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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Audiobook: Available on Spotify

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

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

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

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

Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan Campbell

Powered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠⁠www.efa.nz⁠⁠

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

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

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