Stop waiting weeks for lab results while your crop’s window of opportunity closes.

Most soil recommendations are based on samples that are days or even weeks old. But soil isn’t a static chemistry set; it’s a living biological engine. In this episode of Soil Talks™ Podcast, we sit down with Laura Decker, CEO of Prolific Earth Sciences, to reveal why traditional soil testing often misses the mark and how the Microbiometer® is giving growers real-time data to slash input costs and boost resilience.

At Rocky Mountain BioAg®, we believe in a Biological… Beyond Organic® approach. If you aren't measuring your microbial biomass in the field, you aren't seeing the full picture of your farm's potential.

Learn more & Get Started: ▶ Get the Microbiometer here: https://www.rockymountainbioag.com ▶ Explore Biological Solutions: ▶ Join the Community: #SoilTalks

00:00 The "Mail Truck" Problem: Why your samples die in transit.

02:15 Meet Laura Decker: From Immunology to the Soil Revolution.

07:42 Why NPK-only farming is an "Economic Trap."

13:40 The "Drug Addict" Analogy: Transitioning off conventional inputs.

17:18 How to pronounce "Microbiometer" (and why it matters).

20:13 The Science of "Sticky" Soil: What Glomalin tells you about profit.

24:51 Why your Agronomist might be missing the biological "Missing Link."

31:27 The 104°F Death Zone: The truth about lab sample handling.

46:05 Data vs. Understanding: How to read your soil’s heartbeat.

#SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #AgTech #Microbiometer #RockyMountainBioAg #SoilTalks #FarmerProfit #SoilBiology #SustainableAg

For decades, agriculture has been built on a simple idea:

If something goes wrong… apply more inputs.

More fertilizer.
More chemicals.
More control.

But what if that entire model is flawed?

In this episode of Soil Talks™, John Kempf breaks down a radically different way to think about crop health, soil biology, and system function.

We dig into:

• Why pests may not be attacking your crops but reporting a deeper issue
• How soluble fertilizers can create long-term dependency
• The hidden relationship between plant immunity and soil microbiology
• Why modern agriculture succeeds in yield but fails in resilience
• And how some growers are producing healthier crops with fewer inputs

This isn’t about organic vs conventional.

It’s about understanding how biological systems actually function.

Because the real question isn’t:

“How do we fix sick crops?”

It’s:

“Why are they getting sick in the first place?”

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🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts
📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube: [INSERT YOUTUBE LINK]

—

Connect with John Kempf:
Website: https://johnkempf.com
Podcast: Regenerative Agriculture Podcast

—

Follow Soil Talks™:
YouTube: @RockyMountainBioAg
LinkedIn: Rocky Mountain BioAg®
Website: Rocky Mountain BioAg®

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If this episode challenged how you think about agriculture, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

#SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilBiology #Farming #Agronomy #PlantHealth #Podcast

If soil is the engine of agriculture, how do we measure its performance?

For decades, agriculture has treated soil like a chemistry set.

Measure nitrogen. Adjust phosphorus. Balance potassium.

But soil is not a sterile laboratory.

It is a living biological engine.

In this episode of Soil Talks™ Podcast, Brandon Kail sits down with Dr. Lance Gunderson, president of Regen Ag Lab and one of the most experienced soil microbiology interpreters in agriculture today.

With over 100,000 soil samples analyzed, Lance explains why traditional soil tests often miss the most important part of soil function: biology.

We break down:

• Why the soil microbiome controls nutrient availability
• The limits of conventional salt extraction soil tests
• How the Haney Test measures biological soil function
• Why fungal:bacterial ratios influence carbon storage and drought resilience
• The hidden role of protozoa and microbial grazing in nitrogen release
• The difference between PLFA testing and DNA sequencing
• How growers can reduce fertilizer dependency through biological nutrient cycling

If soil is the engine of agriculture, this episode shows how to finally look under the hood.

Because soil health isn't just chemistry.

It's biology, structure, water, and time working together.

🎧 Share, Like & Subscribe to the Soil Talks™ Podcast
Hosted by Rocky Mountain BioAg®

Contact Dr. Gunderson at https://regenaglab.com

Learn more with

The Biological...Beyond Organic® Fundamentals Course

#soilhealth #soilbiology #soilmicrobiome #soiltesting
#haney test #regenerative agriculture #soilfertility
#microbialnutrientcycling #plfasoiltesting #soilmicrobiology

For decades, agriculture has treated soil like a chemical system.

Add fertilizer to correct deficiencies. Increase yield.

But what if the real problem isn’t nutrients, it’s biology?

In this episode of Soil Talks Podcast, Brandon Kail sits down with Jon Stika, author of A Soil Owner’s Manual and a former NRCS agronomist with over 30 years of experience studying soil health and regenerative agriculture systems.

Together, they unpack one of the most important shifts happening in modern farming:

Soil is not a chemical system.
Soil is a biological system.

John explains why the Green Revolution pushed agriculture toward fertilizer dependency, how soil aggregates create habitat for billions of organisms, and why rebuilding soil biology may be the most profitable path forward for farmers.

Inside this conversation:

• Why modern agriculture became dependent on fertilizer
• The hidden soil biology beneath every field
• Why soil tests were built for degraded systems
• How soil aggregates control water infiltration and nutrient cycling
• Why yield per acre can be a misleading metric
• The transition period when moving toward regenerative agriculture
• How soil health affects nutrient density in food

If agriculture is going to remain profitable and resilient, the conversation must move beyond inputs and toward restoring the biological systems that make soil function.

Listen to understand why many farmers are shifting from a chemistry-first model to a biology-first approach.

Guest:
Jon Stika – Author of A Soil Owner’s Manual and former NRCS agronomist

Connect with Jon Stika
Email: physicus1@gmail.com

Subscribe to Soil Talks™ Podcast

YouTube
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music

#SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilBiology

#SustainableFarming #CarbonFarming #AgriculturePodcast

#SoilTalks

Modern agriculture isn’t just under pressure; it may be experiencing model collapse.

In this episode of the Soil Talks™ Podcast, Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture and Water for Any Farm, explains why today’s agricultural research and production systems may be built on a flawed foundation.

From monocultures and annual disturbance to hydrology, agroforestry, and perennial systems, Mark breaks down:

• Why annual monocropping disrupts ecological function
• How “model collapse” happens in agricultural research
• The economic math behind restoration agriculture
• Why yield is not the same as profit
• How to transition land without going bankrupt
• What the Midwest could look like in 100 years

This is not theory.
This is field-tested restoration agriculture at scale.

📘 Mark Shepard’s Books (Available at Acres USA):
Restoration Agriculture
👉 https://www.acresusa.com/products/restoration-agriculture

Water for Any Farm
👉 https://www.acresusa.com/products/water-for-any-farm

Learn more about Mark’s work:
Restoration Agriculture Development (RAD)
👉 https://restorationag.com

Forest Agriculture Nursery
👉 https://forestag.com

If you believe agriculture can be both profitable and ecologically restorative, subscribe and join the conversation.

#ModelCollapse #RegenerativeAgriculture #RestorationAgriculture #Agroforestry #SoilHealth #Permaculture #Farming

For decades, turf and landscape management has relied on synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. But is that system sustainable?

In this episode of Soil Talks™, Chip Osborne, founder of Osborne Organics and a national leader in organic land management, explains the “chemical treadmill” and why feeding the soil, not the plant, is the future of resilient turf systems.

We discuss soil biology testing, compaction and gas exchange, organic vs synthetic nitrogen, PFAS regulation, climate resilience, and why NPK-only agronomy often fails long-term performance goals.

Whether you manage sports fields, municipalities, farms, or private landscapes, this conversation explores how soil health, microbial activity, and cultural practices drive profitability and sustainability.

If you want measurable biology, real agriculture, and long-term system design this episode is for you.

Partner plug:
Get your soil tested and understand what’s happening beneath your feet at www.mysoildna.com

Contact Chip at www.osborneorganics.com

#SoilHealth #OrganicTurf #SoilBiology
#RegenerativeAgriculture #TurfManagement
#LandManagement #BeyondNPK
#SustainableLandscaping #GroundsManagement
#SoilTesting #mysoildna

Every farmer knows the frustration following the book, applying the right NPK, investing in chemistry, only to watch soil resilience disappear.

In this powerful episode of Soil Talks™, RMBA Founder Mark sits down with Gary Zimmer, the godfather of biological farming, to expose the broken mindset of modern agronomy and chart the path forward for the next agricultural revolution.

Topics Covered:

• Why “perfect lab numbers” still lead to dead soil
• The six foundational rules of biological farming
• How calcium drives the entire mineral and biological system
• The link between dairy cow digestion and soil biology
• Why regenerative and organic aren’t enough and “biological” is the future
• How farmers can earn the right to cut inputs, pesticides, and nitrogen

⚡ Key Quote:
“Soil isn’t a factory. It’s a massive living digestive system and we’ve been feeding it like it’s dead.”

🎯 Who It’s For:
Farmers ready to move beyond NPK, consultants rethinking soil health, and anyone tired of the chemical treadmill.

🔗 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
👉 Rocky Mountain BioAg® Soil Talks™ Channel

🧠 Join the Movement:

• Subscribe to the Biological…Beyond Organic® Newsletter on LinkedIn
• Enroll in the Soil Fundamentals Course
• Follow @RockyMountainBioAg on all major platforms

#SoilTalks #BiologicalFarming #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #GaryZimmer #RockyMountainBioAg #BeyondOrganic

For decades, farmers and agronomists have been forced to guess what’s happening inside the crop or wait days to weeks for tissue results that can change before the lab report even arrives.

In this episode of Soil Talks™, Brandon sits down with Xavier Hebert-Couturier, CEO & Founder of Picketa Systems, the team behind a handheld tool that uses light + AI to reveal what the human eye can’t: real-time nutrient status inside the leaf.

We unpack how the Picketa “Lens” is closing the gap between scouting and action turning every field visit into a tissue test in about a minute and why this matters for:

• Faster, better decisions in-season (no more waiting on labs)
• Reducing wasted fertilizer and improving nutrient efficiency
• Helping agronomists move from “diagnosing” to building a real plan
• Supporting more precise, measurable transitions toward regenerative & biological systems
• A future where sensing + application get tighter… all the way to automation

Xavier also shares how Picketa scaled from a university capstone project to a venture-backed ag tech company, why most ag tech fails, and what it will take to build the most reliable plant nutrition sensing system on earth.

Learn more about Picketa Systems:
Website: www.picketa.comEmail: info@picketa.com

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