An EcoFarmer’s Discovery Chapter 9: Electrifying

Welcome 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 Episode:

In this electrifying chapter of An EcoFarmer’s Discovery, Ewan and Stephen explore the pivotal moment when a simple observation on the farm cracked open an entirely new understanding of how the land really works. After noticing kelp meal lining up perfectly in a bin, Ewan followed his curiosity into the worlds of paramagnetism, UV-reactive silica, natural electrical currents, and soil biology, uncovering a hidden layer of nature’s design that most farmers never see.

From conversations with electrolytic engineers to experiments with magnetite, marine silts, gemstone UV boxes, and multimeters in the paddock, Ewan discovered that the soil isn’t just biological, it’s electrical. This chapter reveals how sunlight, silica, magnetic fields, and paramagnetism interact beneath our feet, shaping plant growth, nutrient movement, animal performance, and even how shells break down on a beach.

We explore:

• How a strange alignment of kelp meal sparked an investigation into soil electricity
• Why magnetite, UV-reactive silica, and paramagnetic soils behave like a natural solar panel
• How electrical currents amplify mineral movement, plant growth, and even toxins
• Why superphosphate destroys the soil’s electrical potential and how to fix it
• The link between electrical fields, livestock performance, and human health

Full of discovery, honesty, and real-world experimentation, this episode captures the moment Ewan’s journey shifted from soil chemistry to the unseen forces that drive life itself and how understanding those forces reshaped everything he believed about farming.

Subscribe or follow to hear more from Ewan’s 26-chapter journey into natural farming wisdom from his book An EcoFarmer’s Discovery.

Watch us on video: Episodes are also published in full on YouTube and Spotify Video.

Useful Links & Info

• Listen / read along on Spotify (Audiobook): An EcoFarmer's Discovery: How the Soil Really Works — available here: On Spotify

• Book / Audiobook details: Visit the official page at EcoFarm Aotearoa (www.efa.nz)

The Carbon Trap: Why Pasture Renewal Is Costing You More Than You Think

The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast (Ep. 9)

Most farmers know carbon is important, but few realise just how fast it can vanish or what’s really driving the losses. In this episode, Stephen and Ewan break down a Grasslands Conference presentation by soil scientist Louis Schipper, and compare his findings with what’s actually happening on real farms.

From pasture renewal to maize cropping, chemical sprays to root systems, this episode takes you far beyond the theory. As Ewan explains, the numbers don’t lie, but the interpretation often does. Behind every carbon crash is a deeper biological story, and ignoring it costs farmers thousands in fertility, grazing, and long-term soil health.

Together, Stephen and Ewan unpack the hard science, challenge long-held assumptions, and reveal why cyanobacteria are the missing link in New Zealand’s carbon cycle. Once you understand how soil biology really works, everything changes: carbon stabilises, nutrients rise, organic matter builds, and paddocks recover faster than anyone expected.

We discuss:
• Why pasture renewal causes huge carbon losses — and why recovery often never happens
• How chemical sprays wipe out cyanobacteria and crash soil fertility
• Why maize looks great the first year but drains carbon for years afterwards
• The surprising role cyanobacteria play in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur availability
• Practical steps Ewan uses to lift organic carbon by 1–2% a year without expensive inputs

With clarity, humour, and decades of hands-on fieldwork, Stephen and Ewan translate complex soil science into practical solutions any farmer can use. This episode connects research, real soil tests, and on-farm experience into a roadmap for restoring soil carbon the natural way.

Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan Campbell
Powered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠www.efa.nz⁠

Subscribe for weekly conversations exploring soil health, biology, and regenerative farming solutions that are transforming the way we farm in New Zealand.

An EcoFarmer’s Discovery Chapter 8: Results On The Hoof

Welcome 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 Episode:

In this episode of An EcoFarmer’s Discovery, Ewan and Stephen explore the game-changing moment when Ewan discovered that mineral balance and soil health don’t just grow better grass, they grow better animals. What began as an experiment with kibbled maize and home-mixed mineral blends soon revealed remarkable weight gains, improved livestock health, and, eventually, premium-quality beef that stood out in the marketplace.

As Ewan followed his curiosity from the paddock to the meat works, he uncovered deeper truths about food quality, animal nutrition, and the broken systems that often hide the realities of modern meat production. From early frustrations with butchers swapping carcasses, to selling high-Omega-3 beef into top restaurants, this chapter unpacks how soil biology, animal health, and human health are all intertwined and why good farming begins long before an animal reaches the gate.

We explore:

• How early mineral experiments boosted weight gain and animal wellbeing
• What really determines tenderness, taste, and fat quality in beef
• The shocking inconsistency of traditional meat grading and processing
• Why grain feeding raises Omega-6 and how grass-fed CLA turns into Omega-3
• The link between soil nutrition, animal fat profiles, and human health
• The challenges of dealing with industry research, standards, and resistance
• How practical trial-and-error shaped the EcoFarm approach to meat quality
• Why farmers must lead innovation when institutions won’t

Full of humour, honesty, and decades of experimentation, this episode shows how real food quality starts in the soil, continues through the animal, and ends with healthier people and healthier farms.

Subscribe or follow to hear more from Ewan’s 26-chapter journey into natural farming wisdom from his book An EcoFarmer’s Discovery.

Watch us on video: Episodes are also published in full on YouTube and Spotify Video.

So, grab the audiobook on Spotify or Kindle and read along with each chapter as we expand, reflect, and add context.

Useful Links & Info
• Listen / read along on Spotify (Audiobook): An EcoFarmer's Discovery: How the Soil Really Works — available here: On Spotify

• Book / Audiobook details: check out the official page at EcoFarm Aotearoa (www.efa.nz)