Episode 11: Dig2Grow Professor David Montgomery and Anne Bikle - Why Is Soil Health Important?

Professor David Montgomery and Anne Bikle are Dig2Grow, a husband and wife and a pair of writers.  David Montgomery is an Earth and Space Sciences Professor at the University of Washington. He is a geomorphologist who looks at the process shaping Earth's surface and how they affect ecological systems—and human societies. His book, Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life focuses on the potential for regenerative farming practice to reshape agriculture. He is an elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and has received many awards throughout his career, including a MacArthur Fellowship and the Vega Medal. Anne Biklé attended the University of California, Santa Cruz earning Bachelors' degrees in Biology and Natural History. She holds a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. She has over two decades of professional experience spanning field biology, watershed restoration, environmental planning, and public health. She uses her broad background and endless fascination with the natural world to examine connections between people and their environments. David and Anne chose "Dig2Grow" because that's what happens when you write, talk, and act on things that matter to the well-being of people and our one-and-only planet.   TOPICS EXPLORED 0:00 – 1:58 – Introduction 1:58 – 6:12 – Can you tell me a little bit about both of your careers and your work on soil? 6:12 – 9:28 – Why is soil so important for our food systems and society as a whole? 9:28 – 14:35 – What are some examples you can share about how some societies have not taken good care of the soil and what we can learn from that? 14:35 – 17:28 – What are important things to think about regarding landscapes and how we interact with them? 17:28 – 22:52 – What are the main takeaways from your book Growing A Revolution and what are some of the most fascinating examples from the farms you explored all around the world? 22:52 – 30:32 – How does moving away from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers help our soil ecosystems? 30:32 – 36:04 – I'd love to hear more about your book The Hidden Half Of Nature. What role do microbes play in soil and human health? 36:04 – 40:29 – How can people build their gut microbiome, and what are some of the benefits? 40:29 – 51:02 – You published an article in 2021 in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems which explored nutrient density in conventional versus organic systems. What are some of the nutritional differences between the two, and why do these differences exist? 51:02 – 52:52 – Things to share and wrap up   DIG2GROW INFORMATION Dig2Grow: https://www.dig2grow.com/   RESOURCES What Your Food Ate: https://bookshop.org/p/books/what-your-food-ate-how-to-restore-our-land-and-reclaim-our-health/18885013 Growing A Revolution: https://bookshop.org/p/books/growing-a-revolution-bringing-our-soil-back-to-life-david-r-montgomery/11186736 The Hidden Half of Nature: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-hidden-half-of-nature-the-microbial-roots-of-life-and-health-david-r-montgomery/8771342 Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization: https://bookshop.org/p/books/dirt-the-erosion-of-civilizations-david-r-montgomery/6561383   FOOD FOR YOU AND THE PLANET PODCAST INFORMATION Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/food-for-you-and-the-planet/id1739416396 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7pkAIuXxl9dzD48b7qMOL1 RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/506343/rss Podcast Instagram: @foodforyouandtheplanet   TAGS Food Environment Health Podcast Sustainability Dig2Grow Organic Soil Soil Health No Till Regenerative Agriculture Regenerative Organic Agriculture