Sustainable growing methods are garnering more attention and application in agriculture. Increased emphasis in Washington, D.C. on healthy eating could spur even more growth.

Amy Bruch of Cyclone Farms in Nebraska  is helping interested growers shift from conventional to organic farming. Named Organic Farmer of the Year by a leading trade organization, Bruch runs AgriSecure, a consulting company to assist farmers.

“Our farm has adopted a lot of technology and a really interesting take on how to grow organic crops,” she said. “ We do it with a high level of management, agronomic focus, and marrying a nostalgic way of organic production with the latest and greatest in technology.  That’s our bread and butter – helping others adopt some of those interesting techniques, and it has really been exciting for us.”

Since 2000, certified U.S. acreage for growing or livestock has nearly tripled. Organic sales account for about 3 percent of U.S. farm receipts, on less than one percent of the farmland. 

Vernon Jones saw firsthand the power of Redox TurfRx® technology as a superintendent before his current position as an agronomist and account consultant for Plant Health Solutions.

As superintendent of The Polo Club in Boca Raton, Florida, he saw amazing results from a trial program on a struggling fairway. He expanded his use of TurfRx® products and has become a huge fan of the results. 

He now helps superintendents save heartache and labor by helping their courses stay pristine, even when battling rain, insects, disease, cold spells and oxidative stress pressure.

“When you’re dealing with something that’s your livelihood, the way you put food on your table, you really can’t put a dollar amount on that,” he said. “The greens need to come first, regardless. If you can grow a healthier plant, it’s just a no brainer. It’s definitely worth the investment- it’s just shifting that mindset and those dollars to focusing on nutrition, instead of medicines.”

Florida golf is an $11 billion industry., with nearly 48 million rounds played each year.

Fifth-generation grower Brandon Hunnicutt is passionate about making a positive impact well beyond his farm in Giltner, Nebraska.

Hunnicutt is involved in leadership of many organizations, as he tries to best understand new technology and how he and other growers can improve in areas like synthetic nitrogen use, which has caused concern over impacts on groundwater and community health. 

He said a key is for growers to understand and adopt new technology that helps both farm environment, providing it makes economic sense.

“If we start mixing certain tools together, we can maybe not get all of the answers, but we will start unlocking some things that will really change what we can do in production agriculture,” Hunnicutt said. 

Hunnicutt serves as chair of the Nebraska Corn Board, is a board member of the National Corn Growers Association and the U.S. Grains Council. Additionally, he’s chair of Field to Market, works with the USDA on greenhouse gas studies and is helping African farmers better feed their population.

When near the nation’s capital, Richardson Farms is a must stop for many. This family owned and operated farm in White Marsh, Maryland is well known for its fantastic produce and amazing meals in their market.

The foundation of the business remains several hundred acres of vegetables, and Redox Bio-Nutrients is a big part of their quality harvests. 

“Awesome track record,” said Brian Richardson, who manages their farm with his two uncles. “Our tomatoes and our melons – the dry fertilizer that we broadcast underneath the plastic culture has been reduced by 40 to 50 percent. I feed all of that with Redox products, and we’ve never had better results and better fruit than what we’re getting now.”

This fifth-generation grower said growing premium quality is mandatory for their success.

“In the vegetable and produce industry, quality sits at the top of the list above anything else,” he said.

Richardson Farms started in 1930. Find out more at: https://www.richardsonfarms.net.

Restoring our environment is as major focal point throughout the country, with billions of dollars spent each year. Soil reclamation projects are on the rise, including promising work being done in North Dakota with the help of Cody Hatzenbuhler of Pan Ag. 

These projects involve restoring soil health in areas where degradation has occurred from numerous of factors, including excessive salt build up. 

“For the state of North Dakota, it’s costing them probably $15-18 million per site to clean up,” Hatzenbuhler said. A dump and haul of the ailing soil is the usual tactic, which is costly and doesn’t allow for the virgin soil to remain.

Hatzenbuhler is using Redox Bio-Nutrients products Soilex and Mainstay ™ Calcium 2.0, along with an additional product from his home state that helps consume excessive salt. He said this combination is having a very positive impact, not only in reducing salt levels but making progress without massive dirt removal.

Agriculture has changed a lot over the generations. From the Industrial and Green Revolution to the use of digital technology, farming continues to evolve to stay competitive and meet customer needs.

The next revolution in agriculture may well involve farming for health –sophisticated inputs that have more profound impacts on plant yield and quality, leading to tastier, more nutritious food.

“We have to look to maximum output with minimum input,” said Redox CEO Darin Moon. “Not only is that the future from an environmental or world standpoint, it is the future from a human health standpoint, as well. That is, because we are doing that, we are growing healthier crops.”

Moon said there has never been a more exciting time for scientific discovery into plant nutrition.  He said as growers understand and implement plant charge balance in their fields, the results will be positive for agriculture, our environment and consumers. 

Robert Masson had an unusual path to Yuma, Arizona, and growers in the desert southwest are glad he made it.

After time in the U.S. Navy, as a researcher for a Midwest popcorn company and soybean breeding technician in North Carolina, Masson has been an agricultural extension agent for the University of Arizona in Yuma since 2019.

Masson works in several ways to help growers succeed, including contract field research with companies including ours, covering soil health, efficient nutrient uptake and water use efficiency. 

He said occasional failure is an important part of putting maximum effort into research.

“Setbacks are essential,” Masson said. “That’s one thing that defines the American culture. … You get wiser after a failure. If you’re not failing, you should probably be dreaming a little bigger, as long as you can get the recovery.”

The Commodity Classic is one of the final shows in a very busy winter meeting season for growers.

This year’s activities in Denver once again attracted thousands of growers and industry officials, with hundreds of exhibitors and many educational sessions. The kickoff session featured a packed house to watch Redox CEO Darin Moon outline how growers can optimize their nitrogen use.

His message was well received by many, including Nebraska corn grower Brett Meyer.

“Darin is talking about doing things with less product with more efficiency,” Meyer said. “That’s where we’re going. Agriculture is heading that direction whether we like it or not, and Darin seems to be on the forefront of it.

Business of Agriculture host Damian Mason was among those who watched the Redox speech.

“There’s an openness to this information,” Mason said. “…these people understand this is the future and they’re embracing it.”

New USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins also attended the event. Her comments to the media included optimism to increase export opportunities for U.S. growers.

“I hope to begin making trade trips very soon across the world,” she said. “I’ve already begun conversations with several key, significant trading partners that I think will make a huge difference to our farmers and ranchers back home.” 

Business of Agriculture host Damian Mason puts in extraordinary air miles during the winter meeting season, and he made time to visit our headquarters in Burley for the second straight year.

He toured the Redox research farm greenhouse and met with our head of research, Dr, Gifford Gillette. He also interviewed company president, Colton Moon.

Recently named as Top Ag Influencer at the FarmCon Conference in Kansas City,  Mason said he was impressed with the cutting-edge technology at Redox.

“There are two things that you guys are at the front of the pack on and it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “You have products that can allow producers to reduce applications of synthetic nitrogen and phosphorus, and that is absolutely where the future is going. The fact is I’m surprised the future is not here more rapidly than it is.”

Mason said he expects there will be greater emphasis on healthier eating in the coming years.  He said growers for a long time have frequently prioritized bigger harvests, but he thinks food as health care with a higher protein content and nutrient density will gain momentum – especially if growers see incentives for more nutritious crops. 

Humic and fulvic acid are gaining popularity on the farm, and new scientific understandings should lead to an even brighter future.

“I think of humics and fulvics in agriculture as one of the greatest areas of opportunity for a farmer to bring biology into his system,” remarked Dr. Gifford Gillette, head researcher at Redox. “They really meet the needs placed upon us in agriculture right now from an efficiency standpoint.”

The two most documented benefits from these substances are an increase in root biomass and a boost in nitrogen uptake, but there are more than 60 different impacts that a humic substance can have on a crop. 

Gillette said growers interested in humics and fulvics should look beyond a product label and ask questions to better understand benefits. Redox technology undergoes careful extraction and fractionation, so it provides consistent and highly targeted benefits.