In this second part of our conversation with Michael Carter Jr. of Carter Farms in Orange County, Virginia, Michael shares his unique insights and perspectives on history and its ongoing relationship to soil health and farming. Michael is a fifth-generation farmer with a passion for small farm outreach, the decline in the number of black farmers and black-owned farms, and efforts to restore equity and justice in farming and access to land. Michael recounts the foresight his grandmother and her family had in buying their farm and land in Orange County after World War II. He also shares the significant role and contribution George Washington Carver had in extension education and outreach related to cropping and the care of the soil. Michael points out the spiritual elements of soil health and how many religious traditions recognize the value of soil in building community, trust, and faith.

To learn more about Carter Farms and the interdisciplinary teaching platform Africulture, please visit https://thecarterfarms.com/.

For book recommendations and other resources, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition website at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ . We also encourage you to join the soil health movement and take the 4 The Soil Pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html.

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

How do culture, history, and mindset influence soil health? Michael Carter Jr. of Carter Farms in Orange County, Virginia shares his insights and perspectives in this 4 The Soil: A Conversation episode. Michael is a fifth-generation farmer who grew up on a century farm and learned from the many agricultural teachers in his family and community. Michael provides historical context and examples of mindsets that can affect and limit soil health much like a compacted hardpan layer below the soil surface. Michael offers that cultural richness, racial literacy, and microbiological diversity are essential to soil health-building processes and community life.

To learn more about Carter Farms and their work growing ethnic, African tropical vegetables organically and its Africulture interdisciplinary teaching platform, please visit https://thecarterfarms.com/.

In recognition and celebration of National Soil Health Day on June 23, 2022, please remember to take the 4 The Soil Pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/take-the-pledge.html.

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

How did a grandmother's passion for gardening inspire her grandson's career in taking care of the soil? In this episode, Cory Guilliams, district conservationist with Virginia USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), recalls the influence and lessons learned from his grandmother about soil health and winter cover crops as he helped her as a youth in picking and weeding beans and potatoes. Cory shares the history and definition of no-till farming in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic Region and how important the practice is for aggregating soil particles and reducing erosion. Tillage can be extremely destructive so minimizing soil disturbance is critical. We can all be 4 The Soil and do our part to build health from the soil up.

To learn more about soil health and possible careers in natural resources conservation and environmental sciences, please visit the Virginia USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/va/home/.

For more information about cover crops, no-till practices, and other ways to build soil health or share your own story of how you became interested in taking care of the soil, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition website at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/resources-1.

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

Soil is an amazing foundation for all of us. Soil nourishes, fuels, and sustains all life. In this episode, Janet Aardema and her daughter Sylvie of Broadfork Farm share their enthusiasm and experiences with farming and soil health as the basis for their business and educational outreach. Janet and Sylvie discuss how they use the core principles of soil health but also composting, permaculture, forest farming, and food recovery to capture carbon and decrease our carbon and ecological footprints. They elaborate on specific practices they use to keep the soil covered and maximize living roots as they grow more than fifty diverse vegetable crops but also how they are working with their peers and classmates.

To learn about Broadfork Farm's and Teens Acting for Carbon Capture's (TACC) ongoing work with soil health, vegetable production, and their educational efforts on climate resilience and mitigation, please visit their websites at https://broadforkfarm.net/ and https://tacc.earth/.

For additional resources on agriculture, soil health, and climate change, please visit the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) websites at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://sustainableagriculture.net/publications/

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

In the episode, Virginia's Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr shares his passion and perspective on soil health, conservation, and the future of farming. As a fifth-generation Virginia poultry and beef farmer, Secretary Lohr sees the progress farmers are making to move the needle and build soil health to benefit water quality, agricultural production, and climate resilience, specifically with cover cropping, crop rotations, conservation tillage, and farmer-to-farmer mentoring. Virginia farmers are doing well but farmers and all of us can do our part and do better. Education, outreach, and peer-to-peer learning continue to be important to make people aware of what financial, technical, and educational assistance is available at the local, state, and federal levels. Secretary Lohr also reiterates that new and beginning farmers should not go it alone but realize mentors and resources are available to help aspiring farmers learn and succeed.

To learn more about Virginia's commitment to supporting rural economic development, preserving farmland and forestland across the state, and priorities to ensure that all Virginians, especially those who are most vulnerable, have access to safe, healthy foods, , please visit the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry's website at https://www.ag-forestry.virginia.gov/

To become involved in the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the 4 The Soil movement, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and http://4thesoil.org/

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt spoke with Dr. Alan Franzluebbers at the 2022 Winter Forage Conference. Dr. Franzluebbers is a professor and researcher of soil ecology and management with North Carolina State University and USDA's Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS) based in Raleigh. Alan played in the dirt at a young age and this early interest grew into a lifelong career in studying and researching soil microbial life. He speaks of how important soil organic matter and biology are to nutrient cycling and how earthworms are an indicator of resources for decomposition being present. Additionally, he encourages a whole-system view of agriculture to enhance diversity to improve soil structure and overall ecosystem activity.

Dr. Franzluebbers recommended 'Managing Cover Crops Profitably' published by USDA-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) to anyone interested in learning about cover cropping systems and soil health, which is a free online publication available at https://www.sare.org/resources/managing-cover-crops-profitably-3rd-edition/

For a list of Dr. Franzluebbers' recent research articles, please visit https://cals.ncsu.edu/crop-and-soil-sciences/people/ajfranzl

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

In celebration and recognition of Earth Day 2022, Mary Sketch Bryant, Eric Bendfeldt, and Jeff Ishee share a deeply meaningful and inspiring conversation with Karen Washington of Rise and Root Farm about soil health, intergenerational knowledge, and heeding nature's wisdom. Karen recalls how planting a tomato seed changed her life and introduced her to nature, land, and soil. She emphasizes the importance of having hard conversations about eating healthy so people and communities are all part of the solution and meet people where they are with soil health and environmental justice. There is room for everyone to grow food.

Additionally, Karen Washington encourages all of us but especially the youth to sit down with our grandparents and parents to understand history, capture the intergenerational knowledge, and listen to Mother Nature. What is nature telling us about soil health and the environment? What do previous generations know about soil health and nature? In the end, Mother Nature can guide us in what is needed; sometimes that means stopping and listening to the land and soil.

To learn more about Karen Washington and her ongoing work, please visit https://www.riseandrootfarm.com/. We also encourage you to check out the new 4 The Soil blog at https://www.4thesoil.org/blog

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

Thomas Bolles of Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Master Gardener Program joins Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt on this episode of 4 The Soil: A Conversation. Thomas is an extension agent for agriculture and natural resources based in Prince William County and works with homeowners, gardeners, farmers, landscapers, and the community. He shares how soil health should be a passion and a responsibility for everyone. He encourages everyone to test their soils on a regular basis to get a baseline and be able to understand the trends in soil fertility and health. A baseline and trendline allow everyone to know when nutrients and soil amendments such as compost might be needed. Whether growing a lawn, tending a garden, managing cropland or a pasture, a good ground cover for soil health can maximize solar energy and maximize the overall function of the ecosystem from the soil up. Thomas also offers insights and advice on compost, use of clovers as a nitrogen source, soil testing, and ways to diversify your soil health management.

Thomas recently wrote an Extension publication guide to help homeowners understand and interpret a soil test report. The publication includes best management practices for improving and maintaining healthy soils in the garden and landscape. The guide and additional resources are available through Virginia Cooperative Extension at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/SPES/spes-384/spes-384.html

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

Eric Bendfeldt and Jeff Ishee visit with Nicolette Hahn Niman author of Defending Beef at the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council's Annual Conference in part two of their conversation on the strong relationship between soil health and human health. Nicolette is an environmental law attorney, a former vegetarian activist turned cattle rancher, and the author of Defending Beef: The Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat. Nicolette points out that healthy soil is one with diverse microbiological activity with earthworms, insects, microbes, bacteria, and fungi. Similarly, people need a balanced diverse nutrient-rich diet that provides nourishment for a healthy active lifestyle. Nicolette emphasizes we can learn from nature and do less tinkering with natural systems to focus on principles, practices, and real whole foods that are truly nourishing for soil, animals, and humans.

For more information about sustainable and regenerative grazing in Virginia, please visit https://vaforages.org/ and check out Nicolette’s new book and her case for sustainable grazing and livestock care at your local bookstore.

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

This episode was recorded live at the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council’s 2022 Annual Conference. Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt talked with conference guest speaker Nicolette Hahn Niman. Nicolette is an environmental law attorney, a former vegetarian activist turned cattle rancher, and author of Defending Beef: The Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat. In part one of this conversation, Nicolette discusses how raising livestock sustainably through rotational grazing systems that mimic nature can lead to healthier animals, communities, landscapes, and soils. Raising, managing, and integrating livestock is an essential ingredient to energize the system with diversity, which is a core soil health principle.

For more information about sustainable and regenerative grazing in Virginia, please visit https://vaforages.org/ and check out Nicolette’s new book and her case for sustainable grazing and livestock care at your local bookstore.

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.