John Kempf
233 episodes listed below
Field-level regenerative agriculture, with the economics left in.
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast treats farming as a biological, economic, and local-context problem. Its conversations move from boron, seed germination, intercropping, fruit-tree physiology, and sap analysis into the practical question of what growers can change next season.
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Regenerative Agriculture Podcast is a long-form agriculture interview show for people who think better farming has to work in soil, in plants, and on the balance sheet. Its subject is regenerative agriculture, but its actual texture is more specific than that phrase often suggests. Episodes move through boron and pest control, alfalfa seed germination, herbicide reduction, soil inoculations, minor nutrient regimens, and the economics of seed-grade differences. They also take on market demand, consumer pull, farm storytelling, ag technology, robotics, automation, and AI without losing sight of the farmer who still has to make the next operational decision. The show often begins with context. A guest explains a farm, a research site, an orchard, or a crop system, and the conversation slowly tests what that context makes possible. There is a strong interest in plant physiology and soil biology. Fruit-tree physiology, prune fruits, peaches, plums, nectarines, photosynthesis, chlorophyll, foliar nutrition, and sap analysis are treated as practical tools for understanding what crops are actually doing. The show also spends time with less tidy questions. Intercropping may improve sunlight capture, but it has to fit rain-fed systems, equipment, farmer-directed research, and management realities. Seed adaptation may happen faster than expected, but acting on that observation still carries opportunity cost. Soil building may be essential in orchards, yet composted material, peat moss, cover-crop blends, mowing, blowing, and transportation costs all have limits. The conversations are warm, technical, and unhurried. They leave space for uncertainty. They also keep returning to testing, observation, and farm-specific management rather than generic enthusiasm. For professional growers, agronomists, consultants, and serious farm operators, the value is in hearing principles pressed against real conditions: pests, nutrients, rainfall, farm income, crop quality, public health, and profitability. It is less a pep talk for regenerative agriculture than a working seminar on how complicated good farming can be.
Made for: For professional growers, agronomists, consultants, researchers, and serious farm operators who want technical conversations about regenerative systems. It especially suits listeners comfortable with soil biology, plant physiology, crop nutrition, and farm-margin tradeoffs.
What sets it apart: The show stands apart by keeping regenerative agriculture grounded in specific crops, regions, inputs, tests, and constraints. It treats agronomy, ecology, technology, markets, and profitability as one connected problem rather than separate talking points.
This is a show for professional growers and agronomists who want to learn about the science and principles of regenerative agriculture systems to increase quality, yield, and profitability.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
John Kempf connects soil biology, farm management, and financial outcomes through detailed conversations grounded in growers' operating choices.
John Kempf treats farming as a series of biological and financial decisions, using detailed guest conversations to connect soil and plant health with yield, risk, and farm income.
Aphids meet boron, cattle get three-year rests, and your farm notebook fills up fast.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A farm-level conversation about seed quality, management change, and what actually moves the numbers.
Jay Watts and John spend the episode in practical seed production territory: what changes when herbicides drop out of the mix, how germination numbers move, and how a grower starts seeing the whole system differently once quality becomes the main measure.
A debate about whether regenerative farming spreads by pressure, pull, or both.
This episode widens regenerative agriculture beyond soil health and into market design: who pays for better systems, and whether adoption comes from demand instead of top-down pressure.
Seed adaptation can move faster than expected when local conditions shape the choices.
Brad McIntyre and John Kempf zero in on the part of regenerative agriculture that resists neat rules: seed adaptation, no-till management, and the way local conditions shape what a farm can actually do.
A grounded look at how orchard economics and soil building meet under real pressure.
The episode treats regenerative agriculture as a working problem, not a slogan. John and Sam Goodwin spend most of their time on the arithmetic of orchard life: farm income under pressure, expensive transport, thin margins, and the work it takes to keep a farm viable when a lot…
A practical case for nutrient management that keeps asking what the crop actually used.
This conversation treats nutrient levels as a practical farming question, not a slogan: what the plant can actually take up, how sap analysis reveals that, and why foliar correction can matter when nutrients are bound up in the soil.
A ranch conversation that turns cattle behavior, rest periods, and rainfall into grazing decisions.
This conversation stays close to cattle psychology, livestock handling, and the timing of grazing in brittle country. The clearest value is practical: it ties rest periods to rainfall and shows how the same stand can be handled very differently, with cattle moving through in…
Dryland soil health is framed as a context problem, not a doctrine.
This conversation makes a careful case for context over doctrine: it shows what soil health can look like in dryland Texas, where moisture is limited, crop insurance rules shape cover-crop timing, and cotton planting windows matter.
Steven Novella and a rotating panel dissect weekly science news and debunk pseudoscience claims.
Bob McDonald anchors weekly multi-segment interviews on new research, from cricket courtship to moon missions.
Vox reporters trace how Botox, brain-speech implants, and scientific disputes actually happened.
John introduces Jeremy Brown from Texas, whose farming context is dryland and the tougher parts of the southern plains.
Briana Bosch discusses her experience scaling regenerative practices across a two-acre flower micro-farm in Colorado and a 180-acre conventional corn and soybean farm in Minnesota that she's gradually converting to regenerative methods.
This podcast segment introduces a webinar with John Kempf discussing electrolyte versus biological nutrition in agriculture, hosted by ACRES USA and sponsored by the USDA's Transition to Organic Partnership program.
This podcast segment features a discussion with John Kempf about integrating AEA products and approaches to improve corn systems, based on experiences from growers and trials.
John Kempf discusses how regenerative agriculture can differentiate markets, highlighting wine grape growers' sophisticated understanding of plant physiology and the direct connection between soil microbiome integrity and harvest quality.
The host introduces a discussion on macroeconomic influences on agriculture and welcomes Michael McNeill to talk about agricultural economics and current farm financial stress.
The host introduces Hilda Labrador to discuss the interconnectedness of regenerative agriculture and personal health, highlighting how farmers often advance soil health more than their own well-being.
John invites Mollie Engelhart to discuss her new book, which addresses the growing division between farmers and consumers, sparked by COVID and food supply chain issues, and shares her personal journey from a farm childhood to selling a business and embracing regenerative agriculture.
John Kempf advocates for using foliar-applied urea as a replacement for soil-applied nitrogen to reduce total nitrogen needs, improve soil biology, and increase crop yields, while recommending specific application strategies based on corn genetics and sap analysis.
This podcast segment introduces John Kempf and his AI tool FieldLark AI, discussing how technology can enhance regenerative agriculture by guiding human intuition and observation.
The host introduces the importance of financial stewardship in agriculture and welcomes Matthew Fitzgerald, a second-generation organic grain farmer from Minnesota, to discuss his farm's story and approach to sustainable farming.
This episode segment introduces a conversation about using regenerative agriculture and economic strategies to decommoditize crops, featuring Abby Anfala discussing Yaupon, an unusual crop from Texas for wellness.
This segment introduces a discussion on reviving degraded soils through biological farming in the context of wine production, featuring guests from Bed Rock Wine Company who focus on old vineyards in California.
This episode introduces Revenant Charge, a biostimulant product developed to accelerate microbial activity and nutrient release, building on the success of Rejuvenate for improving residue decomposition in agricultural systems.
This podcast segment introduces a discussion on how plants make informed decisions and interact with their microbiome, featuring Maizie Koentopp's simple yet elegant experiment in regenerative agriculture.
John skips the formal intro and jumps right into a technical conversation with Glenn Elzinga.
This episode segment discusses the economic difficulties faced by farmers, the role of BioCoat Gold in addressing risk-sharing challenges, and historical context on farm economics in North America.
Jay Watt grows Bermuda and alfalfa seed in Imperial Valley.
John Kempf interviews Martin Crompton about leveraging market demand to drive regenerative agriculture adoption, exploring differing opinions and Martin's journey from corporate food to farming.
John Kempf interviews Brad McIntyre, a fourth-generation farmer from Idaho, about his regenerative agriculture practices, focusing on epigenetic seed adaptation and no-till methods in the context of diverse soil types and urban pressures.
John speaks with Sam Goodwin about what regenerative agriculture looks like when farm economics are under real strain.
This conversation argues that cheap food is mostly an illusion.
An interview with Lena Shaw about companion cropping and regenerative agriculture research to improve soil health and productivity.
John interviews David Miller about the knowledge and skills needed to be a successful agronomist in regenerative agriculture.
An interview with Dr.
John shares a recording from an Ask Me Anything webinar where he answers agronomic questions about nutrition, disease, and pest management in regenerative agriculture.