Russ Uselton’s farm ground is so rough and rocky, he jokes that he looks south from his Tennessee perch and yearns for Chad Henderson’s red Alabama clay. All kidding aside, Russ — who started from scratch — is building a business on highly erodible, small patch farming, with a mixture of crops and cows. The first generation farmer bought cattle in 2005 and planted his first crop in 2018. Today he runs 200 cow-calf pairs on 1,000 acres of pasture and farms 500 acres of corn and soy. Russ talks to Damian about starting out, why he has to use cover crops, and the creativity required when you only own 40 acres!

Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems

Contrary to what you may have heard, you CAN increase the organic matter percentage in your soil. And…it won’t take you a lifetime to do so. The key: Roots. Darren Hefty joins XtremeAg’s Lee Lubbers in a hugely informative and enlightening conversation with Damian Mason about the critical role roots play in upping the organic matter in soil. Lee and Darren explain how they’ve increased OM composition considerably on their farms through reduced tillage, cover crops, and fostering soil biology. If you don’t value organic matter, you will after hearing Darren provide some of the numbers — higher OM equates to free fertilizer and better water holding capacity which means more bushels in the hopper and more money in your pocket. Organic matter: It’s all about the roots!

Presented by Loveland Products

When Should You Push Your Soybeans? Chad Henderson and Kevin Matthews are no stranger to high yielding soybeans. They discuss their soybean fertility programs with Damian Mason, and share their secrets for picking up extra yield by spoonfeeding their soybeans at specific times during the season.

There’s an old saying about good things taking time. Such is the promise of biological crop inputs— while they do provide an immediate result, their larger benefit accumulates over time. Chad Henderson compares biological usage to chicken litter. “We’ve been using chicken litter a long time. You don’t see immediate results…But by the third year of chicken litter, you can definitely see things changing in your soil.” Chad joins Holganix’s Mike Batson and Damian Mason to discuss the cumulative effect of biologicals.

Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems

Farmers have come a long way from the days of blasting out a load of dry fertilizer early in the season. Kevin Matthews and Jason Worley from Nachurs talk with Damian Mason about pushing a corn crop with late season applications. How late is too late?

Plant biostimulants have gained significant attention in the world of agriculture and in recent years. But what exactly are they, and how can they benefit your crop? Damian Mason is in the Stoller booth at Farm Progress to find out what exactly a biostimulant is and more importantly, what their role is in getting you to the next yield level.

Pigweed — layman’s term for Water Hemp and Palmer Amaranth — is a big problem. The species which is native to the desert southwest has successfully migrated to crop fields throughout the U.S. Because of its roots in the desert and its biology, the plants are tough to kill and getting even tougher. XA’s Matt Swanson and Caleb Traugh join FMC’s Blaire Colvin to discuss strategies to manage an increasingly resistant class of weeds that’s very prolific and capable of causing huge yield drags.

Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems

AgroLiquid’s Galynn Beer joins Temple Rhodes to explain the multiple soybean trials displayed at Temple’s field day. The big takeaway: It’s time to stop treating soybeans as simply the rotation between corn. Because….With enhanced fertility practices soybeans can make big yields and a lot of money!

About 90 miles from XtremeAg’s Temple Rhodes, you’ll find 29-year-old farmer and XA member Greg Dell. Greg didn’t want to go to college, but his dad wouldn’t allow him back on the farm until he’d worked somewhere else for three years. He explains the growth and learning experience being employed by a large-scale farming operation allowed him. Greg discusses with Damian his aspiration to be better but not necessarily bigger, the value of experimentation, and the farm's profitable expansion into bird seed production.

Presented by Loveland Products

After your combine completes the harvest pass, the remaining residue begins breaking down. But if you let this breakdown happen on nature’s timetable, you’re wasting valuable nutrients. Last year’s crop residue holds fertility that you’ve already paid for — an effective management plan recycles your fertility investment. Temple, Chad, and Holganix’s Rob McCoy discuss the importance of residue management.