This is a short on-site YouTube interview conducted by Josh Trent with filmmaker/author Josh Tickell (author of Kiss the Ground) at the Big Picture Ranch in Ojai. The conversation emphasizes soil health as the planet's largest carbon sink, presents composting as a practical, accessible climate solution, and links personal choices (food purchases, spending) to carbon footprints and cascading wellness benefits. The dialogue also touches on storytelling/media as a tool for change, creative fearlessness, and the local impact of events such as the Thomas fire.
Chapters
Why aren't we focusing as an agricultural ecosystem, as a nation? Why aren't we focusing on the soil? So we're in Ojai right now on the way to Josh Takel's home to talk about Kiss the Ground, his book and the upcoming movie. And I gotta be honest with you, I feel like I'm driving through clouds in heaven. Ojai is beautiful. Have you been to Ojai? Please press call button. Welcome to the Big Picture Ranch. So we're already starting off on an amazing foot. We're actually getting special access. We're going in the outdoor where it says exit only, And we've arrived. Which way did they get through over there? Now this is what I call extremely organic. What's interesting is that this is how everything potentially could and should and would be if the right steps are taken. I don't think I've pet a cow ever. I don't know if I've ever pet a cow. I'm gonna call Paimon. Pre interview. Deep breath. All right, so great to meet you. Thanks for having us.
Yeah, thanks for coming to the Big Picture Ranch.
The Big Picture Ranch. So, Josh Trent Wellness for us. We're here with Josh Takel, the author of Kiss the Ground, the book. We're about to do a really awesome podc and we'll link this in the video, so stay tuned. This is the root of all issues.
It is literally the root, root of all issues.
The reason why this is so important is because every single decision we make, every single time we purchase food, every single time that we purchase anything at all that directly impacts this carbon footprint, which then impacts the soil, because all the carbon gets locked in the atmosphere. And I think people are forgetting how simple the solution could be. You've detailed a phenomenal solution in the book and across your media, and it starts with composting.
Yes, a little maintenance. It requires a little. But it's fun. You're managing an ecosystem. It doesn't require any more maintenance than your freaking Netflix account. Okay, so that's just think of this like a Netflix for the soil.
All right, you have Netflix for the soil yet.
The largest carbon sink on the planet is the soil. And the soil can store literally thousands more gigatons of CO2 than it's currently storing. How do we know that? We know that because we used to have two thirds more topsoil on the planet. And a vast majority of the carbon that is currently in the atmosphere, mathematically speaking, can go back into that soil. And soil is very quick. It absorbs a tremendous amount of CO2 in a very short period of time.
You know, in 2009, when I started, I read nutrition and physical degeneration, and I got into, like, the Weston A. Price movement, and that's how I kind of cut my teeth in the Paleo movement. Then I realized, this ain't about Paleo, man. This is about eating real food.
Yeah.
And doing it with people that you care about and doing it in a conscious way and taking the money that you might spend on the Netflix or you might spend on the new clothes or that you might spend on the frivolous bullshit.
Yeah.
And just fucking spend it on healthy food.
I know. Don't get the app, get the food.
You know, this was. This was so intrigu enjoyable with you, man. I'm stoked on how this turned out, and I'm really curious to see how wellness first responds to this. I feel like I'm in an epicenter of the change that we really need. Thank you, man.
Alexis said one day, she goes, man, I wish I could just, you know, sit on the computer and, you know, like, be a hacker and, like, revolutionize the world from my computer. I was like, what do you think we do here?
You're on the team. This is what we do.
Yeah. In five years, you know, that we.
Talked about the narrative in the media. It's like, how do we get people using the computer to care more? Yeah. I think it's through inspiring media. Yeah. Let's. Can we go on to your.
Yeah, yeah, let's go. Let's go.
All right, we're coming out of the barn, and we're going to the avocado field.
You know what I was thinking this morning? I was like, I learned the same lessons over and over again. It's when I doubt the lesson that I have to then relearn it. Like, the number one lesson that I have learned that I then have to relearn because I doubt myself, is being fearless. If you're going to be making social media films, whatever, you have to be fearless. Fearless.
Or how about even acting in spite of the fear? Is that another phase of describing what you fear?
Yeah, of course. Of course. I mean, you know, you're going to have it. It's going to be in your body, it's going to be in your brain. You're going to have that little voice, but, you know, you shouldn't. You just got to be like, bo, balls out. Forget you, little voice. I'm going, you know, all the way, man.
Small brain, big brain. We're either gonna be a reptile or we're gonna be like the spirit that embodies this meat suit.
That's it.
Good reminder.
We might just interview people from the fire and the mudslides for a whole season.
Wow.
But just really honing in on that, because that was a powerful experience to go. Okay. This is what it looks like to be in the. In the pit of hell. Literally. It was 180 degrees around us. When you look at the Thomas fire map and you see the word Ojai, that's exactly where this range is. The word Ojai is where we're standing.
Wow. So it's like, man, if we can just get people to do one thing. And that's why on Wellness Force, it's all about discovering this discovering process of physical and emotional intelligence. Yeah. Not like when you get there, then you're good. It's like, we're gonna do this till we die.
Yeah.
Is that. It just makes the conversation happen around those two things. And if we can just get one of those two things to be sparked in their consciousness, imagine what else they're going to care about. So people might, like, read your book, and they'll say, you know what? I'm going to compost. You know, now that I've composted, I'm actually going to think about what other money I can take out of my life and put towards healthy food. You know, now that I'm eating healthy food, I'm actually going to start working out more. And it's like it's this cascade. Man of self care, self love.
