Soil Science for the ears

I love to expand my knowledge of soil health science and policy by listening to other experts. Since much of my day is spent grinding, acidifying, and weighing soils, audio formats are my preferred method of taking in new information. It's pretty hard to read a scientific paper while you are elbow deep in soil samples. My favorite podcasts are really well researched and produced, they bring in voices from the worlds of policy, non-profit work, and farming. 

This is a curated list of my favorite shows and episodes about soil science, health, and policy.  How to Save a Planet and A Matter of Degrees have episodes about all kinds of climate related matters but I've picked out the soil episodes to highlight here. Drs. Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson, Leah Stokes and Katharine Wilkinson are all co-authors of the anthology "All We Can Save", which I cannot recommend enough. Sometimes "A Matter of Degrees" episodes will feature a reading of essays from that book, which, even if you have read it, take on a new level of impact in audio format. 

The "People of Soil Health" podcast is entirely about soils and all 32 episodes are valuable because of the different people they interview. Most episodes feature interviews with farmers trying soil health solutions on their real farms and discussing the costs, benefits, challenges, and room for improvement. The Soil Health Partnership closed this year due to fiscal challenges, but still has a ton of resources available on its website. Only 10 episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, but the People of Soil Health website has all 32 episodes.

Hopefully some of these episodes can help expand your understanding of soil as a tool for fighting the climate crisis! 

How to Save a Planet (Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson & Alex Blumberg)

• Soil: The dirty climate solution
  
• Kelp Farming, for the Climate (food production without soil!) Part I, Part II
  

A Matter of Degrees (Leah Stokes & Katharine Wilkinson) 

• A farming solution for a hotter, less stable world. Primer on agroecology using Puerto Rico's experience with hurricanes and a couple of intrepid women farmers and their small farm. 
  
• Healing the Soil, Healing Ourselves. Audio essay from Leah Penniman (All We Can Save) about black farmers and regenerative farming practices as a climate solution. 
  

The People of Soil Health (Soil Health Partnership)

• Soil Science is the New Frontier in Agriculture. An important discussion about the anecdotal evidence of better soil management on farms versus our capacity to quantify those changes. 
  
• The "New" Science of Soil Health and the Holy Trifecta. How microbes, carbon, and structure work together in soil to provide multiple benefits.