EcoFarm Aotearoa

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

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

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

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

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

We explore:
Why successful innovation attracts resistance, not support

How fear keeps farmers compliant and isolated

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

What Probitas revealed about soil, electricity, and biology

Why standing your ground matters for farming’s future

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

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

Useful links:
• Learn more at EcoFarm Aotearoa (efa.nz)
Our FREE E-Book:
https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.nz/download-our-ebook/
Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=7f68bd8183ea46ae

An EcoFarmer’s Discovery Chapter 15: What Is This Shiny Stuff?
The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast

Welcome to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery: The Companion Podcast, where every Friday we dive into one chapter of Ewan Campbell’s journey.

Read or listen along by searching An EcoFarmer’s Discovery on Spotify, or find the book on Audible and Kindle. Each episode unpacks the stories and principles behind regenerative farming, with 26 chapters released across 26 weeks.

This episode covers Chapter 15 and explores the hidden structure of soil, aluminium toxicity, and why misunderstanding soil chemistry puts entire farming systems at risk.

In This Episode
Ewan explains why most farmers have never been taught what soil is actually made of, unpacking aluminosilicates, pH behaviour in volcanic soils, and how soluble aluminium quietly shuts down biology. The discussion introduces the importance of the SW07 soil test, why traditional fertiliser advice often makes problems worse, and how misreading soil data leads to escalating inputs and declining function.

The conversation connects soil chemistry to plant expression, human health, and historical fertiliser use. From hieracium infestations and shiny aluminium-loving plants to phosphate binding, silicon lock-up, and calcium availability, this episode shows how toxicity, not deficiency, is often the real issue.

We explore:• Why aluminium toxicity, not deficiency, shuts down soils
• How soil tests like SW07 reveal hidden system failures
• The link between aluminium, silicon, calcium, and phosphorus
• Why hieracium and “shiny” plants signal toxic conditions
• How sea minerals and biology help restart the soil system

This episode is about understanding structure over inputs, biology over chemistry, and why healthy soils depend on removing toxicity, not adding more product.

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

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

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

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

An EcoFarmer’s Discovery Chapter 14: The BeachThe EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast

Welcome to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery: The Companion Podcast, where every Friday we dive into one chapter of Ewan Campbell’s journey.

Read or listen along by searching An EcoFarmer’s Discovery on Spotify, or find the book on Audible and Kindle. Each episode unpacks the stories and principles behind regenerative farming, with 26 chapters released across 26 weeks.

In This Episode
This episode covers Chapter 14 and explores the role of seawater, cyanobacteria, and marine minerals in soil, plant, animal, and human health.

Ewan reflects on the research of Dr Maynard Murray and others, drawing connections between ocean health, mineralisation, and biological function on land. The discussion explains why seawater cannot be replicated synthetically, how cyanobacteria underpin carbon accumulation, and why biology fails when exposed to chemicals and aluminium.

The conversation moves from theory to practice, covering early on-farm seawater trials, logistical challenges, mineral interactions, and surprising results such as explosive pasture growth and worm activity. The episode also touches on serpentine, historical fertiliser choices, and why relying on short-lived products can leave farmers stuck when tools disappear.

We explore:
• Why seawater is biologically alive and cannot be manufactured
• The role of cyanobacteria in carbon, soil structure, and nutrient flow
• Links between ocean health, soil health, and animal performance
• Seawater as fertiliser, fungicide, and biological inoculant
• Practical lessons from early trials and mineral interactions
• Why nature-based systems consistently outperform chemical fixes

This episode is about first principles, biological intelligence, and understanding that healthy farms, animals, and people all begin with functioning soil biology.

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

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

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

Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=d5fd8cf669b14be0

An EcoFarmer’s Discovery Chapter 13: Products
The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast

Welcome to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery: The Companion Podcast, where every Friday we dive into one chapter of Ewan Campbell’s journey.

Read or listen along by searching An EcoFarmer’s Discovery on Spotify, or find the book on Kindle. Each episode unpacks the stories and principles behind regenerative farming, with 26 chapters released across 26 weeks.

In This Episode
This episode covers Chapter 13, Products, and how soil decisions shape real-world outcomes.

Ewan reflects on the rapid growth of his soil biology work and the challenges of scaling something entirely new. The discussion looks at knowledge transfer, burnout, and what happens when innovation moves faster than structure.

The conversation then turns practical, linking soil imbalance, mineral deficiencies, and chemical legacies directly to animal health, farm costs, and product quality. Ewan explains why fixing problems in the soil consistently delivers better results than treating symptoms in livestock.

We explore:• The challenges of scaling new ideas in farming• How mineral imbalances affect soil and animal health• Why soil solutions outperform animal supplements• The long-term impacts of chemicals like DDT and atrazine• How testing and observation guide better decisions• Why products reflect the health of the whole system

This episode is about learning from mistakes, taking responsibility, and understanding that farm products are built from the soil up.

Follow along. Watch full episodes on YouTube and Spotify Video.
Useful links:
• Learn more at EcoFarm Aotearoa (efa.nz)

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

Listen to An EcoFarmer’s Discovery:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=d5fd8cf669b14be0