CCSI-HAT Soil Health Podcast

Recorded on 9/17/24, Delaware County farmer Joe Hamilton and Fayette County farmer Andrew Bernzott discuss the steps they take when picking up a new field or farm. Hamilton returned to a full-tillage corn/soy family farm after spending 12 years as a mechanical engineer. Bernzott took over a 30-year no-till farm. Both farms are now in a 100% no-till / 100% cover crop system. Both start by taking so...

Recorded in May 2024, Scott Gabbard, Purdue On The Farm (POTF) Coordinator, and Sarah Brackney, Purdue Ag and Natural Resources Extension Educator (Daviess County) discussed current and future activities of POTF. The POTF has created more opportunities for Extension Educators like Sarah to work with farmers as they create their own on-farm trials with POTF assistance. These efforts are leading to...

On 08/14/24, FarmAdvisors a truly farmer-designed and farmer-led mentoring program was launched (www. FarmAdvisors. Ag). Four of the founding farmers talked about the development of the program: Jim Mosely, former Deputy Secretary of Agriculture; Rodney Rulon, Hamilton County; Mike Brocksmith, Knox County; and Aaron Johnson, Orange County. The rollout occurred just under a year from the first meet...

08/03/24 - Aaron Johnson, Vice-president of Riverview Farms out of Orleans, Indiana - and manages their crop production systems - has been planting double-crop CORN after wheat for several years - with very respectable yield results. Jeremiah Windell, a precision agronomist with Advanced Agrilytics out or Corydon, IN has been working with Aaron for years, including their double-crop systems. Johns...

Recorded on 06/18/24 - Hans Schmitz, CCSI / Purdue On The Farm Soil Health and Climate Smart Ag Specialist, and Austin Pearson, Midwest Regional Climate Center Climatologist, talk about what causes a heat dome, the potential of a "flash drought' and steps you can take to build soil health - and therefor resiliency - for your farm. When the podcast was recorded, Indiana was experiencing and early s...

Southeast Purdue Ag Center (SEPAC) Superintendent Joel Wahlman and Purdue Entomology research Christian Krupke talk about the work of establishing field-scale regenerative ag plots - alongside existing tillage systems. The projects not only incorporate no-till and cover crops, but also IPM to reduce insecticide and herbicide treatments as well as the impacts of seed treatments on the soil ecosyste...

Not everyone "leads from the front". Some people make an indelible impact on their day to day efforts. For those who aren't the "front of the room" speakers, this podcast is for you - because you, like Fred Woods get to make a difference every day. Fred Woods was one of those individuals. In this podcast, join Barry Fisher, an independent soil health consultant and one of the first people hired at...

In this very special episode, David's son Jay Brandt talks with Oklahoma regenerative farmer-rancher Jimmy Emmons about the about the many seeds David planted across the globe and his lasting impact on farming. Not only did Dave's farming practices change the family farm's soil classification from a Cardigan Clay to a "different performing product", he changed the lives of countless people worldwi...

In 1993 the inaugural National No-Till Conference was held in Indianapolis. In 2024, the conference returned to Indy. Expecting 200 attendees, some 800 people attended in that first year and really fast-tracked the adoption of no-till systems. Mike Lessiter, son of Frank Lessiter, founder of No-Till Farmer magazine and the conference talks about that initial conference as well as the history of no...

Father-Son duo Cameron and Devon Churchill, Harrison County Indiana, are joined by Pete Huff, Wallace Center/Pasture Project for a slightly mind-bending conversation on grazing croplands. Just for a couple of teasers, the Churchill's have used intensive regenerative grazing to decrease round bale consumption in the cow calf operation from 2000+ to 700-750 bales! They are also turning cattle out in...

Bio Strip-till is using a cover crop that will winter kill on rows combined with overwintering cover crops in the middles. Soil Health Specialist and farmer Barry Fisher, Fisher Soil Health, and Research Agronomist John Pike, Pike Ag LLC talk about the ways this kind of system is not only a great alternative to traditional strip-till, but also the impressive results John has seen in his research a...

Saving time is critical during fall harvest. So is managing residue to ensure an even template for the following season's crops. In this episode, southwestern Indiana farmer Ray McCormick and Needham Ag Technologies' Phil Needham had called in to the podcast earlier in the spring to discuss the importance of uniform residue spread for even nutrient distribution, even soil temperature and moisture,...

It's a soundbite filled podcast. Fascinating generational discussions made this recording into a 2-parter. Carrying on from Part 1, Pat Bittner and his father John are joined by Aaron Krueger and his grandfather Ronald. In some ways, it's back to the future - the discussions revolved around pastured proteins, protection of biomes, adopting regenerative ag principles, along with the challenges face...

The conversation was fascinating... and became a two-parter. In Part 1, we visit with two southwestern Indiana families who use regenerative agriculture practices on their farms. Pat Bittner and his father John Bittner are joined by Aaron Krueger and his grandpa Ronald Krueger. The four farmers share stories that range from their farms’ histories to the results of the soil health practices they im...

Betsy Bower, a Ceres Solutions Co-op Agronomist, and Mark Kingma, a farmer in NW Indiana and board member of the IASWCD, talk about irrigation system efficiency, the tools used for measure moisture, and the benefits of soil health systems for irrigation and water use efficiency. Kingma uses moisture sensors to manage water applications and they have shown how improved soil health has positive impa...

There’s a new program bringing Purdue to the farm to help you make decisions and improve your operation. Purdue On The Farm connects farmers with Extension educators and researchers. Dan Quinn, Purdue Extension Corn Specialist, joins CCSI’s Hans Schmitz and Bryan Overstreet on this episode. They discuss the four pillars of the Purdue on the Farm program: crop scouting, surveys, demonstrations, and...

Planting time is also a time for terminating cover crops, and that’s the topic for the latest CCSI-HAT Soil Health Podcast. Kosciusko County farmer Jamie Scott and Purdue Professor of Weed Science Bill Johnson discuss scouting and troubleshooting cover crop termination issues. They discuss the need for patience to avoid poor termination and expensive resprays. That means taking into account the wa...

When farmers encounter challenges, they bring out their most creative and innovative solutions. Beginning farmers and those farming on a small scale can experience several challenges in getting started in their operations, and support is crucial. Join the conversation to learn how Liz Brownlee, farmer and past president of the Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition , found that support as a beginning Ind...

Thinking outside the box about a farm’s economics can lead to opportunities, including those created by climate-smart agriculture. Michael Morrow, executive director of the Indiana Farmers Union and land steward who farms with his family, and Hans Schmitz, Conservation Agronomist for the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative, dive into adopting climate-smart strategies, from carbon markets and...

Crops were challenged this past year with intense rains followed by long dry spells, and soil's ability to hold water is one characteristic that will be important for farming in the future. Hans Schmitz, the lead agronomist for CCSI, and Austin Pearson, climatologist for the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (mrcc.purdue.edu), talk this episode about the effects of recent weather events, the diff...

It turns out that a discussion about insects and soil health isn’t just a discussion about how insects affect soil health. It’s also about how the disappearance of beneficial insects is affecting the health of plants, wildlife, livestock, crops, rural communities, and ourselves. Jonathan Lundgren, founder and director of Ecdysis Foundation, trains future scientists and farmers at Blue Dasher Farm...

Join John Jamerson and Denise Greer Jamerson live and farm in historic Lyles Station, Indiana - an historic Black farming community. For years, they have been tapping into their connections and their roots to sell fresh produce in Indiana food deserts and to educate about farming and nutrition. Along with their many local partners, the Jamersons launched the Indiana Black Loam Conference in the wi...

Hans Schmitz, CCSI Agronomist, and Joe Rorick, Indiana Soybean Alliance/Indiana Corn Marketing Council - both also with Purdue Extension - talk about opportunities to build resilience to extreme weather, participate in programs to try out soil health practices - including INfield Advantage, field days and more.

Recorded at Fisher's Farm where former NRCS Regional Soil Health Specialist Barry Fisher (recently retired) practices what he preachers - Barry was joined by former Indiana NRCS State Soil Health Specialist Stephanie McLain (who just left to be the State Soil Health Specialist in Minnesota) talk about the importance of sound training and technical support to help ensure farmers are successful in a...

Recorded live at the Indy Farm Show, Mike Shuter - a seasoned soil health practitioner and NACD Soil Health Champion was joined by Andrew Bernzott, a young farmer and National Wildlife Federation Conservation Champion, and Dan Quinn, Purdue Extension Corn Specialist, to talk about their soil health experiences and the importance of learning from peers.