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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...
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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.
show less
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.
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
3 FEB 2026 · What priorities excite you? Heirloom Chrysanthemums, soil health, and contributing back to the community are exciting priorities for https://www.hhfshop.com/. In the previous episode, we learned the vision of Harmony Harvest Farm and their overarching aim to help people live and experience a better life through fresh flowers. Our returning guest, Jessica Hall, talks with us about her passion for growing heirloom mums and building healthy soil, and how these are two essential ingredients for achieving their vision.
Jessica emphasizes the importance of engaging your roots and making them stronger. For Jessica and her team, the farm business roots started with research, collection, and cultivation of heirloom mums. Mums are dear to Jessica's heart and are a phenomenal crop with great potential for small-acreage flower farmers in Virginia and beyond.
To learn about their heirloom chrysanthemums, plan a pick-your-own flower trip, experience a virtual mum summit and on-farm educational events, or order a floral bouquet, please visit Harmony Harvest Farm's https://www.hhfshop.com/.
To register for the Virginia No-Till Alliance (VANTAGE) Winter Conference scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds, please visit https://www.virginianotill.com/winter-conference. Speakers of note include Dr. Ray Weil and James Hoorman.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
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 https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2309/4_the_Soil_WPA-Inspired_Poster_-_Keep_the_Soil_Covered.html posters or a https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2314/4_the_Soil_Poster_Set.html of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, soil health principles, and https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426-703/SPES-393.pdf to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
20 JAN 2026 · How can we live and enjoy a better life? Harmony Harvest Farm began with a lofty dream in 2011 and a vision of helping people to live and experience a better life through fresh flowers. Jessica Hall of https://www.hhfshop.com/ and Flower Genius joined Mary, Jeff, and Eric for a conversation about the farm business's vision, mission, values, and history.
Jessica owns and operates the farm business with her mom and sister in Weyers Cave, Virginia. Jessica and her family believe Virginia-grown and American-grown flowers should be accessible to everyone, everywhere. To fulfill this vision and mission, they built up soil health and nourished their flowers from the start, while being mindful of good land management, soil erosion, irrigation needs, and bed layout to fit the topography.
Jessica emphasizes that a sustainable business that lives its values needs a complete toolbox with the right tools at the right time for the right application. For Jessica and Harmony Harvest Farm, the toolbox includes a strong, growing network of personal and business mentors.
To learn about their heirloom chrysanthemums, plan a pick-your-own flower trip, experience a virtual mum summit and on-farm educational events, or order a floral bouquet, please visit Harmony Harvest Farm's https://www.hhfshop.com/.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
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 https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2309/4_the_Soil_WPA-Inspired_Poster_-_Keep_the_Soil_Covered.html posters or a https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2314/4_the_Soil_Poster_Set.html of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
6 JAN 2026 · A desire and passion for caring for the earth, soil, and the natural environment can start at a young age.
Fatema Mohajir and her family are from the Bamyan province in central Afghanistan. As a child, Fatema's family lived in Iran, where her father worked at a large-scale vegetable farm. Fatema's father and older brother inspired her interest in soil science and farming.
Fatema studied at Kabul University and graduated in 2020. As a part of her studies, Fatema participated in a year-long Permaculture Program led by Rosemary Marrow from Australia. After graduating, Fatema received a scholarship to study in Uzbekistan, where she focused on bioeconomy and irrigation.
Fatema moved to the United States in 2023 and has been working at the Farm at Willow Run in Harrisonburg for the past two seasons. Fatema shares about her interest in organic farming and her overall aim to be a role model for others in caring for the earth, soil, and the bioeconomy.
To learn about Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community's farm-to-table initiative and the Farm at Willow Run, please visit https://www.vmrc.org/the-farm. You can listen to https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-qdfke-12f266d on The Permaculture Podcast.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
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 https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2309/4_the_Soil_WPA-Inspired_Poster_-_Keep_the_Soil_Covered.html posters or a https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2314/4_the_Soil_Poster_Set.html of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
23 DEC 2025 · How can we care for the soil and farm for better health outcomes?
Dr. Christine Mahoney of the https://batten.virginia.edu/people/christine-mahoney and https://www.wayflowering.com/ joins Mary and Eric for a conversation about soil health, regenerative farm design, and organic flower farming.
Dr. Mahoney shares how better outcomes, such as health, peace, and tranquility, can be achieved through enriching the soil, enhancing biodiversity, sequestering carbon, strengthening local ecosystems, and supporting pollinator habitats. For Dr. Mahoney, caring for the soil and creating an incredible place for flowers, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators is foundational and inspirational.
Please visit https://www.wayflowering.com/ to learn more about cut-your-own flower opportunities and immersive experiences at Wayflowering Flower Farm. For details about the flower farming course and podcast that inspired and influenced Dr. Mahoney's thoughts on farm design and organic no-till flower farming, please visit https://www.floretflowers.com/workshops/ and https://notillflowers.libsyn.com/.
We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles:
1) Keep the soil covered -- with living plants and residue. Cover crops are our friends and allies; avoid leaving soil bare.
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden.
3) Maximize living roots -- for the longest time to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil.
4) Energize with diversity -- aboveground and belowground with high-quality food for soil and plants, and integration of livestock on cropland.
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 https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2309/4_the_Soil_WPA-Inspired_Poster_-_Keep_the_Soil_Covered.html posters or a https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2314/4_the_Soil_Poster_Set.html of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
9 DEC 2025 · How can social entrepreneurship help build soil health and achieve ecological goals?
Mary and Eric explore this question with Dr. Christine Mahoney of the https://batten.virginia.edu/people/christine-mahoney and https://www.wayflowering.com/ Dr. Mahoney shares her own experiences with social enterprises, systems thinking, and regenerative organic flower farming in this episode.
Dr. Mahoney reflects on the catalytic effect organizations and businesses can have on innovation and change, such as enriching the soil, enhancing biodiversity, sequestering carbon, strengthening local ecosystems, and supporting pollinator habitats.
To learn more about cut-your-own flower opportunities and immersive experiences at Wayflowering Flower Farm, please visit https://www.wayflowering.com/.
If you want to become a member of the Central Virginia Flower Collective, send an email inquiry to CVAFlowers@gmail.com.
If you are interested in impact investing, specifically related to displaced people and refugees, please visit the Refugee Investment Network that Dr. Mahoney helped found at https://refugeeinvestments.org/
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 and allies; avoid bare fallows;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, high-quality food for soil and plants, farm enterprises, and livestock integration.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
25 NOV 2025 · Health and nutrition start with caring for the soil. Food can and should be our medicine. Dr. Robin "Buz" Kloot of the https://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/public_health/index.php and https://www.soilhealthlabs.com/ shares his perspective on connections with soil health and public health with Eric, Mary, and Jeff in this episode.
Buz reflects on his own research but also points out what he has heard from farmers and ranchers he has worked with through the years. Building on the idea that eating is an agricultural act and food can be medicine, Buz would like health professionals, agronomists, soil scientists, farmers, and ranchers to collaborate more on soil and public health research and education.
In addition to your own research and study of soil and human health, Buz recommends reading Fred Provenza's book Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom.
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 and allies; avoid bare fallows;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, high-quality food for soil and plants, farm enterprises, and livestock integration.
The 4 The Soil team recently commissioned a new set of art posters to help people remember the four principles of soil health and celebrate that “We Are 4 the Soil!”. If you are personally or professionally interested in printing and framing the soil health artwork, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2309/4_the_Soil_WPA-Inspired_Poster_-_Keep_the_Soil_Covered.html posters or a https://www.postersforthepeople.com/store/p2314/4_the_Soil_Poster_Set.html of five posters.
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
11 NOV 2025 · Changing course is never easy, especially if the change requires a complete overhaul at the most basic, fundamental level. Dr. Robin "Buz" Kloot of the https://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/public_health/index.php and https://www.soilhealthlabs.com/ talks with Eric, Mary, and Jeff about this paradigm shift among farmers and within the soil science community.
Buz explains how the shift in thinking and paradigms occurred. In many cases, people were focused more on the symptoms rather than the cause, for instance, soil loss through erosion or poor water infiltration. Understanding the underlying cause required a whole-system approach. For Buz, an open mind to farmers' stories and experiences, and "a beginner's mindset" as a scientist were required to truly grasp the dynamic nature of soil.
If you are beginning your journey with soil health and cover cropping systems, the featured length https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWXCLVCJWTU video, Buz and his team produced, provides a good introduction and uplifts the initial experiences of farmers in South and North Carolina.
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 and allies; avoid bare fallows;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, high-quality food, farm enterprises, and livestock integration.
The 4 The Soil team recently commissioned a new set of art posters to help people remember the four principles of soil health and celebrate that “We Are 4 the Soil!”. If you would like to learn about the history of the art posters and access a link to purchase an individual poster or the set of five 4 The Soil posters, please visit our recent blog post: https://www.4thesoil.org/post/spreading-the-message-for-healthy-soil
If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
28 OCT 2025 · Did you know soil microorganisms of all sizes and shapes need water, air, shelter, and care to function and thrive? Dr. Ashley Jernigan, assistant professor and director of Virginia Tech's Sustainable and Organic Vegetable Crops Production Lab, returns to talk with Jeff and Mary about what farmers and gardeners can do to encourage a hospitable habitat for soil microorganisms.
As a soil ecologist, Ashley recommends keeping track of your soil organic matter level and its aggregate stability, and how these soil health indicators compare to native biological systems. Soils, like people, need quality food in diverse and complex forms (compost, green manures, plant roots, etc.). Similarly, farmers and gardeners should avoid leaving the soil naked and bare. Being gentle and reducing the intensity of tillage is also key to maintaining a comfortable environment for soil critters and not disrupting the structures and networks that soil organisms establish.
We would encourage our listeners to visit Andy Murray's https://www.chaosofdelight.org/ website and tour the gallery of photos of different soil microorganisms.
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 and allies; avoid bare fallows;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage as much as possible in your field or garden ;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, high-quality food, farm enterprises, and livestock integration.
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
14 OCT 2025 · Does your garden soil just fall apart in your hands? How do you regenerate and bring back life to worn-out soils? Dr. Ashley Jernigan, assistant professor and director of Virginia Tech's Sustainable and Organic Vegetable Crops Production Lab, in visiting with Jeff and Mary, advises doing your own test in your garden or crop field with a shovel.
As someone who enjoyed digging soil pits as a seven-year-old, Ashley recommends sampling to a six-inch depth to get a sense of your soil's tilth and aggregate stability. If the soil does not have a good, varied crumbly structure, the soil's organic matter content and aggregate stability may be low. Therefore, feed your soil and soil animals to feed your plants to start the biological journey and bring back the life in the soil.
If you have ever wondered what soil animals like springtails and soil mites look like, Dr. Jernigan developed a https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/9/4123/files/2021/07/Jernigan_EOA-Fact-Sheets_Merged.pdf resource guide to help. Ashley also highly recommends Andy Murray's https://www.chaosofdelight.org/ website for wonderful photos and videos.
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 and allies;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, farm enterprises, and/or livestock integration.
More details about the Virginia Farm-to-Table Feast and Harvest Celebration scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at On Sunny Slope Farm in Rockingham, Virginia, can be found at https://virginiafarmtotable.org/2025vaf2tharvestcelebration/
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and soil health principles and practices to restore the life in your soil, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
30 SEP 2025 · Is the economic rationale of soil health always the top priority for farmers? Or, do other soil values rise to the top of farmers' minds, for example, having a healthy habitat for soil fungi? Kasper Krabbe, a doctoral student at Aarhus University in Denmark and a visiting guest scholar at Virginia Tech, returns to talk with Mary, Jeff, and Eric about his research into understanding farmers' intrinsic and extrinsic values in caring for soil.
Kasper states that a deeper understanding of farmers' values and motivations is needed because of the degraded condition of agricultural soils globally. For instance, peer pressure to maintain and strive for tidy fields can inhibit experimentation with alternative minimum till systems and diverse cropping mixtures because of neighboring farmers' perceptions of certain aesthetics.
The videos Kasper created of his interviews and interactions with cooperating Danish farmers as part of the https://soilvalues.eu/ research initiative can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxwHRB9ybRM
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 and allies;
2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Practice no-till or gentle tillage in your field or garden as much as possible;
3) Maximize living roots year-round -- to improve biodiversity, soil structure, and life in the soil; and
4) Energize with diversity -- through crop rotation, farm enterprises, and/or livestock integration.
More details about the Virginia Farm-to-Table Feast and Harvest Celebration scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at On Sunny Slope Farm in Rockingham, Virginia, can be found at https://virginiafarmtotable.org/2025vaf2tharvestcelebration/
To enjoy recent 4 The Soil blog posts and additional soil health resources, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/blog and https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, natural resource concerns, and the financial rationale of soil health, call or visit a https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app, a https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds office, or your local https://ext.vt.edu/ 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 https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F4thesoil.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cebendfel%40vt.edu%7Cad5cf5af231b4eec750608dde71303e4%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638920791063683073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T7uE%2FEzUV%2FKokfB%2FKIrpWeq7ts%2FmFZSwHGupQ7sHe6Q%3D&reserved=0. 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.
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...
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 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.
show less
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.
Information
| Author | Eric Scott Bendfeldt |
| Organization | Eric S. Bendfeldt |
| Categories | Science , Education , Life Sciences |
| Website | 4thesoil.org |
| ebendfel@vt.edu |
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