XtremeAg: Cutting The Curve Podcast

Calls for American agriculture to diversify sound great—but what exactly are farmers supposed to grow instead? Damian Mason sits down with Kelly Garrett, Adam Ullrich, and Galynn Beer (Tidal Grow) to dig into the economics and realities of moving acres away from corn and soybeans. From wheat, oats, rye, and sorghum to sweet corn and even a little talk about flax and buffalo, the group explores where diversification might actually pencil out. But growing another crop is only half the battle. Farmers still need buyers, storage, transportation, infrastructure, and enough demand to keep a promising alternative from becoming the next oversupplied commodity. The conversation also tackles marginal farmland, government support, regional advantages, water limitations, logistics, and why the smartest diversification strategy might look completely different from one farm to the next. So, can American agriculture really diversify—or are corn and soybeans simply too deeply rooted in the system? This episode is presented by Tidal Grow AgriScience

“That won’t work here.” It might be one of the most common phrases in farming—and one of the most dangerous. Damian Mason joins Matt Miles, Chad Henderson, and Todd Kimbrell to talk about what happens when farmers challenge conventional wisdom and try something anyway. From Y-drops and liquid fertility to cover crops, strip-till, planter setups, and pushing planting dates, they’ve all seen ideas dismissed because they supposedly wouldn’t work in a particular region. Sometimes the skeptics were right. Other times, those “crazy” ideas changed the way they farm. The guys dig into regional differences, learning from other growers, managing risk, and why being willing to fail is part of finding the next thing that works. After all, there’s only one good way to find out whether “that won’t work here” is actually true.   Presented by Nachurs.

Are nutrient regulations headed for American agriculture? Damian Mason sits down at The Granary table with Kelly Garrett, Todd Kimbrell, and Tommy Roach to dig into a topic farmers may want to get ahead of. From nitrate concerns in Iowa and Nebraska to phosphorus issues around Lake Erie and the Chesapeake Bay, the guys discuss why nutrient management is attracting more attention—and what future regulation could actually look like. Pounds-per-acre limits? Water monitoring? Application restrictions? More recordkeeping? But regulation isn’t the only reason to rethink fertility. The conversation turns to nutrient use efficiency, cutting unnecessary nitrogen, drainage tile, soil mineralization, and the dollars that leave the farm every time nutrients leave the field. Can farmers maintain yield while applying less—and could better nutrient management actually improve the bottom line? Pull up a chair. This one gets into the water, the soil, the regulations, and, naturally, a little manure. This episode is presented by Nachurs.

Kelly Garrett is joined by Iowa's Lobe Rangers—Matt Bormann, Zack Smith, and James Hepp—to discuss what they call regenerative farming's third iteration: dramatically reducing synthetic nitrogen and phosphorus while maintaining yield and improving profitability. Moving beyond cover crops and no-till, the conversation explores on-farm nitrogen trials, nutrient management strategies, Iowa State research on reducing nitrate loss, and the emerging opportunities surrounding the 45Z tax credit. The group emphasizes that reducing fertilizer inputs is first and foremost a business decision that can improve return on investment while delivering environmental benefits as a byproduct.

Reducing synthetic nitrogen is becoming increasingly important as the USDA's updated 45Z carbon intensity calculator places greater weight on nitrogen use. XtremeAg is testing how far nitrogen rates can be reduced while maintaining yield through on-farm trials featuring Agricen's N-FINITY. Kelly Garrett is evaluating nitrogen programs ranging from 140 to 45 pounds per acre. The combination of lower fertilizer costs and potential 45Z tax credit eligibility makes nitrogen efficiency one of the biggest financial opportunities for corn growers.