About this episode

John Kempf discusses a new approach to agriculture that emphasizes biological agronomy over traditional fertilizer practices.

In this Podcast Extra, John Kempf joins the Soil Strategies podcast, hosted by Roy Thompson of the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, to break down a radically different operating system for agriculture that transitions away from traditional NPK mindsets toward biological agronomy . In this episode they discuss: How high-salt index, electrolyte-based fertilizers interrupt plant signaling and create a long-term dependency by sabotaging effective microbial colonization . The powerful role a healthy microbiome plays in supercharging a plant's native genetic expression for ultimate disease and insect resistance . Why conventional soil tests have historically been utilized primarily as fertilizer sales tools rather than agronomic guides . The incredible economic opportunity growers have to break away from being "farmed" by input companies by optimizing free resources like water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide . And how well-designed foliar applications can harness the plant's photosynthetic engine to dramatically increase sugar production and feed soil biology without causing a yield drag . Additional Resources To listen to more episodes of the Soil Strategies Podcast, please visit…

People in this episode

Host: Roy Thompson

Guest: John Kempf

Topics covered

• fertility inputs
• biological agronomy
• microbial colonization
• soil health
• economic opportunity in agriculture
• foliar applications

Keywords

• NPK
• microbiome
• soil tests
• input companies
• photosynthesis
• sugar production
• soil biology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, Advancing Eco Agriculture

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• Episode 183: Overcoming the Ammonium Death Spiral with Jim Dunlop · July 2, 2026 · 59 min
• Podcast Extra: Ask Me Anything with John Kempf - June 4, 2026 · June 18, 2026 · 57 min
• Episode 182: Reclaiming Independence from Corporate Meat with Cole Mannix · June 12, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Episode 181: Plant Immunity Through Custom Foliars and Targeted Nutrition with Peter Henry · June 5, 2026 · 1h 11m

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