Jan 28, 20205 min read

David Montgomery, PhD on The Foundation of Human & Environmental Health - The Soil

Updated: Feb 12, 2020

David Montgomery, PhD - Peak Human Podcast

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Hello there, we’re back for Season 6! I can’t wait to kick this off and I’m really sorry it took so long to arrive. I had a million things going on working on the Food Lies film back home in Hawaii and also when I got back to LA. Also a couple interviews fell through. I did focus on getting some more video content out on youtube, so check out the Food Lies channel. There’s a ton of short & sweet content to keep you educated and entertained!

My number 1 goal of Peak Human is to have top quality informative content - quality over quantity. I also wanted to not have any conflicts of interest so I decided from day 1 to not have any sponsors. This also allows me to have top quality guests at my own pace. If I was making money per episode I’d have all kinds of random people on because I’d be incentivized to do so. Instead, I briefly mention my own projects and companies before each episode and have guests I really want to have on and take some time off if I need to.

So what’s going on with me? We made an epic intro to Food Lies that took months of planning and all kinds of resources. It’s a 4.5 minute piece with 130 shots, each which took many hours to prepare and shoot. This film is going to be something special. As I’ve said before, we could have rushed something out that was a B+ by last fall. We are going for an A+ (which might take a year longer). You can continue to support it’s costly creation on Indiegogo by clicking through http://foodlies.org The trailer is very outdated and was created with almost no budget - so it’s not representative of the final product. We’ll redo it at some point.

I also have been fired up about Nose to Tail. I served some of the grass finished primal ground beef with liver, heart, kidney, and spleen at the Meat-Up we had in West LA this past weekend. It was a huge hit and went very quickly. It’s so delicious - you don’t taste the organs - it just tastes like richer, more nutrient dense meat. Especially if you add a little seasoning in. We have all kinds of great stuff on http://NoseToTail.org that’s all sustainably and ethically raised, beyond organic, high omega 3, and extra tasty.

Per popular demand, I’ve been making some cooking videos and am just finishing my 15 minute workout routine video for Patreon members. I only work out 4 times per week for 15 minutes and have seen great results. If you go to http://patreon.com/peakhuman and join as a supporter you’ll get these private videos and also support this podcast and everything else I do.

I really, really appreciate everyone who has stepped up and done this. I honestly turn down sponsors each and every week because I don’t want to promote other people’s products and get caught up in all that - even if I totally agree with what they’re selling! It’s just a few bucks per month at Patreon.com/peakhuman or click through the link in my Instagram bio. My instagram is where most of the action takes place daily. If you're not following there my handle is http://instagram.com/food.lies

That’s it! Give the show a review on itunes or click on 1-5 stars in the podcast app if you’d like to do something that’s free. You can also share any of my content with family or friends of course! So here’s a bit about my Guest today.

David R. Montgomery is a MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington. He is an internationally recognized geologist who studies landscape evolution and the effects of geological processes on ecological systems and human societies. An author of award-winning popular-science books, he has been featured in documentary films, network and cable news, and on a wide variety of TV and radio programs, including NOVA, PBS NewsHour, Fox and Friends, and All Things Considered. His books have been translated into nine languages. He also travels the country speaking and educating on regenerative practices.

I first caught wind of him from his excellent book DIRT: Erosion of Civilizations and am halfway done with his book Growing a Revolution. Listen to this interview and you’ll probably want to grab them both. He’s an awesome guy doing great things. Although soil seems like a boring topic, trust me, there’s a lot more to it, and a ton of great info in this interview. Without further ado, here’s Professor David Montgomery.

BUY THE MEAT NosetoTail.org

Support me on Patreon! http://patreon.com/peakhuman

Preorder the film here: http://indiegogo.com/projects/food-lies-post

SHOW NOTES

(Need to add 4:20 to these timestamps to account for the intro)

[4:15] Our main focus should be how we raise food, whether it is plant or animal based. [5:15] David explains gross biogeography and how it should influence us on how to feed the world.
[6:18] How the modern factory method of raising livestock is destroying our soil.
[6:42] David explains how organic plant-based farms aren’t in the clear either.
[8:40] “The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself” - Franklin D. Roosevelt.
[10:15] There has been a long history of agriculture soil degradation and erosion impacting ability of people living on the land.
[11:42] Why big river flood plains are able to get away with constant farming.
[18:00] Inca terraces and their fertile soil.
[18:25] Terra Preta: black earth of the Amazon and Northern Europe soil.
[21:30] Inclusion of charcoal and how it helps the soil.
[27:30] The issue of tobacco and the erosion of soil it caused in the colonial years.
[28:50] Difference of farming practices of the North compared to the South colonies.
[30:22] Why David is shifting from being a pessimist about the world’s soil health into an optimistic.
[34:40] Disparity between how fast we can degrade soil and create soil.
[39:45] How farming started and the systems of cropping and animal husbandry.
[43:08] How diversified, smaller farms with plants and animals are much more efficient for food production compared to large scale industrial monocultures farms.
[44:03] The role of regenerative farming in the quality of the food we eat.
[51:20] No till farming and why it is so important for improving soil health (the first pillar of regenerative agriculture).
[56:50] Research and incentives on regenerative farming and practices like it to restore soil health is clearly absent in our modern society.
[1:00:45] What are cover crops and how they help with preventing soil degradation (the second pillar of regenerative agriculture).
[1:02:29] The diversity of crops and the soil that it will bring (the third pillar of regenerative agriculture).
[1:03:15] The role livestock plays in regenerative agriculture practices and how they are incredibly beneficial.
[1:05:40] Nitrogen fixing microbes in the soil and how it works.
[1:06:30] The relationship of plants, rocks, and fungi.
[1:10:00] Profitability of regenerative agriculture practices compared to conventional methods.
[1:15:10] Are we able to feed the US with regenerative farming practices?
[1:17:40] What can we do to get to this idealistic future of regenerative farming and improving soil health?
[1:19:00] The farm bill and the structure of policies regarding agriculture.
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