Underdog Ag Kerry Hoffschneider

This Underdog Ag Podcast presents: “Everything you don’t want to hear, but really need to about the current state of agriculture (with a light at the end of the tunnel if we don’t ignore the train a coming).”  

If you aren’t ready to hear about how agriculture really is, this podcast isn’t for you.  

If you do want to hear real farmers and ranchers discuss issues that may make us all squirm a bit and should, please tune in.   

Del Ficke of Ficke Cattle Company and co-founder of the Graze Master Group will have a frank discussion with Vance McCoy of Triple Creek Cover Crops and Graze Master partner along with Kerry Hoffschneider, co-founder of the Graze Master Group.  

No one held back in this discussion because agriculture doesn’t need a public relations campaign. It needs solutions. Now.  

Get your minds and hearts ready. We need all of us eyes wide open and on deck if we’re going to get things right. The good news is. We can.  

To find out more about Graze Master Group Transitional Ag Services that Balance Nature & Profitability contact:

Del Ficke:  402-499-0329
Kerry Hoffschneider:  402-363-8963
Vance McCoy:  308-352-6031

Join us in Denton, Neb. for our no-cost field day by registering here:  www.grazemastergroup.com/events

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Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

HOST: Kerry Hoffschneider

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CREDITS:
Mitchell Roush, Producer
Bibi Luevano, Cover Art
Purple Planet Music, Theme

Nick Cuchetti is a highly motivated Conservation Agronomist – Certified Crop Advisor and Real Estate Agent specializing in Regenerative Agriculture and Ecological Markets.

With a strong academic background in plants and soils, Nick earned a degree in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Missouri. Passionate about regenerative land management and the development of Ecological Markets, Nick combines his expertise in agronomy with his extensive knowledge of real estate to offer clients innovative solutions within the realm of Regenerative Agriculture and Ecological Markets.

As a Conservation Agronomist, Nick collaborates closely with farmers, landowners, and stakeholders to design and implement effective strategies that enhance soil health, promote biodiversity, and foster ecosystem resilience.

By employing regenerative practices such as cover cropping, rotational grazing, and no-till systems, Nick helps farmers optimize their land's productivity while minimizing environmental impact. With a keen understanding of the real estate market, Nick assists clients in identifying properties that align with their aspirations in Regenerative Agriculture and Eco Markets.

Whether it involves finding land suitable for organic farming, establishing agroforestry systems, exploring opportunities for conservation easements, Nick leverages their expertise to guide clients towards sustainable and profitable investments.

Recognizing the importance of education and community engagement, Nick actively participates in various workshops, conferences, and events to promote the benefits of Regenerative Agriculture and Eco Markets. They are dedicated to inspiring others to embrace sustainable land management practices and contribute to the creation of a greener and more sustainable future.

Through his combined passion for conservation, agronomy, and real estate, Nick Cuchetti is a trusted professional committed to making a positive impact on the environment and the lives of his clients.

Follow Nick at:www.carbonsmartag.comwww.facebook.com/CarbonSmartAg

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Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

HOST: Kerry Hoffschneider

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CREDITS:
Mitchell Roush, Producer
Bibi Luevano, Cover Art
Purple Planet Music, Theme

This Underdog Ag Podcast features Maurice, Iowa farmer and livestock producer, Howard Vlieger, who started asking serious questions about agriculture in 1989 when he switched to alternative farming on their family farm.

“This is when I became a ‘student of the soil’ and I have no problem admitting that ‘the more I know, the more I know I don’t know.’ What I do know is the Good Lord gave us an amazing Creation to be caretakers of and it is a never-ending learning opportunity.”

Vlieger started studying GMOs in 1994 and began conducting on-farm research in 1997, “I am blessed to work with scientists and researchers from around the world. I have been privileged to give numerous educational presentations on GMO crops and the chemicals used in growing them. I am the primary coordinator and co-author of a first of its kind in the world, lifetime feeding study for pigs as a meat animal. The study was published in 2013. ”

The 2013 study can be found here: https://gmojudycarman.org/

Take a listen and find out some of the questions Vlieger has pursued in his agricultural journey!

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HOST: Kerry Hoffschneider
GUESTS: Howard Vlieger, Farmer

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CREDITS:
Mitchell Roush, Producer
Bibi Luevano, Cover Art
Purple Planet Music, Theme

We saved the best for last this year on the Underdog Ag Podcast.

I have been wanting to interview my cousin Scott Gonnerman for so long and I finally headed to the Gonnerman farm in York County, Neb., sat down at the kitchen table, and did just that.

Scott Gonnerman has the kind of salt-of-the-earth common sense that can be a rare find nowadays. When Gonnerman was a child, he told everyone he wanted to be, “a farmer and a semi-driver.” Gonnerman has achieved all of these goals and much more. His farm in York County, Neb. has hosted visitors from all over the world: Australia, Russia and even Africa. Why? Because he sees change coming. While some of his farming neighbors may drive by in wonder, his national and international visitors know exactly what is going on – the soil across the earth is depleted and our freshwater resources are running dry.

They want to learn how Gonnerman and others are salvaging and rebuilding their farms and ranches in a “regenerative” fashion – a phrase that has been made popular by others in this soil movement that has reached a revival-like status. But, for Scott and his wife Barb, it’s simply about doing what’s right for the next generation.

“We bought this farm in 2004 from my Grandfather Raymond and Grandmother Evelyn Gonnerman,” Gonnerman said. Today, he said, the farm has been in the family for more than 100 years. Gonnerman grew up near Benedict, Neb. His father, Smokey, and mom, Donna, were pragmatic, hardworking people. The Gonnerman farm was not unlike the diversified farms of the past.

He remembered farrowing sows with his mom and his dad going to town in the fall to purchase a straight-truck of calves to put out on the corn stalks to graze. In the spring, they would sell the cattle. The ones that didn’t fit on the truck were butchered and fed the family the next winter.

What separated Gonnerman from some of his other farming peers was his father’s openness to learn right alongside him. As the years progressed, the Gonnermans were farming what is now coined as “conventional” like many of their neighbors. This means they were still disking the land and applying synthetic inputs.

Their cropping systems were a basic rotation of corn, beans, and sometimes wheat. “But I was lucky because my dad was willing to learn and we went to meeting after meeting together. So we were learning together. That was key. My wife Barb would come along too. It’s so important to have everyone involved on the same page. In order to be on the same page, you have to attend the meetings together. You have to learn together,” Gonnerman stressed over and over.

Learn they did, traveling everywhere from North Dakota to South Carolina and Ohio. Some of their biggest influencers were soil health leaders Gabe Brown, David Brandt, and Ray Archuleta.

However, the real game-changer came when they came across a simple, but powerful, presentation by Dan Gillepsie, a Soil Conservation Technician and No-Till Specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The presentation consisted of boxes of various soils that had been farmed differently – from full-bore tillage to cover crops and then a final box with native prairie. Above the boxes was a hose with a head shooting down water to create the simulated rainfall effect.

At the end, the boxes of soil were tipped over. Farmers were able to see the difference between tilling their fields (which destroys soil structure) and the positive impact of no-till and covering the soil year-round with living plants that creates a strong root structure underneath. “Gillespie’s presentation got us started.

At that time, we were still gravity irrigating dad’s farm (irrigating the crops with pipe hooked together on the ground with gates that are opened to let water out into the rows on the field),” he began. Then they began to change the farm for...

I sat with two men who genuinely know the livestock industry on this Underdog Ag podcast, Mr. Ken Stewart from XL Ranch in Cowley, Wyo. and Dr. James Caldwell of Harrisburg, S.D.

More about my guests:

About Dr. Caldwell:
James Caldwell and his wife Michelle reside in Harrisburg, S.D. with their three children – Trey, Jackson, and Zoey. James grew up farming tobacco and managing cow/calf operations in Ohio. He knew at a young age all he wanted to do was farm; however, he fell in love with research in school.
In 2009, James earned his P.h.D in Ruminant Nutrition and has been conducting research in some capacity ever since. Dr. Caldwell’s diverse experiences include teaching at the college level, becoming a small ruminant expert, running companion animal research and milk replacer research for Land O’Lakes Purina in Gray Summit, MO. and then diving headfirst into feed additives throughout the next eight years.

The Caldwells just recently sold their 270-acre cow/calf and hair sheep farm in Kentucky to move to South Dakota. They still own cattle and are still heavily involved in agriculture with their kids and livestock. James still leads the research at Advanced Ag Products while taking on the role as President for the company this past July.

About Ken Stewart:
Ken and his wife Jenny Stewart are owners of XL Ranch in Wyo. Ken grew up on a dairy that was converted to beef when he was still quite young. It didn’t take him long to know that raising beef cattle was what he wanted to do. The study of genetics and the ability to breed cattle that can perform within the parameters of the resources available on any given location at the optimum level, is what really turns Stewart's crank and fuels his passion. Stewart’s diverse experience includes management of large, commercial herds in excess of 12,000 cows all the way to smaller seedstock operations of numerous sizes across the continental U.S.A. He also serves as the National Sales Director at By-O-reg+.

Contact Info:Toll Free: 1.844.229.6734
Main Office: 605.558.1044
Address: 1220 N. Dakota St.Canton, SD 57013

Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ByOregAAP
Instagram: By-O-reg+ (@by_o_reg.aap) • Instagram photos and videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-ag-products-llc/
Website:www.byoreg.com

Ken Stewart:
Email: info@xlranch.com
Website: xlranch.com
Phone: 601-528-4029 and 307-254-0292

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Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

HOST: Kerry Hoffschneider
GUESTS: Genevieve Tonniges, Director - Wessels Living History Farm

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CREDITS:
Mitchell Roush, Producer
Bibi Luevano, Cover Art
Purple Planet Music, Theme

It’s Underdog Ag podcast time again. This month we spent some time with Mr. Wayne Swanson.

There is a way in agriculture to do what you love and use your gifts. You will absolutely believe that after listening to my friend sending his positive message clear from Decatur, GA.

What an inspiring visit Wayne. Thank you so much. You’re helping so many people and making a big difference.

Find Wayne’s endeavors by searching for Swanson Family Farm on Facebook and
www.swansonfamilyfarmllc.com


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Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

HOST: Kerry Hoffschneider
GUESTS: Genevieve Tonniges, Director - Wessels Living History Farm

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CREDITS:
Mitchell Roush, Producer
Bibi Luevano, Cover Art
Purple Planet Music, Theme