Tissue Salts: Mineral Intelligence & Cell Function

The EcoFarm Aotearoa Podcast

Modern farming often treats symptoms instead of causes. In this episode, Stephen and Ewan dig into the mineral foundations that sit beneath soil health, plant function, animal performance, and ultimately human health. Starting at the single cell, they explore how functional minerals, biology, and electrical processes work together to create resilient systems that actually pay off financially for farmers.

The conversation moves from ancient science and tissue salts to modern soil testing, showing how cyanobacteria, microbes, and mineral organisation underpin productive land. Rather than adding more inputs, this episode focuses on creating the conditions that allow minerals to move, organise, and function correctly through the entire food chain.

From soil conductivity and mineral lock-up, to animal symptoms, plant signalling, and the role of seawater chemistry, this episode connects the dots between soil, water, herbage, animals, and people.

We discuss:

• Why healthy soil must be biologically active and electrically conductive
• The difference between raw minerals and functional mineral forms
• How cyanobacteria organise minerals at the cellular level
• Why fertiliser does not equal mineral intelligence
• How mineral imbalances express as plant stress and animal health issues
• The role of silica, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements
• How testing soil, water, and herbage reveals limiting factors in the system

This episode is about understanding cause and effect, restoring mineral balance, and learning to work with natural systems rather than constantly reacting to problems. It is a deeper look at how reading the land properly leads to healthier farms and more sustainable outcomes.

Hosted by: Stephen Brunton & Ewan Campbell

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