Episode 102: The Learning Experience of Regenerative Ag with Dr. Allen Williams

Allen Williams is a 6th-generation farmer and founding partner of Grass Fed Insights, Understanding Ag, and the Soil Health Academy. He has consulted with over 4,000 farmers and ranchers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, and other regions on operations ranging from a few acres to over 1 million. Allen and his colleagues specialize in whole farm and ranch planning based on regenerative agriculture concepts. Their approach creates significant “value add” and prepares the landowner for multiple revenue stream opportunities that stack enterprises and acres, enhancing profitability and investment value.
In this episode, John and Allen discuss:
The ideals we seek for a highly functioning soil
Fungal vs bacterial dominate soils
Primary drivers of ecosystem development
The relationships between mycorrhiza fungi, aggregates, and protozoa
Implementing regenerative practices into your specific situation
The three rules of adaptive stewardship
The performance of livestock in ecosystems
Additional Resources To learn more about Allen’s enterprises, please visit: soilhealthacademy.org/ or understandingag.com/
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...

[@inigomontoya8943]

Here is a conversation I have been looking forward to for a long time.

[@floridanaturalfarming3367]

Yes, finally, intelligent life🐸❤️thank you

[@pizzachad]

I really appreciate your third law, the law of disruption. It immediately resonated with me and how its absence, even under ideal cultural practices, limits growth.

[@marynunn1708]

Wow. Such passion, wisdim, experience and insights. I learn more each time I hear you speak. God has gifted you both. Thank you for sharing that with us.

[@dvpoonia3010]

I learn and enjoy listening him,his voice has turned music for me.

[@DaveSkornia]

Thank you for a great conversation. The information on mycorrhizal fungi networks is absolutely fascinating. I had to look back at some of my field pictures I took where you can actually plainly see what I believe is a mycorrhizal hyphae network or intricate labyrinth of interconnected routes across the field. I can only visibly witness this in particularly dry years when second or third cutting alfalfa and grasses are drought stressed. There are very defined what appear to be priority communication or nutrient routes across the field evidenced by dramatic six to twelve inch wide paths of notably taller and healthier looking plants. They in no way appear fertility or hydrologically influenced or related. It is an amazing thing to stand in the middle of a hilly field and witness such an intelligent and purposeful design. Your comment about keen observation reminds me of the sayin that "the most important thing that one can observe in a field is their shadow". I would be interested in what your thoughts are on this. Thanks again to you both for all of your great work. Dave

[@gerrywalsh6853]

Mushroom farmer/rancher in newfoundland canada some Mushrooms that are edible like the king bolite can hyper accumulate heavy metals like cesium that was spread here at one time in contaminated lime but the Mushroom makes it unavailable to the plants growing around it. It is amazing what i have learned from you jhon kempff. You may not give us the recipe but you do give us the ingredients to use one day soon i hope to pay it forward dew to you

[@idgyschmitz1833]

This was such a fantastic conversation. Thank you so much!

[@gregorythetford924]

One of the best! Thank you John and Allen!

[@regenerativegardeningwithpatti]

Great interview and conversation with two extremely knowledgable and passionate people! Thank you

[@nedweeks6964]

I love the reference to lamb's quarter. My garden site was chosen for drainage assuming low wet ground would be a worse choice. The year I broke ground the lambs quarter grew to 2 ft spindles then died mid July. Rocks were my best crop that year. The lambs quarter in the corn last season was 5ft and rather conical in habit. ...I tried fall sowing winter squash in a test plot last fall. We will see

[@landontesar3070]

found a couple of eastern meadowlarks on my place a few weeks ago. Good to see.

[@1millionpumpkins542]

Thank you so much for all of this detailed information. It is so helpful and inspiring, as well as being practical. Disrupt your disruptions!

[@grant2531]

Planned disruption applies pretty good to marriages too

[@HoneyHollowHomestead]

Absolutely LOVED this interview!! I am a small scale goat farmer in east Kentucky (lots of hills!). My diversity consists of 1 horse and a bunch of chickens in addition to my goat herd. Would love to add more diversity, just not sure what. There will be 2 more horses coming to my property this spring, and am thinking about getting another bottle calf to raise for beef. But will that give me enough diversity? I will admit to being fearful of pigs, but am thinking about adding sheep.

[@annburge291]

An inspiring conversation. Next time Dr Allen Williams comes I would like him to comment about the slight differences on his approach to Allan Savory Holistic Management approach. I am guessing that William's approach is being slightly more flexible with changing the overall planning on a day to day process...a more active challenging of assumptions and general principles to see if it makes a difference.

[@tinfoilhatscholar]

Sounds like you might want to read Savory's book! The only set protocol he prescribes, is the step of forming holistic goals, with groups that have come together and identified their shared common values. Holistic management is fully adaptive.

[@leelindsay5618]

Oh, clearly someone doesn't know that Understanding Ag has included the Savory Institute knowledge, but have adapted it to farming in the cropping sense, but with the full support of Allan Savory and his organization. They are collaborating.

[@tinfoilhatscholar]

@@leelindsay5618 I would tell Savory to go and read his own book if he said otherwise!🤣 It's all about stewardship at the end of the day my friend, so let's all do the best we can!

[@trenomas1]

Oregon Honey Fungus Represent!

[@miramirez3574]

❤️‍🔥

[@surronzak8154]

29:23 do you have a link to study , that's fascinating, it's f*cking magic

[@JohnMarsing]

18:45 May we be like Isaac ⤵️ Gen 26:12-14 KJV [12] Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. [13] And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: [14] For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

[@katherinewimblefox718]

The 300-mile diameter Pacific Northwest fungi you mentioned ~29:10... do you have a source you can refer me to regarding the radioactive isotopes showing up 300 miles away in .3 seconds?

[@chrisshepherd8708]

I’m sorry but you lost me at religious relevant

[@jeremyschissler337]

❤