Roots + Ruminants
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© 2025 Roots + Ruminants
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Welcome to Roots + Ruminants, your podcast for creative and innovative use of farm pasture and rangeland. We're going back to the basics of raising and grazing livestock to growing your own forage. Join us as our hosts Jared Knock and Justin Fruechte visit with special guests to explore practical land use.
86 Episodes
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Luke Hiebert is from the same area as our host, Jared. Jared, Justin and Luke spend this episode chatting about the spring they've had so far (spoiler: it's thrown them some curveballs) and problem solving for real-life scenarios Luke's experiencing on his farm. Plus, there's a graze it, harvest it, rent it out scenario with conflicting answers. Just three real farmers talking about real farm things. You won't want to miss it!
Grazing hogs and honeybees... well, kind of. Listen to hosts Jared and Justin chat with Rob Dowdle of Dowdle Family Farms in Steens, Mississippi about how he raises pigs, cattle, and honeybees. Throughout the episode, the guys discuss the details of raising honeybees, how Rob is trying to accomplish year-round grazing with his livestock, what it's like to be from a "humble" state like South Dakota or Mississippi, and a few things in between. Tune in! Find Dowdle Family Farms on YouTube and ...
Dodge Slead of Lebo, Kansas is no stranger to unique farming strategies – even if that strategy means NOT farming. Yes, you read that right. Dodge and his wife run a bison and beef operation, as well as traditional row crop farming. On this episode, he breaks down why he decided to try bison farming, how he manages his livestock, why he felt called to take a year off from growing crops entirely, and how he kept his farm afloat in that year off. Tune in!
All your questions will be answered on July 2nd at the Renovo Rally plot day in Brookings, South Dakota. The event will feature sessions on incentive programs, product info, breakthrough crop strategies, and more. And of course, there will be plot tours, warehouse tours, and a great meal. Get all the details and register to attend at www.renovoseed.com/plot/.
No guest this week, there are too many spring things to catch up on! Jared and Justin are filling us all in on where their own operations sit this spring, what they're hearing from other farmers and ranchers, and how they prioritize when everything needs to be done at once. Just two farmer friends chatting about everyday farm things - what more could you want?
“We're believing in a system that's been here for millennia. We’re just trying to learn some lessons from natural systems that have always been here, and that built the topsoil we're farming now.” Mic drop. Christof Just shifted his operation in 2019 when a heavy prevent plant year changed his plans. Tune in for his insight on what he’s learned, what he’s trying next, and why he thinks we can all learn from the past.
Graeme Finn is an Australian native who brought his extensive agriculture knowledge and livestock background to Canadian agriculture. He is a huge proponent for year-round grazing, but he questions whether practices like this are considered sustainable agriculture, or simply survival agriculture? Tune in!
"At what point do the ducks become limited?" - a real question asked by our hosts on this episode. Spoiler alert: never. Ducks Unlimited joined Roots + Ruminants at Commodity Classic to talk through their mission, incentive programs available in the ag space, and to enlighten Jared with a new word - herbivory. Tune in! You won't want to miss this lighthearted episode.
We're live at Commodity Classic 2024! Jared and Justin chat with four guests from the show - a Tennessee farmer, a Kansas farmer, a national sorghum board member, and a soil and water conservation employee. This lively episode gives a quick view of all facets of ag across the country.
We're coming at you with a double episode today. Jared Luhman of the Herd Quitter podcast is making waves by interviewing "farmers and ranchers who aren't afraid to think for themselves and do things a little bit differently." Sounds familiar, right? Tune in for this in-depth episode to hear all about why JR (IYKYK) quit the herd, how JD diversifies his operation, and who's really in control of the carbon movement in ag. Head over to Herd Quitter wherever you get your podcasts for more like t...
As is true to form on Roots + Ruminants, we feature those who question the quo. And AJ Munger of Eagle Pass Ranch is no different. He hails from a six generation (soon to be seventh generation) cattle ranch in Highmore, SD. The ranch has gone through many changes and phases through the generations, but the constant over time is that the ranch continues to be home to a progressive cattle operation managed by a family with a vision of the future. Tune in to hear about why they calve in May, how...
Van Mansheim, a farmer since 2011 and board member on the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, shares how he prioritizes crop diversity on his farm. As someone who is relatively new to the industry, Van has the benefit of a fresh perspective – never looking at things with a “we’ve always done it this way” mindset. Hear how he prioritizes soil health, water infiltration, crop diversity, and how he fed 500 head of cattle for 90 days of winter and didn’t start a tractor once. Insane!
Run it back! The 2023 predictions episode was one of our most popular of the year, so Justin and Jared are back at it to check the scorecard on their predictions and make some new forecasts for 2024. From land and commodity prices, to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, to the most popular cover crop mix – you won't want to miss what Justin and Jared think is in store for 2024.
Zack Smith, AKA the Stock Cropper, is the co-creator of autonomous grazing machines, developed from the desire to harness the natural cycles of a plant-animal ecosystem. The autonomous grazing concept grows healthier animals and healthier soils, all with a lower carbon footprint. Hear from Zack on autonomous grazing, rural community sustainability, and more!
Lynn Fahrmeier is a Missouri farmer involved in everything from traditional row crop production, to drone application of seed and chemicals, to cover crops, to raising Katahdin sheep. He's not afraid to try new things, and he shares with Justin and Jared some of what he's learned in his decades of farming. Lynn even gives a peek into the possible future of his farm, and it's not what you might expect. We'll give you a hint... there's solar panels and livestock involved. Tune in fo...
Sara Bauder is an SDSU Extension Forage Field Specialist, and she sits down with Justin and Jared to talk all things forage, and to share about the Northern Plains Forage Association. Join the association at their annual meeting on December 1! Meeting details are available here: https://fb.me/e/1exveJuRv
Yes, you read that right. Hosts Justin and Jared sit down with Vivian Georgalas of AgSpire to discuss five grants that are providing new and added income sources for farms and ranches across the country. Many of these grants operate differently from other government or carbon programs in the fact that they don't necessarily require "added" practices to be eligible for incentive payments. Tune in for details!
Meet Roots + Ruminants third international guest, Steven Bennett. Steven is the International Sales Manager for PGG Wrightson, a New Zealand-based seed company. Hosts Jared and Justin got together with him at the Western Seed Trade Association meeting to talk all things brassicas.
David Larson is a Minnesota farmer, and he's putting Jared and Justin to the test with a fall-themed graze it, harvest it, rent it challenge. If you've ever been to a pumpkin patch and your mind was spinning about all the ways you could use the seasonal crops and expansive acres, this episode is for you.
Walker Farms is located outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and they market all their products direct to the customer. Tune in to hear how Andy Walker continues to innovate their products and processes to meet customer needs.
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