Sustaining The Herd

Who will be working in and leading the agriculture industry several decades from now? How will those individuals prepare to take that charge? Andrew and Brock share perspectives on what it means to prepare the ag professionals of the future. They talk about education, internships, and much more as they dig into this important topic. As an added bonus, they take a look back at the first half of Sea...

Interested in knowing if the food you eat is sustainably produced and how sustainable production is verified? Are you a food producer looking to verify your production practices in order to access new markets and increase profitability?  Andrew and Brock dig into these topics and more when they sit down with Doug Stanton of IMI Global and Where Food Comes From to discuss how sustainability claims...

An anaerobic digester project developer’s worst nightmare—tanks filled with sand.  But is it only sand that settles in digesters?  Sand bedding on dairies is an easy target when it comes to digester tanks filled with sand, but there are other settleable particles in manure—some inorganic, some organic.  In Episode 29 of Sustaining the Herd, Brock quizzes Andrew on sources of settleable material in...

You may have heard of a robotaxi... but have you heard of a robo feed truck--a self-driving feed truck? In this episode of Sustaining the Herd, Andrew and Brock sit down with Jacob Hansen of ALA Engineering. In the words of Jacob, he feeds cattle—but not as a cattle feeder in the traditional sense. ALA Engineering feeds cattle with their self-driving feed truck that they're currently bringing...

In Episode 27, Andrew Wedel and Brock Vetick record LIVE from the Biogas Americas Conference in Denver, Colorado. They dive into the latest trends shaping the biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) industry, offering insights from the heart of the action. Tune in as they discuss the value of connecting with industry professionals, sharing perspectives on innovation, collaboration, and the future o...

What’s the average farm field size in Western Pennsylvania?  Where in the world are US soybeans sold and how are they marketed?  Join Andrew and Brock as they sit down with Andy Fabin of Fabin Brothers Farms located near Indiana, Pennsylvania. Andy shares about sustainable corn and soybean production as well as soybean processing on his family's farm. As if that's not enough to discuss o...

Where are 25% of cattle on feed in the United States located? If you guessed within a 150-mile radius of Canyon, Texas, you guessed right! Andrew and Brock sit down with Dr. Kevin Pond, who serves as Dean of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. Dr. Pond has dedicated his career to innovation and sustainability in the beef in...

Total solids, dissolved solids, total dissolved solids, bedding quality solids, not bedding quality solids—there are a lot of things to consider when selecting a solids separation system.  In this episode of Sustaining the Herd, Andrew is in the guest chair and is questioned by Brock on the nuances and intricacies of solids separation. Andrew first lays the foundation as he helps us understand man...

Buckle up for this high-octane episode about the role of renewable natural gas in the transportation market. Andrew and Brock are joined by David King and Tom Quimby from Cummins Inc. to talk about all things at the intersection of RNG and transportation. David is the Product Manager for the Cummins North American On-Highway natural gas engine portfolio, and Tom is a freelance journalist who cover...

Andrew and Brock give their perspectives on what’s new in the world of RNG and feedlot manure management. They touch on the impact of the recent change in administration and then they switch gears to discuss insights on manure management on roller compacted concrete in feedyards - also known as RCC - and how RCC is being utilized in the beef cattle industry. Tune in for this can't-miss episod...

What does it mean for beef cattle production to be sustainable? Does a feedlot look and operate the same today as it did 25 years ago? Join Andrew and Brock as they once again sit down with John Schroeder of Darr feedlot for a lively discussion. John, a cattle feeder from Cozad, NE, passionately shares how he and his team at Darr Feedlot work every day to produce beef in a safe, ethical, and susta...

What is cattle feeding? How does the beef supply chain work? Andrew and Brock sit down with John Schroeder of Darr Feedlot to answer these questions and many more. John is an industry leader and passionate producer from Cozad, NE who cares about sustainably producing high-quality beef for consumers to enjoy. In this episode, John lays the groundwork to help our audience understand the cattle feedi...

Did you know that 78% of agricultural workers in the US are Hispanic? To kick off season 2 of Sustaining the Herd, Andrew and Brock sit down with Katie Dotterer of AgvoKate to discuss immigrant labor in the US agriculture industry. Katie, a former dairy farmer herself, works with agricultural producers to teach language courses and overcome cultural barriers between owners/managers and Hispanic la...

Episode 18 looks back at the first 17 episodes of Sustaining The Herd. Join Andrew and Brock as they recap the highlights from Season 1, episode-by-episode.  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 our guests and listeners for being part of "The Herd&q...

We really "dig in" to the details in this episode of Sustaining The Herd—treating animal manure with worm farming, otherwise known as vermiculture.  Andrew and Brock sit down with Jim Wallace of BioFiltro to discuss the many manure treatment options for producers to consider with a particular focus on vermiculture.  Jim shares some interesting insights when it comes to the process of wor...

Have you ever wondered how an agricultural lending institution approaches sustainability? Well, if you have, you're in luck! And if you haven't, you're still in for a great episode! Andrew and Brock sit down with Myriah Johnson, who is the VP of Corporate Sustainability with Farm Credit Services of America, Frontier Farm Credit, and Ag Country Farm Credit Services. We dive into how...

Join Andrew and Brock as they record on-location in St. Louis at Business of Biogas, a conference hosted by the American Biogas Council. They are joined by special guest Lynn Boadwine of Boadwine Farms in Baltic, SD. Lynn is a dairy producer and also a panelist for a session at Business of Biogas. From project development, to construction, to operation, Andrew and Brock visit with Lynn about his v...

What needs to happen for a livestock production facility to be built? What processes exist to ensure facilities are properly located and operated? Back by popular demand, Andrew and Brock are once again joined by Travis Caspersen and Nick Maaske of Settje Agri-Services and Engineering. Travis and Nick previously talked about environmental regulatory compliance and nutrient management for livestock...

Did you hear “the one” about the livestock producer and the lawyer?   What if the lawyer is the livestock producer?  This episode of Sustaining the Herd is no joke as Andrew and Brock are joined by Mark Fahleson—an attorney with Rembolt Ludtke.  Mark talks about how his roots in livestock production enable him to be a trusted advisor to his agriculture clients. Andrew and Brock also visit with Mar...

Renewable natural gas (RNG) is produced from manure and other feedstocks through the anaerobic digestion process...and then what happens? Join Andrew and Brock as they welcome to The Herd special guest Charles Love of Trillium—a leading provider of clean, alternative fuels for over the road truck fleets across the United States, with natural gas being one of the fuels they provide. Starting at the...

What does it look like to design and build a livestock production facility? What makes a project successful? Andrew and Brock visit with Zach Settje of Settje Agri-Services and Engineering to break down the construction process. Zach offers some insightful advice to anyone planning for a livestock construction project. The group also looks ahead as they discuss how they think innovation will be ma...

When you hear the word "sustainability" in the context of animal agriculture, do you think of...water? manure? feed production?...What about hoof health? Join The Herd to take a look at sustainability from a different perspective as Andrew and Brock visit with Karl Burgi, the founder of Save Cows, and a global leader in all matters involving hoof health. Karl covers everything from hoof...

Why is there so much water in dairy manure? What makes for a good anaerobic digestion feedstock? Why is there sand and grit in manure? Sit down with Andrew and Brock to discover answers to these questions and more as they dig into manure management for anaerobic digestion. There are several key considerations for producers and project developers to keep in mind when working to develop an anaerobic...

Can a compliance program lead to profitability? What do government regulations, manure, and sustainability all have in common? Tune in to Episode 8 to find out as Andrew and Brock sit down with a couple of their colleagues from Settje Agri-Services and Engineering. Travis Caspersen, Compliance Division Lead, and Nick Maaske, Agronomist, join The Herd to talk about how they work with livestock prod...

Have you ever met someone who's an animal scientist, rancher, cattle feeder, and well-known agriculture industry advocate on social media? Whether or not you answered "yes" to this question, you won't want to miss this episode as Andrew and Brock sit down with Anna Kobza. As you'll find out, Anna brings a unique and well-rounded perspective to the issues, challenges, and o...