#RealisticRegenAg | Surviving another drought means making our plants the most water efficient we can. While some of the things can be done immediately, most of the things require a long-term plan. I’ve heard it said the best time to plan for a drought is when the last one breaks. We might be on the cusp of this one breaking with the recent snowfalls, but it’s too early to tell. In this episode I’ll go over all the ideas I have to make our plants more water efficient in hopes you can apply some of the easy practices now and start planning for the future this season. Welcome to the sixth season ..read more

#RealisticRegenAg | February will be busy out meeting people and learning new things. Hey, what else is there to do in this climate? In this episode I’ll go over the places I’ll be in the upcoming month plus a new speaking engagement that has been added for March. And the book is on track to be ready for sale in March. More details in the March newsletter. Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically p ..read more

#RealisticRegenAg | Nitrogen is a challenging nutrient to rely on. In wet climates, it can easily leach deep into the soil. If tile drains are present, it can even run off into ditches and water bodies. In dry climates, nitrogen usually cannot be lost to depth, but it can become tied up in residue and may not be released until well after the crop needs it. For this month's regenerative agriculture news, I have selected articles that specifically address finding and retaining nitrogen in place. Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Sco ..read more

#RealisticRegenAg | It’s conference season so I’m hoping to meet a bunch of you at in person and online events this winter. I’ll be listing off all the places I’ll be later on in the episode. I’ll also be talking about the new WhatsApp channel that I have created, a new Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design service plus, for those that go to the site posting or watch the video, you’ll see a sneak peak of my new book cover: Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture. I’ll have all of this plus content summaries and information about the services that I offer ..read more

#RealisticRegenAg | In several episodes of this podcast, I've shared my experiences teaching Precision Agriculture to diploma and degree students at Lethbridge College. Teaching is a reciprocal process, and through it, I've gained valuable insights into the future of agriculture and the evolving landscape of agronomy in the upcoming years and decades. Join me in this final episode of the season as we delve into the key takeaways from the past semester. Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian ..read more

#RealisticRegenAg | A chance discovery in a used bookstore in Winnipeg introduced me to Seager Wheeler. He shared similarities with many settlers who arrived in the Canadian Prairies during the late 19th century, but he stood out above others as Western Canada’s Wheat King, gaining international recognition. What set him apart even more was the fact that he documented his experiences in a book. I stumbled upon a copy of "Profitable Grain Growing," dating back to the first printing in 1919. Join me in this episode as I delve into his life, his methods, and how you can access the entire book onl ..read more

#RealisticRegenAg | You've heard me mention that enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet they seldom boost yields. But what if we adjusted their usage rates? This approach might make them more economically viable for farmers and more beneficial for the planet. In other news, I'll explore how long-term crop rotations benefit cash crops, the cost-benefit analysis of cover crop rotations, and a contentious issue in organic farming: Should organic growers facing unsolvable problems be permitted to temporarily revert to conventional methods to resolve these i ..read more

#RealisticRegenAg | You may have wondered where I got to? Or perhaps you didn’t notice I missed the November email. I was just getting ready to work on the email when I got sick. It seems to be a cold going around the area. It set me back for a few weeks which also set my teaching and client work back. I decided rather than rush a newsletter out I’d just skip November and go with December. Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss sc ..read more

I’ll be back again in a week or so. See you then --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie/message ..read more

#RealisticRegenAg | In this month's regenerative agriculture news, I have six stories. I'll start with some new research that shows that cover crops may not be a net benefit to the nitrogen loss equation. While they can prevent leaching, they may contribute more to nitrous oxide emissions. On the topic of nitrous oxide emissions, work in the Prairies is continuing to show that inhibitors work to reduce emissions. However, the yield impacts for producers are not worth the cost of using them. On the disease front, promising work shows how a specific combination of compost inputs may tackle one o ..read more