AgEmerge Podcast

Dr. Sivam Krish, CEO of GoMicro joins Monte Bottens to discuss technology using phone-based AI assessment enabling on-farm grain quality checks and assessments throughout the supply chain. They explore these great advancements in AI technology. Dr. Sivam Krish is a pioneering figure in the realm of generative AI, having laid the foundational work for autonomous design creation during his tenure at the National University of Singapore. As the CEO of GoMicro, Dr. Krish is at the forefront of revolutionizing agricultural produce assessment. His innovative approach combines patent-pending imaging technology with advanced generative AI, enabling accurate quality and shelf life analysis via smartphone. This breakthrough aims to minimize quality-related disputes in the agriculture sector. Under Dr. Krish’s leadership, GoMicro's technology is already making a significant impact in countries like India and Indonesia. It is also being trialed by a major US supermarket chain to assess freshness and reduce food waste, showcasing its global potential. Dr. Krish’s vision is to transform agricultural produce into digitally tradable goods, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the market. Dr. Krish's contributions are not only enhancing the precision of quality assessments but are also paving the way for a more sustainable and fair agricultural industry. His work exemplifies the transformative power of AI in solving real-world challenges. GoMicro is a deep tech company developing AI Assessment solutions for the Agri value chain. Our patent-pending technology delivers unparalleled precision in evaluating the quality of agriproducts. Our phone-based AI assessment technology allows you to assess grain quality on farms and throughout the supply chain – leaving no room for quality-related disputes. Go Micro Links: https://www.gomicro.co/ https://www.gomicro.co/in-the-press/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Agronomist, author, and regenerative consultant, Dale Strickler. With over 30 years of experience in agronomy, pasture management, and soil and crop advising Dale has developed highly effective systems for numerous ranches, even in challenging climates and soil types. And what you’ll want to listen for is Monte and Dale’s conversation about the water cycle, what we’ve done to it, and the major impact it's had on our entire soil system. So join us as we tap into Dale's vast expertise and insights. Author and consultant Dale Strickler has more than 30 years of experience in agronomy, pasture management, and soil and crop advising. He has developed highly effective grazing systems for numerous ranches with a range of often challenging climates and soil types. Dale also designs crop rotations and advises on cover crop planning to improve soil, maximize crop yields, and reduce the need for expensive crops inputs. He served as lead agronomist for Green Cover Seed and is a featured speaker at many conferences and grazing schools around the country and globally. Strickler is the author of the books, The Drought Resilient Farm, Managing Pasture, and The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil, which was named a top ten farming book for 2021 by Modern Farmer. As President of the Kansas Graziers Association, Dale advocates for greater rancher profits, autonomy, and best pasture practices. Dale is also on the regional advisory committee of the Kansas Water Office and is working on reducing soil erosion and water pollution in area water basin rivers and streams. Dale Strickler grew up on a farm and ranch near the small town of Colony, Kansas. He attended a small high school with 29 members in his graduating class and then received BS and MS degrees from Kansas State University in Science Education and Agronomy. Dale taught agronomy in higher education for 15 years, then entered into private industry. He has worked as an agronomist for Land O’ Lakes, Star Seed, and Valent USA before landing his role with Green Cover Seed. From 1997 to 2019 he operated his own ranch and, over the years, tested and refined his techniques for optimal land management. The unique management methods used on his farm earned awards, such as the 2013 Water and Energy Progress Award Model of Innovation from the State of Kansas, the Kansas Farm Bureau Natural Resources Award in 2015, and the 2014 Kansas Bankers Association Conservation Program Water Conservation Award. Awards began early when the Strickler family won the American Royal Farm Family of the Year in 1986, and in 2020, after 30 years away, Dale moved back to the area where he was raised. He now resides in Iola, KS, a short drive from his ancestral family farm, now operated by his brother, and where he still maintains a small herd of cattle. https://www.regenerativewisdom.com/ Join Dale in person for a ranching school! https://www.regenerativewisdom.com/ranching-school Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Daniel Pepitone is one of the co-founders of Harpe Bio Herbicide Solutions. Harpe is known for developing a series of natural-based herbicides utilizing plant extracts. It’s fascinating how this mode of action works and as you might imagine. With more than 15 years of experience in the agricultural product development business arena, Daniel served in a range of senior commercial effectiveness, marketing, and industry relations roles for BASF. His expertise includes the development and implementation of internal and external global launch and branding strategies for new active ingredient molecules as well as establishing differentiated customer experience while advocating in behalf of farmers. His executive management experience includes serving as Vice President and Partner in a privately-owned marketing company whereas part of the senior management team he helped shape company philosophy and led new business acquisition. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Daniel spent time supporting operations on his family’s farm as a livestock producer in Modi'in, Israel, before returning to the United States to complete a Bachelor of the Arts degree (hon) in Marketing and Communications from Rutgers University – The State University of New Jersey. https://harpebio.com/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Jon Bakehouse farms with his family at Maple Edge Farm in Hastings, Iowa. Together, the family is actively engaged in improving soil health on their operations. Jon has done a great deal of work and on-farm research along with Practical Farmers of Iowa. Some of that research includes reducing nitrogen rates for corn in soil health systems, cover crops and water infiltration, suppressing waterhemp with cover crops, and roller crimping cereal rye in soybean production. Jon Bakehouse farms with his wife Tina, son, Anderson and parents near Hastings, Iowa. The Bakehouses raise corn and soybeans and have a cow-calf herd. As the fifth-generation farming his family’s land, Jon has conducted PFI on-farm research going on seven years and unofficial field trials his entire farming career. Here are some PFI videos featuring Jon: Reducing N Rates to Corn in Soil Health Systems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocip4kwlGnQ Cover Crops and Water Infiltration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y9hcBDcQnQ&t=22s Suppressing Waterhemp with Cover Crops https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LarRjStaXGI&t=5s Roller Crimping Cereal Rye in Soybean Production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp3hVyTmLMg&t=7s Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Russ Green is the founder and Managing Director of a network of future agricultural leaders called MACKAYBEN. Russ has made it his mission to help identify and mentor these leaders. In this podcast, he and Monte cover a wide range of topics, including agricultural equipment, artificial intelligence, and discovering the next generation of agricultural leaders, from roles within major corporations to innovations being implemented on the farm. Russ' 45+ year career supports the agri-food value chain where he worked for and lead organizations like AGCO, Claas of America, and Case New Holland. HIs deep industry knowledge and connections come from a life-long devotion to the industry. Russ completed his undergrad at University of Northern Iowa and his MBA at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Lubar School of Business. Russ credits his success in the agricultural business to being raised with a Midwest work ethic surrounded by people who genuinely cared for each other’s interests and community well-being. Named by Farm Industry News as one of the 10 Fascinating People in Agriculture in 2015, Russ has formed a successful 45-year career contributing to the growth and business expansion of several international industry players in North America. ​ Russ is a ‘truth-teller and a sense-maker.” He is as comfortable with his problem-solving and communication skills with the producer in the small cattle feed yard as he is with his executive teammates in the corporate boardroom. One of his industry colleagues stated, that Russ’ ability to make strategic progress with the quote, “Russ has great people skills and is comfortable interacting with anyone from the small-scale farmer to the president of a multinational corporation or a State Governor or U.S. Senator.” ​ Russ is the founder and Managing Director of a network of future agricultural leaders in a group named MACKAYBEN. Experienced agriculture mentors need to help our young ag and food leaders, as they have the daunting task of feeding the world and our future generations. ​ Russ was recently featured in a video by Green Mountain Lion Corp. about industry leader success stories. ​ ​Focus Areas: Executive strategic development Rapid improvement Dealer performance group leadership Workforce development Structuring teams Coaching leaders to their greatest potential Russ, named one of the 10 Fascinating People in Agriculture by Farm Industry News in 2015, attributes his success in agriculture to a Midwest work ethic and a community-driven upbringing. With a knack for problem-solving and communication, he’s equally at ease in a small cattle feed yard as in a corporate boardroom. Transitioning from a global corporate role to teaching and consulting, Russ brings his extensive industry experience and coaching background to inspire future leaders and align actions with strategy through MACKAYBEN. SATISFYD Presentation: https://blog.satisfyd.com/blueprint-f... https://mackayben.com/about/ https://www.machineryadvisors.org/rus... Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

We are excited to bring you this special podcast. It’s the live recording from the very first AgEmerge Event that was held in Monterey California in 2019. It all began when Monte read a paper Dr. White had written about the rhizophagy cycle and he knew he needed to get this powerful research and information in the hands of farmers and ranchers. Dr. White had everyone on the edge of their seats as he shared this groundbreaking research. We’ve included Dr. White’s main stage presentation along with his breakout session but first we bring you a special clip of Monte and Gabe Brown discussing that day because Gabe was both a presenter and listener when Dr. White was on the stage. Enjoy! Dr. James F. White is Professor of Plant Biology at Rutgers University where he and students conduct research on beneficial microbes that inhabit plant tissues. Dr. White obtained the M.S. in Mycology and Plant Pathology from Auburn University, Alabama, and the Ph.D. in Botany/Mycology from the University of Texas, Austin. Dr. White specializes in the study of endophytic microbes and how they affect plants. Dr. White is the author of more than 200 articles, and author and editor of reference books on the biology of endophytes, including Biotechnology of Acremonium Endophytes of Grasses (1994), Microbial Endophytes (2000), The Clavicipitalean Fungi (2004), The Fungal Community: Its Organization and Role in the Ecosystem (2005, 2017), Defensive Mutualism in Microbial Symbiosis (2009), and Seed Endophytes: Biology and Biotechnology (2019). Dr. White is a fellow of the AAAS, and Associate Editor for journals Fungal Ecology, Symbiosis, Mycoscience, and Scientific Reports. Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

AgEmerge Podcast Episode 136 is dedicated to David Brandt, of Brandt Farms and Walnut Creek Seed. If you know your soil health, no-till history, and follow the leaders in these areas, then you know how fortunate we were to get to visit with David before his passing. We lost David in a tragic vehicle accident on May 21st, 2023. Earlier that year he’d made a 2023 visit to Sinsinawa Mound in Wisconsin, where the Sinsinawa River begins its 21-mile journey to the Mighty Mississippi. He recognized the Mound as a place where this message of holistic land stewardship could flourish. He planted the seed. This vision has taken root at Sinsinawa Mound in Southwest Wisconsin. Aptly named Fields of Sinsinawa: A Farmer-Led Learning Center, brings the message of healthy soil for a healthy planet to the Midwest and beyond. David is often referred to as the “godfather” of conservation agriculture and soil health. His message has had worldwide impact. He mentored many farmers who admired his practical approach and the ways he generously shared what he learned from the soil during his 50-year farming career. You’ll find more information on how to connect with the Fields of Sinsinawa: A Farmer-Led Learning Center here: https://mcusercontent.com/d34a1e6b8b607f4dc0d40fa39/files/eb5a6547-135e-e5f2-cea2-5ac0f4d75e45/Fos_Funding_Packet_d9.pdf Donate to the Fields of Sinsinawa: A Farmer-Led Learning Center here: https://mcusercontent.com/d34a1e6b8b607f4dc0d40fa39/files/d4beeef8-68e3-3555-c5db-5a7b19a20fd3/FoS_Donation_Sheet.pdf More about David's Farming Legacy: David had been no-tilling since 1971, back when they called it trash farming and a whole list of other things. But David would not be deterred, he continued to test systems, implemented cover crops and utilized livestock to improve soil health. Listen in to this great conversation as he and Monte talked about the history, the present, and the exciting future on their farm. David Brandt farmed 950-acres all no-till, in Fairfield County, which is located in central Ohio. He began no-till farming in 1971 and had been using cover crops since 1978. David participated in yield plots for corn, soybeans, and wheat into various covers. This information has been used by seed growers as well as county agents and universities to encourage other farmers to adapt no-till practices in their farming operations. He had also been planting various blends of cover crops to find out what benefits they provide to improve soil health. David was co-owner of Walnut Creek Seeds, LLC with his son and daughter-in-law Jay and Ann Brandt. David had articles published in Farm Journal, Ohio Farmer, Country Journal, and numerous no-till journals. He worked in cooperation with The Ohio State University, the University of Illinois, Penn State University, Purdue University, and Milan Research Farm in Tennessee. David was most recently working with OSU Randall Reeder and Dr. Islam on reducing input costs of fertilizers and herbicides using various cover crops which improve soil health. The results of this study have been published in the International Soil and Water Conservation Research journal. (March 2014, Vol. 2, No. 1) He was also working with the regional NRCS soils lab in Greensboro, North Carolina on the benefits of cover crops to improve soil health. David Brandt received awards for conservation practices: Ohio EPA Non-Point Pollution Winner, Ohio Conservation Farmer, Ohio Conservation Educator Award from Ohio No-Till Council, Ohio State University South Center Supporter of the Year, a Friend to Public Education Award from the Ohio School Board Assoc., Ohio Agriculture Man of the Year, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award, Ohio NRCS Soil Conservationist Partnership, 2015 No-Till Innovator in Crop Production award at the 2016 National No-Till Conference, Master Farmer of Ohio selected by the Ohio Farmer magazine and NRCS State Volunteer Awards, appointed to the rank of “Chevalier” of Agriculture merit by the French Minister of Agriculture, 2016 Associations: Past Fairfield County Soil and Water Supervisor, Past President of Fairfield Co. Farm Bureau, Member of Land Use Planning Committee, Past President of Local Cooperative Association, Currently President of Ohio No-Till Council, Worked with Local FFA chapters to allow young men and women to learn about agriculture and utilization of equipment and resources, member of the National Gideon’s Association, and several county Historical associations, Ohio State Piketon research committee member, hosted the Believers Bible men's fellowship. Check out https://www.walnutcreekseeds.com/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you

Brad Rosen is the COO and Co-Founder of NODAR, a leading provider of next generation of stereo vision technology. Technology developments in agriculture continue to create effective ways for automation and sensing providing farmers with useful information and working to improve operation efficiency. Today Brad and Monte discuss the power of the type of sensing technology NODAR has developed. It’s a great conversation so let’s jump right in. Brad is a seasoned business executive and entrepreneur. With seven tech startups under his belt, Brad has a proven track record of taking ideas from inception to product market fit, to exit. Prior to NODAR, Brad started, ran, and sold Drync, a venture-backed B2B platform for retailers of beverage alcohol. Before Drync, Brad served as VP Product at Where, a mobile-first LBS company that was sold to eBay. Earlier in his career, Brad held roles at Cognio, a full-stack spectrum analysis system that was sold to Cisco, Ucentric Systems (sold to Motorola), and PureSpeech (sold to Philips). Brad has an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Colorado and an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management. Brad lives in Lincoln, MA with his wife and 3 kids. Company Info: NODAR’s Founder, Leaf Jiang, spent 8 years getting his BS, MS, and PhD at MIT studying and implementing optoelectronic systems. He then spent 12 years at MIT Lincoln Laboratory building laser ranging systems for the military - putting them on Humvees and robots for various 3D sensing applications. In short, he’s been thinking about this 3D perception problem for a very long time! From his extensive work with time-of-flight ranging systems (such as LiDAR), Leaf knew that they would not be a good fit anytime soon for many of the autonomous uses being discussed today, such as autonomy for the billion passenger vehicles out there. Laser-based systems are too expensive, too prone to failure, and have insufficient resolution to accurately detect objects. So Leaf set out to build something better and the answer was NODAR! Website: https://www.nodarsensor.com/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Jeanne Carver is Founder and President of Shaniko Wool Company. Her story is one of successful adaptation to changing market needs. Jeanne and her late husband Dan have been using sustainable / regenerative practices for decades. Jeanne shares with us that Dan was an engineer and a systems thinker which is key to how they understood the land, soil and their operation. From her family’s Imperial Stock Ranch, she and Dan transitioned from selling commodity lamb and wool to selling retail products that are ecologically sensitive. With the founding of Shaniko Wool Company, she has overseen the expansion of the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certified American wool into a variety of products and markets by working first with the ranchers, and with designers, brands and exclusively U.S. supply chain partners. There is so much packed into this wonderful discussion so let’s jump right in. Jeanne is at the forefront of an economic and rural revival, helping rebuild the importance of traditional skills, connections to the origins of food and fiber, and strengthening local, regional and domestic supply chain partners. Her story is one of successful adaptation to changing market needs. From her family’s Imperial Stock Ranch (est. 1871), she and her late husband Dan transitioned from selling commodity lamb and wool to selling retail products that are ecologically sensitive. With the founding of Shaniko Wool Company, she has overseen the expansion of RWS certified American wool into a variety of products and markets by working first with the ranchers, and with designers, brands and exclusively U.S. supply chain partners. In an era of outsourcing and disconnect, she has led tirelessly with traceability and accountability, building relationships across the domestic textile industry. Jeanne Carver, 2023 Hall of Fame Award Jeanne serves on several boards related to agriculture, and in 2014, Jeanne became the source and voice of American wool for Ralph Lauren’s first Made in America Winter Olympic uniform program, and again in 2018 and 2022. Jeanne believes the most important story she has shared is how well-managed herds of grazing animals on their ranch have revitalized grasses and contributed to healing streams and the restoration of traditional salmon runs in Buckhollow Creek, a major tributary to the designated wild and scenic Deschutes River. With the Carbon Initiative, she is investing in the research and measured and verified results of an even greater story: the positive ecosystem impacts of Shaniko Wool Company ranches across a broader piece of the American landscape. https://www.shanikowoolcompany.com Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Chris Jones is a Retired Research Engineer from the University of Iowa and author of The Swine Republic, Struggles with Truth About Agriculture and Water Quality. Today he and Monte discuss the agricultural efficiencies and practices that we can make happen in more environmentally responsible ways. That includes a system approach to our entire management practices. Chris talks about how we can work to deploy these practices in enough areas that they can make a difference at the landscape scale. It’s a powerful conversation so let’s jump right in. Chris Jones retired in May of 2023 as a Research Engineer from IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa, where his work focused on water quality and water monitoring in agricultural landscapes. Previous to that he worked at the Des Moines Water Works and the Iowa Soybean Association. Chris has a BA in Biology and Chemistry from Simpson College and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Montana State University. He has authored 55 scientific journal articles, several book chapters and is author of the book The Swine Republic, Struggles with Truth About Agriculture and Water Quality. He also writes a weekly column posted on Substack at www.Riverraccoon.substack.com. He lives in Iowa City, Iowa. Tell us your background and how you reached today’s line of work. I was born in Illinois and spent most of the rest of my life in Iowa and have observed firsthand how the state and its agricultural production systems have changed since the 1960s. While some things about agriculture's impact on the environment have improved, the environmental consequences of cornbelt agriculture are still severe and affect the quality of life of the region's residents. Consolidation in agriculture since that time has also had dire consequences for the prosperity and vitality of small-town Iowa. My work has focused on these consequences and how the condition of our environment can be improved within the backdrop of intense crop and livestock production. Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Pamela Tanner Boll is an artist, filmmaker, writer as well as the Director and Executive Producer of several films including To Which We Belong. She is also the Founder and CEO of Mystic Artists Film Productions. We’re excited to explore her vision as she worked to, in her words, “shine a light on the amazing possibilities for restoring our lands. And how we could fix our water problems and our climate issues.” She loves farmers and all of that was what brought her to this film. We think you’ll be inspired as you listen to the stories and vision not only from the film but from the possibilities and hopes we have to address the challenges in agriculture we are facing today. Pamela is the Co-Executive Producer of the Academy Award-winning documentary, Born into Brothels. Pamela has executive produced the following film projects: Living in Emergency: True Stories of Doctors Without Borders; In a Dream; Connected: A Declaration of Interdependence; Our Summer in Tehran; Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields; Close to the Fire; She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry; E-Team; Teen Press; Obit; Navajo Nation; and Storm Lake. Pamela directed and produced Who Does She Think She Is?, a feature-length documentary film that follows five women who are mothers and artists. Pamela also directed A Small Good Thing, a film that asks the question how can we live in a better way. She is currently working on a new film project, To Which We Belong, highlighting farmers and ranchers who are improving the health of their land with regenerative practices and helping to reverse climate change. Pamela grew up in Parkersburg, WV. She received a BA in English from Middlebury College and a Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies from Lesley University. Pamela raised three sons in Winchester, Massachusetts and now lives in Boulder, Colorado. https://www.towhichwebelong.com/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to contactus@agsolutionsnetwork.com we’d love to hear from you.

Kevin Helash is the CEO of Biotalys an agtech company developing protein-based biocontrol solutions for crop and food protection. From growing up on a farm in Manitoba, Canada, to a 30-year career committed to supporting the agriculture industry and its most innovative advancements, Kevin is passionate about the future of sustainable agriculture. In his new role, his focus will be on accelerating the development and global commercialization of the company’s breakthrough protein-based biocontrol solutions for crop and food protection. Kevin’s experience will be instrumental in leading the acceleration of Biotalys’ development. His experience spans commercializing numerous breakthrough technologies in the agricultural industry on a global scale, including in positions as CEO of EnviroKure, Marrone Bio Innovations - previously listed on Nasdaq - and Agrinos. He built his career at Agrium (now Nutrien) where he became vice president and corporate officer.

Dr. Steven Chen is Chief Medical Officer of Alameda County Recipe4Health, an award winning “food as medicine” model that intentionally brings together health care, food systems, and agriculture to improve food/nutrition insecurity, chronic conditions, and health/racial equity. While leading the scale and spread of Recipe4Health (R4H), Dr. Chen and his team successfully implemented one of California’s first Medically Supportive Food and Nutrition services as a covered Medi-Cal (Medicaid) service in California. His experiences as a son of immigrants and a 2nd generation Taiwanese American have informed his commitments to better serve vulnerable populations. He developed integrative medicine services to offer acupuncture and osteopathic manipulative medicine services in Federally Qualified Health Centers. As a former Medical Director at Alameda Health System trained in LEAN process improvement, he led the design of a state-of-the-art clinic replete with a teaching kitchen, group rooms to support group medical visits, and pod based care teams. Dr. Chen serves on the Board of Integrative Medicine for the Underserved (IM4US), is active on California’s Medically Supportive Food and Nutrition Steering Committee, helped craft two bills for the California legislature, and given testimony to the U.S. Congressional House Rules Committee Roundtable on Food as Medicine. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University and Stanford School of Medicine, Dr. Chen is a board-certified family medicine physician who completed his residency training at UCSF-San Francisco General Hospital. He completed additional fellowship training at the University of Arizona’s Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, leadership training through the California Health Care Foundation’s Leadership Program, acupuncture training through the UCLA-HMI Physicians’ Medical Acupuncture program, and advanced training in osteopathic manipulative medicine. Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to contactus@agsolutionsnetwork.com we’d love to hear from you.

Dr. Don Reicosk. Dr. Reicosky is a retired Soil Scientist for the USDA-ARS, North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, Morris, MN, and Adjunct Professor in the Soil Science Department, University of Minnesota, St. Paul. He has an exciting discussion with Monte about the foundational research he conducted back in the late 1990’s finding that tillage releases carbon into the atmosphere in sudden rushes of CO2 as soil is opened up. And now, more than ever, Dr. Reicosky uses his time to help growers know this critical information, whether it's conservation, agriculture, regenerative agriculture or soil health farming, he says we’ve got to adopt these practices so we don't destroy all of our soil resources. Don's early research involved describing crop response and water use on conventional till and no-till systems with and without irrigation and later focused on tillage and crop biomass management as related to global change issues with emphasis on measuring carbon dioxide and water losses following intensive tillage with a portable chamber. The short-term tillage-induced gaseous losses of carbon were related to the volume of soil disturbed in the tillage operation and help explain the long-term decline in soil carbon associated with intensive tillage agriculture. These results suggest need for improved Conservation Agriculture Systems for enhancement of soil resources and environmental quality that resulted in numerous international invitations. In retirement, he continues to write about Conservation Agriculture Systems, soil carbon management and environmental issues and to travel and talk about carbon cycling and carbon management in agricultural production systems.

Dr. Jonathan Lundgren, Founder and Director of the Ecdysis Foundation and Director and CEO of Blue Dasher Farm. Jonathan was one of our speakers at the very first AgEmerge event and his presentation was so powerful. Watching the work that he and his whole team are doing at Ecdysis and Blue Dasher Farm inspires us to continue to learn and understand the biodiversity necessary to nurture our land. In this episode of the podcast Jonathan says, “you know those entomology problems, those insect pest problems? The reason we don't solve them is because they're not entomology problems, they're soil problems. And until we heal the soil, we’re just going to continue to have problem after problem after problem.” Take a listen as he and Monte talk about their research, discoveries and passion to solve those problems. Dr. Lundgren is an agroecologist, Founder of the ECDYSIS Foundation, and CEO for Blue Dasher Farm. Lundgren’s research program focuses on assessing the ecological risk of pest management strategies and developing long-term solutions for sustainable food systems. His ecological research focuses heavily on conserving healthy biological communities within agroecosystems by reducing disturbance and increasing biodiversity within cropland. He received his PhD in Entomology from the University of Illinois in 2004 and was a top scientist with USDA-ARS for 11 years. Lundgren’s research and education programs focus on assessing the ecological risk of pest management strategies and developing long-term solutions for regenerative food systems. Ecdysis Foundation & Blue Dasher Farm as a research foundation as well as training ground for future scientists and farmers. He is an Agroecologist, Farmer, Rancher, and Beekeeper. ECDYSIS https://www.ecdysis.bio/ Blue Dasher Farm https://www.bluedasher.farm/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Dr. Jason Rowntree joins Monte as they have a great discussion about Jason’s research that focuses on identifying the metrics and management that reflect ecological improvement in grazing land and other agricultural systems. And just like many of our guest, he had a moment where his paradigm shifted and it came in the form of a series of hurricanes. And that got him thinking about resilience and what does it mean to look at resilience in agriculture. Jason is also the co-director of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Michigan State University. https://www.canr.msu.edu/regenerative-agriculture/ Jason Rowntree is a professor of Animal Science at Michigan State University where he holds the Charles Stewart Mott Distinguished Professorship for Sustainable Agriculture. Rowntree’s research focuses on identifying the metrics and management that reflect ecological improvement in grazing land and other agricultural systems. Rowntree has given presentations throughout the United States, Australian, Canada, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Africa and New Zealand. Rowntree has led or been a co-investigator on $27.75 million in funding to conduct food system research. Jason is also the co-director of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Michigan State University. His work in beef sustainability was featured in the movie Sacred Cow (https://www.sacredcow.info/) and he too has been highlighted in The Washington Post, New York Times, Forbes and many other popular media publications. Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

At the end of 2023 we took the AgEmerge Podcast on the road to the Big Soil Health Event in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It was a great event where hundreds of farmers and ranchers from all over the country gathered to learn, share and encourage each other to continue to adopt soil health strategies. We asked attendees to join us in our “on the road" studio to share their soil health journey and I want to tell you, get a tissue. These are heartfelt, raw stories of family, legacy and amazing soil health. Thanks so much to our guests for sharing! Check out our awesome guest list: Sue Kuennen from Iowa Tom Rudolph from Indiana Seth Watkins from Iowa Liz Haney from Texas: https://www.agsoilregen.com/ Emily Kamala from Colorado: https://farmrebel.org/ Lance Irving from Wisconsin: https://sandcountyfoundation.org/abou... Jeremy and Kelly Slack from Ohio Jerry and Jen Volenec from Wisconsin Evan and Rochelle from Wisconsin: https://craftgrainswi.com/ Nick Sennert from Iowa Roger Wenning from Indiana Cameron Mills from Indiana: http://millsfamilyfarms.com/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Welcome Doniga Markegard. She's a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher, speaker, and author. Doniga and Monte have a wonderful conversation discussing the methods Doniga and her family are using to graze their animals, how they observe and interact with nature, to lead towards a more biodiverse and balanced ecosystem and they are seeing incredible results. Along with her husband and four children, Doniga owns and operates Markegard Family Grass-Fed raising grass-fed beef, lamb, pastured pork and chicken supplying the Bay Area with local, nutrient dense foods. The family ranch leases land through out the Bay Area spanning over 11,000 acres. Doniga Markegard is a wildlife tracker, regenerative rancher, speaker, and author of Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild and Wolf Girl: Finding Myself in the Wild. Her teen years in nature school started her on a path that led to a career in animal tracking and then permaculture and ranching in at her farm in California, Markegard Family Grass-Fed, where she works to regenerate both soil and community through farming. Using the innovative, carbon-storing methods of regenerative ranching, she’s restoring the land she tends, bringing native grasses and wildlife back. Doniga is a consultant and guest instructor at Nature Awareness Programs around the country, has led retreats in places such as 1440 Multiversity, Canyon Ranch and is a regular speaker at events such as the Bioneers Conference, Food Inspiration Trendsummit, and The Grassfed Exchange. She is a certified educator with Holistic Management International. She has worked with companies such as Patagonia, Tesla and Google, and has been featured in articles from Civil Eats, FastCompany, GreenBiz, The San Francisco Examiner, and NPR. Most recently she has been featured in the film Kiss the Ground available on Netflix. Along with her husband and four children, Doniga owns and operates Markegard Family Grass-Fed LLC raising grass-fed beef, lamb, pastured pork and chicken supplying the Bay Area with local, nutrient dense foods. The family ranch leases land through out the Bay Area spanning over 11,000 acres. Doniga’s work expands beyond her family ranch into policy and advocacy. She has organized a stakeholder working group at the State Capital for small dairy herds. She then took the lead on legislation that would enable family farms to be more sustainable and utilize pasture in an economical and productive way. Doniga’s deep observation experience aids in her ability to monitor grassland health, biodiversity and to manage land based on the principles and patterns found in nature. Doniga is passionate about large-scale restoration of Western Rangelands through cattle grazing. The Markegard Family has forged partnerships with some of the largest land trust groups in California, private landowners, as well as regional open space parks. Each ranch has a grazing plan and conservation management plan developed in conjunction with landowners and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. She is dedicated to finding ways to regenerate lands and community through ranching practices that build soil, sequester carbon, capture and purify water and enhance habitat. Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you. https://www.markegardfamily.com/ https://kissthegroundmovie.com/

As 2023 draws to a close, we often find ourselves evaluating the results of this year's harvest and reflecting on the systems and practices we’ve adopted to improve soil health. Some of our guests have shared with us they changed their practices not only for soil health and water quality, but also because of a health event in their lives that prompted an examination of their current systems. Today, we’re bringing you a medley of guests who explore the human health to soil health connection. We’ve picked out some great highlights, with Seth Watkins, a farmer and inaugural Iowa Leopold Conservation Award recipient in 2022. Anthony Corsaro, the Founder and Managing Director at Outlaw Ventures who are working on building a better food system of tomorrow. Erin Martin, gerontologist and founder of Conscious Aging Solutions and Dr. Stephan van Vliet, Assistant Professor in Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences. AgEmerge Podcast Episode 124 a powerful collection of guests, so click above to watch or listen. Below are links to each guest episode to hear their experiences in full context. AgEmerge Podcast Episode 067 with Seth Watkins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAIr5GyUSgU AgEmerge Podcast Episode 118 with Anthony Corsaro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAIr5GyUSgU AgEmerge Podcast Episode 086 with Erin Martin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAIr5GyUSgU AgEmerge Podcast Episode 056 with Dr. Stefan van Vliet: https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/agemergepodcast/episode/8f97aa8a/056-agemerge-podcast-dr-stephan-van-vliet-research-at-the-nexus-of-agricultural-and-human-health Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Email contactus@asn.farm We’d love to hear from you!

Dr. Dianna Bagnall is a Research Soil Scientist for the Soil Health Institute. Her current work includes integrating research and outreach to secure the global soil resource. Some of her specific research includes developing functions that show the effect of management on soil physical properties, on-farm soil health assessments, qualitative analysis of farmer interviews, and outreach to farmers in the United States. She and Monte discuss the importance of being able to quantify and assess the practices that are being used to build soil health across the country. Listen in to this powerful conversation. Dr. Dianna Bagnall serves as a Research Soil Scientist for the Soil Health Institute. She is an applied soil physicist specializing in soil physical health and socioeconomic dynamics of soil management. Her current work includes integrating research and outreach to secure the global soil resource. Specific research includes developing functions that show the effect of management on soil physical properties, on-farm soil health assessments, qualitative analysis of farmer interviews, and outreach to cotton farmers in the United States. Dianna is an associate editor for Vadose Zone Journal, the 2023 Soil Health Community Leader for the American Society of Agronomy, and the Early Career Representative to the Soil Science Society of America Board. www.Soilhealthinstitute.org Soil Health Institute and Cargill Partner to Advance Water Stewardship Through Improved Soil Health https://soilhealthinstitute.org/news-events/soil-health-institute-and-cargill-partner-to-advance-water-stewardship-through-improved-soil-health/?fbclid=IwAR2IwKGj1LIvf63sCmEZvNURdxOVYIg252o6afWor8BrLpO9bakEU07RTJk Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to contactus@agemerge.com we’d love to hear from you. Timestamps: 00:00 18:18 Plant Available Water 22:20 Soil Carbon 34:54 Water Stewardship Quantification 45:19 Next Level Soil Health Benefits

Jimmy Emmons is the Senior Vice President of Trust In Food and leads their Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Connected Ag Project, America’s Conservation Ag Movement and Trust In Beef, coalition-driven conservation programs developed to accelerate the adoption of conservation agriculture at scale. Monte and Jimmy discuss what the successful implementation of these practices looks like and how leaving a legacy is so much more than leaving a piece of property. Jimmy and his wife, Ginger, own and operate Emmons Farm in Leedey, Okla., where they farm 2,000 acres and have 5,000 acres of rangeland where they run 300 head of cows and calves in an integrated row-crop and livestock operation that optimizes water resources, reduces erosion and improves organic material in the soils. He is a public speaker, educator, mentor and advocate for conservation management practices to improve producers’ resiliency to weather, operational efficiency and profitability. Emmons most recently served as coordinator for mentoring for the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. Prior to that, he was regional coordinator for USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation, where he supported operational and business functions across the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA). He has also served as president of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts and led fundraising for the National Young Farmers Education Association. https://www.trustinfood.com/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to contactus@agemerge.com we’d love to hear from you.

Dr. Jack Schultz is a Research Professor in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston. His research has focused on the chemical and molecular interactions between plants and insect herbivores. And those relationships are what Monte and Dr. Schultz explore as they discuss the amazing communications being discovered between plants and insects. It’s a fascinating conversation so let’s jump right in. Dr. Schultz’s research has focused on the chemical and molecular bases of interactions between plants and insect herbivores, integrating insect physiology and behavior with plant chemistry, molecular biology and ecology. He (with undergraduate Ian Baldwin) was the first to demonstrate volatile signaling by and among plants. He also studied the role of plant tannins induced by insect attack in defending plants against pests and found that some interfere with biocontrol. Gene expression underlies defense induction by plants. The Schultz lab demonstrated the relationship between gene expression, resource allocation, defense compound production and plant defense using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. They also found that salivary signals allow some insects to block plant defense responses. Some insects induce the development of unique organs on plants called ‘galls.’ Galls house the insect and provide concentrated food resources. A team led by Schultz demonstrated that development of the gall formed on grape leaves by grape phylloxera involves plant genetic pathways unrelated to leaf development and requires relatively undifferentiated leaf cells and manipulation of plant hormones. In 2007, Schultz became Director of the Christopher Bond Life Science Center at the University of Missouri, where he led interdisciplinary research by faculty from 8 departments in 6 colleges. Funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and NSF, he developed and taught in a training program in science communication for graduate students. Schultz has also taught tropical ecology and studied plant defenses in Costa Rica, primarily at the La Selva Biological Station. https://uh.edu/nsm/biology-biochemistry/people/profiles/jack-schultz/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15923339/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to contactus@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Dr. Kelsey Griesheim is an Assistant Professor of Soil Fertility at North Dakota State University. She completed her PhD at the University of Illinois, where she worked under Dr. Richard Mulvaney conducting field evaluations to measure fertilizer uptake efficiency of various application types. Monte and Dr. Griesheim take a deep dive into her studies of nitrogen. She gives us a lot to think about like when we apply nitrogen, we’re fertilizing our crops, but we are also fertilizing the microorganisms. And that, Dr. Griesheim points out, is why nitrogen management is so difficult, because we have to take into account the fact that nitrogen is not just being used by the plants, it's also being used by microorganisms in the soil. And they’re often, a lot better at scavenging nitrogen than the crop is. We’ll cover that and so much more so let’s get started. Kelsey Griesheim grew up in Mt. Pulaski, Illinois and completed her BS, MS, and PhD from the University of Illinois in Urbana, Champaign. She was hired as assistant professor of soil fertility at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in February of 2023. While at Illinois, she worked under Dr. Richard Mulvaney conducting field evaluations to measure fertilizer uptake efficiency of various application types using 15N as a tracer. She is currently building a research program at NDSU to tackle the same issues for North Dakota producers. https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-home/directory/kelsey-griesheim https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/saj2.20503 https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/saj2.20531 Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Dr. Kelsey Griesheim is an Assistant Professor of Soil Fertility at North Dakota State University. She completed her PhD at the University of Illinois, where she worked under Dr. Richard Mulvaney conducting field evaluations to measure fertilizer uptake efficiency of various application types. Monte and Dr. Griesheim take a deep dive into her studies of nitrogen. She gives us a lot to think about like when we apply nitrogen, we’re fertilizing our crops, but we are also fertilizing the microorganisms. And that, Dr. Griesheim points out, is why nitrogen management is so difficult, because we have to take into account the fact that nitrogen is not just being used by the plants, it's also being used by microorganisms in the soil. And they’re often, a lot better at scavenging nitrogen than the crop is. We’ll cover that and so much more so let’s get started. Kelsey Griesheim grew up in Mt. Pulaski, Illinois and completed her BS, MS, and PhD from the University of Illinois in Urbana, Champaign. She was hired as assistant professor of soil fertility at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in February of 2023. While at Illinois, she worked under Dr. Richard Mulvaney conducting field evaluations to measure fertilizer uptake efficiency of various application types using 15N as a tracer. She is currently building a research program at NDSU to tackle the same issues for North Dakota producers. https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-home/directory/kelsey-griesheim https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/saj2.20503 https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/saj2.20531 Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.

Dr. Christian Krupke is a professor in the Deptartment of Entomology at Purdue University where he focuses on insect pest management in field crops. His research has concentrated on illuminating the strengths and weaknesses of the primary pest management approaches used in corn and soybeans. And he has a special focus on Bt corn and neonicotinoid seed treatments. Dr. Krupke and Monte discuss the resilience of nature and how fast it bounces back. They discuss what we’ve learned about preserving the biology in the soil and how to reconsider those pest management systems. Christian Krupke is a professor in the Dept of Entomology at Purdue University. He completed his doctoral degree in entomology at Washington State University in 2004, and since 2005 has worked at Purdue with responsibilities in insect pest management in field crops (i.e. corn, soybeans, wheat and other small grains), where he leads active applied research and extension programs. Dr. Krupke also teaches a graduate level course in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). His research has focused upon elucidating the strengths and weaknesses of the primary pest management approaches used in corn and soybeans, with special focus upon Bt corn and neonicotinoid seed treatments of corn and soybeans. Dr. Krupke has published over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts and given dozens of talks on these subjects to fellow researchers, members of USDA, EPA, USFWS, and a range of stakeholder groups including growers of these commodities, beekeepers, and a wide range of conservation organizations. Purdue University Field Crops IPM Lab: https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/fieldcropsipm/index.php Research Publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian-Krupke Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we’d love to hear from you.