The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast – Book Companion Series.

In Chapter 20 of The EcoFarm Aotearoa Book Companion Series, we explore the idea of structure, from the soil beneath our feet to the spine in our bodies. What begins with a conversation about jaw alignment and Western Price quickly unfolds into a much deeper discussion about how mineral balance, nutrition, and physical structure are inseparable. Whether it is calves developing broader heads after changes in soil management or the visible shift in posture through functional dentistry, the message is clear. Structure reflects health.

This episode moves between farm practice and personal experience, showing how addressing root causes rather than symptoms transforms outcomes. From soil tests and mineral corrections to foot alignment, spinal charts, and DNA sequencing, the common thread is foundation. When the base is right, resilience follows. When it is neglected, problems surface elsewhere. Farming, business, community, and human health all mirror the same principle.

We Discuss:

• How jaw alignment, posture, and mineral nutrition reveal deeper systemic health
• Why soil structure and mineral balance directly influence livestock development and behaviour
• The shift from treating symptoms to addressing root causes in farming and personal health
• Functional dentistry and skeletal alignment as examples of structural correction in action
• How nutritionally dense food begins with healthy soil and builds stronger people and communities

Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan Campbell

Powered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠⁠⁠www.efa.nz⁠⁠⁠

Our FREE E-Book:⁠

https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/⁠

Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=b4aa009579a34ac1⁠

In this episode, Stephen and Ewan sits down with Ross and Lance, who made a bold transition away from conventional inputs and into biological system thinking. What began with digging holes and finding no worms has evolved into a complete mindset shift, from chasing nitrogen and spraying weeds to rebuilding soil depth, animal health, and farm confidence.

The conversation follows their two-and-a-half-year journey, including the tough first 12 months, the drop in pasture production, and the turning point when animal health rebounded and costs began to fall. From reducing nitrogen from 150 units to just 5, eliminating Roundup and routine drenching, and watching worm castings return, this episode explores what really happens when you move from feeding plants to feeding soil biology.

We discuss:• Dropping nitrogen from 150 units to 5 and what happened next
• The first-year “shake” and why most transitions feel worse before they improve
• Animal health changes, milk urea pressure, and reducing nitrate stress
• Even grazing patterns, calmer cows, and fewer flies
• Cutting Roundup, urea, summer crops, and imported feed
• Herbage testing and understanding excess nitrogen in pasture
• Rebuilding red clover density and growing deeper topsoil
• Lifestyle shifts, lower health inputs, and regaining control of the farm
• Why solving problems through nutrition changes long-term outcomes

Using real on-farm examples, the discussion shows how shifting from a consumable input model to a soil-first biological system doesn’t just change pasture, it changes decision-making, confidence, and lifestyle. Rather than chasing symptoms with more product, the focus becomes removing limiting factors, stabilising biology, and building a system that strengthens year after year.

Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan Campbell

Powered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠⁠www.efa.nz⁠⁠

Our FREE E-Book:https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/

Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=b4aa009579a34ac1

The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast – Book Companion Series.
This episode covers Chapter 19 and dives into one of the most controversial and intriguing concepts in regenerative agriculture: biological transmutation. What sounds like alchemy becomes a practical exploration of how soil biology can transform elements, balance nutrients, and supply what plants and animals need without constant external inputs.

From kiwifruit orchards producing potassium without applications, to chooks laying hard shells without added calcium, Ewan and Steve challenge chemistry-only thinking and unpack the role fungi, bacteria, and even electrical stimulation play in nutrient cycling. At its heart, this chapter is about restoring trust in biology and questioning the systems that shut it down.

We explore:• What biological transmutation is and how it differs from conventional chemistry
• Orchard lessons from potassium cycling and the PSA wake-up call
• Bioremediation: how fungi and microbes break down toxins once thought permanent
• Why herbicides disrupt nutrient creation at its source
• How farmers can regain independence by working with biology, not against it

This episode is a reminder that nature already knows how to build, balance, and repair if we stop interfering long enough to let it work.

Follow along. Watch full episodes on YouTube and Spotify Video.

Useful links:
• Learn more / get the book: EcoFarm Aotearoa (efa.nz)
• Our FREE E-Book: https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/

• Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=7f68bd8183ea46ae

• Audiobook: Available on Spotify

In this episode, Stephen and Ewan unpack what happens after soil health starts improving and why many farms hit a wall precisely when things should be working better. As regenerative systems begin to function, old habits, missing steps, and unseen limiting factors can quietly undo progress if the full process isn’t followed.

The conversation walks through EcoFarm Aotearoa’s start-to-finish methodology, explaining why accuracy, system thinking, and education matter more than quick fixes. From GPS-based soil testing and biological sequencing to EMF interference and boundary effects, this episode reframes farming as a new operating system, one that must be learned, not assumed.

We discuss:• Why soil success can create new problems if the process isn’t understood
• The “new car” analogy and why modern farming requires new operating rules
• How EMF interference can quietly shut systems down
• Why GPS accuracy and repeatability are non-negotiable
• Soil testing, herbage testing, and sequencing improvements correctly
• Boundary effects, power amplification, and protecting productive land
• Moving from consumables to long-term investment thinking

Using real farm examples, Ewan explains why powering up biology without addressing frequency, logistics, and process can amplify problems rather than solve them. Rather than chasing symptoms, the discussion focuses on removing guesswork, protecting gains, and building resilient systems that continue to improve year on year.

Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan Campbell

Powered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠⁠www.efa.nz⁠⁠

Our FREE E-Book:
⁠https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/⁠

Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:
⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=c2fde76b54c44e62⁠

The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast – Book Companion Series.This episode covers Chapter 18 and dives into one of the most misunderstood and powerful forces in farming: fungi. What begins with a moment of curiosity (and a fair bit of trial, error, and “stupidity”) quickly turns into a profound rethinking of how soil, plants, animals, and humans are all connected through biological digestion and nutrient cycling.Ewan and Steve unpack the early observations that sparked the chapter — ragwort pulling out effortlessly, worm activity exploding, and soil structure transforming almost overnight. From there, the conversation follows Ewan’s hands-on experiments with fish, fungal brews, and species-specific inoculation, challenging mainstream compost tea theory and the idea that all microbes are interchangeable. Rather than importing generic biology, the focus shifts to understanding which fungi belong where, and why protein-focused pastures require entirely different fungal relationships than forests.We explore:• How fungal activity radically changed soil structure and weed behaviour• Why “one-size-fits-all” microbes don’t work in agriculture• Fish, fungi, and the biology behind smell, digestion, and neighbour complaints• Fruiting bodies, stress signals, and what mushrooms really indicate• Higher-order plants, weeds as indicators, and speeding up natural successionThis episode is about shifting from control to process and why real progress in farming depends on working with biology, not against it.Follow along. Watch full episodes on YouTube and Spotify Video.Useful links:• Learn more / get the book: EcoFarm Aotearoa (efa.nz)• Our FREE E-Book: https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/• Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=7f68bd8183ea46ae• Audiobook: Available on Spotify

Title: The EFA Comments Section Exploded - Ewan Answers everything

The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast

In this Q&A episode, Stephen and Ewan respond to listener questions covering soil minerals, silicon availability, nitrogen use, and electrical processes in farming systems. Grounded in observation and on-farm results, the conversation challenges conventional thinking and focuses on what consistently delivers healthier soils, resilient pasture, and better financial outcomes.

From cyanobacteria and mineral activation to fertiliser accountability and system feedback, this episode connects cause and effect across soil, plants, animals, and policy. Rather than reacting to symptoms, the discussion highlights the importance of accuracy, honesty, and addressing limiting factors within the system.

We discuss:

• Why observation and real-world results matter more than theory
• Silicon sources, activation, and the role of biology
• Nitrogen traceability, carbon loss, and diminishing returns
• How weeds and soil softness reveal underlying imbalance
• Reading land correctly to improve function and profitability

This episode is a practical look at how understanding mineral systems, biology, and electrical charge leads to healthier farms and more confident decision-making.

For a list of all the reference links on this episode, check out the description of the youtube video HERE

Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan Campbell

Powered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠⁠www.efa.nz⁠⁠

Our FREE E-Book:
⁠https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/⁠

Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:
⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=c2fde76b54c44e62⁠

Subscribe for weekly episodes exploring soil biology, mineral systems, and regenerative farming in New Zealand.

The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast - Book Companion Series.This episode covers Chapter 17 and revisits the moment the story burst out of the courtroom and into the public eye — when 60 Minutes turned up, asked the questions the system wouldn’t, and changed the game.Ewan and Steve unpack what it was like meeting Melanie Reid and her producer with healthy skepticism (the good kind), then watching the investigation unfold as she worked through the court documents and kept texting variations of: “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Unlike the courtroom, someone was finally listening — and verifying.The conversation explores the pressure that followed the Commerce Commission decision, the machinery that kicks in when a system decides you’re a “target,” and the real-world fallout: reputational attacks, enforcement that felt more like bullying than justice, and the cost of simply refusing to fold.From there, the episode widens out into the bigger theme behind the chapter: when communities stop standing up for themselves, systems drift from practical, local problem-solving into corporate gatekeeping, process for process’ sake, and authority without accountability. Ewan also shares how this experience pushed him into studying the law — not for revenge, but to understand how it works and how ordinary people can actually use it.We also touch on the irony (and the dark humour) of supplying premium meat to the very circles connected to the prosecution — plus a wild side-story involving BBC Radio 4, international demand, and how quickly opportunity can get shut down by bureaucratic interference.We explore:• How 60 Minutes got involved — and why skepticism mattered• What Melanie’s investigation exposed that court process didn’t• The aftermath: public pressure, enforcement, and the cost of holding your ground• Why it was never about “does it work?” — but about legal traps and narrative control• Gatekeepers, corporatisation, and why communities feel less able to act• The mindset shift: learning from losses, standing up, and staying productiveThis episode is about what happens when scrutiny finally meets power — and why progress (in farming or law) often depends on people being willing to take a few hits and get back up again.Follow along. Watch full episodes on YouTube and Spotify Video.Useful links:• Learn more / get the book: EcoFarm Aotearoa (efa.nz)• Full 60 Minutes segment + law resources: whoisthegovernment.comOur FREE E-Book:https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=7f68bd8183ea46aeAudiobook: Available on Spotify and Audible.

An EcoFarmer’s Discovery Chapter 16: The Problem of Success
The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast

This episode covers Chapter 16 and unpacks what happens when innovation works too well. Ewan reflects on the rise of Probitas, the backlash that followed its success, and the systems that move to shut down ideas that threaten entrenched interests.

In This Episode:Ewan shares the personal and professional fallout of challenging the fertiliser industry and regulatory system, including court cases, media manipulation, fear-based enforcement, and the misuse of “false and misleading representation” laws. The conversation reveals how innovation, when it disrupts powerful industries, can trigger intimidation rather than investigation.

This chapter explores how fear is used to control farmers, suppress discovery, and protect billion-dollar systems at the expense of soil health, food quality, and rural communities. From patents and expert witnesses to search warrants and media pressure, Ewan breaks down how the system operates and how farmers can begin to push back.

We explore:

• Why successful innovation attracts resistance, not support

• How fear keeps farmers compliant and isolated

• The misuse of regulation, courts, and “expert” authority

• What Probitas revealed about soil, electricity, and biology

• Why standing your ground matters for farming’s future

This episode is about courage over compliance, discovery over fear, and why the future of farming depends on farmers understanding both their land and the systems that govern it.

Follow along. Watch full episodes on YouTube and Spotify Video.

Useful links:
• Learn more at EcoFarm Aotearoa (efa.nz)

Our FREE E-Book:
https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/

Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=7f68bd8183ea46ae