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EP.15, Learning How to Farm Again, $1.5M in Worm Castings!?đȘ±+đ©=đ°
Manage episode 487793404 series 3012574
Welcome to the SoilCraft Regen Agronomy Podcast! In this powerful episode, Denver Black sits down with Craig Harding at Riverside Farm in Zambia to unpack what it really means to âlearn how to farm again.â
After years of intensive input-based systems, Craig finds himself in a whole new worldâwhere fungicides are gone, synthetic nitrogen is slashed, worms are working overtime, and fields are literally growing inches of new topsoil.
What caused this radical shift? A regenerative system rooted in biology, humility, and alignment with the Creatorâs design.
đŸ IN THIS EPISODE:
â Craigâs journey from rigid crop programs to real-time field intuition
â Why his $1.2 million worth of worm castings may be more valuable than a fertilizer shed
â What it means when your drill sinks too deepâbecause your soil is too rich!
â How 32% wheat protein came with no basal fertilizer and half the nitrogen
â Why legumes may be holding your soil-building efforts back
â The difference between âavailableâ and âsolubleâ nutrientsâand why it matters
â Can dryland farmers do this too? YESâand maybe they must
đ§ BIG IDEAS:
- Regeneration isnât just conservationâitâs a biological cascade
- No-till without biology = slow progress
- The real question isnât can we eliminate fertilizer, but can we build soil so it eliminates the need itself
- Farming is no longer about âwhat to killââitâs about what to feed
- Legumes might not be the soil builders we think they are when grown alone
đ NUTRIENT VALUE BREAKDOWN:
From just 2 inches of worm castings, Denver and Craig measure:
- đ§Ș 320 lbs/ac Nitrogen
- đ§Ș 1,000 lbs/ac PâOâ
- đ§Ș 3,840 lbs/ac Calcium
- đż All biologically availableânot leaching, not burning, just there when the plant needs it
đŁ TAKEAWAYS:
This isnât theory. This is real change. Real savings. Real soil wealth.
âWeâre not spraying 5 fungicides anymore. Weâre spraying biology.â
âI didnât just have to relearn fertilizerâI had to relearn farming entirely.â
âWe used to plant in bricks. Now weâre planting on a worm farm.â
If youâre wondering whatâs possible with regenerative agricultureâespecially in arid, tropical, or high-value cropping systemsâthis is your episode.
đ„ JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
We're not here to push a silver bullet. We're here to build a system. One that works where you are. So share your questions, challenges, and storiesâweâre listening. đ
đ Learn more or connect with us at SoilCraft.com
đ„ Subscribe for more videos, field trials, and regenerative insights
đŹ Got a topic or testimony to share? Drop it in the comments or email us.
#SoilCraft #RegenerativeAgriculture #LearningToFarmAgain #WormCastings #OrganicMatter #SoilBiology #NoTill #FertilizerReduction #FaithAndFarming #RegenAgPodcast #ZambiaAgriculture
15 episodes
Manage episode 487793404 series 3012574
Welcome to the SoilCraft Regen Agronomy Podcast! In this powerful episode, Denver Black sits down with Craig Harding at Riverside Farm in Zambia to unpack what it really means to âlearn how to farm again.â
After years of intensive input-based systems, Craig finds himself in a whole new worldâwhere fungicides are gone, synthetic nitrogen is slashed, worms are working overtime, and fields are literally growing inches of new topsoil.
What caused this radical shift? A regenerative system rooted in biology, humility, and alignment with the Creatorâs design.
đŸ IN THIS EPISODE:
â Craigâs journey from rigid crop programs to real-time field intuition
â Why his $1.2 million worth of worm castings may be more valuable than a fertilizer shed
â What it means when your drill sinks too deepâbecause your soil is too rich!
â How 32% wheat protein came with no basal fertilizer and half the nitrogen
â Why legumes may be holding your soil-building efforts back
â The difference between âavailableâ and âsolubleâ nutrientsâand why it matters
â Can dryland farmers do this too? YESâand maybe they must
đ§ BIG IDEAS:
- Regeneration isnât just conservationâitâs a biological cascade
- No-till without biology = slow progress
- The real question isnât can we eliminate fertilizer, but can we build soil so it eliminates the need itself
- Farming is no longer about âwhat to killââitâs about what to feed
- Legumes might not be the soil builders we think they are when grown alone
đ NUTRIENT VALUE BREAKDOWN:
From just 2 inches of worm castings, Denver and Craig measure:
- đ§Ș 320 lbs/ac Nitrogen
- đ§Ș 1,000 lbs/ac PâOâ
- đ§Ș 3,840 lbs/ac Calcium
- đż All biologically availableânot leaching, not burning, just there when the plant needs it
đŁ TAKEAWAYS:
This isnât theory. This is real change. Real savings. Real soil wealth.
âWeâre not spraying 5 fungicides anymore. Weâre spraying biology.â
âI didnât just have to relearn fertilizerâI had to relearn farming entirely.â
âWe used to plant in bricks. Now weâre planting on a worm farm.â
If youâre wondering whatâs possible with regenerative agricultureâespecially in arid, tropical, or high-value cropping systemsâthis is your episode.
đ„ JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
We're not here to push a silver bullet. We're here to build a system. One that works where you are. So share your questions, challenges, and storiesâweâre listening. đ
đ Learn more or connect with us at SoilCraft.com
đ„ Subscribe for more videos, field trials, and regenerative insights
đŹ Got a topic or testimony to share? Drop it in the comments or email us.
#SoilCraft #RegenerativeAgriculture #LearningToFarmAgain #WormCastings #OrganicMatter #SoilBiology #NoTill #FertilizerReduction #FaithAndFarming #RegenAgPodcast #ZambiaAgriculture
15 episodes
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