The EarthWorks Podcast
The EarthWorks Podcast is a series of interviews and conversations hosted by many of the EarthWorks agronomists, featuring friends from the turf industry. Interviews include noted golf course superintendents, industry experts, agronomists and business people. These conversations are designed to inform and entertain. EarthWorks has been a leader in the discussion of Biological Soil Management and has been producing professional grade carbon based fertilizers for over 30 years. Each year over 15,000 soil tests are performed by the companies agronomists and all of this builds the focus of The EarthWorks Podcast.Please enjoy.
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The EW Podcast - Jack Higgins with Tim Hollowell, Horticulturalist
In this episode, Jack Higgins sits down with horticulturalist Tim Hollowell to explore the deeper connection between soil health, plant performance, and practical horticulture. Tim shares his perspective from years of hands-on experience, breaking down how soil biology, structure, and nutrient balance all work together to influence plant success.<br /><br />The conversation moves beyond surface-level plant care and dives into what’s really happening below ground. From managing soil conditions to understanding how plants respond to their environment, Tim offers insights that apply across landscapes—from turf to gardens and beyond.<br /><br />This episode is a great listen for...
The EW Podcast - Jack Higgins with Zach Holm - Central Park Conservancy
In this episode, Jack Higgins sits down with Zach Holm of the Central Park Conservancy to explore what it takes to manage one of the most iconic landscapes in the world. From high-traffic turf challenges to long-term soil health strategies, Zach shares how his team balances performance, sustainability, and aesthetics in a demanding urban environment.<br /><br />The conversation dives into practical approaches to building resilient turf systems, the importance of soil-first thinking, and how thoughtful inputs can support both plant health and playability under constant pressure. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at managing turf where expectations are high and th...
The EW Podcast - Jack Higgins with the Team at Nature's Own - Kevin and Wes Morrison
This week, Jack Higgins sits down with Kevin and Wes Morrison, owners of Nature’s Own, to talk about what it really means to take a Soil First approach to lawn care.<br /><br />For more than three decades, Kevin has stayed committed to building from the ground up. It’s a philosophy he developed while studying at Rutgers in the 1980s, and one he’s never wavered from—even as industry trends and sales pressure pushed toward quick, surface-level results.<br /><br />Instead of “treating the top,” Kevin has always focused on investing in the root zone—where long-term plant health t...
The EW Podcast - Joel Simmons with John Reilly - The Art of Managing Data
Back on the EarthWorks Podcast, we’re joined by our friend John Reilly from Longboat Key Club in Sarasota, Florida. John is one of the most innovative golf course superintendents in the industry, using technology to enhance what he calls the “art of greenskeeping.”<br /><br />We dive into how data collection strengthens his natural intuition on the golf course, helping him make more confident decisions. John shares how he uses the GS3 Ball to manage firm conditions, focusing less on speed and more on surface smoothness and true ball roll.<br /><br />This conversation takes place during his Member-Guest tourna...
The EW Podcast - Jack Higgins and Joel Simmons - The Traveling Minstrels
Life as an EarthWorks Agronomist means living on the road. The early season is packed with trade shows and Soil First Academies across the country, connecting with turf managers from golf, sports turf, lawn care, and hydro-seeding.<br /><br />So far, we’ve delivered over 30 Soil First Academies this season alone.<br /><br />In this episode, Jack Higgins and Joel Simmons hit the road to Buffalo for a talk with our distributor partner, Weaver Turf. The podcast unfolds in real time, starting in the car on the way to Newark Airport, continuing through the terminal, and wrapping up late at ni...
The EW Podcast - Jack Higgins with Jim Lanza
The Lehigh Country Club grounds crew is a vibe. We always say great turf starts with the soil, but great teams start with the right attitude. A positive, friendly, and welcoming culture goes a long way, and that’s something the new Golf Course Superintendent at Lehigh, Jim Lanza, clearly understands.<br /><br />In this episode, two Lehigh guys talk shop, covering the club’s new irrigation system, aerification strategies, and early spring course setup. The setting is stunning, and if you watch on YouTube you might even catch a few flyovers from some iconic birds, including a Bald Eagle.<br...
The EW Podcast - Our 300th Episode with Old Tom Morris (John Reilly), Tom Walker and John Chassard
We’re proud to share our 300th podcast episode. Nearly six years in, we’re grateful for every listener and guest who has made this podcast a meaningful part of the turf community. To mark the occasion, this milestone episode brings together three hosts and three special guests, each offering a unique story from across the game.<br /><br />First, our friend John Reilly, the Turf Monkey at Longboat Key Resort in Sarasota, Florida, introduces us to “Dirty Old Tom,” whom we met at the GCSAA Conference in Orlando. In a lively and entertaining segment, we revisit the legacy of Tom Morr...
The EW Podcast - Joel Simmons with Dr. Mike Fidanza - Managing Fairy Ring and Soil Biology
This week we welcome Dr. Mike Fidanza from Penn State University, a globally recognized authority on fairy ring in turf. Our conversation digs into how this fungus establishes itself in the soil and why the traditional explanations only tell part of the story.<br /><br />For years, fairy ring was blamed solely on decomposing organic matter. While that plays a role, Dr. Fidanza explains why the issue runs deeper. He challenges the idea that carbon-based fertility causes fairy ring and instead points to the complexity of the soil biome and microbial interactions.<br /><br />Much of his current research focuses...
The EW Podcast - Jack Higgins with Olee Poole - The Fescue Freak
This time of year never fails to inspire. The sun starts climbing higher, soil temperatures begin to wake up, and the first hints of green remind us why we love this work.<br /><br />This week we’re joined by our friend Olee Poole, known by many as the Fescue Freak, to walk through the fertilizer program behind his exceptional three-acre fescue lawn outside of Charlotte. Olee relies exclusively on EarthWorks products and keeps his approach refreshingly simple. With just four core products, he feeds everything on his property, from fescue to thuja, tomatoes to blueberries.<br /><br />In this ep...
The EW Podcast - GCSAA Recap: Connecting with Turf Leaders Across the Industry
EarthWorks has returned from a fantastic week in Orlando at the GCSAA Trade Show and Conference, and by every measure, it was a tremendous success. On Wednesday afternoon, we welcomed friends from across the industry to our booth for cocktails. The space was packed from start to finish, and venue staff told us the EarthWorks gathering was the largest event on the show floor.<br /><br />Throughout the week, we spent valuable time with our distributor partners aligning goals for the year ahead while also connecting with countless turfgrass managers to answer questions, exchange ideas, and simply catch up. Those...
