Where you live affects the quality of your food and water. A big reason for this has to do with watershed hydrology – the way water moves across agricultural landscapes.

Matthew Helmers’ work revolves around this topic, and he shares his knowledge today.

Tune in to explore:

• What tile drainage is, and how it improves crop health and production
• Why slowing water movement across the land is critical for crops and can decrease pollution in streams and rivers
• Drainage water recycling – how it works, where it should be used, and the significant benefits
• Sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus – why too much in runoff water is a bad thing and how to lower the levels

Helmers is the Director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State University of Science and Technology. Learn more about his work at Iowa Nutrient Research Center (iastate.edu) and visit Iowa Learning Farms for weekly webinars and info by more experts.

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3bO8R6q

Could aquaponics sustainably feed and fund the world? Josh Imhoff, the founder and director of Emerge Aquaponics is on a mission to find out. As someone who grew up traveling around the world, Josh was exposed to the immense “need” that many people have – and he has made it his goal to alleviate this.

Determined to help feed and fund people, Josh decided that aquaponics may be the answer that he and many other individuals have been looking for. With this at the forefront of his mind, he started building and designing aquaponics systems 12 years ago with Emerge in order to provide people in need with food and income…

Tune in now to discover:

• How Emerge is developing systems to improve how food is grown.
• How temperature affects the fish species used in aquaponics.
• The importance of keeping the correct ratio of plants to fish in the system.
• How aquaponics can provide income for communities in need.

Want to learn more about Josh and his important work with Emerge? Click here now!

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3bO8R6q

Today, we discuss all things sustainable agriculture with Joshua Earl Arnold. Joshua is a Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Warren Wilson College where he educates his students on subjects such as entomology, agriculture, agroecology, and soil science. As someone that considers himself a “science, practice, and movement” agroecologist, Joshua is here to offer his unique perspective on urban agriculture as a whole.

Joshua discovered his fascination with food systems during his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley – specifically the sociology of how people interact with these systems. This interest ultimately led him to study insects and their role in agricultural ecosystems…

In this episode, you will learn about:

• The challenges that urban farmers face.
• How the cost of water and insects can interfere with farming practices.
• How urban farmers can work together to create “an economy of scale”.
• Why soil-less systems may be a viable solution to urban farming issues.

Want to learn more about Joshua and his outlook on sustainable agriculture? Click here now!

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3bO8R6q