Conservation Stories

In this episode of Conservation Stories, host Tillery Timmons-Sims interviews Jeff Dudensing, an Agricultural Program Specialist with the USDA-Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Texas. They explore the role of FSA in supporting agricultural producers through various programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP).

Jeff provides insights into how these initiatives help farmers and ranchers navigate challenges such as conservation needs, disaster recovery, and maintaining sustainable agricultural practices. He emphasizes the importance of programs like CRP in balancing land productivity and environmental conservation and highlights how emergency programs like EFRP assist producers in recovering from natural disasters, such as wildfires and droughts.

The conversation also touches on the broader impacts of agricultural programs on food security, rural economies, and national security. Jeff’s dual perspective as both an FSA specialist and a member of the Texas Army National Guard adds depth to his insights on disaster response and recovery. This informative episode underscores the value of federal agricultural programs in sustaining the land and the livelihoods of those who work it.

More Information about Our Guest:
Jeff Dudensing, Agricultural Program Specialist, USDA-Farm Service Agency-Texas State Office
Website

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Ethan Triplett, Ph.D., Revival Mill
• Ben Samuels, President of Energized Tech Ventures and VP of Produced Water Society
• Tom Sell - Combest, Sell Firm in DC, Southwest Council of Agribusiness

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In this episode, Tillery Timmons-Sims interviews Chris Grotegut aVeterinarian and Ag producer in Deaf Smith County. Community plays an important role in the the future of our land stewardship. Chris talks with us about the ways he would like to see his community plan for the future and some of the different path with which we can stewared water. We discuss the polictics of municipal water and the cost of staying in your community or transitioning out. 

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Jeff Dudensing, Agricultural Program Specialist, USDA-Farm Service Agency-Texas State Office
• Ethan Triplett, Ph.D., Revival Mill
• Ben Samuels, President of Energized Tech Ventures and VP of Produced Water Society

Send SARA a text

In this episode, Tillery Timmons-Sims interviews Rob Cook, Director of Business Development at Bamert Seed Company, and Chairman at National Grazing Lands Coalition. Rob Cook taught us all about native seed, how seed can help you change up your land use, and why it matters. The biodiversity of the root systems are extremely important and helpful to our land. Weeds go by a new name at Bamert: "Mother Nature's scabs." Use Seedspec.com to develop your own custom seed blend for your land.

More about our guest: 

Rob Cook
Director of Business Development at Bamert Seed Company
Chairman at National Grazing Lands Coalition

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Jeff Dudensing, Agricultural Program Specialist, USDA-Farm Service Agency-Texas State Office
• Ethan Triplett, Ph.D., Revival Mill
• Chris Grotegut, Veterinarian and Ag producer in Deaf Smith County

Send SARA a text

In this episode, Tillery Timmons-Sims interviews brothers Mark & Jim Kleinschmit, CEO and COO of Other Half Processing and Growing GRASS.

Other Half Processing (OHP) is the leading supplier of traceable hides, leather & byproducts from verified regeneratively raised livestock.

They share they're history and what led them to start this organization. Their ideas on how to de-risk rebuilding supply chains, why the market for these items disappeared and why its important to bring it back.

OHP has partnered with the American Sustainable Business Institute and a team of agricultural, research, community and industry leaders to bring us Growing GRASS: an interdisciplinary research and demonstration project to advance GRASS as a regenerative & climate-smart verification based market that increases the value of beef and bison byproduct supply chains.

There is an opportunity to participant in a grant research project and an easy paid survey that you can fill out to see if you qualify. Mark and Jim enlighten us of the details of the survey and project during our conversation.

More about our guest: 

Mark & Jim Kleinschmit, CEO and COO, Other Half Processing and Growing GRASS

email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Website

Survey

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Rob Cook, Director of Business Development at Bamert Seed Company, and Chairman at National Grazingland Coalition
• Jeff Dudensing, Agricultural Program Specialist, USDA-Farm Service Agency-Texas State Office
• Ethan Triplett, Ph.D., Revival Mill

Send SARA a text

In this episode, Tillery Timmons-Sims interviews Dr. Jim Mazurikiewicz, Professor Emeritus & Ag Leadership and Program Director at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension of Texas A&M University. Tillery had the priviledge of learning under Dr. Mazurikiewicz and the conversation reflects the comradery she and he still have today. He walked us through his history in agriculture and the AgriLife Extention Program, deeming it the original Google. He also shared with us Polands role in Texas gas industry.

More about our guest: 

Website

Mile Program

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Rob Cook, Director of Business Development at Bamert Seed Company, and Chairman at National Grazingland Coalition
• Jeff Dudensing, Agricultural Program Specialist, USDA-Farm Service Agency-Texas State Office
• Mark & Jim Kleinschmit, CEO and COO, Other Half Processing and Growing GRASS

Send SARA a text

In this episode, Tillery Timmons-Sims interviews Stephen Rockwood, Conservation Specialist with Ducks Unlimited about the Climate Smart Grant that has been implemented in Texas for Rice producers. We discussed how methane production in growing rice crops can be addressed and he taught us about the suite of conservation practices to choose from. 

More about our guest: 

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Dr. Jim Mazurikiewicz, Professor Emeritus & Ag Leadership Program Director - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Texas A&M University
• Rob Cook, Director of Business Development at Bamert Seed Company, and Chairman at National Grazingland Coalition
• Jeff Dudensing, Agricultural Program Specialist, USDA-Farm Service Agency-Texas State Office

Send SARA a text

In this episode, Tillery Timmons-Sims interviews Dusty Timmons, Vineyard Manager for Lost Draw Vineyards, Former Viticulturist for AgriLife Extension Service and Tillery's brother. The episode is jam-packed with history and wine knowledge. We discussed the gamble of grape growing, how to make good wine and why people are now drinking less wine.

More about our guest: 

Dusty Timmons, Vineyard Manager for Lost Draw Vineyards, Former Viticulturist for AgriLife Extension Service

Website

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Stephen Rockwood, Conservation Specialist with Ducks Unlimted (Part 2)
• Dr. Jim Mazurikiewicz, Professor Emeritus & Ag Leadership Program Director - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Texas A&M University
• Rob Cook, Director of Business Development at Bamert Seed Company, and Chairman at National Grazingland Coalition

Send SARA a text

In this episode, Tillery Timmons-Sims interviews Jennifer Bremer, Executive Director of the Texas Land & Mineral Owners Association. Jennifer goes over the ins and outs of mineral ownership and teaches us about some proposed legislation. We were excited to discuss the Texas Produced Water Consortium and farming in the panhandle. 

More about our guest: 

Jennifer Bremer, Executive Director of the Texas Land & Mineral Owners Association

Texas Produced Water Consortium

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Stephen Rockwood, Conservation Specialist with Ducks Unlimted (Part 2)
• Dusty Timmons, Vineyard Manager for Lost Draw Vineyards, Former Viticulturist for AgriLife Extension Service
• Dr. Jim Mazurikiewicz, Professor Emeritus & Ag Leadership Program Director - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Texas A&M University

Send SARA a text

In this episode, Tillery Timmons-Sims interviews Blair Krebs, Executive Director and Publisher for Pecan South Magazine and Texas Pecan Growers Association. Blair educates us on the role nuts and pecans specifically play in agriculture. She shares her specialized knowledge as the Executive Director of Texas Pecan Growers Association. This episode covers Agriculture Research Service information, farm bills, and the history of pecans. 

More about our guest: 

Blair Krebs, Executive Director/Publisher
Website (Pecan South Magazine)  •  Texas Pecan Growers Association  •  Office: (979) 846-3285

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com
Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Stephen Rockwood, Conservation Specialist with Ducks Unlimted (Part 2)
• Dusty Timmons, Vineyard Manager for Lost Draw Vineyards, Former Viticulturist for AgriLife Extension Service

More about our guest: 

Dr. Darryl Birkenfeld, Deputy Director, Ogallala Commons

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com
Follow SARA for more updates  •  Instagram  •  Facebook  •  LinkedIn •  X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

Upcoming Episodes Include: 
• Stephen Rockwood, Conservation Specialist with Ducks Unlimted (Part 2)
• Dusty Timmons, Vineyard Manager for Lost Draw Vineyards, Former Viticulturist for AgriLife Extension Service