XtremeAg: Cutting The Curve Podcast

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason hosts Temple Rhodes and agronomist Rebekah Muench of Concept Agritek to address how growers can reduce phosphorus fertilizer costs without sacrificing yield. With phosphorus sources like DAP and MAP becoming prohibitively expensive, the conversation centers on improving phosphorus efficiency by unlocking tied-up nutrients in the soil, utilizing ba...

In this episode of Cutting The Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Kevin Matthews and Jeremy Geerts from SprayTec to explore the hidden costs and risks associated with foam in spray applications . Excess foam in the spray tank can reduce effective volume, distort herbicide rates, tie up active ingredients, and cause off-target environmental contamination. The conversation outlines how foam affec...

In this special edition of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason sits down with the next generation of XtremeAg contributors—Connor “Vern” Garrett, Alexander Evans, Danielle Venable, Jackson Henderson, and Layne Miles—joined by Caleb Coots of Teva Ag. The discussion centers on adaptability in agriculture : economic pressures, changes in herbicide regulations, evolving input strategies, and shifting mind...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason discusses the Economic Fertility Challenge focused on cotton production with XtremeAg farmer Matt Miles and fellow contributors Kevin Matthews, Kelly Garrett, agronomist Stephanie Zelinko, and Gabe Saxon from AgroLiquid. The challenge, held on Matt Miles’ Arkansas farm, tested various foliar nutrition strategies on cotton under a strict $50 p...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, XtremeAg tackles the widespread skepticism surrounding post-patent (generic) crop protection products . Host Damian Mason speaks with Brian Adams of Volunteer Ag Services and Bret Corbett of Albaugh to explore the misconceptions about generics, their formulation quality, and their role in modern farming systems. The conversation emphasizes that while not all g...

In this candid episode of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason hosts a roundtable with members of the next generation of agriculture—Alexander Evans, Connor “Vern” Garrett, Danielle Venable, Jackson Henderson, and Layne Miles—joined by Caleb Coots of TEVA Ag. The group shares how they balance personal time with the demands of farming , how their identities are shaped by agriculture, and why building fa...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Matt Miles and agronomist Stephanie Zelinko to break down the results of a cotton fertility challenge conducted in partnership with AgroLiquid. The trial, hosted on Matt's farm, tested three fertility programs designed by Matt, Kevin Matthews, and Kelly Garrett, each limited to a $50 foliar application budget with the goal of ach...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Tennessee farmer Johnny Verell and Keith Miller from Albaugh to discuss how farmers can reduce unnecessary crop protection costs without compromising control. The conversation focuses on leveraging post-patent and rebranded legacy chemistries, improving input planning, addressing water quality factors like pH and hardness, and re...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason talks with Todd Dale of Estes Concaves about optimizing harvest operations under variable and adverse field conditions. They discuss the agronomic and economic impacts of inconsistent moisture levels, disease pressure like tar spot and southern rust, and high-yield variability. Todd explains how upgrading to high-performance concaves—like the XPR...

In this Cutting the Curve episode, XtremeAg farmers Chad Henderson, Matt Miles, and Temple Rhodes, along with AgroLiquid agronomists Gabe Saxon and Stephanie Zelinko, explore fertility strategies for maximizing double crop soybean yields . Each team worked within a $40 foliar fertility budget, customizing nutrient programs based on specific field conditions and crop goals. Applications were timed...

In this episode of XtremeAg’s Cutting the Curve, Lee Lubbers of Gregory, South Dakota, shares his experience with innovative tile drainage strategies , including in-season installation during planting. Despite conventional wisdom warning against springtime drainage due to compaction and crop loss, Lubbers reports minimal disruption and significant yield improvements. He has installed over 3,000 ac...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve by XtremeAg, host Damian Mason speaks with Kevin Ten Haken, Executive Vice President at Demco, to assess the current state of the farm machinery market amid a challenging farm economy. With lingering impacts from trade disputes, inflationary input costs, and lower farm income following record years, the conversation outlines how machinery purchasing behavior is...

In this special "Next Generation" episode of Cutting the Curve, the XtremeAg team dives deep into how artificial intelligence (AI) and rapid tech advancements are reshaping agriculture. A roundtable of second-generation farmers—including Jackson Henderson, Layne Miles, Danielle Venable, Alexander Evans, Caleb Coots, and Connor Garrett—discusses the real-world implications of AI in ag operations, f...

In this episode of XtremeAg’s Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Arkansas farmer Matt Miles and Brian Strider of Holganix for a reflective conversation on the deeper meaning of modern farming. The discussion emphasizes farming with purpose—balancing profitability with long-term soil health, family legacy, and sustainable agronomic practices. Miles shares the generational story of hi...

This XtremeAg Cutting the Curve episode, hosted by Damian Mason, explores nitrogen use efficiency from agronomic, economic, and environmental perspectives. Kelly Garrett shares how his farm reduces synthetic nitrogen inputs by leveraging soil mineralization and testing, while Scott Lay of Agricen discusses how N-Finity, a biological nitrogen efficiency tool, enhances soil performance through three...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, the XtremeAg team dives into the “Economic Fertility Challenge” focused on growing 100-bushel soybeans using only $50 worth of post-applied fertility products. With fertility prescriptions designed by XtremeAg members and applied across irrigated and double-crop soybean plots in North Carolina, the challenge tests practical ROI strategies under varying field c...

This episode of Cutting the Curve explores the persistent challenges and emerging solutions in nitrogen management for row crop producers. Host Damian Mason is joined by Trey Cutts and Galynn Beer from Tidal Grow to discuss how traditional practices like fall-applied anhydrous ammonia contribute to nitrogen inefficiency and loss. They introduce AlignN, a foliar-applied nitrogen technology designed...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, northern Illinois farmer Grant Strom discusses the practical evolution of his residue management system aimed at improving soil biology and planting conditions. Strom outlines his farm’s transition from conventional tillage to reduced-till and no-till practices, driven by the challenges of managing high volumes of crop residue from higher-yielding varieties. H...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, XtremeAg farmers Kelly Garrett, Matt Miles, and Johnny Verell—alongside AgroLiquid’s Stephanie Zelinko and Aarron Stahl—discuss the Economic Fertility Challenge focused on growing high-yield corn with a constrained post-applied fertility budget of $60 per acre. Each farmer approached the challenge differently: Kelly emphasized micronutrient balance guided by S...

In this episode of XtremeAg Cutting the Curve, Johnny Verell and Rodie Jelleberg of Superior Grain Equipment explain how to adapt grain drying systems for wheat, barley, and canola amid high humidity and persistent rain. Verell details how his western Tennessee operation dried two-thirds of their wheat crop to preserve test weight, prevent dockage, and plant double-crop soybeans earlier. Jelleberg...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason discusses real-world applications of soil moisture and weather monitoring technology with Jacob Appleberry of Live Oak Agronomy and Nick Emanuel, founder of CropMetrics and now with CropX . The episode focuses on integrated soil sensors and weather stations used across 18,000 acres, providing key insights into irrigation timing, fertility pla...

In this episode of XtremeAg’s Cutting The Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Randy Coffee and Trevor Van Loo of Superior Grain Equipment to explore the economics and strategy behind expanding or upgrading on-farm grain systems . They address the growing need for storage driven by increasing yields and limited commercial capacity, even amid low commodity prices. The discussion highlights opportu...

In this episode of the Cutting The Curve farming podcast, Chad Henderson and Chase Garner share how to reduce spray water volume without losing coverage or control. By combining water pH adjustment, optimized chemistry, and adjuvant use with crop oil, they achieve low GPA spraying of just 3–6 gallons per acre instead of the traditional 15–20. They explain nozzle selection tips, spray pressure mana...

In this episode of Cutting The Curve, the XtremeAg team takes on the challenge of how to grow wheat for just $30 per acre—without giving up yield or quality. Hosted by Damian Mason, the discussion features AgroLiquid’s Stephanie Zelinko and Gabe Saxon, along with farmers Kelly Garrett, Temple Rhodes, and Johnny Verell. Their goal? Reach 120-bushel yields while maximizing efficiency. You'll hear ho...

This episode of the Cutting The Curve farming podcast features Damian Mason and Chad Henderson in a forward-looking discussion on the future of farming . They examine how agriculture can solve its recruitment challenges, engage youth in ag, and remain culturally relevant in an era of rapid change. Highlighting Gen Z farming values, social media in farming, and succession concerns, the episode offe...