Episode 580 · February 16, 2021
580: Jessica Smith on Healthy Soil and Healthy Plants
How healthy soil supports healthy plants and how growing food can solve many of the world’s problems.
In this episode
An inspiring conversation with Jessica Smith on the importance of healthy soil, an overlooked resource that could solve many of the world’s problems. Jessica shares the story of her journey towards understanding life within soil and how nurturing plant life is the same as nurturing the human body. Her Mission: Encouraging the world to understand that our role in nature is to support it, not control it.
Our Guest
Jessica is a Certified Ecological Farmer and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. With a B.S. in Sustainable Living and Living Soils, and a Masters in Soil Science, she combines her passions to encourage the earth and its inhabitants back into a state of balance and vitality. She teaches regenerative and ecological gardening and farming in hopes to improve soil health, ecosystem health, environmental health, and human health. Jessica also co-created & co-produced the movie Grow Food found at GrowFoodFilm.com
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- What is healthy soil
- How do we make soil healthy in the desert
- Why are minerals, microbes, and organic matter important
- What are the basic foundations for starting soil
- What should microbes be eating
- The signs of a healthy plant as it grows
- How to tell when your plants are “fat and happy”
- Why are certain insects an indicator of the state of plant health
- Where can you find other sources of organic matter
- What are the top three things to do for healthy soil and plants
- The inspiration behind her documentary GrowFoodFilm
- Online Course: The Nourishing Backyard Garden Formula
As well as
Her failure – Creating a lasagna garden and not realizing it was a perfect snake habitat!
Her success – Her film; The idea that she finished something she started, something huge
Her drive – She gets excited about serving the earth and supporting the animals
Her advice – “Take the time to understand the basic necessities of life, it makes gardening less overwhelming.”
Jessica’s Book recommendations
Stone Age Farming: Eco-agriculture for the 21st Century by Alanna Moore
How to reach Jessica
Website: growfoodfilm.com
Email: jessica@growfoodfilm.com
UrbanFarm.org/jessicasmith
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