Roots + Ruminants

Meet Roots + Ruminants third international guest, Steven Bennett. Steven is the International Sales Manager for PGG Wrightson, a New Zealand-based seed company. Hosts Jared and Justin got together with him at the Western Seed Trade Association meeting to talk all things brassicas.

David Larson is a Minnesota farmer, and he's putting Jared and Justin to the test with a fall-themed graze it, harvest it, rent it challenge. If you've ever been to a pumpkin patch and your mind was spinning about all the ways you could use the seasonal crops and expansive acres, this episode is for you. 

Walker Farms is located outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and they market all their products direct to the customer. Tune in to hear how Andy Walker continues to innovate their products and processes to meet customer needs.

Justin is at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Tune in to hear a special dairy-themed graze it, harvest it, rent it challenge, Jared's bingo card for the show, and an update on show vs production genetics in the dairy industry.

Apparently we're giving away 300 gallons of rye whiskey now? Tune in to find out why. You'll also hear about an art gallery unveiling Justin and Jared attended (yes, you read that right), and the latest graze it, harvest it, rent it scenario. Watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/34_R16KdFD0

Wilde Air Service is a Brookings, SD based aerial application company focused on serving their customers well and finding a way to get the job done - even the hard jobs. Tune in to this episode of Roots + Ruminants to hear from Tom and Brodie about a day in the life of flying on cover crop seed, chemicals, and more.

Compost tea is created by extracting beneficial microorganisms from compost using a brewing process. This tea is essentially a vitamin boost for the crops, helping them fight pests and diseases. Brian Fruechte, a farmer in western Minnesota, started making his own compost tea to boost his cash crops, and he's sharing all about the what, the why, and the how of his process. And bonus: Brian is...

Justin and Jared are LIVE on video with their first edition of graze it, harvest it, rent it: a new challenge where they're given three cropping scenarios and have to assign a strategy to each one: graze it, harvest it, or rent it out. They also talk state fair and silage harvest.  Tune in, or catch the video version on YouTube at Roots and Ruminants: https://www.youtube.com/@RootsAndRuminant...

Ever heard of taking two grain crops and crossing them to make a forage? Meet Triticale: the valuable rye/wheat cross that has the vigor and hardiness of rye, with the agronomics and quality of wheat. Racey Padilla is the Small Grains Research Director for the largest triticale breeding program in North America, TriCal Superior Forage.  His farmer-first perspective fuels his breeding efforts – he&...

When an animal is sick, one of the first things you look at is: what are they eating? Is there a toxin in their food? Is the ration off? Are we missing something in their diet? So when Roy Thompson's health was rocked with an autoimmune disease, he decided to do the same and take a long hard look at his nutrition and using food as medicine. Listen in as he shares about his multi-year journey...

Podcast host Jared Knock was a recent speaker during the TEDx Sioux Falls event. Listen in as he shares about the TEDx experience, dives into what he spoke about during the event, and more.

Jacob Van den Borne farms in Brussels and The Netherlands, primarily supplying potatoes to McDonalds for their famous french fries. But he's not sticking to the status quo. With over 80 field locations and farms in two countries, he has plenty of opportunities to try new things – like precision agriculture tools and even growing a carbon neutral french fry! Tune in to this fascinating episode...

Although regenerative ag can sound overwhelming, simplicity is the name of the game at Continuum Ag. Hear from their Chief Agronomist, Carolyn King, about their approach, and what they’re seeing as the next big thing in regenerative ag.

Justin + Jared chat with five guests at Commodity Classic to hear about the soil health and unique farming practices on their operation. Tune in!

Ilse Kohler-Rollefson states on her website that she is a researcher, writer, activist, teacher, and trainer.  As a pastoralist, she does everything she can to work towards policies and practices that support socially responsible and ecologically sustainable livestock development. Ilse and Justin talk through the the grazing systems in India, and how grain farmers are paying livestock farmers to g...

Hosts Jared and Justin give their predictions for 2023. No topics are off the table - from the price of ground beef to the biggest celebrity breakup and back to the most popular cover crop, they cover everything in this hilarious episode of predictions. 

Special guest Cameron Goodrich talks through his farming operation with hosts Jared Knock and Justin Fruechte. They get into the nitty gritty details of his crop rotations, cover crop and grazing use, and his cow/calf and sheep herds. Plus a special review of a famous restaurant you won't want to miss!

Hosts Jared Knock and Justin Fruechte chat with guest Viviane Georgalas about upcoming new public and private programs that may be available for farmers to boost their income. 

As a farmer in livestock dense Sioux County (northwest) Iowa, Craig Moss is heavily focused on crop and livestock production. During this episode, he shares about how cover crops fit into his operation and how to implement creative ideas to make sure something is growing on the land for as many days as possible throughout the year.

Listen in as Justin and Jared talk with Ian and Richard Cunningham on their farm near Pipestone, MN.  In this episode, they discuss their experience with trying different practices and finding the right fit for their operation. A few takeaways include: If you're going to try something, it doesn't need to be all of your acres. Pick a spot and give it a shot. At least you're trying so...

Join us as we invite Jim Wulf on to discuss his cattle ranch in Western Minnesota! This podcast covers a wide variety of topics covering the ethics of cattle genetics, the sustainability efforts on their ranch, and the future of agriculture!

Join us as we invite Iowa State's Beef Teaching Farm Manager, David Bruene to discuss how/what they do differently on their teaching farm! This podcast focuses on low cost feeding methods and especially how they are able to swath graze pearl millet in Story County, Iowa!

Join us as we discuss new Prevent Plant options for producers with Joe Reints, a crop insurance agent from Chancellor, South Dakota. They discussed different ways to utilize the new options, as well as giving you the facts about Prevent Plant. Be sure to consult your crop insurance agent, but if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact either Joe or Millborn. You can contact Joe at: (605...