Can improving soil biology reduce synthetic inputs while maintaining yields—and improve farm profitability at the same time?

In this episode of Soil Sisters, we sit down with Howard Vlieger at the Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference to explore what happens when farmers work with biology instead of relying solely on conventional inputs. Howard is a regenerative farmer, researcher, and crop and livestock nutrition adviser who identifies as a student of the soil.

Howard shares field experiences with Biomentum, a biological product he is helping expand with longtime mentor, Verlyn Sneller. Howard recounts results ranging from reduced nitrogen use in corn to managing rootworm without insecticide by rebuilding soil biology. Beyond row crops, Howard discusses early observations from vineyards, pasture and cattle nutrition, manure and lagoon management, septic and pond applications, odor and fly reduction, and efforts to address glyphosate residues.

We explore water infiltration and flooding, why soil testing matters, and how tools such as the Haney Test and soil genomics can help farmers develop practical management plans based on their specific fields. Listen to the full discussion to hear Howard's examples, application strategies, and approach to connecting soil health with practical farm economics.

Howard Vlieger is a regenerative farmer, researcher, and crop and livestock nutrition adviser who identifies as a student of the soil. Howard has dedicated decades of his life to research and experimentation on the effects of GMO crops and glyphosate on livestock and ecosystem health. He and his family steward Vlieger Family Farm near Maurice, IA. They raise and sell natural meat (beef, pork, lamb, poultry, eggs and milk). Howard is also instrumental in educating lawmakers and the agricultural community on soil health and gut health through his efforts with scientists and doctors such as Dr. Michelle Perro, Dr. Don Huber, Dr. John Fagan, and has worked with RFK, Jr. and the MAHA movement. Howard is so serious about clean food that he travels with a mini fridge in his truck stocked with protein from his farm and snacks he trusts… and shares with the Soil Sisters.

Learn More About Biomentum and ABC Soil Healthy by Terra Transitional Solutions

00:00 Welcome to Soil Sisters

00:17 Meet Howard Vlieger

01:35 The Biomentum Origin Story

04:41 Iowa Policy Momentum

07:53 Cut Inputs, Keep Yield

09:52 Field Success Stories

12:35 Vineyard Trial Results

14:22 From Soil Health to Gut Health

18:10 Manure, Septic & Water Applications

25:38 Flooding & Infiltration Math

28:50 Lawn Care & Soil Lessons

30:55 Biomentum Application Plan

38:06 Seed Treatment: How-To

40:05 In-Furrow Biology Application Options

41:40 Seed Treatment Trials

42:27 Cover Crop Reality Check

45:06 Soil Testing & Genomics: Creating a Plan

49:01 Building a Soil Health Recipe

54:08 Scaling Biomentum Validation

59:22 What Carbon Really Means

01:02:26 ROI & Input Savings

01:05:39 Hogs & Show Wrap

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

---------------------------------

Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

Your support helps us continue bringing real stories and practical lessons from the people regenerating land and communities across the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Less than 1% now remains of Texas’ original native prairies, making them one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Recorded at the Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference, this conversation with Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT) stewardship specialist, Andy Olson, explores why prairies matter, what a healthy prairie ecosystem looks like, and how landowners and everyday citizens can help protect these increasingly threatened landscapes. This conversation builds on our previous discussion on conservation easements, regenerative land stewardship, and the critical role farmers and ranchers can play in restoring native ecosystems.

MEET OUR GUEST: Andy Olson is from central Iowa where he grew to appreciate the tiny remnants of the tall grass prairie. His love of nature and history led him to earning a master’s degree in cultural resource management from Colorado State University. He worked for the University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center where he helped landowners restore native prairie on their farms before joining NPAT as a stewardship specialist helping to manage NPAT's 11 fee-simple properties across Texas.

Want to learn more about protecting and restoring Texas prairies? Visit the Native Prairies Association of Texas at texasprairie.org.

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Soil Sisters Intro

00:44 Meet Andy Olson

03:24 Texas Prairie Status

04:26 Prairie Ideal Ecosystem

06:13 How Much Is Left

07:08 Threats And Goals

08:14 Landowner Solutions

12:12 CRP And Prairie Strips

13:54 Pollinators And Connectivity

15:50 NPAT Land Trust Basics

17:56 Why NPAT Is Different

20:39 Easements And Rights

22:28 Stewardship Monitoring

25:07 Community And Volunteers

26:43 Help Without Land

27:57 Where To Learn More

28:17 Closing Credits

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

---------------------------------

Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

Your support helps us continue bringing real stories and practical lessons from the people regenerating land and communities across the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How can Texas families keep their farms and ranches in agriculture for generations instead of watching them disappear to development?

In this episode of Soil Sisters, recorded from the Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference, meet Darren Clark, Director of Land Conservation for the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT). Learn about conservation easements in Texas—a voluntary tool that can help landowners protect family farms, ranches, wildlife habitat, and open space while keeping ownership of their land.

With roots in South Texas ranching and 33 years of experience with NRCS, Darren breaks down how conservation easements work, what landowners can—and can’t—do with an easement, and how these agreements can be tailored to support working lands and future operations, including agritourism.

The conversation covers purchased and donated conservation easements, land conservation funding, potential tax benefits, NRCS and Farm Bill programs, land valuation, stewardship, and common misconceptions about conservation easements. Darren also explains why an easement does not mean government ownership or public access—and why protecting land today can be an important part of farm and ranch succession planning.

Most importantly, this episode looks at conservation easements through the lens of Texas land loss and keeping family land intact for future generations. For farmers, ranchers, and families thinking about their land's future, this conversation offers a practical starting point for understanding whether a conservation easement could fit their goals.

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Welcome to Soil Sisters

00:34 Meet Darren Clark

02:31 Why Easements Matter

06:35 What Is an Easement?

09:05 Stewardship Visits

12:21 About TALT Origins

14:35 Donated vs. Purchased Easements

16:34 Funding and Rules

21:32 Success Stories

22:50 How Payouts Work

26:17 Agritourism Flexibility

30:17 Future-Proofing Easements

32:08 Taxes and Family Buy-In

35:37 Farm Bill Program Eligibility

36:56 Starting the Family Conversation

38:51 Succession Planning and Land Value

42:27 Common Easement Misconceptions

46:00 When Not to Do It

48:15 Outreach and Getting Started

52:02 Final Wrap-Up

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

---------------------------------

Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

Your support helps us continue bringing real stories and practical lessons from the people regenerating land and communities across the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, the Soil Sisters connect with Ty and Tokie Morgan of Southern Sunny Acres, a veteran-owned family farm in East Texas producing pasture-raised chicken, eggs, and lamb. Starting with just 50 broiler chickens in 2021, they've grown their direct-to-consumer operation by focusing on regenerative practices, serving their local community, and making thoughtful business decisions along the way.

Ty and Tokie share the honest lessons they've learned while scaling a farm business—from managing freezer capacity and cash flow to reducing input costs through "no-icide" farming and improving efficiency with better systems. They discuss the challenges of growing a farm before it reaches profitability, the importance of tracking metrics, and the mindset shifts required to build a sustainable operation.

They also talk about running a farm as a married couple, including how they divide responsibilities, communicate through challenges, and protect their relationship as they build a business together. The conversation previews their upcoming keynote at the Southern Family Farmers & Food Systems Conference happening on August 3-4, in San Marcos, TX.

Whether you're starting a farm, expanding a direct-to-consumer business, or looking for real-world lessons in regenerative agriculture and farm entrepreneurship, this episode offers an honest look at the work it takes to build a successful farm.

MEET OUR GUESTS: Ty & Tokie Morgan | Southern Sunny Acres Farm | @southernsunnyacres

FIND DETAILS FOR THE SOUTHERN FAMILY FARMERS & FOOD SYSTEMS CONFERENCE ON AUG. 3-4, 2026: https://www.southernfamilyfarmersconference.org/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Soil Sisters Welcome

00:30 – Meet Southern Sunny Acres

02:38 – Why Ty & Tokie Started Farming

04:13 – Scaling the Farm

05:46 – Building a Direct-to-Consumer Business

08:10 – Expanding Their Market

10:18 – The 'Profit First' Mindset

13:22 – Efficiency Improvements That Increase Profit

17:09 – Regenerative "No-icide" Farming

19:31 – Farming, Marriage & Business

27:42 – Southern Family Farmers & Food Systems Conference (SFFFS)

29:46 – Building a Regenerative Farming Community

36:51 – Agricultural Grants

43:11 – Why Asking for Help Matters

46:21 – Creating a Sustainable Farm Income

48:40 – SFFFS Conference Details and Ticket Information

49:48 – Closing

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

---------------------------------

Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

Your support helps us continue bringing real stories and practical lessons from the people regenerating land and communities across the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it take to become a regenerative farmer with no agricultural background? Recorded live at Regenerative Revival in Salado, Texas, the Soil Sisters sit down with David Deitsch of The Moody Goat to talk about building a regenerative goat operation from the ground up. From growing up in suburban Connecticut to managing a thriving herd in Central Texas, David shares the hard-earned lessons, failures, pivots, and mindset shifts that are helping him create a resilient farm business. Whether you're interested in regenerative agriculture, livestock management, grazing systems, homesteading, ranching, or starting a farm from scratch, this episode offers an honest look at what it takes to keep moving forward.

Connect with and shop The Moody Goat: Follow David's regenerative farming journey, learn about his goat herd, and discover Moody Goat meat sticks and swag through The Moody Goat website and on Instagram @themoodygoat_ and @moodygoatmeat

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Welcome to Regenerative Revival

01:14 Why regenerative agriculture came first

04:01 The Moody Goat's origin story

06:41 Finding the land in Moody

07:49 Going all in with goats

10:21 Markets and money lessons

15:00 Raising children on the ranch

20:28 Passing a love of land to the next generation

24:18 Dreaming up a rent-a-goat business

25:58 NRCS programs teaser

26:40 Free USDA assistance available to producers

27:47 Regenerative training opportunities

28:31 Learning through community

31:23 Herd-building strategy

33:10 The importance of rest and deferment

35:07 Pivoting through setbacks

36:02 Creating goat meat snack sticks

38:49 How to connect with The Moody Goat

39:57 Why now is the time to start

43:48 Red flags when purchasing your first farm

45:51 The "don't quit" mindset

49:16 The future of regenerative agriculture

51:48 Pride in producing clean food

53:18 Closing remarks

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

---------------------------------

Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

Your support helps us continue bringing real stories and practical lessons from the people regenerating land and communities across the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former NSF water researcher, Texas Farmers Union secretary, and candidate for Texas Ag Commissioner, Clayton Tucker joins the Soil Sisters to discuss the rapid expansion of AI data centers across Texas—and why many farmers and rural communities are sounding the alarm.

Tucker explains how large AI facilities are impacting water supplies, electricity prices, housing costs, health, and agricultural land in towns like Abilene and across rural Texas. The conversation explores concerns around power grid strain, backup generators, noise pollution and heat, effects on livestock, and the lack of transparency surrounding data center resource use.

We also talk regenerative ranching, hemp, data center cooling alternatives, soil remediation, food monopolies, PFAS runoff, and Tucker’s campaign ideas for the future of Texas agriculture. Plus: school gardens, local organizing, and why he believes communities need a stronger voice in shaping AI infrastructure development.

MEET OUR GUEST: Clayton Tucker is a former water researcher for the National Science Foundation, Secretary of the Texas Farmers Union, a fair trade organizer, and he helps manage his family ranch in Lampasas, TX. Clayton is running to be our next Texas Agriculture Commissioner to make food and farming affordable, protect our water, and put the brakes on AI Data Centers in our communities.

Learn More & Get Involved: https://www.claytontuckertx.com/  | Connect Clayton Tucker on Social: @claytontuckertx on X, FB, IG, YT

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Meet Clayton Tucker

02:17 Ranch Roots and Regenerative Shift

06:05 Why Data Centers Alarm Farmers

08:50 Noise and Heat Impacts

15:03 Tech Fixes and Short Lifespans

17:25 Jobs Claims and Local Inflation

21:37 What Counts as AI Data

26:04 Power Grid Strain and Organizing

32:36 Water Risks and Water-Free Cooling

35:47 Hemp Oil and Texas Hemp Future

58:46 Food Policy And Monopolies

01:04:33 School Gardens For Kids

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

---------------------------------

Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

Your support helps us continue bringing real stories and practical lessons from the people regenerating land and communities across the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do you build a local food system that actually works at scale? Farmhouse Delivery founder Stephanie Scherzer joins the Soil Sisters podcast to discuss regenerative sourcing, seasonal eating, grocery delivery, and supporting more than 250 Texas farmers and food producers. Stephanie shares how her work at The Natural Gardener and Rain Lily Farm led to launching Farmhouse Delivery in 2009, and how the company has reinvested roughly $20 million into local agriculture while making fresh, sustainably raised food more accessible.

Explore:

Plus: surprising Texas-grown crops, produce storage tips, prepared meals, and a SoilSisters15 discount code for first-time orders.

Meet Our Guest: Stephanie Scherzer has spent over two decades focused on building and supporting local food systems. She founded Farmhouse Delivery in 2009 to connect consumers with sustainably raised local food while expanding market access for regional producers. Under her leadership, the company has partnered with over 250 Texas farmers and reinvested approximately $20 million into the local food economy.

Connect and Grow: Visit Farmhouse Delivery at farmhousedelivery.com and follow them on social media @FarmhouseDelivery. To celebrate your initiation into this local food movement, use the code SoilSisters15 for 15% off your first order.

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

---------------------------------

Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

Your support helps us continue bringing real stories and practical lessons from the people regenerating land and communities across the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Want to strengthen your family farm or ranch in Texas? Learn how NRCS programs, regenerative agriculture practices, and conservation funding can help you improve soil, water, and long-term profitability. In this episode of Soil Sisters, Kristy Oates, USDA NRCS Texas State Conservationist, breaks down the agency's mission, programs, and real-world support for working lands.

We dig into EQIP and CSP funding, application timelines, and how payments actually work. Kristy also explains conservation easements, the new Regenerative Pilot Program, and how NRCS is working to simplify systems for producers.

Learn how to connect with your local USDA Service Center, why you don't need to apply for funding to receive help, and how NRCS supports both novice and experienced producers. Whether you're new to NRCS or looking to navigate its programs better, this episode is your practical guide to getting started and making conservation work for your operation.

MEET OUR GUEST: Kristy Oates is the State Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Texas. Kristy leads a diverse workforce of approximately 600 employees in 228 field offices across Texas to deliver voluntary, private lands conservation assistance throughout the estimated 142 million acres of farms, ranches and family forests. Kristy holds a Bachelor of Science from Sam Houston State University and is a graduate of the USDA Emerging Leaders Development Program from The George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership.

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Welcome to Soil Sisters

00:39 Meet Kristy Oates

02:44 NRCS Origins and Mission

04:41 Technical Assistance Access

09:51 Kristy's Background

14:41 EQIP and CSP Basics

17:21 Funding Timelines and Payments

20:20 Conservation Easements Explained

25:43 Regenerative Pilot Program

30:53 Follow Up and Record Keeping

36:26 Getting Started at USDA Office

42:08 Practice Standards and Feedback

44:59 Local Workgroups and Priorities

46:56 Water Conservation Focus

54:11 More NRCS Programs and Partners

58:35 How NRCS Guides Newcomers

01:00:53 Get Involved in the State Technical Committee Meeting and Closing

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

---------------------------------

Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

Your support helps us continue bringing real stories and practical lessons from the people regenerating land and communities across the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if you could actually see what’s happening in your soil—and use that to grow healthier food and more resilient farms?

On this episode of the Soil Sisters Podcast, meet bestselling author, educator, and citizen scientist Matt Powers and explore the soil science behind regenerative agriculture—and how it’s being taught from classrooms to farms around the world.

Matt shares how his unexpected journey through public education led to the creation of his K–12 “seed to table” curriculum, now used by everyone from homeschool families to colleges. His work connects biology, chemistry, and ecology through hands-on, project-based learning that helps people of all ages understand soil in a practical, measurable way.

This conversation dives into the living biology of soil—and how farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and even consumers can better understand the systems that grow our food. You’ll learn how tools like microscopy, DNA testing, and mineral analysis can reveal the full story of your soil—and how even simple at-home tests can help you start improving soil health today. Matt also shares his vision for a more transparent, community-driven future in agriculture, where growers can compare results, share data, and identify what’s truly working in regenerative systems.

Whether you're producing food or simply want to better understand where it comes from, this episode offers a powerful look beneath the surface.

MEET OUR GUEST: MATT POWERS is a bestselling author, an educator, citizen scientist, and family guy who is helping gardeners, small and large scale farmers and ranchers, work with the soil, plants, microbes, and microscopy in new and regenerative ways that can be tracked and proven. 

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Welcome to Soil Sisters

00:28 Meet Matt Powers

02:08 Teaching Without a Curriculum

04:20 From Subbing to Full-Time Teacher

05:43 Who Uses Matt's Coursework

08:39 Project-Based Soil Learning

11:31 Soil Microbiome and Health

14:34 Data Driven Regenerative Farming

17:30 If We Don't Look, We Don't See

19:03 Simple Soil Tests

21:32 Microscope Setup Tips

23:51 Scaling Up and Cutting Noise

27:40 Creative Breakthroughs in Microscopy

29:06 Teaching Kids Soil Wonder

29:59 Seeing Water Biofilms

31:14 Meditation Driven Epiphanies

32:54 Writing the Regenerative Soil Textbook

35:23 Visualizing Soil Cycles

38:50 Research Library

39:33 Microscopy Kickstarter Leap

41:42 Practical Soil Testing and Timing

47:27 Mycorrhizae Glow Method

49:56 DIY Learning Community

53:55 FREE Webinar And Poster from Matt Powers

55:16 Connect with Matt Powers And Farewell

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

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Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

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The Soil Sisters welcome one of their former coaches and teachers, Dr. Nelson Coulter, to the podcast to discuss his experience in Texas public schools. This discussion takes a ground-level look at changing school food systems and what becomes possible when communities prioritize health. Dr. Coulter explains the steps and bureaucracy involved in formally leaving the National School Lunch Program, the budget tradeoffs required, and why small districts can oftentimes innovate faster. The conversation covers what changed after the shift—less food waste, steadier energy and performance throughout the day, improved athletic practices, reduced after-school overeating at home, and better behavioral self-regulation—along with ideas for making healthier student meals feasible in all school districts. Dr. Coulter also shares how permaculture and regenerative practices shape his family’s ranch life, food production, and self-sufficiency. 

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Welcome to the Soil Sisters Podcast

00:26 Meet Dr. Nelson “Coach” Coulter

01:31 Reconnected During a Regenerative Soil Textbook Delivery

03:42 Returning to West Texas & Rethinking What Schools Are For

07:47 Building the Guthrie Graduate Profile (soft skills over test scores) 10:02 Replacing Test Prep with a School Garden

11:58 Health Wake-Up Call: Educator & Student Wellness

19:37 First Steps to Healthier Cafeterias

26:36 Budgeting for Better Food

30:53 Divorcing the National School Lunch Program

36:20 Kids Actually Eat It: Cutting Food Waste With Real Lunches

38:43 From School Garden to Cafeteria: Harvesting, Preserving, Sharing 40:12 Is This Feasible for Average School Districts? Budgets, Policy Shifts & Nutrition Booster Clubs

44:40 Life on the Ranch After Retirement

54:57 What Changed in Students?

01:02:17 Closing Reflections: Gratitude, Guitar, Where to Read More & What’s Next

✨ Tejas Tonic - The official beverage of the TX Soil Sisters ✨

Serving up creative spirits for creative spirits. The hemp for this blissful bevvy is organically farmed in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy 15% off Tejas Tonic w/ code: SISTERS. | Socialize with @drinktejastonic on IG.

⚡️ B&P Electric - The Soil Sisters Podcast is powered by B&P Electric ⚡️

Whether you’re building, remodeling, installing low-voltage landscape lighting, or in need of an inspection. B&P is your central Texas electrical contractor. | Socialize with @b_pelectric on IG

🔥 FireHawk Bioherbicide - FireHawk is a fast acting, non-selective contact herbicide that controls many common broadleaf and grassy weeds.From gardens and homesteads to vineyards and regenerative farms, FireHawk can be used for careful spot treatments around crops, landscapes, and non crop areas. And now FireHawk is available in super concentrate giving growers flexible high performance weed control that mixes easily with water. Learn more at firehawkbioherbicide.com and use code: soilsisters15 to save 15% on your purchase.

---------------------------------

Engage with TX Soil Sisters on IG: @soilsisterspodcast | X: @TXSoilSisters | FB: @TXSoilSisters

Submit Guest or Show Ideas and Sponsorship Inquiries: txsoilsisters.co

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend interested in regenerative agriculture, ranching, local food systems, or starting their own farm journey.

Your support helps us continue bringing real stories and practical lessons from the people regenerating land and communities across the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.