 I've been involved in soil microbiology or related research for roughly 30 years. And it's only been in the last, say, 10 years or maybe even less that people have actually cared what I do. A lot of this is driven simply by the interest of producers, recognition from producers that soil health is important, soil biology is important, and asking a lot of questions to the research community and are actually driving the demand for better research, more research, funding for this research. So that gives, I'd say, of all the things that actually gives me the most optimism because there's people out there besides us scientists who care. Let's face it, farming is tough right now and optimism is in short supply. So why are Dr. Mike and some of the leading innovative farmers in the country optimistic? Well the fact that soil microbes are beneficial to farm systems is not new, but this idea is gaining momentum and revolutionizing farming thanks to the soil health movement. Many no-tillers are figuring out other ways to promote their soil biology. They're using tools like crop diversity, cover crops and livestock integration. By mimicking natural systems, they're also making more money per acre. Yes, and when farmers see soil biology work for them, they are the ones that are asking the questions of the science community. These are the farmers that are optimistic and excited. You can see Mike Lehman caught the bug, no pun intended. In our second Meredith season, we want to take you on two separate but parallel journeys. On the one hand, we want you to see researchers and practitioners apply the science. They will show you that soils are living dynamic ecosystems and not just a medium to grow plants. On the other hand, we want you to meet farmers who have bought into the idea that soil health is good for their bottom line. We want you to see how they think and what they're doing. So could healthy soils become a cause for optimism? Let's find out together.