Sustaining The Herd

This episode may not contain top secret information, but it comes close. Join Andrew and Brock as they sit down to interrogate...we mean interview...the FBI! Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge from the FBI Omaha Field Office, joins The Herd for an insightful conversation about how the FBI works to protect the agriculture industry from various types of threats. This is one you won't want to miss, so tune in to the full episode to learn all about the classified details.

Who will be working in and leading the agriculture industry several decades from now? How will those individuals prepare to take that charge? Andrew and Brock share perspectives on what it means to prepare the ag professionals of the future. They talk about education, internships, and much more as they dig into this important topic. As an added bonus, they take a look back at the first half of Season 2 of Sustaining The Herd for a partial year in review discussion. Tune in to hear it all! 

Interested in knowing if the food you eat is sustainably produced and how sustainable production is verified? Are you a food producer looking to verify your production practices in order to access new markets and increase profitability?  Andrew and Brock dig into these topics and more when they sit down with Doug Stanton of IMI Global and Where Food Comes From to discuss how sustainability claims and agricultural production practices are verified. Doug and his team work with stakeholders across the agricultural supply chain to help producers add value to their products while also giving consumers confidence in the food they're buying. This is yet another aspect of sustainability that we're excited to explore on Sustaining The Herd. Tune in for the full conversation!

An anaerobic digester project developer’s worst nightmare—tanks filled with sand.  But is it only sand that settles in digesters?  Sand bedding on dairies is an easy target when it comes to digester tanks filled with sand, but there are other settleable particles in manure—some inorganic, some organic.  In Episode 29 of Sustaining the Herd, Brock quizzes Andrew on sources of settleable material in manure, their respective quantities, and what to do about them.  Andrew discusses mixing and agitation, as well as separation strategies and the future of sand handling in digesters.

You may have heard of a robotaxi... but have you heard of a robo feed truck--a self-driving feed truck? In this episode of Sustaining the Herd, Andrew and Brock sit down with Jacob Hansen of ALA Engineering. In the words of Jacob, he feeds cattle—but not as a cattle feeder in the traditional sense. ALA Engineering feeds cattle with their self-driving feed truck that they're currently bringing to market.  Jacob talks about how the self-driving feed truck first came to be.  He also gives a glimpse into the future of precision cattle feeding. Buckle up and tune in for a fun ride in Episode 28!

In Episode 27, Andrew Wedel and Brock Vetick record LIVE from the Biogas Americas Conference in Denver, Colorado. They dive into the latest trends shaping the biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) industry, offering insights from the heart of the action. Tune in as they discuss the value of connecting with industry professionals, sharing perspectives on innovation, collaboration, and the future of sustainable energy.

What’s the average farm field size in Western Pennsylvania?  Where in the world are US soybeans sold and how are they marketed?  Join Andrew and Brock as they sit down with Andy Fabin of Fabin Brothers Farms located near Indiana, Pennsylvania. Andy shares about sustainable corn and soybean production as well as soybean processing on his family's farm. As if that's not enough to discuss on its own, the conversation takes a turn into global trade and how it's a critical component of the United States ag economy. Check out the full episode to hear it all!

Where are 25% of cattle on feed in the United States located? If you guessed within a 150-mile radius of Canyon, Texas, you guessed right! Andrew and Brock sit down with Dr. Kevin Pond, who serves as Dean of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. Dr. Pond has dedicated his career to innovation and sustainability in the beef industry here and abroad.  Dr. Pond talks about WTAMU and explains how working together with industry is central to his college's mission. He also shares an exciting update as he talks about the new feedlot research and education center currently being designed and soon to be constructed at WTAMU. If you have any level of interest in cattle feeding, this episode is for you. Tune in to catch the full conversation!

Total solids, dissolved solids, total dissolved solids, bedding quality solids, not bedding quality solids—there are a lot of things to consider when selecting a solids separation system.  In this episode of Sustaining the Herd, Andrew is in the guest chair and is questioned by Brock on the nuances and intricacies of solids separation. Andrew first lays the foundation as he helps us understand manure composition before jumping into separation. Then he and Brock delve into what separation is and what it is not as they "bust the myths" of solids separation. Finally, they look ahead to the future of manure separation systems. Considering a solids separation system?  Hit that "listen" button and tune into the conversation!

Buckle up for this high-octane episode about the role of renewable natural gas in the transportation market. Andrew and Brock are joined by David King and Tom Quimby from Cummins Inc. to talk about all things at the intersection of RNG and transportation. David is the Product Manager for the Cummins North American On-Highway natural gas engine portfolio, and Tom is a freelance journalist who covers on-highway stories for Cummins Inc. In this episode, David and Tom share about the industry-first X15N 15-liter RNG engine offered by Cummins, in addition to many other trends and observations from across the industry. To learn more, visit the Cummins Natural Gas Engines website: https://www.cummins.com/engines/natural-gas. Tune in to the full episode for a wild ride as we discuss RNG and transportation!