The Cutting Edge Podcast

A conversation with Mark Villers of Homestead 36 Farms in Door County, Wisconsin.

A conversation with Margaret Skinner, Research Professor and Extension Entomologist, and Richard Bamford, Research Scientist, at the University of Vermont about growing and marketing saffron.

An update from Randy Urness of Fine Bine Farms about what he's seeing in his hop yard right now and doing for management.

The first in a series of episodes on honeyberry production. Steffen Mirsky, UW Extension's Emerging Crops Outreach Program Coordinator, talks through the bird netting strategy at the UW cultivar trials. A video showing bird netting installation at the West Madison Ag Research Station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eBaLESobdA Supply list: - 6 foot t-posts - T-post brackets - 1 x 4 inch common bo...

The first in a series of episodes on hops production with Randy Urness of Fine Bine Farms, a 5 acre hop yard near Rosholt, Wisconsin.

A conversation with Dr. Soon Li Teh about the new Northern Glo seedless table grape varieties from the University of Minnesota.

An interview with Leslie Schroeder, founder of Midwest Linen Revival, and Shannon Welsh, Executive Director of the North American Linen Association and Co-founder of Fibrevolution, on the status and future of flax and linen in the United States. North American Linen Association: https://northamericanlinen.org/ Midwest Linen Revival: https://www.wisconsinlinenrevival.org/

Dr. Shelby Ellison, Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at UW-Madison, provides an update on the research priorities her lab is focused on related to hemp.

An update on state and federal hemp regulations currently being debated and their potential impacts on the cannabis industry in Wisconsin and beyond. Our guests are Dr. Shelby Ellison and Rob Pero. Dr. Shelby Ellison is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at UW-Madison whose research focuses on preserving, characterizing, and utilizing genetic diversity in...

A conversation with two experienced honeyberry growers in the Upper Midwest: George Terwey of Haskap Minnesota (Stillwater, MN) and Phil Stowe of Walking Plants Orchard (Lake Osakis, MN). Haskap Minnesota: https://www.facebook.com/people/Haskap-Minnesota/100082913367876/ Walking Plants Orchard: https://www.walkingplantsorchard.com/ Register here for the Upper Midwest Honeyberry Academy on July 1,...

An update on hazelnut breeding in the Upper Midwest from breeders Emily Delorean and Scott Brainard

An interview with three entrepreneurs in the hemp fiber and grain processing industries. Trey Riddle is the Chief Strategy Officer of IND Hemp in Fort Benton, Montana; James Forbes is Co-Founder of Tiger Fiber in St. Louis, Missouri; and Alex Mootz is the President of Complete Agronomy Solutions in Adams, Wisconsin. IND Hemp: https://indhemp.com/ Tiger Fiber: https://tigerfiberhemp.com/ Complete A...

Recorded at the UW Arlington Agricultural Research Station during the 2023 Hemp Field Day, this episode features Assistant Professor Shelby Ellison and her students/staff as they share preliminary results from SARE and USDA SAC-NIFA grant projects. Each speaker shares their work in about 5 minutes and then takes a few questions. In the order you hear them, the speakers and their topics are: Shelby...

In this third and final episode on agrivoltaics, we dive into the agronomic research studying different types of cropping and grazing systems that may be compatible with solar arrays. We talk to Sarah Moser of Savion, a solar development company, and Eric Romich of Ohio State University about their collaboration "Between the Rows." Then we talk to Brad Heins, Associate Professor of Dairy Managemen...

In Part II of our series on agrivoltaics, we discuss the UW-Madison Kegonsa Research Campus solar project. This project is a collaboration between UW-Madison and Alliant Energy to develop a small-scale solar and agrivoltaics project for research and education purposes on the university-owned Kegonsa Research Campus in Stoughton, WI, just south of the main campus. Joining us are Josh Arnold, Campus...

Kicking off our series on agrivoltaics - the use of land for both agriculture and solar photovoltaic energy generation - is an interview with James McCall, Energy and Environment Analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). James gives an overview of the InSPIRE project, which explores the environmental compatibility and mutual benefits of solar development with agriculture and nati...

A conversation with Anil and Smita, co-founders of the Very Mulberry brand and Habitera Farms, an 80-acre commercial mulberry farm in the Bay Area of California. Habitera Farms is the only large-scale commercial mulberry farm in the United States today. It opened for business this spring and operates primarily as a U-Pick farm. For pictures of the farm and the Himalayan Purple Mulberry, visit: htt...

A conversation with Eliza Greenman, fruit explorer and Germplasm Specialist at the Savanna Institute, and Scott Brainard, Tree Crop Breeder at the Savanna Institute and post-doc at UW-Madison, about the history of mulberries and current research to develop improved varieties for agroforestry systems. https://www.savannainstitute.org/

Amaya Atucha, Associate Professor and Fruit Crop Specialist at UW-Madison, shares the latest research on day-neutral strawberries and table grapes at UW. This episode is the audio recording of a presentation Amaya gave during a winter webinar series. To watch the video recording, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5aIcZaR9qw. For more information on growing fruit in Wisconsin, visit https://fr...

Co-hosted with Jacob Grace from the Savanna Institute, this episode features Paul Dietmann, Senior Lending Officer in the emerging markets loan program at Compeer Financial, who works with farmers marketing their products directly to consumers or in value-added agriculture. Compeer Financial: https://www.compeer.com/specialists/emerging-markets-industry-experts Savanna Institute: https://www.savan...

An interview with Eric Rygg, President of Silver Springs Foods and Huntsinger Farms, the largest grower and processor of horseradish in the world, based in Eau Claire, WI.

An interview with Ruth McCabe and Emery Davis, conservation agronomists at Heartland Co-op, an agricultural co-op based in Des Moines, Iowa with over 70 locations around Iowa. Emery also farms with his family in southeastern Iowa. https://www.heartlandcoop.com/

An interview with three people in the vanguard of winter camelina commercialization efforts as an oilseed cash crop in the Upper Midwest. Colin Cureton is Director of Adoption and Scaling at the University of Minnesota's Forever Green Initiative. Matthew Tentis is a 3rd generation farmer on White Barn Acres near Kellogg, Minnesota focused on raising cattle and regenerative agriculture. David Kiesn...

Chippewa Valley Bean Vice President Charles Wachsmuth talks about the history of the family business, current markets, and what makes them unique in the world of kidney beans. Located in Menomonie, WI, Chippewa Valley Bean is the world's largest processor of kidney beans, exports to 35 countries worldwide, and has tripled in size over the last 12 years. They are two-time winners of the Governor's...

An interview with Dale Hilgenkamp and Dean Duval about current and future markets for aronia berries. Dale Hilgenkamp is an aronia farmer near Omaha, Nebraska and president of the American Aronia Berry Association. Dean Duval is an aronia farmer in Castana, Iowa as well as a board member of the association with a focus on research and development. American Aronia Berry Association: https://america...