Deep Dive into Soil Science

Soil health adoption doesn’t fail because farmers “don’t care”—it fails because the evidence chain is often incomplete. In this episode, we unpack the Soil Health Cycle (SHC): a feedback framework that connects people and motivations → management practices → measurable soil health indicators → ecosystem services → economic outcomes, then loops back to improve decisions over time.
Based on a systematic review of studies (2000–2022), a major gap shows up repeatedly: most research measures practices and soil indicators, but doesn’t simultaneously link biological indicators to profitability and productivity outcomes. That missing connection weakens incentives, slows adoption, and limits policy effectiveness.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What the SHC framework is and how it functions as an iterative monitoring system

Which soil health indicators are most often measured—and what’s missing

Why “ecosystem services” (water regulation, nutrient cycling, resilience) need clearer economic translation

How better reporting and paired bio + economic metrics could accelerate conservation practice adoption

If you want soil health to scale, we need consistent reporting that ties soil function to outcomes farmers and policymakers can act on—yield stability, risk reduction, and profitability.

Reference materials:
Soil Health Cycle

A technical but practical walkthrough of the U.S. farm finance “stack” for 2025–2026—how producers fund operations, manage risk, and stay compliant as policy and rates shift. We break down FSA loan pathways (including beginning farmer options), the federal safety net (revenue support + disaster tools), and conservation incentives, then translate it into a step-by-step roadmap for applications, documentation, and appeals—so you can avoid delays and protect your cash flow.
In this episode
What “farm financial stack” means (capital → risk tools → compliance)

FSA loan types + interest-rate mechanics (incl. beginning farmer pathways)

Safety net: revenue-based support + disaster assistance (how they differ)

Conservation incentives + eligibility rules (income limits, active management)

Documentation checklist + timelines + appeals workflow

A data-driven wrap-up of U.S. organic agriculture in 2025: what the latest science says about soil health and climate resilience, why record demand collided with an “acreage gap,” and how new policy and enforcement (including the Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule) reshaped the organic label. We also cover the on-farm realities—labor and cost pressures—and the technologies gaining traction, from robotic weed control to bio-fertilizers, plus what these shifts signal for 2026.

This episodes, discusses on economics of organic agriculture.

Want organic no-till without a herbicide burn-down? This episode breaks down roller-crimping as a cover-crop termination tool: what works, what fails, and why timing matters.

You’ll learn:
The growth-stage rule (why flowering/soft-dough timing drives kill rates)
What “good enough” termination looks like (≥90% benchmark)
Design + vibration: why chevron-style concepts reduced chatter vs straight bars
Field-speed tradeoffs and why speed can be limited by vibration
Common failure modes: regrowth, hair-pinning, planter issues, low biomass

Best for: rye/vetch growers trying to plant soybean/corn into a rolled mulch.

Reading materials:
USDA-ARS roller/crimper design/termination research (Kornecki et al.)
Jeff Moyer / roller-crimper origin story (No-Till Farmer)