Episode 168: "Debunked by Nature" and Lessons from Farm Life with Mollie Engelhart
After growing up on a farm, Mollie Engelhart built a vegan restaurant empire in Los Angeles, which she planned to sell before COVID disrupted her plans. During the pandemic, she lost her income and spent time back on the farm, using nature's lens to question societal constructs like veganism. These experiences inspired her book, Debunked by Nature, where she shares her shift to truth-seeking based on natural cycles. She now lives on a Texas ranch, advocating for authentic living through storytelling.
Mollie experiments with regenerative techniques on her Texas ranch, like mulching to combat oak wilt and bale grazing to boost soil health in caliche soils. She advocates for local food systems, resilient communities, and soil stewardship through her book and Epoch Times writings. She aims to inspire sustainable farming through her innovative practices, like propagating adapted trees and hedging crop plantings.
In this episode, John and Mollie discuss:
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Shifting away from veganism and recognizing life-death cycles in food production.
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Building resilient communities through local food systems and family governance.
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Using deep mulching with juniper chips to reverse oak wilt in Texas' calcareous soils.
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Enhancing soil fertility through bale grazing, leveraging carbon to boost pasture growth.
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Adapting crop plantings, like late-season corn and sesame, to hedge against erratic weather and pests.
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Propagating locally adapted tree varieties to support regional farming success.
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Observing local ecosystems to inform management, avoiding blanket solutions for diverse soils.
Additional Resources Click here to order Mollie's book.
To read Mollie's opinion section of the Epoch Times, click here.
About John Kempf John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.
Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition – a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.
Support For This Show & Helping You Grow Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture.
AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA's science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.
AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.
Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.
Learn more about AEA's regenerative programs and products: https://www.advancingecoag.com
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1 00:00:00,090 --> 00:00:01,770 Hi, friends. Welcome back to the 2 00:00:01,770 --> 00:00:02,570 Regenerative Agriculture 3 00:00:02,549 --> 00:00:04,349 Podcast. This is Jon, and we're 4 00:00:04,349 --> 00:00:05,910 back with Molly Engelhardt. 5 00:00:05,990 --> 00:00:07,129 But I wanted to have you back 6 00:00:07,129 --> 00:00:09,820 because I think your current 7 00:00:09,820 --> 00:00:11,179 work and the book that you're in 8 00:00:11,179 --> 00:00:13,220 the process of releasing is so 9 00:00:13,529 --> 00:00:15,130 relevant for our times where we 10 00:00:15,130 --> 00:00:15,930 have this 11 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,399 increasing polarity 12 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:20,960 and this division 13 00:00:21,370 --> 00:00:23,820 between farmers and their 14 00:00:23,820 --> 00:00:25,120 consumers. And there is this 15 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:26,160 moment 16 00:00:27,190 --> 00:00:28,449 following what happened with 17 00:00:28,449 --> 00:00:30,449 COVID and with growing awareness 18 00:00:30,449 --> 00:00:32,070 of food supply chain issues and 19 00:00:32,070 --> 00:00:33,710 collective public health issues 20 00:00:33,710 --> 00:00:34,670 over the course of the last 21 00:00:34,670 --> 00:00:35,570 three or four years, that 22 00:00:35,820 --> 00:00:38,210 people—there's an openness to 23 00:00:38,210 --> 00:00:40,649 asking questions that hasn't 24 00:00:40,649 --> 00:00:42,950 existed for quite some time, it 25 00:00:42,950 --> 00:00:43,750 feels like. 26 00:00:44,229 --> 00:00:45,029 And 27 00:00:45,530 --> 00:00:48,210 your message and what you've 28 00:00:48,210 --> 00:00:49,189 been working on here over the 29 00:00:49,189 --> 00:00:49,989 last year or two 30 00:00:50,250 --> 00:00:52,049 addresses this so directly. 31 00:00:52,210 --> 00:00:54,310 So I don't want to 32 00:00:54,810 --> 00:00:57,070 to put to use my words to 33 00:00:57,070 --> 00:00:57,869 describe what you're doing. 34 00:00:57,909 --> 00:00:59,229 Tell us a bit about your book 35 00:00:59,229 --> 00:01:00,590 and your message and what it is 36 00:01:00,590 --> 00:01:01,390 you're working on. 37 00:01:02,130 --> 00:01:02,929 Well, 38 00:01:03,350 --> 00:01:06,430 my book really came out of 39 00:01:06,430 --> 00:01:08,829 my relationship with nature. 40 00:01:09,090 --> 00:01:11,819 And I was living I grew up on a 41 00:01:11,819 --> 00:01:13,519 farm, so I have like a farming 42 00:01:13,829 --> 00:01:15,090 childhood background. 43 00:01:15,329 --> 00:01:16,750 And then I moved to Los Angeles 44 00:01:16,750 --> 00:01:18,250 and lived a very 45 00:01:18,659 --> 00:01:21,239 modern L .A. life for many, many 46 00:01:21,239 --> 00:01:22,260 years. I was, 47 00:01:22,799 --> 00:01:24,280 I would say, a feminist and a 48 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,260 workaholic. And I was All of the 49 00:01:27,260 --> 00:01:29,700 strive to do, I can do what men 50 00:01:29,700 --> 00:01:31,780 can do, all of that was very 51 00:01:31,780 --> 00:01:32,780 loud in me. 52 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:35,680 I built up this empire. 53 00:01:36,239 --> 00:01:37,799 And at the beginning of COVID, 54 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:39,519 before COVID started, I was 55 00:01:39,519 --> 00:01:41,420 selling it for between $25 and 56 00:01:41,420 --> 00:01:42,219 $31 million. 57 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,040 And so I thought I had 58 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:46,799 succeeded. I had built this 59 00:01:46,799 --> 00:01:47,959 thing. I grew it bigger. 60 00:01:48,620 --> 00:01:50,140 I'm selling it to a venture 61 00:01:50,140 --> 00:01:52,680 capital firm. And I could just 62 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,739 be a full -time mom and shift 63 00:01:54,739 --> 00:01:55,539 what I was doing. 64 00:01:55,959 --> 00:01:57,780 And somewhere along the way, I'd 65 00:01:57,780 --> 00:01:58,579 learned about regenerative 66 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,239 agriculture and really had 67 00:02:00,239 --> 00:02:02,299 shifted what was important to me 68 00:02:02,299 --> 00:02:04,460 away from veganism and what I 69 00:02:04,460 --> 00:02:06,120 was doing to regenerative 70 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:07,579 agriculture. But I'm no dummy, 71 00:02:07,700 --> 00:02:08,860 like if I'm going to sell my 72 00:02:08,860 --> 00:02:10,639 business and get out and then do 73 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:11,439 that. 74 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,620 But COVID not only robbed me of 75 00:02:13,620 --> 00:02:15,319 that deal and that opportunity, 76 00:02:15,340 --> 00:02:17,379 but it robbed me of 77 00:02:17,759 --> 00:02:20,079 my income and my business that I 78 00:02:20,079 --> 00:02:22,699 was running for those 15 years. 79 00:02:23,819 --> 00:02:26,500 And in that time, I spent a lot 80 00:02:26,500 --> 00:02:28,020 of time on the farm, a lot of 81 00:02:28,020 --> 00:02:29,099 time observing. 82 00:02:29,599 --> 00:02:32,060 And I started to realize in a 83 00:02:32,060 --> 00:02:33,079 world where everybody was 84 00:02:33,079 --> 00:02:34,000 talking about truth and 85 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,360 misinformation and what's true 86 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,659 and my truth and there's 87 00:02:37,659 --> 00:02:39,639 subjective truth and all this, 88 00:02:40,060 --> 00:02:42,120 I started to ask, what is truth? 89 00:02:42,340 --> 00:02:44,579 And I realized that nature was 90 00:02:44,579 --> 00:02:45,939 an expression of 91 00:02:46,289 --> 00:02:47,189 God's perfection. 92 00:02:48,129 --> 00:02:50,990 And so in being a seeker of 93 00:02:50,990 --> 00:02:51,790 truth, 94 00:02:52,300 --> 00:02:54,280 Could I take these constructs 95 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,099 that are being thrown through 96 00:02:56,099 --> 00:02:58,599 the air all the time for 97 00:02:58,599 --> 00:02:59,400 division, 98 00:02:59,500 --> 00:03:00,579 for dividing us? 99 00:03:01,019 --> 00:03:02,840 And could I take it to the 100 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:03,640 savanna, 101 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,430 the woods, or the farm and 102 00:03:06,430 --> 00:03:07,230 ask, 103 00:03:07,469 --> 00:03:09,230 does this exist in nature? 104 00:03:09,389 --> 00:03:10,490 And it really started with 105 00:03:10,490 --> 00:03:11,849 veganism. Like there is no 106 00:03:11,849 --> 00:03:13,509 veganism. It doesn't exist. 107 00:03:13,650 --> 00:03:15,569 My whole life was based on that. 108 00:03:15,870 --> 00:03:18,090 And then you get to the farm and 109 00:03:18,090 --> 00:03:18,890 you see that, 110 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:21,079 well, blood meal, bone meal, 111 00:03:21,930 --> 00:03:24,170 feather meal, chicken food, all 112 00:03:24,170 --> 00:03:25,449 coming out of the consolidated 113 00:03:25,449 --> 00:03:26,430 feedlot system. 114 00:03:26,930 --> 00:03:29,790 Organic fertilizer in the 115 00:03:29,790 --> 00:03:32,769 degenerative organic system is 116 00:03:32,769 --> 00:03:34,829 literally just byproducts of the 117 00:03:34,829 --> 00:03:35,790 death industry. 118 00:03:35,909 --> 00:03:36,849 And I say that in quotation 119 00:03:36,849 --> 00:03:38,469 marks that 120 00:03:38,909 --> 00:03:41,170 vegans hate. And so all of our 121 00:03:41,170 --> 00:03:41,970 vegetables 122 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,259 energetically are 123 00:03:44,980 --> 00:03:46,480 feeding on that death. 124 00:03:46,900 --> 00:03:49,099 And so there is no plate of food 125 00:03:49,099 --> 00:03:50,780 without death. I cannot have an 126 00:03:50,780 --> 00:03:52,459 animal on my plate, but my 127 00:03:52,459 --> 00:03:53,959 avocado toast, there was ground 128 00:03:53,959 --> 00:03:54,780 squirrels killed. 129 00:03:55,340 --> 00:03:57,219 have that avocado toast when 130 00:03:57,219 --> 00:03:58,800 those avocado trees were young. 131 00:03:59,199 --> 00:04:00,740 In the toast itself there was 132 00:04:00,740 --> 00:04:02,360 rabbits and squirrels and foxes 133 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,800 and whatever snakes and frogs 134 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,650 that were got up into the 135 00:04:06,650 --> 00:04:08,569 combine and there was 136 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,639 cats and rat traps to protect 137 00:04:11,639 --> 00:04:13,159 the grain. I mean there is no 138 00:04:13,159 --> 00:04:14,740 food without death. 139 00:04:14,979 --> 00:04:15,780 Every 140 00:04:16,389 --> 00:04:17,509 What's a part of there is no 141 00:04:17,509 --> 00:04:18,509 life without death. 142 00:04:18,629 --> 00:04:19,550 It's a part of the cycle. 143 00:04:20,250 --> 00:04:21,329 It's two sides of the same coin. 144 00:04:21,629 --> 00:04:22,990 It's not actually a failure. 145 00:04:23,470 --> 00:04:25,110 It's a function of life. 146 00:04:25,769 --> 00:04:26,590 And so my 147 00:04:27,189 --> 00:04:28,470 book is called Debunked by 148 00:04:28,470 --> 00:04:30,470 Nature. And essentially, I take 149 00:04:30,470 --> 00:04:33,550 these ideas that I was taught in 150 00:04:33,550 --> 00:04:36,009 college in Los Angeles, in 151 00:04:36,009 --> 00:04:36,810 Ithaca, New York. 152 00:04:36,870 --> 00:04:39,659 I grew up in the most liberal 153 00:04:40,740 --> 00:04:43,199 ideas. And I just say, 154 00:04:43,620 --> 00:04:44,600 Do they make sense? 155 00:04:44,639 --> 00:04:45,779 And not all my ideas are 156 00:04:45,779 --> 00:04:47,300 political that I question. 157 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:49,199 I talk about co -sleeping. 158 00:04:49,540 --> 00:04:50,879 I talk about breastfeeding. 159 00:04:51,540 --> 00:04:53,040 I talk about, you know, why 160 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:54,060 would we think we could, 161 00:04:54,659 --> 00:04:56,180 Nestle's company could make 162 00:04:56,180 --> 00:04:58,860 something more nutritious than 163 00:04:59,139 --> 00:04:59,939 the 164 00:05:00,019 --> 00:05:01,540 mother's milk? It doesn't make 165 00:05:01,540 --> 00:05:04,319 any sense. And would a lion 166 00:05:04,319 --> 00:05:05,120 sleep 167 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,139 far away from her child where 168 00:05:08,139 --> 00:05:08,939 she can't see it. 169 00:05:09,180 --> 00:05:11,259 Only time that happens in nature 170 00:05:11,259 --> 00:05:13,819 with mammals is when the deer, 171 00:05:14,060 --> 00:05:16,139 when bovine are first born and 172 00:05:16,139 --> 00:05:18,100 they don't have the scent of the 173 00:05:18,100 --> 00:05:19,920 animal yet. The mother will 174 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:21,519 sleep close by where she can see 175 00:05:21,519 --> 00:05:23,360 it, but that the predator would 176 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:24,879 come for her rather than the 177 00:05:24,879 --> 00:05:26,540 baby until the baby can run. 178 00:05:26,860 --> 00:05:28,459 That is the only time we see a 179 00:05:28,459 --> 00:05:30,720 mammal sleeping away from their 180 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:31,620 mother. 181 00:05:31,370 --> 00:05:32,170 young. 182 00:05:32,090 --> 00:05:34,090 And so we have created a culture 183 00:05:34,090 --> 00:05:35,189 where we put the baby in a 184 00:05:35,189 --> 00:05:36,709 separate room and watch it with 185 00:05:36,709 --> 00:05:38,269 a digital monitor or whatever. 186 00:05:38,629 --> 00:05:40,050 So not all my ideas are 187 00:05:40,970 --> 00:05:41,770 political. 188 00:05:42,069 --> 00:05:43,370 They're just kind of about 189 00:05:43,370 --> 00:05:44,569 societal norms. 190 00:05:45,029 --> 00:05:46,709 And are these things normal or 191 00:05:46,709 --> 00:05:47,970 have we lost our way? 192 00:05:48,069 --> 00:05:49,430 Has God shown us the perfect 193 00:05:49,430 --> 00:05:51,199 design and we are ignoring it? 194 00:05:52,199 --> 00:05:54,699 A bit ago, you mentioned some of 195 00:05:54,699 --> 00:05:56,839 the truths that you observed 196 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,139 emerging from nature when you 197 00:05:59,139 --> 00:06:00,040 started paying attention. 198 00:06:00,980 --> 00:06:02,339 I've always been intrigued by 199 00:06:02,339 --> 00:06:03,139 the 200 00:06:04,959 --> 00:06:07,600 analogs between 201 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,350 the way plants develop and 202 00:06:11,350 --> 00:06:12,889 livestock develop and our own 203 00:06:12,889 --> 00:06:14,209 spiritual growth as well. 204 00:06:14,370 --> 00:06:15,629 So this one example, 205 00:06:16,290 --> 00:06:17,829 that I've mentioned before is 206 00:06:17,829 --> 00:06:19,550 the process of the very simple 207 00:06:19,550 --> 00:06:20,709 process of photosynthesis. 208 00:06:20,990 --> 00:06:22,810 And it's 24 hour circadian 209 00:06:22,810 --> 00:06:23,610 rhythm. 210 00:06:24,159 --> 00:06:25,259 You have plants that are 211 00:06:25,259 --> 00:06:27,000 collecting energy from the light 212 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,060 during the day while the sun is 213 00:06:29,060 --> 00:06:29,860 shining 214 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,379 and storing and conserving that 215 00:06:32,379 --> 00:06:34,360 energy to grow at night. 216 00:06:34,939 --> 00:06:36,639 80 % of cell division happens 217 00:06:36,639 --> 00:06:37,680 between 3 a .m. 218 00:06:37,699 --> 00:06:38,500 and 219 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:38,659 8 a .m. or 220 00:06:38,659 --> 00:06:40,720 you could say during the darkest 221 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:41,939 time of the night and at dawn. 222 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:43,640 And when you think about that 223 00:06:43,540 --> 00:06:44,740 from a spiritual perspective, 224 00:06:45,250 --> 00:06:46,909 There's a powerful analog here 225 00:06:46,909 --> 00:06:48,430 that we are to collect energy 226 00:06:48,430 --> 00:06:49,889 from the light during the bright 227 00:06:49,889 --> 00:06:51,170 times of our lives so 228 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:53,180 that we have conserved energy 229 00:06:53,180 --> 00:06:54,500 and stored energy to 230 00:06:55,100 --> 00:06:57,430 develop and grow during the 231 00:06:57,430 --> 00:06:58,490 trials and tribulations that 232 00:06:58,490 --> 00:06:59,290 come. 233 00:07:00,069 --> 00:07:00,870 And 234 00:07:00,629 --> 00:07:01,430 so 235 00:07:01,209 --> 00:07:02,009 my 236 00:07:02,319 --> 00:07:04,220 question, you mentioned you've 237 00:07:04,220 --> 00:07:05,519 touched on a few, but what are 238 00:07:05,519 --> 00:07:07,180 some of the truths that you 239 00:07:07,180 --> 00:07:09,620 observed in nature that or 240 00:07:10,090 --> 00:07:12,090 some of your memorable moments 241 00:07:12,090 --> 00:07:13,850 that you look back now and you 242 00:07:13,850 --> 00:07:15,009 say, aha, that was a 243 00:07:15,009 --> 00:07:15,810 breakthrough? 244 00:07:17,250 --> 00:07:18,050 Yeah. 245 00:07:18,779 --> 00:07:20,500 I've told this story before, but 246 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:22,399 I was 247 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,079 breastfeeding my second child, 248 00:07:26,220 --> 00:07:28,019 and my first child was a 249 00:07:28,019 --> 00:07:28,819 toddler. 250 00:07:28,899 --> 00:07:30,980 And I was vegan, and my mindset 251 00:07:30,980 --> 00:07:31,780 was vegan, 252 00:07:32,199 --> 00:07:35,129 and I was feeding my toddler oat 253 00:07:35,129 --> 00:07:35,930 milk. 254 00:07:35,750 --> 00:07:37,550 My father had given me a cow. 255 00:07:37,649 --> 00:07:38,449 Her name is Una. 256 00:07:38,370 --> 00:07:39,189 I still have Una. 257 00:07:40,290 --> 00:07:41,090 And 258 00:07:41,060 --> 00:07:43,579 she was bred when I got her, and 259 00:07:44,340 --> 00:07:46,660 she had a bull calf. 260 00:07:47,279 --> 00:07:49,379 And her udder is very, very big. 261 00:07:49,519 --> 00:07:51,040 She's a European big. 262 00:07:51,839 --> 00:07:53,980 And her back two teats were too 263 00:07:53,980 --> 00:07:56,019 low to the ground for the calf 264 00:07:56,019 --> 00:07:57,639 to nurse on. So he just focused 265 00:07:57,639 --> 00:07:58,860 on the front two, and we were 266 00:07:58,860 --> 00:08:00,939 milking off the back two. 267 00:08:01,279 --> 00:08:02,759 And we had got her for compost. 268 00:08:02,959 --> 00:08:04,220 I was still in my vegan mind. 269 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:05,040 I was going to have a cow. 270 00:08:05,139 --> 00:08:05,980 I was going to set off my 271 00:08:05,980 --> 00:08:07,060 compost with her poop. 272 00:08:07,699 --> 00:08:08,500 And 273 00:08:08,660 --> 00:08:10,199 But my uncle was drinking the 274 00:08:10,199 --> 00:08:11,779 milk from those back two teats. 275 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:13,439 And so I go to get the oat milk 276 00:08:13,439 --> 00:08:14,240 out of the refrigerator. 277 00:08:14,399 --> 00:08:17,040 I'm holding my infant nursing on 278 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,040 my mind. I'm nursing the infant. 279 00:08:19,180 --> 00:08:20,100 That's perfect food. 280 00:08:20,180 --> 00:08:21,939 It's divine. It's it's all the 281 00:08:21,939 --> 00:08:23,019 nutrients, everything that it 282 00:08:23,019 --> 00:08:24,439 needs for this area has the 283 00:08:24,439 --> 00:08:25,600 microbiology has the 284 00:08:26,129 --> 00:08:29,269 the immune stuff for this exact 285 00:08:29,269 --> 00:08:30,069 area. 286 00:08:30,050 --> 00:08:31,449 And I look at the oat milk and 287 00:08:31,449 --> 00:08:33,129 the Tetra Pak from Costco, and I 288 00:08:33,129 --> 00:08:34,970 look at this glass half gallon 289 00:08:34,970 --> 00:08:37,710 ball jar of Una's milk in my 290 00:08:37,710 --> 00:08:38,509 refrigerator. 291 00:08:38,590 --> 00:08:39,570 And I think, 292 00:08:40,570 --> 00:08:42,389 why would I think 293 00:08:42,870 --> 00:08:45,039 that that is death? 294 00:08:45,139 --> 00:08:46,919 That is pus, that is gross, that 295 00:08:46,919 --> 00:08:47,840 is bad for you. 296 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,559 And this oat milk, sterile Tetra 297 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:52,799 Pak from Costco is 298 00:08:54,009 --> 00:08:56,190 somehow good for my kid. 299 00:08:56,309 --> 00:08:57,109 Like it just, 300 00:08:57,399 --> 00:08:58,960 broke my head at that moment 301 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,180 because obviously the breast is 302 00:09:01,180 --> 00:09:03,350 best. And then Una is living in 303 00:09:03,350 --> 00:09:05,029 the same environment as I am, 304 00:09:05,110 --> 00:09:05,909 but dirtier. 305 00:09:06,450 --> 00:09:08,090 And so her milk has to be 306 00:09:08,090 --> 00:09:10,009 healthful and nourishing for my 307 00:09:10,009 --> 00:09:10,809 toddler, 308 00:09:10,750 --> 00:09:11,889 cannot be harmful. 309 00:09:12,509 --> 00:09:14,350 And I just like secretly, I 310 00:09:14,350 --> 00:09:15,509 didn't even want the vegans to 311 00:09:15,509 --> 00:09:17,169 know that I was secretly feeding 312 00:09:17,169 --> 00:09:19,490 my toddler raw milk from my cow 313 00:09:19,490 --> 00:09:21,129 because I was afraid. 314 00:09:23,639 --> 00:09:26,960 So what happened in the shift 315 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,319 from that moment you had this 316 00:09:30,319 --> 00:09:31,580 realization, in that moment you 317 00:09:31,580 --> 00:09:32,379 were afraid, 318 00:09:32,639 --> 00:09:35,779 and now you stand on the eve of 319 00:09:35,779 --> 00:09:36,960 releasing this book, 320 00:09:37,730 --> 00:09:38,529 which 321 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,059 hopefully 322 00:09:40,730 --> 00:09:42,769 controversial in the very best 323 00:09:42,769 --> 00:09:43,569 sort of way. 324 00:09:43,730 --> 00:09:44,590 Controversial in the sense that 325 00:09:44,590 --> 00:09:45,710 it inspires lots of 326 00:09:45,710 --> 00:09:46,809 conversations and inspires 327 00:09:46,809 --> 00:09:48,169 people to reevaluate what 328 00:09:48,169 --> 00:09:49,470 happened from that moment of 329 00:09:49,879 --> 00:09:52,179 being afraid to speak out to 330 00:09:52,179 --> 00:09:52,979 now. 331 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:54,360 I'm still afraid. 332 00:09:54,580 --> 00:09:55,620 Being a torchbearer. 333 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,100 I mean, I think I'm still 334 00:09:57,100 --> 00:09:57,919 afraid. I think 335 00:09:59,759 --> 00:10:01,559 I don't think anybody's not 336 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:03,340 afraid. I think it's either you 337 00:10:03,340 --> 00:10:04,879 can be afraid and you can still 338 00:10:04,879 --> 00:10:07,580 take action or you're afraid and 339 00:10:07,580 --> 00:10:08,460 you're in inaction. 340 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,240 And so just the other night, me 341 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:12,320 and my husband went somewhere 342 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:13,500 and then we stopped on the way 343 00:10:13,500 --> 00:10:14,679 home and I went to the restroom 344 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:15,479 and 345 00:10:15,210 --> 00:10:17,690 someone stopped me in the 346 00:10:17,909 --> 00:10:20,350 restroom and said, I know who 347 00:10:20,350 --> 00:10:21,669 you are, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma. 348 00:10:21,789 --> 00:10:23,809 And I said, oh, thank you. 349 00:10:24,519 --> 00:10:26,659 And I all of a sudden had this 350 00:10:26,659 --> 00:10:28,980 like fear come over me because I 351 00:10:28,980 --> 00:10:29,779 wrote this book 352 00:10:30,389 --> 00:10:32,679 in in the three hours of the 353 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:33,799 morning from four a .m. 354 00:10:33,860 --> 00:10:34,799 to six a .m. 355 00:10:35,100 --> 00:10:36,220 at that time that we're supposed 356 00:10:36,220 --> 00:10:37,019 to be growing. Right. 357 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:38,359 I 358 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:38,759 got 359 00:10:38,419 --> 00:10:39,219 up at four a .m. 360 00:10:39,180 --> 00:10:39,980 for six weeks 361 00:10:39,919 --> 00:10:41,539 every morning when my kids were 362 00:10:41,539 --> 00:10:42,799 sleeping. No kid on 363 00:10:42,799 --> 00:10:44,080 the boob. No, nothing. 364 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:45,539 I could just focus and did it 365 00:10:45,539 --> 00:10:46,779 from six, eight, four a .m. 366 00:10:46,799 --> 00:10:47,599 to six a .m. 367 00:10:47,759 --> 00:10:48,899 So I was very intimate. 368 00:10:48,940 --> 00:10:50,299 It was me in the living room of 369 00:10:50,299 --> 00:10:52,799 my home in very dark kind of 370 00:10:53,139 --> 00:10:54,879 cave like experience. 371 00:10:54,879 --> 00:10:56,539 And I just told the truth. 372 00:10:56,659 --> 00:10:58,360 The truth came out of my heart 373 00:10:58,360 --> 00:10:59,159 and I 374 00:10:59,590 --> 00:11:00,909 felt like it was just coming out 375 00:11:00,909 --> 00:11:01,830 of me, coming out of me, coming 376 00:11:01,830 --> 00:11:02,629 out of me. 377 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:04,399 And then I sent it 378 00:11:04,809 --> 00:11:06,409 to Taylor and he gave it to Paul 379 00:11:06,409 --> 00:11:07,629 and Paul and me went back and 380 00:11:07,629 --> 00:11:08,610 forth. And that's the editor 381 00:11:08,610 --> 00:11:09,409 from acres. 382 00:11:09,860 --> 00:11:11,379 And then it's just me and Paul. 383 00:11:11,519 --> 00:11:12,840 And so that's pretty intimate 384 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:14,180 too. And then 385 00:11:14,529 --> 00:11:15,750 all of a sudden you're like, Oh, 386 00:11:15,750 --> 00:11:16,649 we need some blurbs. 387 00:11:16,710 --> 00:11:17,509 So it's like, we're going to 388 00:11:17,470 --> 00:11:18,610 give it to a few people to get a 389 00:11:18,610 --> 00:11:20,049 blurb. And then all of a sudden 390 00:11:20,049 --> 00:11:22,009 I had this realization in the 391 00:11:22,009 --> 00:11:23,069 restroom as this woman was like, 392 00:11:23,110 --> 00:11:24,430 Oh my God, Molly, I follow you 393 00:11:24,430 --> 00:11:25,230 on Instagram. 394 00:11:25,230 --> 00:11:26,470 And I just had this thought 395 00:11:26,470 --> 00:11:27,269 like, Oh my God, 396 00:11:28,049 --> 00:11:30,269 I just felt so naked, like my 397 00:11:30,269 --> 00:11:32,750 whole soul is on display, but 398 00:11:33,379 --> 00:11:35,299 I believe that I was led there. 399 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,200 this because the way I tell this 400 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:39,779 story is not didactic. 401 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:41,580 It is not telling people what 402 00:11:41,580 --> 00:11:43,360 they must believe, but in the 403 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,620 most honest way and sometimes 404 00:11:45,620 --> 00:11:46,519 looking bad, 405 00:11:47,500 --> 00:11:49,159 how did I believe this thing? 406 00:11:49,220 --> 00:11:50,639 And now how do I believe this 407 00:11:50,639 --> 00:11:52,919 thing and connecting those dots? 408 00:11:52,980 --> 00:11:54,820 And I'm hoping that 409 00:11:55,169 --> 00:11:57,220 it is controversial in that 410 00:11:57,220 --> 00:11:59,379 people find out about it and I 411 00:11:59,379 --> 00:12:01,100 can connect those dots for other 412 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:01,899 people. 413 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:03,179 Because the 414 00:12:04,610 --> 00:12:07,450 idea that I jumped out of bed 415 00:12:07,450 --> 00:12:09,649 five days after having a baby 416 00:12:09,649 --> 00:12:11,769 and strapped my baby to me and 417 00:12:11,769 --> 00:12:14,370 went to work to prove that I was 418 00:12:14,370 --> 00:12:15,769 just as strong as a man, 419 00:12:16,409 --> 00:12:17,209 that's broken. 420 00:12:17,610 --> 00:12:18,409 That idea, 421 00:12:18,799 --> 00:12:21,889 and that harms my body, it harms 422 00:12:21,889 --> 00:12:22,689 my children. 423 00:12:23,090 --> 00:12:23,889 And 424 00:12:23,460 --> 00:12:25,419 what kind of idea is that? 425 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:26,879 Like, I need to be as strong as 426 00:12:26,879 --> 00:12:27,679 a man? 427 00:12:28,330 --> 00:12:29,950 who cannot push a baby out of 428 00:12:29,950 --> 00:12:31,389 them, grow a baby in them and 429 00:12:31,389 --> 00:12:32,649 bring it forth into this world, 430 00:12:32,889 --> 00:12:35,289 five days later, and I'm just 431 00:12:35,289 --> 00:12:37,350 like there at work, pale as can 432 00:12:37,350 --> 00:12:38,149 be, bleeding, 433 00:12:38,569 --> 00:12:40,990 proving how strong I am, that 434 00:12:40,990 --> 00:12:43,720 mindset that I can do anything 435 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:45,899 he can do, instead of that we 436 00:12:45,899 --> 00:12:47,879 are a bond and we are two 437 00:12:48,190 --> 00:12:50,430 halves of one whole, 438 00:12:51,100 --> 00:12:53,990 each perfect in our shortcomings 439 00:12:53,990 --> 00:12:56,230 and our strengths to complement 440 00:12:56,230 --> 00:12:57,029 each other, 441 00:12:57,610 --> 00:13:00,909 I was indoctrinated and I spent 442 00:13:00,909 --> 00:13:02,590 much of my life trying to live 443 00:13:02,590 --> 00:13:04,690 up to these ideas that I was 444 00:13:04,690 --> 00:13:07,409 told. And if I can give a woman 445 00:13:07,409 --> 00:13:09,769 a permission at a much younger 446 00:13:09,769 --> 00:13:11,049 age to start having children, 447 00:13:11,389 --> 00:13:13,389 at a much younger age to decide 448 00:13:13,389 --> 00:13:14,950 to let her husband be the 449 00:13:14,950 --> 00:13:15,750 breadwinner, 450 00:13:16,899 --> 00:13:18,600 I will love to cause 451 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:20,759 just that little transformation. 452 00:13:21,019 --> 00:13:21,819 If I can, 453 00:13:21,879 --> 00:13:22,679 I had 454 00:13:24,009 --> 00:13:24,990 Abortions when I was younger, 455 00:13:25,129 --> 00:13:26,649 like, I'm going to have to live 456 00:13:26,649 --> 00:13:28,370 with that sin that I did that. 457 00:13:28,450 --> 00:13:30,190 But if I can lead someone. 458 00:13:30,289 --> 00:13:32,990 through my experience to where I 459 00:13:32,990 --> 00:13:35,370 am at 47 and where I was at 22 460 00:13:35,370 --> 00:13:38,179 and let them see my mistakes, 461 00:13:38,299 --> 00:13:39,820 maybe they don't have to live 462 00:13:39,820 --> 00:13:41,259 the mistakes I did. 463 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,679 And maybe God can use my 464 00:13:43,899 --> 00:13:45,860 shortcomings and 465 00:13:46,169 --> 00:13:47,730 my missteps to 466 00:13:48,809 --> 00:13:50,950 help other women feel strength 467 00:13:50,950 --> 00:13:54,370 in being the feminine that they 468 00:13:54,370 --> 00:13:55,169 are. 469 00:13:55,899 --> 00:13:57,100 And that's just one part of the 470 00:13:57,100 --> 00:13:58,679 book. But in the feminine and 471 00:13:58,679 --> 00:13:59,479 masculine, 472 00:13:59,340 --> 00:14:00,840 if I if just that could help 473 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:02,240 people, I feel like 474 00:14:03,259 --> 00:14:04,799 that would be great because I 475 00:14:04,799 --> 00:14:06,500 feel like way the way I pushed 476 00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:08,840 my body for my first two 477 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,399 children, what was not right, 478 00:14:11,639 --> 00:14:12,919 and especially at the age that I 479 00:14:12,919 --> 00:14:13,719 was. 480 00:14:15,190 --> 00:14:16,370 Well, sometimes we approach 481 00:14:16,370 --> 00:14:17,590 projects because 482 00:14:18,220 --> 00:14:19,559 we're passionate about them. 483 00:14:20,490 --> 00:14:22,090 Sometimes we approach projects 484 00:14:22,090 --> 00:14:23,190 because they're a dream that 485 00:14:23,190 --> 00:14:24,289 we've had for a long time. 486 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:26,740 And sometimes we're led into 487 00:14:26,740 --> 00:14:28,539 projects kind of inadvertently, 488 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:29,819 and we only realize what we're 489 00:14:29,819 --> 00:14:31,220 doing kind of after the fact. 490 00:14:32,340 --> 00:14:34,720 And so 491 00:14:35,580 --> 00:14:38,259 as you now stand on this stage, 492 00:14:38,319 --> 00:14:39,960 obviously, you've you've 493 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:41,159 completed writing the book. 494 00:14:41,259 --> 00:14:42,059 You have a manuscript. 495 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:43,259 You're about to send it out into 496 00:14:43,259 --> 00:14:44,059 the world. 497 00:14:45,509 --> 00:14:46,370 You just 498 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:48,399 you preempted part of my 499 00:14:48,399 --> 00:14:49,460 question. So now I'm going to 500 00:14:49,460 --> 00:14:50,659 expand that. I was going to ask 501 00:14:50,659 --> 00:14:52,450 the question, what are what are 502 00:14:52,450 --> 00:14:53,870 the changes that you hope can be 503 00:14:53,870 --> 00:14:55,569 inspired in people's lives by 504 00:14:55,569 --> 00:14:56,490 raising the book in the world? 505 00:14:56,490 --> 00:14:58,210 But now I'd like to broaden 506 00:14:58,210 --> 00:14:59,009 that. 507 00:15:01,019 --> 00:15:02,299 more expansively than just what 508 00:15:02,299 --> 00:15:03,440 you described for young women? 509 00:15:03,559 --> 00:15:04,519 What are all the possible 510 00:15:04,519 --> 00:15:05,319 transformations? 511 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:06,279 What are all the possible things 512 00:15:06,279 --> 00:15:07,799 that you hope might come true by 513 00:15:07,799 --> 00:15:08,680 putting this book into the 514 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:09,480 world? 515 00:15:10,700 --> 00:15:12,180 Well, I feel that we're in a 516 00:15:12,180 --> 00:15:14,519 place and in a time where 517 00:15:14,799 --> 00:15:16,419 everything is about division. 518 00:15:16,980 --> 00:15:17,779 And 519 00:15:17,460 --> 00:15:18,340 I think, 520 00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:20,519 and we're all consuming so much 521 00:15:20,519 --> 00:15:22,860 information and there's so much. 522 00:15:23,389 --> 00:15:24,669 But if you look at all the 523 00:15:24,669 --> 00:15:25,469 information that we have, we're 524 00:15:25,389 --> 00:15:26,750 consuming, whether it's social 525 00:15:26,750 --> 00:15:27,549 media, whether it's 526 00:15:27,509 --> 00:15:28,970 environmental justice, whether 527 00:15:28,970 --> 00:15:30,429 it's regenerative agriculture, 528 00:15:30,889 --> 00:15:31,710 chemical agriculture, 529 00:15:33,190 --> 00:15:35,269 a lot of the underlying message 530 00:15:35,269 --> 00:15:37,230 is like us and them, 531 00:15:37,610 --> 00:15:38,909 good and bad, 532 00:15:39,309 --> 00:15:40,169 separation, separation, 533 00:15:40,350 --> 00:15:41,149 separation. 534 00:15:41,820 --> 00:15:42,620 And 535 00:15:43,230 --> 00:15:44,970 while we're fighting about all 536 00:15:44,970 --> 00:15:45,769 these things, 537 00:15:46,139 --> 00:15:47,559 the ability for us to reproduce 538 00:15:47,559 --> 00:15:49,460 is being poisoned out of us. 539 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,860 Our ability to even have local 540 00:15:53,860 --> 00:15:55,759 secure food systems is 541 00:15:55,759 --> 00:15:57,340 collapsing. We're in an agrarian 542 00:15:57,340 --> 00:15:58,879 collapse that has never been 543 00:15:58,879 --> 00:15:59,700 seen before. 544 00:16:01,019 --> 00:16:03,460 170 ,000 farms, you were there 545 00:16:03,460 --> 00:16:04,279 when I got corrected. 546 00:16:04,419 --> 00:16:07,639 I said 140 ,000 and Merrill West 547 00:16:07,639 --> 00:16:09,779 from the Free Farm Alliance 548 00:16:09,779 --> 00:16:12,899 said, I think it's 170 ,000 in 549 00:16:12,899 --> 00:16:14,600 eight years. So if that's true, 550 00:16:15,289 --> 00:16:17,370 That's one in 15 farms we lost 551 00:16:17,370 --> 00:16:19,529 in the last eight years. 552 00:16:20,009 --> 00:16:21,909 I just spoke to a representative 553 00:16:21,909 --> 00:16:22,709 in Texas. 554 00:16:22,970 --> 00:16:24,930 He said that Texas lost 4 ,000 555 00:16:24,930 --> 00:16:27,230 family farms in the last year. 556 00:16:27,690 --> 00:16:29,350 So we are in a collapse. 557 00:16:29,690 --> 00:16:32,669 And my hope is that 558 00:16:33,169 --> 00:16:35,490 on a greater scale, people can 559 00:16:35,490 --> 00:16:37,230 be drawn back to the land. 560 00:16:37,370 --> 00:16:39,289 And if not, that may not mean 561 00:16:39,289 --> 00:16:41,049 they're going to pick up a 562 00:16:41,049 --> 00:16:42,149 garden hoe or they're going to 563 00:16:42,149 --> 00:16:43,509 pick up a shovel or get on a 564 00:16:43,509 --> 00:16:44,309 tractor. 565 00:16:44,919 --> 00:16:46,039 that maybe it means they're 566 00:16:46,039 --> 00:16:47,620 willing to drive 45 minutes to 567 00:16:47,620 --> 00:16:49,519 pick up raw milk from their 568 00:16:49,519 --> 00:16:51,600 local Amish farmer, or they're 569 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:53,039 willing to drive out and get a 570 00:16:53,039 --> 00:16:55,600 CSA box, or join a CSA, or get a 571 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,110 meat box, or any of those 572 00:16:58,110 --> 00:16:59,049 things. Because 573 00:16:59,419 --> 00:17:01,759 so many farmers are white 574 00:17:01,759 --> 00:17:02,559 knuckling it, 575 00:17:02,919 --> 00:17:04,460 working a second job 576 00:17:05,029 --> 00:17:07,009 just to lose money to grow our 577 00:17:07,009 --> 00:17:09,460 food. And this is not right. 578 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:10,880 And although that's not what my 579 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:11,700 book is about, 580 00:17:12,829 --> 00:17:14,390 being reconnected to how 581 00:17:14,390 --> 00:17:16,769 important healthy soil is and 582 00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:19,259 being in the circadian rhythm of 583 00:17:19,259 --> 00:17:21,460 life and eating local food and 584 00:17:21,460 --> 00:17:23,500 the coherency of local food and 585 00:17:23,500 --> 00:17:24,299 all of that. 586 00:17:25,279 --> 00:17:26,680 I hope that it inspires people 587 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:28,740 to remember that there is more 588 00:17:29,759 --> 00:17:32,359 people than there is masters. 589 00:17:32,980 --> 00:17:34,779 And so we get to vote every time 590 00:17:34,779 --> 00:17:36,319 we spend our money and. 591 00:17:37,069 --> 00:17:38,750 there is these resilient 592 00:17:38,750 --> 00:17:40,410 communities in parts of this 593 00:17:40,410 --> 00:17:41,849 country and in parts of other 594 00:17:41,849 --> 00:17:42,649 countries, 595 00:17:42,730 --> 00:17:44,670 and there's largely non 596 00:17:44,670 --> 00:17:45,630 -resilient communities. 597 00:17:45,869 --> 00:17:47,869 And I want us to move back to 598 00:17:47,869 --> 00:17:49,049 more resiliency. 599 00:17:49,349 --> 00:17:50,569 And I was just talking about 600 00:17:50,569 --> 00:17:51,609 this with my husband yesterday, 601 00:17:51,710 --> 00:17:52,670 because he's 602 00:17:53,490 --> 00:17:55,150 Mexican and he's indigenous from 603 00:17:55,150 --> 00:17:55,950 Mexico. 604 00:17:55,829 --> 00:17:57,210 And someone called me last night 605 00:17:57,210 --> 00:17:59,190 and said somebody that I went to 606 00:17:59,190 --> 00:18:00,769 high school had died of a drug 607 00:18:00,769 --> 00:18:01,869 overdose. And 608 00:18:03,690 --> 00:18:04,809 I told 609 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:06,460 my husband and I 610 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:09,779 He said, that seems like you get 611 00:18:09,779 --> 00:18:11,299 that phone call all the time. 612 00:18:11,380 --> 00:18:13,180 And I said, it's been a lot. 613 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:14,380 And I tried to count and I 614 00:18:14,380 --> 00:18:15,700 actually couldn't remember all 615 00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:18,140 the people from my hometown that 616 00:18:18,140 --> 00:18:19,240 have died of a drug overdose. 617 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:21,240 And then if you add the people I 618 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:22,420 know in Los Angeles from the 619 00:18:22,420 --> 00:18:24,259 time I lived there, and he's 620 00:18:24,259 --> 00:18:25,900 from this small indigenous 621 00:18:25,900 --> 00:18:26,960 village in Mexico. 622 00:18:27,380 --> 00:18:28,619 And he said, you know, I don't 623 00:18:28,619 --> 00:18:29,660 know anybody that died 624 00:18:30,069 --> 00:18:30,869 of 625 00:18:31,150 --> 00:18:32,069 a drug overdose. 626 00:18:32,390 --> 00:18:33,470 And I said, you don't? 627 00:18:33,589 --> 00:18:35,130 And we got to talking and he 628 00:18:35,130 --> 00:18:36,230 said he knows one guy that 629 00:18:36,230 --> 00:18:38,009 passed out drunk and died of 630 00:18:38,009 --> 00:18:39,910 smoke inhalation, 631 00:18:40,309 --> 00:18:42,349 but he doesn't have any body. 632 00:18:43,140 --> 00:18:44,200 And he said that it's just 633 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:45,380 starting to creep into the 634 00:18:45,380 --> 00:18:46,180 villages. 635 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,279 But in Oaxaca, there's largely 636 00:18:48,279 --> 00:18:50,759 no government in the 637 00:18:50,759 --> 00:18:51,559 municipalities. 638 00:18:51,460 --> 00:18:54,019 It's all elders and 639 00:18:54,019 --> 00:18:57,099 patrols, men controlling the, 640 00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:59,240 you know, and it's all kind of 641 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:00,039 social 642 00:19:02,089 --> 00:19:04,309 governance and not big 643 00:19:04,309 --> 00:19:05,950 government. And I thought it's 644 00:19:05,950 --> 00:19:06,890 very interesting. 645 00:19:07,069 --> 00:19:07,869 So I looked it up. 646 00:19:07,890 --> 00:19:09,349 We have a five thousand eight 647 00:19:09,349 --> 00:19:12,069 hundred times the death rate 648 00:19:12,069 --> 00:19:13,490 from drugs in the United States 649 00:19:13,490 --> 00:19:14,789 that they do in Mexico. 650 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:18,220 It's 31 people per 100 ,000 651 00:19:18,220 --> 00:19:19,019 here, 652 00:19:19,039 --> 00:19:19,839 and it's 0 653 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:22,900 .53 in Mexico, 654 00:19:23,299 --> 00:19:25,859 and 0 .71 in the urban areas of 655 00:19:25,859 --> 00:19:27,460 Mexico. So it's a little higher 656 00:19:27,460 --> 00:19:28,880 in the urban areas, but still 657 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:29,819 very, very low. 658 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,299 And so my point is that when the 659 00:19:32,299 --> 00:19:33,099 family 660 00:19:33,579 --> 00:19:35,759 So in these rural communities in 661 00:19:35,759 --> 00:19:36,559 Mexico, 662 00:19:36,420 --> 00:19:37,900 still largely governed by the 663 00:19:37,900 --> 00:19:38,700 community, 664 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:39,839 and it's still largely governed 665 00:19:39,839 --> 00:19:41,900 by the family unit, the mother, 666 00:19:42,019 --> 00:19:43,519 father, child as the foundation 667 00:19:43,519 --> 00:19:44,640 and the greater community 668 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:46,539 outside of that, that that 669 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:48,680 way of governance is the 670 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:50,680 greatest way of governance that 671 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:52,380 humanity has ever had. 672 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,480 And it is not a relic of the 673 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,500 past, but it is a reflection of 674 00:19:56,500 --> 00:19:57,880 what we need to get back to. 675 00:19:58,279 --> 00:19:59,079 And so 676 00:19:59,079 --> 00:20:00,740 Ultimately, I hope that we can 677 00:20:00,740 --> 00:20:02,740 get to more communal living, 678 00:20:03,339 --> 00:20:04,139 tribal, 679 00:20:04,099 --> 00:20:06,240 not tribal exactly, but living 680 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:08,559 in groups where our wealth is 681 00:20:08,559 --> 00:20:11,380 not measured by Bitcoin or 682 00:20:11,380 --> 00:20:14,029 dollars in the bank, but how 683 00:20:14,029 --> 00:20:14,829 many 684 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:17,019 people can come to our aid when 685 00:20:17,019 --> 00:20:18,700 something goes wrong and how 686 00:20:18,700 --> 00:20:21,259 many resources we have combined. 687 00:20:21,700 --> 00:20:22,500 And 688 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,299 that's what real value is. 689 00:20:25,380 --> 00:20:26,759 And that is what I would hope 690 00:20:27,849 --> 00:20:29,349 is the outcome of the book. 691 00:20:29,390 --> 00:20:30,589 And you might say, well, it's a 692 00:20:30,589 --> 00:20:31,970 weird outcome from what you're 693 00:20:31,970 --> 00:20:32,769 talking about. 694 00:20:32,970 --> 00:20:34,890 But no, I don't think that's the 695 00:20:34,890 --> 00:20:36,869 natural way for us to be living. 696 00:20:37,789 --> 00:20:39,990 And I would say that this 697 00:20:39,990 --> 00:20:41,029 weekend, you know, we're doing 698 00:20:41,029 --> 00:20:42,509 this big festival and some 699 00:20:42,509 --> 00:20:43,710 people quit at the last minute. 700 00:20:43,890 --> 00:20:44,990 And people that haven't worked 701 00:20:44,990 --> 00:20:46,470 for me in a year showed up and 702 00:20:46,470 --> 00:20:47,450 said they're going to work and 703 00:20:47,450 --> 00:20:48,650 called their friend who's an IT 704 00:20:48,650 --> 00:20:49,829 guy to fix this thing. 705 00:20:49,910 --> 00:20:52,789 And, you know, all that goodwill 706 00:20:52,789 --> 00:20:54,390 and grace that I have in the 707 00:20:54,390 --> 00:20:55,670 community from just 708 00:20:56,319 --> 00:20:57,980 Shows back up and that's more 709 00:20:57,980 --> 00:20:59,900 valuable than money. 710 00:21:02,150 --> 00:21:02,950 You know, there are 711 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:04,159 political 712 00:21:04,430 --> 00:21:07,819 elements to what you've written 713 00:21:07,819 --> 00:21:09,769 about in your book only largely 714 00:21:09,769 --> 00:21:11,859 because. so many of these issues 715 00:21:11,859 --> 00:21:13,740 and these stories have become 716 00:21:13,740 --> 00:21:15,359 politicized over the last decade 717 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:16,159 or two. 718 00:21:16,759 --> 00:21:18,680 But there is this element 719 00:21:19,349 --> 00:21:20,309 of 720 00:21:20,910 --> 00:21:22,809 being on the conservative end of 721 00:21:22,809 --> 00:21:24,349 the spectrum at its very 722 00:21:24,349 --> 00:21:25,149 foundation. 723 00:21:26,009 --> 00:21:26,809 Part 724 00:21:27,019 --> 00:21:28,680 of being a conservative is that 725 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:29,480 there are 726 00:21:29,660 --> 00:21:32,960 values and morals and things 727 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:34,880 that you have a desire to 728 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:35,680 conserve. 729 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:37,660 There is a desire to conserve 730 00:21:37,660 --> 00:21:38,799 things and preserve them for the 731 00:21:38,799 --> 00:21:39,599 future. 732 00:21:40,819 --> 00:21:41,619 And 733 00:21:41,299 --> 00:21:43,740 perhaps I shouldn't have framed 734 00:21:43,740 --> 00:21:44,920 this question quite in this way, 735 00:21:45,019 --> 00:21:46,680 but I'll just ask it from a very 736 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:47,500 open perspective. 737 00:21:48,259 --> 00:21:49,339 What are the things... 738 00:21:49,519 --> 00:21:50,460 I love your title. 739 00:21:50,619 --> 00:21:52,140 I love the title, Debunked by 740 00:21:52,140 --> 00:21:53,359 Nature, because I think if we 741 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:55,599 went back to the foundational 742 00:21:55,599 --> 00:21:57,579 spiritual principles that are 743 00:21:57,890 --> 00:21:59,589 evidenced in nature, that are 744 00:21:59,589 --> 00:22:00,509 displayed in nature 745 00:22:01,109 --> 00:22:02,369 as God's creation, 746 00:22:03,099 --> 00:22:03,899 then 747 00:22:06,019 --> 00:22:07,160 I just lost my train of thought. 748 00:22:07,220 --> 00:22:08,099 What was my question going to? 749 00:22:08,140 --> 00:22:09,259 Oh, my question was going to be 750 00:22:09,259 --> 00:22:11,559 with that with that title and 751 00:22:11,559 --> 00:22:12,480 with some of the things that 752 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:13,279 you've written about. 753 00:22:13,859 --> 00:22:15,019 Oh, what is it that you want 754 00:22:15,019 --> 00:22:16,500 people to know about the book? 755 00:22:19,059 --> 00:22:21,289 That I'm totally honest, that 756 00:22:21,599 --> 00:22:24,279 I share exactly where I was and 757 00:22:24,279 --> 00:22:26,599 how I got to where I am. 758 00:22:27,470 --> 00:22:28,269 And when 759 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:30,720 I say Mother Nature is 760 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,240 conservative, I in the byline of 761 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,720 the book, I do mean that in the 762 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:38,660 sense that there is things that 763 00:22:38,660 --> 00:22:40,019 want to be conserved, that 764 00:22:40,019 --> 00:22:41,559 nature is always healing itself. 765 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:43,200 It's always trying to get back 766 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:44,779 to a homeostasis. 767 00:22:45,279 --> 00:22:47,539 And so I don't mean like 768 00:22:48,390 --> 00:22:50,269 nature is Trump Vance. 769 00:22:50,369 --> 00:22:51,630 That's not what I mean. 770 00:22:53,650 --> 00:22:56,069 I don't think nature cares one 771 00:22:56,069 --> 00:22:56,869 bit. 772 00:22:57,579 --> 00:22:59,700 What I mean is there 773 00:23:01,390 --> 00:23:03,049 is ways that are just 774 00:23:03,650 --> 00:23:06,029 foundationally positive of God's 775 00:23:06,029 --> 00:23:08,369 design that we can see in 776 00:23:08,369 --> 00:23:09,169 nature. 777 00:23:09,349 --> 00:23:10,690 And when we're being told 778 00:23:10,690 --> 00:23:11,650 things, 779 00:23:12,630 --> 00:23:14,269 socialism makes no sense in 780 00:23:14,269 --> 00:23:15,410 nature. I mean, if you were to 781 00:23:15,410 --> 00:23:16,990 take socialism and it doesn't, 782 00:23:17,210 --> 00:23:18,549 you never see your cows being 783 00:23:18,549 --> 00:23:19,349 like, you know what? 784 00:23:19,869 --> 00:23:20,750 I really think I should be 785 00:23:20,750 --> 00:23:22,690 sharing my grass with the 786 00:23:22,690 --> 00:23:23,509 neighbor's cows. 787 00:23:23,650 --> 00:23:25,190 He's over grazing down there. 788 00:23:25,250 --> 00:23:26,670 We should break the fence in and 789 00:23:26,670 --> 00:23:27,910 let them come in. 790 00:23:28,170 --> 00:23:29,950 This is not how it works. 791 00:23:30,970 --> 00:23:33,170 trees do plant share information 792 00:23:33,170 --> 00:23:35,730 share food underground yes and 793 00:23:35,730 --> 00:23:37,569 that's like all for the benefit 794 00:23:37,569 --> 00:23:39,730 of the whole and but 795 00:23:40,579 --> 00:23:42,460 it is in all of us to have 796 00:23:42,460 --> 00:23:44,380 survival and not to be selfish 797 00:23:44,380 --> 00:23:45,900 or that we should be narcissists 798 00:23:45,900 --> 00:23:47,420 or selfish or whatever but you 799 00:23:47,420 --> 00:23:49,259 can look that everything is 800 00:23:49,259 --> 00:23:51,400 going to want to survive and so 801 00:23:52,019 --> 00:23:53,920 this idea that we shouldn't, 802 00:23:54,059 --> 00:23:55,519 that like survival of the 803 00:23:55,519 --> 00:23:56,819 fittest or wanting to be strong 804 00:23:56,819 --> 00:23:58,460 or wanting to be successful or 805 00:23:58,460 --> 00:24:00,359 wanting to be entrepreneurial is 806 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:02,880 bad. I think it's in nature. 807 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:05,339 It's in us to want to do that. 808 00:24:05,660 --> 00:24:06,460 And that doesn't, 809 00:24:08,059 --> 00:24:11,059 it's not in us to want to do, 810 00:24:11,220 --> 00:24:12,480 some people get hard jobs and 811 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:13,640 some people get easy jobs and 812 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:14,799 everybody gets paid the exact 813 00:24:14,799 --> 00:24:15,799 same amount. That's not, 814 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:17,159 it's not, 815 00:24:17,670 --> 00:24:18,470 it doesn't make any sense. 816 00:24:18,900 --> 00:24:19,700 Yeah, exactly. 817 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:20,980 When you look at plants and the 818 00:24:20,980 --> 00:24:22,200 way that they share information 819 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:23,480 and that they share resources, 820 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,480 plant communities, microbial 821 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:26,539 communities and so forth. 822 00:24:26,779 --> 00:24:27,579 And and 823 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,339 one of the foundational aspects 824 00:24:30,339 --> 00:24:31,559 of that 825 00:24:32,769 --> 00:24:33,990 image is 826 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:36,000 that they are all producers. 827 00:24:37,230 --> 00:24:38,029 Yes. 828 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:40,519 You don't just you don't just 829 00:24:40,519 --> 00:24:41,940 get to just consume 830 00:24:42,319 --> 00:24:44,480 without producing in a natural 831 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:45,980 ecosystem and expect to survive 832 00:24:45,980 --> 00:24:46,779 in the long term. 833 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:48,599 No. And that's the craziest 834 00:24:48,599 --> 00:24:50,140 thing when people say, I just 835 00:24:50,140 --> 00:24:51,539 got an argument with someone on 836 00:24:51,539 --> 00:24:52,339 Instagram the other day. 837 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:53,159 They're like, 838 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:55,440 Do you think that people's 839 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:57,079 income should be directly 840 00:24:57,079 --> 00:24:58,640 related to their outcome? 841 00:24:58,740 --> 00:24:59,579 And I was like, yes. 842 00:25:02,559 --> 00:25:04,519 And I was like, do you think the 843 00:25:04,519 --> 00:25:06,380 person that is greeting people 844 00:25:06,380 --> 00:25:08,319 at Walmart gets paid the same as 845 00:25:08,319 --> 00:25:09,119 the CEO? 846 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:10,099 No, because they're 847 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,440 like, if that greeter was gone, 848 00:25:12,859 --> 00:25:14,460 I largely think that greeter job 849 00:25:14,460 --> 00:25:16,059 is a kindness to give people 850 00:25:16,059 --> 00:25:16,859 jobs that 851 00:25:17,039 --> 00:25:18,740 can't otherwise work at another 852 00:25:18,740 --> 00:25:19,539 job. 853 00:25:19,579 --> 00:25:22,000 So this is not, it's not, it's 854 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,259 not an integral part of the 855 00:25:23,259 --> 00:25:25,140 whole thing. If the CEO is gone, 856 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:26,440 then things are going to start 857 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,039 to fall apart. And this idea 858 00:25:29,039 --> 00:25:30,319 that, and then this person said, 859 00:25:30,420 --> 00:25:31,339 well, every, you believe 860 00:25:31,339 --> 00:25:32,700 everybody was made in God's 861 00:25:32,700 --> 00:25:33,500 image and everybody, 862 00:25:34,099 --> 00:25:36,259 yes, in God's eyes, everybody is 863 00:25:36,259 --> 00:25:38,000 of equal value, but you can't 864 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,440 expect the owner of a business 865 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:41,200 who's trying to support their 866 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:43,400 family to pay every single 867 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:44,200 person. 868 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:45,519 Even when we say diversity in 869 00:25:45,519 --> 00:25:46,519 our culture, we mean, 870 00:25:46,869 --> 00:25:48,670 diversity in the way you make 871 00:25:48,670 --> 00:25:51,730 love or in the way that you 872 00:25:52,650 --> 00:25:55,130 identify as your gender or the 873 00:25:55,130 --> 00:25:56,490 color or how much melanin you 874 00:25:56,490 --> 00:25:57,289 have in your skin. 875 00:25:57,450 --> 00:25:59,289 But those people can do those 876 00:25:59,289 --> 00:26:00,930 things, but largely agree on 877 00:26:00,930 --> 00:26:02,109 everything else and have the 878 00:26:02,109 --> 00:26:02,990 same ideas. 879 00:26:03,470 --> 00:26:04,809 So they're not a diversity of 880 00:26:04,809 --> 00:26:05,609 function. 881 00:26:05,430 --> 00:26:06,890 They're just a diversity of like 882 00:26:06,890 --> 00:26:07,690 on 883 00:26:08,660 --> 00:26:09,460 the outside. 884 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:11,619 And so for me, true diversity 885 00:26:11,619 --> 00:26:14,299 like exists in nature is all 886 00:26:14,299 --> 00:26:15,259 these different things, 887 00:26:15,380 --> 00:26:16,680 different species, different 888 00:26:16,829 --> 00:26:18,329 plants, different things. 889 00:26:18,799 --> 00:26:19,859 all together 890 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,740 functioning for themselves and 891 00:26:23,740 --> 00:26:24,579 for each other. 892 00:26:27,750 --> 00:26:28,809 Molly, where can people find 893 00:26:28,809 --> 00:26:29,609 your book? 894 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:31,759 You can go to debunked by nature 895 00:26:31,759 --> 00:26:32,559 dot com. 896 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:35,880 You could go to Acres website 897 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:37,599 because Acres published my book 898 00:26:37,599 --> 00:26:39,240 or you could go to Amazon. 899 00:26:39,869 --> 00:26:42,069 I know people hate Amazon, but I 900 00:26:42,069 --> 00:26:43,670 know people love free shipping. 901 00:26:45,940 --> 00:26:47,900 So people like free shipping 902 00:26:47,900 --> 00:26:49,339 more than they hate Amazon. 903 00:26:49,539 --> 00:26:51,440 That is what I know about life. 904 00:26:53,299 --> 00:26:55,119 And so and I also. 905 00:26:55,190 --> 00:26:56,809 write for Epoch Times like three 906 00:26:56,809 --> 00:26:58,589 times a week if people want to 907 00:26:58,589 --> 00:27:00,869 hear my weekly rants about 908 00:27:00,869 --> 00:27:02,630 whatever I think about is going 909 00:27:02,630 --> 00:27:03,430 on in the world. 910 00:27:03,849 --> 00:27:05,230 You can find me in the opinion 911 00:27:05,230 --> 00:27:07,289 section of Epoch Times every 912 00:27:07,509 --> 00:27:08,970 week. 913 00:27:09,940 --> 00:27:11,200 But can I ask you a question? 914 00:27:12,450 --> 00:27:13,289 That was the first one. 915 00:27:15,130 --> 00:27:15,930 OK, can I ask you? 916 00:27:15,930 --> 00:27:16,990 I'm going to ask you. 917 00:27:17,549 --> 00:27:18,349 So 918 00:27:18,500 --> 00:27:19,819 I have an idea. 919 00:27:20,299 --> 00:27:21,779 So do you know what Oakville is? 920 00:27:22,829 --> 00:27:23,629 Yes. 921 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:25,420 Okay, so you know there's oak 922 00:27:25,420 --> 00:27:26,880 wilt going on like crazy in the 923 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:27,720 hill country of Texas. 924 00:27:29,289 --> 00:27:31,529 So I have a theory and I have 925 00:27:31,529 --> 00:27:33,490 some preliminary evidence that 926 00:27:33,490 --> 00:27:35,009 my theory could be correct, but 927 00:27:35,009 --> 00:27:36,569 I want to run my theory by you. 928 00:27:37,089 --> 00:27:38,710 So oak wilt is happening in all 929 00:27:38,710 --> 00:27:40,630 these areas with highly alkaline 930 00:27:40,630 --> 00:27:41,430 soil, 931 00:27:41,549 --> 00:27:42,849 very little ground cover. 932 00:27:43,490 --> 00:27:44,690 It's mostly these trees are 933 00:27:44,690 --> 00:27:47,269 growing in just limestone or 934 00:27:47,269 --> 00:27:48,730 caliche as we call it, like 935 00:27:48,730 --> 00:27:49,529 crushed up. 936 00:27:50,619 --> 00:27:51,559 And so I 937 00:27:52,009 --> 00:27:54,049 put six inches of just regular 938 00:27:54,049 --> 00:27:55,529 mulch from the cedar trees, 939 00:27:55,609 --> 00:27:56,730 which are really juniper ash. 940 00:27:56,869 --> 00:27:57,970 But here in Texas, if you call 941 00:27:57,970 --> 00:27:59,150 them juniper ash, they look at 942 00:27:59,150 --> 00:28:00,289 you like you're an alien. 943 00:28:00,569 --> 00:28:01,849 So cedar trees 944 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:05,059 mulch down and it's largely 945 00:28:05,059 --> 00:28:06,869 reversing oak wilt. 946 00:28:07,190 --> 00:28:08,450 And so I have a theory that 947 00:28:08,450 --> 00:28:09,430 there's oak wilt, 948 00:28:09,769 --> 00:28:11,609 there's not enough diversity of 949 00:28:14,799 --> 00:28:17,420 And so one thing is taking over 950 00:28:17,420 --> 00:28:20,079 and that is why the oak will is 951 00:28:20,079 --> 00:28:21,980 happening because I and I think 952 00:28:21,980 --> 00:28:23,299 when I'm bringing up the fungal 953 00:28:23,299 --> 00:28:25,720 load by adding 6 to 8 inches of 954 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:26,960 mulch and 955 00:28:27,299 --> 00:28:29,460 then watering, it is reversing 956 00:28:29,460 --> 00:28:30,259 in two years. 957 00:28:30,730 --> 00:28:31,930 Totally. You can't even tell the 958 00:28:31,930 --> 00:28:34,410 trees had Oakville and I think 959 00:28:34,410 --> 00:28:36,529 that that is reversing Oakville. 960 00:28:36,730 --> 00:28:37,730 But everybody's like you. 961 00:28:37,869 --> 00:28:38,809 If you could just reverse 962 00:28:38,809 --> 00:28:40,150 Oakville with doing that, then 963 00:28:40,150 --> 00:28:41,170 everybody would doing that. 964 00:28:41,230 --> 00:28:42,029 And I'm like, well, 965 00:28:43,140 --> 00:28:45,059 Okay, I don't 966 00:28:45,630 --> 00:28:46,430 know if anybody else has tried 967 00:28:46,390 --> 00:28:47,650 it, but now I didn't take 968 00:28:47,650 --> 00:28:48,450 pictures at the beginning. 969 00:28:48,549 --> 00:28:49,430 It was literally just. 970 00:28:49,980 --> 00:28:51,700 the realtor said, you're going 971 00:28:51,700 --> 00:28:52,599 to have to take out these trees. 972 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:53,539 They're almost dead. 973 00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:54,980 They were really bad shape. 974 00:28:55,119 --> 00:28:56,140 And I was like, well, they're 975 00:28:56,140 --> 00:28:57,420 giving me the littlest bit of 976 00:28:57,420 --> 00:28:59,480 shade at the late afternoon sun. 977 00:28:59,599 --> 00:29:01,019 So I planted pecan trees 978 00:29:01,019 --> 00:29:01,819 underneath them. 979 00:29:01,740 --> 00:29:02,819 And I thought, we'll just leave 980 00:29:02,819 --> 00:29:04,859 them here until the pecan trees 981 00:29:04,859 --> 00:29:05,779 get a little bit bigger. 982 00:29:06,119 --> 00:29:07,380 And that was my plan. 983 00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:09,039 But I put down a bunch of mulch 984 00:29:09,039 --> 00:29:10,900 and water because I planted the 985 00:29:10,900 --> 00:29:11,700 pecan trees. 986 00:29:12,670 --> 00:29:14,529 And now you can't even tell that 987 00:29:14,529 --> 00:29:15,450 they ever had oakwill. 988 00:29:15,569 --> 00:29:16,809 They're just totally shade, 989 00:29:16,990 --> 00:29:18,509 totally filled in, totally 990 00:29:18,509 --> 00:29:19,309 beautiful. 991 00:29:19,490 --> 00:29:20,809 And then the other one that's 992 00:29:20,809 --> 00:29:22,349 like the best looking tree on my 993 00:29:22,349 --> 00:29:23,549 property is next to where the 994 00:29:23,549 --> 00:29:24,910 guys drop all the mulch. 995 00:29:25,009 --> 00:29:26,049 You know, the trucks come and 996 00:29:26,049 --> 00:29:27,309 drop the mulch on my property. 997 00:29:27,690 --> 00:29:30,130 And this one is totally healed 998 00:29:30,130 --> 00:29:30,930 as well. 999 00:29:31,109 --> 00:29:33,089 So now I want to go and I look 1000 00:29:33,089 --> 00:29:34,549 on my property and all the most 1001 00:29:34,549 --> 00:29:36,269 sick trees are in the most 1002 00:29:36,269 --> 00:29:38,109 caliche soil, no ground cover, 1003 00:29:38,410 --> 00:29:39,210 just white 1004 00:29:39,420 --> 00:29:40,220 soil. 1005 00:29:40,299 --> 00:29:42,319 So I think I want to try this 1006 00:29:42,319 --> 00:29:44,660 and take photos and document it 1007 00:29:44,660 --> 00:29:45,980 is my next, I'm trying to get 1008 00:29:45,980 --> 00:29:46,779 some, 1009 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:48,559 trying to get a TCQ permit so I 1010 00:29:48,559 --> 00:29:49,960 can get all this mulch from the 1011 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:51,299 floods. I'm in Kerr County where 1012 00:29:51,299 --> 00:29:52,460 all those floods just happened. 1013 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:54,559 And I'm trying to see if I could 1014 00:29:54,559 --> 00:29:56,720 just put six to eight inches of 1015 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,059 mulch a couple times a year. 1016 00:29:58,180 --> 00:29:59,880 And if I could reverse oat will. 1017 00:30:00,319 --> 00:30:01,480 So what do you think of this 1018 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:02,279 theory? 1019 00:30:03,339 --> 00:30:04,139 Well, it doesn't really matter 1020 00:30:04,079 --> 00:30:04,879 what I think. 1021 00:30:04,700 --> 00:30:05,680 It sounds like you already have 1022 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:06,920 some preliminary evidence that's 1023 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:07,720 worth pursuing. 1024 00:30:08,029 --> 00:30:09,470 Yes, I do. But I don't know if 1025 00:30:09,470 --> 00:30:11,890 you know the science, but I just 1026 00:30:11,890 --> 00:30:12,690 don't. 1027 00:30:13,019 --> 00:30:13,819 Well, 1028 00:30:13,779 --> 00:30:14,980 any time, you know, it's 1029 00:30:17,220 --> 00:30:18,880 once you start digging into 1030 00:30:19,599 --> 00:30:22,700 the multitude of possible 1031 00:30:22,700 --> 00:30:24,140 interactions and synergistic 1032 00:30:24,140 --> 00:30:25,880 effects that a health and a 1033 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:27,700 functioning microbiome can have. 1034 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:29,920 I mean, look, the reality is, 1035 00:30:30,670 --> 00:30:31,470 well, 1036 00:30:32,500 --> 00:30:33,740 you go to citrus greening and 1037 00:30:33,740 --> 00:30:34,539 citrus in Florida. 1038 00:30:34,559 --> 00:30:36,960 As an example, here we have a 1039 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:38,799 bacterial infection of a plant's 1040 00:30:38,799 --> 00:30:39,599 vascular tissue. 1041 00:30:40,279 --> 00:30:41,119 And they're now 1042 00:30:43,059 --> 00:30:44,480 one of the more recent 1043 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:45,279 innovations 1044 00:30:45,359 --> 00:30:47,400 and I use the word innovations 1045 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:48,200 loosely here, 1046 00:30:48,750 --> 00:30:50,490 is they're injecting antibiotics 1047 00:30:50,490 --> 00:30:51,569 into the tree trunks. 1048 00:30:53,730 --> 00:30:54,769 And okay, 1049 00:30:55,710 --> 00:30:56,789 let's pause and ask for a 1050 00:30:56,789 --> 00:30:57,849 second, where do antibiotics 1051 00:30:57,849 --> 00:30:58,649 come from? 1052 00:31:00,559 --> 00:31:03,180 They come from fungus in the 1053 00:31:03,180 --> 00:31:03,980 soil. 1054 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,950 And what type 1055 00:31:07,950 --> 00:31:11,269 of microbes are oak 1056 00:31:11,269 --> 00:31:12,670 trees particularly dependent on? 1057 00:31:13,140 --> 00:31:14,279 They're dependent on fungus. 1058 00:31:14,809 --> 00:31:16,670 They thrive in a fungal dominant 1059 00:31:16,670 --> 00:31:18,190 system, which by the way, is 1060 00:31:18,190 --> 00:31:19,789 very challenged in 1061 00:31:20,099 --> 00:31:22,299 an oxidized calcareous soil, 1062 00:31:22,380 --> 00:31:23,500 such as the ones that you have. 1063 00:31:24,519 --> 00:31:25,319 And so 1064 00:31:25,450 --> 00:31:28,880 there are dozens of possible, 1065 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:30,400 probably hundreds or maybe even 1066 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:32,380 thousands of possible mechanisms 1067 00:31:32,380 --> 00:31:33,720 and modes of action of different 1068 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:34,619 things that could be 1069 00:31:34,619 --> 00:31:35,419 contributing to that 1070 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:36,200 regeneration. 1071 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:37,240 The reality is, 1072 00:31:39,130 --> 00:31:41,210 We could spend a lot of time 1073 00:31:41,210 --> 00:31:42,349 trying to identify them and 1074 00:31:42,349 --> 00:31:44,089 understand them, or we can just 1075 00:31:44,089 --> 00:31:45,750 go ahead with a cultural 1076 00:31:45,750 --> 00:31:47,670 practice that has observed to 1077 00:31:47,670 --> 00:31:48,549 bring results, 1078 00:31:49,029 --> 00:31:50,289 try to measure and document 1079 00:31:50,289 --> 00:31:52,329 those results and say, here's 1080 00:31:52,329 --> 00:31:53,329 what we did and here's what 1081 00:31:53,329 --> 00:31:54,129 worked. 1082 00:31:54,210 --> 00:31:55,009 And 1083 00:31:54,990 --> 00:31:57,710 let the research catch up with 1084 00:31:57,710 --> 00:31:59,630 the practical application, which 1085 00:31:59,630 --> 00:32:00,849 seems to be the recurring 1086 00:32:00,849 --> 00:32:02,650 pattern in the most innovative 1087 00:32:02,829 --> 00:32:04,230 landscape stewards. 1088 00:32:05,049 --> 00:32:06,250 Yeah, and I'm seeing it. 1089 00:32:06,349 --> 00:32:07,609 I think it's everywhere, not 1090 00:32:07,609 --> 00:32:09,390 just on the oak trees. 1091 00:32:10,619 --> 00:32:13,099 bale grazed last year on my 1092 00:32:13,099 --> 00:32:15,059 fields because there was little 1093 00:32:15,059 --> 00:32:16,839 to no rain last winter. 1094 00:32:17,420 --> 00:32:19,200 And so you can see where the 1095 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:20,299 round bales were. 1096 00:32:21,059 --> 00:32:22,279 Right now, the swergum is like 1097 00:32:22,279 --> 00:32:24,650 as tall as I am and been grazed 1098 00:32:24,650 --> 00:32:25,769 once or twice already, 1099 00:32:26,150 --> 00:32:27,730 but it's that tall. 1100 00:32:28,150 --> 00:32:29,309 And everywhere else, it's like 1101 00:32:29,309 --> 00:32:31,549 calf, ankle, knee high, 1102 00:32:31,630 --> 00:32:32,430 wherever. 1103 00:32:32,589 --> 00:32:34,230 And it's not even like, oh, 1104 00:32:34,329 --> 00:32:35,129 well, 1105 00:32:34,910 --> 00:32:36,990 I was feeding swergum hay, so 1106 00:32:36,990 --> 00:32:38,630 it's extra seeds got dropped in 1107 00:32:38,630 --> 00:32:40,150 that area because I was feeding 1108 00:32:40,500 --> 00:32:41,299 grass. 1109 00:32:41,460 --> 00:32:42,259 So 1110 00:32:41,990 --> 00:32:45,049 just the residue of the circle 1111 00:32:45,049 --> 00:32:46,849 where the bale was, just that 1112 00:32:46,849 --> 00:32:50,150 carbon being left on the soil 1113 00:32:50,150 --> 00:32:52,730 has these circles on my whole 1114 00:32:52,730 --> 00:32:53,529 field. 1115 00:32:53,809 --> 00:32:56,109 that the hay is as tall as me 1116 00:32:56,109 --> 00:32:57,730 versus below my knee. 1117 00:32:58,349 --> 00:33:00,509 And so my thought, and I don't 1118 00:33:00,509 --> 00:33:02,069 know the economics and that's 1119 00:33:02,069 --> 00:33:03,630 why I want to try to get all the 1120 00:33:03,630 --> 00:33:06,390 waste from the river flooding if 1121 00:33:06,390 --> 00:33:08,349 I can get that carbon. 1122 00:33:09,359 --> 00:33:11,220 But I think just putting a 1123 00:33:11,220 --> 00:33:13,859 little bit of carbon on my 1124 00:33:13,859 --> 00:33:15,359 fields is going to be far more 1125 00:33:15,359 --> 00:33:17,079 useful than any kind of 1126 00:33:17,079 --> 00:33:19,200 application of nitrogen 1127 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:21,640 fertilizer or manure because I 1128 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:22,869 have done that. 1129 00:33:23,250 --> 00:33:24,930 I've done manure, I've done this 1130 00:33:24,930 --> 00:33:26,210 and seen very little to no 1131 00:33:26,210 --> 00:33:27,589 results. But you can literally 1132 00:33:27,589 --> 00:33:29,529 see these circles exactly the 1133 00:33:29,529 --> 00:33:31,529 size of the round bales all the 1134 00:33:31,529 --> 00:33:33,170 way across my field where the 1135 00:33:33,170 --> 00:33:34,109 hay is so tall. 1136 00:33:34,390 --> 00:33:35,269 And so I 1137 00:33:35,900 --> 00:33:36,740 don't know, but 1138 00:33:37,049 --> 00:33:38,509 I think it's the same kind of 1139 00:33:38,509 --> 00:33:39,390 thing that's happening with the 1140 00:33:39,390 --> 00:33:40,490 oak trees. And I want to figure 1141 00:33:40,490 --> 00:33:43,029 out how can I get enough hay or 1142 00:33:43,029 --> 00:33:45,650 wood chips to cover the whole 1143 00:33:45,650 --> 00:33:46,450 field. 1144 00:33:46,430 --> 00:33:47,789 I also had this dead spot we 1145 00:33:47,789 --> 00:33:49,589 couldn't heal where water was 1146 00:33:49,589 --> 00:33:50,410 just sitting. 1147 00:33:51,039 --> 00:33:53,539 And I put six inches of mulch 1148 00:33:53,539 --> 00:33:54,339 there. 1149 00:33:54,349 --> 00:33:56,289 It was like dead pan water would 1150 00:33:56,289 --> 00:33:58,650 not go down into it and there 1151 00:33:58,650 --> 00:34:00,269 would not nothing was happening 1152 00:34:00,269 --> 00:34:01,789 and and nothing was growing 1153 00:34:01,789 --> 00:34:02,589 because it was just like 1154 00:34:02,529 --> 00:34:04,049 concrete. Basically, it was 1155 00:34:04,049 --> 00:34:06,529 like. Mud puddle that would last 1156 00:34:06,529 --> 00:34:08,630 very long time and then concrete 1157 00:34:08,630 --> 00:34:11,170 once it was dried and I put wood 1158 00:34:11,170 --> 00:34:13,030 chips there and Bermuda grass 1159 00:34:13,030 --> 00:34:14,070 filled in over it. 1160 00:34:15,119 --> 00:34:16,940 In a matter of 5 weeks, even 1161 00:34:16,940 --> 00:34:17,800 though there's barely any 1162 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:19,000 burrito grass in that field. 1163 00:34:19,159 --> 00:34:21,300 And so I think there's plenty of 1164 00:34:21,300 --> 00:34:22,400 nitrogen in my soil. 1165 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:24,780 There's just no fungal load to 1166 00:34:24,780 --> 00:34:25,580 make it available. 1167 00:34:25,699 --> 00:34:27,239 And that's my observation, not 1168 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:28,739 like a fact or whatever, but 1169 00:34:28,739 --> 00:34:30,400 that's what I'm noticing is that 1170 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:32,440 what we need here in this soil 1171 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,039 is is any kind of organic 1172 00:34:35,039 --> 00:34:35,840 fertilizer. 1173 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:36,760 that's just desperate for 1174 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:37,599 organic matter. 1175 00:34:38,559 --> 00:34:39,639 Well, I want to ask you about 1176 00:34:39,639 --> 00:34:41,960 the bale grazing, just so that I 1177 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:42,800 understand it clearly. 1178 00:34:43,829 --> 00:34:44,989 You're saying right where the 1179 00:34:44,989 --> 00:34:45,789 circle, 1180 00:34:45,769 --> 00:34:47,510 where the hay bale is, you're 1181 00:34:47,510 --> 00:34:48,809 having this response. 1182 00:34:49,539 --> 00:34:50,900 Is it in that immediate, like, 1183 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:52,159 is it a five foot diameter 1184 00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:53,940 circle or is it all of the area 1185 00:34:53,940 --> 00:34:54,900 surrounding that where the 1186 00:34:54,900 --> 00:34:55,820 livestock were trampling? 1187 00:34:56,139 --> 00:34:59,159 Just like the five or six foot 1188 00:34:59,159 --> 00:34:59,960 circle. 1189 00:35:00,780 --> 00:35:01,580 Really, 1190 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:02,200 that is intriguing. 1191 00:35:02,619 --> 00:35:04,320 I'll take a picture for you and 1192 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:05,120 text it to you. 1193 00:35:05,420 --> 00:35:07,699 What is interesting in your 1194 00:35:07,699 --> 00:35:08,579 caliche soils, 1195 00:35:10,469 --> 00:35:11,269 it was just 1196 00:35:11,429 --> 00:35:12,530 an interesting conversation, 1197 00:35:12,750 --> 00:35:13,570 serendipitous conversation, 1198 00:35:13,630 --> 00:35:14,849 because I was just writing an 1199 00:35:14,849 --> 00:35:16,030 article about this in response 1200 00:35:16,030 --> 00:35:17,289 to a number of different 1201 00:35:17,289 --> 00:35:18,150 questions that I received. 1202 00:35:18,349 --> 00:35:19,150 But 1203 00:35:19,139 --> 00:35:21,300 anytime we have soils that have 1204 00:35:21,300 --> 00:35:22,980 high levels of carbonates or 1205 00:35:22,980 --> 00:35:24,280 bicarbonates and so forth, there 1206 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:25,080 is 1207 00:35:25,030 --> 00:35:26,929 this idea that in order to 1208 00:35:26,929 --> 00:35:28,570 regulate pH, we have to acidify 1209 00:35:28,570 --> 00:35:29,370 the soil. 1210 00:35:29,940 --> 00:35:30,740 And 1211 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:32,300 Of course, acidifying the soil 1212 00:35:32,300 --> 00:35:33,800 with a chemistry approach 1213 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,199 requires a very expensive 1214 00:35:36,199 --> 00:35:38,210 sledgehammer and a very big one 1215 00:35:38,210 --> 00:35:39,750 as well with elemental sulfur 1216 00:35:39,750 --> 00:35:41,070 applications or what have you. 1217 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:44,380 And the approach that you're 1218 00:35:44,380 --> 00:35:45,599 describing underneath the oak 1219 00:35:45,599 --> 00:35:46,400 trees 1220 00:35:46,550 --> 00:35:48,389 and possibly also with the hay 1221 00:35:48,389 --> 00:35:50,070 mulch residue is when you have 1222 00:35:50,070 --> 00:35:50,870 an 1223 00:35:51,909 --> 00:35:53,809 availability of food source 1224 00:35:53,809 --> 00:35:54,610 carbon 1225 00:35:54,679 --> 00:35:56,579 that fungal populations can 1226 00:35:56,579 --> 00:35:57,400 begin to thrive. 1227 00:35:58,289 --> 00:36:00,050 Fungal populations produce 1228 00:36:00,050 --> 00:36:02,230 substantial quantities of acids. 1229 00:36:05,150 --> 00:36:07,369 They convert high carbon residue 1230 00:36:07,369 --> 00:36:08,170 into, 1231 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:10,300 you could almost think of them 1232 00:36:10,300 --> 00:36:11,420 as being an acid generator, 1233 00:36:11,949 --> 00:36:13,289 if that is what the environment 1234 00:36:13,289 --> 00:36:14,590 requires for them to thrive. 1235 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:16,080 And in this environment, 1236 00:36:16,460 --> 00:36:17,360 that is what the environment 1237 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:18,460 requires for them to thrive. 1238 00:36:18,619 --> 00:36:19,840 So they generate a lot of acid 1239 00:36:20,539 --> 00:36:22,610 and create a lot of acidity, 1240 00:36:22,670 --> 00:36:25,079 which creates a pathway for lots 1241 00:36:25,079 --> 00:36:26,280 of nitrogen fixation and other 1242 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:27,260 types of microbial activity. 1243 00:36:27,500 --> 00:36:30,039 So you can generate nitrogen by 1244 00:36:30,039 --> 00:36:30,840 producing acid. 1245 00:36:30,739 --> 00:36:32,239 levels of carbon in the type of 1246 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:33,039 environment that you're 1247 00:36:32,780 --> 00:36:33,820 describing and in many other 1248 00:36:33,820 --> 00:36:34,719 environments for that matter. 1249 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:37,099 And you can see it in the people 1250 00:36:37,099 --> 00:36:38,000 that clear cut. 1251 00:36:38,619 --> 00:36:39,599 You'll be like, wow, why does 1252 00:36:39,599 --> 00:36:40,739 their grass look so good? 1253 00:36:40,780 --> 00:36:42,989 And you realize they clear cut a 1254 00:36:42,989 --> 00:36:44,590 cedar forest and 1255 00:36:45,210 --> 00:36:47,849 just had it all shredded down. 1256 00:36:48,329 --> 00:36:49,469 And so the reason that their 1257 00:36:49,469 --> 00:36:51,050 grass looks so thick compared 1258 00:36:51,050 --> 00:36:53,750 to, say, my grass is that it has 1259 00:36:53,750 --> 00:36:55,690 all that carbon. 1260 00:36:55,949 --> 00:36:57,949 And so I totally agree with it. 1261 00:36:58,150 --> 00:36:59,710 And in California, it totally 1262 00:36:59,710 --> 00:37:01,010 was different. If I had put the 1263 00:37:01,010 --> 00:37:02,969 amount of mulch that I can put 1264 00:37:02,969 --> 00:37:05,250 here, like wood chips on 1265 00:37:05,250 --> 00:37:06,969 anything, it would steal from 1266 00:37:06,969 --> 00:37:08,010 the plants and the plants would 1267 00:37:08,010 --> 00:37:08,810 turn yellow. 1268 00:37:09,050 --> 00:37:10,170 But in this environment, 1269 00:37:10,670 --> 00:37:12,789 it seems that the soil just, the 1270 00:37:12,789 --> 00:37:13,590 more 1271 00:37:14,719 --> 00:37:16,500 carbon I can put on top of the 1272 00:37:16,500 --> 00:37:17,300 soil, 1273 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:18,599 the better the plants are doing, 1274 00:37:18,940 --> 00:37:20,380 which is a totally different 1275 00:37:20,380 --> 00:37:21,679 thing to what would be happening 1276 00:37:21,679 --> 00:37:23,119 in California if I'd put that 1277 00:37:23,119 --> 00:37:23,920 much 1278 00:37:23,969 --> 00:37:25,489 wood chip mulch, it would steal 1279 00:37:25,489 --> 00:37:26,750 carbon, it would steal nitrogen 1280 00:37:26,750 --> 00:37:28,349 from the plants, and it would be 1281 00:37:28,349 --> 00:37:29,949 a totally different thing. 1282 00:37:30,030 --> 00:37:31,030 And that's why I think it does 1283 00:37:31,030 --> 00:37:31,949 have to do with what you're 1284 00:37:31,949 --> 00:37:33,909 saying is the acidity and that. 1285 00:37:34,309 --> 00:37:35,809 And everybody here told me when 1286 00:37:35,809 --> 00:37:37,269 I moved here, don't put cedar 1287 00:37:37,269 --> 00:37:38,789 chips, don't put juniper chips. 1288 00:37:38,949 --> 00:37:40,369 It's going to kill everything. 1289 00:37:40,630 --> 00:37:42,150 And I was like, so weird. 1290 00:37:42,250 --> 00:37:43,690 Why would God make this thing 1291 00:37:43,690 --> 00:37:44,750 that comes into this arid 1292 00:37:44,750 --> 00:37:46,309 environment and grows 1293 00:37:46,309 --> 00:37:48,530 everywhere? If it drops its 1294 00:37:48,530 --> 00:37:50,190 needles, I look underneath the 1295 00:37:50,190 --> 00:37:51,150 juniper trees and there's 1296 00:37:51,590 --> 00:37:54,010 like this much black soil on top 1297 00:37:54,010 --> 00:37:54,810 of rock. 1298 00:37:56,500 --> 00:37:58,480 Can't imagine God would design 1299 00:37:58,480 --> 00:37:59,579 this thing that would kill my 1300 00:37:59,579 --> 00:38:01,639 planes. Just chip it up and see 1301 00:38:01,639 --> 00:38:02,679 what happens. 1302 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:05,860 But there's a lot of folklore 1303 00:38:05,860 --> 00:38:06,860 about the cedar, 1304 00:38:07,199 --> 00:38:08,739 like, oh, if you cook pizza with 1305 00:38:08,739 --> 00:38:09,539 it, you're going to die. 1306 00:38:09,579 --> 00:38:10,719 It's poison you or whatever, 1307 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:11,960 like all these things. 1308 00:38:12,059 --> 00:38:12,860 And 1309 00:38:12,579 --> 00:38:13,559 we were ignorant. 1310 00:38:13,579 --> 00:38:14,619 And we had already been cooking, 1311 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:16,480 making pizza and bread in our 1312 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:18,519 bread oven with the juniper ash 1313 00:38:18,519 --> 00:38:20,139 when we were told it was that 1314 00:38:20,139 --> 00:38:21,099 you couldn't do it. 1315 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:23,780 And as it turns out, it's 1316 00:38:23,780 --> 00:38:25,280 totally fine. You can totally do 1317 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:26,080 it. 1318 00:38:26,039 --> 00:38:27,300 It's not ideal because it burns 1319 00:38:27,300 --> 00:38:28,679 fast. It's very good wood 1320 00:38:28,679 --> 00:38:29,480 starter. 1321 00:38:29,639 --> 00:38:30,820 It's very good oven starter. 1322 00:38:31,059 --> 00:38:32,719 It's not very good like coals, 1323 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:34,420 long lasting coals. 1324 00:38:35,849 --> 00:38:37,130 But yeah, it's interesting 1325 00:38:37,130 --> 00:38:37,930 because 1326 00:38:37,940 --> 00:38:39,619 it's that kind of ideas where 1327 00:38:39,619 --> 00:38:40,739 we're so disconnected from 1328 00:38:40,739 --> 00:38:41,920 nature where you're looking at 1329 00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:43,619 these white cliffs and the only 1330 00:38:43,619 --> 00:38:45,300 thing that's growing on them is 1331 00:38:45,300 --> 00:38:46,920 these juniper ash and then 1332 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:48,139 you're looking right below and 1333 00:38:48,139 --> 00:38:50,199 the mulch that's being dropped 1334 00:38:50,199 --> 00:38:52,739 from those cedar needles and 1335 00:38:52,739 --> 00:38:54,449 you're saying and it's this 1336 00:38:54,449 --> 00:38:56,989 beautiful black mulch soil 1337 00:38:56,989 --> 00:38:58,710 decomposing under those trees 1338 00:38:58,710 --> 00:39:00,030 and then people are saying oh 1339 00:39:00,030 --> 00:39:01,530 it's very bad for your garden. 1340 00:39:03,110 --> 00:39:03,910 Okay, 1341 00:39:04,090 --> 00:39:05,429 seems very good. 1342 00:39:05,510 --> 00:39:06,869 It's making soil on top of a 1343 00:39:06,869 --> 00:39:09,369 white rock shelf that nothing 1344 00:39:09,369 --> 00:39:10,210 else is on. 1345 00:39:10,900 --> 00:39:11,960 Well, the key to what you're 1346 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,440 describing is actually observing 1347 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:15,820 and paying attention to what it 1348 00:39:15,820 --> 00:39:16,639 is that you're looking at, 1349 00:39:17,719 --> 00:39:18,880 seeing what you look at. 1350 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:20,720 It is. 1351 00:39:21,059 --> 00:39:22,559 And we don't. We don't. 1352 00:39:22,659 --> 00:39:24,360 And I've made those mistakes 1353 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:25,160 too. I've 1354 00:39:25,690 --> 00:39:27,610 I've made an assumption, like, I 1355 00:39:27,610 --> 00:39:29,769 planted 40 ,000 dollars worth of 1356 00:39:29,769 --> 00:39:31,590 pecans in a field because there 1357 00:39:31,590 --> 00:39:32,769 was pecans growing around the 1358 00:39:32,769 --> 00:39:34,150 edges, wild pecans that seem 1359 00:39:34,150 --> 00:39:34,950 prolific. 1360 00:39:34,989 --> 00:39:36,269 Great. I'm going to plant pecans 1361 00:39:36,269 --> 00:39:37,070 here. 1362 00:39:38,059 --> 00:39:39,440 The truth is the way that that 1363 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:40,420 field slopes. 1364 00:39:42,199 --> 00:39:44,079 Those pecans in the gullies 1365 00:39:44,079 --> 00:39:45,780 around the edges are totally 1366 00:39:45,780 --> 00:39:47,000 fine on the field. 1367 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:48,260 There's just not enough rain 1368 00:39:48,260 --> 00:39:50,820 here. And so I lost 40 ,000 1369 00:39:50,820 --> 00:39:51,900 dollars worth of pecans and we 1370 00:39:51,900 --> 00:39:54,019 had 100 days, over 100, even 1371 00:39:54,019 --> 00:39:54,820 with irrigation, 1372 00:39:55,159 --> 00:39:56,940 those young pecans couldn't 1373 00:39:56,940 --> 00:39:57,740 survive. 1374 00:39:58,019 --> 00:39:58,820 And people are like, oh, well, 1375 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:00,239 it was just an anomaly. 1376 00:40:00,889 --> 00:40:01,989 Well, no, I wasn't actually 1377 00:40:01,989 --> 00:40:03,909 being that observant and seeing 1378 00:40:03,909 --> 00:40:04,710 that. 1379 00:40:04,789 --> 00:40:07,550 The field is was pretty arid and 1380 00:40:07,550 --> 00:40:10,250 not that much grass growing on 1381 00:40:10,250 --> 00:40:11,550 the whole high side of that 1382 00:40:11,550 --> 00:40:13,329 orchard. And on the whole low 1383 00:40:13,329 --> 00:40:15,010 side, there's Bermuda grass and 1384 00:40:15,010 --> 00:40:16,110 there's a lot of 1385 00:40:16,420 --> 00:40:18,300 pecans growing, but it's all in 1386 00:40:18,300 --> 00:40:19,300 this area. That's collecting 1387 00:40:19,300 --> 00:40:21,179 water and. off of a greater 1388 00:40:21,179 --> 00:40:21,980 watershed. 1389 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:25,179 And so I didn't then replant all 1390 00:40:25,179 --> 00:40:27,739 those pecans. I put in Asian 1391 00:40:27,739 --> 00:40:29,539 pears and peaches and things 1392 00:40:29,539 --> 00:40:31,320 that are doing better in this 1393 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:33,199 environment with less water. 1394 00:40:34,159 --> 00:40:35,380 But even I've been, 1395 00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:38,139 yeah, made mistakes, 1396 00:40:38,900 --> 00:40:41,079 ego -driven mistakes where I'm 1397 00:40:41,079 --> 00:40:43,099 just like, looks like not really 1398 00:40:43,099 --> 00:40:44,820 observing kind of 1399 00:40:47,119 --> 00:40:48,400 I don't know, like observing on 1400 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:49,739 the outside, but not looking 1401 00:40:49,739 --> 00:40:50,619 deeper than, 1402 00:40:51,190 --> 00:40:52,789 oh, I see pecans, plant pecans. 1403 00:40:52,989 --> 00:40:53,789 Like, well, 1404 00:40:53,510 --> 00:40:54,949 actually the environment from, 1405 00:40:55,429 --> 00:40:56,590 at least on my property here in 1406 00:40:56,590 --> 00:40:57,869 Texas, the environment in a 1407 00:40:57,869 --> 00:40:59,230 hundred feet from each other 1408 00:40:59,230 --> 00:41:00,570 could be a totally different 1409 00:41:00,889 --> 00:41:03,130 thing. And I have these big, 1410 00:41:03,210 --> 00:41:05,429 beautiful fields with black soil 1411 00:41:05,429 --> 00:41:07,949 that's all ran off the hills for 1412 00:41:07,949 --> 00:41:09,510 years, right? This big valley, 1413 00:41:09,630 --> 00:41:10,430 but 1414 00:41:10,829 --> 00:41:12,369 you go right across the farm 1415 00:41:12,369 --> 00:41:14,500 road and it's just white 1416 00:41:14,500 --> 00:41:15,300 caliche. 1417 00:41:15,260 --> 00:41:16,900 So I can't expect 1418 00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:18,639 That whatever's happening on 1419 00:41:18,639 --> 00:41:20,199 this side of the road can also 1420 00:41:20,199 --> 00:41:21,599 happen on this side of the road. 1421 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:22,800 And 1422 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,199 that's just 1423 00:41:24,989 --> 00:41:26,329 how it is here. 1424 00:41:26,429 --> 00:41:27,789 It's not all the same. 1425 00:41:27,929 --> 00:41:29,369 And so we have, we can't just 1426 00:41:29,369 --> 00:41:31,190 say, like, in Arkansas, you can 1427 00:41:31,190 --> 00:41:32,530 grow this in Florida. 1428 00:41:32,730 --> 00:41:34,710 You can grow this in Texas, 1429 00:41:34,710 --> 00:41:37,550 because we have to look even I 1430 00:41:37,550 --> 00:41:38,989 have an orchard that has these. 1431 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:43,400 almost like a river of red dirt 1432 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:45,219 that goes through the black dirt 1433 00:41:45,219 --> 00:41:47,139 or a river of white dirt that 1434 00:41:47,139 --> 00:41:49,059 where it's these veins of 1435 00:41:49,059 --> 00:41:50,860 totally other soil and 1436 00:41:51,489 --> 00:41:53,150 you'll see the trees planted in 1437 00:41:53,150 --> 00:41:54,289 a row and then there's this one 1438 00:41:54,289 --> 00:41:56,269 little tree that's in that clay 1439 00:41:56,269 --> 00:41:57,889 dirt or in that caliche dirt 1440 00:41:57,889 --> 00:42:00,070 that there's just you know it 1441 00:42:00,070 --> 00:42:01,690 just isn't growing it's a it's 1442 00:42:01,690 --> 00:42:04,210 surviving like but it's not 1443 00:42:04,210 --> 00:42:05,489 growing and so you have to 1444 00:42:05,489 --> 00:42:07,969 observe all those things um and 1445 00:42:07,969 --> 00:42:09,349 not just try to like you said 1446 00:42:09,349 --> 00:42:10,590 sludge hammer it out 1447 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,559 This is one of the things 1448 00:42:13,559 --> 00:42:15,650 that... learning 1449 00:42:17,429 --> 00:42:18,809 from others and learning what 1450 00:42:18,809 --> 00:42:20,670 other people are working on and 1451 00:42:20,670 --> 00:42:22,130 what they're observing is 1452 00:42:22,730 --> 00:42:25,070 so valuable to train our own 1453 00:42:25,070 --> 00:42:25,870 observations. 1454 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:27,719 But also, 1455 00:42:28,849 --> 00:42:31,710 we have to really understand 1456 00:42:31,710 --> 00:42:33,389 their context and how their 1457 00:42:33,389 --> 00:42:34,909 context differs from our own. 1458 00:42:35,030 --> 00:42:35,830 You know, there's 1459 00:42:36,269 --> 00:42:38,090 in earlier in our conversation, 1460 00:42:38,090 --> 00:42:40,920 you were talking about how you 1461 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:41,720 one 1462 00:42:41,980 --> 00:42:43,679 of your desired outcomes is for, 1463 00:42:44,389 --> 00:42:45,360 you know, It returned to more 1464 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:46,920 resilient communities where you 1465 00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:48,099 have this strength within 1466 00:42:48,099 --> 00:42:48,900 communities. 1467 00:42:49,570 --> 00:42:50,769 And one of the things that 1468 00:42:51,309 --> 00:42:53,710 I'm challenged by is that there 1469 00:42:53,710 --> 00:42:54,510 are many 1470 00:42:54,590 --> 00:42:56,369 people who have a deep and 1471 00:42:56,369 --> 00:42:57,630 authentic desire to be 1472 00:42:57,630 --> 00:42:59,150 successful homesteaders or 1473 00:42:59,150 --> 00:43:00,110 smaller scale producers. 1474 00:43:00,289 --> 00:43:01,369 Perhaps they want to put out a 1475 00:43:01,369 --> 00:43:02,510 couple acres of orchard or 1476 00:43:02,510 --> 00:43:03,630 whatever the case might be. 1477 00:43:05,010 --> 00:43:05,810 And 1478 00:43:05,820 --> 00:43:06,780 they 1479 00:43:07,699 --> 00:43:09,280 there 1480 00:43:09,659 --> 00:43:10,659 is this I 1481 00:43:13,110 --> 00:43:14,409 don't know quite how to frame 1482 00:43:14,409 --> 00:43:15,710 it, but there's this geographic 1483 00:43:15,710 --> 00:43:17,090 experience bias 1484 00:43:17,570 --> 00:43:18,710 where 1485 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:20,159 so well, 1486 00:43:21,389 --> 00:43:23,090 There's this experienced grower 1487 00:43:23,090 --> 00:43:24,210 five miles down the road 1488 00:43:24,550 --> 00:43:25,350 who 1489 00:43:25,639 --> 00:43:27,800 has a lot of experience with 1490 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:29,280 this peach variety or that 1491 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:30,579 walnut variety or whatever the 1492 00:43:30,579 --> 00:43:32,059 case might be. And therefore, 1493 00:43:32,179 --> 00:43:33,360 that's what I'm going to try. 1494 00:43:34,090 --> 00:43:35,750 Or I'm taking a certain approach 1495 00:43:35,750 --> 00:43:36,889 to fertility management or 1496 00:43:36,889 --> 00:43:37,750 irrigation management. 1497 00:43:38,539 --> 00:43:40,480 And I really appreciated your 1498 00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:42,119 anecdote about the differences 1499 00:43:42,119 --> 00:43:44,900 within 100 feet, because those 1500 00:43:44,900 --> 00:43:47,039 differences do exist. 1501 00:43:47,579 --> 00:43:48,719 And in fact, they exist in the 1502 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:49,840 majority of ecosystems. 1503 00:43:50,179 --> 00:43:51,300 There are some exceptions, but 1504 00:43:51,300 --> 00:43:52,199 the majority of ecosystems, 1505 00:43:52,380 --> 00:43:53,180 there is a significant 1506 00:43:53,059 --> 00:43:53,860 variation. 1507 00:43:55,150 --> 00:43:55,950 And 1508 00:43:55,949 --> 00:43:58,829 the experience of someone a 1509 00:43:59,559 --> 00:44:00,760 few miles away who has had 1510 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:01,619 experience with an awesome 1511 00:44:01,619 --> 00:44:04,440 variety might transfer to your 1512 00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:05,240 situation, 1513 00:44:05,590 --> 00:44:06,590 or it might not. 1514 00:44:08,090 --> 00:44:08,890 And 1515 00:44:09,099 --> 00:44:10,159 the 1516 00:44:10,500 --> 00:44:11,300 that I'm 1517 00:44:11,710 --> 00:44:13,230 particularly frustrated by, 1518 00:44:14,300 --> 00:44:15,119 frustrated might be a strong 1519 00:44:15,119 --> 00:44:15,920 word, but 1520 00:44:16,380 --> 00:44:18,119 the piece that I'm particularly 1521 00:44:18,119 --> 00:44:20,400 disturbed by is that people then 1522 00:44:20,679 --> 00:44:22,019 try a 1523 00:44:22,559 --> 00:44:24,179 local recommendation or an 1524 00:44:24,179 --> 00:44:25,940 expert recommendation and 1525 00:44:26,670 --> 00:44:28,190 they don't have success with it. 1526 00:44:28,789 --> 00:44:30,030 And their first conclusion is 1527 00:44:30,030 --> 00:44:31,659 this variety doesn't work here. 1528 00:44:32,210 --> 00:44:33,449 This variety didn't work for me. 1529 00:44:34,369 --> 00:44:35,170 Well, 1530 00:44:35,369 --> 00:44:36,849 it might be worthwhile asking 1531 00:44:36,849 --> 00:44:38,070 the question of why not? 1532 00:44:38,329 --> 00:44:39,389 Was it planted in the shade? 1533 00:44:39,449 --> 00:44:40,309 Was it a different environment? 1534 00:44:41,090 --> 00:44:43,929 So there's, I'm using a variety 1535 00:44:43,929 --> 00:44:45,389 of framework to describe this 1536 00:44:45,389 --> 00:44:46,550 particular question, but 1537 00:44:47,090 --> 00:44:49,250 I think it's 1538 00:44:49,590 --> 00:44:50,390 so easy, 1539 00:44:50,630 --> 00:44:52,090 without a 1540 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:54,039 lot of experience, it's so easy 1541 00:44:54,039 --> 00:44:56,099 to fall into a ditch on both 1542 00:44:56,099 --> 00:44:56,900 sides of the road. 1543 00:44:57,000 --> 00:44:57,800 One 1544 00:44:57,849 --> 00:45:00,409 is venerating local experience 1545 00:45:00,659 --> 00:45:03,500 excessively, and the other is 1546 00:45:03,679 --> 00:45:05,860 being too dismissive of whatever 1547 00:45:05,860 --> 00:45:07,099 didn't work for you without 1548 00:45:07,099 --> 00:45:08,639 really trying to understand why. 1549 00:45:09,219 --> 00:45:11,119 And I'm using the variety 1550 00:45:11,119 --> 00:45:12,980 framework for this conversation 1551 00:45:12,980 --> 00:45:14,139 deliberately because 1552 00:45:14,579 --> 00:45:18,039 I see so many varieties 1553 00:45:18,289 --> 00:45:20,630 that are clearly superior. 1554 00:45:20,710 --> 00:45:22,769 The superior varieties of apples 1555 00:45:22,769 --> 00:45:24,489 and tree fruit and just there 1556 00:45:24,489 --> 00:45:26,110 are very superior varieties who 1557 00:45:26,110 --> 00:45:27,329 are not in commercial production 1558 00:45:27,610 --> 00:45:30,710 because they have a flaw of some 1559 00:45:30,710 --> 00:45:31,849 type. Perhaps they don't store 1560 00:45:31,849 --> 00:45:32,650 particularly well, 1561 00:45:33,289 --> 00:45:34,769 or they're not as sweet. 1562 00:45:34,869 --> 00:45:36,090 They have a remarkable flavor, 1563 00:45:36,170 --> 00:45:37,030 but they're not as sweet as 1564 00:45:37,030 --> 00:45:37,830 people are used to. 1565 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:39,980 But you can compensate for those 1566 00:45:39,980 --> 00:45:40,780 things 1567 00:45:40,929 --> 00:45:42,489 with nutrition management 1568 00:45:42,489 --> 00:45:44,570 locally in your context. 1569 00:45:45,010 --> 00:45:47,090 And so I see people working with 1570 00:45:47,090 --> 00:45:49,030 these varieties that are just 1571 00:45:49,030 --> 00:45:50,769 having incredible, amazing 1572 00:45:50,769 --> 00:45:52,269 experiences, and it's because 1573 00:45:52,269 --> 00:45:54,539 they have learned how to manage 1574 00:45:54,539 --> 00:45:55,840 them in their context. 1575 00:45:56,079 --> 00:45:57,260 And that knowledge can be 1576 00:45:57,260 --> 00:45:58,060 transferred, 1577 00:45:58,219 --> 00:46:00,159 but in far too many cases, 1578 00:46:00,340 --> 00:46:03,610 people try to transplant the 1579 00:46:03,789 --> 00:46:05,010 genetics and the varieties 1580 00:46:05,199 --> 00:46:06,579 without transplanting the 1581 00:46:06,579 --> 00:46:07,719 associative management that is 1582 00:46:07,719 --> 00:46:08,840 required to make it to thrive. 1583 00:46:09,429 --> 00:46:10,570 So anyway, I'm going on a rant 1584 00:46:10,570 --> 00:46:11,469 here. It's time for me to shut 1585 00:46:11,469 --> 00:46:13,190 up. No, I think that that, you 1586 00:46:13,190 --> 00:46:14,530 know, my husband grew up in 1587 00:46:14,530 --> 00:46:16,969 Mexico, which in some ways has a 1588 00:46:16,969 --> 00:46:18,869 similar environment to where we 1589 00:46:18,869 --> 00:46:20,230 are in Texas, but in other ways, 1590 00:46:20,309 --> 00:46:21,469 not at all. It's much colder 1591 00:46:21,469 --> 00:46:23,230 here in the winter time and 1592 00:46:23,230 --> 00:46:24,030 stuff like that. 1593 00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:26,920 And he got very frustrated with 1594 00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:27,720 corn, 1595 00:46:28,539 --> 00:46:30,380 squash and sesame seeds, which 1596 00:46:30,380 --> 00:46:31,880 are what he's accustomed to be 1597 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:33,760 able to grow very, very easily. 1598 00:46:34,699 --> 00:46:37,369 And this last year, so twice he 1599 00:46:37,369 --> 00:46:39,510 planted sesame seeds and either 1600 00:46:39,510 --> 00:46:41,730 not enough rain and you don't 1601 00:46:41,730 --> 00:46:42,929 need very much rain for sesame 1602 00:46:42,929 --> 00:46:44,610 seeds, but we had a hundred 1603 00:46:44,610 --> 00:46:45,789 days, like I said, over a 1604 00:46:45,789 --> 00:46:47,510 hundred and other situations. 1605 00:46:47,750 --> 00:46:48,610 And then there was a 1606 00:46:49,400 --> 00:46:51,059 grasshopper year that was just 1607 00:46:51,059 --> 00:46:53,260 so crazy that the entire field 1608 00:46:53,260 --> 00:46:54,800 was left with only three stalks 1609 00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:57,230 of sesame because, uh, 1610 00:46:58,139 --> 00:46:59,519 the grasshoppers were just so 1611 00:46:59,519 --> 00:47:00,320 crazy. 1612 00:47:00,260 --> 00:47:01,599 Well, because the rain has been 1613 00:47:01,599 --> 00:47:03,039 so erratic and all this stuff, 1614 00:47:03,320 --> 00:47:04,480 instead of giving up, what my 1615 00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:07,570 husband did this year is in one 1616 00:47:07,570 --> 00:47:08,769 of our orchards that has pretty 1617 00:47:08,769 --> 00:47:10,929 wide rows, 25 feet, he decided 1618 00:47:10,929 --> 00:47:12,329 to take the no -till seed drail 1619 00:47:12,329 --> 00:47:14,889 out every two weeks and plant a 1620 00:47:14,889 --> 00:47:16,110 couple rows of sesame. 1621 00:47:16,889 --> 00:47:17,690 And then he was like, 1622 00:47:18,440 --> 00:47:19,579 so he was 1623 00:47:20,019 --> 00:47:22,000 basically hedging against the 1624 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:24,420 rain and hedging against the 1625 00:47:26,829 --> 00:47:27,630 grasshoppers. 1626 00:47:27,550 --> 00:47:28,650 So did we lose some to 1627 00:47:28,650 --> 00:47:29,450 grasshoppers? Yes. 1628 00:47:29,469 --> 00:47:30,670 We lost a few rows to that. 1629 00:47:30,969 --> 00:47:32,030 Did we lose some to not enough 1630 00:47:32,030 --> 00:47:33,389 rain? Yes. But does he have 1631 00:47:33,389 --> 00:47:34,849 several rows right now that are 1632 00:47:34,849 --> 00:47:35,650 going to be able to be 1633 00:47:35,510 --> 00:47:36,310 harvested? 1634 00:47:36,349 --> 00:47:37,150 Yes. 1635 00:47:37,070 --> 00:47:38,869 And so I think that that was a 1636 00:47:38,869 --> 00:47:40,389 unique way to look at it instead 1637 00:47:40,389 --> 00:47:41,190 of saying like, 1638 00:47:41,690 --> 00:47:42,490 okay, I'm just going to keep 1639 00:47:42,469 --> 00:47:43,809 planting a whole field and then 1640 00:47:43,809 --> 00:47:44,809 something bad is going to 1641 00:47:44,809 --> 00:47:45,610 happen. 1642 00:47:45,510 --> 00:47:46,909 Now he marked this down and I 1643 00:47:46,909 --> 00:47:47,710 said, well, are you going to 1644 00:47:47,469 --> 00:47:48,869 plant this exactly the same next 1645 00:47:48,869 --> 00:47:49,670 year? He goes, no, I'm probably 1646 00:47:49,610 --> 00:47:51,250 going to do the same thing until 1647 00:47:51,250 --> 00:47:53,769 I have more knowledge because it 1648 00:47:53,769 --> 00:47:55,710 doesn't make any sense when 1649 00:47:56,150 --> 00:47:56,950 we don't 1650 00:47:57,010 --> 00:47:58,489 because the rain can be sporadic 1651 00:47:58,489 --> 00:47:59,889 and how the rain comes is going 1652 00:47:59,889 --> 00:48:00,780 to impact. impact how the 1653 00:48:00,780 --> 00:48:01,659 grasshoppers come. 1654 00:48:01,980 --> 00:48:03,840 And we need it to be coming up 1655 00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:05,440 in rain after the major 1656 00:48:05,440 --> 00:48:07,119 grasshoppers have already been 1657 00:48:07,119 --> 00:48:08,659 eaten by some of the predators. 1658 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:11,119 So I don't know how to exactly 1659 00:48:11,119 --> 00:48:11,920 measure that. 1660 00:48:12,300 --> 00:48:14,280 And so that's what he's been 1661 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:17,440 doing. And then this year he's 1662 00:48:17,440 --> 00:48:18,940 planted, we've had not very 1663 00:48:18,940 --> 00:48:20,300 great success with corn and he 1664 00:48:20,300 --> 00:48:22,000 just had this idea, I'm going to 1665 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:23,920 plant corn really late in the 1666 00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:24,720 year. 1667 00:48:24,650 --> 00:48:27,570 And so he planted corn a month 1668 00:48:27,570 --> 00:48:28,370 ago, 1669 00:48:28,510 --> 00:48:30,659 and it's actually looking really 1670 00:48:30,659 --> 00:48:32,099 great. And we're going to be 1671 00:48:32,099 --> 00:48:33,239 able to have it as decoration 1672 00:48:33,239 --> 00:48:34,239 for the pumpkin patch. 1673 00:48:34,320 --> 00:48:35,820 We're going to make a maze 1674 00:48:35,820 --> 00:48:36,620 through it. 1675 00:48:36,619 --> 00:48:39,539 And then we believe it'll be a 1676 00:48:40,039 --> 00:48:41,460 harvestable crop of corn. 1677 00:48:41,679 --> 00:48:42,480 I don't have any 1678 00:48:43,159 --> 00:48:44,699 can't say for sure, but right 1679 00:48:44,699 --> 00:48:46,400 now it's as tall as I am and 1680 00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:48,280 starting to look like it's going 1681 00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:50,219 to head out. This is very late 1682 00:48:50,219 --> 00:48:51,559 in any way that I have ever 1683 00:48:51,559 --> 00:48:52,559 thought of growing corn. 1684 00:48:52,659 --> 00:48:54,360 I've never thought of planting 1685 00:48:54,360 --> 00:48:55,780 it in the end of August. 1686 00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:57,800 It's not something I ever would 1687 00:48:57,800 --> 00:48:59,019 have thought, but he was like, 1688 00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:01,039 it's not working in the spring. 1689 00:49:01,280 --> 00:49:03,300 We're having all these issues. 1690 00:49:03,739 --> 00:49:05,239 I'm going to try 1691 00:49:05,559 --> 00:49:06,599 to 1692 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:08,340 do it in the fall. 1693 00:49:08,699 --> 00:49:09,500 And so, 1694 00:49:09,619 --> 00:49:11,179 Anyways, it's just an interest. 1695 00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:12,160 He's, 1696 00:49:11,940 --> 00:49:13,579 I think when there's nobody else 1697 00:49:13,579 --> 00:49:14,599 doing a lot of agriculture 1698 00:49:14,599 --> 00:49:16,500 around us, except for cows, this 1699 00:49:16,500 --> 00:49:17,719 is like cows, cows, cows, cows, 1700 00:49:17,820 --> 00:49:20,420 cows, because the terrain, not 1701 00:49:20,420 --> 00:49:22,239 many people have these valley 1702 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:23,500 fields that we have. 1703 00:49:23,679 --> 00:49:25,599 So, because it's mostly all 1704 00:49:25,599 --> 00:49:27,059 hills, the majority of 1705 00:49:27,059 --> 00:49:28,199 everybody's land is hills. 1706 00:49:28,380 --> 00:49:30,239 And so, because of that, when we 1707 00:49:30,239 --> 00:49:32,019 went to the Texas A &M Ag 1708 00:49:32,019 --> 00:49:32,820 extension, 1709 00:49:32,780 --> 00:49:33,699 nobody had, they were like, 1710 00:49:33,719 --> 00:49:35,000 Bermuda grass and cows, just 1711 00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:36,280 Bermuda grass and cows, just 1712 00:49:36,280 --> 00:49:37,080 stick to that. 1713 00:49:37,280 --> 00:49:38,080 And so, 1714 00:49:38,380 --> 00:49:40,039 In some ways, it's been a little 1715 00:49:40,039 --> 00:49:41,880 bit freeing because my 1716 00:49:41,880 --> 00:49:43,559 experiences in upstate New York 1717 00:49:43,559 --> 00:49:44,980 and in California and his is in 1718 00:49:44,980 --> 00:49:46,659 Mexico. And then nobody had a 1719 00:49:46,659 --> 00:49:48,059 lot. There wasn't a lot of local 1720 00:49:48,059 --> 00:49:49,500 experts to tell us anything. 1721 00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:50,920 So, it's been a little bit 1722 00:49:50,920 --> 00:49:52,679 freeing for us to just have to 1723 00:49:52,679 --> 00:49:54,679 try things. And, of course, 1724 00:49:54,719 --> 00:49:55,519 there's been so much. 1725 00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:56,280 losses, 1726 00:49:56,340 --> 00:49:57,360 but I do think that we're 1727 00:49:57,739 --> 00:49:59,500 gaining valuable knowledge that 1728 00:49:59,500 --> 00:50:01,079 can help other people in the 1729 00:50:01,079 --> 00:50:01,880 area. 1730 00:50:02,039 --> 00:50:03,579 And we just started propagating 1731 00:50:03,579 --> 00:50:05,179 trees because people always come 1732 00:50:05,179 --> 00:50:06,300 and go, oh my gosh, your fig 1733 00:50:06,300 --> 00:50:07,420 trees are so beautiful. 1734 00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:09,400 Oh my God, this is so good. 1735 00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:11,300 So we've started ordering extra 1736 00:50:11,300 --> 00:50:12,920 trees and propagating trees and 1737 00:50:12,920 --> 00:50:14,239 we've made a little garden 1738 00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:15,480 center on the ranch. 1739 00:50:15,539 --> 00:50:16,360 So when people come to the 1740 00:50:16,360 --> 00:50:17,699 restaurant and they see these 1741 00:50:17,699 --> 00:50:19,530 beautiful figs, I can say, well, 1742 00:50:19,530 --> 00:50:20,889 yes, at least we know they grow 1743 00:50:20,889 --> 00:50:22,730 in this environment because I 1744 00:50:22,730 --> 00:50:24,329 noticed that the grocery stores 1745 00:50:24,329 --> 00:50:25,869 and the garden centers are 1746 00:50:25,869 --> 00:50:27,110 selling these varieties that are 1747 00:50:27,110 --> 00:50:28,929 actually not conducive to 1748 00:50:28,929 --> 00:50:29,909 growing in 1749 00:50:30,289 --> 00:50:31,150 this environment at all. 1750 00:50:31,190 --> 00:50:32,190 I don't think that there's. 1751 00:50:33,250 --> 00:50:35,610 Not enough chill hours, not, you 1752 00:50:35,610 --> 00:50:37,349 know, just like factually not 1753 00:50:37,349 --> 00:50:39,090 and I'm actually open to 1754 00:50:39,090 --> 00:50:40,809 experimenting things like in 1755 00:50:40,809 --> 00:50:41,610 different environments. 1756 00:50:41,710 --> 00:50:42,510 I'm super into that. 1757 00:50:42,469 --> 00:50:43,710 I did a coffee experiment in 1758 00:50:43,710 --> 00:50:45,429 California with the university 1759 00:50:45,429 --> 00:50:47,909 and I've done some longer chill 1760 00:50:47,909 --> 00:50:49,769 hour apples in California as an 1761 00:50:49,769 --> 00:50:51,849 experiment, but I'm just saying 1762 00:50:51,849 --> 00:50:52,670 when you're. 1763 00:50:53,260 --> 00:50:54,280 garden, you go to the garden 1764 00:50:54,280 --> 00:50:55,639 center, you expect that they are 1765 00:50:55,639 --> 00:50:57,000 picking stuff that is for your 1766 00:50:57,000 --> 00:50:58,199 environment, that it's not an 1767 00:50:58,199 --> 00:50:59,000 experiment. 1768 00:50:59,139 --> 00:51:00,800 And I've noticed that that's not 1769 00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:02,920 true. So I do think that we're 1770 00:51:02,920 --> 00:51:03,920 coming up with valuable 1771 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:04,720 information, 1772 00:51:04,920 --> 00:51:06,840 me and my husband in this 1773 00:51:06,840 --> 00:51:08,420 experimenting time. 1774 00:51:08,699 --> 00:51:10,780 And of course, it's scary and 1775 00:51:10,780 --> 00:51:12,579 dangerous and financially, 1776 00:51:12,900 --> 00:51:14,320 but I do feel like valuable 1777 00:51:14,320 --> 00:51:16,400 information is being collected 1778 00:51:16,400 --> 00:51:17,200 out of it. 1779 00:51:20,820 --> 00:51:22,219 What you're describing is the 1780 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:24,219 the essence of a lot of what 1781 00:51:24,219 --> 00:51:26,139 needs to return to many 1782 00:51:26,139 --> 00:51:26,940 different communities. 1783 00:51:27,119 --> 00:51:28,280 There is a great deal of 1784 00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:30,000 knowledge that is still held by 1785 00:51:30,440 --> 00:51:31,400 people who've been on the land 1786 00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:32,200 for a long time. 1787 00:51:33,019 --> 00:51:34,179 But there are also a lot of 1788 00:51:34,179 --> 00:51:34,980 things. 1789 00:51:35,110 --> 00:51:35,929 There's a lot of information 1790 00:51:35,929 --> 00:51:36,730 that we've lost. 1791 00:51:37,369 --> 00:51:38,909 And there are also many things 1792 00:51:38,909 --> 00:51:39,949 that we haven't discovered 1793 00:51:39,949 --> 00:51:40,949 because we've not been willing 1794 00:51:40,949 --> 00:51:41,750 to try. 1795 00:51:42,579 --> 00:51:44,059 So kudos, kudos to you for 1796 00:51:44,059 --> 00:51:45,699 experimenting. There is a little 1797 00:51:45,699 --> 00:51:47,280 bit of that happening in Central 1798 00:51:47,280 --> 00:51:49,039 Texas of like kind of a 1799 00:51:49,039 --> 00:51:51,320 rigidness and some information 1800 00:51:51,320 --> 00:51:53,880 being forgotten and some people 1801 00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:55,400 failing and then people get 1802 00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:56,340 scared and they don't want to 1803 00:51:56,340 --> 00:51:57,340 fail. But 1804 00:51:57,840 --> 00:51:59,860 I looked up a hundred years ago 1805 00:51:59,860 --> 00:52:00,960 before refrigeration, 1806 00:52:01,710 --> 00:52:03,429 the Central Texas area, because 1807 00:52:03,429 --> 00:52:05,050 of the mild winters, was growing 1808 00:52:05,050 --> 00:52:06,909 a lot of vegetables, was growing 1809 00:52:06,909 --> 00:52:09,670 a lot of food for this area. 1810 00:52:09,809 --> 00:52:11,269 But that's not the truth 1811 00:52:11,269 --> 00:52:12,070 anymore. 1812 00:52:12,599 --> 00:52:13,840 And we put in, 1813 00:52:15,159 --> 00:52:17,300 1500 fruit trees, 20 of each 1814 00:52:17,300 --> 00:52:18,100 variety. 1815 00:52:18,630 --> 00:52:20,010 And so I think that we will have 1816 00:52:20,010 --> 00:52:21,050 a lot of information. 1817 00:52:21,449 --> 00:52:22,710 They're only four years old 1818 00:52:22,710 --> 00:52:23,909 right now. So, but I think 1819 00:52:23,909 --> 00:52:25,289 moving forward, we will have a 1820 00:52:25,289 --> 00:52:27,130 lot of information that we can 1821 00:52:27,130 --> 00:52:29,469 share with other people. 1822 00:52:29,590 --> 00:52:30,690 And the other day, this older 1823 00:52:30,690 --> 00:52:32,710 gentleman drove up onto my ranch 1824 00:52:32,710 --> 00:52:34,469 and he said, what made you put 1825 00:52:34,469 --> 00:52:35,269 that orchard there? 1826 00:52:35,289 --> 00:52:36,449 And I said, oh, it was the best 1827 00:52:36,449 --> 00:52:37,250 piece of 1828 00:52:37,989 --> 00:52:39,429 Uh, place on the ranch for an 1829 00:52:39,429 --> 00:52:40,750 orchard has a slope. 1830 00:52:40,769 --> 00:52:42,369 So the cold air will fall down 1831 00:52:42,369 --> 00:52:44,409 off of it and it's protected on 1832 00:52:44,409 --> 00:52:46,269 both sides by trees and the 1833 00:52:46,269 --> 00:52:47,429 angle for the sun. 1834 00:52:47,530 --> 00:52:49,190 And and he said, do you know 1835 00:52:49,190 --> 00:52:51,170 that my grandfather and great 1836 00:52:51,170 --> 00:52:52,670 grandfather grew their vegetable 1837 00:52:52,670 --> 00:52:54,690 gardens in that 5 acres? 1838 00:52:54,829 --> 00:52:55,789 They grew their corn. 1839 00:52:56,159 --> 00:52:57,519 And he said, it's interesting 1840 00:52:57,519 --> 00:52:58,739 that the first thing you guys 1841 00:52:58,739 --> 00:52:59,860 planted when you got here, I 1842 00:52:59,860 --> 00:53:01,699 noticed the first thing that you 1843 00:53:01,699 --> 00:53:03,320 guys planted was that area. 1844 00:53:03,699 --> 00:53:04,820 And I said, what was the best 1845 00:53:04,820 --> 00:53:07,099 area to plant anything on the 1846 00:53:07,099 --> 00:53:07,960 ranch? And he said, well, 1847 00:53:08,610 --> 00:53:09,849 but I just, how did you, 1848 00:53:10,190 --> 00:53:11,329 how, like, he just couldn't 1849 00:53:11,329 --> 00:53:13,800 imagine how I knew generations 1850 00:53:13,800 --> 00:53:15,260 later that his grandfather and 1851 00:53:15,260 --> 00:53:16,820 great grandfather had used that 1852 00:53:16,820 --> 00:53:17,620 area. 1853 00:53:18,210 --> 00:53:20,170 And it was very interesting to 1854 00:53:20,170 --> 00:53:21,349 him. And he said, the people 1855 00:53:21,349 --> 00:53:22,590 that bought it, they ignored 1856 00:53:22,590 --> 00:53:24,130 that area. They just used the 1857 00:53:24,130 --> 00:53:25,190 big fields because they're 1858 00:53:25,190 --> 00:53:26,289 flatter and easier. 1859 00:53:27,150 --> 00:53:28,650 Nobody ever planted anything 1860 00:53:28,650 --> 00:53:30,530 there since we sold the property 1861 00:53:30,530 --> 00:53:32,230 30 years before you bought it. 1862 00:53:33,119 --> 00:53:34,800 And I said, I saw it right away 1863 00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:37,059 that it was an excellent place 1864 00:53:37,059 --> 00:53:38,260 to plant. 1865 00:53:38,699 --> 00:53:40,860 And so I think that there is 1866 00:53:40,860 --> 00:53:42,960 information in our communities. 1867 00:53:43,159 --> 00:53:44,639 And I actually took to driving 1868 00:53:44,639 --> 00:53:46,739 around and looking in people's 1869 00:53:46,739 --> 00:53:49,000 yards at varieties of trees when 1870 00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:51,500 I first moved here because and 1871 00:53:51,500 --> 00:53:52,539 asking people can I take a 1872 00:53:52,539 --> 00:53:55,239 cutting I've like snuck under 1873 00:53:55,239 --> 00:53:56,860 fences and taken cuttings of 1874 00:53:56,860 --> 00:53:57,660 like 1875 00:53:57,510 --> 00:53:59,730 a rogue pomegranate tree. 1876 00:54:00,119 --> 00:54:02,079 growing in no water out the side 1877 00:54:02,079 --> 00:54:03,699 of a hillside and like taking 1878 00:54:03,699 --> 00:54:05,480 some cuttings. But I've really 1879 00:54:05,480 --> 00:54:07,079 just taken to trying to observe 1880 00:54:07,079 --> 00:54:08,920 because there is very little 1881 00:54:08,920 --> 00:54:11,099 information specifically for my 1882 00:54:11,099 --> 00:54:12,840 region that's been preserved. 1883 00:54:13,929 --> 00:54:15,070 Well, Molly, I want to say thank 1884 00:54:15,070 --> 00:54:15,969 you for all the work that you're 1885 00:54:15,969 --> 00:54:17,230 doing. Thanks for the book. 1886 00:54:17,349 --> 00:54:18,510 I hope that it becomes very 1887 00:54:18,510 --> 00:54:19,690 popular and that lots of people 1888 00:54:19,690 --> 00:54:22,130 read it and it can contribute to 1889 00:54:22,130 --> 00:54:23,469 a shift in awareness. 1890 00:54:24,210 --> 00:54:25,929 I hope so too. Thank you so much 1891 00:54:25,929 --> 00:54:26,769 for having me on. 1892 00:54:26,969 --> 00:54:28,769 The team at AEA and I are 1893 00:54:28,769 --> 00:54:30,289 dedicated to bringing this show 1894 00:54:30,289 --> 00:54:31,869 to you because we believe that 1895 00:54:31,869 --> 00:54:33,590 knowledge and information is the 1896 00:54:33,590 --> 00:54:35,250 foundation of successful 1897 00:54:35,250 --> 00:54:36,570 regenerative systems. 1898 00:54:37,300 --> 00:54:39,260 At AEA, we believe that growing 1899 00:54:39,260 --> 00:54:41,000 better quality food and making 1900 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:42,539 more money from your crops is 1901 00:54:42,539 --> 00:54:43,340 possible. 1902 00:54:43,659 --> 00:54:44,599 And since 2006, 1903 00:54:44,900 --> 00:54:45,880 we've worked with leading 1904 00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:47,219 professional growers to help 1905 00:54:47,219 --> 00:54:48,199 them do just that. 1906 00:54:48,920 --> 00:54:51,480 At AEA, we don't guess, we test, 1907 00:54:51,599 --> 00:54:52,400 we analyze. 1908 00:54:52,719 --> 00:54:54,000 and we provide recommendations 1909 00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:55,760 based on scientific data, 1910 00:54:56,199 --> 00:54:57,119 knowledge, and experience. 1911 00:54:57,900 --> 00:54:58,920 We've developed products that 1912 00:54:58,920 --> 00:55:00,219 are uniquely positioned to help 1913 00:55:00,219 --> 00:55:01,699 growers make more money with 1914 00:55:01,699 --> 00:55:02,699 regenerative agriculture. 1915 00:55:03,519 --> 00:55:04,820 If you are a professional grower 1916 00:55:04,820 --> 00:55:06,659 who believes in testing instead 1917 00:55:06,659 --> 00:55:07,460 of guessing, 1918 00:55:08,019 --> 00:55:09,099 someone who believes in a 1919 00:55:09,099 --> 00:55:10,519 better, more regenerative way to 1920 00:55:10,519 --> 00:55:11,320 grow, 1921 00:55:11,570 --> 00:55:13,989 visit advancingecoag .com and 1922 00:55:13,989 --> 00:55:15,550 contact us to see if AEA is 1923 00:55:15,550 --> 00:55:16,350 right for you. 1924 00:55:17,320 --> 00:55:18,480 Thank you for listening, and we 1925 00:55:18,480 --> 00:55:19,360 look forward to working with 1926 00:55:19,360 --> 00:55:20,160 you.