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Soil. What is it, really? It’s more than the dirt under our feet and the ground we stand on. Soil is living and life-giving. Listen as we unlock the mysteries...
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Soil. What is it, really? It’s more than the dirt under our feet and the ground we stand on.
Soil is living and life-giving.
Listen as we unlock the mysteries of soil by speaking with people at the forefront of the soil health movement.
“4 The Soil: A Conversation” is part of the 4 The Soil Awareness Campaign led by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The campaign’s purpose is to raise awareness of soil as an agricultural and natural resource critical to social, economic, and environmental health.
Hear and learn from farmers, agricultural professionals, conservation leaders, master gardeners, and many more on how and why to be 4 The Soil.
The podcast is a collaboration of Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, On The Farm Radio, USDA-NRCS, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition with specific funding from the Agua Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Virginia Tech’s Department of Agriculture, Leadership, and Community Education’s Community Viability grant program.
Stay tuned for the release of our first episode in October!
show less
Soil is living and life-giving.
Listen as we unlock the mysteries of soil by speaking with people at the forefront of the soil health movement.
“4 The Soil: A Conversation” is part of the 4 The Soil Awareness Campaign led by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The campaign’s purpose is to raise awareness of soil as an agricultural and natural resource critical to social, economic, and environmental health.
Hear and learn from farmers, agricultural professionals, conservation leaders, master gardeners, and many more on how and why to be 4 The Soil.
The podcast is a collaboration of Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, On The Farm Radio, USDA-NRCS, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition with specific funding from the Agua Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Virginia Tech’s Department of Agriculture, Leadership, and Community Education’s Community Viability grant program.
Stay tuned for the release of our first episode in October!
4 The Soil: A Conversation
4 The Soil: A Conversation
10 SEP 2024 · We all could benefit from reconnecting to soil, land, trees, and where our food comes from and how food is produced. Dr. Wayne Teel is a professor of geography at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He shares with Mary Sketch Bryant and Jeff Ishee how he works with his students at JMU to connect them to a farmer or field experience so the connection is real and tangible.
Dr. Teel shares stories of his own experience working on a farm in the Columbia River basin in eastern Washington and his international experience working with farmers in Kenya and Mozambique. Wayne discusses and defines agroforestry for us and how managing interactions between plants, trees, and livestock can provide multiple benefits. He encourages farmers and landowners who are interested in agroforestry and practices like a riparian buffer of trees and plants to start small and observe what is naturally in the streamside area.
To learn about Dr. Teel's education and research interests, please visit JMU's faculty expert site at https://www.jmu.edu/university-communications/faculty-experts/experts/teel-wayne/index.shtml. Dr. Teel's book "Regenerating the Ecology of Place" is available online and from independent bookstores.
For questions about agroforestry and soil and water conservation practices like riparian buffers, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, or a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office. You may also be interested in https://ext.vt.edu/offices.html's educational programs and https://foodsystems.centers.vt.edu/projects11/ARKExchangeNetworkVirginia.html
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed athttps://www.4thesoil.org/.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and to reconnect with soil, land, trees, and the farm community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
Episode 24 - 18: Volunteering and Getting Your Hands Dirty with Tim Ohlwiler of VCE Fauquier Part II
27 AUG 2024 · Do you like to volunteer, dig in the soil, and get your hands dirty? Planting and harvesting vegetables, experimenting with cover crops, and reducing tillage can be great fun as well. Virginia Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and the Fauquier Education Farm offer two tangible ways to volunteer, dig in the soil, get your hands dirty, and give back to the community.
Tim Ohlwiler elaborates on how these volunteer-based programs serve as living laboratories where theory and hands-on practice merge for the benefit of participants and communities. Tim is an extension agent for horticulture with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) in Fauquier County, Virginia. Tim was recognized as a friend of 4-H for his youth educational programming in 2023. Tim helps coordinate the local Master Gardener program and serves on the board of the Fauquier Education Farm.
To learn about Virginia Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener, please call your local https://ext.vt.edu/offices.html unit. Enjoy a virtual tour of the Fauquier Education Farm and learn about its programs and ways to support its mission at https://www.fauquiereducationfarm.org/.
For questions about soil and water conservation and the protection of natural resources, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, or a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office near you to learn about education programs, funding opportunities, and the technical assistance offered.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed athttps://www.4thesoil.org/.
As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement through gardening, farming, and volunteering in your community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
13 AUG 2024 · What are the realities for building soil health in orchards and vineyards? Tree fruit and grapes require different strategies for reducing competition from other woody perennials and weeds. Tension can exist between balancing crop needs and building soil health in orchards and vineyards.
Tim Ohlwiler is an extension agent for horticulture with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) in Fauquier County, Virginia. Tim works with nurseries, landscapers, orchards, vineyards, small fruit growers, and vegetable growers in the Northern Piedmont Region. In this episode, Tim talks with Jeff, Mary, and Eric about horticultural realities and soil health and how he is working with orchards and vineyards to minimize soil disturbance, while also working to get school children excited and energized about soil science.
For specific follow-up questions for Tim Ohlwiler, his contact information is available at https://fauquier.ext.vt.edu/staff.html If you have questions about building soil health within orchards and vineyards or the benefits of following climate-smart principles in your cropping and farming systems, please visit your local https://ext.vt.edu/offices.html unit, a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, or a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office near you.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/.
To review the four core soil health principles and access the recent 4 The Soil blog posts that Jeff Ishee referenced, please visithttps://www.4thesoil.org/.
As always, we would love to learn about your soil health journey and encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.
30 JUL 2024 · Farming and market gardening require continually learning and appropriately managing risks. Robert "Bob" Waring of Brandon Farms in Essex County, Virginia is a proponent of cover crops, soil health, and on-farm research. Bob states he sees the beginning of a movement, particularly as farmers learn from other farmers. He has embraced cover crops, and he consistently maps biomass yields and samples his fields' soil nutrient levels.
In testing theories and making observations through the years, Bob has been able to reduce external inputs of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and lime, while increasing yields and return on investments. Bob attributes some of these results to improved biological activity in the soil and restored natural nutrient cycling. In addition, the summer cover crops he plants protect soil moisture, reduce soil temperatures compared to bare ground, and buffer soil pH.
If you have questions about building soil health and the benefits of following climate-smart principles in your cropping and farming systems, please visit your local https://ext.vt.edu/offices.html unit, a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, or a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office near you.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/.
To review the four core soil health principles and access the recent 4 The Soil blog posts that Jeff Ishee referenced, please visithttps://www.4thesoil.org/.
As always, we would love to learn about your soil health journey and encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement.
16 JUL 2024 · The economics of farming are always tenuous and subject to many market and climatic forces. Robert "Bob" Waring of Brandon Farms of Dunnsville, Virginia describes himself as a return-on-investment (ROI) kind of guy. With the tenuous, volatile nature of farming, Bob is constantly evaluating Brandon Farms' cropping system as a whole and looking for sound input reduction strategies. Over the past fifteen years, Bob has focused on growing his fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and farm profitability through timely cover crop mixtures and management. Hairy vetch and black oats have worked well in his corn and soybean rotations and helped Brandon Farms dramatically reduce fertilizer and pesticide costs. If you are new to cover cropping, Bob recommends finding a legume like clover, cowpeas, or Austrian winter pea that fits in your system as a starting point.
American Farmland Trust's Soil Health Case Study of Brandon Farms is accessible at https://farmlandinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/brandon-farms-soil-health-case-study.pdf
If you have questions about the economic and climate resilience of your cropping and farming systems, please visit your local https://ext.vt.edu/offices.html unit, a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, or a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office near you.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. To access the recent 4 The Soil blog posts that Jeff Ishee referenced, please visithttps://www.4thesoil.org/. As always, we would love to hear your experience and perspective on ways you have invested in soil health and what financial and ecological returns you have experienced.
2 JUL 2024 · To know where our food comes from, we are encouraged to know the farmer who grew our food. Nicolas "Nico" Melas of Mill Song Bakery approaches his craft as a farmer-miller-baker in the tradition of the artisans he apprenticed to in France. Nico emphasizes that you should know your local baker to fully understand and appreciate the quality of wheat and other grains. Nico reflects on how the growing, sourcing, processing, milling, fermenting, and mixing of grain and flour all play a role in the artisanal baking process. For Nico, flavor and health go together; and bread needs to smell and taste like freshly milled grain.
Mill Song Bakery's inspiring story, values, and bread-baking techniques can be accessed at https://www.millsongbakery.com/about-us The video Jeff referenced https://youtu.be/McDvnNFDbmk?si=wPHjBcXJWRygKFL0 outlines farm-to-table connections from local soils and farms to a local stone-ground mill and local bakery.
Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman is available online or can be ordered from a local bookstore.
To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visithttps://www.4thesoil.org/. We would love to hear your experience and perspective on how flavor and health go together, particularly as we learn more about meaningful connections related to nutrition and human health from the soil up.
25 JUN 2024 · Nicolas "Nico" Melas of Mill Song Bakery is a thought leader within Virginia's regional food systems and a catalyst with the expanding Common Grain Alliance. Nico and his family, along with a growing network of farmers, millers, bakers, and food businesses in Virginia and the greater Mid-Atlantic Region, are working through artful farming, milling, and baking to seed and feed a strong, resilient, diverse localized food grain economy. Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt talk with Nico about his journey in farming and baking and how healthy grains and bread benefit soil health, water quality, food security, and community nutrition.
To learn more about Mill Song Bakery's inspiring story, values, and bread baking, please visit https://www.millsongbakery.com/about-us The video https://youtu.be/McDvnNFDbmk?si=wPHjBcXJWRygKFL0 outlines farm-to-table connections from local soils and farms to a local stone-ground mill and local bakery and how food eventually makes its way to local tables.
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear how your artful and healthful foodways support soil health, water quality, local farmers, and community-building.
18 JUN 2024 · Ennis and Phil Carter of Flip Charts and Social Impact Studios bring together their expertise in social sciences and education to amplify a simple message that soil health and music are for everyone. We can all "literally" dig soil health and music in a multitude of ways. In part II, Ennis and Phil explain how memories and stories help us find common ground, connect dots, and stir our imaginations. Ennis spoke of the recent 4 The Soil coloring book developed by Social Impact Studios and the playful characters of an owl and a worm (Hoot and Annie) that stirred their imaginations for a 4 The Soil song and a musical hootenanny.
You are encouraged to bring your musical instruments (banjos, guitars, mandolins, harmonicas, etc.) and lawn chairs to the Hoot-n-Annie event that will be held this Sunday, June 23, 2024, in celebration of National Soil Health Day, Sunday. The Hoot-n-Annie will be held from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Camp pHyre in Rice, Virginia. Ennis and Phil provided a teaser of the schoolhouse-style 4 The Soil song to inspire and remind us soil health and music are for everyone. To learn more about Flip Charts, the 4 the Soil cartoon characters, and the Hoot-n-Annie event, please refer to our recent 4 The Soil blog post at https://www.4thesoil.org/post/join-the-flipcharts-and-camp-phyre-s-hoot-n-annie-event
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Again, we would love to hear and see pictures of how you celebrated National Soil Health Day.
13 JUN 2024 · In anticipation of National Soil Health Day, Ennis and Phil Carter of Flip Charts and Social Impact Studios composed a fun 4 The Soil song to celebrate and emphasize how we can all take action for the soil and planet. Ennis and Phil bring together more than forty years of life and creative work. Their collaboration and creativity integrate music, culture, anthropology, graphic design, and community organizing. Ennis and Phil highlight how music and art translate our emotions and hearts into action.
The upcoming Hoot-n-Annie event will be held on National Soil Health Day, Sunday, June 23, 2024, at Camp pHyre in Rice, Virginia. During our conversation, Ennis and Phil shared a snippet of the schoolhouse-style 4 The Soil song to engage and inspire all of us. To learn more about Flip Charts and the Hoot-n-Annie event, please refer to our recent 4 The Soil blog post at https://www.4thesoil.org/post/join-the-flipcharts-and-camp-phyre-s-hoot-n-annie-event
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear how you celebrated National Soil Health Day and the ways you are taking action to support soil health and the planet.
4 JUN 2024 · The aroma of freshly milled and ground grain is distinct and inviting whether in preparing bread, pizza, or a vat of beer. Madelyn Smith of the Common Grain Alliance offers a freshly milled perspective on a range of topics needed to strengthen the regional food system and build the supply of regional grains to meet consumer demand. Madelyn says that bakers and chefs are often the best storytellers of why local grains are so important to their businesses, however, it is often the taste, flavor, and aroma of the food and beverages that create a lasting love and commitment to local and regional grains.
The Common Grain Alliance is a growing network of over 120 farmers, millers, bakers, and food businesses throughout Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic Region. For more information about the Common Grain Alliance and the many new video resources on growing and marketing small grains, legumes, and dryland rice, please visit https://www.commongrainalliance.org/
To access the 4 The Soil blog and the more than seventy episodes of the 4 The Soil: A Conversation podcast, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/. To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. We would love to hear how you are supporting soil health, local farmers, bakers, chefs, and a stronger regional food system and grain economy.
Soil. What is it, really? It’s more than the dirt under our feet and the ground we stand on. Soil is living and life-giving. Listen as we unlock the mysteries...
show more
Soil. What is it, really? It’s more than the dirt under our feet and the ground we stand on.
Soil is living and life-giving.
Listen as we unlock the mysteries of soil by speaking with people at the forefront of the soil health movement.
“4 The Soil: A Conversation” is part of the 4 The Soil Awareness Campaign led by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The campaign’s purpose is to raise awareness of soil as an agricultural and natural resource critical to social, economic, and environmental health.
Hear and learn from farmers, agricultural professionals, conservation leaders, master gardeners, and many more on how and why to be 4 The Soil.
The podcast is a collaboration of Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, On The Farm Radio, USDA-NRCS, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition with specific funding from the Agua Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Virginia Tech’s Department of Agriculture, Leadership, and Community Education’s Community Viability grant program.
Stay tuned for the release of our first episode in October!
show less
Soil is living and life-giving.
Listen as we unlock the mysteries of soil by speaking with people at the forefront of the soil health movement.
“4 The Soil: A Conversation” is part of the 4 The Soil Awareness Campaign led by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The campaign’s purpose is to raise awareness of soil as an agricultural and natural resource critical to social, economic, and environmental health.
Hear and learn from farmers, agricultural professionals, conservation leaders, master gardeners, and many more on how and why to be 4 The Soil.
The podcast is a collaboration of Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, On The Farm Radio, USDA-NRCS, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition with specific funding from the Agua Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Virginia Tech’s Department of Agriculture, Leadership, and Community Education’s Community Viability grant program.
Stay tuned for the release of our first episode in October!
Information
| Author | Eric Scott Bendfeldt |
| Organization | Eric S. Bendfeldt |
| Categories | Science |
| Website | 4thesoil.org |
| ebendfel@vt.edu |
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