AgEmerge Podcast

Tom Willey, along with his wife Denesse, operated T&D Willey Farms from 1981 until 2016. Their 75-acre Certified Organic farm is located in Madera, California, where they growa wide array of Mediterranean vegetables all year. Tom says, “we've got to figure out how to live on agriculture without destroying the natural systems that support its productivity.” He says organic is all about living biology and the diversity of biology and and the all of the living organisms in your soil. Monte and Tom have a great conversation about all these things and so much more. T&D Willey Farms produce was appreciated in specialty markets and fine restaurants up and down the U.S. West Coast as well as on the tables of over 800 weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription members. Tom was, for nearly a decade, Slow Food USA's governor for California's Central Valley and he passionately advocates for local food prominence through his writing, speaking, radio, and event organizing activities. Tom's monthly "Down on the Farm" radio interview program features the work of progressive farmers and others prominent in San Joaquin Valley's agriculture and food communities. Tom has served over the years on the boards of directors of the Ecological Farming Association (EFA) and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and presently is a member of CCOF Certification Services’ five-person LLC Management Committee. He currently serves as a Policy Advisor to The Cornucopia Institute which monitors integrity of the U.S. organic industry. He has been collaborating with several California organic growers to develop no-till and reduced-till organic vegetable production systems over the last three years. Follow Tom's work by clicking here: https://tdwilleyfarms.com/podcast-down-on-the-farm-with-tom-willey/

Garth Mulkey and his wife, Susan, are fourth-generation seed farmers in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon and have been growing, conditioning and marketing seeds at the same location since 1966. As dedicated seed producers, they are always focused on seed purity and quality, combined with proven genetics. Today Garth and Monte have a great conversation about the work Garth is doing. A family-owned business, GS3 Quality Seed Inc. is owned by Garth and Susan Mulkey. Garth and Susan have been no-till farming for 23 years and know firsthand the benefits of planting radishes and other cover crops. Even in seed production fields, radishes provide the same great benefits as they do for row-crop producers. The GS3 Difference We work closely with our agronomists, beekeepers, and Oregon State University to ensure that our crops are developing to their highest level. Each field is carefully planned and managed in order to secure high purity and germination of our seed. https://www.tilthpro.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@agermerge.com we’d love to hear from you.

Garth Mulkey and his wife, Susan, are fourth-generation seed farmers in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon and have been growing, conditioning and marketing seeds at the same location since 1966. As dedicated seed producers, they are always focused on seed purity and quality, combined with proven genetics. Today Garth and Monte have a great conversation about the work Garth is doing. A family-owned business, GS3 Quality Seed Inc. is owned by Garth and Susan Mulkey. Garth and Susan have been no-till farming for 23 years and know firsthand the benefits of planting radishes and other cover crops. Even in seed production fields, radishes provide the same great benefits as they do for row-crop producers. The GS3 Difference We work closely with our agronomists, beekeepers, and Oregon State University to ensure that our crops are developing to their highest level. Each field is carefully planned and managed in order to secure high purity and germination of our seed. https://www.tilthpro.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@agermerge.com we’d love to hear from you.

Eric Fuchs is a consultant for Understanding Ag. Eric’s work and experience make for a great conversation. He lives in Southeast Missouri on a diversified livestock operation where they raise hair sheep and contract graze cattle. He’s been using Holistic Planned Grazing for over eight years and managed a grazing system on his operation for more than 20 years. In addition to that, Eric also works in the water and wastewater industry as a source water protection technician. He works with small and large small communities and with agricultural producers to help ensure community water protection. His efforts help save millions of dollars in costly water treatment system upgrades while also negating the need for long-term regulations. He has seen firsthand the problems with agriculture land use and its effect on drinking water. Eric’s journey into regenerative ag began on his own operation when he discovered how soil health focused practices could benefit water resources. He also realized that more regulation is never the answer but that the solutions for clean water are easily attainable by changing how we operate. Graduating from the University of Missouri in 1994 with a degree in agronomy, Eric served in the U.S. Air Force for five years, during which time he received a master’s degree in human resource development. 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.

Eric Fuchs is a consultant for Understanding Ag. Eric’s work and experience make for a great conversation. He lives in Southeast Missouri on a diversified livestock operation where they raise hair sheep and contract graze cattle. He’s been using Holistic Planned Grazing for over eight years and managed a grazing system on his operation for more than 20 years. In addition to that, Eric also works in the water and wastewater industry as a source water protection technician. He works with small and large small communities and with agricultural producers to help ensure community water protection. His efforts help save millions of dollars in costly water treatment system upgrades while also negating the need for long-term regulations. He has seen firsthand the problems with agriculture land use and its effect on drinking water. Eric’s journey into regenerative ag began on his own operation when he discovered how soil health focused practices could benefit water resources. He also realized that more regulation is never the answer but that the solutions for clean water are easily attainable by changing how we operate. Graduating from the University of Missouri in 1994 with a degree in agronomy, Eric served in the U.S. Air Force for five years, during which time he received a master’s degree in human resource development. 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.

Finding that happy medium between conditions that are too wet or too dry is a constant farming battle. Foliar crop nutrition decrease the impacts of plant stress. We've got you covered with POWER2GRO foliar products. Visit www.agsolutionsnetwork.com to learn more.

Sarah Martello, is CEO and Co-Founder of Transparency Wise, a company created to help people connect with their food. Using a mobile device, shoppers can scan a Transparency Wise QR Code to access enhanced and verifiable product information. Monte and Sarah discuss the opportunities this technology provides in the food chain, from start to finish. Coming from a long line of generational farmers and growing up on a small farm in the Midwest, has inspired Sarah to help smaller producers get credit for a premium product by implementing technology that provides transparency into all their great production practices. Sarah started out her career as a tax attorney, gaining substantial experience representing small and medium sized businesses. What started as a solo practice turned into a multi-city firm, representing clients all over the world. After leaving private practice, Sarah’s focus shifted to working in-house and consulting for technology and agricultural companies, until co-founding Transparency Wise in 2020. With her legal and tech expertise, what started as a Covid project has grown into a business with a mission to utilize its technology to empower both the consumer and the producer through transparent product information. https://transparencywise.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.

Sarah Martello, is CEO and Co-Founder of Transparency Wise, a company created to help people connect with their food. Using a mobile device, shoppers can scan a Transparency Wise QR Code to access enhanced and verifiable product information. Monte and Sarah discuss the opportunities this technology provides in the food chain, from start to finish. Coming from a long line of generational farmers and growing up on a small farm in the Midwest, has inspired Sarah to help smaller producers get credit for a premium product by implementing technology that provides transparency into all their great production practices. Sarah started out her career as a tax attorney, gaining substantial experience representing small and medium sized businesses. What started as a solo practice turned into a multi-city firm, representing clients all over the world. After leaving private practice, Sarah’s focus shifted to working in-house and consulting for technology and agricultural companies, until co-founding Transparency Wise in 2020. With her legal and tech expertise, what started as a Covid project has grown into a business with a mission to utilize its technology to empower both the consumer and the producer through transparent product information. https://transparencywise.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.

Kevin McDonald is Vice President of Customer and Government Relations at Guardian Agriculture where they develop autonomous eVTOL systems for sustainable farming on a commercial scale. If the term eVTOL is new to you, it stands for electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts. Guardian Agriculture is working to provide growers access to safe, effective and precise aerial application. As a 26-year veteran of the US Marine Corps and fighter pilot, he specializes in organizational leadership, strategic planning, aviation safety and regulatory processes. Kevin uses that depth of experience to establish efficient processes across operations, sales, customer relations and regulatory compliance at Guardian Agriculture. When he is not working, Kevin is an avid outdoorsman, surfer and shooter. Guardian Agriculture develops autonomous eVTOL systems for sustainable farming on a commercial scale. Our mission is to provide every grower access to safe, effective and precise aerial application—empowering farmers to refine their chemical use and grow more with less. https://www.guardian.ag/ 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.

Kevin McDonald is Vice President of Customer and Government Relations at Guardian Agriculture where they develop autonomous eVTOL systems for sustainable farming on a commercial scale. If the term eVTOL is new to you, it stands for electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts. Guardian Agriculture is working to provide growers access to safe, effective and precise aerial application. As a 26-year veteran of the US Marine Corps and fighter pilot, he specializes in organizational leadership, strategic planning, aviation safety and regulatory processes. Kevin uses that depth of experience to establish efficient processes across operations, sales, customer relations and regulatory compliance at Guardian Agriculture. When he is not working, Kevin is an avid outdoorsman, surfer and shooter. Guardian Agriculture develops autonomous eVTOL systems for sustainable farming on a commercial scale. Our mission is to provide every grower access to safe, effective and precise aerial application—empowering farmers to refine their chemical use and grow more with less. https://www.guardian.ag/ 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.

National Sale Manager Zac Neppl explains why he never recommends just a product from the POWER2GRO Crop Production System. His answer may surprise you. https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/power2gro ASN is dedicated to seeking truth. We aim to create healthy soils, plants and animals. We strive to make a greater impact in agriculture and our communities through education and leadership. By taking a soil health first approach to agriculture, we help growers enjoy the benefits of regenerating land and improving nutrient management as part of an entire crop production system. We know loss of topsoil, erosion, and poor water infiltration are REAL problems. We also know those problems have REAL solutions. The POWER2GRO Crop Production System offers a lineup of products designed to optimize plant health, from the soil up. But what’s best for you, your soil, and your operation isn’t the same as everyone else. Let us customize a solution to get you the most out of your investment in plant nutrition. Start by feeding the microbes your soil needs with advanced biologically based products to boost soil health, then maximize nutrient use efficiency and ensure season-long plant health with the POWER2GRO.

Greg Gunthorp is a fourth generation farmer who is clearly a critical thinker. Greg has re-imagined what livestock production and meat marketing looks like on their farm. His understanding of the history of ag production and his ability to glean knowledge from that history has given him discernment and great perspective on how to manage and lead their operation. Greg says he likes to act locally and think globally and that really defines the way Greg sees things, he has both a 30,000-foot big picture view clear down to the minute details. In 1998, Greg Gunthorp was selling live hogs for less than his grandfather did during the Great Depression. It was then that he entered the meat industry-- all while still raising high-quality, pasture-raised pigs like his family has for generations before him. The Gunthorp family looks a lot different now but the way they raise animals has stayed the same. Gunthorp Farms is a family owned business and all members of the family chip in. Gunthorp Farms also employs approximately 30 full-time and 15 part-time employees. Gunthorp Farms specializes in quality meat that is a favorite among some of the best chefs in the Midwest. All of their animals are raised on pasture without the use of antibiotics. They have an on-farm USDA-inspected processing plant where they harvest, process, and package all of their animals before delivering to upscale restaurants and retailers. You can order their meats & have them shipped directly to your door. https://gunthorpfarms.com/ 435 N 850 E, LaGrange, IN 46761 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.

Tyler Dawley runs Big Bluff Ranch in Red Bluff, California. Big Bluff is a family owned and operated ranch where the lead with quality, health, and happiness as their guiding principles. And while they say Big Bluff Ranch may be a small organic chicken farm compared to high-yield industrial operations, they’re one of the largest producers of pasture-raised chicken on the west coast. Today Monte and Tyler explore the path Big Bluff Ranch is taking to build a resilient food system that fits their context. And the great thing is, Tyler is willing to share not only their success but also their mistakes so he can help growers learn from his experiences. Tyler describes himself as the “Head Chicken Wrangler”, listen in and you’ll learn why. Big Bluff is a true family owned and operated ranch. Quality, health, and happiness are our guiding principles - and they impact every aspect of what we do, from how our pastured chickens are raised, to how they’re fed, and everything in-between. More than just a sustainable chicken farm, Big Bluff Ranch may be a small organic chicken farm compared to high-yield industrial operations, but we’re one of the largest producers of pasture-raised chicken on the west coast. We’re small because we are a true family-owned ranch, with each family member pitching in to help. We’re small in that we are personally involved in every aspect of production, from how we raise our pastured chickens to locally sourcing feed and processing with people we know who share the same values. This personal involvement ensures that animal welfare, sustainability, and regenerative farming remain at the forefront of everything we do. But Big Bluff Ranch is much more than that. Big Bluff Ranch: a destination for eco-tourists and an advocate for environmental stewardship The ranch is a beautiful 2,776 acres of rolling hills, grasslands, and oak woodlands that border the Mendocino National Forest and the Coast Range. Because of this, we’re also a destination for ecotourism and partner with our community in the shared goal of a sustainable and healthy landscape. We work with the Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Northern California Regional Land Trust to implement the goals and objectives of the Red Bank Creek Riparian Restoration Project. Our partnership will help restore 3 miles of Red Bank Creek, a tributary to the Sacramento River. https://www.bigbluffranch.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.

Tyler Dawley runs Big Bluff Ranch in Red Bluff, California. Big Bluff is a family owned and operated ranch where the lead with quality, health, and happiness as their guiding principles. And while they say Big Bluff Ranch may be a small organic chicken farm compared to high-yield industrial operations, they’re one of the largest producers of pasture-raised chicken on the west coast. Today Monte and Tyler explore the path Big Bluff Ranch is taking to build a resilient food system that fits their context. And the great thing is, Tyler is willing to share not only their success but also their mistakes so he can help growers learn from his experiences. Tyler describes himself as the “Head Chicken Wrangler”, listen in and you’ll learn why. Big Bluff is a true family owned and operated ranch. Quality, health, and happiness are our guiding principles - and they impact every aspect of what we do, from how our pastured chickens are raised, to how they’re fed, and everything in-between. More than just a sustainable chicken farm, Big Bluff Ranch may be a small organic chicken farm compared to high-yield industrial operations, but we’re one of the largest producers of pasture-raised chicken on the west coast. We’re small because we are a true family-owned ranch, with each family member pitching in to help. We’re small in that we are personally involved in every aspect of production, from how we raise our pastured chickens to locally sourcing feed and processing with people we know who share the same values. This personal involvement ensures that animal welfare, sustainability, and regenerative farming remain at the forefront of everything we do. But Big Bluff Ranch is much more than that. Big Bluff Ranch: a destination for eco-tourists and an advocate for environmental stewardship The ranch is a beautiful 2,776 acres of rolling hills, grasslands, and oak woodlands that border the Mendocino National Forest and the Coast Range. Because of this, we’re also a destination for ecotourism and partner with our community in the shared goal of a sustainable and healthy landscape. We work with the Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Northern California Regional Land Trust to implement the goals and objectives of the Red Bank Creek Riparian Restoration Project. Our partnership will help restore 3 miles of Red Bank Creek, a tributary to the Sacramento River. https://www.bigbluffranch.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.

Del Ficke owns and operates Ficke Cattle Company and Graze Master Genetics® in eastern Nebraska. With more than 35 years of experience as both an agriculturist and cattleman, he’s consulted on farms and ranches throughout the nation and internationally. Del shares his journey of embracing change, problem-solving, and transitioning the dynamics of his farming operation to a more holistic system. Del developed a one-of-a-kind trademarked breed of composite cattle, the Graze Master. He has sold cattle genetics as well as consulted on farms and ranches throughout the nation and internationally. Driven by results, Del has a proven success rate in improving farming and ranching businesses – from increasing profitability to successfully implementing innovative practices. www.grazemastergroup.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.

Adrián Ferrero, is the Co-Founder & CEO of Biome Makers. With recognition from the Spanish Government, Illumina Accelerator, and MIT Technology Review —Adrián is a self-described entrepreneur on a mission to improve the world. And he is doing just that as he and his company work to have an impact on how we look at and utilize the soil. He says, “this work at the end of the day helps to improve the way we are farming, the way we preserve and restore the life of the soil, and also create awareness on the relevance of the biological pathways in the soil.” Join in as Monte and Adrián and explore the intricate relationships between microbial life and the soil as well as the work Bio Makers is doing to provide understanding of these relationships. You can find out more about their BeCrop® products and solutions at: https://biomemakers.com/ Their products include BeCrop® Technology providing key insights to improve soil health, increase crop yield and quality, and reduce farm costs. BeCrop® is the missing puzzle piece in agriculture that connects soil needs to inputs and illuminates the path towards regenerating soils. 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 Omar de Kok-Mercado, an Agroforestry Technical Service Provider for the Savanna Institute a Wisconsin-based non-profit organization focused on the widespread adoption of agroforestry in the Midwest. Omar holds degrees in soil microbiology and agroecology and is using that knowledge to literally change the landscape by helping growers adopt agroforestry systems by integrating trees, crops, and livestock to foster ecological resilience, climate stability, economic prosperity, and vibrant communities. And don’t let the term agroforestry limit your thinking, as Omar describes it, it's the integration of trees and livestock into agricultural landscapes. Agro represents agriculture and forestry represents traditional forestry practices of timber production. Learning about these opportunities for developing and adopting resilient, scalable agroforestry is super exciting and it’s a great conversation. Omar is an agroforester and grazier living in central Iowa, where he's managing remnant oak savannas as multifunctional silvopastures on a rented organic farm. He has worked to implement federal agricultural policies, and currently serves as a technical service provider for the Savanna Institute, a Wisconsin-based non-profit organization focused on the widespread adoption of agroforestry in the Midwest. https://www.savannainstitute.org/ https://www.nrem.iastate.edu/research/STRIPS/ 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.

Conservationist, Jay Fuhrer, has dedicated his life to taking care of the soil. He credits his parents for instilling in him a land ethic that has lead to decades of work and research that we all benefit from today. Jay’s approach to solving the problems of soil health is, as he says, doing most of his work with a spade, in a field with his clients. Oh and don’t miss this important quote, Jay says, “diversity is the holy grail to go after.” As a long time Conservationist growing up in the Dakota’s on a small grain and livestock farm, Jay Fuhrer built a career taking care of the soil. Working at the Natural Resources Conservation Service/USDA from 1980 – 2020 out of Bismarck, North Dakota, Jay particularly enjoyed working from the pickup end gate on the field edge, with a spade and the client. Conservation planning one field at a time. Building on his experience, Jay had the opportunity to share his knowledge and passion for the resource by holding and participating in countless Soil Health based farm visits, tours, and workshops. While many workshops were held in the United States, Jay’s enthusiasm to connect with farmers and ranchers took him across the globe to places including: Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Argentina, South Africa, and Canada. Building relationships through soil health education and conservation created many career highlights and friendships. Currently, Jay spends his time supporting soil health efforts through the Menoken Farm. The Menoken Farm is a conservation demonstration farm and is Jay’s favorite place to work. Here, the 5 Soil Health Principles can be applied while monitoring plants, animals, and soils. Jay continues to share the soil health principles and how healthy soil serves as a foundation for cropping systems, grazing systems, cover crops, wildlife, gardening, pollinators, insects, soil food web, and quality of life. His work in this field allows him - and others - to farm forever. https://menokenfarm.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.

100th AgEmerge Podcast Episode Today is a pinnacle for us as we host Gabe Brown, our first on-stage AgEmerge Keynote speaker and one of the influential forces that challenged our thinking about the way we farm. There’s a great conversation ahead as Monte and Gabe take a three-hour deep dive into all things regen ag. Gabe Brown is one of the pioneers of the current soil health movement which focuses on the regeneration of our resources.Along with his wife Shelly, and son Paul, Gabe owns and operates Brown's Ranch, a diversified 5,000 acre farm and ranch near Bismarck, North Dakota. The ranch consists of several thousand acres of native perennial rangeland along with perennial pastureland and cropland. Their ranch focuses on farming and ranching in nature's image. The Browns holistically integrate their grazing and no-till cropping systems, which include a wide variety of cash crops, multi-species cover crops along with all natural grass finished beef and lamb. They also raise pastured laying hens, broilers and swine. This diversity and integration has regenerated the natural resources on the ranch without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. Gabe authored the book, “Dirt to Soil, One Family’s Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture.” He is a partner, along with David Kleinschmidt, Shane New, Kathy Richburg, and Dr. Allen Williams, in Understanding Ag LLC. He is also an instructor for Soil Health Academy, which focuses on teaching others the power and importance of healthy functioning ecosystems. Follow Gabe's Work: Brown's Ranch website: https://brownsranch.us/ Understanding Ag website: https://understandingag.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 podcast? Emailkim@asn.farm

Steve Statler is Senior Vice President of Marketing & ESG at Wiliot. Imagine technology the size of a postage stamp, changing the way we make, distribute and sell food and consumables. It is technology that can make our supply chain more efficient and it cut food waste. AgEmerge has purposefully focused on bringing together regenerative agriculture and emerging technologies to make regenerative farming possible anywhere and everywhere and today’s conversation explores those exciting opportunities. Steve is a leader in battery-free Bluetooth semiconductor and cloud services. With over 10 years in the industry, Steve has channeled his passion from IoT & cloud technology as a speaker, author, and host of the Mr. Beacon Podcast. https://www.wiliot.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.

Meghan Filbert and Allysse Sorensen are both part of the US Nofence team and they’re working with growers to bring livestock back to the land. They have extensive experience in addressing barriers to grazing both perennial and annual forages. And, the more we learn about building soil health the more we know about how livestock can be a critical component in the system including not only soil benefits, but the income and community opportunities as well. Meghan started working for Nofence in the summer of 2022 after working for Practical Farmers of Iowa and cooperative extension. She spent the last decade helping farmers address barriers to grazing both perennial and annual forages. She championed virtual fence technology for years before jumping at the opportunity to spearhead the adoption of this tech by directly working for Nofence. Meghan's goats are helping to reclaim an oak savanna in central Iowa using Nofence collars. Allysse Sorensen joined Nofence in October 2022. Prior to that she was running her own goat grazing business. Managing goats off the farm on an average of six sites at a time in a 60-mile radius has a set of challenges. This led Sorensen to implement a variety of technology tools, including microchips and virtual fencing. Sorensen is also the owner of HireGoats.com, a directory of producers providing targeted grazing services. 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. www.nofence.no

On today’s show we are sharing Monte’s vision and mission, and why our team at Ag Solutions Network and AgEmerge are so focused on bringing you information and conversations that push all the buttons, including pushing a few of yours. We don’t shy away from the difficult discussions and we constantly challenge the status quo. We believe in the direction regenerative agriculture, or whatever you want to call it today, is going and how it leads to a path of raising healthy crops, healthy livestock and healthy people living on a healthy planet and we’d like to help you get there too. So take a listen as Monte dives in to the hard questions of why and how we can help you along your regenerative journey. Ag Solutions Network brings you the address Monte delivered for our virtual AgEmerge event this past January. Monte examines the why of making changes in your farming operation. Why regenerative ag? Why are we so passionate about soil health? Simply put, sustaining is not enough. He explores what it looks like to adopt these changes, what barriers we have to overcome, what success and yes, just as important, what failures we’ve seen as we improve our farming system. And it all starts with soil health.

Dan Kittredge has been an organic farmer for more than 30 years and the founder and Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA), a non-profit whose mission is to “increase quality in the food supply.” Dan has become one of the leading proponents of “nutrient density,” and works to demonstrate the connections between soil health, plant health, and human health through workshops and speaking engagements across the country and globe, the annual Soil and Nutrition Conference, and an increased presence online through social media, a YouTube channel, and an upcoming online course. Today he and Monte discuss the opportunities and challenges in all these areas. Dan grew up on Many Hands Organic Farm in central Massachusetts with his parents, Julie Rawson, NOFA-MA Executive Director, and Jack Kittredge, Natural Farmer publisher. After a global career in food and seed activism where he worked with farmers across India, Russia, and Central America, Dan returned to the U.S. and launched the BFA in order to ignite a movement around food quality. Dan has become one of the leading proponents of “nutrient density,” and works to demonstrate the connections between soil health, plant health, and human health through workshops and speaking engagements across the country and globe, the annual Soil and Nutrition Conference, and an increased presence online through social media, a YouTube channel, and an upcoming online course. In 2018, Dan launched the Real Food Campaign, now the Bionutrient Institute, that, with open-source science partners Our-Sci and FarmOS, are leading the effort to identify and increase nutrition in the food supply. The Bionutrient Institute has engineered and unveiled a prototype of a hand-held consumer spectrometer, the Bionutrient Meter, designed to test nutrient density at point of purchase and bring transparency to the marketplace. Via the Bionutrient Meter, the goal is to empower consumers to choose for nutrient quality and thereby leverage economic incentives to drive full system regeneration. https://bionutrient.org/ 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 Pat Miletich to the podcast. Pat has spent 35 years searching for the top supplements for human health, recovery and performance but you might best know him as a former U.S. Kickboxing and UFC Welterweight Champion. I think it’s safe to say that Pat knows a thing or two about what we put in our bodies and how it affects recovery and performance. What’s really cool is Pat has come to have a deep desire to understand the soil health / human health connection. Pat understands the mechanics of the body and what works when it comes to keeping his body working in a healthy way. Today as we learn more about food and how it affects our health and physical performance. We look forward to bringing you more conversations that help us understand that human health soil health connection. Follow Pat Miletich's work: https://www.facebook.com/PatMiletichOfficial/ https://www.instagram.com/pjmiletich/?hl=en 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. Mahdi M. Al-Kaisi is a professor Emeritus of soil physics (soil management/environment), Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. His research focuses on the effects of crops and tillage systems, crop residue, cover crops, and nitrogen application on soil carbon dynamics, sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and ecosystem services. Monte and Dr. A–Kaisi discuss all the areas and so much more so let’s jump right in. Dr. Al-Kaisi studied the interaction effects of agricultural management practices and environmental factors such as, weather variability and landscape spatial variability on soil organic carbon sequestration and systems sustainability and productivity. As a result of his research, he has developed field calculators to assess soil management practices impacts, such as, tillage, crop residue, and crop rotation on soil health. He developed soil carbon index for soils in Iowa. Dr. Al-Kaisi is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America, and Soil and Water Conservation Society. Important Links: Iowa Residue Calculator: http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/soilmgmt/calcResidue.aspx Soil Erosion Calculator: https://milford.nserl.purdue.edu/wepp/strips.php Dr. Mahdi Al-Kaisi Research links: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/soilmgt/soil-and-cropping-systems