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Weeds: What They’re Really Telling You About Your Soil

The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast (Ep. 7)

When weeds take over, most farmers reach for the spray. But what if every thistle, buttercup, or gorse plant is actually trying to tell you something? In this episode, Ewan Campbell and Stephen Brunton dig into the surprising truth about weeds, they’re not enemies of productivity, but messengers of the soil’s condition.

Through real on-farm stories and decades of regenerative experience, Ewan explains how weeds reveal underlying mineral imbalances, poor aeration, and biological breakdowns and how the right soil management can make them disappear without a single drop of poison. From “fixing the soil, not the weed” to using livestock as living tools for regeneration, this conversation turns conventional weed control on its head.

We discuss:
- How weeds reveal soil health, not failure
- Why chemical spraying makes soil problems worse
- The role of biology, minerals, and grazing in weed control
- Real examples of gorse and blackberry transforming into rich pasture
- How nature self-corrects when given the right conditions
- The philosophy behind constructive money vs. destructive money in farming

Full of practical wisdom, humour, and down-to-earth insight, this episode challenges the old mindset of “kill and control” showing instead how healing the soil brings everything, even weeds, back into balance.

With humour, honesty, and decades of hands-on experience, Ewan and Stephen explore how solving facial eczema starts with healthy soils, balanced biology, and a shift in thinking.

Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan Campbell
Powered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠www.efa.nz⁠

Subscribe for weekly conversations exploring soil health, biology, and regenerative farming solutions that are transforming the way we farm in New Zealand.

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What Your Weeds Are Saying | Part 2


The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast (Ep. 8)

When weeds explode across a paddock, most farmers reach straight for the sprayer. But as Ewan Campbell explains, every thistle, buttercup, dock, and gorse plant is actually doing a job and sending a message. From California thistles taking over dairy farms to ragwort covering entire hillsides, weeds aren’t the enemy… they’re indicators of deeper soil problems waiting to be fixed.

In this episode, Ewan and Stephen explore how weeds reveal the true condition of the land. Instead of fighting nature with chemicals, they show why the real solution lies in soil fertility, mineral balance, aeration, biology, and smarter grazing. What looks like a weed outbreak is usually a soil cry for help and once the limiting factors are corrected, the weeds simply disappear on their own.

We discuss:
• Why weeds don’t compete with healthy pasture once soil is corrected
• How gorse, thistles, ragwort, buttercup, willow weed, and bristle grass each signal different mineral or drainage issues
• Why chemical sprays create long-term soil damage and even more weeds
• The role of biology, aeration, and cyanobacteria in fixing compacted or anaerobic soils
• How livestock can be used strategically to control weeds without chemicals
• Real on-farm before-and-after examples of weed-infested blocks turning into lush, productive pasture
• The difference between constructive money and destructive money in farm management

With humour, clarity, and decades of hands-on experience, Ewan and Stephen reveal how regenerative farming turns weeds into teachers and how listening to them can transform your land far faster than spraying it.

Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan CampbellPowered by: EcoFarm Aotearoa – ⁠⁠⁠www.efa.nz⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe for weekly conversations exploring soil health, biology, and regenerative farming solutions that are transforming the way we farm in New Zealand.

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In this clip, Ewan explains why observation must come before theory, and how chasing silicon led to a complete rethink of weeds, soil signals, and what plants are really trying to tell us.

From sheep chewing clay banks to thistles, gorse, and willow weed appearing for a reason, this conversation reframes “problem plants” as remedial messengers, restoring missing minerals through biology and electricity. Stop fighting symptoms, and the system starts fixing itself.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/UMaVwAH469w

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

Listen To An EcoFarmers Discovery:
⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3wIgUUghlsKIje76E5tjBA?si=4caf7169d6eb4d97⁠

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In this clip from the EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast, Ewan breaks down why weeds like barley grass, docks, mallow, and even cape daisies appear and why spraying or aerating with a tractor rarely solves the real problem. These plants aren’t “mistakes”; they’re responding to compacted, anaerobic, or mineral-imbalanced soils, often where calcium is present but unavailable due to missing trace elements.
Ewan explains how bringing oxygen back into the soil through biology, especially cyanobacteria, is the key to shifting weed pressure naturally. Instead of fighting weeds with chemicals, he shows how fixing limiting factors, improving soil structure, and restoring fertility causes problem weeds to disappear on their own.

Catch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/BgfAQlMTLE8

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In this clip from the EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast, Ewan and Stephen compare two neighbouring paddocks, one sprayed repeatedly for weeds and one managed purely through soil correction and the difference is striking. While the sprayed side is still battling California thistles year after year, Ewan’s side stays clean, productive, and full of red clover simply because the soil is healthy.
Ewan explains how weeds like thistles are actually indicators of missing minerals (especially silicon), and why spraying only masks the symptoms while worsening the underlying soil imbalance. By “biohacking” the soil, identifying limiting factors and restoring the missing elements, the weeds naturally disappear, and the land returns to balance without chemicals.

Catch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/BgfAQlMTLE8

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Ewan explains why spending money on sprays and chemicals is “destructive money,” while investing in soil health is “constructive money.” By fixing the soil instead of fighting weeds, farmers can create lasting productivity, resilience, and true profit, not just quick fixes that cost more in the long run.

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In this clip from The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast Ewan explains how weeds aren’t the enemy, they’re messengers. Each plant that pops up is responding to the soil’s condition, revealing what’s missing beneath the surface. From gorse and thistle to buttercup and docks, he breaks down how soil type, biology, and grazing patterns determine what grows and why fixing the soil, not fighting the weeds, is the real solution.

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Check out our Waihi Farm where we show the results of fert with silica being applied to some areas and not others. See the distinct contrast where the gorse and blackberry haven't re grown where the silica is applied and has regrown where we were unable to spread.

No spraying of any kind was applied.. this is all down to changes in soil biology.

To learn more you can read all about it in https://www.ecofarmaotearoa.co.nz/page/an-ecofarmers-discovery-book
or connect with us on our website,
www.ecofarmaotearoa.co.nz

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