Soil To Soul: The first panel from the Regenerating Food Systems conference

The RegenNarration Podcast

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6d ago 46:03

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Ever since the extraordinary week of events here in Western Australia last month, from a reception at Government House for former podcast guests and current West Australians of the Year, Di and Ian Haggerty, through to the 2-day Regenerating Food Systems conference at Perth Stadium, and on to the 2-day Grounded Festival down south near Bridgetown, and plenty more besides, I’ve been wondering what might hold up to share with you here on the podcast.

In short, I’ve got a few things you might enjoy hearing. Starting today, with the very first panel of the Regenerating Food Systems conference (with thanks to the team at RegenWA).

It features five special guests: prominent writer, broadcaster, chef turned farmer, and founder of Grounded Festival Matthew Evans, globally renowned plant and soil health educator and consultant Joel Williams, nationally recognised Indigenous leader and regenerative land manager Oral McGuire, award-winning farmer and RegenWA Chair Stuart McAlpine, and soil and gut microbiome researcher Dr Craig Liddicoat (yes, mighty men's business - mighty women's business closed the day).

I start by asking each of our guests for fire starters, and it takes off from there.

Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded 17 September 2025.

Title image: AJ, Matthew, Joel, Oral, Stuart and Craig (pic: Paolo Sulit).

See more photos on the episode web page, and for more behind the scenes, become a supporting listener below.

Find more:

RegenWA’s written debrief on the conference.

The WA Governor's introduction of the conference.

Oral McGuire's appearance on SBS News.

Music:

Citadel by Ardie Son (sourced from Artlist).

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests.

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Chapters

1. Setting The Stage In WA (00:00:00)

2. Panel Lineup And Theme (00:00:50)

3. What’s front of mind for each panellist right now? (00:04:10)

4. Matthew Evans (00:04:30)

5. Joel Williams (00:05:50)

6. Acknowledgement of manliness (00:07:50)

7. Oral McGuire (00:08:15)

8. Community As The Engine Of Change (00:09:50)

9. Stuart McAlpine (00:11:35)

10. Craig Liddicoat (00:13:45)

11. Matthew: Menindie or Mars (00:15:20)

12. Oral on his experience as a Noongar regenerative land manager (00:17:10)

13. Rethinking the economics of the land, ownership and markets (00:18:55)

14. From Reductionism To Living Systems (00:20:00)

15. Placentas planted on the river Songline again (00:23:30)

16. Audience question: is it possible to build soil carbon here? (00:28:10)

17. Questioner: what are the most common obstacles to adopting regen farming? (00:33:40)

18. Is ‘regenerative’ a helpful or polarising term – and what instead? (00:34:45)

19. Questioner (Dwayne Mallard): how does Oral practice reciprocation with Nature as a Noongar? (00:37:00)

20. Oral’s vision (00:40:30)

21. Land tenure’s a massive issue (00:43:15)

403 episodes

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