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In this episode, William DeMille joins Jared to discuss how mimicking nature can help improve soil health and increase crop productivity. William shares the  importance of soil health, the challenges facing our soils, and the ways in which we can use nature as a model for sustainable agriculture.

We learn that healthy soils are essential for a healthy planet. They store carbon, filter water, and provide habitat for a wide variety of organisms. However, our soils are under threat from a number of factors, including climate change, erosion, and nutrient pollution.

We hear about some of the ways in which we can mimic nature to improve soil health. These include:

• Cover cropping: Planting cover crops helps to protect the soil from erosion and improve its fertility.
• No-till farming: No-till farming involves leaving the soil undisturbed after harvest. This helps to maintain the soil's structure and reduce erosion.
• Composting: Composting adds organic matter to the soil, which helps to improve its fertility and water retention.
• Diversity: Building diversity into your cropping system will lead to increased nutrient cycling and organic matter levels as the soil food web begins to fully function

Whether you're a farmer, gardener, or just interested in sustainable living, this episode is sure to provide valuable insights into the power of mimicking nature to build healthy soil.

William DeMille is a lifelong vegetable farmer. He studied 2 years of Horticulture and Agronomy at Northwest Missouri University, Maryville. He holds two certificates in aquaponic engineering and production from Cornell University, NY, and from GrowHaus Aquaponics CO, and also graduated from Dr. Elaine’s Soil Food Web School and Healing Mountain Massage School.  William is a farm consultant helping establish various agricultural startups since 2005 in Missouri, Oregon, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. He specializes in the education of food production and soil health. William is the Director of Georgic Development for Monticello College, Ut. He manages 2500 acres of grassland for the Ruby Mountain Foods Company where the highest quality grass finished beef is raised. During the shutdowns of covid 19 he built a solar greenhouse that he now manages and it feeds 20 people approximately 80% of their food. He is developing new vegetable varieties and breeding them for the high elevations of the intermountain west. In 2021 he started his own grass roots school at his home in Clover Valley Nevada teaching soil health and vegetable production which trains people how to grow food without fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides etc… It includes a 3 day Boot Camp class for all ages. For college aged students he teaches an advanced 17 week class each summer to train new farmers in vegetable production. William owns and operates a soil testing laboratory and has a YouTube channel about farming. He is growing his Patreon channel helping people grow food, and  holds a weekly free online Q&A on Thursday evenings.   


For more information you can contact him through:

Website: https://www.georgicrevolution.com/
 

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