing who feeds us—and how that connection nurtures more than just our bodies. AJ shares his journey from urban life to homesteading in Wyoming, launching a USDA meat processing facility, and ultimately building a digital platform that bridges consumers directly to fam...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time, host Neil Dahlstrom sits down with Elspeth Hay—writer, forager, podcaster and author of Feed Us With Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food (New Society, July 2025)—to unpack the forest-rooted wisdom behind perennial nut trees as a regenerative alternative to field monocultures. Hay shares how a TEDx talk on edible acorns hurled her into a five-year journey of an...

In this July Community Call, Will Taylor shares powerful updates within the Grow community, including the success of the Grow Manifesto NFT, the launch of Cultivator NFT badges, and the introduction of the Blockchain Cow NFT—each connecting real-world agricultural assets to blockchain technology. He outlines the "Seed to Steward" pathway, emphasizing how every community member plays a ro...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time , we welcome James Clement III, senior VP of Grass & Rangeland at EarthOptics and a third-generation rancher from two Texas family legacies. With nearly 400 years of lineage, Marine Corps grit, and global ranching experience, James shares how advanced soil mapping—measuring compaction, moisture, nutrients, biology, and carbon—empowers ranchers to earn carb...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time, Neil sits down with Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist at South Africa’s Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz), to explore the economic pulse of agriculture across the African continent. From South Africa’s commercial farms to smallholder operations in underserved rural areas, Wandile unpacks the continent’s agricultural dualism and the policy pathways toward g...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time , Neil is joined by Swedish consultant Mattias Seeger to explore the human side of regeneration—blending permaculture, psychology, and systems thinking. They discuss Mattias’s journey from urban life back to nature, the rise of farmers markets in Sweden, and how technology like blockchain can support regenerative living. Together, they reflect on how we can re...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time, Neil is joined by Dr. Suzie Haryanti Binti Husain, a leading soil health expert and founder of the SHE Framework. With over 15 years of experience in agronomy strategy, Dr. Susie shares how Southeast Asia is tackling critical soil health challenges—from organic matter collapse to acidification and microbial die-off. She explains how biology-first regeneration...

What if your backyard could help save the planet—and your health? On this episode of Pasture Prime Time, host Neil sits down with visionary landscape architect, author, and regenerative trailblazer Louis De Jaeger to uncover the radical link between soil health and human well-being. Broadcasting from Belgium to Canada, Louis shares how a mind-bending encounter led him to rethink what it means to b...

In this energizing episode, the Grow team shares exciting updates and a bold new vision for the future of regenerative agriculture. Will and Neil unveil the Grow Manifesto, a powerful declaration of purpose and principles guiding their global movement. Neil also reflects on being named one of 300 global regenerative leaders, sharing insights from recent farm visits and international collaborations...

In this special episode of The Grow Renaissance Podcast , Will Taylor delivers the Grow Renaissance Manifesto—a bold declaration of how we can build systems that nourish the world. The manifesto explores how blockchain, stewardship, and community-driven design can restore balance and cultivate real, regenerative wealth. More than a vision, it's a call to action rooted in transparency, reciproc...

In this episode of Pasture Prime Time, Neil is joined by Rich Bradbury—a rancher, writer, and systems thinker—who believes the future of agriculture won’t be built with more gadgets, but with grounded tools, good memory, and a clear sense of purpose. Drawing from a lifetime on the land and the quiet wisdom of regenerative pioneers like Tom Lasater, Rich explores how soil health, land stewardship,...

In this episode of The Grow Renaissance , Owen sits down with Joseph Kochanski, Head of Sustainability Operations at Grow United, to explore how regenerative agriculture, carbon credits, and blockchain work together to build a more sustainable future. Joe shares insights from his 15+ years in environmental certification, explains the rise of carbon removal credits, and highlights how the Grow Toke...

What if the future of food and finance depended on the same thing—healthy soil? In this episode, we sit down with Bradford Willis, Special Advisor on Climate Action, Sustainable Development, Finance, and Systems Change. With deep experience in global carbon markets and agricultural investment, Bradford is a trailblazer at the intersection of climate finance and regenerative agriculture. He shares...

In this week’s episode, Will recaps an event in Puerto Rico, where Grow partnered with Connect and the Win Blockchain to highlight how impact-driven blockchains are changing the world. With over 50 attendees flying in globally—many from the Grow Australia community—this gathering marked a major milestone for collaboration and innovation. Will dives deep into what Connect is, how the Win Blockchain...

In this new episode of Pastor Primetime with Neil , he sits down with Texas Slim, founder of the Beef Initiative, to discuss the urgent need for food sovereignty in America. From the collapse of local processing infrastructure to the control of our nutrition by global corporations, Texas shares a raw, unfiltered perspective on what’s broken in our food system—and how we can fix it. We explore the...