Ag Emerge Podcast

David Kleinschmidt is the owner of Progressive Agronomy Consulting Services. His experience, keen observations, and thorough scrutiny of data makes for a great discussion as he and Monte explore real-time soil health systems and the tools he uses to evaluate those systems.

There are no silver bullets when it comes to the tools and resources farmers implement. But there is a path forward built on informed decisions, adaptability, and a deep understanding of your unique farming system.

As David shares, soil health is a journey, not a destination. With his work focusing on better soil testing, nutrient cycling, and the power of timing and diversity, he continues to bridge the gap between conventional and regenerative practices, empowering farmers to make informed decisions that benefit both their present needs and future sustainability. And if you’d like to make informed decisions on adopting effective soil health practices, let us help!

You can contact us at asn.farm and find us on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and Rumble.

David Kleinschmidt grew up on a diverse family farm in west-central Illinois, cultivating corn, soybeans, wheat, hogs, and even Christmas trees. Originally pursuing veterinary studies, he shifted to agricultural economics after realizing the importance of managing farms for profitability. From 2004 to 2012, David worked in ag retail, selling seed, chemicals, fertilizers, and installing planter systems. His career took a pivotal turn in 2012 when he began promoting cover crops to farmers, sparking his interest in soil health and the overlooked biological dynamics of farming. This shift led him to a path of observational farming and in-depth research into soil biology.

In 2018, David left the corporate ag retail world to start consulting, embracing a purist approach to promoting cover crops, no-till, and holistic soil management. Today, he focuses on empowering farmers with advanced soil testing, optimized nutrient application timing, and fostering microbial diversity, bridging conventional and regenerative practices to enhance both immediate yields and long-term soil health.

https://www.facebook.com/progressiveagronomyconsulting

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to [email protected] we’d love to hear from you.

Dr. Dwayne Beck has driven research on cover crops, no-till, and the dynamics of herbicide resistance in weeds, all while emphasizing the benefits of diverse cropping systems. His efforts have empowered producers to achieve greater profitability while enhancing soil health, conserving water, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting wildlife habitat.

Dr. Beck’s work continues to shape the future of agriculture, and listeners can experience his knowledge and insights firsthand in this episode. Episode 148 features Dr. Dwayne Beck’s powerful 2020 presentation from the AgEmerge stage, where he shared insights from his years of pioneering work in functioning soil health systems at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm. With a background in chemistry and a reputation as a critical thinker, Dr. Beck has profoundly impacted sustainable agriculture practices, especially in profitable no-till farming adapted for producers in the Northern Great Plains.

Additionally, for those interested in hearing from Dr. Beck in person, he will be a featured speaker at the 2025 National No-Till Conference this January in Louisville, KY. Details are linked in the show notes.

Dakota Lakes Research Farm

http://www.dakotalakes.com/

2025 National No-Till Conference link where Dr. Beck will be speaking.

http://www.NoTillConference.com

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast?

Send your questions or suggestions to [email protected] we’d love to hear from you.

Bernie Hansen is the Managing Member of BetterFedFoods. From transforming the precooked meats industry and launching prepared entrée products for food service to dedicating years of research to the benefits of essential fatty acids in animal diets, Bernie’s work is far-reaching and includes connecting consumers to the farmers that produce their food.

Want to know more about transforming the food industry?

https://youtu.be/s9v36OouaIo

Food as medicine? Yes. Watch here:

https://youtu.be/sWe7VEhUfNM

Soil and Human Health are Connected? Watch here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF-Hc8USB_JtS5EQqVuGgK-OueZZEz3vu&si=9iNglYjwNd2XUI4N

*** Show notes and Links ***

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Bernie launched BetterFedFoods LLC, a limited liability technology company based in Kansas and chartered in Delaware. It is the creator, developer, and administrative entity providing sponsorship and oversight among a coalition of established stakeholders that each contribute to a program of Better Fed Land, Better Fed Animals, and Better Fed People. With its stakeholders, BetterFedFoods will transform the U.S. agricultural system from one based on subsidies to one based on producer premiums, using Climate-Smart practices.

Since 2006, Bernard L. Hansen has devoted his time to researching the beneficial role of essential fatty acids in animal diets. Lowering the Omega 6:3 ratio is essential in reducing inflammation to improve animal performance and production, including beef cattle, dairy, swine, and poultry. Over 10,000 data points and numerous commercial feed trials document that essential fatty acids increase fertility, decrease anti-biotic use, and provide a multitude of associated health benefits.

Microalgae play a major role in the delivery of essential fatty acids when included in daily feed rations by feeding the micro-biome to improve gut health. BetterFedFoods partner NBO3 Technologies manufactures a microalgae-based feed nutrient, Great O Plus, which has sold to many feed suppliers across the United States.

Other strains of microalgae play a similar role in feeding the microbiome in soil, improving soil organic matter (SOM), and increasing plant biomass and root structure. BetterFedFoods provides the A+ soil amendment for crops and pastureland using microalgae as a bio-stimulant to improve yield and protein.

The BetterFedFoods coalition includes AgWise, a technology platform providing complete traceability of food products to educate producers and consumers about the benefits of verifying the BetterFedFoods program.

BetterFedFoods was proud to receive the Texas Independent Cattlemen’s Association 2024 Agri Business Award. Linking the producers to the consumer is our mission.

https://betterfedfoods.com/

https://www.facebook.com/betterfedfoods

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast?

Send your questions or suggestions to [email protected] we’d love to hear from you.

Sarah Martello is CEO and Co-Founder of Transparency Wise, a company created to help people connect with their food. Using a mobile device, shoppers can scan a Transparency Wise QR Code to access enhanced and verifiable product information. Monte and Sarah discuss the opportunities this technology provides in the food chain, from start to finish.

Coming from a long line of generational farmers and growing up on a small farm in the Midwest, has inspired Sarah to help smaller producers get credit for a premium product by implementing technology that provides transparency into all their great production practices.

Sarah started out her career as a tax attorney, gaining substantial experience representing small and medium-sized businesses. What started as a solo practice turned into a multi-city firm, representing clients all over the world. After leaving private practice, Sarah’s focus shifted to working in-house and consulting for technology and agricultural companies, until co-founding Transparency Wise in 2020. With her legal and tech expertise, what started as a Covid project has grown into a business with a mission to utilize its technology to empower both the consumer and the producer through transparent product information.

Coming from a long line of generational farmers and growing up on a small farm in the Midwest has further inspired Sarah to help smaller producers to get credit for a more premium product by implementing technology that provides transparency into all their great production practices.

Sarah now leads the Transparency Wise team as CEO and is passionate about providing technology that truly supports a better, more transparent, and sustainable way of producing the food consumers love.

Watch full episode here: https://youtu.be/fGmkGGpQjnA

https://transparencywise.com/

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast?

Send your questions or suggestions to [email protected] we’d love to hear from you.

Greg Gunthorp is a fourth-generation farmer who is clearly a critical thinker. Greg has re-imagined what livestock production and meat marketing looks like on their farm. His understanding of the history of ag production and his ability to glean knowledge from that history has given him discernment and a great perspective on how to manage and lead their operation. Greg says he likes to act locally and think globally and that really defines the way Greg sees things, he has both that 30,000-foot big picture view clear down to the minute details.

In 1998, Greg Gunthorp was selling live hogs for less than his grandfather did during the Great Depression. It was then that he entered the meat industry-- all while still raising high-quality, pasture-raised pigs like his family has for generations before him.

Watch episode: https://youtu.be/XQR4yrQm-6A

The Gunthorp family looks a lot different now but the way they raise animals has stayed the same. Gunthorp Farms is a family-owned business and all members of the family chip in. Gunthorp Farms also employs approximately 30 full-time and 15 part-time employees.

Gunthorp Farms specializes in quality meat that is a favorite among some of the best chefs in the Midwest. All of their animals are raised on pasture without the use of antibiotics. They have an on-farm USDA-inspected processing plant where they harvest, process, and package all of their animals before delivering to upscale restaurants and retailers. You can order their meats & have them shipped directly to your door.

Watch episode here: https://youtu.be/XQR4yrQm-6A

https://gunthorpfarms.com/

435 N 850 E, LaGrange, IN 46761

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast?

Send your questions or suggestions to [email protected] we’d love to hear from you.

Eric Fuchs is a consultant for Understanding Ag. He lives in Southeast Missouri on a diversified livestock operation where they raise hair sheep and contract graze cattle. He’s been using Holistic Planned Grazing for over eight years and has had a managed grazing system on his operation for more than 20 years. In addition to that, Eric also works in the water and wastewater industry as a source water protection technician. He works with small and large small communities and with agricultural producers to help ensure community water protection.

Watch full episode here: https://youtu.be/7L3H8ZYBiJ8

Eric's efforts help save millions of dollars in costly water treatment system upgrades while also negating the need for long-term regulations. He has seen firsthand the problems with agriculture land use and its effect on drinking water.

Eric’s journey into regenerative ag began on his own operation when he discovered how soil health focused practices could benefit water resources. He also realized that more regulation is never the answer but that the solutions for clean water are easily attainable by changing how we operate.

Graduating from the University of Missouri in 1994 with a degree in agronomy, Eric served in the U.S. Air Force for five years, during which time he received a master’s degree in human resource development.

www.understandingag.com

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast?

Send your questions or suggestions to [email protected] we’d love to hear from you.

Kevin McDonald is Vice President of Customer and Government Relations at Guardian Agriculture where they develop autonomous eVTOL systems for sustainable farming on a commercial scale.

Watch episode here: https://youtu.be/es_rU1UJah0

If the term eVTOL is new to you, it stands for electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts. Guardian Agriculture is working to provide growers access to safe, effective, and precise aerial applications.

Watch episode here: https://youtu.be/es_rU1UJah0

Kevin McDonald is the Vice President of Customer and Government Relations at Guardian Agriculture, and leads the sales and regulatory efforts for the company. As a 26-year veteran of the US Marine Corps and fighter pilot, he specializes in organizational leadership, strategic planning, aviation safety, and regulatory processes. Kevin uses that depth of experience to establish efficient processes across operations, sales, customer relations, and regulatory compliance at Guardian Agriculture. When he is not working, Kevin is an avid outdoorsman, surfer, and shooter.

Guardian Agriculture develops autonomous eVTOL systems for sustainable farming on a commercial scale. Our mission is to provide every grower access to safe, effective, and precise aerial applications—empowering farmers to refine their chemical use and grow more with less.

https://www.guardian.ag/

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast?

Send your questions or suggestions to [email protected] we’d love to hear from you.

Tyler Dawley owns and operates Big Bluff Ranch in Red Bluff, California. Big Bluff leads with quality, health, and happiness as their guiding principles. And while they say Big Bluff Ranch may be a small organic chicken farm compared to high-yield industrial operations, they’re one of the largest producers of pasture-raised chicken on the west coast. Today Monte and Tyler explore the path Big Bluff Ranch is taking to build a resilient food system that fits their context. And the great thing is, Tyler is willing to share not only their success but also their mistakes so he can help growers learn from his experiences. Tyler describes himself as the “Head Chicken Wrangler”, listen in and you’ll learn why.

Watch episode: https://youtu.be/KAAJYN2H-8Q

Big Bluff is a true family-owned and operated ranch.

Quality, health, and happiness are our guiding principles - and they impact every aspect of what we do, from how our pastured chickens are raised, to how they’re fed, and everything in-between.

More than just a sustainable chicken farm

Big Bluff Ranch may be a small organic chicken farm compared to high-yield industrial operations, but we’re one of the largest producers of pasture-raised chicken on the west coast.

"We’re small because we are a true family-owned ranch, with each family member pitching in to help. We’re small in that we are personally involved in every aspect of production, from how we raise our pastured chickens to locally sourcing feed and processing with people we know who share the same values.

This personal involvement ensures that animal welfare, sustainability, and regenerative farming remain at the forefront of everything we do. But Big Bluff Ranch is much more than that."

Big Bluff Ranch: a destination for eco-tourists and an advocate for environmental stewardship. The ranch is a beautiful 2,776 acres of rolling hills, grasslands, and oak woodlands that border the Mendocino National Forest and the Coast Range.

Because of this, we’re also a destination for ecotourism and partner with our community in the shared goal of a sustainable and healthy landscape.

We work with the Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Northern California Regional Land Trust to implement the goals and objectives of the Red Bank Creek Riparian Restoration Project. Our partnership will help restore 3 miles of Red Bank Creek, a tributary to the Sacramento River.

https://www.bigbluffranch.com/

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast?

Send your questions or suggestions to [email protected] we’d love to hear from you.

Garth Mulkey and his wife, Susan, are fourth-generation seed farmers in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon and have been growing, conditioning, and marketing seeds at the same location since 1966. As dedicated seed producers, they are always focused on seed purity and quality, combined with proven genetics.

GS3 Quality Seed Inc. is owned by Garth and Susan Mulkey. They are fourth-generation seed farmers in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon and have been growing, conditioning and marketing seeds at the same location since 1966. As dedicated seed producers, they are always focused on seed purity and quality, combined with proven genetics.

Garth and Susan have been no-till farming for 23 years and know firsthand the benefits of planting radishes and other cover crops. Even in seed production fields, radishes provide the same great benefits as they do for row-crop producers.

Watch full episode here: https://youtu.be/CVlNmw8C8m8

https://www.tilthpro.com/

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This episode is meant to whet your appetite by revisiting some of the great guests we’ve had to understand how they shifted their health and farming paradigms, how they’ve come to the conclusion that adopting these changes were and are necessary in our food and farming production systems.

Watch full episode here: https://youtu.be/ysv8Zx8b2BI

We’ve picked out some great highlights, with Dr. Dwayne Beck from the Dakota Lakes Research Farm, Conservationist Jay Fuhrer, Entomologist Dr. John Tooker, Erin Martin founder of Conscious Aging Solutions, and Dr. Allen Williams from Understanding Ag. These folks are a powerhouse of knowledge, you can find their full podcasts here:

Dr. Dwayne Beck

https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/agemergepodcast/episode/c292f019/049-agemerge-2021-podcast-dr-dwayne-beck-dakota-lakes-research-farm

Jay Fuhrer

https://youtu.be/7UuWtSiyIZk

Dr. John Tooker

https://youtu.be/l43o5aca-do

Erin Martin

https://youtu.be/fAIr5GyUSgU

Dr. Allen Williams

https://youtu.be/23UrqBEJZ1o

Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast?

Send your questions or suggestions to [email protected] we’d love to hear from you.