4 The Soil: A Conversation

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, Virginia State University, 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.

4 The Soil: A Conversation is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 136 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts 4 The Soil: A Conversation, a education show with 136 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #20

  S6 - E20: Interseeding Resilience and Diversity into Farming Systems with Keith Berns of Green Cover, Part II

  Sep 29, 202619 minS6

  How can you interseed resilience and diversity into a family business and a cropping system whether you are in Nebraska, Virginia, or Upstate New York? Keith Berns shares about the history of Green Cover with Jeff, Summer, and Eric and how building the internal infrastructure was so important as Green Cover grew from a family operation to having more than 60 employees. Keith emphasized that resilience and having people with diverse skills and experiences are critical to success in business and farming. As an educator and former teacher, Keith relayed how field days, on-farm research, and educational exchanges are rewarding and energizing. Keith told about the experiences of two farmers from Minnesota and South Dakota (Rye Carlson and Alex Frasier ) who continue to interseed cover crops (e.g., dwarf mustard, flax, phacelia, oats, rye, etc.) into corn and soybeans The 12th Edition of Green Cover's Soil Health Resource Guide , along with other soil health and cover crop resources, are available on their website. Additionally, farmers in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions will be interested in attending the Regenerative Nexus summit that Green Cover is hosting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on November 10 - 12, 2026. Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles: 1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and 4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity. 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 single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/ If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center , a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Partners include USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and other members 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 4thesoil.org . 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's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia State University, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

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  Episode #19

  S6 - E19: Always Growing -- even Okra, Coriander, and Cucurbits -- with Keith Berns of Green Cover, Pt. I

  Sep 15, 202620 minS6

  Are you always growing and evaluating what you want to accomplish? Keith Berns of Green Cover shares his insights on that question as a co-business owner, farmer, and educator of diverse, customizable cover crop mixtures with Jeff, Summer, and Eric. Keith and his brother Brian and their families started Green Cover in 2008 in Bladen, Nebraska and Iola, Kansas. Since that time, their core value of always growing has taken root in many tangible ways. Today, Green Cover has 60 employees, specializes in 120 different types of single species cover crops, and helps keep more than one million acres of soil covered and continuously growing. They are educators at heart and always start with what you want to accomplish, when thinking about potential cover crop mixtures. To assist their customers around the country, Green Cover developed their SmartMix Calculator to guide the decision process about goals, timing, and placement. Additionally, they are continually evaluating new cover crop species and have recently introduced okra, coriander, and a variety of cucurbits into different blends. Along with the SmartMix Calculator, you can find and access on their website Green Cover's Annual Soil Health Resource Guide that covers a range of topics from soil health to human nutrition connections. Additionally, they are hosting their Regenerative Nexus summit in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on November 10 - 12, 2026. Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles: 1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and 4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity. 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 single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/ If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center , a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Partners include USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and other members 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 4thesoil.org . 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's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia State University, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

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  Episode #18

  S6 - E18: Generational Networking and Technologies with P.J. Haynie III of Haynie Family Foods, Part II

  Sep 1, 202620 minS6

  As a fifth generation row-crop farmer in the Northern Neck of Virginia, P.J. Haynie III shares how important generational knowledge, networking, and technologies are to successful farming and business development. In this episode, P.J. talks with Jeff, Mary, and Eric about the farming legacy of his family and how they have adapted and innovated through the years to enhance the return on investment of their time, labor, equipment, and technologies. Through generational technology and sharing of information, P.J. and his family are able to monitor trends in soil health, manage cover crops and plant residue to cope with extremely wet and dry seasons, suppress weeds, and retain as much moisture as possible. Similarly, P.J. emphasizes he is best person to tell the story of his farm and his family's legacy of farm business management and ecological soil stewardship. Along with storytelling, networking is a critical element for learning and staying competitive. Since joining and helping to found the National Black Growers Council in 2009, P.J. has benefitted from his relationships and interactions with other black row-crop farmers. P.J. studied and graduated with a degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech . While at Virginia Tech, P.J. was the president of the university's chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) . P.J. currently serves as a director on the National Black Growers Council's board. Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles: 1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and 4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity. 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 single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/ If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center , a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Partners include USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and other members 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 4thesoil.org . 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's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia State University, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

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  Episode #17

  S6 - E17: Strip Till Farming and Adding Market Value with P.J. Haynie III of Haynie Family Foods, Pt. I

  Aug 18, 202619 minS6

  How do row-crop farmers in the Northern Neck of Virginia practice soil and water conservation and add market value to their farming operations? Philip "P.J." Haynie III of Haynie Family Foods and Haynie Farms, LLC. spoke with Jeff, Mary, and Eric on his way back from the Arkansas Delta about his family's conservation and market expansion measures. P.J. is a fifth generation row-crop farmer who farms in four counties in Virginia and four counties in Arkansas. The Haynies grow winter wheat, barley, and canola as part of their corn and soybean rotation in Virginia. Strip-till and banding fertilizer in the root zone are common soil health and precision agriculture techniques for corn and soybean growers to reduce the amount of fertilizer applied and limit the chance of soil and nutrient runoff. In 2024, P.J. and his family established Haynie Family Foods to focus on adding market value by bringing high-quality, sustainabily grow grain products directly to consumers. His family's Arkansas Delta-grown offerings include long-grain white rice, medium-grain white rice, long-grain brown rice, medium-grain brown rice, and aromatic rice. In addition to studying and graduating with a degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech , P.J. was an active member and leader in the university's chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) . P.J. currently serves as a director on the National Black Growers Council 's board. Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles: 1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and 4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity. 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 single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/ If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center , a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension 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 4thesoil.org . 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.

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  Episode #16

  S6 - E16: Building Community and Landscape Resiliency with Justin Proctor of Smithsonian's Virginia Working Landscapes, Part II

  Aug 4, 202619 minS6

  Would you like to be part of a community that protects grassland bird species and builds landscape resiliency? Justin Proctor, coordinator of the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative of the Smithsonian Institute's Virginia Working Landscapes ' program, shares how they are building a community and are able to offer incentive payments to farmers and landowners willing to adopt bird-friendly management practices that better accommodate birds' nesting seasons and habits. Two bird-friendly practices that Justin highlights out of ten best management practices include adjusting the cutting height when harvesting hay and delay cutting until after July 1. Additionally, Justin emphasizes how important building community is around shared values (e.g., clean air, water quality, soil health, farmland protection, etc.) and getting out to meet your neighbor. If this episode, Jeff lays out a specific land ownership and management scenario for Justin and asks how he would work with the landowner to address resource concerns, management objectives, common interests, and discuss incentives for management of grassland birds. Walking the farmland with the owner is one of the initial steps but Justin also recommends reading their booklet Meet Your Virginia Grassland Birds , which is available in English and Spanish. Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcast As always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles: 1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends; 2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy; 3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and 4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity. 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 single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/ If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center , a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension 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 4thesoil.org . 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.

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