Ag Emerge Podcast

In this special episode of the AgEmerge Podcast, Grok, created by xAI, turns the mic on Monte Bottens, a fifth-generation Illinois farmer, entrepreneur, and visionary behind Bottens Family Farm, Ag Solutions Network, and Grateful Graze. Monte shares his journey from raising pigs in 4-H to building a diverse operation rooted in regenerative agriculture, blending Midwest traditions with California’s...

Today we welcome Dr. Dan Rooney, founder and CEO of LandScan, a pioneering company revolutionizing site characterization and analysis for agriculture and forestry. With over 20 years of experience developing, protecting, and commercializing innovative technologies for soil and vegetation mapping, Dr. Rooney is leading LandScan to transform how farmers, foresters, and land managers optimize their o...

Aaron Steele is the innovative founder of Goats On The Go, a national network of targeted grazing service providers revolutionizing sustainable land management. Aaron shares his journey from a small acreage in Ames, Iowa, to building a thriving business that uses goats and sheep to control weeds, brush, and invasive species, offering an eco-friendly alternative to chemicals and machinery. Starting...

We welcome Taylor Henry, a farmer, entrepreneur, realtor, and the owner of Acres U.S.A. and Henry Pastures. Broadcasting from the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, Taylor shares his remarkable journey from a career as a county sheriff to becoming a leading voice in regenerative agriculture. Taylor dives into his entrepreneurial mindset, inspired by books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Dirt to Soil, and...

Today, we welcome Ed Baumgartner, Founder and Breeder at 3rd Millennium Genetics and BASS Hybrids. Ed and his family have been on their corn breeding journey for decades, working on developing native traits resistant to insects and drought. This breeding program has evolved and is focused on developing corn hybrids that thrive in regenerative agriculture practices. Listen in as he and Monte have a...

Brad Downing is the President and owner of Cross Creek Ag Solutions in Greentown, Indiana. Brad has committed to understanding the “why” behind farming practices. He and his team work to facilitate collaboration and education, helping farmers navigate the complexities of soil health, weather, and sustainable growth. He and Monte dig into the why and the how when it comes to implementation and adop...

We’re making history in the AgEmerge podcast because we are chatting, in real time, with Grok, an AI built by xAI. We think this is kind of a big deal for the podcast, but also for everyone engaged in agriculture, because AI is really pushing us to change our paradigms and the way we think about our management practices and decisions. Think about soil data crunching, smarter grazing plans, and reg...

Danny Royer is the Farm Coordinator at UC Merced. From smart farms to reimagining supply chains, we’ll hear how Danny blends innovation with the art of growing food. He and Monte explore farming that looks at scaling back costs with sustainable practices as well as inspiring the next generation through real-world experience. Instagram: @esf_ucm https://www.instagram.com/esf_ucm?igsh=aml5Z3pmZmlyMX...

Emily Usher-DeaKyne is a natural resource social scientist at Purdue University working as the Project Manager for the Diverse Corn Belt project. The initiative started in 2021, led by Purdue University, to diversify Midwestern agriculture beyond corn and soybeans in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. Her work explores systems like extended rotations, agroforestry, and livestock integration, involving o...

Two soil science powerhouses from Kansas State University: Dr. Ganga Hettiarachchi and Dr. Charles Rice explore a fundamental but often overlooked question—are all soil nutrients the same? The simple answer, no. Not all nutrients are created equal. The source matters. The form matters. And the way nutrients interact with soil minerals, microbes, and organic matter? It’s a whole other level of comp...

Dallas Mount is the Owner of Ranch Management Consultants (RMC), home of the Ranching for Profit School and the Executive Link program. Dig into the business side of ag, the stories, strategies, and insights to help your farm or ranch thrive. Dallas has led RMC since 2019 and worked with thousands of ranchers across North America, Australia and the UK to position their business for economic profit...

Luke and Thad Bergschneider are from Central Illinois where Luke is a University of Illinois Soil Scientist and Researcher and Thad is the current National FFA President. The future of agriculture is in good hands! These bright, articulate, knowledgeable men are critical thinkers, who are exploring how they can be an asset to agriculture. Growing up on their family farm, these two have grown not j...

Juan Whiting is a 4th-generation farmer, ag entrepreneur, author, and a seasoned expert in navigating the often-complicated world of grant writing and agricultural funding. From working with the Conflict and Development Foundation in East Africa to leading his own consulting company, Stray Acres LLC, Juan has a unique passion for linking farmers, ranchers, and their partners to the funding they ne...

Andrew is a forward-thinking farmer and entrepreneur based in Chowchilla, California, dedicated to advancing regenerative agriculture practices. Andrew will be one of the speakers at the 4th Annual Regenerative Tree Nut Field Day Jan 21-22, 2025. You can find out more about the event here: https://burroughsfamilyfarms.com/pages/regenerative-almond-field-day Andrew is a forward-thinking farmer and...

Guest host David Kleinschmidt joined us at the 2024 Big Soil Health Event in Cedar Falls, IA, where we had the privilege of connecting with some incredible attendees. It was a great event where hundreds of farmers and ranchers from all over the country gathered to learn, share, and encourage each other to continue to adopt soil health strategies. We asked attendees to join us in our “on the road"...

Thanks for listening today, we’re digging into the power of regenerative farming, enterprise stacking, and community-driven agriculture with our guest, Lydia Dresbach. Lydia’s story is a testament to rethinking what’s possible on the farm—from growing heritage grains and running agritourism events to creating a thriving ecosystem of many enterprises! Get ready to be inspired by her vision for stew...

As a trailblazer in soil health and regenerative practices, Adam Daugherty, a farmer, educator, and NRCS Soil Health Specialist for the State of Tennessee. Adam has inspired farmers to embrace big, diverse cover crops and innovative no-till practices that challenge the conventional norms. So listen in as we talk about his journey that’s full of resilience and practical wisdom. Adam is the new Tenn...

David Kleinschmidt is the owner of Progressive Agronomy Consulting Services. His experience, keen observations, and thorough scrutiny of data makes for a great discussion as he and Monte explore real-time soil health systems and the tools he uses to evaluate those systems. There are no silver bullets when it comes to the tools and resources farmers implement. But there is a path forward built on i...

Dr. Dwayne Beck has driven research on cover crops, no-till, and the dynamics of herbicide resistance in weeds, all while emphasizing the benefits of diverse cropping systems. His efforts have empowered producers to achieve greater profitability while enhancing soil health, conserving water, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting wildlife habitat. Dr. Beck’s work continues to shape the future of...

Bernie Hansen is the Managing Member of BetterFedFoods. From transforming the precooked meats industry and launching prepared entrée products for food service to dedicating years of research to the benefits of essential fatty acids in animal diets, Bernie’s work is far-reaching and includes connecting consumers to the farmers that produce their food. Want to know more about transforming the food i...

Tyler Dawley owns and operates Big Bluff Ranch in Red Bluff, California. Big Bluff leads 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 Bluf...

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 a great perspective on how to manage and lead their operation. Greg says he likes to act locally...

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. Watch episode here: https://youtu.be/es_rU1UJah0 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, ef...

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...

John Strauser is a research scientist in the Department of Agronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. John works with colleagues on the Grassland 2.0 project, where they explore what an Agroecological transformation would look like in the Midwestern United States. John talks about those transformations and about how it’s as much a head game as it is a management game. John’s background is in...