Episode 148: Digging Into Regenerative Soil with Matt Powers

Regenerative Agriculture Podcast

AEA Marketing

Science, Natural Sciences, Earth Sciences

4.7 • 548 Ratings

🗓️ 27 March 2025

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Matt Powers is a permaculture and soil health educator who began to explore organic and regenerative food systems after his wife's cancer was diagnosed with cancer. He has written 24+ books, created courses, and taught thousands of people about the links between soil biology, plant health, and human well-being.

With a background in music and education, Matt shifted to regenerative agriculture by gathering expert knowledge and conducting research. He has developed new microscopy techniques, debunked soil health myths, and helped farmers better understand microbiomes for sustainable agriculture.

In this episode, John and Matt discuss:

The essential role of soil microbes in plant nutrition and human health
How advanced microscopy techniques help verify soil biology, allowing farmers to make informed decisions about microbial inoculants and soil amendments
Common misconceptions about composting and fertilizers that lead to poor soil health
Mycorrhizal fungi and how they naturally enhance soil structure, plant growth, and drought resistance
The ability of nematodes and other microbes to change their function and morphology in response to environmental conditions
The connection between mindset, emotional health, and the gut microbiome, and how beliefs can influence overall well-being

Additional Resources
To learn more about Matt Powers and his work with the Permaculture Student and other resources, please visit: https://www.thepermaculturestudent.com/

To check out more of Matt's videos, please visit his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Jg0zsgjNxjltlFjE0YvNw

About John Kempf
John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.

Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition – a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.

Support For This Show & Helping You Grow
Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture.

AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA's science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.

AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.

Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.

Learn more about AEA's regenerative programs and products: https://www.advancingecoag.com

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hi, friends, this is John. Welcome back to the Region of Agriculture Podcasts.
0:05.1	I always say that this is the place where we have fun conversations, and today, you're in for a
0:10.5	treat. We're really going to have a fun conversation. I'm here with the indomitable, indefatigable,
0:16.7	incorrigible Matt Powers. Matt, thanks for being here. Thanks for having me. This is amazing.
0:22.8	So, Matt, you have been, when I think about your work in the space, in this region of
0:29.5	agriculture space and permaculture space, I think you and I share some things in common in that
0:34.7	both of us tend to be, we tend to be aggregators of the wisdom of many
0:41.0	smart people and pulling that together and incorporating our own insights into that and trying
0:46.3	to communicate that effectively to other people. And you know, I often, when I have people here,
0:52.0	I ask them to start by sharing a little bit of their own story
0:54.8	and their background because I find they're much better at telling their story than I am at
0:58.3	introducing them. But I have so much good stuff that I want to get into with you. So I'm going
1:04.6	to ask you, tell us a bit about your story and your context and how you got here. And then we're
1:08.0	going to have some really good stuff we're going to dig into. Okay. Thank you for having me, John. Well, you know, as as an aggregator, you're one of
1:16.9	those people that I'm folding in and learning from. And I just always appreciate all your insights.
1:23.5	I'm always learning from you. And that's, I feel like that's really what it's all about.
1:28.4	It's about being in this environment of learning and teaching interchangeably.
1:34.8	The highest level of learning is actually teaching.
1:38.4	So I get so much out of teaching.
1:40.9	And I wasn't always a teacher.
1:43.8	My story actually begins with me being a musician. I was a
1:48.8	bass player in a band with Saturday Night Live's drummer and Rachel Ray's husband as the front man.
	...

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