Sustaining The Herd

Who will take over the family farm when Grandpa retires? How much land or money will each family member receive? Will everyone still get along and want to see each other on holidays? Andrew and Brock set out to tackle these questions and many more as they sit down in the studio with Jimmy Hagge of Hutchinson & Associates. Jimmy works every day with agricultural producers to build and execute a...

What is sustainability in the agriculture industry? Does it have the same meaning today as it did five years ago? Join Andrew and Brock as they work to tackle these questions and more when it comes to what sustainability really means in agriculture. They cover some ground as they talk about the three-legged stool of sustainability, the beef and dairy industries, and technology/automation. Get read...

Spring has been busy and summer is gearing up to be no different. Andrew and Brock have been "on the trail" with business travel and working diligently on projects. Join Brock as he shares what he and Andrew have been up to lately, in addition to taking a look back at recent episodes. Don't worry, guests will be back soon! Tune in for this "summer roundup" edition of Susta...

Andrew and Brock were on the air last week to share what they were looking forward to at Biogas Americas 2026. Well, they've returned home from a whirlwind week in Detroit and are ready to talk about it all! Join The Herd as Andrew and Brock sit down to recap their conference experience and look ahead through the lens of what they learned. They even share an exciting announcement for the beef...

Do you know where Andrew and Brock will be at the time this episode is published? They'll be in Detroit at the American Biogas Council's flagship conference called Biogas Americas! Join the conversation as Andrew and Brock discuss what they're looking forward to in Detroit. They cover everything from networking to seeking answers to some of the industry's most burning questions...

You've likely heard of the S&P 500 index. Well, this episode may not be about that, but it comes close! Andrew and Brock are joined by Lassana Fisiru of S&P Global Energy, where Lassana is a Senior Pricing Specialist covering renewable natural gas (RNG) in North America. While we typically talk a lot about anaerobic digestion, this episode addresses the end product of the digestion pr...

Cattle handling is more than chutes and alleys - it's all about moving cattle safely and efficiently. Join Andrew and Brock for Sustaining The Herd's 50th birthday as they sit down with their colleague Jake Mayer, a Professional Engineer at Settje Agri-Services and Engineering. Jake has designed many cattle handling facilities and doesn't hold back as he shares what works and what d...

Begin with the end in mind...especially when it comes to anaerobic digestion projects. Join Andrew and Brock in the studio as they take a deep dive on considerations for the development of anaerobic digestion projects. These projects are complex and capital-intensive, so it's important to get things right from the start. Andrew and Brock discuss various aspects of project feasibility, local a...

Andrew and Brock sit down with Eric Dinger of Landoption to dig into how every piece of land can be leveraged to produce revenue while monetizing sustainability efforts. Eric and his team have built a platform trusted advisors can use to help producers and landowners discover the earning potential of their land. Carbon credits, conservation easements, wildlife programs - it's all on the table...

Agriculture has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the world’s most hazardous occupations.  Confined spaces like anaerobic digester tanks are particularly dangerous.  Our guest Jared Burma is doing his part to make cleaning confined spaces safer.  Jared and his team at Bristola have developed technology that enables them to clean ADs with a remote control vehicle while keeping the AD syst...

What do you get when you pair scientific research with real-world farmer know-how? You get the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network! Join Andrew and Brock as they sit down with Adam Leise, who serves as Director of the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network. Adam shares how he and his team work with agricultural producers across Nebraska to address real research questions that come up in the field. He tal...

How much does it cost? What does it do? Will I be satisfied with this investment decision? You might find yourself asking questions like these when evaluating a new technology, product, or innovation to potentially adopt on your farm. Join Andrew and Brock as they discuss some common considerations to address when evaluating technologies. A primary consideration? Whether a technology or innovation...

Crepuscular: appearing or active in twilight.  How can dairy producers benefit by understanding the crepuscular behavior of cows?  Ask Dr. Gordie Jones.  From veterinarian in private practice to dairy farmer to acclaimed international dairy consultant, Gordie has seen a lot throughout his 50 year career in the dairy industry—from his earliest days solving milk quality issues related to hand milkin...

Season 3 is just getting started, and we're already on a roll...roller compacted concrete, that is! Join Andrew and Brock as they sit down with a guest who's back by popular demand (and because he has a lot of great knowledge to share). Zach Settje, Chief Operating Officer of Settje Agri-Services and Engineering, joins The Herd to share all about roller compacted concrete, also known as...

Episode 42 looks back at Season 2 of Sustaining The Herd. Join Andrew and Brock as they give an episode-by-episode recap of the season's highlights. Want to learn more about an episode or new to Sustaining the Herd? Jump to the episodes that interest you the most. Settje Agri-Services and Engineering would like to say thank you to our guests and listeners for being part of "The Herd&quot...

Manure is a resource. It is also potentially a pollutant and certainly not a “waste”. Brock and Andrew visit with Dr. Amy Schmidt (a.k.a. The Manure Lady), Professor of Animal Manure Management in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to talk about manure management from a university researcher and extension engineer’s perspective. Amy shares insigh...

How has manure management evolved over the years? Sit down with Andrew and Brock to answer this question and many more as they're joined by Mark Stoermann of Newtrient to discuss all things related to dairy manure management and anaerobic digestion. Founded in 2015, Newtrient’s mission is to reduce the environmental footprint of U.S. dairy and make it economically viable to do so. Mark shares...

Livestock production doesn't look the same as it did 75 years ago - why might that be? Innovation! Join Andrew and Brock as they take a glance back at the past, assess the present, and look ahead to the future of animal agriculture and agriculture in general. There are many aspects of livestock production that have come a long way over the years but could still benefit from further developmen...

What does data tell us about the sustainability of cattle feeding today? If you'd like to know, this episode is for you! Join Andrew and Brock as they sit down in the studio with Dr. Jessica Sperber, Assistant Professor of Animal Science and Feedlot Extension Specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Sperber uses production data to tell the story of how beef production has become...

Andrew and Brock have been busy working on sustainability related projects for clients and need some time to round up The Herd before coming back with another full episode. Tune in today to hear about what Andrew and Brock have been up to and learn about how you can help shape future episodes of Sustaining The Herd. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, send us a note at podcast@settje...

In Episode 35 we talked a lot about challenges associated with digestate nutrient management for feedlot anaerobic digestion projects—that is, the consistency (solids content) and composition (N, P, and K) of what comes out is a lot different than what went in. What about potential solutions? Join Andrew and Brock as they work to answer that question as they discuss nutrient management opportuniti...

Picture this...feedlot manure has been collected from roller compacted concrete pens, fed into an anaerobic digester, and made a lot of renewable natural gas...so now what? There's digestate to handle! And make no mistake - handling liquid digestate (and a lot of it) is a significant departure from the status quo of feedlot manure management. Join Andrew and Brock as they discuss what they&ap...

What is pomology...or a pomologist? Join us for yet another "first" on Sustaining The Herd to find out. Andrew and Brock sit down in the studio with Win Cowgill, Professor Emeritus from Rutgers University, to discuss the science of growing fruit and developing new fruit varieties. Win has spent his career in the North East U.S. and beyond, working with fruit growers to sustainably produc...

Most people have heard of artificial intelligence, but does anyone really know how it will impact the future? Join Brock...yes, you read that right...as he hosts solo for the first time without Andrew. Brock sits down in-person with Dan Kurdys of Pairwise at the AgTech Connect conference in Lincoln, NE for a thoughtful discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture. Dan shares his persp...

This episode may not contain top secret information, but it comes close. Join Andrew and Brock as they sit down to interrogate...we mean interview...the FBI! Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge from the FBI Omaha Field Office, joins The Herd for an insightful conversation about how the FBI works to protect the agriculture industry from various types of threats. This is one you won't want to...