Soil Health Labs
Episodes
Soil Salinity: The Biggest Problem Growing in Your Fields
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Salinity hasn’t gone away—and in some parts of South Dakota, it may be setting up for a comeback. In this short, focused episode, Buz Kloot sits d...
Agroecologist: Why Crop Rotations Outperform Both Tillage and No-Till in Long-Term Studies
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a short-form episode featuring Natalie Sturm, pulled from our recent interview and focused on one of the most important—and often overlooked...
Rethinking No-Till: Why Rotations, Residue, and Diversity Matter More Than We Thought
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Natalie SturmHosts: Dr. Buz Kloot and Dr. Gabe KenneRunning time: 62 mins“We could take a shovel, and shovel up some soil in one field, and ...
A Path for Grassland Restoration that Benefits Producers, Land and Wildlife
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Featuring:Liz Kierl, Executive Director, Second Century Habitat FundBuz Kloot, Soil Health Lab, University of South CarolinaJoe Dickie, Videographer a...
The Future of Agriculture: The Next Generation’s Roadmap for Regenerative Ranching
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Joe Dickie and Buz Kloot sit down with Karlie Kammerer, a rising senior from western South Dakota whose wisdom and clarity around reg...
How Ranchers are Reviving Native Grasslands and Creating More Resilient Operations
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🧲 Quotable Quotes “When people don't understand much about the prairie, it just kind of looks like this monolith… just one FLAT thing. But rea...
Bridging Conservation and Profitability on the Prairie: What Every Rancher Should Know
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down with Dawn Butzer to discuss her journey from her early life and career to her current work and future aspirations. Dawn s...
New Research Reveals Why Fertilizer Efficiency Depends on More Than Nitrogen Rates and Soil Chemistry
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of our series with Dr. Bhupinder Farmaha, we go deeper—literally. Dr. Farmaha joins us again to talk about what’s happening below the t...
How to Cut Fertilizer Inputs Without Sacrificing Yield: Soil Fertility Specialist Shares New Soil Health Data
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 1 of our two-part conversation with Dr. Bhupinder Farmaha, we dig into the reality of shifting farmer mindsets around nutrient management. As ...
Seasoned Rancher Shares Simple Livestock Strategies For Healing the Land and Boosting Ranch Profitability
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🧲 Quotable Quotes“You can’t graze a landscape unless you understand what that landscape wants to be.” — Dave Ollila“We’ve got a chance ...
How to Boost Animal Health and Farm Productivity with Ecological Principles
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Dr. Gustavo Lascano, Associate Professor of Ruminant Nutrition, Clemson UniversityHost: Drs. Gabe Kenne & Buz KlootLength: ~70 minutesIn this c...
How Real-World Farmers are Boosting Profits: Cover Crops, Cost Cutting, & Yield Bumps
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Carl Coleman continues his deep dive into the lessons learned from years of soil health experimentation—and how they changed not on...
The Economic Impact of Regenerative Agriculture: Practical Wisdom from a Seasoned Farmer
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Carl Coleman continues his deep dive into the lessons learned from years of soil health experimentation—and how they changed not on...
South Dakota Rancher Shares Alternative Strategy for Managing Invasive Species & Boosting Land Health
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Buz and Dickie chat with Clinton Rasmussen about the innovative use of goats for land management, particularly in combating the sprea...
Rangeland Specialist's Top Grazing Strategies to Drought-Proof Your Pasture
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we chat with Lealand Schoon from the South Dakota NRCS about drought management, grazing strategies, and the long-term health of past...
Reimagining Agriculture: Dr. Fred Provenza on Rethinking Our Relationship with Nature and the Land
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our third and final interview with Fred Provenza unfolds like a symphony in four parts, each movement resonating with deep reflections on human connec...
Ecologist Fred Provenza's Top Tips for Unlocking Livestock and Land Potential
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this second podcast with Dr. Fred Provenza, professor emeritus of Behavioral Ecology at Utah State University, and author of several important book...
How Collaboration is Helping Farmers Solve Their Toughest Soil Challenges
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Soil Health Labs podcast delves into the importance of peer learning among farmers, innovative approaches to soil health, and the ...
How to Reverse Soil Salinity with Regenerative Land Management
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we end the growing season, we want to air this podcast that Joe Dickie and Buz Kloot conducted with NRCS’s Shane Jordan and Kent Vlieger. This is...
72 SC Farmer Shares Top Regenerative Practices for Transforming a 1.5 Acre Lot into a Thriving Family Farm
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a recent interview with Dr. Gabe Kenne, Lance Samuel spoke about his family’s farm, ‘Bushels & Bags’ near Ridgeway, South Carolina. Co-founde...
71 Tap into the Hidden Wisdom of Livestock to Restore Your Land with Renowned Ecologist Fred Provenza
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the SoilHealthLabs podcast series, Buz Kloot and Joe Dickie chat with Dr. Fred Provenza, professor emeritus of Behavioral Ecology a...
70 Dr. Dwayne Beck Shares No-Nonsense Tips for Boosting Land Health, Profitability and Resilience
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation with Soil Scientist Buz Kloot, Dwayne Beck— former research manager to Dakota Lakes Research Farm— discusses the destructive ...
69 Soil Health Innovation: How One First-Gen Farmer Is Rewriting the Soil Health Script for a New Generation
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s SoilHealthLabs podcast, Gabe and Buz have a chat with Russell Hedrick, a first-generation farmer who began his agricultural journey i...
68 Music with a Mission: Award-Winning Musicians Stand Up for Dakota Grasslands and Their Communities
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a lively interview with Buz Kloot, Joe Dickie and Lynn Betts, Maygen and Noah of the band Maygen & the Birdwatcher delve into the origins and evolu...
67 Master Gardener Greg Brown’s Top Tips for Building a Successful Farming Operation On As Little As One Acre
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast episode, we chat with Greg Brown, a market gardener at Greenleaf Farms in Columbia, South Carolina. Greg's farm spans about an acre, w...
66 Soil Health Goes South: Soil Molecular Biologist Brings New Life to Soil Health in South Carolina
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this first-of-its-kind episode on the Soil Health Labs podcast, we share big news on our expansion into South Carolina. Join us as we introduce Dr....
65 SD Rancher's Tips for Bridging Traditional Ranching Culture and The Best of Modern Agriculture
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, South Dakota rancher Dan Rasmussen discusses the evolution in practice and mindset needed to sustain ranching in South Dakota. Rasmus...
64 Dr. Dwayne Beck Shares His Top Holistic Management Tools to Transform Your Operation
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dwayne Beck is the former Research Manager at Dakota Lakes Research Farm in Pierre, South Dakota. Soil Health Labs researcher Buz Kloot spoke with him...
63 Crop Consultant Shares How to Earn 400 More Dollars an Acre on Saline Soils
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview segment between Buz Kloot and Joe Dickie of Lee Briese, Lee Briese discusses his background as an independent crop consultant in Eas...
62 Future-Focused Farming: Exploring the Intersection of Science & Soil with Dr. Dwayne Beck
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re excited for the second podcast in this series that we call “Atlas Brainstorming with Dr. Dwayne Beck”. The original interviews we conduc...
61 Agronomist Shares Top Strategies to Transform Saline Soils Into Productive Land
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The conversation begins with Matt sharing a bit about his background, growing up on military bases in Germany and having ties to agriculture through h...
60 Soil Health Pioneer Dr. Dwayne Beck Shares His Groundbreaking Regenerative Ag Story
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dwayne Beck is the Research Manager at Dakota Lakes Research Farm in Pierre, South Dakota. Soil Health Labs researcher Buz Kloot spoke with him in 201...
59 Soil Expert on the Origins and Impacts of Saline Soils
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this, our first series on salinity, we talk to Kent Cooley, area resource scientist in Rapid City, SD. We discuss some of the causes of salinity ...
58 How One Grassland Initiative is Leveraging Landowners and Scientists to Ignite Profound Real-World Change
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Kahler is the director of the South Dakota Grasslands Initiative (SDGI), pushing South Dakotan agriculture toward sustainability and heightened ...
57 Preserving America's Grasslands: Insights from Tate Lantz on The Central Grasslands Roadmap
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this insightful episode, Tate Lantz joins hosts Joe Dickie and Buz Kloot to discuss the Central Grasslands Roadmap. Lantz shares his personal journ...
56 How Dr. Liz and Rick Haney are Reshaping Soil Tests and the Agricultural World by Following Nature's Blueprint
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most folks have heard of the Haney test, but who are the people behind the test, what is the test and how did it all get started? In this episode, ...
55 Gabe Brown Shares How Regenerative Agriculture is Breathing New Life into Farms, Soils and Society
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Buz Kloot, Joe Dickie, and Gabe Brown discuss Gabe's motivation behind his mission to help farmers and ranchers. Gabe shares that his...
54 How to Structure a Win-Win Grazing Lease for Land and Livestock Owners
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We were delighted to get back with Pete Bauman who is a Natural Resources and Wildlife Field Specialist for SDSU Extension. Pete specializes in range...
53 Regenerative Farmers Share Most Important Practice for Soil Health Success
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Barry and Eli Little are a father and son team farming near Castlewood, SD located in the eastern part of South Dakota. Together they have close to ...
52 How Father/Son Team is Cutting Input Costs and Increasing Yields
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Barry and Eli Little are a father and son team farming near Castlewood, SD located in the eastern part of South Dakota. Together, they have close to 1...
51 National Erosion Specialist Shares Mind-Blowing Truth about Soil Loss
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We sat down to chat with Chris Coreil, now the National Erosion Specialist based at the NRCS’s Central National Technology Support Center in Fort Wo...
50 The Cost of Tillage and Bare Soil in Extreme Conditions
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Buz Kloot talks to Dan Mehlhaf, District Conservationist for the USDA NRCS, currently stationed at Yankton, South Dakota. Dan was rai...
49 Adaptive Grazing Masterclass with Allen Williams
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As part of our adaptive grazing management series (if you haven’t listened to the podcasts with Justin Thompson and Candice Mizera, we highly recomm...
48 Rancher Puts Cool Season Invasives in the Rearview with Adaptive Grazing
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you have not yet listened to the previous podcast with Justin Thompson we strongly recommend you do before listening to this one. The first rele...
47 SD Rancher's Unique Approach to Manage Cool Season Invasives
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The first release of this podcast was set to coincide with the spring thaw and the green-up of cool season grasses and forbs. One of the biggest thre...
46 Enhance Ranchland Profitability by Feeding Soil Microbes
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“If you break out the fungal hyphae and you disturb microbiomes, they won't be able to develop, establish, and flourish from that point on.…we rea...
45 SDSU’s Bauman Talks Rangeland Evolution, Tools and Future Success
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“You look at soil health… the tenets don't change, right, the tenets of those five things, will remain truthful, now, [and] in 10 years from now, ...
44 How Climate Smart Ag Can Make Your Land Work For You
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the soil food web got to do with it? This is a special podcast to prepare our audience for the upcoming Climate Smart Agriculture enhancemen...
43 How to Build Farm and Ranch Resilience with Climate Smart Practices
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Get Ready to take Advantage of the Climate-Smart Practice Incentives. In this special podcast episode, we get together with the South Dakota NRCS’...
42 Rangeland Specialist Encourages Grassland Diversity to Achieve Resilience
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“.. everything works together. The more diverse a pasture or grassland is, the healthier it is, the more resilient it is to any disturbance that com...
41 Ray Archuleta Follows Nature to Deliver Farm/Ranch Profit
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It is a rare pleasure to speak with a person of consequence and have their undivided attention for an hour. Ray Archuleta, who needs little introduct...
40 Unlock Year-Round Grazing through Common Sense Forage Plans
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this, our second chat with Bart Carmichael, rancher out of Faith SD, we quizzed Bart on his approach to year-round grazing where Bart walks us thro...
39 How Rangeland Health and Livestock Work to Solve Environmental Issues
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re excited to introduce our good friend, Shannon Kulseth-Iverson. Shannon is a native of North Dakota and ranches with her husband, Eric Iverson...
38 Biologist-Rancher Promotes Ranch Health with Prairie Dog Ecosystem
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Shaun Grassel is a wildlife biologist who works out on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation’s headquarters for the tribe’s Department of Wildlif...
37 Biologist-Rancher Renovates Pasture for Wildlife and Livestock
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
36 A Rural Videographer's Eye-Opening Journey Promoting Soil Health
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the last seven years, the name of Joe Dickie has become more and more synonymous with high quality video that highlights outstanding farmers and ra...
35 State Grazing Lands Specialist Reveals Top Tips for Driving Soil Health
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this second of two podcasts with Tanse Herrmann, State Grazinglands Soil Health Specialist in South Dakota, we discuss a number of topics including...
34 Ranchers Rethink Rangeland Soil Health for Profit
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We caught up with Tanse Hermann, NRCS’s newly appointed State Grazinglands Soil Health Specialist in South Dakota; to our knowledge, this is the fir...
33 Calving with Nature Cuts Costs for Year-Round Grazing
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this second of two chats with rancher, Pat Guptill (Quinn, SD), we discuss how he can graze his livestock year-round and (to us, at least) the surp...
32 Adaptive Management Applied
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We catch up with Pat Guptill, rancher from Quinn, SD, Pat grazes his base herd year-round and when he has enough grass in the summer, will take on add...
31 Growing Rangeland Resilience
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, we talk with Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension Livestock Environmental Stewardship Specialist. We chat with Miranda about a wide range ...
30 The Insights of an Involved Land Owner
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
South Dakota NRCS and the Conservation Districts have identified that Non-Operating Landowners (or NOLOs) are one of the key s to moving the soil heal...
29 Integrating Livestock Back on the Land: Perennials (2/2)
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Cody Zilverberg is not your ordinary rangeland scientist who grew up on the ranch knowing this was exactly what he wanted to do. Cody’s path wa...
28 Integrating Livestock Back on the Land: Annuals (1/2)
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Cody Zilverberg is not your ordinary rangeland scientist who grew up on the ranch knowing this was exactly what he wanted to do. Cody’s path wa...
27 Exploring the Future of Ag with Dr. Dwayne Beck
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To most farmers in South Dakota, Dr. Dwayne Beck needs very little introduction, Dwayne is the manager of the Dakota lakes Research Station near Pierr...
26 Exploring the Benefits of Bale Grazing
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jessalyn Bachler is an Extension Range Field Specialist with SDSU, based in Lemmon, SD. Jessalyn graduated from NDSU with her Masters in Range Scienc...
25 Increasing Grass Production Despite Drought
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bart Carmichael and his wife Shannon run a seed stock operation with their family in Northwest SD, just north of Faith SD. In this interview we kick...
24 Boosting Soil Biology through Grazing Management
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lealand Schoon is a 28 year veteran of the NRCS and works as an Area Rangeland Specialist out of Murdo, SD. Leland also has some land, and runs 150 h...
23 Bringing Prosperity Back to the Range
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's often thought that being a rancher is a noble profession—but not one that easily pays the bills. In this episode, Jenita Qualm (current Farmer...
22 Overcoming the Fear of Prescribed Burn
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“The Eastern Red Cedar invasion is happening right in my backyard. It affects many of my friends, landowners, ranchers, and people I work with in th...
21 A Growing Problem: The Invasion of Eastern Red Cedar
19 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast Dr. Buz Kloot and Rangeland Management Specialist Rod Voss talk about the eastern red cedar (or green glacier) invasion and what it me...
20 Optimizing our Soils with Former NRCS State Conservationist Jeff Zimprich
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Soil health knows no bounds,' says Jeff Zimprich, the recently retired NRCS State Conservationist in South Dakota. "It can be accomplished on the f...
19 Increasing Rangeland Soil Health with Stan Boltz
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Stan Boltz, a USDA NRCS rangeland management specialist in South Dakota for 33 years, describes how healthy soil and cattle grazing management can red...
18 Promoting Healthy Grass in Cropland Country with Larry Wagner
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Here in South Dakota, we always say we’re two weeks away from a drought. Having your soil in good condition in wet years helps store more water t...
17 Growing Resilience Talks to Range Evangelist, James Halverson
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Stockgrowers is a wonderful organization trying to do some great things, trying to help ranchers and help our independent cattle producers of this...
16 A Practical View of Drought Planning with Mitch Faulkner
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
15 Integrating Drought Management with Jim Faulstich
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
14 The Benefits of No-Till in Extreme Conditions
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is the sixth in the series 6 “Resilience” podcast series. We recorded this one in Crooks, SD the backdrop was the extremely wet weat...
13 Resilience (Soil Structure, Conservation)
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is the fifth in the series 6 “Resilience” podcast series we recorded in Mitchell, SD (podcasts 1-5) and Crooks (Podcast 6), the backd...
12 Resilience (Salinity, Small Grains)
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is the fourth in the series 6 “Resilience” podcast series we recorded in Mitchell, SD (podcasts 1-5) and Crooks (Podcast 6), the back...
11 Resilience (Weeds, Covers and Termination)
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is the third in the series 6 “Resilience” podcast series we recorded in Mitchell, SD (podcasts 1-5) and Crooks (Podcast 6), the backd...
10 Plug and Plant - 2020 Planting Season and Priorities
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is the second in the series 6 “Resilience” podcast series we recorded in Mitchell, SD (podcasts 1-5) and Crooks (Podcast 6), the back...
09 Plug and Plant - Moisture, Rutting and Covers
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is the first in the series 6 “Resilience” podcast series we recorded in Mitchell, SD (podcasts 1-5) and Crooks (Podcast 6), the backd...
08 Plug and Plant - Jesse Hall
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down with Jesse Hall out of Arlington, South Dakota to explore his journey into no-till, cover crops and livestock integration...
07 Plug and Plant - Barry and Eli Little
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We sit down with regenerative farmers Barry and Eli Little out of Castlewood, South Dakota to discus soil health, cover crops, livestock and economics...
06 Plug and Plant - Dr. Ray Weil
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, we sit down with soil scientist Dr. Ray Weil. Dr. Weil is a leader in researching and promoting the adoption of more sustainable agri...
05 Plug and Plant - Dr. Kris Nichols (2/2)
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Kristine Nichols is a world-renowned leader in the movement to regenerate soils for healthy food, healthy people and a healthy planet. Hear our ch...
04 Plug and Plant - Dr. Kris Nichols (1/2)
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Kristine Nichols is a world-renowned leader in the movement to regenerate soils for healthy food, healthy people and a healthy planet. Hear our ch...
03 Plug and Plant - Dr. Mark Liebig (2/2)
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
USDA-ARS Soil Scientist Dr. Mark Liebig shares with us his insights on crop diversity and the benefits of dynamic cropping systems.
02 Plug and Plant - Dr. Mark Liebig (1/2)
17 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Liebig, Research Soil Scientist with the USDA-ARS in Mandan, ND shares with us some of his insights on crop diversity.
01 Plug and Plant: Dwayne Beck
03 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dwayne Beck, Research Manager at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm, sits down with us to discuss everything soil health... or as he likes to put it, &quo...