Couverture de 4 The Soil: A Conversation

4 The Soil: A Conversation

4 The Soil: A Conversation

De : Eric Bendfeldt
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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 in 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 a critical agricultural and natural resource for social, economic, and environmental health.

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.

Hear and learn from farmers, agricultural professionals, conservation leaders, master gardeners, and many more on how and why to be 4 The Soil.Virginia Tech Science
Épisodes
  • S6 - E9: Moving Agriculture Forward with Kim Melton of the Red River Basin Commission, Pt. I

    S6 - E9: Moving Agriculture Forward with Kim Melton of the Red River Basin Commission, Pt. I
    Apr 28 2026
    Keeping soil on the land is a sound way to grow and move agriculture forward. Kim Melton is the soil health coordinator for the Red River Basin Commission. Kim coordinates soil health education and outreach across three states, one province, and two countries in the Red River Valley.Kim shares with Mary, Eric, and Jeff how soil health goes beyond just sustaining agriculture to include understanding the marriages of different perspectives among farmers, scientists, and others who can impact agriculture in a positive way. To learn more about Kim's work and the Red River Basin Commission, please visit https://www.redriverbasincommission.org/. For more information about the Supply Chain Soil Health Partnership and its goals to improve the food value chain from the soil up, please visit https://www.redriverbasincommission.org/soil-health-partnership Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcastAs always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles: 1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additional, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and starting your journey to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
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    18 min
  • S6 - E8: Healthier Communities, Stronger Economies, and Hippos with Jeff, Mary, and Eric

    S6 - E8: Healthier Communities, Stronger Economies, and Hippos with Jeff, Mary, and Eric
    Apr 14 2026
    Soil health is a foundation for healthier communities, stronger economies, and more resilient landscapes. And yes, hippos can be major pests. During this episode of 4 The Soil: A Conversation, Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt share who and what is for(4) the soil. Celebrating Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, is a great way to build on that foundation.

    Tune in, subscribe, and like anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast

    As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning and to follow the four core soil health principles:

    1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;
    2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;
    3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and
    4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.

    You're invited to join an online presentation and conversation with previous podcast guest Bob Jones Jr., co-owner and chief executive officer of The Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio!

    "The Chef’s Garden: The Flavor of Health and Resilience"
    Monday, April 20, 2026
    7:00 - 8:00 p.m. (EST)
    Online via Zoom
    REGISTER HERE: https://tinyurl.com/VAF2T-ChefsGarden-register

    To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional upcoming educational webinars and field days, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices and outdoor educational conservation activities for youth, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.

    4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

    Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

    To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
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    17 min
  • S6 - E7: Vegetable Farming as a Food and Health Business with Bob Jones, Jr., of The Chef's Garden, Part II

    S6 - E7: Vegetable Farming as a Food and Health Business with Bob Jones, Jr., of The Chef's Garden, Part II
    Mar 31 2026
    Vegetable farming is a food and health business that requires dogged persistence, curiosity, and a no-quit attitude. Bob Jones, Jr., is a second-generation vegetable farmer and the chief executive officer of The Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio, who has been growing vegetables for over 40 years.

    Bob and The Chef's Garden team collaborate with culinary professionals, physicians, and oncologists to test the taste, flavor, aesthetics, nutrient density, and food as the foundation of health. More than 700 chefs tour the farm and exchange ideas in The Chef's Garden's Culinary Vegetable Institute. Additionally, they worked with Regenified to certify their farm as regenerative for the practices that nourish healthy soils, water, plants, people, and communities.

    We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:

    1) Keep the soil covered -- (Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil naked).
    2) Minimize soil disturbance -- (Gentle, take it easy).
    3) Maximize living roots -- (Keep roots growing)
    4) Energize with diversity -- (Thrive with diversity of plants, rotations, and livestock).

    If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters.

    If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and starting your journey to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.

    4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

    Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

    To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.
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    17 min
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