Podcasts about nature the microbial roots

How does soil health intimately and profoundly impact human health? What's the link between the soil microbiome and the human gut microbiome? How can we begin to restore our health, and the health of the living earth in concert with each other?  These are the questions posed by the outstanding book 'What your Food Ate: How to heal our land and reclaim our health' and the co-authors, Anne Biklé and David Montgomery are this week's guests as we delve deeply into the nature of soil, the functions of fungi, the populations of bacteria we depend on that inhabit our guts, and how we might affect total systemic change in the food and farming system.  So a little light listening for your day. In detail, Anne Biklé is a biologist, avid gardener. She is among the planet's leading experts on the microbial life of soil and its crucial importance to human wellbeing and survival. She is married to David Montgomery, who is a professor of Geomorphology at the University of Washington. David has studied everything from the ways that landslides and glaciers influence the height of mountain ranges, to the way that soils have shaped human civilizations both now and in the past. All of this has led him to write a number of books, including Dirt: The Erosion of Civilisations which explores how our historic - and contemporary - farming practices have critically undermined the living soil on which we depend. Following this, David and Anne co-wrote, The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health and the book we're going to be exploring in depth today:  What your Food Ate: how to heal our land and reclaim the our Health.  David also plays in the band, Big Dirt, which is, and I quote directly from their Facebook page: Americana Alternative. Whatever that means. Roots folk-rock with something to say and fun to listen.I read What your Food Ate earlier this year and if you've listened to the podcast for any length of time, you'll have heard me mention it more than once. It's the most readable exploration I've come across of how our food is grown, and how it could - and should be grown - it's really easy to read, but it's full of the kind of mind-blowing data that we need if we're going to change our habits. You'll hear more in the podcast, but truly, the detail they gathered on the difference in content between food grown in the modern agri-business farm and that grown on a regenerative farm with no chemical inputs and no or minimal ploughing, one that strives to build the soil health and so build the health of everything else... it's both terrifying and inspiring. If you want something to persuade you that you need to change the places you buy your food, this is it. So, here we go. People of the Podcast, please welcome Anne Biklé and David Montgomery. Dig2Grow Website https://www.dig2grow.com/Buy the Books: https://www.dig2grow.com/booksBig Dirt https://www.reverbnation.com/bigdirtmusic

Oh hey, it's Mimi again. Gotcha two for the price of one today, because we're speaking with David Montgomery and Anne Biklé. I'm sure they don't need an introduction, because I know at least some of you all will have at least one of their books in your exhaustive libraries. If you haven't heard of them, David and Anne are married, live in Seattle, and are a pair of writers. To quote them, "Dave is a broad-minded geologist and Anne is a free-range biologist with a bad case of plant lust." If that doesn't make you want to hang out with them, I don't know how much better I'm going to be able to do. The reason I wanted to talk to them is not just because their book,  What Your Food Ate, just came out, but also because they have a really great way of going back through the membrane of time and looking at some of the origins of our understanding about the connections between plants, soil microbiology, and our own health. I can't recommend the books highly enough. Dave's mustache is also the mustache to end all mustaches.  A list of some of their amazing works... What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health (2022) The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health (2015) Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life (2017) Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (2008) Folks who make the show possible... Certified Naturally Grown grassroots, peer-to-peer, holistic certification. Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements. RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels. ... and, as always, our work is powered by the folks who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers, you can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our brand new forum at notillgrowers.community.chat  

Delving into soil health is like peeling the layers of an onion back: new layers to soil health are brought to light every day. David Montgomery and Anne Bikle share what they learned and synthesized about soil health and food connections in writing their latest book: What Your Food Ate. As we learn about soil ecology and nutrient cycling, the urgency for caring for health from the soil up is increasingly apparent. David and Anne mention the importance of phytochemicals, micronutrients, fat balances, and microbial metabolites to plant and animal foods, and that new layers and directions for study continue to emerge. Overall, David and Anne encourage farmers and gardeners to do their own on-farm research, particularly in minimizing and eliminating tillage. Similarly, they encourage taking regional approaches to improve soil health and increase farm profitability so we can move forward in new ways. Montgomery, D. R. & Biklé, A. (2022). What your food ate: How to heal our land and reclaim our health. W. W. Norton Company. Available for purchase online at https://www.dig2grow.com/books or from other independent bookstores.Notes and resources for What Your Food Ate: https://www.dig2grow.com/_files/ugd/efeec1_9af7d03df12f447f90dee61521c08707.pdfDavid and Anne's books were written in the following order: Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations; The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health; Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life; and What Your Food Ate: How To Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health.Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ Please visit our new website with additional conversations and resources at https://www.4thesoil.org.

How do we nourish people rather than just feed them? Is there a more direct link between soil health and human health than we thought? David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé, authors of What Your Food Ate, talk with us about the deeper, more intriguing aspects of soil health, nutrition, and its implications for human health with us. David and Anne emphasize the importance of asking questions about the foundations of health: soil and nutritious food. David is a professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. Anne attended the University of California, Santa Cruz earning degrees in Biology and Natural History. She holds a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Anne's career has included work in biology, watershed restoration, environmental planning, and public health.Montgomery, D. R. & Biklé, A. (2022). What your food ate: How to heal our land and reclaim our health. W. W. Norton Company. Available for purchase online at https://www.dig2grow.com/books or from other independent bookstores.Notes and resources for What Your Food Ate: https://www.dig2grow.com/_files/ugd/efeec1_9af7d03df12f447f90dee61521c08707.pdfDavid and Anne's books were written in the following order: Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations; The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health; Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life; and What your Food Ate: How To Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health.Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and read the latest Soil Health Tip Tuesday blog post at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ Please visit our new website with additional conversations and resources at https://www.4thesoil.org.

Anne Biklé and Dave Montgomery are a husband and wife team and authors of the newly released What Your Food Ate and the trilogy: Dirt: the Erosion of Civilizations, the Hidden Half of Nature, and Growing a Revolution. Together, with Anne's lens of biology, and David's lens of geology, they explore the topics of soil, land, and human health. In this episode, we explore all things soil. Starting with an exploration of how many dynamics between organisms above ground feel combative, but life beneath the soil is truly collaborative. Anne and Dave explore nutrient cycles and how nutrition in the form of minerals is liberated from rocks by microbial and fungal life and recycled through time. We also explore how plants and animals (including humans) get their nutrition. Anne and Dave touch on the state of our soils and what it means to have lost around half of our soil organic matter in a short amount of time and what we can do about it. Touched on are ideas around taking a long view, and how we can do that with our own health and land health and how the history of the treatment of soil might teach us a little bit more about looking into the future. We look at not just regenerative agriculture, but also the impacts of chemical and mechanized agriculture. Ultimately, Anne and Dave guide us towards the future and just how much hope and resiliency nature is capable of. We also talk about: Policy changes informing changes in practice Boom and bust cycles of agriculture and civilization & so much more Find Anne + Dave: Twitter: @dig2grow Website: dig2grow.com Anne + Dave's Books (in order - but can absolutely be read independently): Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health Related Ground Work Episodes: Stephan van Vliet (for more on phytochemicals and the dark matter of nutrition) Brad Marshall (for more on omega 3:omega 6 ratios) Alicia Brown (for more on no till agriculture and growing for nutrients) Current Discounts for GW listeners: 15% off Farm True ghee and body care products using code: KATEKAV15 Join the Ground Work Collective: Instagram: @groundworkcollective Find a Farm: nearhome.groundworkcollective.com More: groundworkcollective.com Podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting: groundworkcollective.com/disclaimer Episode Webpage

What is soil health, and how do we measure it? What is regenerative agriculture, and why is the label organic confusing and not particularly useful? In this episode of the podcast Lars talks to David Montgomery, a professor of geology at University of Washington, who has in the last fifteen years written a number of books and articles about soil health, food production and agriculture. As he tells it himself, his journey through the world of regenerative agriculture and soil health has turned him from being a pessimist into a staunch optimist, and we're pretty sure that this comes through in the episode.  David also has a new book coming out this summer, written with his wife Anne Biklé: What your food ate: How to heal our land and reclaim our health, which we talk about in this episode. The book is already available for preorder. (https://wwnorton.co.uk/books/9781324004530-what-your-food-ate)  Books and articles:  David Montgomery (2007) Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, University of California Press David Montgomery (2007), «Soil erosion and agricultural sustainability», PNAS, August 14, 2007, vol. 104  no. 33, ss.13268 –13272, https://www.pnas.org/content/104/33/13268 David Montgomery & Anne Biklé (2016), The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health, W.W. Norton David Montgomery (2017), Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life, W.W. Norton David Montgomery & Anne Biklé, (2021) «Soil Health and Nutrient Density: Beyond Organic vs. Conventional Farming», Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 04 November 2021, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.699147/full David R. Montgomery, Anne Biklé, Ray Archuleta, Paul Brown, Jazmin Jordan (2022), «Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming», PeerJ, 27.jan 2022 David's recommendations: Charles Darwin (1881), The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits, John Murray Gabe Brown (2018), Dirt to Soil: One Family's Journey into Regenerative Agriculture, Chelsea Green Publishing ---------------------------- Our logo is by Sveinung Sudbø, see his works on originalkopi.com The music is by Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, see the facebook page Nygrenda Vev og Dur for more info.  ----------------------------  Thank you for listening. You can contact us on our facebook page or by email: larsogpaal[at]gmail.com There is no better way for the podcast to gain new interested listener than by you sharing it with friends, so if you find what we do interesting and useful, please consider doing just that. The podcast is still most in Norwegian, but we have a lot of episodes coming out in English.  Our blogs: https://paljabekk.com/ https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/ Alt godt, hilsen Lars og Pål

Can a whole-food plant-based revolution start in the frozen food aisle? Tyler Mayoras of Cool Beans sees the transition coming—and believes it can grow across the plant-based space. With simple ingredients and upbeat branding, Cool Beans wraps are making it easier to eat whole plant foods on the go. But for Tyler, that's only part of a bigger picture that includes everything from regenerative agriculture to better-for-you plant-based products. In this episode, we get groovy about: How a lack of convenient whole-food plant-based options spawned the idea for Cool Beans Why Cool Beans focuses exclusively on gluten-free, whole-food plant-based products The benefits of beans for gut health The environmental impact of animal agriculture Potential health effects of glyphosate used in conventional farming Why Tyler believes a return to regenerative agriculture is essential The role of indoor agriculture in the future of food The need for a "clean ingredient" revolution in the plant-based space How cellular agriculture and precision fermentation fit into the larger plant-based picture Want more plant-based nerdity and industry insights? Subscribe to The Modern Health Nerd for weekly updates: https://www.modernhealthnerd.com/news/ About Tyler & Cool Beans Tyler Mayoras is the Cofounder and CEO of Cool Beans. One could say he's the Cool Executive Officer. Tyler has spent more than 20 years in private equity investing and consulting, focused on sustainable food and agriculture. After adopting a plant-based lifestyle and seeing the incredible health benefits, he wanted to continue helping to create a sustainable future of food and worked with partners to create the 100% plant-based taste adventure that is Cool Beans. Prior to founding Cool Beans, Tyler was a principal in the Advantage Capital Food and Agriculture Fund. In addition to leading Cool Beans, he continues his support of other plant-based brands as an angel investor and mentor. He's a board member of Naturally Chicago and ACG Chicago, and an avid speaker on plant-based food and sustainable agriculture, appearing in the media and on podcasts. Tyler lives in the Chicago area with his wife Sasha and their two daughters. Tyler received his BS from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Connect with Cool Beans! Website: https://www.eatcoolbeans.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luvcoolbeans Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/eatcoolbeans Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coolbeans You can also purchase Cool Beans products at Vegan Essentials, Good Eggs and select retailers throughout the U.S. For Further Reading The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health by David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé SWAP-MEAT Study: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/112/5/1188/5890315?login=true My post on SWAP-MEAT: https://www.modernhealthnerd.com/plant-based-vs-whole-food-plant-based/ < --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-modern-health-nerd/support

David Montgomery, PhD. - Growing A Revolution - Sept 10, 2019, Interviewers, Seth Itzkan & Karl Thidemann, Soil4Climate Inc. - David R. Montgomery is a professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. His books include Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life and The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health, a collaboration with Anne Biklé.

How are the health of soil, plants, bees, and humans connected? An all-star panel of experts joined us to answer this question with a discussion of the microscopic universe at the beginning and end of our food chain—the microbiome. Delve into the intricate world of microbes present in every human, the bacteria that help us digest food, regulate our immune system, and produce vitamins essential to our health. Explore unique connections that expand our everyday understanding—the decline of bees as related to the health of our soil and the quality of microbiomes within bees’ diets, the relationship of cancer to our digestive health, and more. Sit in for an enlightening discussion of the unseen but powerful factors affecting our health, our environment, and many more aspects of our lives than we could have thought possible. Panelists: Elissa Arnheim combines her health and ecology expertise in fostering robust populations and resilient terrain in children’s guts. She helps mothers reverse their children’s chronic health issues while taking care of themselves. Arnheim’s work gives moms empowered clarity by reducing stomach problems, anxiety and focus issues, and picky eating. Anne Biklé is a science writer and public speaker. She has over two decades of experience in field biology, natural history, and environmental planning. Her work focuses on the connections between people, plants, food, health, and the environment. Biklé is the co-author of The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health. William DePaolo, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, recipient of the Garvey Endowed Chair in Gastroenterology, and Director of CMiST, Center for Microbiome Sciences & Therapeutics. His research centers on multidisciplinary applications of microbiology, mucosal immunology, and cancer research to study complex human diseases. Jenifer Walke, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Eastern Washington University. She is a microbial and disease ecologist, studying the roles of beneficial and disease-causing microorganisms on their hosts and investigating the complex interactions between honey bee hosts, their gut microbiomes, and pathogens. The event is moderated by Bob Redmond of Survivor Bee. The event is co-produced by Survivor Bee and sponsored by Big Dipper Waxworks with additional support from King County LOOP® Biosolids, The Common Acre, Rainbow Natural Remedies, and the Center for Microbiome Sciences and Therapeutics at the University of Washington. Presented by Town Hall Seattle. Recorded live in The Forum on February 4, 2020. 

In this episode, Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, talks with Nicole Masters, a New Zealand agroecologist and director of Integrity Soils. Kara, who works out of NCAT's Southwest Regional Office in San Antonio, Texas, caught up with Nicole via telephone while Nicole was visiting a client in Big Timber, Montana. They talk about ways in which the "soil microbiome" system that acts as a plant's digestive system mirrors the microbiome of the human digestive system. They discuss how to understand the health of an agricultural operation's soil microbiome, and they talk about ways regenerative agriculture with its focus on soil health can help mitigate the challenges to agriculture that come with a changing climate. Nicole and Kara share resources they see as helpful resources for understanding the topic in more depth.For more information on this topic, you can contact Kara Kroeger directly at karak@ncat.org..Related ATTRA Resources:Soil for WaterSoils & CompostNational Center for Appropriate Technology websiteOther ResourcesIntegrity Soils websiteTeaming with Microbes:The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food WebThe Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and HealthScience in AgricultureFertility PasturesDirt to SoilNourishmentPlease call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website.Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!Southwest Regional Office: Website / FacebookWestern Regional Office: Website / FacebookRocky Mountain West Regional Office: FacebookGulf States Regional Office: Website / Faceb

In this episode, Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, talks with Nicole Masters, a New Zealand agroecologist and director of Integrity Soils. Kara, who works out of NCAT's Southwest Regional Office in San Antonio, Texas, caught up with Nicole via telephone while Nicole was visiting a client in Big Timber, Montana. They talk about ways in which the "soil microbiome" system that acts as a plant's digestive system mirrors the microbiome of the human digestive system. They discuss how to understand the health of an agricultural operation's soil microbiome, and they talk about ways regenerative agriculture with its focus on soil health can help mitigate the challenges to agriculture that come with a changing climate. Nicole and Kara share resources they see as helpful resources for understanding the topic in more depth.For more information on this topic, you can contact Kara Kroeger directly at karak@ncat.org.. Related ATTRA Resources: Soil for Water Soils & Compost National Center for Appropriate Technology website Other Resources Integrity Soils website Teaming with Microbes:The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health Science in Agriculture Fertility Pastures Dirt to Soil Nourishment Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture. You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website. You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page. Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website. Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages! Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook Gulf States Regional Office: Website / Facebook Southeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook Northeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Carol and Dee greet the new year with ideas on new flowers to grow, new veggies to grow, and some gardening resolutions. They also talk about allelopathic properties of sunflowers and other plants.  And the book Carol couldn't remember the title of is "The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health" by David R. Montgomery and Anne Bikle.

When we stop treating dirt like dirt, when we accept it’s neither ‘dirt cheap’ nor ‘dirt poor’, we will come to realise it is the most precious resource we have. Treat dirt, or soil, the way you want to be treated. In this episode, David R. Montgomery joins us to talk about how soil has shaped the course of civilisations. From the Classical Greeks and the Romans to the Maya civilisation – the story of soil and its mistreatment has been central to explaining why civilisations collapse. The plow – the tool that defines farming - is the number one culprit. Some argue it has been more destructive than the sword. David is a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, he is a MacArthur Fellow, and author of King of Fish: The Thousand-year Run of Salmon; The Rocks Don't Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah's Flood; Dirt: The Erosions of Civilizations; The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health (which he co-authored with Anne Biklé); and Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. We cover: A crash course on soil, soil formation, erosion and degradation The myth that ancient civilisations lived and farmed in harmony with nature The central role of soil in the fall of ancient Greece and Rome The plow: more destructive than the sword? Soil erosion and colonialism, slavery and empire Soil and climate change Soilutions: the promise of conservation agriculture     Links: David Montgomery’s Website and Twitter Dirt: The Erosion of Civilisation– David R. Montgomery The Rocks don’t Lie: A Geologist investigates Noah’s Flood  - David R. Montgomery The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health - David R. Montgomery & Anna Biklé Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life- David R. Montgomery    You might also like:  FFS 034 – Wizards and Prophets FFS 024 – The Soilution: Saving our soils, saving ourselves FFS 011 – Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future

When Anne Biklé started rehabilitating her Seattle backyard to plant a garden, she didn’t anticipate the return of carbon to the soil. But after a few years, she got curious and invited a soil scientist from the University of Washington to compare samples from the original dirt behind the garage with samples from the Eco-Lawn, perennial beds, and vegetable bed. The results were astonishing. The Eco-Lawn had 5% more carbon than the baseline sample, the perennial beds came in at 8% more carbon, and the heavily amended vegetable bed had a full 12% more carbon. Imagine the impact if every gardener applied the same processes and principles. And what if farmers applied the ideas at scale? Anne is a biologist and environmental planner with what she calls "a bad case of plant lust," and her career spans the fields of environmental stewardship, habitat restoration, and public health. She is also the co-author of The Hidden Half of Nature, a thought-provoking book about leveraging the cultivation of microbiomes to transform agriculture and medicine. Anne and her husband, professor of geomorphology David Montgomery, speak regularly on the topics of soil health, conservation and sustainable development.  Today, Anne joins Ross, Christophe and Paul to share the origin of her interest in the soil and appreciation of the natural world. She walks us through the process of rehabilitating the soil in her backyard garden, describing how she collected the necessary mulch and organic matter as well as the stunning experience of watching life return to the yard. Listen in to understand the concepts of biodynamic agriculture and learn how Anne came to recognize the significance of microbial life in the health of the soil AND the human body!   Resources Nori’s Crowdfunding Campaign Dig2Grow Dig2Grow on Twitter The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Healthby David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé Mary Oliver Poetry Foundation Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver Dream Work by Mary Oliver Rudolf Steiner 2018 Biodynamic Conference Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations by David R. Montgomery Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David R. Montgomery Kiss the Ground   Key Takeaways [0:49] Anne’s interest in the soil Plant lust in college at Santa Cruz Garden with house in Seattle [5:00] Anne’s insight on dirt vs. soil Soil includes living organisms Dirt = dead parts (rock fragments) Plants interact with both [7:47] The magic of the natural world Soil one of most biodiverse places Humans can’t see most life forms Watch insects ‘better than birding’ [12:03] The emergence of life in Anne’s backyard Demolished lawn for blank slate Life returned (i.e.: evolution of life on Earth) [15:56] How Anne rehabilitated the soil in her garden Collect mulch and organic matter Coffee grounds, wood chips and leaves Conserve water, feed life of soil Buffet for trillions of species of soil life Flow of carbon from plant into soil [22:37] Our recent understanding around soil 25-50% of carbon in atmosphere from topsoil Depletion of nutrients from change in land use [24:00] Anne’s advice on starting your own garden Visit native vegetation communities Mimic processes, materials  [30:13] How the garden impacts Anne’s consumption Garden and farmers market for food Source own organic matter [33:34] The concept of biodynamic agriculture Respect for, understanding of cycles Farmers work with metabolism of soil Soil seen as grand engine  [37:31] The parallels between plant root systems and the human gut Microbiome in colon = grazing pasture Soil as digestive tract of Earth

Good day and welcome to Tractor Time, a podcast brought to you by Acres U.S.A. Today’s podcast features two guests. Both live together in Seattle, and are writers, advocates and change agents and, it should be noted, both are quite brilliant as well – Biologist Anne Biklé and Geologist David Montgomery. We have interviewed both separately, and will run their interviews back-to-back. Our second interview you will hear on this episode, Anne Biklé, is a biologist with an interest in environmentalism and, most recently, soil life. She’s an active speaker and author of The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health, which is available in our bookstore at acresusa.com.  We are going in depth on new science into life in the soil, and discuss the significance of all the new information to farmers and growers. But to set the stage, we will get to our first guest, David Montgomery, Anne’s co-author on The Hidden Half of Nature, and a writer, geologist, professor, and researcher who will set the stage for Anne’s deep-dive into the soil. It’s also worth noting that David is a recognized genius – or at least, someone who has been recognized as the closest thing to it. David Montgomery is a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, and a member of the Quaternary Research Center. In 2008, In 2008 Montgomery received a MacArthur Fellowship, generally known as the “genius grant,” for his work as a researcher and writer. His early work began in topics of topography and geology. He was all over the television after the tragic landslide in 2014 in his homestate of Washington, and since then, has published books connecting the ideas of healthy soil and healthy civilizations. In 2016, Montgomery published "The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health", a collaboration with Anne Biklé. The book addresses the relationship between microbial life, plants, and people. His most recent work, Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life, released in May 2017. Both are available from Acres U.S.A. store. We welcome David Montgomery and Anne Bilké to the Tractor Time podcast. Also, find all of the Tractor Time podcasts here, or for free in the iTunes store.

Anne is a biologist, an author and an avid gardener. She co-wrote The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health with her husband David Montgomery, who was our guest in the previous episode. Her interests and expertise have led her into environmental planning, public health and watershed restoration. Join us as Anne shares a bit of her journey, and the insights she's gained from building soil in her garden. She shares about her case of “plant lust” and how she's started noticing the diversity of insects in her garden.Though Anne touches on the immune system briefly, we focus on gardening in this episode, mostly because I'm also a fanatical gardener. I may have acquired a case of the “gardeners high” Anne refers to just by talking about gardening…Enjoy this delightful conversation with Anne Biklé. Links Website: dig2grow.comTwitter: @dig2growFacebook: dig2growbooks   SHOW NOTES  Early Life- developed a case of “plant lust” in childhood, viewed green things growing as magical- both of her parents had an interest in putting in landscape that was tailored to the Colorado climate  Love for Nature- “biophilia”, term coined by EO Wilson, meaning: we have an innate need to connect with nature, innately know that to harm nature is wrong- Anne decided to grow food for insects, to see what kinds she could draw into her garden- observing a mini-ecosystem within your own backyard- all life forms are connected to each other; when we forget this, we begin to allow ourselves to do harmful things  Educational Background- studied Natural History, a branch of biology- later developed an interest in microbial biology  Perceptions of Nature- Anne aims to draw biology in around her in her everyday life as much as possible- “gardener's high”, losing track of time when around plants- there is mystery to explore behind the natural forces and elements e.g. soil- soil is dark coloured, which has negative connotations for many people- we also can't see the life in the soil at a glance so it appears dead to the naked eye- soil is the land equivalent of the sea; most life on earth dwells in the soil- there's evidence for a bacterium in healthy soil that can affect our mood positively  At Anne's Place- they had some terrible soil- laid wood chips on top of the garden beds- scattered lots of coffee grounds into the soil- Anne & David realised that you can make soil, you don't need to import it in- anyone can make soil, if you have the inclination and the materials  Bokashi Compost & the Immune System- soil has a metabolism, just like our gut- Bokashi can be made full of things that make the soil a bad place for pathogens to survive- our immune system is made up of many specialised cells (that become immune tissue) that live right next to our stomach & intestines - especially our large intestine- a person with gut problems likely also has an issue with their immune system- if the microbiome takes a hit, the immune system doesn't have the info it needs to know how to look after the person, and may start seeing problems where there isn't one = autoimmune conditions- your gut and soil are very similar & both need to be “mulched”- the microbiome is made up of trillions of organisms that are alive and need to be fed- eating a diverse diet, especially diverse plant foods, feeds the maximum amount of your microbiota, and keeps the diversity in your gut alive Website: dig2grow.comTwitter: @dig2growFacebook: dig2growbooks 

Dr. David R. Montgomery is a professor of geomorphology in the department of Earth & Space Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. In this episode David shares a bit of his story, and we delve into the details of building healthy soil, and how it's connected to our own health. He does a great job of communicating the science, and explaining these details. I had a great time interviewing him.Thanks to everyone who supports us in some way shape or form. We always love hearing how you're living a probiotic life. Links Website: dig2grow.comTwitter: @dig2growFacebook: dig2growbooks SHOW NOTES Geomorphology- study of topography- soil erosion- works on the here and now of geography- looks at sustainability, long term perspective  Geology & the Human Element- David wanted to learn about the world- took geology, “competing against [their] lack of knowledge”- saw how ecosystems & farming impact soil erosion- wrote a book about how religious thought & geological science have historically affected each other- wrote a book with his wife about how microbial life influences health of plants, people, farms  Formative Influences- spent lots of time playing outside as a kid- his wife Anne (a biologist) had a similar experience  Humans Have a Lot to Learn- when it comes to modern impact on natural age, humans are in the driver's seat- we are still figuring out the blueprint of how this earth works   Soil & Geology- takes lots of micronutrients to grow a healthy plant- the vast majority of these come from the ground- need to get rocks broken down and their minerals released into the soil- this is mostly done by microbes- soil is a grand recycling system, that takes organic material and returns it to the ground to feed new life- earth is the only planet we know of currently where this is the case  Soil Around the World- discussion of specific places in the world, where availability of different mineral elements has greatly impacted the botanical world- most soils around the world have the basic sets of minerals needed for plant growth, but they are often locked up in the soil unreleased- it's possible to add the nutrients needed to the soil- we need to bring the biology back to the soil  The Soil & Our Gut- aha! moment while writing The Hidden Half of Nature”- striking similarities between soil system and human gut- inflammation is a very important part of immune function, goes to fix problems- we don't want to be constantly in inflammation- what you are feeding your microbes has a direct impact on your immune system function- we need to eat fibre for our gut function, to feed our microbes- what we eat and how we treat the soil really does matter- probiotics are the microbes; prebiotics are what we feed the microbes  Restoration of Farmland- discussion of restoring farmland- 3 principles in common shared by farms where soil was restored quickly- 1) no-till or minimum-till farming- 2) keep the land covered with cover crops to act as green manure- 3) plant a diversity of crops- these all promote the growth of beneficial microbial life- these are all against modern conventional agriculture- the places that used the conservation agriculture made the land even better than nature had it in the first place- the future of biodiversity is tied to the future of agriculture- on all markers, these regenerative farming techniques are a win  Final Thoughts- American indigenous agriculture: they were practising crop diversity on their planting- all of the people David & wife Anne interviewed shared a common desire to rebuild the land's fertility, as the foundation of our civilisation- past civilisations stopped their soil to their societies' detriment- if we can change these practices in our current century, that would alter the arc of history, and we need to get it right this time- David's books: 1) Growing A Revolution: Bring Our Soil Back To Life; 2) The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health; 3) Dirt: The Erosion of Civilisations- books available wherever books are sold  Links Website: dig2grow.comTwitter: @dig2growFacebook: dig2growbooks

Did you know that there are parallels between the microbial worlds in our gut and the soil? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with David Montgomery, Ph.D., MacArthur Fellow, professor of geomorphology at the U. of Washington, and author of  “The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health.” Montgomery helps us rethink our relationship with the land and soil, connecting the root life of plants to gut health and the mechanisms by which we exchange nutrients and more. He explains the essentiality of bacteria in the human gut to a healthy life, with profound implications for both agriculture and medicine. We are witnessing a revolution in the way we see the microbial world, explains Montgomery, who presented a Keynote lecture at the 35th annual Beyond Pesticides Forum in Minneapolis in April 2017. His presentation is available for viewing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0kVEGGJL4Y&t=4s Related website: www.dig2grow.com

264: Anne Biklé on Microbial Roots of Life and Health Mapping the nutritional highway that connects healthy soil to healthy plants In This Podcast: The microscopic world of fungi and other soil organisms is crucial to the health of soil, plants and any being that lives off those plants. Biologist Anne Biklé understands the relationship between the lifeforms which create the microbiome that starts the food chains, and helps explain the basics in this conversation.  Don't miss an episode! Click here to sign up for weekly podcast updates Anne is a biologist and avid gardener whose wide-ranging interests have led her into watershed restoration, environmental planning, and public health.  She uses her broad background and endless fascination with the natural world to investigate and write about people and their environments.  Anne is also a rampant plant whisperer, coaxing plants into rambunctious growth or nursing them back from the edge of death.  She uses her garden, a nearby traffic circle and sidewalk planting strip as places to watch plants, people, and their interactions. She co-wrote The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health with her husband David Montgomery who was our guest on episode 259. Go to www.urbanfarm.org/rootsoflife for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

259: David Montgomery on Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. Using a geology background to understand regenerative soil processes. In This Podcast: Studying the surface formation of the earth usually means looking at geological processes taking place over long periods of time.  Geologist David Montgomery, however, became interested in studying more than just rocks and focused on something a bit more connected to life on earth and in the soil. As a non-farmer, his outsider's perspective might help others understand the crucial processes taking place in regenerating this very necessary material for food production. Don't miss an episode! Click here to sign up for weekly podcast updates David is a MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington. He is an internationally recognized geologist who studies landscape evolution and the effects of geological processes on ecological systems and human societies. An author of award-winning popular-science books, he has been featured in documentary films, network and cable news, and on a wide variety of TV and radio programs, including NOVA, PBS NewsHour, Fox and Friends, and All Things Considered. David has written two books on soil: Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life, and The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health which he co-wrote with his wife Anne Biklé. Go to www.urbanfarm.org/bigdirt for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

The book, The hidden half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health, is an exploration of how microbes are transforming the way we see nature and ourselves. It reveals why good health—for people and plants—depends on Earth's smallest creatures. Nurse Rona Renner interviews the authors, David Montgomery and Anne Biklé, about their  insights into the similarities between plant roots and the human gut. You can learn more about their work at http://www.dig2grow.com The post The Hidden Half of Nature: Microbial Roots of Life and Health appeared first on KPFA.