The Ground Up

What if our landscapes could think—not in the way machines think, but in the way ecosystems remember, adapt, and respond?In this episode of The Ground Up Podcast, Tim Sallin sits down with Lance Legel, founder of Ecodash and DeepEarth, to explore a bold and emerging frontier: ecological intelligence and the role of digital twins in reshaping how we design, manage, and steward land.Lance shares his journey at the intersection of software engineering, spatial systems, and ecology, and lays out a vision for digital tools that don’t dominate nature, but listen to it. Together, Tim and Lance explore how ecological data, spatial modeling, and AI could help reveal hidden patterns in soils, plants, water, and climate—while also grappling honestly with the technical, ethical, and operational challenges of turning vision into reality.The conversation moves fluidly between big-picture systems thinking and practical questions: What does it mean to model living systems responsibly? Where do today’s tools fall short? How do we avoid technological overreach while still embracing innovation? And what role should human judgment, humility, and place-based knowledge play alongside algorithms?This episode will resonate with anyone curious about the future of land stewardship, the promise and limits of technology, and how we might build tools that align more deeply with life—starting from the ground up.

What if the soil beneath our feet was more than dirt—what if it was a living, breathing factory of life, memory, and communication?In this extended conversation, Tim Sallin sits down with Buford Creech, agronomist, soil steward, and teacher, whose lifelong work bridges the worlds of science and faith. Together they explore the microscopic wonders of the rhizosphere, the role of fungi as soil architects, the miracle of photosynthesis, and the hidden chemistry that sustains plants and people alike.They also look squarely at today’s challenges: unintended consequences of industrial agriculture, the tipping points facing global food systems, and the devastating impact of HLB (citrus greening) on Florida’s groves. Buford offers both practical regenerative strategies for farmers today and bold speculation on therapies yet to be explored.Whether you’re a farmer, a scientist, or simply someone curious about the miracle of life, this is a rare chance to learn from a voice that sees the soil not just as chemistry, but as communion.🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube     

In this episode of The Ground Up Podcast, I sit down with Lake County Commissioner Sean Parks for a wide-ranging conversation on local leadership, land conservation, and the future of Florida’s landscapes.We explore the overwhelming success of the Lake Forever referendum, which passed with 80% voter approval to fund land conservation in Lake County, and discuss planning tools like Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs), and the proposed Wellness Way Landscape Ordinance under consideration right now. Sean and I had originally recorded this live at the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation's Corridor Connect Summit. Sadly technical issues made publishing it impossible. I am grateful to Sean Parks for agreeing to reshoot at Cherrylake. I hope you enjoy this episode! Please leave me some feedback in the comments. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube https://linktr.ee/thegrounduppodcast

In this episode of The Ground Up Podcast, host Tim Sallin sits down with Sam Baker, CEO and co-founder of WriggleBrew, to explore the intersection of soil science, sustainability, and entrepreneurial innovation. Sam shares his journey from fishing trip revelations to developing an award-winning organic fertilizer designed to combat red tide and restore soil health. We dive deep into soil microbiology, plant immunity, and the powerful role of microbes in supporting resilient landscapes. Looking ahead, we discuss WriggleBrew’s bold vision for solving plastic pollution, remediating environmental toxins, and leveraging microbiology to advance ecological solutions. Whether you’re a soil health nerd, an entrepreneur, or simply curious about the future of sustainable agriculture, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.https://www.wrigglebrew.com/

Greg Noonan is a landscape designer, educator, and systems thinker helping redefine the future of Florida’s communities. As Enhancements Manager at Cherrylake and founder of Connected Landscapes, Greg works at the intersection of ecological design, builder collaboration, and resident education. He leads the implementation of sustainable landscape practices at Sunbridge, a master-planned community that’s pioneering a new standard in residential development.In this episode, we dive deep into Greg’s personal journey—from installing edible gardens and founding a sustainable landscape firm to becoming a key driver of the OUTSIDE Collab model for transforming Florida landscapes. We discuss the challenges and breakthroughs of designing with native plants, creating year-round curb appeal, and helping builders meet sustainability standards without compromising aesthetics or budgets.

Caleb Quaid is the founder of Regenerative Shift, a holistic environmental consulting firm helping businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities pursue life-centered, regenerative initiatives. After more than a decade managing stadium operations and major construction projects for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Caleb made a dramatic career shift to align his life and work with his deeper values around sustainability, ecology, and whole-systems thinking.In this episode, we explore Caleb’s journey from professional sports to regenerative consulting, his work to bring the principles of regenerative agriculture into corporate sustainability, and the role of public funding in catalyzing systemic change. We also discuss bioregional regeneration, the mindset shift from sustainability to regeneration, and how to put life at the center of every decision. Caleb brings a rare blend of entrepreneurial insight, policy fluency, and ecological vision to the conversation—making the case that regeneration isn’t just possible, it’s essential.https://www.regenerativeshift.com/

David Miller is director of applied agronomy at Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). AEA  believes agriculture can be a force for good for both the environment and those who rely on it for their livelihoods. They are devoted to a scalable, whole-systems approach to revitalizing soil and plant health while generating economic returns for farmers. This includes agronomic consulting, effective biological and nutritional products, and cutting-edge plant nutrition technology and analysis. David is one of AEA’s most expert agronomists and crop advisors. He currently designs and implements controlled field trials and leads the education of new agronomist hires, which is a rigorous process to give them the necessary skills to help farmers succeed. In this episode we discuss his work with IMG Citrus to address the challenges of citrus greening through regenerative practices as well as the work AEA is doing to advance regenerative farming practices at scale across the globe.

Dan Egan is a Journalist in Residence at the Center for Water Policy in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Sciences. Egan is an environmental journalist and author of the Death and Life of the Great Lakes and The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance. Egan was a reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, covering the Great Lakes from 2002 until 2021. He has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and he has won the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, John B. Oakes Award, AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award, and J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. Egan is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Columbia School of Journalism.https://www.daneganauthor.com/

Dr. Patrick Bohlen is an ecologist and a professor of Biology at the University of Central Florida. Patrick has an extensive research and teaching background in ecosystem ecology, agroecology., urban ecology and wetland ecology.  As director of Landscape and Natural Resources, and the Arboretum at UCF, Patrick oversaw landscape design and operations, natural lands management and student and public engagement programs. Patrick is a founding member of the OUTSIDE Sustainable Landscaping Collaborative, a non-profit dedicated to increasing the adoption of sustainable landscape practices in Florida. He was recently named the new director of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum, in Madison, WI.

Founders of Cherrylake and IMG Citrus Michel and Veronique Sallin talk about their entrepreneurial journey, the importance of purpose, passion and values to growing a successful family business, and how they learned to transform adversity into opportunity.  They discuss the importance of diversification, vertical integration and differentiation in agri-business,  and share a few life lessons they learned along the way.