Jan 24, 2019
For episode 58 we're lucky to be joined by David R. Montgomery.
A MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University
of Washington, Montgomery is an internationally recognized
geologist who studies landscape evolution and the effects of
geological processes on ecological systems and human societies.
He is the author of numerous scientific papers and has been
featured in documentary films, network and cable news, and on a
wide variety of TV and radio programs.
In his book 'Growing a Revolution', Montgomery introduces us to
farmers around the world at the heart of a brewing soil health
revolution that could bring humanity’s ailing fertile grounds back
to life remarkably fast. Montgomery assessed different approaches
being used to instigate health into the living systems making up
our food. It's called Regenerative, and with it agriculture can
help cure what ails us, and the planet. Cutting through
standard debates about conventional and organic farming, Montgomery
explores why practices based on the principles of conservation
agriculture help restore soil health and fertility. Drawing on
visits to farms in the industrialized and developing worlds he
finds that the combination of no-till planting, cover crops, and
diverse crop rotations provides a profitable recipe to rebuild soil
organic matter. Farmers using these unconventional practices
cultivate beneficial soil life, smother weeds, and suppress pests
while spending far less on diesel, fertilizer and pesticides. It's
revolutionary stuff.
With his wife Anne Biklé, David is currently framing out his fourth
book. We learned that with "What your food eats" - working title of
this latest deep dive - this husband & wife writing duo seek
to connect soil fertility to human health. Anne and David have also
worked together to pen the book 'Dirt' —about the plight of soil
and what we've done to it since the dawn of agriculture. And, 'The
Hidden Half of Nature', a revealing exploration of how microbial
life underpins the health of soil and, even our own bodies.
It's great to speak with David. He's always a wealth of
information. His concise and logical explanations of complex
subject matter and interconnected systems is pretty special. That
comes across in his books, and it came across in 45 minute
conversation. I listening in pre-production I realized that
this may be the guy who may finally stitch soil health -to- human
health. That would be a game changer in establishing broader
awareness and appreciation to the fact the Sourcing Matters
first. An investment in food and its production is our silver
bullet of change.