Episode 101: Making the Most of Water Variability with Joel Grosbach

Joel Grosbach is a fifth-generation farmer and AEA customer growing dryland and irrigated crops in Southwest Nebraska. Since his area only receives seven inches of average annual rainfall, incorporating regenerative practices such as cover crops, crop rotation, animal grazing, and minimal tillage are critical for water management. Joel grows a variety of crops, including popcorn and dry edible beans, and grows for his neighbor, who owns a seed production business.
In this episode, John and Joel discuss:
Regenerating local ecosystem rainfall
Structuring his farm only to use 7” of irrigation each season
Choosing crops based on water needs
Importance of cover crops and crop residue
Reducing inputs and eliminating fungicides
Mindset shifts that occur when transitioning to regenerative agriculture
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: www.advancingecoag.com
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VIDEO: To learn more from John Kempf about regenerative agriculture, watch this conversation between John and three AEA grower partners about how regenerative agriculture is changing lives and conventional farming: • How regenerative agric...

[@suburbanbiology]

Great work as always. Spreading the gospel about water management. Brilliant!

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

John, I'd like to request that you come back and talk about corn crops. Specifically brace roots, but pretty much everything related to corn, I know you've covered CPI very well, and that has been super useful information, but giving it is such a well studied crop and well understood crop, I think it might be good for us all to understand even more in depth info as it provides excellent context regarding critical points of influence, trace, mineral, nutrition, biology, present in the soil, and so much more. Thank you so much for everything you do! This is yet another excellent conversation! I'll be releasing a cover crop series soon. Detailing with practical walkthroughs detailing what I've learned over the years. Much more coming as I continue to learn!

[@hhwippedcream]

Wheat and pulse rotation/cover is an age old practice - so exciting that this knowledge is being applied dilligently

[@hhwippedcream]

Thanks for sharing this great talk.

[@hhwippedcream]

Cattail and aquatic veg are a primary reservoir for phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients. Id like to see a plant feedstock as opposed to a livestock feedstock setup for crop production. Creating an ash or charcoal from these sorts of plants is a premium fertilizer available to many inland farmers as a sub for seaweed sans some of the minerals. I am certain there is a local analogue for those though.

[@raysouth1952]

I’d like to know more about how beans can deplete soil organic matter. It seems counterintuitive to me. Is it just Phaseolus vulgaris, or can other Fabaceae do the same? Don’t the roots put out exudates for its micro companions? I use beans in cover crop mixes but having heard that I’m now nervous about doing so.

[@jeremyschissler337]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤