The Cutting Edge Podcast

Forrest Funmaker of the Ho-Chunk Nation talks about the significant of their partnership with UW-Madison to conduct hemp variety trials at Whirling Thunder Farm near Tomah, Wisconsin. The partnership is made possible by a Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE) grant. Ho-Chunk Nation website: https://ho-chunknation.com/

An interview with Dr. Heather Darby and Phillip Alberti on the latest in hemp research. Dr. Heather Darby is an Agronomy Specialist for University of Vermont Extension. Phillip Alberti is a Research Program Manager in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Resources: University of Vermont Extension Hemp Research Reports https://www.uvm.edu/extension/nwcrops/research...

An interview with Dr. Jed Colquhoun about his research on the Bambara groundnut. The Bambara groundnut is a new crop to the United States but commonly grown in its native Africa as a subsistence crop. Jed shares his successes and challenges during his early work breeding this legume for Wisconsin. Dr. Jed Colquhoun is Professor in the Department of Horticulture and IPM Program Director at the Univ...

Four experts from Indiana join us for a conversation on growing peppermint and spearmint for oil. Doug Matthys is a mint farmer in South Bend, Indiana at Shady Lane Farms, a fourth-generation family farm growing mint on about 1000 acres. Dr. Elizabeth Long, Assistant Professor in the Department of Entymology at Purdue University, studies plant-insect interactions to inform IPM strategies in specia...

A conversation with two experts on haskaps (aka honeyberries). First up is Bernis Ingvaldson, who owns and operates The Honeyberry Farm with her husband Jim in Bagley, MN, about two hours south of the Canadian border. They grow about two acres of honeyberries along with many other alternative fruit crops. Next is a conversation with Dr. Bob Bors, Assistant Professor of Plant Sciences at the Univer...

An interview with Dan Bussey and Deirdre Birmingham about cider apples and hard cidermaking. Dan Bussey is an apple historian, orchardist, cider maker, and author of the seven volume series "The Illustrated History of Apples in the United States and Canada." He has a special interest in heirloom apples and loves to get creative with his cidermaking. Deirdre Birmingham and her husband own and opera...

An interview with Hailey Shanovich about her work understanding insect pests of hazelnuts in the Upper Midwest. Hailey is a Natural Resource Science PhD Student and Research Assistant in the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota. Link to Hailey's presentation at the 2022 Upper Midwest Hazelnut Growers Conference: https://www.midwesthazelnuts.org/uploads/3/8/3/5/38359971/umhdi_202...

In this episode we get updates from hazelnut researchers Mark Hamann and Dr. Lois Braun at the University of Minnesota and Jason Fischbach at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Mark Hamann is a Research Technician at the University of Minnesota and works as an assistant to Dr. Lois Braun. Prior to working at UMN, he worked at Badgersett Research Farm in Canton, MN. Dr. Lois Braun is a Research...

An interview with Dr. Julie Dawson, Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at UW-Madison, and Dr. Scott Brainard, Research Associate at UW-Madison and Tree Crop Breeder at Savanna Institute, about recent progress in breeding American and hybrid hazelnuts.

Join hazelnut researcher Jason Fischbach as he traverses the state of Wisconsin to visit hazelnut research trials, farms, and processing facilities. Heading south from Ashland, his first stop is the Kickapoo Culinary Center in Gays Mills where Pete Lammers describes hazelnut feeding trials in cooperation with Iowa State University. Then Paul Ronsheim, grower and board member of the American Hazeln...

A conversation with Jerry Clark about the University of Wisconsin industrial hemp trials being conducted in Chippewa County, WI.

A conversation about elderberry production.

A conversation about establishing wildlife food plots on your property using both conventional crops and native plants.

The Vermont saffron researchers are back for episode three, this time with a focus on saffron production in the field or high tunnel.

A conversation with Eric Wolske with the University of Illinois about black, red, and white currant production.

A conversation with UW-Madison Energy Specialist Tim Baye about ways farms can participate in the carbon economy.

A discussion about harvesting and care for natural wild rice with guests from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

A conversation with Linda Grimo from Grimo Nut Nursery in Niagra-on-the-Lake, Ontario about hazelnut germplasm they sell.

Part 2 of the Saffron series, this time focusing on marketing.

A conversation about production and sale of cut flowers for CSA, farmstands, and weddings.

Growing lavender in Wisconsin

An interview with University of Vermont researchers about growing saffron in the northern United States

A conversation about chestnut processing and marketing with Roger Smith of Prairie Grove Chestnut Growers

An interview with Tom Wahl about chestnut production in Iowa and beyond.

An interview of Ron Revord and Greg Miller about breeding chestnuts for the Midwest USA