Understanding Soil Health: The New Frontier

In this episode of Sustaining Soils, we’re joined by Dr. Michelle Perez, Water Initiative Director, and Dr. Meng Li, Senior Soil Health Scientist, both from American Farmland Trust (AFT). With years of experience in soil science, environmental policy, and agriculture economics, Michelle and Meng offer a deep dive into the economic benefits of soil health practices and the tools helping farmers make informed decisions.Together, they explore:• Real-world case studies that prove soil health can boost profits• The biggest barriers farmers face when adopting soil health practices• AFT’s Soil Health Economic Tool Suite, including their predictive calculator and decision-making resourcesListeners will walk away with a better understanding of how conservation and profitability can go hand-in-hand, plus how innovative tools are making the economics of soil health clearer than ever.Whether you’re a grower, advisor, or sustainability advocate, this episode is packed with insights to guide smarter, more resilient farming.Stay connected for future episodes: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/valent-biosciences/Instagram: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/valentbiosciences/Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/valentbiosciences/

Did you know there’s a new plant variety to support healthier soils, sequester more carbon, and advance today’s sustainable farming practices? It’s hemp! In this episode of Sustaining Soils, we’re joined by Wendy Mosher, President & CEO of New West Genetics, and Dr. John McKay, Professor of Plant Evolutionary Genomics at Colorado State University. Together, they dive into how innovative genetics and farming practices can support hemp production and drive sustainable agriculture. Listeners will learn about: Whether you’re a grower, researcher, or sustainability enthusiast, this episode is full of insights for you. Stay connected with us on social media: Valent BioSciences: ⁠https://www.valentbiosciences.com/⁠ Valent BioSciences Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/valentbiosciences/⁠ Valent BioSciences Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/valentbiosciences/⁠ Valent BioSciences LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/valent-biosciences/⁠ Valent BioSciences YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/valentbiosciences

In this episode of Sustaining Soils, hear directly from two top scientists in the soil science field: Dr. Christopher Topp, Principal Investigator, and Keith Duncan, Research Scientist, who are both from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. They explored why prioritizing the ‘hidden half’ of a plant is crucial for plant biologists and farmers alike. Additionally, they dive into their innovative ongoing laboratory research and how it positively influences the agriculture industry and works towards sustaining future generations.   Stay connected with us on social media: Valent BioSciences: https://www.valentbiosciences.com/ Valent BioSciences Instagram: https://instagram.com/valentbiosciences/ Valent BioSciences Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valentbiosciences/ Valent BioSciences LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/valent-biosciences/ Valent BioSciences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/valentbiosciences

Doris Mold, Co-CEO of Annie’s Project, and Beverly Alvarez-Torres, founder of Soil Science Ladies, engage in a passionate conversation on their experience as women in agriculture and the mission behind their organizations.   Annie’s Project: https://anniesproject.org/ Soil Science Ladies: https://soilscienceladies.com/ Valent BioSciences: https://www.valentbiosciences.com/ Valent BioSciences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valentbiosciences/ Valent BioSciences Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valentbiosciences/ Valent BioSciences LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/valent-biosciences/ Valent BioSciences Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValentBioSci Valent BioSciences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/valentbiosciences

Within this episode of the SustainingSoils™ podcast, Dr. Charles Rice, University Distinguished Professor (Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University) will explain “The Holy Trinity of Soil” of Soil Health and the importance of protecting and regenerating Soil Organic Carbon content. Chapters: The Holy Trinity of Soil Health (1:35), How can we affect the soil trinity? (5:35), The future of soil health research (18:20), Regenerative agriculture and precision agriculture (19:16), Farm landscape diversity (20:15).

This episode features April MacIntyre, Ph.D., a soil microbiologist, explaining the soil microbiome, why it is important, what growers need to know, and where the science is today. Enjoy! What is the soil microbiome and why is it important? (1:28), What can you do to change the microbiome? (10:22), How can you identify the microorganisms in your soil? (15:05), Are there any technologies to measure the soil microbiome? (17:46), How can academia and industry work together? (20:33), Where is the science going next? (22:08), Key takeaways (26:13).

Definition of soil health & why it’s important (2:25), what growers can do for their soil (7:22), the definition of plant health & how it differs from soil health (9:45 – 13:38), best practices for growers (13:38), stable soil aggregates & microbial inoculants (15:33), soil & plant health industry trends (21:46), the new frontier of agriculture sciences (25:00).

This episode explores the topic of soil health hosted by Charles Cowden and Nick Goeser, two experts in the field who discuss the practical aspects of soil health and how it affects the farmer’s bottom line.