AgEmerge Podcast

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. 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.

How's harvest shaping up? What worked well? What didn't? Let's talk about your farm and business operation and see how our network of dealers can help you take the next right step. Ag Solutions Network developed the POWER2GRO Crop Production System. https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/power2gro While our products are designed to maximize plant health together, we can customize crop solutions to improve nutrient deficiencies that add to overall plant health, crop health, yields, and ROI. Our approach is to evaluate the entire system in place from equipment, to water, weed control, practices in place, supply chain opportunities, market pricing and so much more to determine the next right step to take. We help growers and dealers re-think the system of water management, residue and roots, plant biology and the soil system.

Meet Anthony Corsaro, an entrepreneur, investor, and regenerative agriculture evangelist whose mission is to help heal our people and planet through ventures that inspire the production and consumption of healthy, nutrient-dense foods. This is a powerful conversation including Anthony’s personal intense health journey and how he walks the walk when it comes to food as medicine. Anthony is the Founder and Managing Director at Outlaw Ventures: a family office backing the rebels, radicals, and revolutionaries building the better food system of tomorrow. Outlaw Ventures is in the process of raising a venture capital fund to invest in early-stage regenerative consumer brands. Anthony is also the Creator and Co-Host of The ReGen Brands Podcast: a podcast about the consumer brands supporting regenerative agriculture and how they’re changing the world. He is also the Founder of Regeneration Nation: a clothing company and community hub for the heroes and advocates of regenerative agriculture. Follow these links for more content from Anthony: https://www.regencoalition.com/ https://regen-brands.com/ https://regen-brands.beehiiv.com/subscribe https://www.outlaw.ventures/ 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.

Ag Solutions Network developed the POWER2GRO Crop Production System. https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/power2gro While our products are designed to maximize plant health together, we can customize crop solutions to improve nutrient deficiencies that add to overall plant health, crop health, yields, and ROI. Our approach is to evaluate the entire system in place from equipment, to water, weed control, practices in place, supply chain opportunities, market pricing and so much more to determine the next right step to take. We help growers and dealers re-think the system of water management, residue and roots, plant biology and the soil system.

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 grow a 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.

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.

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.

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.

Hear from Monte Bottens, CEO of Ag Solutions Network and Bottens Family Farm, as he talks with Alex Michaels of the Ecdysis Foundation about the 1,000 Farms Initiative. To learn more about the 1,000 Farms Initiative, visit: https://www.ecdysis.bio/featured-project https://www.ecdysis.bio/_files/ugd/49b043_3048549b00a2416c9650d4d21005bcc0.pdf Ecdysis Foundation started in 2016 behind the wheel of a rental car on a cross country road trip home to South Dakota. Dr. Lundgren had just been suspended from his federal position for presenting his research on the hopes of regenerative agriculture and problems of pesticide risks to farmers and the National Academy of Sciences. Driving through the endless miles where society had traded corn and soybeans for degraded rural communities, it was clear that something was deeply wrong with how science was being applied. Something had to change. The vision that evolved became a new model of agricultural science. And the only way to implement these changes was to get out of the current scientific matrix. ​Scientists have to become farmers to increase the relevance and credibility of their research. Scientists also have become part of the farming community. Funding models have to change to remove conflicts of interest from science, and farmers needed to be intimately involved in producing scientific research. The metrics that scientists assess their success by have to be re-envisioned to incorporate outcomes that farmers care about. And scientists need to be able to communicate their science to the end users Alex earned her Bsc Biology at USD and is pursuing her Msc Wildlife and Fisheries Science at SDSU. Alex is a master's student at South Dakota State University, researching regenerative agriculture, pollinators and birds in North Dakota and southern Manitoba, Canada. She joined Ecdysis in 2019.

Dr. Fatma Kaplan, CEO of Pheronym, talks about her experience at the 2021 AgEmerge Summer Summit. Join us for this year's! Engage with experts in thought provoking discussion as we share years of experience, both the successes and failures, in a full transparency farm tour. But we can't be all work and no play...To wrap up the event, we'll enjoy a unique evening together in the pasture for dinner and live music at the 4th annual Concert with the Cows! https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/agemerge-summer-summit Cover Cropping: The Basics of Getting Started Relay Cropping: Harvesting Rye and Soybeans in the Same Year Interseeded Cover Cropping: Making it Work POWER2GRO Product Trials: Side by Side and Variable Rate Regenerative Ag in Action: Failures to Successes Livestock Integration: Stacking Enterprises Direct Marketing to Consumers: Communicating with the Public Decades of Soil Health Experience

Dr. Fatma Kaplan, CEO or Pheronym, talks about her time on the farm with the 2021 AgEmerge Summer Summit. Engage with experts in thought provoking discussion as we share years of experience, both the successes and failures, in a full transparency farm tour. But we can't be all work and no play...To wrap up the event, we'll enjoy a unique evening together in the pasture for dinner and live music at the 4th annual Concert with the Cows! Register: https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/agemerge-summer-summit - Cover Cropping: The Basics of Getting Started - Relay Cropping: Harvesting Rye and Soybeans in the Same Year - Interseeded Cover Cropping: Making it Work - POWER2GRO Product Trials: Side by Side and Variable Rate - Regenerative Ag in Action: Failures to Successes - Livestock Integration: Stacking Enterprises - Direct Marketing to Consumers: Communicating with the Public - Decades of Soil Health Experience

There are always new observations to make and new things to learn from what we did the previous year. Join us for AgEmerge Summer Summit to think outside the box and explore new solutions. Wrap up the learning with a Concert with the Cows, hosted by Grateful Graze, to see what soil health really translates to. Register here: https://bit.ly/3ONvyX9

Looking to see a wow factor? Imagine a field with 4 years of cover crops and livestock integration. Now imagine being able to plant soybeans with no disturbance. Come see for yourself: https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/agemerge-summer-summit #SoilHealth #CropHealth #LivestockHealth #HumanHealth Summit Speakers: Nofence with Meghan Filbert Pat Miletich and Human Health Monte Bottens, Founder, CEO ASN, Grateful Graze, AgEmerge Cameron Mills, Farmer, Mentor and Business Owner Dr. Joel Gruver, Soil Health Researcher

Why Attend AgEmerge Summer Summit? Come see soil health principles in action and at scale. Get your questions answered, and engage in thought provoking discussion as we share years of experience, both the successes and failures, in a full transparency farm tour. But we can't be all work and no play...To wrap up the event, we'll enjoy a unique evening together in the pasture for dinner and live music at the 4th annual Concert with the Cows! https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/agemerge-summer-summit ​ -Cover Cropping: The Basics of Getting Started -Relay Cropping: Harvesting Rye and Soybeans in the Same Year -Interseeded Cover Cropping: Making it Work -POWER2GRO Product Trials: Side by Side and Variable Rate -Regenerative Ag in Action: Failures to Successes -Livestock Integration: Stacking Enterprises -Direct Marketing to Consumers: Communicating with the Public -Decades of Soil Health Experience

Why Attend AgEmerge Summer Summit? Come see soil health principles in action and at scale. Get your questions answered, and engage in thought provoking discussion as we share years of experience, both the successes and failures, in a full transparency farm tour. But we can't be all work and no play...To wrap up the event, we'll enjoy a unique evening together in the pasture for dinner and live music at the 4th annual Concert with the Cows! ​- Cover Cropping: The Basics of Getting Started - Relay Cropping: Harvesting Rye and Soybeans in the Same Year - Interseeded Cover Cropping: Making it Work - POWER2GRO Product Trials: Side by Side and Variable Rate - Regenerative Ag in Action: Failures to Successes - Livestock Integration: Stacking Enterprises - Direct Marketing to Consumers: Communicating with the Public - Decades of Soil Health Experience