The Soil Health Shift | AgEmerge Podcast 195 with Chuck Schembre
Regenerative agriculture is not a slogan - it is a system, and Chuck Schembre knows exactly where it breaks, where it works, and how to make the transition without throwing yields out the window.
If you care about specialty crops, produce, vineyards, apples, almonds, or the real-world economics of farming differently, this conversation is for you.
Chuck brings a rare perspective shaped by both the field and the science. From working restaurant lines with peak-season tomatoes and onions that changed everything he thought he knew about food, to farming his way through California, Sonoma, Napa, and now the high desert of Nevada, he shares the path that pulled him into soil health, ecological farming, and regenerative consulting.
About Our Guest: Chuck Schembre is owner of High Desert Harvest Farm, a small diversified regenerative farm in Washoe Valley of Northern Nevada, and owner and founder of EcoSoil Solutions a soil health and regenerative agronomy consulting company. He's also a Certified Professional Soil Scientist and agronomist with two decades of experience farming organically and regeneratively, while interpreting soil and plant health metrics and linking them directly to practical farm management. His expertise bridges advanced soil and crop science with practical hands-on farming – from managing small-scale organic vegetable systems to large orchard and vineyard operations. He holds a B.S. degree in Earth and Soil Science from Cal Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo.
Find Chuck online: https://ecosoilsolutions.com
Video presentations: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxWQsab9hWKETLaaxF796E6aBILPZTr0U&si=yxWB3cwNwjeGhEh_
Timestamps:
03:28 - Choosing Cal Poly for soil science, organic farm access, and surfing
04:28 - Working on diverse farms before getting pulled into vineyard production
06:14 - Napa demo farm and the move to northern Nevada
07:11 - Early influences from ecological farming leaders and Acres USA
08:40 - Why Cal Poly was the right mix of soils, organic farming, and surf
10:31 - Why fresh tomatoes and onions changed his understanding of food
13:22 - Building High Desert Harvest for restaurants and small retail
14:17 - Why local produce is often priced against commodity distribution
16:47 - Seasonality as a parallel to regenerative management
17:35 - The complexity of regenerative transitions and finding committed buyers
21:23 - Soil tests, SAP testing, and bridging consulting with grower experience
23:47 - What motivates growers: altruism, ESG, cost, programs, and cleaner food
27:38 - Corporate goals, cleaner food, and the marketing of regenerative work
31:23 - Why full chemical removal often starts with weed management under trees and vines
33:47 - Why communication with tractor operators and applicators is critical
35:11 - Avoiding prescriptive dogma and using a staged transition plan
36:38 - Moving from herbicide dependence to a middle-ground management system
37:07 - System thinking: changing spray strategy changes everything else
40:49 - Why execution fails when planning does not reach the ground crew
42:20 - Cover crop termination is the key decision, not just planting the seed
43:14 - Myth busting regenerative agriculture in specialty crops
46:33 - Why a small amount of conventional fertility may still be appropriate
47:55 - Phosphorus overapplication in organic systems and nutrient imbalance
48:49 - The tool chest analogy: conventional, organic, and regenerative constraints
50:20 - Restoring orchards before replanting and using livestock or cover crop bridges
51:08 - Food safety rules and soil health in produce production
53:02 - Why large-scale produce is hard to transition
56:14 - Using break crops and 60 to 80 days of cover to move the needle
57:39 - Buyer specs and rejection risk in apples, lettuce, strawberries, and potatoes
58:34 - Why small growers can profit from creative sizing and packing
61:20 - How Chuck defines success later in life
63:32 - Building High Desert Harvest and creating farm ownership pathways
64:49 - Why being a farmer first makes consulting more effective
66:36 - Why agriculture requires humility, patience, and constant learning
68:46 - Closing thoughts on leadership and appreciation for the work
