Deep Seed - Regenerative Agriculture

What if restoring our soils isn’t just a scientific challenge… but an emotional, even spiritual one? What if the future of farming depends as much on beauty, connection, and intention as it does on data, yields, and carbon? In this powerful episode of the Deep Seed Podcast, landscape architect Marian Boswall takes us on a journey that starts with dead soil… and leads to a completely new way of seeing land, food, and life itself. This is not your typical conversation about agriculture. It’s deeper. Slower. More human. And, honestly, more hopeful. 🌍 Why You Should Watch This Episode If you care about: · Regenerative agriculture · Soil health & soil microbiology · Sustainable farming & food systems · Biodiversity & ecosystem restoration · Nutrient density & human health …this episode will expand how you think about all of them. Because regeneration isn’t just about techniques. It’s about how we relate to the land... and to each other! 🧠 What You’ll Learn · The fundamentals of soil health, composting, and the soil food web · Why nutrient density starts in the soil (and affects your gut health) · How biodiversity and agroecology can transform farms and landscapes · Why beauty, design, and even energy matter in regenerative systems · How anyone (yes, even in a city) can contribute to regeneration · The risks of greenwashing in the regenerative agriculture movement · Why beavers might be some of the best ecosystem engineers on Earth 🌱 A Different Perspective on Regenerative Agriculture Most conversations around regenerative agriculture focus on carbon, metrics, and productivity. This one adds something we don’t talk about enough: care, intention, and connection. Marian shares how landscapes can heal people, not just produce food. Farmers can reconnect with the food they grow Small actions (like compost or a balcony garden) can scale into ecosystem restoration “We don’t just grow food—we grow the conditions for life.” 🎙️ About the Guest Marian Boswall is an award-winning landscape architect, agroecology coach, and author. Her work bridges regenerative agriculture, ecology, and human wellbeing, helping design landscapes that restore both ecosystems and the people living within them. 🌿 SOIL CAPITAL This episode was made in partnership with Soil Capital, a company accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture. www.soilcapital.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What happens when a farmer publicly admits that modern agriculture might be broken?In this episode, British farmer David Wheatley joins the Deep Seed Podcast to share the unfiltered reality of modern farming. After losing almost everything in a devastating farm fire and facing years of financial losses during COVID, David started posting honest videos about life on his farm — and unexpectedly built an audience of millions.Today, his content offers a rare window into the real economics of agriculture: volatile weather, rising input costs, global commodity markets, and the constant risk farmers face every season.David is a fourth-generation farmer from Cambridgeshire, UK, managing around 450 acres of arable crops, orchards and flowers. In this conversation we go beyond the viral videos to explore the deeper forces shaping farming today — and the new opportunities emerging through direct-to-consumer food systems, social media, and regenerative agriculture.You’ll hear:• how David nearly lost his farm after years of financial losses• why many farmers feel trapped in a system where “the more you grow, the less you get paid”• how social media unexpectedly became a lifeline for his farm• why he sells flowers and apples directly to consumers instead of supermarketsWe also discuss David’s heritage orchards with over 250 apple varieties, why he refuses to certify them organic even though they are grown without sprays or fertilisers, and how customers are rediscovering what real food tastes like.The conversation also explores David’s first experiments with regenerative agriculture, cover crops, direct drilling, biodiversity and diversified farming systems, and the real risks farmers face when transitioning away from conventional agriculture.This episode is for anyone interested in:• regenerative agriculture• sustainable farming• soil health and biodiversity• the future of food systems• farm economics and agricultural policy• food security and resilienceAt its heart, this conversation reminds us that the future of agriculture may depend on rebuilding the relationship between farmers, land and the people who eat the food.⎯👨🏼‍🌾 About the guestDavid Wheatley is a UK farmer, flower grower and orchard keeper known for sharing the unfiltered reality of modern farming with hundreds of thousands of followers online. His work highlights the economic pressures farmers face while exploring new ways to produce and sell food outside the traditional agricultural system.Instagram: @petitepeonysWebsite: petitepeonys.co.uk⎯🌿 This episode was made in partnership with Soil Capitalwww.soilcapital.com❤️ Special thanks to Federica Urso for the research and preparation of this episode.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What if the future of regenerative agriculture won’t be decided in Europe… but in India, Africa, and the Global South?In this powerful Deep Seed mini-episode, we sit down with Professor Nitya Rao, leading gender and climate researcher and contributor to the Lancet Commission on Food Systems, to explore a perspective we rarely hear in the regenerative agriculture movement.Because here’s the uncomfortable truth:👉 Many smallholder farmers in India are already farming regeneratively — not because it’s trendy, but because they have no choice.👉 Women are carrying entire food systems on their backs — yet remain invisible in climate policy.👉 And if governments don’t act wisely, the Global South may repeat the same industrial agriculture mistakes that pushed us beyond planetary boundaries.⎯⎯🔎 In this episode, we explore:Why 90% of Indian farmers cultivate less than 5 hectares — and what that means for regenerative agricultureHow monocultures, fertilizer subsidies, and “yield at all costs” policies affect soil health and biodiversityThe hidden reality of male migration and how women are sustaining farming and food systemsWhy gender-blind climate policies fail — and what intersectionality really means in agricultureThe groundbreaking case of Andhra Pradesh’s community-based natural farming movementIndigenous knowledge, nutrient-dense traditional foods, and ecosystem restorationThe biggest blind spot in the regenerative agriculture movement: evidence, economics, and social realitiesProfessor Rao challenges us to ask a deeper question: "regenerative for whom?"Because sustainability isn’t just about carbon farming or agroecology techniques. It’s about livelihoods, labor, time, access to land, credit systems, and power dynamics.If we ignore that… we risk romanticizing regenerative farming instead of scaling it effectively.⎯⎯🌱 Why This Conversation MattersAccording to the Lancet Commission, global food systems contribute nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and drive transgressions of multiple planetary boundaries — from nitrogen cycles to biodiversity loss.The Global South stands at a crossroads.Should countries increase industrial agriculture to raise yields?Or can they leapfrog directly into nature-based solutions and sustainable farming systems that protect soil microbiology, biodiversity, and long-term food security?As Professor Rao says:“This is a very good moment for governments to say: don’t go down that track. Let’s show a different pathway.”⎯⎯🎧 If You Care About:Regenerative agriculture beyond the Western lensAgroecology and smallholder farmingNutrient density and sustainable dietsClimate resilience and food systems transformationGender equity in agricultureIndigenous knowledge and ecosystem restorationThis episode will challenge and expand your perspective.⎯⎯🌿 SOIL CAPITAL - this episode was made in partnership with Soil Capitalwww.soilcapital.com❤️ Special thanks to Federica Urso who did all the research for this episode and helped me craft the questionsHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode of Deep Seed, I sit down with Andrew Voysey, Chief Impact Officer at Soil Capital, to go beyond slogans and dig into what it actually takes to scale regenerative agriculture in a world built for short-term output.We unpack why most farmers feel trapped, why markets alone won’t fix our food systems, and how credible impact measurement — paired with smart policy and aligned incentives — could unlock transition at scale.Whether you’re a farmer, a food-chain professional, a policymaker, an investor, or someone who eats food every day (which is all of us), this conversation reframes regenerative agriculture as economic reality rather than idealistic aspiration.In plain language and big ideas, we cover:Why soil is a hidden systemic lever - and why degraded soil is behind so many global crisesThe real reason farmers are stuck - risk, cashflow pressures, and fragile livelihoodsHow Soil Capital is forging real economic pathways - paying farmers for measurable impact, not just good intentionsWhy big companies actually care - resilience, supply-chain security, and risk managementBeyond carbon - how soil, biodiversity, water, and farm resilience can be credibly measured at scaleThe limits of markets - why policy and public finance still matterHeadwinds and opportunities - political shifts, economic pressures, and the resilient core of the transitionThis is not another “optimistic farming chat.” This is a real-world, systems-level, deeply practical conversation about how change actually happens when you remove the fantasy, face the bottlenecks, and structure incentives that work.If you care about food, climate, landscapes, rural economies, or simply how the world actually works beneath the headlines, this episode is for you! 🎯 Topics CoveredSoil health, market incentives, regenerative practices, impact measurement, carbon vs. beyond carbon, agricultural economics, supply chain resilience, policy, and systems transformation.—This episode was produced in partnership with Soil Capital, a company accelerating the regenerative transition by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health & biodiversity.https://www.soilcapital.com/—Usefull Links:ANDREW VOYSEY: LinkedIn SOIL CAPITAL: https://www.soilcapital.com/THE DEEP SEED PODCAST - link —Follow Us• Instagram: @deep_seed_podcast• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deep-seed• Email: raphael@deepseed.euHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What if every bite of cheap food you eat is secretly costing society triple the price you paid at checkout?In this eye-opening episode, food systems expert Adele Jones (former Executive Director of the Sustainable Food Trust) pulls back the curtain on the true cost of our food. From soil health and ecosystem collapse to diet-related disease and skyrocketing healthcare costs, Adele explains how we’re already paying the true price of industrial farming. And it’s way more than what we spend at the supermarket! But it’s not all bad news. Adele lays out a hopeful, inspiring roadmap to a regenerative food system where farmers are rewarded for improving soil, boosting biodiversity, and producing truly nutrient-dense food. We cover groundbreaking concepts like True Cost Accounting, the Global Farm Metric, and why livestock farming might just be part of the solution.If you’ve ever wondered how to fix food, protect nature, and improve public health all at once: this episode is a must-listen! It’s one of the most mind-expanding conversations we’ve ever had.⎯⎯⎯🔍 Topics CoveredTrue Cost Accounting: the economic revolution hiding in plain sightHow food is much more expensive than it seems (but not at the checkout)Regenerative agriculture vs. conventional farmingWhy big food companies are (finally) waking up to soil and sustainabilityLivestock farming: villain or ecosystem ally?What if we paid farmers for nutrition per hectare instead of yield?Feeding Britain regeneratively: is it possible? (Yes!)Nutrient density, soil health, and the future of public healthLessons from Bhutan: what a happiness-first food system looks likeThe Global Farm Metric: a universal language for farm sustainabilityHow to make food and farming a political (and public) priority⎯⎯⎯Official partner: Soil Capital-> a company accelerating the regenerative transition by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health & biodiversity.https://www.soilcapital.com/Usefull Links:ADELE JONES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelejones/SUSTAINABLE FOOD TRUST: https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/The Hidden Cost of UK FOOD - link Follow Us• Instagram: @deep_seed_podcast• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deep-seed• Email: raphael@deepseed.euHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What if you could bring a dead river back to life by working with farmers, not against them? In this powerful #REWIND episode, Silvia Quarta shares the story of a forgotten valley in one of Europe’s driest regions, where springs stopped flowing, wells ran dry, and the river disappeared. But through radical listening, community trust, and regenerative agriculture, a new vision is starting to emerge. Rooted in hope, soil, and local food systems. This episode is about reimagining what rural life can be, and showing that farmers, shepherds, and citizens can become stewards of large-scale ecological restoration. 🌱 Topics covered: • Community-led ecosystem restoration • Water retention and soil regeneration • Rural resilience and land abandonment • Regenerative agriculture as a water solution • Local food systems and consumer connection • Working with farmers to restore landscapes • Building collective hope in degraded regions ⸻ This episode was made in partnership with Soil Capital ❤️ www.soilcapital.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This episode will change the way you think about farming, food, and fairness. When we talk about regenerative agriculture, we often focus on soil. But what about value? What about money, structure, and power in the food system?In this #REWIND episode, agronomist and regenerative ag pioneer Nicolas Verschuere unpacks how we can rebuild fair, functional value chains that truly reward farmers without making food more expensive. From launching a barley-to-beer cooperative in Belgium to scaling regenerative grains across Europe, this is a powerful look at what it takes to make regeneration viable and scalable.If you’ve ever wondered how we connect healthy soil to a healthy economy -> this one’s for you!🧠 Topics covered in this episode:How regenerative farmers can earn more — without consumer prices risingWhy farmers are paid so little in the current systemThe creation of a cooperative model for regenerative grainsBuilding fairer value chains for sustainable agricultureWhy most “premiums” never reach the farmerThe role of cooperation, shared infrastructure, and transparencyWhat it takes to scale regenerative agriculture in EuropeThe future of supply chains in a regenerative food system⎯This episode was made in partnership with Soil Capital - a company accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture by financially rewarding farmers who regenerate their soil health and biodiversity ❤️www.soilcapital.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Notre agriculture va droit dans le mur.C’est ce que rappelle, sans détour, le biologiste et mycologue Marc-André Selosse dans ce #REWIND coup de poing.Il nous livre un éclairage saisissant sur le coût réel de l’agriculture conventionnelle : dégradation de la santé des sols, explosion des coûts de dépollution de l’eau, perte de matière organique, émissions de CO₂, et dépendance aux engrais chimiques.Mais il montre aussi qu’un autre chemin est possible — moins coûteux, plus fertile, et plus vivant.En défendant les pratiques de non-labour, de couvre-sol, ou encore la culture des blés pérennes, il bouscule nos croyances et rappelle que les alternatives existent — et fonctionnent.🧠 Une masterclass de microbiologie du sol, d’agriculture régénérative, et d’intelligence écologique.🎯 Thèmes abordés :Agriculture régénérative & agriculture de conservationSanté des sols & matière organiqueNon-labour et pratiques agricoles durablesPollution de l’eau & coût environnemental cachéRéseaux mycorhiziens & microbiologie du solHistoire et résilience des sols agricoles🔁 Épisode original complet : https://youtu.be/UVYodvZ8sSU Episode réalisé en partenariat avec Soil Capital www.soilcapital.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What if farms were owned by communities... and managed for generations to come? 🌱In this #REWIND episode, we revisit a powerful moment with Eline Veninga, co-founder of Lenteland, a groundbreaking initiative in the Netherlands that’s rethinking land ownership, farmer succession, and regenerative agriculture from the ground up.Eline breaks down the structural barriers young farmers face — from sky-high land prices to outdated financial systems — and how Lenteland’s community-owned, farmer-led model offers a radically hopeful alternative.She also shares how Lenteland supports farmers with training, team-building, and long-term security — creating a new path for regenerative farmers to thrive, not just survive.🎧 Topics covered:Land access and generational transitionRegenerative farming and soil healthCommunity-owned agriculture modelsAlternative farm financingFarmer support and education🔁 Originally aired: Feb 11, 2025 🎧 Listen to the full episode here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vZjGJQF91FWAzHXcxxTuz?si=450a2d13492f4046⎯ This episode was made in partnership with Soil Capital, a company accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health and biodiversity 💚 www.soilcapital.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Wolves are returning to Europe... and it’s stirring up powerful emotions! Can we learn to coexist with predators in a human-dominated landscape? 🐺🌾 In this #REWIND episode of the Deep Seed Podcast, we revisit a powerful moment with Willemijn de Iong from Commonland. Willemijn shares her insights on the return of wolves in the Netherlands, the conflict with sheep farmers, and what we can learn from human-wildlife conflict in Kenya. This conversation dives into: ✅ How wolves are changing ecosystems in real time (trophic cascades) ✅ The emotional and cultural tensions with rewilding ✅ Compensation and policy solutions for coexistence ✅ What Maasai communities in Kenya taught her about respect, conflict, and change ⎯ 🎙️ Originally aired: January 21, 2025 Watch the full original episode here - https://youtu.be/slUPVmg-e20 ⎯ This episode was made in partnership with Soil Capital, a company accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health and biodiversity 💚 www.soilcapital.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, I sit down with Simon Kraemer from the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA) a fast-growing, farmer-led network that’s quietly shaking the foundations of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).Simon takes us inside the movement’s origins, its mission to regenerate both ecosystems and democracy, and the groundbreaking farmer-led report that could redefine how we measure agricultural success in Europe. 💡 In this conversation, we explore:Why EARA was born and what makes it different from traditional farming unionsHow regenerative farmers across Europe are using peer-to-peer science and direct democracyThe political battle to reform the CAP with performance-based subsidies, not top-down prescriptionsSurprising data from EARA’s recent report: higher profits, lower inputs, same yieldsWhy satellite tracking, photosynthesis data, and landscape-level thinking are the future of ag policyCare about food, farming, climate, or just think it’s time to stop paying for destruction with public money? Listen now, cause this one’s for you! “We’re not here to be the leaders. We’re here to be the humble mycelium that holds the whole ecosystem together.” — Simon Kraemer—Produced in partnership with Soil Capital, a company accelerating the regenerative transition by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health & biodiversity.https://www.soilcapital.com/—Usefull Links:SOIL CAPITAL FARMING: https://www.soilcapitalfarming.ag/DEEP SEED: https://www.deepseed.eu/—Follow Us• Instagram: @deep_seed_podcast• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deep-seed• Email: raphael@deepseed.euHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What happens when a farmer becomes a microbiologist? Adrian Rubi shares how compost tea, leaf sap analysis, and on-farm ferments can help you cut inputs, strengthen crops, and speed up your regenerative agriculture transition. From recipe design and dissolved oxygen to trace-element tweaks and manure management, this is soil microbiology you can actually use. Why listen: Reduce fertilizer costs, improve plant health, and scale nature-based solutions with tools you can brew and measure on-farm. Inside This Episode:🌾 Transitioning the Swiss hillside farm: organic suckler cows, hazelnuts, and local feeds only. 🧪 Compost tea ≠ fertilizer: secondary metabolites, foliar benefits, and practical application rates. ⚙️ Brewer design that keeps biology aerobic and consistent (stainless steel, vortex flow, DO control). 🌿 Leaf sap analysis to target trace elements, avoid over-fertilizing, and keep photosynthesis high. 🧴 Ferments for manure pits and cover-crop mulch: fewer smells, healthier N cycling.—Produced in partnership with Soil Capital, a company accelerating the regenerative transition by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health & biodiversity.https://www.soilcapital.com/—Usefull Links:EDAPRO: https://edapro.ch/en/ALTERHUS FARM: https://www.instagram.com/halterhus/Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.