AgEmerge Podcast

Dr. Mulvaney focuses on increasing nitrogen fertilizer uptake in crops, with the goal of increasing profits while reducing negative environmental impacts of excessive nitrogen inputs. This has led to partnerships with the private sector that are directed toward improving application techniques and exploiting the potential of the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test for site-specific nitrogen management. A native Illinoisan with a longstanding interest in soil science and agronomy, Richard Mulvaney has been a faculty member at the UIUC since 1983. He teaches introductory soils and two courses in soil fertility, and has been active in research concerning N transformations in soils, the long-term environmental effects of N fertilization, and the use of soil N testing to optimize fertilizer N management.

Rick Clark is a 5th generation farmer from Williamsport, IN. The main goal on the farm is to build soil health and achieve balance with Mother Nature. Rick has developed and constantly improving a systematic approach to regenerative farming. The farm strives to be a low cost input producer, while maintaining an increase in yield year over year. The farm is 100% NGMO, 100% no till, and 100% cover crop. Rick is currently transitioning the farm to organic. He is most proud of developing a system of organic farming that uses no tillage. He will suppress weeds with cover crops. Rick cares deeply about human health as well, that is one of the main drivers behind the organic no till style of farming. Rick is building a system that will be viable and sustainable for generations to come.

Jason Mauck is a farmer from Gaston, IN. He is a self-described “ag dork” that farms 3,000 acres of corn, beans, and wheat with his family, as well as finishing 25,000 market hogs per year. Manure occurs quite frequently on his operation. He believes utilizing several plant species throughout the growing season and increasing sun capture and living roots can manage our finite resources more efficiently. This provides opportunity for decreasing inputs and producing more with less. Watch additional AgEmerge videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF-Hc8USB_JuIAJanERaat7q5qWWUCzCt

Keith Berns Farmer, Teacher, and Co-Owner of Green Cover Seed Keith Berns combines over 20 years of no-till farming with 10 years of teaching agriculture and computers. In addition to no-tilling 2,500 acres of irrigated and dryland corn, soybeans, rye, triticale, peas, sunflowers, and buckwheat in South Central Nebraska, he also co-owns and operates Green Cover Seed, one of the major cover crop seed providers and educators in the United States. Through Green Cover Seed, Keith has experimented with over 100 different cover crop types and hundreds of mixes planted into various situations and has learned a great deal about cover crop growth, nitrogen fixation, moisture usage, and grazing utilization of cover crops. Keith was honored by the White House as a 2016 Champion of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. Keith also developed the SmartMix CalculatorTM one of the most widely used cover crop selection tools on the internet Keith has a Masters Degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Nebraska and teaches on cover crops and soil health more than 30 times per year to various groups and audiences.

Loren Poncia of Stemple Creek Ranch is a 4th generation Marin County organic rancher who has redefined small-scale family ranching. Loren started Stemple Creek Ranch with the dream of raising quality, grass-finished beef and lamb to work with, not against, mother nature. His ranch had the first carbon farm plan in the U.S. and Loren is proud to be part of the Marin Carbon Project. A graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a major in Dairy Science and Ag Business, Loren always dreamed of coming back to the ranch to pursue his passion in agriculture. He oversees the entire ranching operation, and spends countless hours carefully studying genetics with the goal of raising grass-fed and finished beef that is tender, well-marbled, and tastes great. Stemple Creek Ranch sells its products to grocery stores, butcher shops, restaurants, and directly to consumers. www.stemplecreek.com Listen to Loren and Lisa's AgEmerge Podcast here: https://www.agemerge.com/podcast-2021/episode/c0b92581/042-agemerge-2020-stemple-creek-ranch-were-soil-farmers

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 specializes in the study of endophytic microbes and how they interact with plants. He is the author of more than 200 articles, and author and editor of reference books on the biology of endophytes. Watch additional AgEmerge videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF-Hc8USB_JuIAJanERaat7q5qWWUCzCt

Ray Archuleta is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with the Soil Science Society of America and has over 30 years experience as a Soil Conservationist, Water Quality Specialist, and Conservation Agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). During his tenure with the NRCS Ray served in New Mexico, Missouri, Oregon, and North Carolina. Ray received his AS degree in Livestock Science from Northern New Mexico College and a BS degree in Agricultural Biology plus 30 hours of graduate work in soil related courses from New Mexico State University. He served in the Peace Corps for two years in Guatemala as a Livestock Specialist. After his retirement from the NRCS in 2017, Ray founded Understanding Ag, LLC, and Soil Health Academy to teach Biomimicry strategies and Agroecology principles for improving soil function on a national scale. Ray also owns and operates a 150-acre farm near Seymour, Missouri along with his wife and family. https://soilhealthacademy.org/

Scott Park is a first generation farmer in Meridian, California. In the fall of 1985, Scott rented a field near other fields he was farming. Expecting the ground to be hard and unforgiving he was shocked by the mellow, crumbly nature of the soil. Reflecting on the previous farmer’s practices he realized that there was a better way to farm than “burn and pillage”. Since then Scott’s farming practices have been based on soil health management. Watch additional AgEmerge videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF-Hc8USB_JuIAJanERaat7q5qWWUCzCt

Dwayne Beck Director of Dakota Lakes Research Farm Dr. Dwayne Beck is the Director of the Dakota Lakes Research Farm where they apply a robust systems approach to farming by adding diversity and management practices that support that system of profitable no-till, designed for producers in the Northern Great Plains. Dr. Beck has completed a great deal of research on cover crops, no-till, and the incredible power of weeds to become resistant to herbicide. His work on developing and promoting diverse no-till cropping systems played an important role in allowing producers in South Dakota to dramatically improve their profitability while also protecting soil and water resources; enhancing wildlife habitat; reducing net carbon dioxide emissions; improving air quality and having other positive impacts.

Thanks so much for joining us! Today Seth Watkins, a farmer from Clarinda Iowa, joins our podcast as he and Monte discuss what it looks like to think differently about our responsibilities as farmers. This summer Monte heard Seth’s TEDx talk about his passion for stewarding his land and where he said what he really wanted was clean water, healthy soils and happy cows. You’ll quickly hear that Seth wants to share what he’s learned on his journey from both his farm and his family’s perspective. Seth is the fourth generation to care for his family’s heritage farm near Clarinda, Iowa. They raise beef cattle, corn, hay, oats, and various cover crops. He’s passionate about stewardship, especially water quality, the restoration of prairie, woodlands, and riparian areas. Seth believes when you have a healthy and diverse landscape combined with the values of inclusion, equity, and accessibility you can accomplish anything. He also serves on The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation board of Directors and the Leadership Council for The Iowa Learning Farms. His wife Christy is an Early Childhood Specialist for Green Hills AEA. They have a son, Spencer, and a daughter, Tatum. You can watch Seth on the TedX Des Moines stage here: TedX link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ0wP9FJU1s 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!

Michelle Perro, MD, DHOM is a veteran pediatrician with over thirty-nine years of experience in acute and integrative medicine. More than fifteen years ago, Dr. Perro transformed her clinical practice to include pesticide and health advocacy. She has both directed and worked as attending physician from New York’s Metropolitan Hospital to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Dr. Perro has managed her own business, Down to Earth Pediatrics, creating a new field of integrative urgent care medicine. She is currently lecturing and consulting as well as working with Gordon Medical Associates, an integrative health center in Northern California. Dr. Perro has co-authored the highly acclaimed book, “What’s Making our Children Sick” (https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/whats-making-our-children-sick/) and is Executive Director of a non-profit scientific-based website, https://www.gmoscience.org. She has authored many publications, services as Advisor to several environmental organizations and has a column with the medical journal, “The Townsend Letter”. You can also listen to her AgEmerge Podcast here: https://www.agemerge.com/podcast-2021/episode/916a5441/060-agemerge-podcast-dr-michelle-perro-and-the-human-health-soil-health-connection

Dr. Zach Bush is a triple board-certified physician and internationally-recognized educator on the intersection of the microbiome with human health, disease and our food production systems. His work is giving new insights into root-cause solutions in the sectors of farming, big pharma, and Western Medicine at large. Dr. Bush's work in both for-profit and nonprofit arenas alike is creating avenues to foster collaborative action for all stakeholders in the global community, promoting a regenerative future of health for the planet and our children. We are excited to share this podcast with you. You can learn more at www.zachbushmd.com and www.farmersfootprint.us Watch additional AgEmerge videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF-Hc8USB_JuIAJanERaat7q5qWWUCzCt

Today Ron Joyce, President and CEO of Joyce Farms joins us to discuss how their company is working with farmers using regenerative agriculture to grow, as Ron says, “flavorful meat.” And just as important, he's listening to chefs and customers who are asking for these quality products. Ron is quick to point out there’s more to regenerative agriculture than just planting a cover crop or going organic, he and his team are working closely with farmers, choosing the right genetics, protecting animal welfare and implementing the best soil health practices to produce that flavorful meat. Ron’s passion for this work is evident and there’s so much to glean from today’s discussion. As the lead visionary and guiding hand at Joyce Farms, Ron represents the company’s second generation of Joyces. Ron came on board in 1971 after graduating from UNC-Charlotte with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. In 1981, Ron took over leadership from his father, founder Alvin Joyce. Ron’s father taught him the importance of providing outstanding customer service in tandem with great products. He considers himself a “foodie” and his passion for delicious culinary experiences is evident in how he leads the organization Visit Joyce Farms Website: https://joyce-farms.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!

We’re so glad you’re listening, we’ve got Jeff Moyer, CEO at Rodale Institute joining us on the podcast. And there’s a little something for everyone today! One of the really cool things about being able to sit down and visit with our guests, is how we get to dig into the story behind the stories and learn where great ideas come from, and some of them just might surprise you! As many of you know, Jeff is a world-renowned authority in organic agriculture. His expertise includes organic crop production systems with a focus on weed management, cover crops, crop rotations, equipment modification use and facilities design. But Jeff is also, probably best known for conceptualizing and popularizing the No Till Roller Crimper and on this podcast, we get to hear the backstory and it’s a fun one. Jeff’s vast experience and knowledge regarding organic farming has provided the media with a reliable source and perspective for information on current agricultural issues. Jeff has been on staff at Rodale Institute for over 44 years, starting at Rodale Institute in 1976 in the position of farm laborer. He became Farm Manager in 1982 and later served as Farm Director, supervising research and operations of the 333-acre experimental farm for 15 years. Jeff was named executive director of the institute in 2015. Jeff was appointed CEO in September of 2019. Jeff's hands-on experience in organic agriculture brings a farmer’s perspective to the research, farmer training, and consumer education conducted by Rodale Institute. Jeff was project leader on the highly acclaimed Organic No-Till project and is the author of the book on this subject: “Organic No-Till Farming – Advancing No-Till Agriculture Crops, Soil, Equipment.” In conjunction with his position at Rodale Institute, Jeff currently serves as Board Chair of the Regenerative Organic Alliance and holds a director’s position on the board of the Soil Health Institute. He previously served as Chair of the National Organic Standards Board, a founding Board Member of Pennsylvania Certified Organic, Chairman of the Board of The Seed Farm, part of the Green America Non-GMO Working Group, a Project Member of The Soil Renaissance Project, and a Board Member of PA Farm Link. As CEO, Jeff focuses on strategic planning, outreach monitoring and fund-raising activities. He also supervises the research, training, and education mission of Rodale Institute, as well as act as liaison the board of directors and the Rodale Institute campuses across the country. https://rodaleinstitute.org/ https://www.facebook.com/rodaleinstitute 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 2022 podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm

Today we are excited to welcome our guest Dr. Mike Bredeson, Research Agroecologist at the Ecdysis Foundation. Mike has been with Ecdysis since day one and his passion for the work they are doing to change the way research and science interacts with farmers is really evident. Mike talks about how even growing up on the farm he didn’t realize the impact of actually digging around and making observations in the soil. He said it actually blew him away, these relationships beneath that layer of thatch on the soil surface, where wars were being waged and alliances were being formed, it was cooler than any computer game, any study or any class he’d ever taken before, he was hooked! Ecdysis believes “scientists have to become farmers to increase the relevance and credibility of their research.” In today’s conversation we talk about the timely, relevant research Mike and the team at Ecdysis are doing that is making a real impact in regenerative agriculture. Once again, we see silos coming down as scientists and growers work together to find, as they say at Ecdysis, “concepts, practices and systems are scalable and transferable to other operations and regions.” Mike, a farm kid from central Minnesota grew up an avid outdoorsman spending every waking second in the field or on the water. It was the combination of passions, agriculture, and natural resources, which propelled Mike into an education on managing farmland using ecological principles. An internship with Dr. Jonathan Lundgren solidified Mike’s interest in insects, biodiversity conservation and regenerative ag research. From that day forth Mike has been peeling back layers of detritus on farms all over the world playing witness to the immense power of functional working ecosystems. https://www.ecdysis.bio/ 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 podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm

We are excited to welcome our guest Blaine Hitzfield, a 2nd generation farmer and business entrepreneur with a passion for regenerative agriculture. Blaine carved out an early life career by helping his family of seven brothers establish a farm-to-consumer food business that thousands of consumers know as Seven Sons Farms. Today on the podcast we’ll discuss the success of the Seven Sons brand and how he and his family transitioned from conventional farming practices to regenerative pasture-based farming models. Monte and Blaine cover everything from disruption of the food system, impact on local communities, customer trust, and loyalty, and utilizing technology to make it all happen. After graduating high school in 2004, Blaine carved out an early life career by helping his family of seven brothers establish a farm-to-consumer food business that thousands of consumers know as Seven Sons Farms. The success of the Seven Sons brand has been a catalyst for helping Blaine’s family transition from conventional farming practices to regenerative pasture-based farming models. When you visit the farm today you will witness over 550 acres of restored soils supporting a diverse production model of grass-fed cattle and pasture-raised hogs and chickens. As CEO of the family business, Blaine has been the driving force behind developing diverse entrepreneurial opportunities for his entire family. In 2014, Blaine began developing custom e-commerce software in an effort to help more regenerative farms reach consumers with transparent and ethically raised foods. What began as a small in-house project has developed into a farm-raised tech business called GrazeCart. Today over 400 farms and online food brands use GrazeCart to sell and ship over 20 million pounds of pasture-raised foods to consumers in the USA and CA. Blaine and his family have become a shining light and a beacon of hope for small family farms all around the world. Blaine lives in his hometown of Roanoke, Indiana with his wife Charis and their five beautiful children. Blaine is the proud father of three sons and two daughters; Bryton, Tyton, Charleston, Lillyana, and Juliana! Blaine enjoys spending time fishing with his family, house projects, camping, and evening rides around the farm on his ATV. Check out their websites: https://sevensons.net/ https://grazecart.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 on the podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm Want to hear more AgEmerge Podcasts? Click in: https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/agemergepodcast We’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for joining us today, we always enjoy visiting with all our guests on the podcast and Monte was particularly excited to speak with our guest today, Will Harris of White Oak Pastures. Will has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. As a fourth generation cattleman, he and his family were raising livestock in the typical conventional methods, but in the mid 1990’s Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They’d created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before. Today, we get to journey with Will to understand the mindset, work and fortitude it takes to risk it all and successfully implement these farming practices. It’s a great conversation, enjoy! Will tends the same land his great-grandfather settled in 1866. Born and raised at White Oak Pastures, Will left home to attend the University of Georgia's School of Agriculture, where he was trained in the industrial farming methods that had taken hold after World War II. Will graduated in 1976 and returned to Bluffton where he and his father continued to raise cattle using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics. They also fed their herd a high-carbohydrate diet of corn and soy. These tools did a fantastic job of taking the cost out of the system, but in the mid-1990s Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They had created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before. Since Will has successfully implemented these changes, he has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Will is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics. He is the Beef Director of the American Grassfed Association and was selected 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration. Will lives in his family home on the property with his wife Yvonne. He is the proud father of three daughters, Jessi, Jenni, and Jodi. His favorite place in the world to be is out in pastures, where he likes to have a big coffee at sunrise and a 750ml glass of wine at sunset. REFERENCED LINKS: One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoQWLK8-CYE Carbon Footprint Evaluation of Regenerative Grazing at White Oak Pastures: https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/hubfs/WOP-LCA-Quantis-2019.pdf Grassfed Exchange 2016 - Peter Byck & Will Harris “A Georgia Story” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Q-GuTn3WU 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? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm We’d love to hear from you!

Ray Archuleta is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with the Soil Science Society of America and has over 30 years experience as a Soil Conservationist, Water Quality Specialist, and Conservation Agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). During his tenure with the NRCS Ray served in New Mexico, Missouri, Oregon, and North Carolina. Ray received his AS degree in Livestock Science from Northern New Mexico College and a BS degree in Agricultural Biology plus 30 hours of graduate work in soil related courses from New Mexico State University. He served in the Peace Corps for two years in Guatemala as a Livestock Specialist. After his retirement from the NRCS in 2017, Ray founded Understanding Ag, LLC, and Soil Health Academy to teach Biomimicry strategies and Agroecology principles for improving soil function on a national scale. Ray also owns and operates a 150-acre farm near Seymour, Missouri along with his wife and family. https://soilhealthacademy.org/

Richard’s background within the die cast and foundry industry led to his manufacturing career and passion for selling capital equipment. The majority of his time in sales has been automation and melting furnaces equipment. Prior to joining GUSS as the Sales Manager, Richard worked for a German company manufacturing industrial x-ray and CT equipment. Over the last five years, he developed sales strategies, and built agent networks while implementing brand campaigns. Ready to apply his talents to a new industry and network, Richard and his family moved from Chicago, IL, to Kingsburg, CA to build a dealership network, develop sales processes and training programs for GUSS customers and dealers. GUSS currently has four national dealerships in California and Florida and an international presence in Australia. https://gussag.com/

Rick Clark is a 5th generation farmer from Williamsport, IN. The main goal on the farm is to build soil health and achieve balance with Mother Nature. Rick has developed and constantly improving a systematic approach to regenerative farming. The farm strives to be a low cost input producer, while maintaining an increase in yield year over year. The farm is 100% NGMO, 100% no till, and 100% cover crop. Rick is currently transitioning the farm to organic. He is most proud of developing a system of organic farming that uses no tillage. He will suppress weeds with cover crops. Rick cares deeply about human health as well, that is one of the main drivers behind the organic no till style of farming. Rick is building a system that will be viable and sustainable for generations to come.

Science and Regenerative Agriculture with Tommy Fenster Tommy is a master’s student in Biology at California State University - East Bay and a member of the Ecdysis Foundation. His research focuses on regenerative management practices in California agroecosystems. Specifically, Tommy’s work is to quantify regenerative agricultural practices in almond orchards with regards to yields, biodiversity, and ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration. As the research intern at the Berkely Lab, Tommy utilizes the eddy covariance technique to quantify the greenhouse gas and water budgets for grazed grasslands that have had compost applied to them. Tommy’s undergraduate degree in Environmental Analysis was earned at Pomona College. https://www.ecdysis.bio/ To learn more about the Ecdysis Foundation, listen to the AgEmerge Podcast with guest Dr. Mike Bredeson, here: https://www.agemerge.com/podcast-2021/episode/9269b005/063-agemerge-mike-bredeson-ecdysis-foundation

Loren Poncia of Stemple Creek Ranch is a 4th generation Marin County organic rancher who has redefined small-scale family ranching. Loren started Stemple Creek Ranch with the dream of raising quality, grass-finished beef and lamb to work with, not against, mother nature. His ranch had the first carbon farm plan in the U.S. and Loren is proud to be part of the Marin Carbon Project. A graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a major in Dairy Science and Ag Business, Loren always dreamed of coming back to the ranch to pursue his passion in agriculture. He oversees the entire ranching operation, and spends countless hours carefully studying genetics with the goal of raising grass-fed and finished beef that is tender, well-marbled, and tastes great. Stemple Creek Ranch sells its products to grocery stores, butcher shops, restaurants, and directly to consumers. www.stemplecreek.com Listen to Loren and Lisa's AgEmerge Podcast here: https://www.agemerge.com/podcast-2021/episode/c0b92581/042-agemerge-2020-stemple-creek-ranch-were-soil-farmers

Michelle Perro, MD, DHOM is a veteran pediatrician with over thirty-nine years of experience in acute and integrative medicine. More than fifteen years ago, Dr. Perro transformed her clinical practice to include pesticide and health advocacy. She has both directed and worked as attending physician from New York’s Metropolitan Hospital to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Dr. Perro has managed her own business, Down to Earth Pediatrics, creating a new field of integrative urgent care medicine. She is currently lecturing and consulting as well as working with Gordon Medical Associates, an integrative health center in Northern California. Dr. Perro has co-authored the highly acclaimed book, “What’s Making our Children Sick” (https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/whats-making-our-children-sick/) and is Executive Director of a non-profit scientific-based website, https://www.gmoscience.org. She has authored many publications, services as Advisor to several environmental organizations and has a column with the medical journal, “The Townsend Letter”. You can also listen to her AgEmerge Podcast here: https://www.agemerge.com/podcast-2021/episode/916a5441/060-agemerge-podcast-dr-michelle-perro-and-the-human-health-soil-health-connection