EcoFarm Aotearoa

Inside EcoFarm Aotearoa: Soil, Water & Herbage TestingThe EcoFarm Aotearoa PodcastTesting is often discussed in agriculture, but rarely done in a way that truly guides decision-making. In this episode, Stephen and Ewan walk through the practical process of soil, water, and herbage testing, showing how accurate sampling, consistent GPS points, and year-on-year comparisons reveal what is really happening on a farm.From collecting soil cores and tracking carbon through the soil profile, to interpreting herbage and water results alongside animal performance, this episode shows why testing works best when it is used to understand the whole system, not just individual numbers.We discuss:• How to collect repeatable soil samples and why depth matters• What soil carbon, bulk density, and mineral balance reveal over time• How boron, calcium, silicon, copper, and zinc influence soil and pasture function• What herbage and water testing can tell us about animal health and nutrient flowThis episode is about learning to read your own farm, identifying limiting factors, and making informed decisions based on observation, data, and experience over time.Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan CampbellPowered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠⁠www.efa.nz⁠⁠Our FREE E-Book:https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/Listen To An EcoFarmers Discovery:https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=c2fde76b54c44e62Subscribe for weekly episodes exploring soil biology, testing, and regenerative farming in New Zealand.

An EcoFarmers Discovery Chapter 11: Rock HoundsWelcome to An EcoFarmer's Discovery: The Companion Podcast, where every Friday we dive deep into one chapter of Ewan Campbell's journey.You're invited to read along – get the audiobook via Spotify (search An EcoFarmer's Discovery) or grab it on Kindle – and explore each chapter with us as we unpack the stories, ideas, and principles of regenerative farming. A new episode drops each Friday, covering 26 chapters across 26 weeks.In This EpisodeChapter 11, Rock Hounds, is where curiosity turns into full-blown experimentation.Ewan unpacks what happened when basic slag disappeared from the fertiliser market, how silicon was quietly stripped from key inputs, and why farming systems began to unravel as a result. From disastrous springs and animal health breakdowns to sheep chewing clay banks and grass thriving where road dust falls, this chapter reveals how nature keeps leaving clues, if you’re willing to notice them.This episode dives into silicon’s critical role in soil structure, animal health, plant strength, and mineral availability. We explore why weeds like thistles, gorse, and willow weed are not the enemy, but messengers, and how biology, electricity, and rock dust intersect in ways modern agriculture has largely ignored.We explore:• Why removing silicon from fertiliser inputs caused widespread animal health issues• How weeds act as remedial plants, restoring what soils are missing• Why sheep chew banks, cows reach through fences, and grass thrives near roads• The role of silicon in bone structure, plant strength, and soil resilience• What marine clays, rock dust, and cyanobacteria reveal about soil electricity• Why proper trials must start with a baseline — or they mean nothingPacked with insight, humour, and hard-earned lessons, this episode reinforces a powerful theme: if the numbers don’t match what you see on the farm, the numbers are wrong.Useful links:• Learn more at EcoFarm Aotearoa (⁠efa.nz⁠)Our FREE E-Book!⁠⁠https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/⁠⁠ Listen To An EcoFarmers Discovery:⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=4caf7169d6eb4d97⁠⁠

Inside EcoFarm Aotearoa: Late Spring Open DayThe EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast (Ep. 11)Many farmers are feeling the pressure of rising fertiliser costs, tightening margins, and systems that no longer seem to deliver what they promise. In this Late Spring Open Day, Stephen and Ewan are joined by farmers, orchardists, and lifestyle block owners who are actively questioning the status quo and exploring what happens when you stop following the rulebook and start listening to the land.Across paddocks, fences, and soil pits, the conversation moves from conventional inputs to biology, minerals, energy, and observation. This episode captures real questions, lived experiences, and practical insights from people transitioning away from chemical dependency and toward systems that build soil, support animals, and improve resilience over time.We discuss:• Why many farmers are rethinking fertiliser, sprays, and conventional advice• How soil biology, minerals, and energy influence pasture, weeds, and stock health• The role of silicon, calcium, copper, and carbon in building functional soils• Why feeding the soil changes animal performance, meat quality, and resilience• How observation, testing, and curiosity can replace costly guessworkThis episode isn’t about perfection or overnight change. It’s about learning, questioning, and building systems that work with nature rather than against it, one paddock, one decision, and one season at a time.Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan CampbellPowered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠www.efa.nz⁠Our FREE E-Book!⁠https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/⁠ Listen To An EcoFarmers Discovery:⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=4caf7169d6eb4d97⁠ Subscribe for weekly episodes exploring soil biology and regenerative farming solutions transforming the way we farm in New Zealand.

An EcoFarmers Discovery Chapter 10: ScienceWelcome to An EcoFarmer's Discovery: The Companion Podcast, where every Friday we dive deep into one chapter of Ewan Campbell's journey.You're invited to read along – get the audiobook via Spotify (search An EcoFarmer's Discovery) or grab it on Kindle – and explore each chapter with us as we unpack the stories, ideas, and principles of regenerative farming. A new episode drops each Friday, covering 26 chapters across 26 weeks.In This Episode:Chapter 10 dives into the “simple” observations that led Ewan to uncover one of the biggest missing pieces in modern farming: soil is electrically driven. By revisiting school science, comparing reactivity charts, and talking with engineers, Ewan realised why minerals move the way they do, why plants absorb nutrients in different ratios than the soil holds, and why water-soluble fertilisers often create more problems than they solve.From potassium corrosion to aluminium toxicity, cation exchange capacity, humus, and seasonal electrical switches inside trees, this chapter exposes the hidden electrical currents that shape soil health, plant growth, animal performance, and even the weeds that appear on your farm. Once you understand the electrical language of nature, the whole system starts making sense.We explore:• Why nutrients flow through plants electrically, not by solubility• How water-soluble fertilisers trigger animal health issues• The real meaning of CEC and why humus transforms soil capacity• How electricity reveals toxicity, mineral imbalance & soil weakness• What poplar trees, Redwood giants & solar-charged greenhouses teach us about natural electrical flowPacked with humour, clarity, and practical insights, this episode shows why understanding electricity in the soil changes everything about how we farm.Follow along: Watch full episodes on YouTube and Spotify Video.Useful links:• Learn more at EcoFarm Aotearoa (efa.nz)• Our FREE E-Book! HERE• Listen To An EcoFarmers Discovery:

Cyanobacteria: The Hidden Engine Driving Your Soil The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast (Ep. 10)Most farmers know about clover, fungi, and fertiliser… but very few understand the microscopic lifeform that actually built the planet and is still driving soil fertility today. In this episode, Stephen and Ewan uncover the extraordinary role of cyanobacteria, the organisms that oxygenated Earth, created the first soils, and remain the biggest untapped force in New Zealand farming.Building on last week’s conversation, we explore why farmers who understand cyanobacteria gain deeper topsoil, stronger nutrient cycling, explosive winter growth, and long-term fertility without expensive inputs. From tissue salts to nitrogen fixation, worm castings to carbon gains, this episode connects the smallest biology to the biggest on-farm results.We discuss:• Why cyanobacteria are the true “regenerating motor” of the soil• How they build carbon, release nitrogen, phosphorus & sulphur, and deepen topsoil• The mineral imbalance (silicon vs aluminium) that determines pasture vs weeds• Why chemical sprays collapse soil biology and stop carbon from recovering• How worms, tardigrades & microbes digest cyanobacteria into long-lasting humusHosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan CampbellPowered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – www.efa.nzOur FREE E-Book!https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/ Listen To An EcoFarmers Discovery:https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=4caf7169d6eb4d97 Subscribe for weekly episodes exploring soil biology and regenerative farming solutions transforming the way we farm in New Zealand.