XtremeAg: Cutting The Curve Podcast

Join host Damian Mason as he poses the question: "Is Ag Tech where it should be?" to the next generation of farming industry professionals.  This roundtable discussion features Guests Layne Miles, Connor Garrett, Danielle Matthews-Venable, Alexander Evans, Jackson Henderson and Caleb Coots dive into pressing questions about the current state of agricultural technology . Is it fulfilling its potent...

Lee Lubbers is strategically increasing protein levels in his winter wheat not just for additional revenue, but to avoid financial losses from lower protein content, which can significantly reduce the price per bushel. In discussions with Damian, Lee delves into the agronomic techniques and business strategies for enhancing protein levels in wheat to secure premium prices. This approach mitigates...

The Business of Agriculture needs youth to enter the industry. To accomplish this, there must be opportunity for personal and professional growth. Are we providing it? What opportunities do farming's next generation see and what struggles are presented in keeping Ag’s kids in Ag? Damian sits down with a panel of Ag up-and-comers to get their thoughts on working in Ag. What drives someone to come i...

In the future, you may be using concentrated manure as a starter fertilizer on your planter. Even if you’re not close to a livestock operation, manure may become a part of your annual fertilizer application. So says Kurt Grimm of NutraDrip whose irrigation company is deploying new methods to extract value from manure while making the livestock by-product more easily used by crop farmers. Kurt join...

Join host Damian as he dives into the profound question of agriculture's future through the eyes of its heirs in this compelling episode of Cutting The Curve. In an insightful roundtable discussion with Danielle Matthews, Vern Garrett, Jackson Henderson, Layne Miles, and Alexander Evans, and Caleb Coots from Teva Corporation's third generation, we explore the pressures and ambitions that shape the...

Temple Rhodes isn’t afraid to tell you what your soil tests likely aren’t: That you have a phosphorous problem. Specifically, you have a problem getting your “P” untied and then up-taken by your crops. Tommy Roach with Nachurs and James Paterson with AgroTech USA join Temple to explain how you can maximize your phosphorous. Just because you’re spending money applying “P,” that doesn’t mean your cr...

The supply chain disruptions you heard so much about from 2020 through 2022 unsettled the machinery market. Now in 2024, the farm equipment marketplace is still adjusting. Inventory of used machines has been climbing rapidly over the last year. This run up in supply should equate to lower sale prices…but it’s not. Casey Seymour of Moving Iron LLC and host of The Moving Iron podcast, provides a mar...

Matt Miles pace of planting was looking good. 100% of his corn and rice is not only in the ground, but emerged. As was 45% of his soybean acreage. Then the rains came. A half foot of rain and it’s still not finished. As you might imagine, he’s got crops under water. Matt talks to Damian about wet conditions, past experience, adjustments he’s making, money, inputs, cropping decisions, and the menta...

Is a downturn market the right time to expand grain storage facility?  In this episode of Xtreme Ag's Cutting the Curve from Commodity Classic 2024, host Damian Mason is joined by Johnny Verell from Tennessee, Chad Henderson from Alabama, Kelly Garrett from Iowa, and grain industry professional Rodie Jelleberg from Superior Grain. Together, they delve into the pressing issue facing many in the agr...

Suddenly, we’re hearing a lot about Carbon Intensity Scores in Agriculture.  What is a CI score, why does it matter, and how can you use it (eventually) to improve your financials? Those questions and more are addressed by Temple Rhodes who is joined by Holganix's Barrett Ersek and David Stark. If you’d like to improve your soil AND financial health, tune into this!    This episode is presented by...

In the unforgiving landscape of Guymon, Oklahoma, where the earth tests the mettle of those who farm it, Nelson Rentz stands as a testament to resilience and innovation. Garnering a third place state finish in the 2023 NCGA contest for his impressive strip-till, irrigated corn yield of 292 bushels per acre, Nelson talks to Cutting The Curve host, Damian Mason, about how he has been able to harvest...

Do you know whether your fields have a corn nematode problem? Have you experienced crown rot? Chances are, if you have had these two yield robbers on your farm, you didn’t know about it until you made a pass with the combine. Preventing this two problems involved detection and / or selecting the right mode of protection. Historically protection has come from crop rotation, genetics, seed treatment...

When it comes to deciding when it’s time to plant, Lee Lubbers says, “We don’t look at a calendar, we look at conditions.” With a mild winter and early spring, 2024 looks like a year where many farmers will be rolling out the planter earlier than usual. But what if you get a late spring killing frost? Will you be forced to re-plant, or simply suffer a devastating yield loss? Lee joins Matt Miles,...

Farmers are at the forefront of a revolution, adopting practices that not only benefit the earth but also open up new avenues for income through carbon credit programs. Kelly Garrett, a seasoned farmer and carbon program pioneer, shares his firsthand experience transitioning to no-till farming and cover cropping and debunking the myth that sustainable practices mean sacrificing yield. From the flo...

If you have grain stored in on-farm bins, there’s a good chance you’re losing money to grain quality loss. There’s also an elevated safety risk — when / if your grain goes out of condition and you’re forced to enter the bin, there’s a high likelihood of an accident. (According to recently released data from Purdue University, grain entrapments in grain bins increased 40% year over year!). The good...

After a challenging 2023 growing season marked by excessive moisture that put his crops to the test, Quebec farmer, Sam Coutu, sits down with host Damian Mason to share the valuable lessons he's learned. From discovering the financial wisdom behind a 36,000 corn seeding rate to recognizing the pitfalls of over-applying nitrogen and the importance of timing in crop management, this episode is packe...

For years, Johnny Verell's farming operation in western Tennessee has epitomized sustainability. Since making the switch to no-till farming in 1991, the Verells have implemented a range of eco-friendly practices, including variable-rate fertility applications, split nitrogen application, crop rotation, and water conservation—essentially embodying the essence of sustainable agriculture. Now, these...

Even the most proactive and ambitious farmers can find themselves at a standstill, with crop yields that are commendable and often surpass local averages, yet they aspire for greater harvests. In this episode, Matt Miles and Kelly Garrett talk to Damian Mason about the challenges of breaking through yield barriers . They delve into the importance of revisiting the basics of soil health as the corn...

Typically a reduced tillage kind of guy, Temple pulled out the disc-ripper on one of his fields this fall. Why? To fix a compaction problem years in the making, worsened by excessive moisture. Temple and Damian talk tillage, radishes, stover degradation, compaction, organic matter, and how to change up fall tillage by following it with a two-species cover crop.

Sam Coutu is updating his bean planting unit for 2024. He bought a bigger — and soon to be better — planter for cheap. Now, he’s mapping out the upgrades he’ll be doing and parts he’s installing on the unit. Sam explains the economics, efficiencies, and objectives behind his planter decision. When it’s all said and done, he’ll be in his refurbished planter for a mere $60,000. If you’re contemplati...

Getting your crops off to a healthy start is critically important to your yield come harvest time. Do you put down fertility at time of planting? If so, are you and your crops getting the maximum bang for your buck? Damian Mason talks to Kelly Garrett and AgroLiquid’s Aaron Stahl about three considerations for a more effective starter fertilizer program on every farm — seed safety, nutritional bal...

Temple Rhodes and his daughter took a field trip to visit Kelly Garrett's Iowa farm this winter. What they saw inspired Temple to up his soil health practices. Temple and Kelly talk with Damian about their agronomic evolution. Temple has been using cover crops for thirty years but this year he’s diversifying the species he plants. He’s also going to utilize cattle to increase carbon transfer and b...

On-farm grain storage today resembles what would have been a good-sized country elevator just a few years ago. The bins are bigger, the driers are faster, and the costs are much higher. Before spending money improving your grain infrastructure, listen to tips from a grain set-up expert and two guys who made several mistakes in constructing their grain facility.  XA’s Chad Henderson along with his...

To tile, or not to tile, that is the question many farmers have. If you’re on the fence about drainage tile, a full— blown tile advocate, or in the camp of farmers convinced tile won’t work on your acres, listen to this! Damian Mason assembles a panel of all stars to talk tile. From the hills of western Iowa, to hard red soils of north Alabama, to Sharkey clays of the Arkansas Delta — Kelly, Chad,...

Kelly Garrett and his oldest son, Connor “Vern” Garrett, met with their farm’s financial and grain marketing advisor to strategize on their 2024 cropping mix. Upon putting pen to paper, soybean production looked like a loser. This, following losses of $300 per soybean acre in 2023, spurred some creative cropping ideas. Among them: They’re cutting way back on soybeans. But rather than rolling corn...