Building Resilient Soils: Cover Crops, Biology & Profitable Pastures with Kevin Elmy

Episode Overview

In this conversation, Grahame is joined by Canadian cover cropping specialist Kevin Elmy, author of Not Just Dirt and long-time regenerative agronomist. Kevin shares how he turned "dirt back into soil" on his Saskatchewan farm, and how the same principles apply in Western Canada, Western Australia and across Australian grazing country.

From multi-species cover crops and relay cropping, to weeds as indicator plants and the power of livestock, Kevin unpacks a practical, biology-first approach to reducing risk, improving water use, and lifting profitability in both cropping and livestock systems.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• What cover cropping really is (without overcomplicating the definition) – simply growing plants to protect and improve soil, whether you're a grain grower, grazier, horticulture producer, or gardener.

• How Kevin realised he'd "bought dirt, not soil" in 1999 – and the steps he took over 22 years to rebuild organic matter, structure and biology.

• The five soil health principles Kevin lives by and how they link to longer growing seasons, living roots and reduced synthetic inputs.

• Why water infiltration and "functional water" matter more than rainfall totals – and how diverse cover crops help capture and hold every millimetre.

• How relay cover cropping works: seeding a low-growing cover into a cash crop, harvesting the cash crop, then letting the understory explode into growth for biology and feed.

• Why weeds are indicator plants, not enemies – and how high nitrate levels, low calcium and compaction are often the real problem.

• The importance of the fungal:bacterial ratio in your soil, and what different plant communities (weeds, natives, shrubs) are telling you about it.

• How combining grasses + legumes + forbs (and even flowers) creates synergy for nutrient cycling, animal performance and nutrient-dense grain and fodder.

• Practical ideas for using cover crops in the "shoulder seasons" so you can rest perennials, reduce tractor hours, and keep livestock grazing instead of feeding bales.

• Why broadcasting seed and using animal impact can be a simple, low-steel way to establish diverse covers – especially when timed with rain.

Key Concepts & Takeaways

• Principles before products: Start with biology, living roots and diversity; inputs and machinery are secondary.

• Diversity trumps density: Five functional plant groups – grasses, legumes, brassicas, non-brassica forbs, and other broadleaves – with mixes of summer/winter active and annual/biennial/perennial species.

• Weeds as messages: Species like wild oats, Capeweed and thistles are signalling high nitrates, compaction or mineral imbalances – not "bad luck".

• Livestock as critical partners: Properly integrated livestock elevate soil health to the "next level" through grazing, trampling and nutrient cycling.

• Think like a plant and a microbe: The aim is to feed soil biology so it can feed plants, animals and ultimately human health.

Guest Bio – Kevin Elmy

Kevin Elmy is a Canadian agronomist, cover cropping specialist and author based in eastern Saskatchewan. After buying highly degraded "dirt" in 1999, Kevin spent over two decades rebuilding soil function using cover crops, diverse rotations and well-managed livestock. He has consulted widely across Western Canada and Australia, including work with Haggerty's in WA and workshops at Dunedoo (NSW). Kevin's work focuses on practical, profitable regenerative systems that reduce reliance on synthetic inputs while improving resilience, productivity and animal performance.

Quotes Worth Remembering

• "If we're not making money, we're not going to be doing good things for the soil for very long." – Kevin

• "Weeds are just really successful plants trying to fix the soil." – Kevin

• "Diversity trumps density – every time." – Kevin

• "We focus on the livestock above the ground, but if we ignore the livestock under the ground, we're missing half the picture." – Grahame

Resources & Mentions

• Kevin's book: Not Just Dirt

• Sir Albert Howard – early soil health pioneer

• Dr Christine Jones – soil ecologist, regenerative ag educator

• Nicole Masters – agroecologist, author & educator

• Dr David Montgomery – Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations

Who This Episode Is For

• Mixed farmers wanting to integrate cropping and livestock more profitably

• Graziers looking to reduce drought risk and improve pasture resilience

• Grain growers wanting to lift soil health without going broke on inputs

• Anyone curious about practical regenerative agriculture that works in low-rainfall, challenging environments