Plants Dig Soil™

Plants Dig Soil™

By Scott GillespieScience
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Plants Dig Soil™ episodes

  • 528 Testing Soil Health without Soil Health Tests

    #RealisticRegenAg | In the very first season of Plants Dig Soil I talked about soil health tests. Has anything changed since then? In my opinion no, not really. There are tests that are getting closer to wide scale adoption, but I just don’t see any of them worthwhile yet. In this episode I’ll cover the thinking I had then as tohow to approach evaluating them and I’ll cover how I assess soil health in myconsulting.

    Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the services I offer.

    Resources mentioned in this podcast:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/005-soil-health-tests-are-they-worth-it
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/504-insurance-organic-matter
    https://www.realagriculture.com/2023/01/how-to-measure-soil-health/ http://csanr.wsu.edu/whats-the-problem-with-my-soil/

    Transcript is available:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/testing-soil-health

    My course: Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:

    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    My funding service offerings:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
    SCAP overview: https://youtu.be/0icitHJR2lk
    SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

    My consulting packages:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter signup:

    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 


    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

    YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
    Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

    11 min
  • 527 Farming with Soil Life

    #RealisticRegenAg

    | I was taught to kill the life in the soil. After all, we wanted to grow crops
    and we needed to get rid of the pests. That view is shifting, and books like
    “Farming with Soil Life” help move the needle on this important topic. Join me
    in this episode where I review this new resource put out by the Xerces Society
    through the SARE publishing program.

    Welcome to Plants

    Dig Soil. My name is Scott Gillespie and I’m an agronomist specializing in
    climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that
    benefit both the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic
    sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the
    services I offer.

    Download Farming

    with Soil Life for free at:
    https://www.sare.org/resources/farming-with-soil-life/

    Transcript is

    available:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/farming-with-soil-life

    My course: Profitable

    From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    My

    funding service offerings:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
    SCAP overview: https://youtu.be/0icitHJR2lk
    SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

    My consulting packages:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter signup:

    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 


    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

    YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
    Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

    9 min
  • 526 Alberta Rep on the CCA Board

    #RealisticRegenAg

    | A board position
    for the Prairie Certified
    Crop Advisors is open and I’ve decided to run for it. If you’re a CCA check
    your emails and look for the announcement. The voting is done by email and
    needs to be in by Friday July 14th (not the 4th as originally stated
    in the email). If you didn’t get the email send one to Mary-Jane
    Debreuil. This is what I’m running on. Let me know
    if you agree with this:

    Scott has a

    Masters degree in Plant Science and has been practicing agronomy in Alberta for
    16 years.  He runs his own consulting
    company focusing on regenerative agriculture and sees it being the future of
    agriculture as consumers and food processors focus on climate smart
    agriculture.  CCAs will need to learn
    this new way of doing things to become trusted advisers to farmers.

    Welcome to Plants

    Dig Soil. My name is Scott Gillespie and I’m an agronomist specializing in
    climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that
    benefit both the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic
    sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources
    and information about the services I offer.

    Transcript is

    available:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/alberta-rep-cca-board

    My course: Profitable

    From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    My

    funding service offerings:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork

    SCAP overview: https://youtu.be/0icitHJR2lk

    SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

    My consulting packages:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter signup:

    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 


    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil


    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/

    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil


    YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie

    Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

    13 min
  • 525 Regenerative Research Results


    #RealisticRegenAg

    | I’ve noticed more and more research that is directed at solving real world
    problems with regenerative practices. Stay tuned for this and other news in
    regenerative agriculture this month.

    Welcome to Plants

    Dig Soil, where I, Scott Gillespie, an agronomist specializing in climate-smart
    agriculture, discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit both the
    planet and farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the
    services I offer.

    Articles

    mentioned in the podcast:
    https://www.potatoesincanada.com/slow-release-fertilizer-research-shows-no-reduction-in-potato-yield
    https://canadianagronomist.ca/urea-fertilizer-strategies-for-winter-wheat/
    https://www.topcropmanager.com/how-the-legacy-of-phosphorus-can-assist-farmers-reduce-fertilizer-applications/
    https://www.topcropmanager.com/making-the-most-of-a-bug-eat-bug-world/


    https://www.topcropmanager.com/whats-in-a-wetland/
    https://spudsmart.com/starting-with-seed-for-regen-ag/
    https://spudsmart.com/new-research-finds-gene-editing-can-aid-fight-against-potato-blight/

    Transcript is available:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/regenerative-research-results

    My

    course: Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    My funding service offerings:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork

    SCAP - https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx
    OFCAF - https://rdar.ca/ofcaf/

    My consulting packages:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter signup:
    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 

    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

    YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
    Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie


    14 min
  • 524 The 27-Inch Precipitation Threshold: A New Rule of Thumb for Cover Crop Economics.

    #RealisticRegenAg | Twenty-seven inches of precipitation is what is required to make cover crops successful. This was the conclusion of an article I came across from a post by Dr. Andrew McGuire a few months ago. I downloaded the journal article and read it. It makes so much sense to me. Join me as I discuss this important new rule of thumb for cover crops.

    Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, where I, Scott Gillespie, an agronomist specializing in climate-smart agriculture, discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit both the planet and farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the services I offer.

    Transcript is available:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/the-27-inch-precipitation-threshold

    Water Use Limitations of Cover Crops in Dryland Cropping

    https://csanr.wsu.edu/wateruselimitationscovercrops/

    Cover crop legacy impacts on soil water and nitrogen dynamics, and on subsequent crop yields in drylands: a meta-analysis

    https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-022-00760-0

    026 Cover Crops in a Drought

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/026-cover-crops-in-a-drought

    30-year precipitation normal map

    https://prism.oregonstate.edu/normals/

    My course: Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:

    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    My funding service offerings:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork

    SCAP - https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

    OFCAF - https://rdar.ca/ofcaf/

    My consulting packages:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter signup:

    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 

    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie

    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/

    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

    YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie

    Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

    11 min
  • 523 Cow Patty Critters (Book Review June 2023)

    #RealisticRegenAg | Usually, I try to avoid cow patties when walking in a pasture.

    This time, however, the rancher was stopped in his tracks because there were
    holes in the top, and he thought he saw something scurry back into it. If we
    had the new book "Cow Patty Critters," we may have been able to
    figure out exactly what was going on. Stay tuned for the rest of this episode
    as I review this new resource published specifically for Western Canada.

    Welcome to Plants

    Dig Soil. My name is Scott Gillespie and I work with farmers and agribusiness
    on climate smart agriculture. This kind of agriculture has to be scientifically
    proven to be good for the planet now and in the future. Just as importantly, it
    also must make economic sense for the farmer, both now and in the future. I
    invite you to check out my website www.plantsdigsoil.com for resources and to learn about the services
    I offer.

    Transcript is available:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/523-cow-patty-critters

    Cow

    Patty Critters free e-book download:
    https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.913866/publication.html

    018

    Three Pillars Propping Regen Ag
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/018-three-pillars-propping-regen-ag

    My

    course: Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    My funding service offerings:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
    SCAP - https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx
    OFCAF - https://rdar.ca/ofcaf/

    My consulting packages:

    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter signup:

    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 


    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

    YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
    Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

    8 min
  • 522 Scaling Back (Newsletter June 2023)

    #RealisticRegenAg | There

    are times when it's best to scale back. The community that I was trying to get
    going didn’t take off, so we decided to shut it down. I tried one many years
    ago and the same thing happened. Although there we interest, there seemed to be
    hesitation in commitment.

    Welcome to Plants Dig Soil. My name is Scott

    Gillespie and I work with farmers and agribusiness on climate smart
    agriculture. This kind of agriculture has to be scientifically proven to be
    good for the planet now and in the future. Just as importantly, it also must make
    economic sense for the farmer, both now and in the future. Go to my website www.plantsdigsoil.com
    or check the links in the description for to learn about the services I offer.

    Transcript

    is available:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/522-scaling-back
     

    Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:

    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    Funding

    service offerings:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork

    SCAP - https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

    Video explainer of funding - https://youtu.be/0icitHJR2lk

    My

    consulting packages:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter

    signup:
    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 

    Email:
    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil
    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

    4 min
  • 521 Building the Soil Comes at a Cost (Regen Ag News May 2023)

    (Sorry – the camera wasn’t working so

    I just recorded with my laptop facing a sound barrier!)

    #RealisticRegenAg | It’s

    always bugged me that regenerative is portrayed as a win-win-win system for the
    farmer, the soil, and the planet. Farmers that don’t do it can be seen as
    farming in a backwards way. However, if it were so simple and did so much, I’m
    sure they’d be doing it already. The overall theme of the regenerative
    agriculture news this month is deflating the hype from some of the practices.
    It’s not to say they aren’t worth it, but it’s not all blue skies and roses.
    Stay tuned, I’ll cover this in the upcoming episode.

    Welcome to Plants Dig Soil. My name is Scott

    Gillespie and I work with farmers and agribusiness on climate smart agriculture.
    This kind of agriculture has to be scientifically proven to be good for the
    planet now and in the future. Just as importantly, it also must make economic
    sense for the farmer, both now and in the future. Go to my website www.plantsdigsoil.com
    or check the links in the description for to learn about the services I offer.

    Transcript

    is available:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/521-building-soil-costs-cash
     

    Resources mentioned in the podcast:

    https://www.producer.com/news/rotational-grazing-merits-questioned/
    https://www.producer.com/opinion/recalling-the-short-unhappy-history-of-carbon-sequestration/
    https://www.agriculture.com/crops/carbon-markets/the-truth-about-soils-ability-to-sequester-carbon
    https://www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-4-8-ground-truthing
    https://www.topcropmanager.com/spruce-ing-up-the-farm/
    https://organicbiz.ca/cover-crop-management-trade-off-between-carbon-benefits-crop-yield/
    https://www.topcropmanager.com/the-future-of-herbicide-resistant-weed-control/
    https://www.producer.com/news/killing-pea-leaf-weevils-with-trap-crops/
    https://www.potatoesincanada.com/ll-atlantic-environmental-and-yield-benefits-of-cover-crops/
    https://www.producer.com/crops/there-is-no-magic-in-crop-biology/
    https://www.producer.com/crops/seal-a-seed-within-a-droplet/

    Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:

    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    Funding

    service offerings:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork

    SCAP - https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

    OFCAF - https://rdar.ca/ofcaf/

    My

    consulting packages:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter

    signup:
    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 

    Email:
    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil
    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

    9 min
  • 520 AI Assisted Agronomy (Agronomy Focus May 2023)

    #RealisticRegenAg | I hadn’t really thought of AI Assisted Agronomy until Farmers

    Business Network came out with Norm. ChatGPT was trained on their own very well
    structured data and was able to answer common questions farmers had. I think
    this is an exciting development. I’ll tell you why, coming right up.

    Welcome to Plants Dig Soil. My name is

    Scott Gillespie and I work with farmers and agribusiness on climate smart
    agriculture. This kind of agriculture has to be scientifically proven to be
    good for the planet now and in the future. Just as importantly, it also must make
    economic sense for the farmer, both now and in the future. Go to my website www.plantsdigsoil.com or check the
    links in the description for the services I offer.

    Transcript

    is available on the YouTube video by enabling captions or transcript.
    For a link to the video go to the site posting:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/520-ai-assisted-agronomy

    Resources mentioned in the podcast:

    https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2107525699612
    https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2023/05/05/ai-assisted-artisan-author/
    https://www.futureofag.com/podcast-1/episode/37339b96/foa-361-meet-norm-fbns-ai-powered-ag-advisor-with-kit-barron-and-charles-baron
    https://www.fbn.com/en-ca/norm
    https://upstreamaginsights.substack.com/

    Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:

    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    Funding

    service offerings:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork

    SCAP - https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

    OFCAF - https://rdar.ca/ofcaf/

    My

    consulting packages:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter

    signup:
    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 

    Email:


    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil


    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/

    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil


    YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie

    Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

    12 min
  • 519 Who Speaks For The River? (Book Review May 2023)

    #RealisticRegenAg | With the

    current plans to expand irrigation capacity in Southern Alberta I’m highlighting
    a book I read a year and half ago that covers what happened the last time a major
    project happened in Alberta. Join me as I discuss “Who Speaks For The River?”
    by Robert Girvan.

    Welcome to Plants Dig Soil. The

    podcast that supports my consulting business of the same name. I focus on
    #RealisticRegenAg. This means it has to be proven & profitable, benefiting
    farmers now and in the future. The podcast is free but if you want to go a
    little deeper, I encourage you to check out the community and the online course
    (links are in the description). If you farm in Alberta, Canada, I can help you
    with funding that helps you try new practices on your farm. In many cases, the
    cost of my consulting can be included in the application. Consulting packages
    start from a simple Q&A to full farm planning. Pricing reflects the
    independent structure of the business. You pay for the advice and that’s it. I
    do not sell any products. I will recommend them where I see fit but I make no
    money from your use of anything I recommend. We can work remotely or in-person,
    or a combination of the two. You are not tied to long term commitments. I give
    you everything and you are free to implement on your own or with another
    company. Of course, I always love to work with people over the long term.

    Transcript

    is available on the YouTube video by enabling captions or transcript.
    For a link to the video go to the site posting:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/519-who-speaks-for-the-river

    Book

    link (Buy or borrow as you wish, it’s not an affiliate link):
    https://www.robertgirvan.com/who-speaks-for-the-river/

    Join the Realistic Regen Ag Community:
    https://link-app.agvisorpro.com/community-private-LdYiDvbkEWtmIH0GzSQ1

    Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
    https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

    Funding

    service offerings:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
    SCAP - https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx
    OFCAF - https://rdar.ca/ofcaf/

    My

    consulting packages:
    https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

    Newsletter

    signup:
    https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 

    Email:

    Twitter (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
    Twitter (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil
    LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
    LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil
    YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
    Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

    10 min

About Plants Dig Soil™

From the publisher's feed

#RealisticRegenAg | Writer and consulting agronomist Scott Gillespie presents science-backed practices that promote environmental stewardship and farm profitability.

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