Treating the Farm as an Ecosystem with Gabe Brown Part 1, The 5 Tenets of Soil Health 

I'm 10 minutes in and what I love is he explains things in such a way someone with zero knowledge of farming can understand, follow and learn. That's a real talent. He's a farmer but also a natural born educator.

You people in the USA should put the guy in charge of agriculture. An inspiration to anyone in farming. Hope his influence spreads far and wide. Do this worldwide and we’d be on our way to combatting climate change.

In 2017 I took a course in Prairie Horticulture from the University of Saskatchewan and this was one of the required videos. I've watched this over again through the years and still recommend it to anyone getting started on their soil health journey.

11:10 Winter Triticale & Hairy Vetch 14:30 Cowpea & Sundan Grass 21:53 Green Armor 27:30 Feed biology, Fungi & Bacteria 🦠 1:16:53 Mycorrhizal Fungi 1:19:45 Keep your seed (acclimated to their specific environment) 1:21:45 Fungal to Bacterial ratio of your soil 1:22:31 the majority of the biology in the soil live in the top 2 inches 1:30:09 green armor 1:32:17 worms at work 🪱 1:40:27 Cover crop diversity 1:49:00 Always have something growing (promote healthy soil) 1:51:26 Photosynthesis 🌞 capture solar energy 1:55:06 diversity specifically 1:57:35 more sun absorption

This guy is a life-saver, I swear. And he is also a great example of honesty and integrity, putting this 2h30 conference online for free. I'm a student in agronomy and you're a big inspiration. Thank you Mr Brown.

GABE BROWN IS A GIFTED COMMUNICATOR. ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER HEARD.

I turned west Michigan sand into 2.5 feet of top soil in 10 years, organic matter 7-8% and greater in certain parts of the yard where the gardens are. Soil Health = Human Health Aloha

I am a city dweller, London U.K., and I cannot believe I just watched all of that. Absolutely fascinating. I have an urban garden with a rubble dirt soil and I have not been able to improve it by very much. This has totally changed the way I am going to approach this problem.

I am speechless! This has completely changed my way of thinking.... this needs to be required viewing in EVERY SINGLE Ag program in every college in our nation!! We would bankrupt Monsanto in 5 years if everyone saw this! I most definitely will be sharing this with everyone I know!!

I have watched this guy and Ill keep watching whenever a video starring him comes on RU-vid and I don't even have a farm. I have a garden, and he helps, encourages and inspires me with that. But even if I didn't have a garden, I would listen and dream about it. He is funny, relatable, and just awesome. What a star. He needs a TV show. We'd all be farming.

The more you mimic nature the better everything gets. Everything is connected.

I have wondered for years why this wasn't happening on a larger basis. It just makes sense! I figured that out as a kid, mimic nature and things grow better. I have had 17ft hollyhocks, summer squash with leaves that were almost 3ft across and usually about 5 large squash per plant growing at the same time, and my cucumbers get HUGE and still have a very nice taste and texture. My garden looks like a jungle.😂😎

I never watch anything over 20 minutes. I just watched this entire video at one sitting. Extremely interesting and very well presented.

I've watched this video 4 times in 2 years. I've never learned more from any book, class or video in my life. Gabe Brown is my hero.

Discovered Gabe Brown some months ago. We have a smallholding with about 4 acres of arable land on our plot in Zambia. Our rainy season has just started. For the last 20 years we have allocated about a lima of land to each of our employees to plant what they want each year on condition that they used pothole tilling using NO commercial agriinputs or agricides. Manure and compost only; crop rotation with legumes. YESTERDAY we played Part 1 of "Treating the Farm as an Ecosystem" as the first step of training them in regenerative gardening. Today our meeting was with a handful of men and one woman with great enthusiasm.

Gabe, you are a credit to the human species. Not only is your content informative and solidly presented, you know the material indide and out. Then you mix your unique blend of humor in and the result is eye opening in more ways than one. Bless you for sharing your knowledge and helping make the world a better and more productive place to live. 👍💯💯💯

I’d love to see you in person if you ever get to Houston,Texas. We just bought a property in Hockley, Texas. I love the idea of having land and was thrilled when we got this property. The back yard/pasture gets run-off from all the other properties around us. So we have crevasses from the flow of the water. We also have hard compacted sandy soil. I’m trying to figure out how to absorb some of that run off so my soil will get healthier. I’m just not sure how to start if I can’t disturb the soil that’s so hard. I’ll keep doing more research. This was excellent. I knew this deep down. I knew I had to find something to grow to improve my soil… and seeing this video validated what I just knew was the right thing to do. Thank you.

Absolute gold. DON'T SKIP ANYTHING.

Love Gabe Brown! We found him a few years ago and he is one of the people that gave us the inspiration to farm. Thanks so much for this!

People who live in town can treat their properties as an ecosystem as well, and i learned alot from your video, thank you! I will be implementing the things i have learned. This year i can say i have noticed the difference in the quality of the food, and its taste even just from building the soil. Crazy difference in taste, and incentive to keep going.

3-4 years of agriculture school summed in this two hours. Oh, sorry...I made a mistake. THEY DONT TEACH THIS!!!... one day i copy this guy. 💪🏻

This is what every new gardener / farmer in 2020 should watch.

My heart longs for this life. i grew up in rural Scotland, I moved to the city in my late teens. God I miss th countryside. Ive converted our dining room into a Micro farm!! I grow allsorts, Some in soil some in water. Ive had peppers 50cm long! One day I shall buy a plot of land!

Really loved how he explains good organic vs. bad organic, good no-till vs. bad no till, etc.

I could listen to Gabe speak all day.

“But I don’t care this is really easy.” IMO one of the best moments of this presentation.

I've got 10 acres of grass that is grazed for horses. To say I know nothing is understatement of the year. I've just watched this video from start to finish and this is so obviously the way to go. Reduce overhead and the profit rolls in .thanks for your efforts, I shall definitely spread the word.

Living Web Farms, thank you for making these available and sharing them with those of us who couldn't be there!

Farmer in California really need to see and learn from this presentation. Stop the dry land and water crisis we have here.

This is my first year of getting ready to plant a garden. it is already tilled and the last year i will till. thank you so much. I learned so much.

This is gold- I don’t even farm. Thank you.

THANK YOU THANK YOU! I started watching Justin Rhodes years back which led me to learn about Joel Salatin, which led me to your video! And may I just say wow! Your presentation was wonderfully worded, and so easy to understand. Anyone can comprehend the fundamental message you are getting at: Take care of nature and nature will take care of you! God bless you and your family

Thank you for sharing. Interesting quiet passion of mine for some decades now. I am one of those young regenerative agriculturalist on the move for my appropriate location. Thank you for sharing knowledge. Peace

i was looking at examples of composting, and lift the autoplay button "on" to play constantly to next videos as I did laundry. This guy came on after few videos, and I was about to click next, til he mention why California is desperate for water. I got hooked. I live in cacaCalifornia; and it is true about how we cultivate the land to a runoff. It makes sense of what Mr. Brown says about using a good "cover crop". Its a must try. I'm off to the next video, thank you for SHARING🌻💖🌻💖🌻💖🌻💖👍

I have always had a dream of having my own homestead one day so I stumbled upon this video. Now I feel so inspired I can't stop watching this!

Gabe, I am not a farmer, but am a small gardener in the city. Even for us, with .25 acres or less, this knowledge is still so very valuable. Thank you so much for all you do!

Until just a few decades ago, those dairies Gabe mentions in Pennsylvania were pasture-based, with crops grown to supplement the pasture for 'maximum' (NOT optimum) production. Now it is hard to find a dairy cow outside anywhere in the state, except on some Amish farms. The dairy feedlots are typically covered there, but they are still feedlots. Then again, farmers in the East who keep cattle without 24/7access to a building in winter and liquid water are in danger of being charged with animal cruelty- because the public and officials don't understand. Farmers who keep livestock WITH 24/7 access to shelter in winter have been harassed by officials and/or charged with animal cruelty because some people think the animals should be locked up inside all winter. The public, HSUS, and most officials are unaware of the stress on livestock, increased risk of disease, and harmful impacts on the environment caused by keeping livestock confined. Yes,really.

This is fantastic! This guy did the work with help from others. This is what Rodale has been saying for 40 years. Thanks!

Pretty sure if I was a president of an ag school I would pay this guy to be the head of my farming section and he would design a curriculum beginning at farming 101.

Just going throw videos and this started playing, I don’t know the first thing about farming. Now I think I could start a better farm then anyone I know. I just couldn’t stop watching.

Gabe brown needs his own RU-vid channel! I use most of his strategies in my arizona backyard permaculture garden I teach about on my channel. They work in the desert! The only thing I’m missing is a grazer but I “hand graze” my cover crops for green manure so it’s better than nothing. Thanks for teaching me more than I learned in Ag science in college!

What a superb talk! I am in the U.K. and although I am not a farmer I am from a farming family and I am a keen grower of fruit and vegetables in my garden and allotment. I came to this channel from a mention by someone on a Richard Perkins video and I am very grateful to that person for his comment. I will certainly be experimenting with cover crops and mixed plantings - starting with when it stops raining here!

I can't believe I watched all 2.5 hrs 😳

Wow, Gabe is just wonderful! Here's a man who knows how to talk to people in a language they understand, in exactly the way that produces real change where it potentially makes the most difference -- in how we think about what it is we're doing. Really inspiring, and I'm not even a farmer.

This is literally one of the coolest videos I’ve seen in years.

wow, I'm not even a damn farmer and I WANT to go out and plant some cover crops, how 'bout that!

There is a group working on regenerative agriculture, in Gallup, NM. The name of the group is Work in Beauty and they have a facebook page.

The second he admitted that he didn't know re purchasing Fungi I knew I was listening to an intelligent man. Super interesting and can't wait to experiment

Wow. I really appreciated this ! I was raised on a farm and we lost it due nonpayment in 70's. This concept works for all scopes, slopes, and spaces.

Amazing presentation! Everyone should watch this!

Best lecture ever heard definitely buying his book

It's refreshing to see some REAL SCIENCE and real-world critical thinking. I began to experiment with garden diversity after my cucumber and tomato plants would not get along with each other. You seem to have taken it to a whole new level.

This guys is fantastic! Where art, wisdom, love beauty and science converge while listening to and understanding nature! Love this!

Being such a charismatic guy he really makes learning fun.😁👌

Listening to this while driving through western nodak.

Pure Gold! Thank you, Gabe. Inspired as I begin my journey as a Regenerative Farmer.

I'm not a large-scale farmer. I am a gardener in the Sheyenne Valley. My soil is almost pure clay so all my garden soil is in raised beds. It is all made from composted leaves and grass clippings. However I have been pulling out all the organics in the fall and tilling. It packs like cement! I will be doing some experimenting next spring.

Excellent presentation!

Wow! Farm smarter not harder. Fascinating and so educational. I wanted to take a break but couldn't tear myself away. Such a wealth of knowledge and information, shared in an easy to understand way. Bet the Ag chemical companies hate you Gabe, but I love what you are doing! Thank you!

Fantastic education. I'm not a farmer but an focussed on improving my soil and gradually creating a food forest in my urban back garden here in the uk. I learnt loads here. Thank you.

This is fantastic! I am speechless. Like another commentor, everyone doing backyard garden to large-scale farm should see this video

Wow, where has this guy been all my RU-vid-ing research on regenerative farming??? Finally after months of research, I'm glad to add this to my YT library.

commenting here as a bookmark to myself to listen to later on a long drive. first listen of this channel for me. looking forward to it. cheers, darrin

Excellent presentation. I hope all the farmers are adopting these organic practices. It’s about profits, not yield. To adopt an old phrase from sales and applied to farming, would be, “you can’t fold up yield and put it in your pocket.” An excellent book for everyone to read, from farmers, to home gardeners, is “Teaming With Microbes,” by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis. It goes over everything this man is talking about: Soil science.

I'm only @ 16:14, and I know you never intended this, but you have helped remind me that adversity is a means for God to bring about a new work. I have been up and down in my battle for my health, it's been rough; sometimes I feel like I've been pellted by that monstrous hail, but like you, I can't quit. I may think about it, but there's too much at stake. The farmer waits patiently for his harvest and for the former and later rains-- he's done all he can do. And so, I'll wait patiently for my health as I am doing all I can do. The Lord will bring the rain that brings the harvest. Thank you, Gabe!

Soil functions as the digestive tract for the plant.

Thank you very much Gabe Brown for your valuable information.

Most informative video on cover cropping I have seen in years. Gabe Brown is a treasure. Rock on and save the earth!

“We create our droughts”.... I would add we also create a lot of our floods. Keep seeing flooding in spring time in heavy agg areas. Plowed up fields as far as the I can see. The land isn’t holding water. This affect will cause droughts and floods alike. We have agg practices to thank not supposed climate change. Very interesting, very helpful and enlightening.

The best presentation I’ve heard on this issue by far!

I wish I could give Mr. Gabe Brown 500 thumbs up. This presentation had a profound impact on my life

I was looking at this thinking do I want to watch over 2hrs of ag?! I enjoyed every minute. Way back in 2005 made me feel so OLD!!!

Love 💘this. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 🙏. I am humbled by your words about how we can learn this at warp speed. I am more then excited to embrace the renewable farmers farm 🚜 🌽 🍍🍋🥒🫑🌶🍅🍇🥔🍄🧄🥑🙆‍♂️👨‍🌾

Wow, am so glad to find this video. The speaker is very well spoken with good information. Much appreciated, thanks!

The difference between soil and dirt is LIFE.

I am not even a farmer and watched the whole thing in one go. Thank you very much for the wealth of information. I am glad that there are level headed people spreading these ideas and that you have such an interested audience.

Not only highly intelligent but absolutely adorable!

Woooow, Quite an addictive but educative video that one may not want to switch off before one completes it. I will certainly give it as an assignment to my students to watch.

Absolutely excellent presentation! Thanks!

Thank you for publishing this. Looking forward to the other part, if you have it.

Fantastic information! Very well articulated as well, easy for folks to understand that are clueless to the process. They should teach kids this in school. These simple principles can reverse global warming by sequestering carbon out of the air. It can produce more nutrient packed healthier food and more of it. Job security for our friend the farmer and that's always a good thing. Excellent video thanks so much for sharing!!!

Congratulations Gabe, all very good and clear. Warmest greetings from Paraguay!

How valuable the native prarie is for education ..

The first two pictures just before 40 minutes ARE the same soil sample, but I don't that that was a deliberate slip-up. Very good presentation, and I'm learning so much!

Lots of good information, Thank you !:)

born and raised in the city. your reaching us. thank you

I do many things this guy says in my backyard and everything works great.

The " new regenerative agriculture" is exactly the n=method my family has employed for generations at least a century.

This is one of the most informative videos I've watched on RU-vid. You have changed my perspective on soil and, thanks to your son's population observations, how the life cycles of insects allow one to dominate a portion of the year. Fascinating. Thank you!

Late to the party, but felt a need to add my experience. Purchased a house with ten acres with intent to raise racing Greyhounds from inception to adoption in NC. The previous owners raised horses. I thought I would have trouble managing dog feces, and was surprised to find dung beetles in fresh piles of poop. However, because I tilled runs, then treated each run with with bleach and Naptha, while using Roundup to kill weeds as a practice to manage ticks and fleas (depending on the rainfall), I lost huge amounts of the dung beetles. I created hardpan and a burden on my checkbook because we lost all of nature's ability to combat invasive/detrimental species, such as ticks, fleas, hookworms, roundworms, and etc. The only thing living in my runs were dogs and anything else that was a detriment to my dogs' health.

I watched TED talk by a man named Allan forget-his-last name who lives in Africa and he has taken his land where everything was suffering from desertification and when it did rain, no water could soak in, it just eroded like you see in pastures where the local species have been killed off from overgrazing or crowded out by transplanted species. He focused on covering the land (wood chips aren't a bad idea, either, you can't grow in wood chips that haven't decomposed b/c they steal nitrogen as they break down) with plants and terraforming and water and fertility and productivity came back to the land. Long story short. The villages around him started following those practices and they had a return of water to the area, ground water. Instead of running off and taking soil with it, it was captured by plants and was able to soak into the soil and stay instead of flash flooding.

this video is ust so awesome! I am tearing up watching this, this is exactly the same as what they're promoting in permiculture!

Thank you! I'm so happy with your info now it clear what l have to do with my flower farm

Solid stuff. Thanks for the vid and y'alls time! Learning much his should have been taught in school. Public schools are a waste of time.

Some organic gardeners have a permanent perennial crop, which they cut and drop, leaving the roots in place, then make one furrow cut, to plant. Cutting the perennial close to the ground, leaves the roots in place, to continue benefiting the fungi, but allows the vegetable plant time to grow and get light. The perennial may need to be cut and dropped mid season if it is out competing your vegetables for light. This system has the advantage of reducing soil disturbance, and increasing organic matter. It also eliminates the need to re sow your perennials, and never leaves your soil naked. I could foresee some harvesting problems, but is definitely and idea to trial.

People are finally beginning to become humble and realize that Mother Nature knows what she is doing much better than we do. Much better , in fact, that we will ever be able to do. Trust her and she will take care of you as well as the earth.

This is a fascinating and informative lecture, really useful. Thank you to all those who made this information available

I love his message and i love his pronunciation of ‘root’

Excellent presentation. Dr. Brown, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. We surly will need it in the now and future farming.

I have been doing this for a while in my landscapes. Totally changes the soil for the better.