Ohio Field Leader Podcast

Dusty Sonnenberg

The Ohio Field Leader Podcast is a production of the Ohio Soybean Council and soybean checkoff. Podcast host, Dusty Sonnenberg, visits with agricultural leaders and researchers to discuss soybean production, best management practices, precision agricultural technology and environmental and water quality topics.

  1. Episode 73, Bret Margraf, Regenerative Agriculture in Action

    3d ago

    Episode 73, Bret Margraf, Regenerative Agriculture in Action

    In Episode 73, the Ohio Field Leader Roadshow travels to Seneca County to Margraf Farms. Dusty visits with Bret Margraf about their farm's soil health journey and the implementation of regenerative agriculture practices, including grazing livestock. Bret shares about the changes they have made and new things they have tried in their no-till and cover crop system over the years, and the jump they made when they introduced grazing beef cattle on a farm that had not had livestock for several years.

    25 min

  2. May 15

    Episode 72, Planting Progress and Management Tips

    In Episode 72, Dusty visits with Taylor Dill, Director of Research at the Ohio Soybean Council and discusses the current planting season and conditions, as well as important management decisions that need to be made along the way and some useful tools available to growers. Links to management tools and calculators: https://fieldvision-app-d3b82e6fec5d.herokuapp.com/ https://www.pioneer.com/us/tools-services/growing-degree-unit.html https://www.greencastonline.com/growing-degree-days/home https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/gdd/

    19 min

  3. May 1

    Episode 71, Gordon Farms and Flynn Livestock, Looking to the future

    In Episode 71, Dusty travels to Lorain County with the Field Leader Roadshow to Gordon Farms and Flynn Livestock to visit with Eric and Adele Flynn. They discuss life on a multi-generational farm and Eric and Adele's journey from South Dakota back to Ohio, raising cattle, kids and commodity grains. From cover crop seed production to agricultural advocacy work in Washington D.C. Eric and Adele are looking to the future for their farm and their family, building on the legacy of past generations.

    30 min

  4. Apr 15

    Episode 70, Early planting considerations for soybeans and corn

    In Episode 70, Dusty visits with Taylor Dill, Director of Research with the Ohio Soybean Council, to discuss soybean check-off funded research findings from the Battle for the Belt looking at early season planting considerations for soybeans and corn. They talk about the various planting environments that Ohio growers encounter and tips for successful crop establishment and stress mitigation. They also share some new economic data generated by the Battle for the Belt.

    35 min

  5. Apr 1

    Episode 69, Exporting Ohio Food Grade Soybeans with Dan Schwartz of Schwartz Farms

    In Episode 69, Dusty visits with Dan Schwartz of Schwarts Farms in Trumbull County. The Schwartz family has been exporting food grade soybeans to the Japanese market since the late 1990's. Today they not only export their own beans, but also those of several farms that they contract with. Dusty and Dan discuss the history of Schwartz Farms and the family members that make things happen today, along with the special relationships that have been developed with the processors in Japan.

    24 min
  6. Episode 68, Science for Success Panel Discussion

    Mar 15

    Episode 68, Science for Success Panel Discussion

    In Episode 68, Dusty visits with soybean researchers involved in the Science for Success program. Science for Success provides timely, cutting-edge best management practices by coordinating the unified soybean check-off funded research efforts of over 20 land grant universities. One challenge that soybean growers face has been referred to as the "Hidden Hunger". Potassium (K) recommendations are currently based on soil sampling and the Tri-State Fertiliity Guide. Research is now working on tissue testing for K deficiencies in-season to build a data set for making management decisions. Dr. Laura Lindsey, OSU Extension Soybean and Small Grains Specialist, Carrie Ortel, Virginia Tech Soybean Agronomist, and Taylor Dill, Ohio Soybean Council Director of Research make-up a panel and join Dusty to share the latest effforts.

    22 min
  7. Episode 67, Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Soybean Disease Update

    Mar 1

    Episode 67, Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Soybean Disease Update

    From Red Crown Rot to Brown Stem Rot to Sudden Death Syndrome, Ohio soybean farmers have their work cut out for them as they scout fields and attempt to identify the diseases causing stress to their crops. Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora, OSU Extension Soybean Pathologist and Nematologist visits with Dusty Sonnenberg to reviw the 2025 growing season and Ohio's first positive identification of Red Crown Rot in the state. Dr. Lopez-Nicora shares about the environmental conditions that favor disease, and what plant and leaf symptoms soybean growers should be on the look out for in 2026. They also discuss the reseach being done by OSU Extension into these diseases thanks to financial support from the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Check-off.

    48 min
  8. 2-1-26 Episode 66, Taylor Dill, Ohio Soybean Council Director of Research

    Feb 1

    2-1-26 Episode 66, Taylor Dill, Ohio Soybean Council Director of Research

    Taylor Dill was recently named Director of Research for the Ohio Soybean Council. Dusty visits with Taylor to discuss what led her to this role with the OSC and more about her background in agriculture. They also discuss some of the current research being funded by the soybean check-off and future plans to help drive value back to farmers from the investments of the soybean check-off.

    28 min
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About

The Ohio Field Leader Podcast is a production of the Ohio Soybean Council and soybean checkoff. Podcast host, Dusty Sonnenberg, visits with agricultural leaders and researchers to discuss soybean production, best management practices, precision agricultural technology and environmental and water quality topics.

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