Shows
Plants Dig Soil™708 What Leaves the Farm … And What Comes Back?Crops take nutrients off the farm. Can food-waste biostimulants bring them back? Are they worth your time and money? In this episode I’ll dig in to nutrient imports, exports, how you can calculate the flows on your farm, and whether it’s worth trying some of the many products hitting the market.Upcoming: Foothills County talk (south of Calgary, AB) Dec 11/25The Builder, The Banker, The Brewer https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-builder-the-banker-the-brewer-tickets-1968841229116Transcript with links to everything mentioned in theepisode:https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/what-leaves-the-farm-what-comes-backNewsletter signup: ht...
2025-12-0609 min
Plants Dig Soil™707 Test Smarter. Spend Less.Soil testing isn’t an expense—it’s an investment. In my latest Better Farming Prairies article, I share how a few dollars per acre in testing can save thousands in fertilizer costs and help you make smarter, better-timed decisions. Read “Test Smarter to Spend Less” to see how good data pays off in the field.#RealisticRegenAg #SoilTesting #PrecisionAgriculture #FertilizerEfficiency #SustainableFarming #ClimateSmartAgricultureTranscript with links to everything mentioned in the episode:https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/test-smarter-spend-less Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752 YouTube...
2025-10-2704 min
Plants Dig Soil™706 Mapping Soil HealthPrairie farmers are skeptical of “soil health” as justanother buzzword — but what if data could make it practical? This episode explores mapping tools, farmer perspectives, and what resilience really looks like in the field.Transcript with links to everything mentioned in theepisode:https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/mapping-soil-healthNewsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletterhttps://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespiePodcast: https://anchor.fm/scottcgillespie(Look below Spotify for other apps or just search “Plants Dig Soil” in your favourite app.)
2025-09-2206 min
Plants Dig Soil™0705 When to Bale Your StrawDo you bale your straw or keep it? The basic concept is to ask whether it is helping or hindering you. If baling will remove soil armor and allow rains to erode your land, leave it. If it’s causing issues at seeding time, bale some of it.Transcript with links to everything mentioned in the episode:https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/when-to-bale-your-straw Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752 YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottcgillespie (Look below Spotify for ot...
2025-08-1107 min
Plants Dig Soil™0704 Testing New PracticesIn this edition I talk about how I evaluate new agricultural practices and tools before recommending them to clients. From the challenges of staying current to the importance of third-party data, I share my approach to separating useful innovation from flashy distractions. Transcript with links to everything mentioned in the episode: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/testing-new-practicesNewsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752 YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottcgillespie (Look below Spotify for other apps...
2025-08-0513 min
Plants Dig Soil™0703 Organic Weed ControlIn this episode, I dive into what I’ve learned from applying organic weed control methods in my own garden—from stale seedbeds to blind cultivation—and how those lessons connect to what I see in prairie agriculture. I also reflect on my latest Better Farming Prairies article, which explores modern weed control tools that can reduce herbicide use without reversing no-till gains. Plus, I highlight some excellent resources on ecological weed management and emerging weed recognition technologies.Transcript with links to everything mentioned in the episode:https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/organic-weed-control Newsletter signup: https...
2025-06-2308 min
Plants Dig Soil™702 Soil Carbon and TillageAre tillage and soil carbon compatible? Agronomist andauthor Scott Gillespie shares insights from his new article Soil Carbon & Tillage: Eat Your Cake and Have it Too.” Also – lessons from polycrop systems, organic fertility strategies, and the surprising connection between cultural heritage and forgotten crop varieties.Transcript with links to everything mentioned in the episode:https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/soil-carbon-and-tillage Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletterhttps://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie Podcast: https://anchor.fm/scottcgillespie(Look below Spotify for other ap...
2025-05-2112 min
Plants Dig Soil™701 No Cows? No Problem.Do you need livestock to build soil health? Agronomist and author Scott Gillespie digs into recent research on grazing cover crops, biomass thresholds, and fungal networks—challenging some of the more popular narratives in regenerative ag. Plus: funding program updates, writing news, and practical insight for Prairie producers.Transcript with links to everything mentioned in the episode:https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/no-cows-no-problem Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752 YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie Podcast: ht...
2025-04-2215 min
Plants Dig Soil™Podcast Trailer for 2025Plants Dig Soil
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/
Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752
Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/books
My consulting packages: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting
Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking
My funding service offerings: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx OFCAF program details https://rdar.ca/funding-opportunities/ofcaf
E...
2024-12-0200 min
Plants Dig Soil™616 The Cover Crop Disconnect: Ignoring what the data says#RealisticRegenAg | Welcome to the final newsletter of the year!
As mentioned previously, I’ll be taking a break over the holiday season but will return in early February. If you’re in southern Alberta and would like to connect before then, I’ll be at the Irrigated Crop Production Update on January 23rd in Lethbridge. You’ll find the registration link included in this email.
This month, I’m diving deeper into the topic of #RealisticRegenAg with just four articles that explore it in greater detail. Along with summaries and my own thoughts, I encourage you to sav...
2024-12-0207 min
Plants Dig Soil™615 Plant genetics drive microbial diversity & abundance#RealisticRegenAg | As the season winds down here in southern Alberta, I’ve been busy teaching both diploma and degree students at Lethbridge Polytechnic (formerly Lethbridge College). As is my annual tradition, I’ll be slowing down my newsletter and podcast production during the fall and taking an extended break over the holiday season. You can expect one final newsletter in early December, with the next edition coming your way in February.
Transcript (with links to articles): https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/plant-genetics-drive-microbes
Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/n...
2024-10-2207 min
Plants Dig Soil™614 Cover Crop Emission Surprise#RealisticRegenAg | Cover crops might be giving off more greenhouse gases than bare ground. It's a surprise, for sure. It all comes down to how long they sit in cool and wet conditions. They pull up and hold onto more nitrogen than bare ground, however when they die they can give off much greater nitrous oxide emissions compared to a bare field. So check out the articles below and read any of the most interesting articles that you see.
In case you’re new here, let me introduce myself. I’m an author and independent agronomist from the West...
2024-09-0910 min
Plants Dig Soil™613 Tight Soils – Sodacity, Salinity, and Alkali Explained#RealisticRegenAg | White patches in a field are often referred to as alkali patches. The underlying problem may be high pH – alkalinity – but the salt in and of itself is not at a high pH and therefore is not alkaline. When you see salt on the surface it is more properly called salinity. The reason for this is that alkalinity may or may not be there. If present it may be near the surface or it may be deeper down.
Compounding on this, alkalinity may not be present. Excess sodium cations – not excess sodium salts – could be the cause. F...
2024-08-2712 min
Plants Dig Soil™612 The Circular Carbon Economy
#RealisticRegenAg | I’ve been thinking more and more about the circular economy recently. Truly regenerative agriculture will return the nutrients back to the land. It may not be possible to bring it back to the exact piece of land, but starting to get more of these nutrients back to any piece of land is the starting of getting to the goal of regenerative. Most of the articles this month fit into this idea, though mostly with carbon, since that is the hot topic these days.
In case you’re new here, let me introduce myself. I’m...
2024-08-1209 min
Plants Dig Soil™611 Making a Weed into a Crop#RealisticRegenAg | Have you ever thought that a weed could become a crop? They seem to grow no matter what you do, so why not find a use for it? The plants we use today for crops have been around for centuries and even for millennia. I heard about a new crop being developed from weed and it got me thinking: How do you go about this? This episode is mostly a thought experiment, but it’s a great way to stretch our thinking on what is a crop, what is a weed, and how weeds could be used as, or...
2024-07-2907 min
Plants Dig Soil™610 Adapt. Then Mitigate.#RealisticRegenAg | The heat has come to southern Alberta! After never making it above 30C we are now in week well over 30C. This is going to be tough on nearly every crop as it’s right at flowering time or early seed fill. In the case of potatoes, the first set has been made and they are deciding how much to keep of their second set. Hopefully they keep them and get bulking!
How is it in your area? Reply back to this email if you like. It only comes to me.
Below is a sm...
2024-07-1507 min
Plants Dig Soil™609 The Fit for Cover Crops#RealisticRegenAg | Cover crops aren’t required in every situation. This is a key theme throughout my book “Practical Regeneration”. In this episode I’m going to talk about the development of no-till and how it might give us some clues on how to think through where cover crops work best.
Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an author and independent agronomist from the Western Canadian Prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as important...
2024-07-0408 min
Plants Dig Soil™608 Natural Areas Benefit AgricultureWelcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the Western Canadian Prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the services I that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.
I’ve been watching Mrs. Davis at the recommendation of a new friend*. It’s set in an alternative 2023 where an algorithm rules the world. P...
2024-06-2412 min
Plants Dig Soil™607 Oh Phosphorus, Where Art Though?#RealisticRegenAg | Following up on the episode earlier this season borrowing a movie title (Dude, Where’s my nitrogen?), I’m going to focus on the elusive nutrient, phosphorus. This is an offshoot of a talk I gave this winter on using cover crops for break years between forages. It was delivered in person and to participants online. It was recorded so I’ll put a link to the talk in the description. The high-level summary – you need to replace what you export. No biostimulant or cover crop is going to make new phosphorus for you. Stay tuned as I dive int...
2024-05-2309 min
Plants Dig Soil™606 Putting the News back in Newsletter#RealisticRegenAg | I love reading and staying up to date with agriculture news. I use Feedly, an RSS feed reader, that keeps track of news stories from over 75 agriculture news sites. I also employ an AI bot to help me find relevant information in climate and regenerative news from other sources that I might have missed.
With that being said, I’ve been thinking about how to refresh my newsletter. I’ve been sending it out for over five years now. It has changed over the years but lately it has primarily focused on my content and my busi...
2024-05-0108 min
Plants Dig Soil™605 Water Efficient Plants#RealisticRegenAg | Surviving another drought means making our plants the most water efficient we can. While some of the things can be done immediately, most of the things require a long-term plan. I’ve heard it said the best time to plan for a drought is when the last one breaks. We might be on the cusp of this one breaking with the recent snowfalls, but it’s too early to tell. In this episode I’ll go over all the ideas I have to make our plants more water efficient in hopes you can apply some of the easy practi...
2024-03-2510 min
Plants Dig Soil™604 My book is out!#RealisticRegenAg | My book is published! This has been a year long process of editing, book design, proofreading, and finally getting it set for distribution. I used a hybrid model of self publishing with the support of a team at FriesenPress. They are Canadian publishers and have all the distribution channels in place to get it availablen anywhere in the world.
The title is Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture. Here’s the elevator pitch:
Farmers are feeling the pressure to implement climate smart strategies from outside forces. Governments are making international commitments and ag...
2024-03-1111 min
Plants Dig Soil™603 Reminder: Where to find me#RealisticRegenAg | February will be busy out meeting people and learning new things. Hey, what else is there to do in this climate? In this episode I’ll go over the places I’ll be in the upcoming month plus a new speaking engagement that has been added for March. And the book is on track to be ready for sale in March. More details in the March newsletter.
Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies speciali...
2024-02-1208 min
Plants Dig Soil™602 Dude, Where’s my Nitrogen?#RealisticRegenAg | Nitrogen is a challenging nutrient to rely on. In wet climates, it can easily leach deep into the soil. If tile drains are present, it can even run off into ditches and water bodies. In dry climates, nitrogen usually cannot be lost to depth, but it can become tied up in residue and may not be released until well after the crop needs it. For this month's regenerative agriculture news, I have selected articles that specifically address finding and retaining nitrogen in place.
Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg...
2024-02-0508 min
Plants Dig Soil™601 Meet me this winter#RealisticRegenAg | It’s conference season so I’m hoping to meet a bunch of you at in person and online events this winter. I’ll be listing off all the places I’ll be later on in the episode. I’ll also be talking about the new WhatsApp channel that I have created, a new Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design service plus, for those that go to the site posting or watch the video, you’ll see a sneak peak of my new book cover: Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture. I’ll have all of this plus content summar...
2024-01-1812 min
Plants Dig Soil™543 Precision Agronomy: Lessons from a semester of teaching#RealisticRegenAg | In several episodes of this podcast, I've shared my experiences teaching Precision Agriculture to diploma and degree students at Lethbridge College. Teaching is a reciprocal process, and through it, I've gained valuable insights into the future of agriculture and the evolving landscape of agronomy in the upcoming years and decades. Join me in this final episode of the season as we delve into the key takeaways from the past semester.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in c...
2023-12-2607 min
Plants Dig Soil™542 Seager Wheeler#RealisticRegenAg | A chance discovery in a used bookstore in Winnipeg introduced me to Seager Wheeler. He shared similarities with many settlers who arrived in the Canadian Prairies during the late 19th century, but he stood out above others as Western Canada’s Wheat King, gaining international recognition. What set him apart even more was the fact that he documented his experiences in a book. I stumbled upon a copy of "Profitable Grain Growing," dating back to the first printing in 1919. Join me in this episode as I delve into his life, his methods, and how you can access the en...
2023-12-2206 min
Plants Dig Soil™541 From EEFs to Organic Challenges: This Month in Regenerative Ag#RealisticRegenAg | You've heard me mention that enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet they seldom boost yields. But what if we adjusted their usage rates? This approach might make them more economically viable for farmers and more beneficial for the planet. In other news, I'll explore how long-term crop rotations benefit cash crops, the cost-benefit analysis of cover crop rotations, and a contentious issue in organic farming: Should organic growers facing unsolvable problems be permitted to temporarily revert to conventional methods to resolve these issues, and subsequently regain their organic certification? I'll delve into these stories...
2023-12-1208 min
Plants Dig Soil™540 End of Season Wrap#RealisticRegenAg | You may have wondered where I got
to? Or perhaps you didn’t notice I missed the November email. I was just getting ready to work on the email when I got sick. It seems to be a cold going around the area. It set me back for a few weeks which also set my teaching and client work back. I decided rather than rush a newsletter out I’d just skip November and go with December.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomi...
2023-12-0410 min
Plants Dig Soil™539 N2O emissions, disease control with composts, and using tillage responsibly#RealisticRegenAg | In this month's regenerative agriculture news, I have six stories. I'll start with some new research that shows that cover crops may not be a net benefit to the nitrogen loss equation. While they can prevent leaching, they may contribute more to nitrous oxide emissions. On the topic of nitrous oxide emissions, work in the Prairies is continuing to show that inhibitors work to reduce emissions. However, the yield impacts for producers are not worth the cost of using them. On the disease front, promising work shows how a specific combination of compost inputs may tackle one of...
2023-11-0608 min
Plants Dig Soil™538 Plants Don’t Read Our Manuals#RealisticRegenAg | Rick from the GardenFork podcast frequently remarks, "Bees don't read our manuals," when he discusses beekeeping. I've found this to be equally true for plants. In this episode, I'll share a year-end review of what I learned over the summer in the fields and my garden.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my webs...
2023-10-2306 min
Plants Dig Soil™537 Buffalo Bird Woman#RealisticRegenAg | Buffalo Bird Woman was one of the last Indigenous farmers in what is now North Dakota. Fortunately, her story was preserved. I've referred to a book about her many times in my podcast and in presentations to farmers. In this episode, I'd like to introduce you to her and hopefully inspire you to read the
book yourself.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just...
2023-10-1606 min
Plants Dig Soil™536 Research and Innovation#RealisticRegenAg | This week’s episode is an audio and video version of my monthly newsletter. If you want to receive it to your email or to LinkedIn, check out the links in the episode description. If you’ve got behind on listening to episodes, I’ll be summarizing the past month’s work of episodes.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' eco...
2023-10-1006 min
Plants Dig Soil™535 Roots, Microbes, and Farmer Innovations#RealisticRegenAg | In this month’s roundup of regenerative agriculture news, I'll begin with a story about new research that delves deep into root architecture. The researchers conducted studies on intact samples of both single species and diverse mixtures of cover crops to understand how root systems behave in their natural environment.
Next, I'll discuss an article that explores the challenges of bringing
microbial inoculants to the field. While these inoculants may work well in the lab, they often fail to deliver results in real-world agricultural settings. However, one team is making progress in understanding why this happens....
2023-10-0407 min
Plants Dig Soil™534 Making Drip Irrigation Work#RealisticRegenAg | Drip irrigation holds great promise as the most efficient method for delivering water to plants with minimal losses. Unlike traditional sprinkler systems that can be affected by wind and heat, drip irrigation offers a precise way to water plants. However, one of its main challenges lies in the amount of infrastructure required for its implementation. In this episode, I'll share my insights into maximizing the effectiveness of drip irrigation, exploring innovative approaches and local research that could potentially revolutionize its use, especially as we face dwindling water supplies and prolonged droughts.
Welcome to...
2023-09-2209 min
Plants Dig Soil™533 Deep Work#RealisticRegenAg | The book "Deep Work" by Cal Newport is what has enabled me to reach my current position. Concepts like entering a state of flow, scheduling dedicated work time, and maintaining clear boundaries between work and leisure have been instrumental in my journey. In this episode, I'll delve deeper into these ideas and hopefully inspire you to invest your time in reading or listening to this book.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven prac...
2023-09-1506 min
Plants Dig Soil™532 Community, Teaching, plus Updates#RealisticRegenAg | This past month, the
seasonal demands overwhelmed me, so I decided to hit the reset button and start
fresh for September. I'm sure you can relate. Let me know how you deal with
overwhelm by sharing this episode with your thoughts or commenting on one of my
posts. I’ll update you on all things that are going on and give you a summary
of the content from this past month. Stay tuned.
Welcome
to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott
Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadi...
2023-09-0809 min
Plants Dig Soil™531 Transformational Agronomy#RealisticRegenAg | Is the slow grind of progress better than the grand schemes we see postulated now? A new article says yes. They advocate for starting at the end goal and working towards what is needed most. I’ll be covering this and seven other articles that I came across this month in this episode. Stay tuned.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about
#RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as import...
2023-09-0107 min
Plants Dig Soil™530 Big Tech Blocking News#RealisticRegenAg
| Have you heard about Meta (formerly known as Facebook) blocking Canadian
news? They had previously warned that they would take this action if a new law
was passed in Canada, and it seems they are now following through. Join me in
this episode covering my monthly newsletter and I’ll explain it’s relevance to
my business.
Welcome to Plants
Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie,
and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in
climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that
benefit the planet and, just as...
2023-08-1014 min
Plants Dig Soil™529 Breeding, Research, and Policy#RealisticRegenAg
| From crop breeding, to agronomy research, to policy, there’s a lot to cover
in this month regenerative agriculture news. Join me in this episode as I cover
the important news that I saw come across my news feeds this month.
Welcome to Plants
Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie,
and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in
climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that
benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability.
Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resour...
2023-07-2915 min
Plants Dig Soil™528 Testing Soil Health without Soil Health Tests#RealisticRegenAg | In the very first season of Plants Dig Soil I talked about soil health tests. Has anything changed since then? In my opinion no, not really. There are tests that are getting closer to wide scale adoption, but I just don’t see any of them worthwhile yet. In this episode I’ll cover the thinking I had then as tohow to approach evaluating them and I’ll cover how I assess soil health in myconsulting.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the w...
2023-07-1910 min
Plants Dig Soil™527 Farming with Soil Life#RealisticRegenAg
| I was taught to kill the life in the soil. After all, we wanted to grow crops
and we needed to get rid of the pests. That view is shifting, and books like
“Farming with Soil Life” help move the needle on this important topic. Join me
in this episode where I review this new resource put out by the Xerces Society
through the SARE publishing program.
Welcome to Plants
Dig Soil. My name is Scott Gillespie and I’m an agronomist specializing in
climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that
benefit both the planet and, j...
2023-07-1308 min
Plants Dig Soil™526 Alberta Rep on the CCA Board#RealisticRegenAg
| A board position
for the Prairie Certified
Crop Advisors is open and I’ve decided to run for it. If you’re a CCA check
your emails and look for the announcement. The voting is done by email and
needs to be in by Friday July 14th (not the 4th as originally stated
in the email). If you didn’t get the email send one to Mary-Jane
Debreuil. This is what I’m running on. Let me know
if you agree with this:
Scott has a
Masters degree in Plant Science and has been practicing agronomy in Alber...
2023-07-0612 min
Plants Dig Soil™525 Regenerative Research Results
#RealisticRegenAg
| I’ve noticed more and more research that is directed at solving real world
problems with regenerative practices. Stay tuned for this and other news in
regenerative agriculture this month.
Welcome to Plants
Dig Soil, where I, Scott Gillespie, an agronomist specializing in climate-smart
agriculture, discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit both the
planet and farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the
services I offer.
Articles
mentioned in the podcast:https://www.potatoesincanada.com/slow-release-fertilizer-research-shows-no-reduction-in-potato-yieldhttps://canadianagronomist.ca/ur...
2023-06-3013 min
Plants Dig Soil™524 The 27-Inch Precipitation Threshold: A New Rule of Thumb for Cover Crop Economics.#RealisticRegenAg | Twenty-seven inches of precipitation is what is required to make cover crops successful. This was the conclusion of an article I came across from a post by Dr. Andrew McGuire a few months ago. I downloaded the journal article and read it. It makes so much sense to me. Join me as I discuss this important new rule of thumb for cover crops.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, where I, Scott Gillespie, an agronomist specializing in climate-smart agriculture, discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit both the planet and farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my...
2023-06-2310 min
Plants Dig Soil™523 Cow Patty Critters (Book Review June 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | Usually, I try to avoid cow patties when walking in a pasture.
This time, however, the rancher was stopped in his tracks because there were
holes in the top, and he thought he saw something scurry back into it. If we
had the new book "Cow Patty Critters," we may have been able to
figure out exactly what was going on. Stay tuned for the rest of this episode
as I review this new resource published specifically for Western Canada.
Welcome to Plants
Dig Soil. My name is Scott Gillespie and I work with farmers and...
2023-06-1407 minPlants Dig Soil™522 Scaling Back (Newsletter June 2023)
#RealisticRegenAg | There
are times when it's best to scale back. The community that I was trying to get
going didn’t take off, so we decided to shut it down. I tried one many years
ago and the same thing happened. Although there we interest, there seemed to be
hesitation in commitment.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil. My name is Scott
Gillespie and I work with farmers and agribusiness on climate smart
agriculture. This kind of agriculture has to be scientifically proven to be
good for the planet now and in the future. Just as im...
2023-06-0603 min
Plants Dig Soil™521 Building the Soil Comes at a Cost (Regen Ag News May 2023)(Sorry – the camera wasn’t working so
I just recorded with my laptop facing a sound barrier!)
#RealisticRegenAg | It’s
always bugged me that regenerative is portrayed as a win-win-win system for the
farmer, the soil, and the planet. Farmers that don’t do it can be seen as
farming in a backwards way. However, if it were so simple and did so much, I’m
sure they’d be doing it already. The overall theme of the regenerative
agriculture news this month is deflating the hype from some of the practices.
It’s not to say they aren’t wo...
2023-05-3109 minPlants Dig Soil™520 AI Assisted Agronomy (Agronomy Focus May 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | I hadn’t really thought of AI Assisted Agronomy until Farmers
Business Network came out with Norm. ChatGPT was trained on their own very well
structured data and was able to answer common questions farmers had. I think
this is an exciting development. I’ll tell you why, coming right up.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil. My name is
Scott Gillespie and I work with farmers and agribusiness on climate smart
agriculture. This kind of agriculture has to be scientifically proven to be
good for the planet now and in the future. Just as importantly, it also...
2023-05-2411 min
Ultimate Pool XtraScott 'Goobsy' GillespieThe new Ultimate Masters Champion Scott Gillespie joins Simon and Scott to discuss the title, what it means and what is next.
2023-05-2057 min
Plants Dig Soil™519 Who Speaks For The River? (Book Review May 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | With the
current plans to expand irrigation capacity in Southern Alberta I’m highlighting
a book I read a year and half ago that covers what happened the last time a major
project happened in Alberta. Join me as I discuss “Who Speaks For The River?”
by Robert Girvan.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil. The
podcast that supports my consulting business of the same name. I focus on
#RealisticRegenAg. This means it has to be proven & profitable, benefiting
farmers now and in the future. The podcast is free but if you want to go a
little deeper...
2023-05-1509 minPlants Dig Soil™518 Spring Gap WeekWhen I decided to do a four week cycle of episodes I knew there
would be one extra week every three months. Welcome to the gap week where I
talk about the format change, addressing audio quality, and ask for your feedback
on how things are going.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil. The
podcast that supports my consulting business of the same name. I focus on
#RealisticRegenAg. This means it has to be proven & profitable, benefiting
farmers now and in the future. The podcast is free but if you want to go a
little deeper, I encourage...
2023-05-0907 minPlants Dig Soil™517 Unpacking Funding Announcements (Newsletter May 2023)The latest funding to be announced is called S-CAP, which is the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Every province has its own deal
and Alberta has finally announced what they are doing. I will cover this new funding, how it is relevant to your farm, what you might be able to get from
it, and how I can help you receive this funding.
Welcome to Plants Dig Soil. The podcast that supports my consulting business of the same name. I focus on #RealisticRegenAg. This means it has to be proven & profitable, benefiting farmers now and in the future...
2023-05-0118 minPlants Dig Soil™516 Caution on Early Success (Regen Ag News Apr 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | From early research on cover crops in dryland
situations, to a cold turkey approach to going regenerative, to a farm that was
regenerative organic all of them seemed to thrive on early success, but then
things changed. Those themes came up in the news I looked at this month. I’ll
cover those stories plus other ones in this episode.
*** Oops. I forgot to change the title slide (for those watching the video) before uploading. ***
Join the Realistic Regen Ag Community:https://link-app.agvisorpro.com/community-private-LdYiDvbkEWtmIH0GzSQ1 ...
2023-04-2421 minPlants Dig Soil™515 Regenerative Insect Management (Agronomy Focus Apr 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | Regenerative insect management takes a mindset shift. There's no silver bullets for it, but there's things that you can do to set yourself up for less pressed pressure. I'll be covering this in this upcoming episode.
Join the Realistic Regen Ag Community:https://link-app.agvisorpro.com/community-private-LdYiDvbkEWtmIH0GzSQ1
Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies
My grant writing (OFCAF / SCAP / etc.) service offerings: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
My consulting packages:https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting
2023-04-1718 minPlants Dig Soil™514 Prairie: A Natural History of the Heart of North America (Book Review April 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | I fell in love with the Prairies as soon as I moved out here nearly two decades ago. When I saw this book, it immediately called to me. She goes back to geological history to set the stage for who lives here now and what the future of this area is. Join me in this episode where I review this book and hopefully encourage you to read it yourself.
Publishers site https://greystonebooks.com/products/prairie(Buy or borrow from wherever you please. This is not an affiliate link. I do
not make any...
2023-04-1016 minPlants Dig Soil™513 Introducing: Realistic Regen Ag Community (Newsletter April 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | Have you ever thought you'd like to have me as a resource, but you don't need the full consulting package? I’d like to introduce you to the Realistic Regen Ag Community. I’ll be covering this in my newsletter update for April of 2023.
Join the Realistic Regen Ag Community:https://link-app.agvisorpro.com/community-private-LdYiDvbkEWtmIH0GzSQ1
Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies
My consulting & grant writing (OFCAF / SCAP) service offerings: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/
Transcript:https://www...
2023-04-0308 minPlants Dig Soil™512 Light signaling and plant competition (Regen Ag News Mar 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | The first plant to see the light of day is the
one that gets ahead. This has huge implications in crop establishment and in
using cover crops to suppress weeds. I'll be covering an article about this and
many other things in regenerative ag news in this episode
Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
My service offerings: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/
Articles mentioned:https://www.topcropmanager.com/u-of-g-light-signals-from-nearby-weeds-affect-crop-plant-growth-and-yield/https://wiscweeds.info/posts/waterhempsuppressionwithcerealryecovercrop/https://www.potatoesincanada.com/cover-cropping-strategies-for-the-prairies/https://www.topcropmanager.com/microbial-efficiency-of-crop-residue-decomposition/h...
2023-03-2715 minPlants Dig Soil™511 Building Disease Suppressive Soils (Agronomy Focus Mar 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | Disease suppressive soils are ones that would fend off diseases before they even had a chance to get into your crop plants. I think this is a worthwhile goal to work towards in regenerative agriculture. But of course, it's not going to be simple and it's not going to cover everything. In this episode, I'm going to go over all of the different ideas that I have seen come up over the years and talk about the plausibility of them. Stay tuned. I will cover this all in this episode
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp...
2023-03-2020 minPlants Dig Soil™510 Braiding Sweetgrass (Book Review Mar 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | Braiding Sweetgrass is a book that covers two very different views of the world: The European way and the Indigenous way. Robin Wall Kimmerer applies her scientific understanding of the world with the indigenous teachings to bring them both together in a very interesting way in this book. Stay tuned to this episode where I'll cover some of the things that I have learned from this.
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
My service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/
Braiding Sweetgrass publisher site:
https://milkweed.org/book...
2023-03-1315 minPlants Dig Soil™509 Funding Applications Due Now (Newsletter Mar 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | There is money out there for the taking for things like seeding cover crops, the cost of the cover crop seed, soil mapping, soil testing, splitting your nitrogen applications using inhibitors and even for hauling and applying manure, compost and digestate. You can also get money to establish perennials or top up legumes in your perennial stands. And if you want to get into rotational grazing, you can get your internal fencing and water supplies covered. Stay tuned to the rest of this episode for more details as I cover this and the other interesting things that are...
2023-03-0618 minPlants Dig Soil™508 Chickpea Intercrop Shines (Regen Ag News Feb 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | The chickpea-flax intercrop has been something studied and used in Saskatchewan for quite a while now. This past season of variable weather has really tested it and it seems that it has done much better than the monocrop. I will be discussing this more in the rest of this episode and talking about other regenerative agriculture news that I found interesting
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
My service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
Twitter (Company...
2023-02-2715 minPlants Dig Soil™507 Manure is not regenerative (Agronomy Focus Feb 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | Manure is not regenerative. Now, I admit that is a little bit of a click-baity title, but I'm gonna go into this because it's seems to be misunderstood that manure or for that matter compost and digestate are these free fertilizer sources that farmers are just not using, but they're not as simple as it seems to be portrayed them. Listen further and episode for more details.
Newsletter signup:
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My service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Twitter (Scott): https...
2023-02-2015 minPlants Dig Soil™506 Why Fish Don’t Exist (Book Review Feb 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | What happens when the person that you look up to for inspiration turns out to not really be the person you thought they were? Well, this is a very interesting book, Why Fish Don't Exist, and I'm going to talk about my takeaways from it in this upcoming episode.
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
My service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil
LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in...
2023-02-1307 minPlants Dig Soil™505 Can tillage and carbon be compatible? (Newsletter February 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | Can tillage and carbon be compatible? That's a question that I'm going to be addressing in an upcoming workshop. If you're in Alberta, you'll be able to come to this in person event in central and southern Alberta. Stay tuned and I'll tell you about this and all the other updates in my monthly newsletter.
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
My service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil
LinkedIn...
2023-02-0606 minPlants Dig Soil™504 Insurance and Organic Matter (Regen Ag News Jan 2023)#RealisticRegenAg | Could the level of organic matter in your soil be tied to your insurance premiums in the future? This is just one of the many articles that I came across this month as I was looking for regenerative agriculture news. Stay tuned for this and many more.
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
My service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil
LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
...
2023-02-0115 minPlants Dig Soil™503 Soil Test Interpretation#RealisticRegenAg | Have you struggled with how to interpret a soil test? Do you want to challenge the recommendations that are given? Well, stay tuned. In this episode we're going to cover this.
References in podcast:
Building Soils for Better Crops.
https://www.sare.org/resources/building-soils-for-better-crops/
Soil Health Institute Announces Recommended Measurements for Evaluating Soil Health
https://soilhealthinstitute.org/news-events/soil-health-institute-announces-recommended-measurements-for-evaluating-soil-health
OFCAF (On-Farm Climate Action Fund) details:
https://rdar.ca/ofcaf/
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
My service offerings:
https...
2023-01-2417 min
Better Sign Shop PodcastSurviving the Next Shopacolypse // Mike Davis and Scott Dean - Hilltop Signs and GraphicsHow did your shop survive COVID? If you're like a lot of shop owners, the answer might be "just barely". But would your business survive yet another disaster after making it through COVID? Listen in as shop owner - Mike Davis - and ops manager - Scott Dean - from Hilltop Signs & Graphics in Maryland tell their story of business survival. This was a killer interview with lots of great takeaways on how to survive (and even thrive) in hard times – which we may be facing yet again if you listen to the news.In th...
2022-10-111h 05Plants Dig Soil™030 Biochar, Biologicals, & Biomass#RealisticRegenAg | There are many “bio” products out there. In this episode I’ll distill them down to their essence and help you to determine where they may, or may not, fit on your farm.
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
Claim your $20 off coupon for Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies by using the link below:
https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies?coupon=podcast
If the coupon isn't applied use "podcast" (no quotes) at checkout
Transcript download:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/030-biochar-biologicals-biomass
Other e...
2022-08-0218 minPlants Dig Soil™029 Think Outside the Field#RealisticRegenAg | Marginal areas may not pay to farm. What can be done to help them benefit the farm and society as a whole? In this episode I'll explore the ways they can be made to be a profitable part of your operation.
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
Claim your $20 off coupon for Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies by using the link below:
https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies?coupon=podcast
If the coupon isn't applied use "podcast" (no quotes) at checkout
Transcript download:
h...
2022-07-0714 min
Plants Dig Soil™028 Cover Crop Intercropping#RealisticRegenAg | Instead of trying to get more from the land from over yielding of intercropped cash crops, I advocate for focusing on intercropping cover crops instead. Cover crops growing with the cash crops can be implemented without losing yield and will build long term profitability instead of short term gains.
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
Claim your $20 off coupon for Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies by using the link below. The coupon code "podcast" will be automatically applied: https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies?coupon=podcast
Trans...
2022-06-0116 minPlants Dig Soil™027 Cash Crop Intercropping#RealisticRegenAg | Intercropping has been gaining popularity on the Prairies lately. If you haven’t heard of it, or are still trying to figure it out, the basic concept is to grow two or more crops at the same time on the same piece of land. In this episode I cover the theory behind it and where it may fit into our agricultural systems.
Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
Claim your $20 off coupon for Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies by using the link below. The coupon code "podcast" will be a...
2022-05-0416 minPlants Dig Soil™026 Cover Crops in a Drought#RealisticRegenAg | What if, instead of trying to find a solution that fits every year, we expand our planning to include the current water cycle? In a drought, fallow with cover crops and cash crops on alternate years may be the best solution. In rainy cycles continuous cropping with cover crops interseeded at weed control time may be the best option.
The basis for this episode is fascinating study I came across last year:
https://projects.sare.org/project-reports/gw18-151/
Claim your $20 off coupon for Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies by...
2022-04-0416 minPlants Dig Soil™Plants Dig Soil Trailer#RealisticRegenAg | Hello! This is Scott Gillespie and welcome to Plants Dig Soil. There is a lot of hype in the regenerative agriculture space right now. My goal in this podcast is to cut through the noise and get to the realistic practices that will work for farmers. The practices have to be profitable and they have to be proven to get past my filters.
The episodes are short and to the point with critical thought put into what is claimed and what is real. I tackle topics such as cover crops, carbon credits, soil health, and new and emerging practices...
2022-03-2700 minPlants Dig Soil™Introduction to Plants Dig Soil#RealisticRegenAg | Hello! This is Scott Gillespie and welcome to Plants Dig Soil. There is a lot of hype in the regenerative agriculture space right now. My goal in this podcast is to cut through the noise and get to the realistic practices that will work for farmers. The practices have to be profitable and they have to be proven to get past my filters.
The episodes are short and to the point with critical thought put into what is claimed and what is real. I tackle topics such as cover crops, carbon credits, soil health, and new...
2022-03-1001 minPlants Dig Soil™025 Fertilizer Strategy 2022#RealisticRegenAg | We’re all tired of hearing the phrase “supply chain issues.” But we need to be ready. What do we do if we cannot get what is essential for our farm? In this episode I cover how to work through this.
Key points:
Soil tests will be critical for helping to allocate fertilizer.
Crop plans may need to altered to grow crops that are less dependent on seasonal applications.
If you have built your soil over the past 5-10 years you may be able mine the lower priced nutrients this year.
Biological stimulants may be able to g...
2022-03-0215 minPlants Dig Soil™Act quickly! $89 ends January 9th#RealisticRegenAg | Pre-Launch pricing until January 9, 2022
https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies
Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies
Cover crops are a tool to be used on the farm. They are not the goal. At the end of this course you will have plan for when, and when not, to implement them. They will only be used to solve a problem when they give a positive return on investment.
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
---
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2022-01-0501 minPlants Dig Soil™Online Course Pre-Launch Pricing!#RealisticRegenAg | Pre-Launch pricing until January 9, 2022
https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies
Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies
Cover crops are a tool to be used on the farm. They are not the goal. At the end of this course you will have plan for when, and when not, to implement them. They will only be used to solve a problem when they give a positive return on investment.
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
---
Send in a...
2021-12-1503 min
Plants Dig Soil™024 Online Course & Season 3 Review#RealisticRegenAg | Feedback before the end of the month requested on an online course & review of Season 3.
Feedback & Early Access link: https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/cover-crop-early-feedback
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/024-online-course-amp-season-3-review
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2021-11-0816 minPlants Dig Soil™023 Cover Crop ROI#RealisticRegenAg | Cover crops need to pay in the immediate, short, and long-term. Join me as I discuss how treating cover crops as another input on the farm that is expected to give results will pay now and in the future.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/023-cover-crop-roi
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
Are Cover Crops Worth the Work?
– A Spud Smart Roundtable Webinar & Podcast
https://spudsmart.com/are-cover-crops-worth-the-work-a-spud-smart-roundtable-webinar-podcast/
Pulse School: Targeted cover crop use could reduce soil erosion
ht...
2021-10-0516 minPlants Dig Soil™022 Potatoes, Tillage, & Soil Health#RealisticRegenAg | Given this new idea that tillage does not cause organic matter loss and my idea that cover crops are basically just putting carbon in its proper place, it follows that potatoes are not inherently bad for the soil. Their problem is they disturb this layering of organic matter that protects the surface. The goal, then, is to do what we can to keep as much organic matter in place as possible while growing the potatoes.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/022-potatoes-tillage-soil-health
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn...
2021-09-0117 minPlants Dig Soil™021 Supercharge the System#RealisticRegenAg Now that we have a way to maximize the ground cover with green plants and having living roots growing as much as the heat and the moisture will allow, we can look at ways to supercharge the system. In this episode I’ll cover ways with and without animals to increase the capacity of the system.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/021-supercharge-the-system
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2021-08-0420 minPlants Dig Soil™020 Relay Seeding Cover Crops#RealisticRegenAg Relay cover cropping is simply deciding what we want to grow on the land rather than letting nature decide for us. Join me on this episode where I explain why I am convinced this is the best way to make cover cropping work in short growing seasons. To end the episode I'll go through an example rotation to help you get started while using existing equipment and inexpensive seed.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/020-relay-seeding-cover-crops
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2021-07-0416 minPlants Dig Soil™019 Carbon in its Proper Place#RealisticRegenAg Sequestering carbon is not natural, it's there to be used. In this episode I'll cover what organic matter actually is, how it is useful to your soil in its proper place, and why it's hard to get it to stay in the soil.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/019-carbon-in-its-proper-place
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2021-06-0517 minPlants Dig Soil™018 Three Pillars Propping Regen Ag#RealisticRegenAg
The soil particles can only produce a small amount of the nutrients that we export in a year. The legacy nutrients can prop you up for a little while, but eventually you need nutrients brought back into the system. The dust bowl of the 1930s showed that tillage was not a source of inexhaustible nutrients. In this episode I will be arguing that we will be seeing the same thing show up in the 2030s – Only this time we will not be seeing soil blowing, we will be seeing crops fail as the nutrient supplying power of...
2021-05-0917 minPlants Dig Soil™017 The Long View on Regeneration#RealisticRegenAg
Many times something appears to work initially, only to be proven wrong later. In this episode, I take a step back, and take the long view on soil development from a geological and an anthropological perspective.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/017-the-long-view-on-regeneration
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2021-04-0913 minPlants Dig Soil™016 What is Regenerative Agriculture?#RealisticRegenAg
Through use of the story of discovering footwear outside of the mainstream I will attempt to answer the question: What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/016-what-is-regenerative-agriculture
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2021-03-0118 minPlants Dig Soil™Realistic Regenerative Nutrient Management#RealisticRegenAg Join me as I look at what the realistic expectations are for regenerative nutrient management in the semi-arid brown soils of the Canadian Prairies. This bonus episode was originally presented to a group of farmers and ranchers in the southern area of Alberta, Canada on February 16, 2021.
Transcript and PowerPoint slides: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/media
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2021-02-1625 minPlants Dig Soil™Carbon Building: Realistic Expectations#RealisticRegenAg Join me as I look at what the realistic expectations are for carbon building in the semi-arid brown soils of the Canadian Prairies. This bonus episode was originally presented to a group of farmers and ranchers in the Medicine Hat area of Alberta, Canada on January 27, 2021.
Transcript and PowerPoint slides: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/media
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2021-01-2823 min
Plants Dig Soil™Reminder - Feedback Deadline FridayFeedback Form + Entry for Hat & Mug
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast-feedback-fall-2020
Carbon Building: Realistic Expectations (Wed Jan 27)
http://www.cypress.ab.ca/p/upcoming-events
Realistic Regenerative Nutrient Management (Tue Feb 16)
https://www.nutrientmanagementab.ca/
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
---
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2021-01-1202 minPlants Dig Soil™015 Season Review and Listener FeedbackIn this episode, I’m going to review the season so you can remember all that I’ve covered and give you - my listeners - a chance at getting a hat and mug sent anywhere in the world, just for giving me some feedback on the future direction of the podcast.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/015-season-review-future-feedback
Feedback survey: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast-feedback-fall-2020
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2020-11-3015 minPlants Dig Soil™014 Giving up on DripFor the past decade I've tried to make drip irrigation work in my garden. In this episode I'll talk about the many iterations of my design and why I'm pulling it out next year and going back to overhead sprinklers.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/014-giving-up-on-drip
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2020-10-2812 minPlants Dig Soil™013 Caution on Carbon PaymentsThe idea of paying farmers to store carbon in their soils has been around for decades. The next frontier is now looked upon to be regenerative agriculture. In this episode, I’d like to work through a series of questions you should be able to answer before you sign up for a carbon payment plan.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/013-caution-on-carbon-payments
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2020-09-3021 minPlants Dig Soil™012 Simplicity in Cover Crop MixesCocktail cover crops are all the rage in cover crop discussions. Farmers and seed companies have their own special blend that is purported to have all the benefits you need for your farm. But do they work?
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/012-simplicity-in-cover-crop-mixes
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2020-08-3015 minPlants Dig Soil™011 Trouble with BylawRegenerative practices are often messy, at least in the early stages of the transition. In this podcast I discuss my problems with community standards as my yard moves towards a more regenerative management style.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/011-trouble-with-bylaw
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2020-07-2012 minPlants Dig Soil™010 Plant Green? Plant Brown?Planting green means planting your crop into a living cover crop. In this episode I take a step back and look at what it is trying to accomplish and look at where it fits and where it does not.
Episode link: https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/010-plant-green-plant-brown
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2020-06-1712 minPlants Dig Soil™009 Beyond Cover CropsAdd soil crops, companion crops, intercrops, and relay crops to your repertoire.
Episode link: www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/009-beyond-cover-crops
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
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2020-05-1915 minPlants Dig Soil™008 No Stats. No Effect.You don't need to understand the mathematics behind statistics to be able to use them. Learn how to spot product claims that aren't worth your time and money. Load up this example to follow along with in the episode: http://michigansoybean.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2016-Radiate-Trial.pdf
Episode transcript: www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/008-no-stats-no-effect
Email: scott@plantsdigsoil.com
Click for Twitter and LinkedIn or search scottcgillespie
2020-04-2012 minPlants Dig Soil™007 Plants as Soil AmendmentsWhen most people think of amendments for their garden they think of bringing in something from the outside. In this episode I'll explore ways that you can get plants working for you instead. This topic was originally intended to be a presentation at Environment Lethbridge's 2020 Seedy Saturday event. However, as with most events this past month, and for the foreseeable future, it was cancelled.
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/007-plants-as-soil-amendments
scott@plantsdigsoil.com
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
2020-03-2713 min
Austin Art TalkHayley Gillespie - Art.Science.Gallery.Turns out that art and science are more related than you might expect. This weeks highly informative episode is with Dr. Hayley Gillespie, the founder and director of Art.Science.Gallery. She has bachelor’s degrees in biology, fine art, and environmental studies from Austin College and a doctoral degree in ecology, evolution, and behavior from UT. In addition to being a small business owner she also studies endangered species, creates art that is inspired by her activities as a scientist, and practices sustainable urban agriculture and native plant restoration. She is also a full time lecturer in Biology at...
2017-12-1657 min