Chapter 11: Rock Hounds | An EcoFarmers Discovery Audiobook Companion Podcast

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