Episode 46: Rebuilding Soil From the Ground Up

In Episode 46 of the Biological Farming RoundTable Podcast, Nakala and Shelley travel to Pingrup, in the southeast of the WA wheatbelt. They are joined by David Steele and his wife, Deb, who are multigenerational farmers running a cropping and sheep enterprise. David and Deb recall when the soil had that earthy smell and have their sights set upon bringing the aroma back to the farm. When David relied mainly on synthetic fertilisers, he watched his soil health steadily decline. He shares the steps he’s taken, including addressing all of his plants’ nutrient needs, including trace elements, with a mineral fertiliser, and more recently adding biology to the mix. He has watched his topsoil steadily increase and he still has some tools up his sleeve to add to the system.