Episode 178: Reducing Inputs and Reclaiming Independence with Alex Udermann

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Speaker 1: Hi friends, this is John.

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Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Regenerative

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Speaker 1: Agriculture podcast, where we

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Speaker 1: have all kinds of fun

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Speaker 1: conversations related to

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Speaker 1: regenerating our soils,

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Speaker 1: regenerating our public health,

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Speaker 1: livestock health,

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Speaker 1: and regenerating farm

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Speaker 1: profitability.

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Speaker 1: There's lots of room for

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Speaker 1: improvement in all of those

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Speaker 1: areas.

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Speaker 1: The profitability piece is often

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Speaker 1: the pain point that's catching

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Speaker 1: most attention nowadays, but

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Speaker 1: it's just an expression of

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Speaker 1: everything that comes before

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Speaker 1: that.

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Speaker 1: I'm honored to be here today

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Speaker 1: with Alex Uterman.

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Speaker 1: You can share your

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Speaker 1: story and background much better

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Speaker 1: than I can. But, you know, one

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Speaker 1: of the things that is

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Speaker 1: intriguing,

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Speaker 1: there are many growers who are

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Speaker 1: on this pathway of regeneration

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Speaker 1: who are who are building on

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Speaker 1: 20 or 30 or 40 years of

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Speaker 1: experience.

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Speaker 1: And you are starting off from a

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Speaker 1: much younger, fresher

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Speaker 1: perspective. So I'd love for you

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Speaker 1: to tell us about your farm's

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Speaker 1: history, the context,

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Speaker 1: the scope of the things that

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Speaker 1: you're working on today and

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Speaker 1: where you started from.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. So a little story about

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Speaker 1: our farm is I'm fifth

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Speaker 1: generation.

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Speaker 1: I farmed full time,

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Speaker 1: graduated high school, started

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Speaker 1: farming after high school,

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Speaker 1: skipped out on college,

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Speaker 1: just knew at a very young age

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Speaker 1: that farming was something I

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Speaker 1: really wanted to do and kind

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Speaker 1: of just dove into farming

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Speaker 1: headfirst. And like I said, I

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Speaker 1: grew up farming my whole life

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Speaker 1: here.

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Speaker 1: Farmed with my brother,

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Speaker 1: Jake, and my wife, Kirsten, and

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Speaker 1: my parents, John and Mary Lou.

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Speaker 1: We're in a dairy operation.

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Speaker 1: We feed out our steers, row

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Speaker 1: crop.

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Speaker 1: We also do some custom work.

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Speaker 1: We do custom interhauling,

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Speaker 1: liquid and solid.

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Speaker 1: And then we also

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Speaker 1: Got into the custom no -till

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Speaker 1: planting and cover crop seeding.

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Speaker 1: We just added a drone to our

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Speaker 1: farm. We're also a revolution

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Speaker 1: drone dealer.

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Speaker 1: And I've also became a mentor

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Speaker 1: and a contractor to the

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Speaker 1: Minnesota Soil Health Coalition.

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Speaker 1: I guess I just have a strong

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Speaker 1: passion, I guess, for

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Speaker 1: regenerative farming or

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Speaker 1: conservation or just helping

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Speaker 1: heal the planet or doing the

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Speaker 1: right thing farming.

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Speaker 1: It sounds to me like you need a

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Speaker 1: thing or two more to get done.

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Speaker 1: I got kids. so that fills the

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Speaker 1: rest of the bucket up.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, we got four kids.

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Speaker 1: My brother has two kids.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, we, we have,

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Speaker 1: we stay busy,

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Speaker 1: fun activities, but

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Speaker 1: I just, I don't have a deep

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Speaker 1: passion for

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Speaker 1: regenerative farming and it

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Speaker 1: really saved our operation.

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Speaker 1: I think that's where I have a

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Speaker 1: huge passion for it.

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Speaker 1: It's definitely made a mark on

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Speaker 1: my soul, I think,

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Speaker 1: and I'm not going back.

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Speaker 1: When you say it saved your

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Speaker 1: operation, what's the story

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Speaker 1: behind that? How did that all

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Speaker 1: come about?

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Speaker 1: What was your operation like

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Speaker 1: before you started the

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Speaker 1: transition?

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Speaker 1: I think the operation, well, we

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Speaker 1: really didn't change acres or

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Speaker 1: cattle numbers, everything,

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Speaker 1: that part stayed the same, but

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Speaker 1: the way we farm definitely has

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Speaker 1: changed tremendously.

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Speaker 1: We started this transition in

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Speaker 1: 2016.

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Speaker 1: So everything prior to 2016 in

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Speaker 1: the past, we were full with

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Speaker 1: tillage.

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Speaker 1: I mean, we were

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Speaker 1: stock chopping, chisel plowing,

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Speaker 1: disking, field cultivating, deep

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Speaker 1: ripping,

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Speaker 1: you know, the whole shebang.

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Speaker 1: We did it all.

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Speaker 1: Dad was raised that way.

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Speaker 1: Grandpa was raised that way.

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Speaker 1: And that's kind of just the way

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Speaker 1: we were taught.

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Speaker 1: And, you know, we're breaded

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Speaker 1: with this information from all

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Speaker 1: these huge ag companies that you

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Speaker 1: need to do X, Y, and Z.

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Speaker 1: And till the field this way,

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Speaker 1: haul that fertilizer out and

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Speaker 1: spray this chemical and plant

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Speaker 1: these traded seeds.

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Speaker 1: That's the way farming was

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Speaker 1: supposed to be.

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Speaker 1: So,

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Speaker 1: but

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Speaker 1: What really started our journey

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Speaker 1: was

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Speaker 1: purely the economics of

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Speaker 1: farming.

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Speaker 1: They were not the best last 10

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Speaker 1: years, I would say.

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Speaker 1: And it really just put a

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Speaker 1: financial struggle on our farm.

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Speaker 1: But as I got older, more into

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Speaker 1: this operation with more

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Speaker 1: management,

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Speaker 1: I can understand that the

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Speaker 1: economics are just only a small

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Speaker 1: piece of the puzzle here with

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Speaker 1: regenerative farming.

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Speaker 1: And there's

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Speaker 1: many more benefits other than

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Speaker 1: the economics, but we can dive

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Speaker 1: deeper into that.

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Speaker 1: But so

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Speaker 1: it really started with the

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Speaker 1: economics of it.

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Speaker 1: You know, freshly graduated high

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Speaker 1: school in 11, I was farming full

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Speaker 1: time for a couple of years,

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Speaker 1: everything was going good, we're

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Speaker 1: buying equipment,

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Speaker 1: staying progressive,

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Speaker 1: and things were going the way

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Speaker 1: they should be with decent

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Speaker 1: commodity prices, and everything

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Speaker 1: was just flowing that way.

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Speaker 1: But when we hit some bad

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Speaker 1: economic times and some

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Speaker 1: droughts,

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Speaker 1: things weren't cash flowing no

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Speaker 1: more.

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Speaker 1: And then when you talk about

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Speaker 1: soil erosion or water erosion,

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Speaker 1: we

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Speaker 1: can see those pretty good.

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Speaker 1: But I saw a different form of

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Speaker 1: erosion on our farm.

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Speaker 1: It's the equity erosion on the

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Speaker 1: balance sheets.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. So I was watching dad's

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Speaker 1: and grandpa's equity just erode

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Speaker 1: and erode. We're borrowing more

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Speaker 1: capital to have new operating

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Speaker 1: notes just to keep on getting

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Speaker 1: by. And it was kind of just a

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Speaker 1: down roll or a downwind

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Speaker 1: snowball effect, race to the

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Speaker 1: bottom of the barrel.

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Speaker 1: I like that,

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Speaker 1: that take on erosion, equity

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Speaker 1: erosion. That's certainly been

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Speaker 1: very true in many operations in

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Speaker 1: the last decade.

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Speaker 1: It has. And then when you can

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Speaker 1: see that real time where you're

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Speaker 1: just chiseling away at that

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Speaker 1: positive equity you have, like

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Speaker 1: there was going to be no future

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Speaker 1: for me here to farm, you know, a

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Speaker 1: couple of years into this

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Speaker 1: operation.

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Speaker 1: And I thought we have to do

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Speaker 1: something or I won't be able to

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Speaker 1: farm or my kids won't be able to

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Speaker 1: farm. So I kind of,

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Speaker 1: you know, got to put your big

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Speaker 1: boy pants on here and let's

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Speaker 1: figure some out.

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Speaker 1: But,

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Speaker 1: um,

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Speaker 1: I mean, we can dive deep into

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Speaker 1: this, but it was a combination

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Speaker 1: of the cash flow was not

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Speaker 1: existent no more.

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Speaker 1: We ran in a few years of

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Speaker 1: droughts. We were in D2,

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Speaker 1: D3 droughts for two seasons in a

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Speaker 1: row. We had low commodity

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Speaker 1: prices, high inputs, high

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Speaker 1: interest rates,

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Speaker 1: making all these payments on

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Speaker 1: this expensive equipment, the

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Speaker 1: four -wheel drives, the tillage

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Speaker 1: parts.

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Speaker 1: You're burning probably $20 ,000

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Speaker 1: of fuel every spring and fall

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Speaker 1: doing tillage and $10 ,000 in

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Speaker 1: parts on air filters and chisel

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Speaker 1: points and hydraulic filters and

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Speaker 1: that's not even mentioning the

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Speaker 1: labor.

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Speaker 1: You got two four -wheel drives

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Speaker 1: going in the spring trying to do

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Speaker 1: tillage and the planter come

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Speaker 1: behind them and picking rocks

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Speaker 1: for a week with two skid steers

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Speaker 1: and three guys and

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Speaker 1: It just was the point where, you

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Speaker 1: know, this is enough, like we

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Speaker 1: can't afford to keep doing

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Speaker 1: these.

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Speaker 1: So

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Speaker 1: what did you, what did you

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Speaker 1: consider changing first?

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Speaker 1: Well, I think this is the really

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Speaker 1: part of our story that I think

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Speaker 1: is pretty

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Speaker 1: unique

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Speaker 1: is when we made the switch, we

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Speaker 1: spent $0.

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Speaker 1: The

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Speaker 1: only thing we changed was the

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Speaker 1: way we managed our farm.

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Speaker 1: You must not have done it right.

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Speaker 1: Are you supposed to spend money

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Speaker 1: first?

258
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Speaker 1: We didn't have any cash flow, so

259
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Speaker 1: there was no option to go,

260
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Speaker 1: you know, buy all this cool

261
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Speaker 1: stuff that we have now.

262
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Speaker 1: We had to work our way into

263
00:07:00,579 --> 00:07:01,379
Speaker 1: this. But

264
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Speaker 1: before I get there, I'd like to

265
00:07:03,990 --> 00:07:06,159
Speaker 1: maybe discuss maybe some other

266
00:07:06,159 --> 00:07:07,220
Speaker 1: things here quick too.

267
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Speaker 1: Like

268
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Speaker 1: I said, our cash flow got so

269
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Speaker 1: tight.

270
00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:18,640
Speaker 1: This is how

271
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Speaker 1: micromanaged, we did our farm,

272
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Speaker 1: like I said, we spent $0 on our

273
00:07:23,300 --> 00:07:24,100
Speaker 1: transients all year.

274
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Speaker 1: We just changed the way we farm.

275
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Speaker 1: If you're familiar with milking

276
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Speaker 1: cows, you can have a teat dip

277
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Speaker 1: spray or a dip cup.

278
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Speaker 1: And this

279
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Speaker 1: is how tight things got for us

280
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Speaker 1: where we micromanaged

281
00:07:37,329 --> 00:07:38,409
Speaker 1: everything. We went from a spray

282
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Speaker 1: cup to a dip cup.

283
00:07:40,300 --> 00:07:42,800
Speaker 1: So we could save $75 a month on

284
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Speaker 1: iodine milking our cows.

285
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Speaker 1: But if you just do something

286
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Speaker 1: like that, and you cut back on

287
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Speaker 1: this or cut back on that pretty

288
00:07:49,509 --> 00:07:50,750
Speaker 1: soon, you got, you know, a

289
00:07:50,750 --> 00:07:52,069
Speaker 1: thousand or $3 ,000 a month

290
00:07:52,069 --> 00:07:53,250
Speaker 1: savings, you can make your P &I

291
00:07:53,250 --> 00:07:54,470
Speaker 1: payments of lip on by.

292
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Speaker 1: So, so we were,

293
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Speaker 1: we were there cashflow wise.

294
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Speaker 1: And

295
00:08:01,050 --> 00:08:03,089
Speaker 1: another part too, that I want to

296
00:08:03,089 --> 00:08:05,769
Speaker 1: call out is the system that was

297
00:08:05,769 --> 00:08:07,490
Speaker 1: designed for us that

298
00:08:07,959 --> 00:08:09,759
Speaker 1: we did not set for ourselves.

299
00:08:10,220 --> 00:08:12,659
Speaker 1: I found out when you call out.

300
00:08:13,879 --> 00:08:15,620
Speaker 1: the bad corporate egg system,

301
00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:17,840
Speaker 1: they definitely bark back at you

302
00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:19,220
Speaker 1: when you call them out.

303
00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:20,879
Speaker 1: An example is,

304
00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:22,480
Speaker 1: I mean,

305
00:08:23,250 --> 00:08:24,529
Speaker 1: our vendor, we were financially

306
00:08:24,529 --> 00:08:26,090
Speaker 1: strapped, they were kind of

307
00:08:26,090 --> 00:08:27,769
Speaker 1: telling us, they literally told

308
00:08:27,769 --> 00:08:28,970
Speaker 1: us we got to pull our heads out

309
00:08:28,970 --> 00:08:30,269
Speaker 1: of our ass, or we're gonna lose

310
00:08:30,269 --> 00:08:31,509
Speaker 1: the farm. And I took that to

311
00:08:31,509 --> 00:08:33,169
Speaker 1: heart. And I come up with this

312
00:08:33,169 --> 00:08:33,969
Speaker 1: great plan where,

313
00:08:34,529 --> 00:08:35,330
Speaker 1: you know, slashing these

314
00:08:35,330 --> 00:08:36,850
Speaker 1: expenses and cutting all these

315
00:08:37,100 --> 00:08:38,440
Speaker 1: expenses out,

316
00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:40,379
Speaker 1: we're getting more milk, better

317
00:08:40,379 --> 00:08:41,940
Speaker 1: feed, and it

318
00:08:42,799 --> 00:08:44,059
Speaker 1: wasn't up to their standards

319
00:08:44,059 --> 00:08:44,859
Speaker 1: yet. But

320
00:08:45,819 --> 00:08:48,680
Speaker 1: And then I thought about maybe

321
00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:49,720
Speaker 1: we should buy one robotic

322
00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:50,519
Speaker 1: milker,

323
00:08:50,819 --> 00:08:52,080
Speaker 1: because we've gained already 15

324
00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:53,480
Speaker 1: pounds of milk per cow by

325
00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:54,279
Speaker 1: switching some management

326
00:08:54,279 --> 00:08:56,080
Speaker 1: practices in the field and some

327
00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:58,120
Speaker 1: other herd management practices.

328
00:08:58,200 --> 00:08:59,159
Speaker 1: So I wanted to buy a robot,

329
00:08:59,919 --> 00:09:02,200
Speaker 1: just one, milk less cows and get

330
00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:03,799
Speaker 1: the same amount of milk on less

331
00:09:03,799 --> 00:09:05,059
Speaker 1: feed, less labor.

332
00:09:05,659 --> 00:09:06,879
Speaker 1: And say we can go get

333
00:09:07,259 --> 00:09:09,340
Speaker 1: farm jobs for the time being to

334
00:09:09,340 --> 00:09:10,259
Speaker 1: get some more cash flow

335
00:09:10,259 --> 00:09:11,059
Speaker 1: established.

336
00:09:11,799 --> 00:09:12,600
Speaker 1: and it would have been maybe

337
00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:14,319
Speaker 1: like a $200 ,000 investment,

338
00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,000
Speaker 1: very minor. They would have cash

339
00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:18,259
Speaker 1: flowed relatively quick.

340
00:09:19,500 --> 00:09:21,139
Speaker 1: But this is where the bad system

341
00:09:21,139 --> 00:09:21,939
Speaker 1: comes in play.

342
00:09:22,259 --> 00:09:23,379
Speaker 1: The bank told me, no,

343
00:09:24,159 --> 00:09:25,240
Speaker 1: we can't do that for you because

344
00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:26,059
Speaker 1: it won't cash flow.

345
00:09:27,159 --> 00:09:28,019
Speaker 1: But on the flip side,

346
00:09:28,710 --> 00:09:29,509
Speaker 1: they said,

347
00:09:30,519 --> 00:09:31,319
Speaker 1: but we

348
00:09:32,009 --> 00:09:33,909
Speaker 1: can loan you guys $2 million to

349
00:09:33,909 --> 00:09:35,169
Speaker 1: go build a brand new barn with

350
00:09:35,169 --> 00:09:37,629
Speaker 1: four robots and 240 cows.

351
00:09:38,460 --> 00:09:39,799
Speaker 1: And I just thought, you're

352
00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,289
Speaker 1: not solving our problem, you're

353
00:09:42,289 --> 00:09:43,649
Speaker 1: only creating a bigger monster,

354
00:09:43,789 --> 00:09:44,970
Speaker 1: we can't service our debt.

355
00:09:45,070 --> 00:09:45,870
Speaker 1: And it's just

356
00:09:46,340 --> 00:09:48,200
Speaker 1: the system is

357
00:09:48,799 --> 00:09:49,599
Speaker 1: not,

358
00:09:49,639 --> 00:09:51,320
Speaker 1: I guess the system is corrupt, I

359
00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:52,980
Speaker 1: guess they want you to continue

360
00:09:52,980 --> 00:09:54,000
Speaker 1: in this trap. And when you start

361
00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:55,980
Speaker 1: asking questions how to escape

362
00:09:55,980 --> 00:09:56,779
Speaker 1: the trap,

363
00:09:57,159 --> 00:09:59,000
Speaker 1: they kind of turn on you and

364
00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:00,519
Speaker 1: shun you away and don't want

365
00:10:00,519 --> 00:10:01,379
Speaker 1: your business no more.

366
00:10:01,799 --> 00:10:02,960
Speaker 1: And that happened just now with

367
00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:04,620
Speaker 1: the bank, it happened with our

368
00:10:04,620 --> 00:10:05,419
Speaker 1: co op.

369
00:10:05,740 --> 00:10:06,879
Speaker 1: I was about to ask you, what

370
00:10:06,879 --> 00:10:08,120
Speaker 1: other examples do you have of

371
00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:10,580
Speaker 1: that type of type of experience?

372
00:10:11,990 --> 00:10:12,789
Speaker 1: I

373
00:10:13,019 --> 00:10:14,440
Speaker 1: mean, I love my co -op.

374
00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:16,399
Speaker 1: I do.

375
00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:17,279
Speaker 1: They're really good to us.

376
00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:18,159
Speaker 1: But we had an old

377
00:10:18,409 --> 00:10:20,870
Speaker 1: agronomy manager that was very

378
00:10:20,870 --> 00:10:21,669
Speaker 1: old school,

379
00:10:22,110 --> 00:10:23,750
Speaker 1: which, you know, I don't blame

380
00:10:23,750 --> 00:10:24,549
Speaker 1: him.

381
00:10:24,730 --> 00:10:25,850
Speaker 1: And when I wanted to start doing

382
00:10:25,850 --> 00:10:28,029
Speaker 1: these practices, it was no till,

383
00:10:28,090 --> 00:10:29,649
Speaker 1: no crop. It's not going to work.

384
00:10:29,710 --> 00:10:30,809
Speaker 1: And he gave you about a million

385
00:10:30,809 --> 00:10:31,609
Speaker 1: excuses.

386
00:10:31,970 --> 00:10:33,649
Speaker 1: So every time he gave me a bad

387
00:10:33,649 --> 00:10:35,730
Speaker 1: excuse, I found one positive to

388
00:10:35,730 --> 00:10:36,529
Speaker 1: kind of

389
00:10:37,429 --> 00:10:38,429
Speaker 1: outcompete his bad thing.

390
00:10:38,529 --> 00:10:39,529
Speaker 1: So I knew if I,

391
00:10:39,980 --> 00:10:41,580
Speaker 1: if I listened to him, and I came

392
00:10:41,580 --> 00:10:42,620
Speaker 1: up with a solution that would

393
00:10:42,620 --> 00:10:44,159
Speaker 1: offset then I would be

394
00:10:44,159 --> 00:10:45,840
Speaker 1: successful. But, you know, it

395
00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:46,840
Speaker 1: was the point where we're doing

396
00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:47,860
Speaker 1: no till soybeans,

397
00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:49,759
Speaker 1: he was brought, we were

398
00:10:49,759 --> 00:10:51,399
Speaker 1: broadcasting commercial P and K.

399
00:10:51,740 --> 00:10:53,039
Speaker 1: And I just asked the question,

400
00:10:53,159 --> 00:10:55,039
Speaker 1: if I'm broadcasting commercial P

401
00:10:55,039 --> 00:10:56,319
Speaker 1: and K dry on top,

402
00:10:57,389 --> 00:10:58,710
Speaker 1: why can't I do that same thing

403
00:10:58,710 --> 00:10:59,850
Speaker 1: with my manure,

404
00:11:00,350 --> 00:11:01,909
Speaker 1: my dry manure, or my solid

405
00:11:01,909 --> 00:11:02,709
Speaker 1: manure?

406
00:11:03,139 --> 00:11:04,399
Speaker 1: And that was, you know, you

407
00:11:04,399 --> 00:11:05,519
Speaker 1: can't do that, you're gonna lose

408
00:11:05,519 --> 00:11:06,840
Speaker 1: so many nutrients and you know,

409
00:11:06,860 --> 00:11:08,000
Speaker 1: the whole gamut, but it's like,

410
00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:09,480
Speaker 1: for the flip side, I'm

411
00:11:09,940 --> 00:11:12,039
Speaker 1: running your dry P and K on top

412
00:11:12,039 --> 00:11:12,839
Speaker 1: and that's okay.

413
00:11:12,799 --> 00:11:13,940
Speaker 1: So we know soil point means, but

414
00:11:13,940 --> 00:11:14,740
Speaker 1: I can't

415
00:11:15,069 --> 00:11:17,569
Speaker 1: surface apply a few tons of vet

416
00:11:17,569 --> 00:11:19,549
Speaker 1: pack and accomplish the same

417
00:11:19,549 --> 00:11:20,349
Speaker 1: thing.

418
00:11:21,269 --> 00:11:22,870
Speaker 1: So it pretty much got to the

419
00:11:22,870 --> 00:11:25,039
Speaker 1: point where I told our

420
00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,909
Speaker 1: old grounding manager said, it's

421
00:11:27,909 --> 00:11:29,110
Speaker 1: our farm,

422
00:11:29,509 --> 00:11:30,309
Speaker 1: it's our money,

423
00:11:30,879 --> 00:11:31,679
Speaker 1: it's our decisions.

424
00:11:32,180 --> 00:11:33,240
Speaker 1: We're going to do what we want.

425
00:11:33,419 --> 00:11:34,500
Speaker 1: You guys work for us.

426
00:11:35,549 --> 00:11:37,330
Speaker 1: And it didn't take very long.

427
00:11:37,389 --> 00:11:38,210
Speaker 1: It was a couple of years later,

428
00:11:38,269 --> 00:11:39,830
Speaker 1: he quit his job and we have a

429
00:11:39,830 --> 00:11:42,330
Speaker 1: new younger, uh, a grounding

430
00:11:42,330 --> 00:11:44,049
Speaker 1: manager that's more open to

431
00:11:44,049 --> 00:11:45,330
Speaker 1: trying things and understands

432
00:11:45,330 --> 00:11:47,389
Speaker 1: our vision on our farm and kind

433
00:11:47,389 --> 00:11:48,189
Speaker 1: of works with us.

434
00:11:48,210 --> 00:11:49,070
Speaker 1: And so

435
00:11:49,889 --> 00:11:51,370
Speaker 1: I think times are changing.

436
00:11:51,450 --> 00:11:52,250
Speaker 1: It just,

437
00:11:52,090 --> 00:11:53,149
Speaker 1: there's a lot of, there's a lot

438
00:11:53,149 --> 00:11:53,949
Speaker 1: of, uh,

439
00:11:54,059 --> 00:11:55,259
Speaker 1: bucking the system back in the

440
00:11:55,259 --> 00:11:56,059
Speaker 1: day. And

441
00:11:56,330 --> 00:11:58,970
Speaker 1: how, how did you navigate that?

442
00:11:59,029 --> 00:11:59,829
Speaker 1: What was the.

443
00:12:01,129 --> 00:12:02,450
Speaker 1: There's this common dynamic that

444
00:12:02,450 --> 00:12:04,210
Speaker 1: I observe where there is this

445
00:12:04,210 --> 00:12:05,929
Speaker 1: tension between the younger

446
00:12:05,929 --> 00:12:07,269
Speaker 1: generation, in this case, you

447
00:12:07,269 --> 00:12:08,429
Speaker 1: and the older generation on a

448
00:12:08,429 --> 00:12:09,590
Speaker 1: farm and the long term

449
00:12:09,590 --> 00:12:10,929
Speaker 1: relationships they have held

450
00:12:10,929 --> 00:12:13,129
Speaker 1: with, let's say, agronomy

451
00:12:13,129 --> 00:12:14,669
Speaker 1: managers in this particular

452
00:12:14,669 --> 00:12:15,469
Speaker 1: instance.

453
00:12:16,230 --> 00:12:18,070
Speaker 1: How did you how

454
00:12:19,309 --> 00:12:21,789
Speaker 1: did the the historical agronomy

455
00:12:21,789 --> 00:12:23,129
Speaker 1: manager having this particular

456
00:12:23,129 --> 00:12:24,970
Speaker 1: perspective or this antagonistic

457
00:12:24,970 --> 00:12:26,289
Speaker 1: perspective, how did that affect

458
00:12:26,289 --> 00:12:27,610
Speaker 1: your operation as a whole?

459
00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:31,039
Speaker 1: Well, the old plant manager,

460
00:12:32,110 --> 00:12:33,549
Speaker 1: Yeah. With how did that, how did

461
00:12:33,549 --> 00:12:34,629
Speaker 1: that influence your family?

462
00:12:34,730 --> 00:12:35,529
Speaker 1: How did that influence your

463
00:12:35,509 --> 00:12:36,370
Speaker 1: decision -making ability?

464
00:12:36,490 --> 00:12:37,430
Speaker 1: Did you, did you feel,

465
00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,220
Speaker 1: um, limited in your ability to

466
00:12:40,220 --> 00:12:41,840
Speaker 1: make decisions as a result of

467
00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:42,639
Speaker 1: his presence?

468
00:12:45,019 --> 00:12:45,819
Speaker 1: In the beginning?

469
00:12:45,620 --> 00:12:47,000
Speaker 1: Yes, because we trusted his

470
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,440
Speaker 1: value and his decisions.

471
00:12:48,620 --> 00:12:49,740
Speaker 1: So we kind of just, you know,

472
00:12:49,819 --> 00:12:50,819
Speaker 1: dad was loyal to him.

473
00:12:50,899 --> 00:12:51,860
Speaker 1: We were loyal to him when we

474
00:12:51,860 --> 00:12:52,819
Speaker 1: first started farming too.

475
00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:54,720
Speaker 1: So we trusted their input

476
00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:55,720
Speaker 1: because that was his job.

477
00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:56,639
Speaker 1: We were just,

478
00:12:56,980 --> 00:12:57,779
Speaker 1: at that point we were just

479
00:12:57,779 --> 00:12:59,039
Speaker 1: farmers. We're, you know,

480
00:12:59,039 --> 00:12:59,839
Speaker 1: working the land,

481
00:13:00,180 --> 00:13:01,340
Speaker 1: you know, doing X, Y, and Z.

482
00:13:01,779 --> 00:13:04,409
Speaker 1: And we trusted off source people

483
00:13:04,409 --> 00:13:05,209
Speaker 1: to make those,

484
00:13:05,799 --> 00:13:06,799
Speaker 1: decisions for us.

485
00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,259
Speaker 1: But once I started understanding

486
00:13:09,259 --> 00:13:10,879
Speaker 1: how the system works, I started

487
00:13:10,879 --> 00:13:12,139
Speaker 1: questioning more and more,

488
00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:13,819
Speaker 1: kind of going against the

489
00:13:14,029 --> 00:13:15,909
Speaker 1: authority, you would call it.

490
00:13:16,779 --> 00:13:18,519
Speaker 1: And he really didn't like it.

491
00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:20,350
Speaker 1: But then at the day, it's,

492
00:13:20,870 --> 00:13:22,250
Speaker 1: it's a farmer owned co -op.

493
00:13:22,350 --> 00:13:23,750
Speaker 1: And we just told them, we said,

494
00:13:23,830 --> 00:13:24,710
Speaker 1: we're going to do it this way,

495
00:13:24,909 --> 00:13:25,870
Speaker 1: whether you like it or not.

496
00:13:26,490 --> 00:13:27,850
Speaker 1: And we got them on board right

497
00:13:27,850 --> 00:13:29,529
Speaker 1: away. So there was no, you know,

498
00:13:29,610 --> 00:13:30,649
Speaker 1: hidden secret. We're going to be

499
00:13:30,649 --> 00:13:31,850
Speaker 1: start doing no -till soybeans,

500
00:13:32,029 --> 00:13:33,269
Speaker 1: reduce tillage on corn acres.

501
00:13:33,409 --> 00:13:34,850
Speaker 1: We have to maybe change our

502
00:13:34,850 --> 00:13:35,830
Speaker 1: herbicide plant up.

503
00:13:35,990 --> 00:13:36,789
Speaker 1: And

504
00:13:36,649 --> 00:13:37,950
Speaker 1: we didn't

505
00:13:38,419 --> 00:13:39,219
Speaker 1: leave in the shadows.

506
00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:40,039
Speaker 1: That's one thing I would not

507
00:13:40,039 --> 00:13:40,839
Speaker 1: recommend doing.

508
00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:42,360
Speaker 1: Get your co -op on board as soon

509
00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:43,679
Speaker 1: as you can. And you're going to

510
00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:44,779
Speaker 1: probably have to educate them

511
00:13:44,779 --> 00:13:45,720
Speaker 1: more to

512
00:13:46,220 --> 00:13:47,820
Speaker 1: get them up to speed to match

513
00:13:47,820 --> 00:13:48,620
Speaker 1: your

514
00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:49,659
Speaker 1: goals on your farm.

515
00:13:50,570 --> 00:13:51,929
Speaker 1: Let me, let me ask you about

516
00:13:51,929 --> 00:13:53,490
Speaker 1: that. How did you benefit by

517
00:13:53,490 --> 00:13:54,309
Speaker 1: educating them?

518
00:13:54,570 --> 00:13:55,549
Speaker 1: What was the support or the

519
00:13:55,549 --> 00:13:56,349
Speaker 1: response to that?

520
00:13:56,330 --> 00:13:57,370
Speaker 1: How did that benefit you and

521
00:13:57,370 --> 00:13:58,169
Speaker 1: reward you?

522
00:14:00,110 --> 00:14:00,909
Speaker 1: Well,

523
00:14:00,980 --> 00:14:02,100
Speaker 1: when that old plant manager

524
00:14:02,100 --> 00:14:02,899
Speaker 1: quit,

525
00:14:03,889 --> 00:14:05,629
Speaker 1: we had a newer one in there.

526
00:14:05,830 --> 00:14:06,789
Speaker 1: He's been there for his whole

527
00:14:06,789 --> 00:14:08,190
Speaker 1: life too. And he's more

528
00:14:08,570 --> 00:14:10,110
Speaker 1: willing to try things and he can

529
00:14:10,110 --> 00:14:11,090
Speaker 1: understand things.

530
00:14:11,090 --> 00:14:12,269
Speaker 1: And I invite him to meetings in

531
00:14:12,269 --> 00:14:13,549
Speaker 1: our field days and they show up

532
00:14:13,549 --> 00:14:14,409
Speaker 1: and they want to learn too.

533
00:14:14,549 --> 00:14:15,429
Speaker 1: So I

534
00:14:15,740 --> 00:14:16,539
Speaker 1: think

535
00:14:16,629 --> 00:14:18,250
Speaker 1: the financial pressures on

536
00:14:18,250 --> 00:14:19,990
Speaker 1: farmers now are facing, I think

537
00:14:19,990 --> 00:14:20,909
Speaker 1: the co -ops are going to have to

538
00:14:20,909 --> 00:14:21,709
Speaker 1: start adapting.

539
00:14:22,139 --> 00:14:22,939
Speaker 1: So I think,

540
00:14:23,330 --> 00:14:24,370
Speaker 1: co -ops are starting to

541
00:14:24,370 --> 00:14:25,769
Speaker 1: understand the importance of

542
00:14:25,769 --> 00:14:26,909
Speaker 1: soil health or regenerative

543
00:14:26,909 --> 00:14:28,409
Speaker 1: farming. And it's opened the

544
00:14:28,409 --> 00:14:29,209
Speaker 1: door up

545
00:14:29,299 --> 00:14:31,899
Speaker 1: to having more conversations of

546
00:14:31,899 --> 00:14:33,220
Speaker 1: things I want to try.

547
00:14:33,899 --> 00:14:35,180
Speaker 1: So like foliar feeding or

548
00:14:35,180 --> 00:14:36,440
Speaker 1: interseeding cover crops.

549
00:14:36,620 --> 00:14:38,100
Speaker 1: We have open communications now

550
00:14:38,100 --> 00:14:39,340
Speaker 1: of how we're picking our

551
00:14:39,340 --> 00:14:40,860
Speaker 1: herbicides and what products

552
00:14:40,860 --> 00:14:41,659
Speaker 1: we're

553
00:14:41,549 --> 00:14:42,830
Speaker 1: putting down in our fields.

554
00:14:43,919 --> 00:14:45,019
Speaker 1: It's more of a kind of a mutual

555
00:14:45,019 --> 00:14:46,600
Speaker 1: conversation now instead of a

556
00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:47,399
Speaker 1: one -sided,

557
00:14:47,830 --> 00:14:48,730
Speaker 1: I'm right, you're wrong.

558
00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:50,680
Speaker 1: And I can give you another

559
00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:51,819
Speaker 1: example too of,

560
00:14:52,220 --> 00:14:53,299
Speaker 1: you know, bucking resistance.

561
00:14:53,460 --> 00:14:54,740
Speaker 1: We bought brand new tractors and

562
00:14:56,279 --> 00:14:57,079
Speaker 1: 2010.

563
00:14:57,779 --> 00:14:59,480
Speaker 1: And two of them were lemons.

564
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,639
Speaker 1: We're doing nothing but issues

565
00:15:01,639 --> 00:15:04,460
Speaker 1: with sensors and turbos and they

566
00:15:04,460 --> 00:15:06,120
Speaker 1: go down the shop get fixed and

567
00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:07,440
Speaker 1: come back and they were still

568
00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:08,600
Speaker 1: not working. And once they got

569
00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,620
Speaker 1: it, let me crack the head on one

570
00:15:10,620 --> 00:15:12,059
Speaker 1: on a warranty. So get that

571
00:15:12,059 --> 00:15:13,519
Speaker 1: rebuilt, and then it was out of

572
00:15:13,519 --> 00:15:15,120
Speaker 1: warranty and pretty soon we had

573
00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:16,180
Speaker 1: to start paying all these bills.

574
00:15:16,740 --> 00:15:17,799
Speaker 1: And we kind of just,

575
00:15:18,299 --> 00:15:19,099
Speaker 1: you know,

576
00:15:19,580 --> 00:15:21,889
Speaker 1: went up to the king authority

577
00:15:21,889 --> 00:15:22,970
Speaker 1: again, too, and said, you guys

578
00:15:22,970 --> 00:15:24,069
Speaker 1: got to fix this stuff.

579
00:15:24,129 --> 00:15:25,069
Speaker 1: Like we've been dealing with

580
00:15:25,100 --> 00:15:26,159
Speaker 1: this since day one, since we

581
00:15:26,159 --> 00:15:28,039
Speaker 1: bought these tractors and the

582
00:15:28,350 --> 00:15:29,710
Speaker 1: warranty has not fixed them.

583
00:15:29,889 --> 00:15:30,730
Speaker 1: And our

584
00:15:31,230 --> 00:15:32,370
Speaker 1: local deer wouldn't do nothing.

585
00:15:32,570 --> 00:15:34,590
Speaker 1: So we called down to mothership

586
00:15:34,590 --> 00:15:36,129
Speaker 1: headquarters and they

587
00:15:36,700 --> 00:15:38,179
Speaker 1: told us there's not much we can

588
00:15:38,179 --> 00:15:39,700
Speaker 1: do. And we've been buying this

589
00:15:39,700 --> 00:15:41,539
Speaker 1: paint color for the last 50, 60

590
00:15:41,539 --> 00:15:43,720
Speaker 1: years. And they tell it pretty

591
00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:45,080
Speaker 1: much tell you, you guys are on

592
00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:45,879
Speaker 1: your own.

593
00:15:46,610 --> 00:15:47,750
Speaker 1: So we've

594
00:15:48,250 --> 00:15:49,190
Speaker 1: switched our

595
00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:51,320
Speaker 1: entire equipment lineup,

596
00:15:51,740 --> 00:15:52,940
Speaker 1: a different color.

597
00:15:53,750 --> 00:15:55,070
Speaker 1: based on the service too.

598
00:15:55,830 --> 00:15:56,629
Speaker 1: So like I said, the bigger

599
00:15:56,549 --> 00:15:57,409
Speaker 1: thing, like once you start

600
00:15:57,409 --> 00:15:59,049
Speaker 1: calling out the corrupt system,

601
00:16:00,759 --> 00:16:02,519
Speaker 1: it definitely fights back at you

602
00:16:02,519 --> 00:16:03,960
Speaker 1: and wants you to cave back into

603
00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:05,639
Speaker 1: their system. You have to kind

604
00:16:05,639 --> 00:16:06,439
Speaker 1: of go full.

605
00:16:07,799 --> 00:16:08,679
Speaker 1: If you're going to commit, you

606
00:16:08,679 --> 00:16:09,980
Speaker 1: got to commit, I guess, because

607
00:16:09,980 --> 00:16:10,940
Speaker 1: they're going to buck it and

608
00:16:10,940 --> 00:16:12,259
Speaker 1: they don't want you to get off.

609
00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:13,419
Speaker 1: They want to keep taking that

610
00:16:13,419 --> 00:16:14,220
Speaker 1: money from your pocket.

611
00:16:15,090 --> 00:16:16,250
Speaker 1: I guess, well, I guess what I

612
00:16:16,250 --> 00:16:17,909
Speaker 1: hear you saying in some part is

613
00:16:17,909 --> 00:16:19,429
Speaker 1: not so much that you were just

614
00:16:19,429 --> 00:16:20,629
Speaker 1: fucking the system.

615
00:16:20,809 --> 00:16:21,730
Speaker 1: It's, it's, it's almost a

616
00:16:21,730 --> 00:16:22,850
Speaker 1: different way of saying that you

617
00:16:22,850 --> 00:16:24,090
Speaker 1: were claiming your independence

618
00:16:24,090 --> 00:16:25,309
Speaker 1: or expressing your independence

619
00:16:25,309 --> 00:16:26,549
Speaker 1: and, and, um,

620
00:16:27,539 --> 00:16:29,700
Speaker 1: not willing to put yourself in a

621
00:16:29,700 --> 00:16:30,779
Speaker 1: position to be controlled

622
00:16:30,779 --> 00:16:31,579
Speaker 1: anymore.

623
00:16:33,190 --> 00:16:34,049
Speaker 1: It's exactly true.

624
00:16:35,269 --> 00:16:37,110
Speaker 1: And quit taking our money.

625
00:16:37,430 --> 00:16:38,769
Speaker 1: If I can, I found a better way

626
00:16:38,769 --> 00:16:39,569
Speaker 1: to farm

627
00:16:39,769 --> 00:16:41,990
Speaker 1: without the assistance or

628
00:16:41,990 --> 00:16:44,549
Speaker 1: dependency on outside people.

629
00:16:45,350 --> 00:16:46,769
Speaker 1: And once you cut someone's cash

630
00:16:46,769 --> 00:16:47,569
Speaker 1: flow off,

631
00:16:47,899 --> 00:16:48,980
Speaker 1: yeah, they're definitely going

632
00:16:48,980 --> 00:16:50,559
Speaker 1: to complain and cry about it and

633
00:16:50,870 --> 00:16:53,190
Speaker 1: cause up some ruffled feathers.

634
00:16:57,450 --> 00:16:58,250
Speaker 1: But... Yes.

635
00:16:59,370 --> 00:17:00,289
Speaker 1: Can you give us...

636
00:17:00,789 --> 00:17:01,589
Speaker 1: Go ahead.

637
00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,980
Speaker 1: Back to the co -op thing.

638
00:17:05,130 --> 00:17:06,369
Speaker 1: I mean, like I said, I don't

639
00:17:06,369 --> 00:17:08,369
Speaker 1: want to degrade or talk bad

640
00:17:08,369 --> 00:17:09,829
Speaker 1: about anyone, but once I figured

641
00:17:09,829 --> 00:17:10,629
Speaker 1: out,

642
00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:12,400
Speaker 1: you know, I'm not an expert at

643
00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:13,859
Speaker 1: anything, but I

644
00:17:14,430 --> 00:17:15,269
Speaker 1: don't claim to be either.

645
00:17:15,410 --> 00:17:16,210
Speaker 1: But

646
00:17:15,990 --> 00:17:17,190
Speaker 1: when I was looking at what we're

647
00:17:17,190 --> 00:17:18,490
Speaker 1: doing for commercial fertilizer,

648
00:17:20,019 --> 00:17:21,519
Speaker 1: between the manure management

649
00:17:21,519 --> 00:17:23,299
Speaker 1: for the manure we have, and the

650
00:17:23,299 --> 00:17:24,140
Speaker 1: way we spread it

651
00:17:24,650 --> 00:17:26,250
Speaker 1: was probably not the

652
00:17:26,430 --> 00:17:27,650
Speaker 1: recommended, but we didn't know

653
00:17:27,650 --> 00:17:28,450
Speaker 1: any better at the time.

654
00:17:28,549 --> 00:17:29,349
Speaker 1: So

655
00:17:29,579 --> 00:17:31,000
Speaker 1: we

656
00:17:31,470 --> 00:17:32,529
Speaker 1: changed how we applied our

657
00:17:32,529 --> 00:17:34,069
Speaker 1: manure, we covered more acres at

658
00:17:34,069 --> 00:17:34,869
Speaker 1: a lower rate.

659
00:17:36,089 --> 00:17:38,430
Speaker 1: And between how we were applying

660
00:17:38,430 --> 00:17:39,609
Speaker 1: our manure now and the fertility

661
00:17:39,609 --> 00:17:41,109
Speaker 1: we had in our soil, the co -op

662
00:17:41,109 --> 00:17:42,750
Speaker 1: still wanted to build up a P and

663
00:17:42,750 --> 00:17:43,829
Speaker 1: K with

664
00:17:44,619 --> 00:17:45,579
Speaker 1: dry commercial.

665
00:17:47,059 --> 00:17:47,980
Speaker 1: And I pretty much told him

666
00:17:47,980 --> 00:17:48,779
Speaker 1: that's going to be the end of

667
00:17:48,579 --> 00:17:50,200
Speaker 1: that. Because I was going off, I

668
00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:51,039
Speaker 1: was just researching,

669
00:17:51,380 --> 00:17:52,180
Speaker 1: you know,

670
00:17:52,490 --> 00:17:54,470
Speaker 1: extension recommendations off P

671
00:17:54,470 --> 00:17:55,269
Speaker 1: &K.

672
00:17:55,150 --> 00:17:57,289
Speaker 1: You can expect this yield if you

673
00:17:57,289 --> 00:17:58,809
Speaker 1: have this fertility built up on

674
00:17:58,809 --> 00:17:59,609
Speaker 1: your soil.

675
00:17:59,569 --> 00:18:01,049
Speaker 1: And with manure applications,

676
00:18:01,410 --> 00:18:02,549
Speaker 1: I said, we're going to be done

677
00:18:02,549 --> 00:18:03,349
Speaker 1: with P &K.

678
00:18:03,730 --> 00:18:04,769
Speaker 1: And we haven't bought any

679
00:18:04,769 --> 00:18:06,650
Speaker 1: commercial P &K since 2018.

680
00:18:08,750 --> 00:18:09,549
Speaker 1: And

681
00:18:10,069 --> 00:18:11,529
Speaker 1: if I didn't question that

682
00:18:11,529 --> 00:18:13,089
Speaker 1: theory, we'd still be buying

683
00:18:13,089 --> 00:18:15,390
Speaker 1: probably $40, $50 an acre worth

684
00:18:15,390 --> 00:18:16,869
Speaker 1: of P &K up till today yet.

685
00:18:17,849 --> 00:18:18,930
Speaker 1: And you take that times 1000

686
00:18:18,930 --> 00:18:19,789
Speaker 1: acres, that's

687
00:18:20,299 --> 00:18:21,799
Speaker 1: Well, that's a pretty nice check

688
00:18:21,799 --> 00:18:23,640
Speaker 1: a guy can take and put somewhere

689
00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:25,220
Speaker 1: else to make improvements on the

690
00:18:25,220 --> 00:18:26,240
Speaker 1: farm. In

691
00:18:29,819 --> 00:18:31,519
Speaker 1: addition to changing

692
00:18:31,990 --> 00:18:34,710
Speaker 1: from tillage to no -till in the

693
00:18:34,710 --> 00:18:35,869
Speaker 1: P &K applications,

694
00:18:36,930 --> 00:18:38,529
Speaker 1: I was about to ask you about the

695
00:18:38,529 --> 00:18:39,849
Speaker 1: scope of the other changes that

696
00:18:39,849 --> 00:18:40,750
Speaker 1: you've made, the changes that

697
00:18:40,750 --> 00:18:42,009
Speaker 1: you've made over time, but maybe

698
00:18:42,009 --> 00:18:42,809
Speaker 1: to just

699
00:18:42,849 --> 00:18:44,509
Speaker 1: catch us right up to the moment

700
00:18:44,509 --> 00:18:45,630
Speaker 1: of where are you today?

701
00:18:45,730 --> 00:18:46,849
Speaker 1: What does your operation look

702
00:18:46,849 --> 00:18:47,649
Speaker 1: like today?

703
00:18:50,849 --> 00:18:52,049
Speaker 1: Well, if I could explain the

704
00:18:52,049 --> 00:18:52,849
Speaker 1: starting point,

705
00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:55,529
Speaker 1: that's one thing I struggled

706
00:18:55,529 --> 00:18:56,549
Speaker 1: with is

707
00:18:57,289 --> 00:18:58,450
Speaker 1: I mean, it's cool to hear our

708
00:18:58,450 --> 00:18:59,250
Speaker 1: story today,

709
00:18:59,269 --> 00:19:00,769
Speaker 1: but you need to understand how

710
00:19:00,769 --> 00:19:01,829
Speaker 1: you went from point A to point

711
00:19:01,829 --> 00:19:02,629
Speaker 1: B.

712
00:19:03,339 --> 00:19:04,900
Speaker 1: So this will probably answer

713
00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:05,960
Speaker 1: your question you asked me 10

714
00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:06,759
Speaker 1: minutes ago,

715
00:19:06,839 --> 00:19:07,639
Speaker 1: how we started.

716
00:19:09,349 --> 00:19:10,890
Speaker 1: But I think you get the grasp

717
00:19:10,890 --> 00:19:11,690
Speaker 1: that we were financially

718
00:19:11,609 --> 00:19:13,410
Speaker 1: struggling. There was like 10

719
00:19:13,410 --> 00:19:14,849
Speaker 1: bad things going against us.

720
00:19:15,009 --> 00:19:16,829
Speaker 1: it was not looking very healthy

721
00:19:16,829 --> 00:19:17,629
Speaker 1: for me to farm.

722
00:19:17,609 --> 00:19:19,710
Speaker 1: So we decided to make the change

723
00:19:19,710 --> 00:19:21,430
Speaker 1: in 2016. We, I just said, this

724
00:19:21,430 --> 00:19:22,769
Speaker 1: is enough. We have to do

725
00:19:22,769 --> 00:19:23,569
Speaker 1: something different.

726
00:19:24,069 --> 00:19:25,490
Speaker 1: And we had nothing to really to

727
00:19:25,490 --> 00:19:26,529
Speaker 1: start with besides what we

728
00:19:26,529 --> 00:19:27,349
Speaker 1: currently had. And

729
00:19:28,619 --> 00:19:30,859
Speaker 1: that was the first year I

730
00:19:32,170 --> 00:19:35,509
Speaker 1: went to a winter conference and

731
00:19:35,509 --> 00:19:36,470
Speaker 1: I just

732
00:19:36,779 --> 00:19:38,119
Speaker 1: want to learn if I could, if

733
00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:38,940
Speaker 1: there's something I'm missing,

734
00:19:39,039 --> 00:19:40,400
Speaker 1: if I can talk to somebody and,

735
00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:41,200
Speaker 1: you

736
00:19:41,940 --> 00:19:42,740
Speaker 1: know, This conference was

737
00:19:42,660 --> 00:19:44,960
Speaker 1: irrelevant to the conversation I

738
00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:45,940
Speaker 1: had with this farmer at

739
00:19:45,940 --> 00:19:46,740
Speaker 1: lunchtime.

740
00:19:47,079 --> 00:19:47,879
Speaker 1: I just sat down,

741
00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:49,759
Speaker 1: this farmer started talking to

742
00:19:49,759 --> 00:19:50,799
Speaker 1: me and he said he was doing

743
00:19:50,799 --> 00:19:52,220
Speaker 1: strip till since 1985.

744
00:19:53,500 --> 00:19:54,960
Speaker 1: And I thought, wow, this guy is

745
00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:56,240
Speaker 1: a seasoned veteran,

746
00:19:56,700 --> 00:19:57,599
Speaker 1: he's been doing strip till since

747
00:19:57,599 --> 00:19:58,399
Speaker 1: 1985.

748
00:19:59,140 --> 00:20:00,680
Speaker 1: So I just talked his ear off the

749
00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:01,900
Speaker 1: whole lunchtime, got his number

750
00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:02,700
Speaker 1: and

751
00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:04,799
Speaker 1: He wanted to sell me his,

752
00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:06,700
Speaker 1: it was a John Deere corn

753
00:20:06,700 --> 00:20:08,019
Speaker 1: planter. He retrofit into a

754
00:20:08,019 --> 00:20:08,819
Speaker 1: strip till bar.

755
00:20:09,079 --> 00:20:10,180
Speaker 1: And he said he was going to sell

756
00:20:10,180 --> 00:20:11,559
Speaker 1: it to me for 1500 bucks because

757
00:20:11,559 --> 00:20:12,839
Speaker 1: he wanted to, he finally could

758
00:20:12,839 --> 00:20:13,639
Speaker 1: afford a new one.

759
00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:14,579
Speaker 1: He said he wanted to upgrade.

760
00:20:15,259 --> 00:20:16,059
Speaker 1: I thought this would be,

761
00:20:16,380 --> 00:20:17,660
Speaker 1: this is my golden egg ticket.

762
00:20:17,740 --> 00:20:19,119
Speaker 1: I can take this home to dad and

763
00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:20,759
Speaker 1: this is what's going to save the

764
00:20:20,759 --> 00:20:22,200
Speaker 1: farm. Hopefully we can cut back

765
00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:23,859
Speaker 1: on fertilizer and tractors and

766
00:20:24,069 --> 00:20:25,470
Speaker 1: whatnot. So I

767
00:20:26,039 --> 00:20:27,579
Speaker 1: went home that afternoon and

768
00:20:27,579 --> 00:20:29,960
Speaker 1: told dad and he pretty much told

769
00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:31,140
Speaker 1: me that

770
00:20:31,490 --> 00:20:32,690
Speaker 1: is not going to happen.

771
00:20:34,950 --> 00:20:35,750
Speaker 1: He's like,

772
00:20:36,049 --> 00:20:37,089
Speaker 1: keep dreaming about that idea

773
00:20:37,089 --> 00:20:37,889
Speaker 1: pretty much.

774
00:20:38,609 --> 00:20:40,369
Speaker 1: So stubborn as I am,

775
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:42,500
Speaker 1: I don't like being told no, but

776
00:20:42,500 --> 00:20:43,599
Speaker 1: I think this is the one time I'm

777
00:20:43,599 --> 00:20:44,960
Speaker 1: glad dad did tell me no.

778
00:20:45,279 --> 00:20:46,180
Speaker 1: Because if you would have told

779
00:20:46,180 --> 00:20:47,240
Speaker 1: me yes, I probably got

780
00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:49,119
Speaker 1: suckered in

781
00:20:49,500 --> 00:20:50,519
Speaker 1: on the strip till route.

782
00:20:52,039 --> 00:20:53,160
Speaker 1: So between that winter,

783
00:20:53,559 --> 00:20:54,599
Speaker 1: I was just having conversations

784
00:20:54,599 --> 00:20:56,579
Speaker 1: with dad and Jake and the family

785
00:20:56,579 --> 00:20:57,379
Speaker 1: here and

786
00:20:57,730 --> 00:20:59,470
Speaker 1: researching things online.

787
00:21:00,079 --> 00:21:01,779
Speaker 1: We agreed as a family mutually

788
00:21:01,779 --> 00:21:02,579
Speaker 1: that we

789
00:21:03,269 --> 00:21:05,049
Speaker 1: would custom hire no -till beans

790
00:21:05,049 --> 00:21:06,670
Speaker 1: out in the spring of 2017.

791
00:21:07,490 --> 00:21:09,190
Speaker 1: from a farmer in our area that

792
00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:10,380
Speaker 1: does know what they're doing.

793
00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,940
Speaker 1: And we planted 400 acres of no

794
00:21:14,940 --> 00:21:16,180
Speaker 1: -till soybeans, hired it out,

795
00:21:16,279 --> 00:21:18,059
Speaker 1: and we also planted 100 acres

796
00:21:18,059 --> 00:21:19,440
Speaker 1: conventionally ourselves like we

797
00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:20,240
Speaker 1: normally would do.

798
00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:21,980
Speaker 1: And then our corn acres,

799
00:21:22,599 --> 00:21:24,019
Speaker 1: we started doing reduced tillage

800
00:21:24,019 --> 00:21:24,819
Speaker 1: on.

801
00:21:25,740 --> 00:21:27,079
Speaker 1: So fast forward that fall in

802
00:21:27,079 --> 00:21:27,879
Speaker 1: 2017,

803
00:21:28,500 --> 00:21:29,619
Speaker 1: between the no -till soybeans

804
00:21:29,619 --> 00:21:31,480
Speaker 1: and our conventionally planted

805
00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:32,859
Speaker 1: soybeans, there was a zero yield

806
00:21:32,859 --> 00:21:33,659
Speaker 1: difference.

807
00:21:35,099 --> 00:21:35,899
Speaker 1: And we had a,

808
00:21:36,380 --> 00:21:38,980
Speaker 1: like we spent $22 an acre to get

809
00:21:38,980 --> 00:21:40,799
Speaker 1: those soybeans custom no tilled.

810
00:21:42,789 --> 00:21:43,809
Speaker 1: So that's kind of like when the,

811
00:21:43,809 --> 00:21:44,609
Speaker 1: the

812
00:21:44,589 --> 00:21:46,450
Speaker 1: aha or the light bulb went off

813
00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:48,480
Speaker 1: for 22 bucks an acre.

814
00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:49,440
Speaker 1: I

815
00:21:49,329 --> 00:21:50,309
Speaker 1: can no till soybeans.

816
00:21:50,410 --> 00:21:51,609
Speaker 1: I don't have to sock chop,

817
00:21:51,730 --> 00:21:53,049
Speaker 1: chisel plow, pick rocks,

818
00:21:53,549 --> 00:21:55,569
Speaker 1: field cultivate or disc or roll

819
00:21:55,569 --> 00:21:56,369
Speaker 1: and plant.

820
00:21:56,970 --> 00:21:58,910
Speaker 1: Like you're talking eight passes

821
00:21:58,910 --> 00:22:00,670
Speaker 1: down to one for a $22 an acre

822
00:22:00,670 --> 00:22:01,470
Speaker 1: check,

823
00:22:01,630 --> 00:22:02,430
Speaker 1: sign us up.

824
00:22:03,390 --> 00:22:04,190
Speaker 1: So

825
00:22:04,079 --> 00:22:05,359
Speaker 1: I

826
00:22:07,140 --> 00:22:07,980
Speaker 1: think we, I

827
00:22:08,329 --> 00:22:09,129
Speaker 1: think we spent.

828
00:22:09,529 --> 00:22:11,569
Speaker 1: It was like almost $9 ,000 to

829
00:22:11,569 --> 00:22:13,869
Speaker 1: get those acres of no tilt for

830
00:22:13,869 --> 00:22:14,669
Speaker 1: us.

831
00:22:15,519 --> 00:22:17,339
Speaker 1: And we would have spent way more

832
00:22:17,339 --> 00:22:18,139
Speaker 1: than that if we did it

833
00:22:18,099 --> 00:22:19,259
Speaker 1: ourselves. But then I kind of

834
00:22:19,259 --> 00:22:20,460
Speaker 1: told that I said, if we have $9

835
00:22:20,460 --> 00:22:22,500
Speaker 1: ,000 to hire this out, I said,

836
00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:24,319
Speaker 1: don't you think we could spend

837
00:22:24,319 --> 00:22:25,900
Speaker 1: $10 ,000 on our planner every

838
00:22:25,900 --> 00:22:26,700
Speaker 1: year?

839
00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:28,279
Speaker 1: And he said,

840
00:22:28,369 --> 00:22:29,970
Speaker 1: essentially, yeah, there'll be

841
00:22:29,970 --> 00:22:31,630
Speaker 1: no difference. So for

842
00:22:32,170 --> 00:22:33,130
Speaker 1: $4 ,000,

843
00:22:33,970 --> 00:22:35,650
Speaker 1: we bought spike closing wheels,

844
00:22:35,769 --> 00:22:36,569
Speaker 1: and I bought

845
00:22:36,579 --> 00:22:38,480
Speaker 1: four and a half inch caster

846
00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:39,440
Speaker 1: gauge wheels for our row

847
00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:40,240
Speaker 1: cleaners.

848
00:22:40,630 --> 00:22:42,269
Speaker 1: And I just pulled out the pins.

849
00:22:42,819 --> 00:22:43,660
Speaker 1: on our row cleaners.

850
00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:44,519
Speaker 1: So I just made,

851
00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:46,000
Speaker 1: I call it four man's floating

852
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:46,799
Speaker 1: row cleaners.

853
00:22:47,039 --> 00:22:48,880
Speaker 1: And I maxed out the springs on

854
00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:49,680
Speaker 1: our corn planter.

855
00:22:49,740 --> 00:22:51,259
Speaker 1: And I was able to no -till all

856
00:22:51,259 --> 00:22:53,359
Speaker 1: our soybeans from 2018 to

857
00:22:53,859 --> 00:22:55,920
Speaker 1: 2021 off

858
00:22:56,299 --> 00:22:57,519
Speaker 1: a $4 ,000 investment.

859
00:22:58,599 --> 00:22:59,579
Speaker 1: And then we

860
00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:01,759
Speaker 1: did zero fall tillage.

861
00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:03,839
Speaker 1: We only did one light disk pass

862
00:23:03,839 --> 00:23:04,980
Speaker 1: in the spring for a corn acre.

863
00:23:05,059 --> 00:23:07,420
Speaker 1: to work in manure and nitrogen.

864
00:23:08,319 --> 00:23:09,279
Speaker 1: And that was kind

865
00:23:09,619 --> 00:23:11,500
Speaker 1: of what started us on this whole

866
00:23:11,500 --> 00:23:14,220
Speaker 1: journey until up to where we are

867
00:23:14,220 --> 00:23:15,019
Speaker 1: today.

868
00:23:16,990 --> 00:23:18,410
Speaker 1: So to come back to the question,

869
00:23:18,529 --> 00:23:19,329
Speaker 1: where are you today?

870
00:23:22,180 --> 00:23:24,700
Speaker 1: We are 100 % no -till

871
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,099
Speaker 1: with adding cover crops where we

872
00:23:28,099 --> 00:23:28,899
Speaker 1: can.

873
00:23:29,910 --> 00:23:30,869
Speaker 1: We've implemented a nutrient

874
00:23:30,869 --> 00:23:32,130
Speaker 1: management plan, manure

875
00:23:32,130 --> 00:23:32,930
Speaker 1: management plan,

876
00:23:33,289 --> 00:23:34,450
Speaker 1: irrigation management plan.

877
00:23:35,410 --> 00:23:36,910
Speaker 1: We bought a drone to intercede

878
00:23:36,910 --> 00:23:37,769
Speaker 1: and foliar feed.

879
00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:40,759
Speaker 1: We've started composting at

880
00:23:41,930 --> 00:23:42,730
Speaker 1: a large scale.

881
00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:44,859
Speaker 1: We're running compost extract

882
00:23:44,859 --> 00:23:45,740
Speaker 1: and furrow this year.

883
00:23:48,819 --> 00:23:49,859
Speaker 1: What does the livestock side of

884
00:23:49,859 --> 00:23:50,740
Speaker 1: your operation look like?

885
00:23:50,799 --> 00:23:52,059
Speaker 1: How many, how many livestock are

886
00:23:52,059 --> 00:23:52,859
Speaker 1: you running?

887
00:23:54,750 --> 00:23:56,829
Speaker 1: We have 80 milk cows and we feed

888
00:23:56,829 --> 00:23:58,230
Speaker 1: out about 250,

889
00:23:58,589 --> 00:23:59,589
Speaker 1: 300 steers a year.

890
00:24:00,069 --> 00:24:00,869
Speaker 1: And

891
00:24:00,900 --> 00:24:01,700
Speaker 1: I'm glad you brought that

892
00:24:01,700 --> 00:24:03,440
Speaker 1: question up because this is

893
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:04,240
Speaker 1: another

894
00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:06,500
Speaker 1: aha moment that happened for us

895
00:24:06,500 --> 00:24:08,019
Speaker 1: too. When we were full with

896
00:24:08,019 --> 00:24:09,380
Speaker 1: tillage, conventional farming,

897
00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:12,039
Speaker 1: I mean, it was vet bill after

898
00:24:12,039 --> 00:24:14,259
Speaker 1: vet bill, or sick calf, or this

899
00:24:14,259 --> 00:24:15,940
Speaker 1: cow had this issue, and it was

900
00:24:15,940 --> 00:24:17,400
Speaker 1: just out of control spending

901
00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:19,549
Speaker 1: with the vet. It was, you know,

902
00:24:19,630 --> 00:24:20,430
Speaker 1: milk fever,

903
00:24:20,650 --> 00:24:22,750
Speaker 1: ketosis,

904
00:24:23,230 --> 00:24:24,029
Speaker 1: you know,

905
00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:25,640
Speaker 1: warts on the cattle, and

906
00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:27,440
Speaker 1: mastitis, and respiratory issues

907
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,220
Speaker 1: on our calves. And it

908
00:24:29,599 --> 00:24:31,359
Speaker 1: felt like we were feeding more

909
00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:32,460
Speaker 1: medications and getting more

910
00:24:32,460 --> 00:24:33,880
Speaker 1: shots for our cattle than they

911
00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:34,680
Speaker 1: were doing any better.

912
00:24:35,579 --> 00:24:37,480
Speaker 1: But once we made the switch to,

913
00:24:38,140 --> 00:24:38,940
Speaker 1: you know,

914
00:24:39,109 --> 00:24:40,329
Speaker 1: no -till soybeans, reduced

915
00:24:40,329 --> 00:24:41,589
Speaker 1: tillage on our corn acres,

916
00:24:43,039 --> 00:24:45,200
Speaker 1: And once we implemented no -till

917
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:46,539
Speaker 1: on all our acres and that it

918
00:24:46,539 --> 00:24:47,539
Speaker 1: started adding cover crops,

919
00:24:47,619 --> 00:24:48,419
Speaker 1: there was like, I don't know

920
00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:49,259
Speaker 1: what year it was, but there was

921
00:24:49,259 --> 00:24:51,380
Speaker 1: that sweet turning spot where I

922
00:24:51,660 --> 00:24:53,039
Speaker 1: think our soil started to change

923
00:24:53,039 --> 00:24:53,839
Speaker 1: for the better.

924
00:24:55,130 --> 00:24:55,930
Speaker 1: And my

925
00:24:56,670 --> 00:24:58,289
Speaker 1: gut feeling is our soil changed.

926
00:24:59,259 --> 00:25:00,059
Speaker 1: It was healthier.

927
00:25:00,750 --> 00:25:01,950
Speaker 1: We were harvesting healthier

928
00:25:01,950 --> 00:25:03,349
Speaker 1: crops, our grain, our corn

929
00:25:03,349 --> 00:25:04,730
Speaker 1: silage, our alfalfa,

930
00:25:05,460 --> 00:25:07,299
Speaker 1: our forages. And then in return,

931
00:25:07,380 --> 00:25:08,180
Speaker 1: we were feeding that to our

932
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:08,960
Speaker 1: cattle.

933
00:25:09,539 --> 00:25:12,019
Speaker 1: And we hardly have any

934
00:25:12,460 --> 00:25:14,200
Speaker 1: veterinary expenses anymore.

935
00:25:14,970 --> 00:25:16,789
Speaker 1: I'm not saying we don't, but

936
00:25:17,230 --> 00:25:18,250
Speaker 1: it's nothing,

937
00:25:18,829 --> 00:25:21,210
Speaker 1: nowhere near what it was 10

938
00:25:21,210 --> 00:25:22,009
Speaker 1: years ago.

939
00:25:23,180 --> 00:25:24,400
Speaker 1: And I can't explain it besides

940
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:25,299
Speaker 1: other than it

941
00:25:25,839 --> 00:25:26,960
Speaker 1: seemed like we fixed the soil

942
00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:27,759
Speaker 1: and

943
00:25:28,099 --> 00:25:28,899
Speaker 1: then fixed the cattle.

944
00:25:31,309 --> 00:25:32,950
Speaker 1: So let's dig into that a little

945
00:25:32,950 --> 00:25:34,450
Speaker 1: bit more. When you say you fixed

946
00:25:34,450 --> 00:25:35,250
Speaker 1: the soil,

947
00:25:35,390 --> 00:25:37,190
Speaker 1: you've described your manure

948
00:25:37,190 --> 00:25:39,279
Speaker 1: applications, you switch from

949
00:25:39,279 --> 00:25:40,619
Speaker 1: tillage to no -till, but usually

950
00:25:40,619 --> 00:25:41,799
Speaker 1: when I think about fixing the

951
00:25:41,799 --> 00:25:42,680
Speaker 1: soil, I think about

952
00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,799
Speaker 1: more things than just those two

953
00:25:46,210 --> 00:25:47,990
Speaker 1: things. What other changes did

954
00:25:47,990 --> 00:25:48,809
Speaker 1: you make? Did you make any

955
00:25:48,809 --> 00:25:49,609
Speaker 1: changes in

956
00:25:50,180 --> 00:25:51,819
Speaker 1: herbicide, fungicide

957
00:25:51,819 --> 00:25:52,920
Speaker 1: applications? Of course, you

958
00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:54,000
Speaker 1: also reduced your fertilizer

959
00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:55,299
Speaker 1: applications, which is not

960
00:25:55,299 --> 00:25:56,099
Speaker 1: insignificant.

961
00:25:56,559 --> 00:25:57,720
Speaker 1: What were the other changes that

962
00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:58,519
Speaker 1: were made?

963
00:25:59,250 --> 00:26:00,569
Speaker 1: In addition, kind of the follow

964
00:26:00,569 --> 00:26:02,130
Speaker 1: on question to that is how did

965
00:26:02,130 --> 00:26:04,630
Speaker 1: you see your soils health

966
00:26:04,630 --> 00:26:05,769
Speaker 1: characteristics improve?

967
00:26:08,220 --> 00:26:09,319
Speaker 1: Well, we'll take that one

968
00:26:09,319 --> 00:26:10,319
Speaker 1: question at a time here.

969
00:26:11,700 --> 00:26:13,160
Speaker 1: Well, you know, that goes back

970
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:13,960
Speaker 1: to

971
00:26:14,990 --> 00:26:17,549
Speaker 1: why I love the coalition.

972
00:26:17,730 --> 00:26:19,009
Speaker 1: I love people coming on our farm

973
00:26:19,009 --> 00:26:20,730
Speaker 1: because that's the only thing I

974
00:26:20,730 --> 00:26:21,529
Speaker 1: struggle with, too.

975
00:26:21,490 --> 00:26:22,289
Speaker 1: Like,

976
00:26:23,079 --> 00:26:24,720
Speaker 1: how do I know I'm doing a better

977
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:25,519
Speaker 1: job?

978
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:27,519
Speaker 1: Like, how can I see it?

979
00:26:28,779 --> 00:26:29,579
Speaker 1: I mean,

980
00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:31,900
Speaker 1: the only thing I knew was if I

981
00:26:31,900 --> 00:26:33,019
Speaker 1: get this, if I'm getting the

982
00:26:33,019 --> 00:26:34,480
Speaker 1: same yield as I am until

983
00:26:35,859 --> 00:26:36,859
Speaker 1: or when we were starting with

984
00:26:36,859 --> 00:26:38,220
Speaker 1: reduced till, my yields were

985
00:26:38,220 --> 00:26:39,819
Speaker 1: matching my conventional acres

986
00:26:39,819 --> 00:26:41,960
Speaker 1: in the past, that was a win for

987
00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:42,759
Speaker 1: us,

988
00:26:42,980 --> 00:26:44,240
Speaker 1: because our expenses went down,

989
00:26:44,339 --> 00:26:45,259
Speaker 1: our yields would stay the same.

990
00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:46,159
Speaker 1: So that was like

991
00:26:46,259 --> 00:26:47,059
Speaker 1: my,

992
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:48,000
Speaker 1: you know,

993
00:26:48,039 --> 00:26:48,839
Speaker 1: thumbs up,

994
00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:50,380
Speaker 1: this is working.

995
00:26:51,259 --> 00:26:52,339
Speaker 1: But if you would ask me 10 years

996
00:26:52,339 --> 00:26:53,579
Speaker 1: ago, what's the worm casting,

997
00:26:53,740 --> 00:26:55,180
Speaker 1: what soil aggregates, what's the

998
00:26:55,299 --> 00:26:56,440
Speaker 1: structure? What water

999
00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:57,859
Speaker 1: infiltration rates do you have?

1000
00:26:59,369 --> 00:27:00,630
Speaker 1: I told you, I have no idea.

1001
00:27:00,890 --> 00:27:01,690
Speaker 1: Like,

1002
00:27:01,799 --> 00:27:02,599
Speaker 1: I don't know what any of that

1003
00:27:02,279 --> 00:27:03,119
Speaker 1: stuff is. So,

1004
00:27:03,599 --> 00:27:04,980
Speaker 1: you know, once you get five

1005
00:27:04,980 --> 00:27:05,940
Speaker 1: years in this thing, you start

1006
00:27:05,940 --> 00:27:07,220
Speaker 1: talking to people, you have

1007
00:27:07,220 --> 00:27:08,799
Speaker 1: field days, people show up, like

1008
00:27:08,799 --> 00:27:11,200
Speaker 1: Ray Archuleta comes and similar,

1009
00:27:11,660 --> 00:27:13,460
Speaker 1: Stephanie McLean came over and,

1010
00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:14,940
Speaker 1: you know, the coalition helps

1011
00:27:14,940 --> 00:27:15,740
Speaker 1: you on a lot of stuff.

1012
00:27:15,740 --> 00:27:16,539
Speaker 1: They

1013
00:27:16,740 --> 00:27:17,539
Speaker 1: show you this stuff.

1014
00:27:17,519 --> 00:27:18,359
Speaker 1: This is what a midden looks

1015
00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:19,380
Speaker 1: like. That's what earthworm

1016
00:27:19,380 --> 00:27:20,680
Speaker 1: castings on top of soil looks

1017
00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:21,480
Speaker 1: like.

1018
00:27:21,380 --> 00:27:22,839
Speaker 1: This is what soil structure

1019
00:27:22,839 --> 00:27:23,639
Speaker 1: should look like.

1020
00:27:24,549 --> 00:27:25,930
Speaker 1: And all that stuff is there now.

1021
00:27:26,589 --> 00:27:27,389
Speaker 1: But if you don't know what

1022
00:27:27,369 --> 00:27:28,169
Speaker 1: you're looking for,

1023
00:27:28,769 --> 00:27:29,809
Speaker 1: you have no idea what you're

1024
00:27:29,809 --> 00:27:30,609
Speaker 1: supposed to be.

1025
00:27:31,710 --> 00:27:32,750
Speaker 1: If you don't know what you're

1026
00:27:32,750 --> 00:27:34,430
Speaker 1: looking for, it's hard to miss

1027
00:27:34,430 --> 00:27:35,230
Speaker 1: this stuff.

1028
00:27:36,009 --> 00:27:37,450
Speaker 1: But I can walk into our fields

1029
00:27:37,450 --> 00:27:38,250
Speaker 1: now.

1030
00:27:39,730 --> 00:27:42,079
Speaker 1: And my indication for

1031
00:27:42,609 --> 00:27:44,089
Speaker 1: a good sign in our field is if I

1032
00:27:44,089 --> 00:27:45,470
Speaker 1: can walk in our field, I can see

1033
00:27:45,470 --> 00:27:46,410
Speaker 1: castings on top.

1034
00:27:47,069 --> 00:27:48,869
Speaker 1: And I see the middens in the

1035
00:27:48,869 --> 00:27:50,390
Speaker 1: field where they're like the

1036
00:27:50,390 --> 00:27:51,450
Speaker 1: little teepees of

1037
00:27:52,009 --> 00:27:53,289
Speaker 1: the worms are just pulling all

1038
00:27:53,289 --> 00:27:54,369
Speaker 1: that residue. And if I can see

1039
00:27:54,369 --> 00:27:55,169
Speaker 1: those,

1040
00:27:55,349 --> 00:27:56,430
Speaker 1: to me, that tells me I'm going

1041
00:27:56,430 --> 00:27:57,230
Speaker 1: to do a good job.

1042
00:27:57,329 --> 00:27:58,309
Speaker 1: And if you take your speed of

1043
00:27:58,309 --> 00:28:00,250
Speaker 1: shovel, dig up a lot of

1044
00:28:00,660 --> 00:28:02,660
Speaker 1: soil and it's just full of

1045
00:28:03,349 --> 00:28:05,009
Speaker 1: worm channels and holes, you're

1046
00:28:05,009 --> 00:28:06,549
Speaker 1: just creating that giant sponge

1047
00:28:06,549 --> 00:28:08,069
Speaker 1: to have your water infiltration

1048
00:28:08,069 --> 00:28:08,950
Speaker 1: rates go

1049
00:28:09,329 --> 00:28:10,129
Speaker 1: down.

1050
00:28:13,410 --> 00:28:14,210
Speaker 1: And I'm sure there's a lot of

1051
00:28:14,190 --> 00:28:15,109
Speaker 1: other things that I'm forgetting

1052
00:28:15,109 --> 00:28:16,190
Speaker 1: about, but...

1053
00:28:17,589 --> 00:28:18,750
Speaker 1: How have your water infiltration

1054
00:28:18,750 --> 00:28:20,029
Speaker 1: rates changed? You're in a part

1055
00:28:20,029 --> 00:28:20,829
Speaker 1: of the country where that

1056
00:28:20,789 --> 00:28:21,589
Speaker 1: matters a great deal.

1057
00:28:24,319 --> 00:28:26,059
Speaker 1: Yeah, if I could, I have a

1058
00:28:26,059 --> 00:28:27,079
Speaker 1: perfect video of it.

1059
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:28,480
Speaker 1: If I could, I wonder if I could

1060
00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:31,420
Speaker 1: send you it, but this was last.

1061
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:32,599
Speaker 1: Is it, is it online anywhere?

1062
00:28:34,750 --> 00:28:36,920
Speaker 1: I could put it online if you

1063
00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:37,720
Speaker 1: want. Yeah, if you could put it

1064
00:28:37,660 --> 00:28:39,000
Speaker 1: online or share it with us and

1065
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:40,119
Speaker 1: we'll, we'll share it.

1066
00:28:40,180 --> 00:28:41,000
Speaker 1: We'll, we'll share it in the

1067
00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:41,880
Speaker 1: show notes so that people can

1068
00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:42,680
Speaker 1: see it.

1069
00:28:43,109 --> 00:28:43,909
Speaker 1: I mean, this,

1070
00:28:43,910 --> 00:28:46,009
Speaker 1: it does not get any more picture

1071
00:28:46,009 --> 00:28:47,690
Speaker 1: perfect than this example.

1072
00:28:47,890 --> 00:28:48,690
Speaker 1: It was,

1073
00:28:49,190 --> 00:28:50,210
Speaker 1: I was so happy when I saw it.

1074
00:28:51,230 --> 00:28:52,130
Speaker 1: but so

1075
00:28:52,569 --> 00:28:53,910
Speaker 1: I think it was, I

1076
00:28:54,730 --> 00:28:56,029
Speaker 1: took my wife out to supper one

1077
00:28:56,029 --> 00:28:57,849
Speaker 1: night and it was supposed to

1078
00:28:57,849 --> 00:28:58,649
Speaker 1: rain and

1079
00:28:59,210 --> 00:29:00,190
Speaker 1: then it kind of went away.

1080
00:29:00,309 --> 00:29:01,269
Speaker 1: But long story short,

1081
00:29:01,710 --> 00:29:02,849
Speaker 1: it was a severe thunderstorm.

1082
00:29:03,269 --> 00:29:05,009
Speaker 1: It was like hail and two inches

1083
00:29:05,009 --> 00:29:06,150
Speaker 1: of rain in a half hour.

1084
00:29:06,230 --> 00:29:07,049
Speaker 1: It was just insane.

1085
00:29:07,910 --> 00:29:09,190
Speaker 1: And then we were already out.

1086
00:29:09,210 --> 00:29:10,009
Speaker 1: So I was like, well, we might as

1087
00:29:09,950 --> 00:29:10,890
Speaker 1: well drive around quick.

1088
00:29:10,950 --> 00:29:12,210
Speaker 1: See if there's any storm damage

1089
00:29:12,210 --> 00:29:13,329
Speaker 1: and see how the fields look.

1090
00:29:13,390 --> 00:29:14,269
Speaker 1: And we

1091
00:29:15,289 --> 00:29:16,829
Speaker 1: literally drove by.

1092
00:29:17,380 --> 00:29:18,180
Speaker 1: one of our neighbors'

1093
00:29:18,380 --> 00:29:19,180
Speaker 1: conventional field.

1094
00:29:19,299 --> 00:29:20,500
Speaker 1: He probably planted a week later

1095
00:29:20,500 --> 00:29:22,519
Speaker 1: than us, but I'm talking more

1096
00:29:22,519 --> 00:29:23,319
Speaker 1: bowl plowing,

1097
00:29:24,180 --> 00:29:25,519
Speaker 1: disking, field cultivating,

1098
00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:26,519
Speaker 1: packing,

1099
00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:27,279
Speaker 1: and planting.

1100
00:29:28,339 --> 00:29:29,299
Speaker 1: And there

1101
00:29:30,410 --> 00:29:32,329
Speaker 1: was water standing from one

1102
00:29:32,329 --> 00:29:34,599
Speaker 1: headland all the way to the

1103
00:29:34,599 --> 00:29:36,250
Speaker 1: other headland, like there's a

1104
00:29:36,250 --> 00:29:37,049
Speaker 1: lake.

1105
00:29:38,029 --> 00:29:38,829
Speaker 1: And the

1106
00:29:39,170 --> 00:29:40,410
Speaker 1: only thing that splits his field

1107
00:29:40,410 --> 00:29:42,329
Speaker 1: apart in our field was a tree

1108
00:29:42,329 --> 00:29:43,129
Speaker 1: line.

1109
00:29:44,119 --> 00:29:45,119
Speaker 1: Like these fields are literally

1110
00:29:45,119 --> 00:29:46,380
Speaker 1: butted up to each other beside

1111
00:29:46,380 --> 00:29:47,599
Speaker 1: the tree line. And when you go,

1112
00:29:47,740 --> 00:29:49,460
Speaker 1: when you go past our no -tilled

1113
00:29:49,460 --> 00:29:50,599
Speaker 1: cover crop field,

1114
00:29:51,940 --> 00:29:53,759
Speaker 1: there was zero water standing in

1115
00:29:53,759 --> 00:29:54,559
Speaker 1: our field.

1116
00:29:55,390 --> 00:29:57,319
Speaker 1: So I think that shows us that

1117
00:29:57,319 --> 00:29:58,420
Speaker 1: our water infiltrated.

1118
00:29:58,579 --> 00:29:59,680
Speaker 1: Maybe that's because, maybe

1119
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:00,740
Speaker 1: that's because it all ran off

1120
00:30:00,740 --> 00:30:01,539
Speaker 1: already.

1121
00:30:02,130 --> 00:30:03,049
Speaker 1: That's what they say.

1122
00:30:07,039 --> 00:30:08,259
Speaker 1: Well, I mean, that was,

1123
00:30:08,700 --> 00:30:10,079
Speaker 1: I mean, it was, you can't get

1124
00:30:10,079 --> 00:30:11,019
Speaker 1: any more black and white than

1125
00:30:11,019 --> 00:30:12,480
Speaker 1: that. Like I had water standing

1126
00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:13,680
Speaker 1: from one end to the next and you

1127
00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:14,680
Speaker 1: drive by, you know, a hundred

1128
00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:16,049
Speaker 1: feet into our field,

1129
00:30:16,490 --> 00:30:17,589
Speaker 1: just down the road, it's been in

1130
00:30:17,589 --> 00:30:18,430
Speaker 1: the tree line and it's,

1131
00:30:19,430 --> 00:30:20,269
Speaker 1: there's no water there.

1132
00:30:20,390 --> 00:30:21,509
Speaker 1: It all infiltrated down.

1133
00:30:23,509 --> 00:30:24,750
Speaker 1: Two inches in 30 minutes.

1134
00:30:24,890 --> 00:30:25,930
Speaker 1: That's four inches per hour.

1135
00:30:26,029 --> 00:30:26,829
Speaker 1: That's pretty good.

1136
00:30:28,829 --> 00:30:29,970
Speaker 1: You kept all of that without

1137
00:30:29,970 --> 00:30:31,029
Speaker 1: having it run down the river.

1138
00:30:33,730 --> 00:30:34,529
Speaker 1: Plan

1139
00:30:34,779 --> 00:30:36,299
Speaker 1: for that water bank.

1140
00:30:37,099 --> 00:30:37,899
Speaker 1: Yeah.

1141
00:30:38,089 --> 00:30:39,130
Speaker 1: But then too, if you don't have

1142
00:30:39,130 --> 00:30:40,430
Speaker 1: water in your profile, that's,

1143
00:30:40,490 --> 00:30:41,289
Speaker 1: you know,

1144
00:30:41,170 --> 00:30:43,289
Speaker 1: a fourth to a third of the soil

1145
00:30:43,289 --> 00:30:44,089
Speaker 1: is water.

1146
00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:47,420
Speaker 1: I had

1147
00:30:48,180 --> 00:30:49,640
Speaker 1: asked you about your livestock.

1148
00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:51,559
Speaker 1: We spoke about your livestock a

1149
00:30:51,559 --> 00:30:52,359
Speaker 1: little bit.

1150
00:30:52,789 --> 00:30:53,630
Speaker 1: How has your livestock

1151
00:30:53,630 --> 00:30:55,450
Speaker 1: management changed in terms of

1152
00:30:55,730 --> 00:30:57,549
Speaker 1: you have both dairy cows and you

1153
00:30:57,549 --> 00:30:58,349
Speaker 1: have

1154
00:30:58,339 --> 00:30:59,980
Speaker 1: some beef. Were those

1155
00:30:59,980 --> 00:31:00,980
Speaker 1: historically confinement?

1156
00:31:01,220 --> 00:31:02,160
Speaker 1: Are they still confinement?

1157
00:31:02,359 --> 00:31:03,359
Speaker 1: Are you doing any grazing with

1158
00:31:03,359 --> 00:31:04,159
Speaker 1: those?

1159
00:31:05,990 --> 00:31:06,789
Speaker 1: Yeah.

1160
00:31:07,069 --> 00:31:07,869
Speaker 1: I

1161
00:31:08,029 --> 00:31:08,910
Speaker 1: mean, it's not ideal.

1162
00:31:09,460 --> 00:31:10,900
Speaker 1: We're not set up to graze.

1163
00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:13,759
Speaker 1: I would love to graze, but I

1164
00:31:13,759 --> 00:31:14,559
Speaker 1: don't

1165
00:31:15,319 --> 00:31:16,279
Speaker 1: like to make excuses,

1166
00:31:16,599 --> 00:31:17,399
Speaker 1: but it just

1167
00:31:18,170 --> 00:31:19,309
Speaker 1: wouldn't work for us.

1168
00:31:19,390 --> 00:31:21,230
Speaker 1: A lot of our fields we farm are,

1169
00:31:21,630 --> 00:31:22,990
Speaker 1: we farm extremely residential,

1170
00:31:24,009 --> 00:31:25,410
Speaker 1: you know, 20, 30 acre fields,

1171
00:31:25,529 --> 00:31:27,130
Speaker 1: and every field we farm has a

1172
00:31:27,130 --> 00:31:28,230
Speaker 1: major road next to it.

1173
00:31:28,470 --> 00:31:29,930
Speaker 1: And I mean, we have over 100

1174
00:31:29,930 --> 00:31:31,470
Speaker 1: ,000 people that live around

1175
00:31:31,470 --> 00:31:33,109
Speaker 1: five to 10 miles from our farm.

1176
00:31:33,230 --> 00:31:34,029
Speaker 1: And it,

1177
00:31:34,470 --> 00:31:36,740
Speaker 1: to me, it's not worth killing

1178
00:31:36,740 --> 00:31:38,579
Speaker 1: somebody if a cattle got out and

1179
00:31:38,579 --> 00:31:39,379
Speaker 1: it,

1180
00:31:39,990 --> 00:31:42,230
Speaker 1: the risk is not worth that extra

1181
00:31:42,230 --> 00:31:44,509
Speaker 1: soil benefit. So to compensate

1182
00:31:44,509 --> 00:31:46,069
Speaker 1: for that, that's why we're

1183
00:31:46,069 --> 00:31:47,589
Speaker 1: getting into composting.

1184
00:31:48,509 --> 00:31:49,589
Speaker 1: We implement the better manure

1185
00:31:49,589 --> 00:31:50,450
Speaker 1: management plan.

1186
00:31:50,789 --> 00:31:53,589
Speaker 1: I'm trying to do the second next

1187
00:31:53,829 --> 00:31:57,230
Speaker 1: best thing as I can to hopefully

1188
00:31:57,230 --> 00:31:59,230
Speaker 1: mimic the hoof on the ground.

1189
00:32:00,210 --> 00:32:01,490
Speaker 1: And we're starting to get more

1190
00:32:01,490 --> 00:32:02,849
Speaker 1: aggressive with cover crops,

1191
00:32:05,130 --> 00:32:06,690
Speaker 1: old alfalfa under reparation.

1192
00:32:06,809 --> 00:32:08,230
Speaker 1: I would like to start planning a

1193
00:32:08,230 --> 00:32:09,890
Speaker 1: multi -species forage mix.

1194
00:32:10,750 --> 00:32:11,950
Speaker 1: I could harvest every year,

1195
00:32:12,490 --> 00:32:14,490
Speaker 1: just get new diversity into our

1196
00:32:14,490 --> 00:32:16,890
Speaker 1: rotation and give my cattle some

1197
00:32:16,890 --> 00:32:17,710
Speaker 1: diversity too.

1198
00:32:18,839 --> 00:32:20,920
Speaker 1: So I'm trying to do the best we

1199
00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:22,180
Speaker 1: can with the current

1200
00:32:22,359 --> 00:32:23,819
Speaker 1: infrastructure we have on our

1201
00:32:23,819 --> 00:32:24,619
Speaker 1: farm

1202
00:32:24,519 --> 00:32:25,319
Speaker 1: that way.

1203
00:32:25,549 --> 00:32:26,349
Speaker 1: Yeah.

1204
00:32:26,339 --> 00:32:27,779
Speaker 1: You mentioned at one point in

1205
00:32:27,779 --> 00:32:28,740
Speaker 1: the conversation that you're

1206
00:32:28,740 --> 00:32:30,599
Speaker 1: starting to, you spoke about the

1207
00:32:30,599 --> 00:32:31,700
Speaker 1: composting. You mentioned that

1208
00:32:31,700 --> 00:32:32,980
Speaker 1: you're doing compost extract in

1209
00:32:32,980 --> 00:32:33,779
Speaker 1: the planter this spring.

1210
00:32:36,460 --> 00:32:37,259
Speaker 1: I am.

1211
00:32:37,819 --> 00:32:38,839
Speaker 1: It's going to be, we're being

1212
00:32:38,839 --> 00:32:39,759
Speaker 1: learned as I go here.

1213
00:32:39,900 --> 00:32:41,720
Speaker 1: So. So composting is a new fun

1214
00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:42,619
Speaker 1: adventure for us.

1215
00:32:44,799 --> 00:32:46,859
Speaker 1: We're doing that because I think

1216
00:32:46,859 --> 00:32:48,519
Speaker 1: that's going to help us mimic

1217
00:32:48,519 --> 00:32:50,910
Speaker 1: the cattle, I think, with new

1218
00:32:50,910 --> 00:32:52,410
Speaker 1: diversity, since I can't get

1219
00:32:52,410 --> 00:32:53,210
Speaker 1: hoofs on the ground.

1220
00:32:53,109 --> 00:32:53,909
Speaker 1: So that's why we got into

1221
00:32:53,769 --> 00:32:54,849
Speaker 1: composting, because I wanted to

1222
00:32:54,849 --> 00:32:56,869
Speaker 1: build that fungal level up in

1223
00:32:56,869 --> 00:32:57,829
Speaker 1: our fields, because we're all

1224
00:32:57,829 --> 00:32:59,599
Speaker 1: every field we have is probably

1225
00:32:59,599 --> 00:33:00,500
Speaker 1: bacteria dominant.

1226
00:33:01,410 --> 00:33:02,250
Speaker 1: So that's another reason why we

1227
00:33:02,250 --> 00:33:03,890
Speaker 1: got into composting was just to

1228
00:33:03,890 --> 00:33:05,029
Speaker 1: bring that new diversity of that

1229
00:33:05,029 --> 00:33:06,430
Speaker 1: fungal species in our field and

1230
00:33:07,150 --> 00:33:08,670
Speaker 1: So we started composting wood

1231
00:33:08,670 --> 00:33:10,849
Speaker 1: chips and I

1232
00:33:11,420 --> 00:33:13,619
Speaker 1: inoculated it with mushroom

1233
00:33:13,619 --> 00:33:15,279
Speaker 1: substrate from a local mushroom

1234
00:33:15,279 --> 00:33:16,079
Speaker 1: farmer.

1235
00:33:16,799 --> 00:33:18,839
Speaker 1: And I've seen some pretty good

1236
00:33:18,839 --> 00:33:19,639
Speaker 1: results with that.

1237
00:33:19,619 --> 00:33:20,460
Speaker 1: It's not done yet.

1238
00:33:21,529 --> 00:33:22,970
Speaker 1: So that's why we're going to go

1239
00:33:22,970 --> 00:33:24,869
Speaker 1: with the vermicompost extract

1240
00:33:24,869 --> 00:33:27,400
Speaker 1: and furrow this spring since our

1241
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:28,460
Speaker 1: compost is not done.

1242
00:33:30,289 --> 00:33:31,329
Speaker 1: I guess we're to the point where

1243
00:33:31,329 --> 00:33:32,390
Speaker 1: I'm done making excuses.

1244
00:33:32,549 --> 00:33:33,990
Speaker 1: I guess I want to, you know,

1245
00:33:34,069 --> 00:33:35,269
Speaker 1: stay progressive at this.

1246
00:33:35,470 --> 00:33:36,890
Speaker 1: I always say we'll try it next

1247
00:33:36,890 --> 00:33:37,690
Speaker 1: year.

1248
00:33:37,759 --> 00:33:38,720
Speaker 1: I'm trying to get rid of that

1249
00:33:38,930 --> 00:33:39,730
Speaker 1: mentality.

1250
00:33:39,890 --> 00:33:40,690
Speaker 1: So.

1251
00:33:41,579 --> 00:33:42,500
Speaker 1: We are definitely learning

1252
00:33:42,500 --> 00:33:43,339
Speaker 1: compost as we go.

1253
00:33:43,579 --> 00:33:44,819
Speaker 1: So it's very, it's a very

1254
00:33:44,819 --> 00:33:46,779
Speaker 1: complex operation,

1255
00:33:47,450 --> 00:33:48,569
Speaker 1: trying to understand compost and

1256
00:33:48,569 --> 00:33:49,710
Speaker 1: the biology and the fungi.

1257
00:33:50,740 --> 00:33:51,759
Speaker 1: All right. Let's explore that

1258
00:33:51,759 --> 00:33:52,559
Speaker 1: for just a little bit.

1259
00:33:52,599 --> 00:33:53,519
Speaker 1: If you're trying to get rid of

1260
00:33:53,519 --> 00:33:54,859
Speaker 1: the excuse of you'll try it next

1261
00:33:54,859 --> 00:33:55,859
Speaker 1: year, that means you're trying

1262
00:33:55,859 --> 00:33:56,980
Speaker 1: lots of things this year.

1263
00:33:58,200 --> 00:33:59,200
Speaker 1: What's the scope of the things?

1264
00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:00,619
Speaker 1: Okay. What's the scope of the

1265
00:34:00,619 --> 00:34:01,599
Speaker 1: things that you're trying this

1266
00:34:01,599 --> 00:34:02,399
Speaker 1: year?

1267
00:34:02,460 --> 00:34:04,039
Speaker 1: Well, I was hoping our compost

1268
00:34:04,039 --> 00:34:05,839
Speaker 1: would be done, but it's not.

1269
00:34:06,279 --> 00:34:07,660
Speaker 1: So I went to plan B,

1270
00:34:08,789 --> 00:34:09,590
Speaker 1: we got

1271
00:34:10,010 --> 00:34:12,429
Speaker 1: fed and happy vermicompost.

1272
00:34:13,110 --> 00:34:14,550
Speaker 1: that I plan on extracting and

1273
00:34:14,550 --> 00:34:15,610
Speaker 1: running in furrow.

1274
00:34:17,420 --> 00:34:18,260
Speaker 1: And then talking to a few

1275
00:34:18,260 --> 00:34:19,060
Speaker 1: people,

1276
00:34:19,570 --> 00:34:22,090
Speaker 1: we've found out that our 6 -24

1277
00:34:22,090 --> 00:34:24,210
Speaker 1: -6 starter and furrow was pretty

1278
00:34:24,210 --> 00:34:25,550
Speaker 1: much about worthless for us with

1279
00:34:25,550 --> 00:34:27,050
Speaker 1: our fertility and the

1280
00:34:28,059 --> 00:34:29,320
Speaker 1: average soil health we have.

1281
00:34:29,380 --> 00:34:30,960
Speaker 1: So we pulled that out and we're

1282
00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:32,679
Speaker 1: going to be running that extract

1283
00:34:32,679 --> 00:34:33,519
Speaker 1: with algae,

1284
00:34:33,980 --> 00:34:34,780
Speaker 1: some sugar,

1285
00:34:35,780 --> 00:34:37,659
Speaker 1: and then maybe a humic source or

1286
00:34:37,659 --> 00:34:39,920
Speaker 1: some soil essentials amendment

1287
00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:41,039
Speaker 1: as well to

1288
00:34:41,519 --> 00:34:43,239
Speaker 1: replace that 6 -24 -6 just to

1289
00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:44,619
Speaker 1: hopefully boost the biology and

1290
00:34:44,619 --> 00:34:46,179
Speaker 1: the diversity in our row crop

1291
00:34:46,179 --> 00:34:46,980
Speaker 1: acres.

1292
00:34:47,199 --> 00:34:48,360
Speaker 1: Oh, the biology will definitely

1293
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:49,340
Speaker 1: like that. And it's,

1294
00:34:50,010 --> 00:34:51,650
Speaker 1: have you ever tried running with

1295
00:34:51,650 --> 00:34:53,010
Speaker 1: and without the 6 -24 -6?

1296
00:34:54,559 --> 00:34:55,360
Speaker 1: I have not.

1297
00:34:55,849 --> 00:34:57,349
Speaker 1: So this is going to be, this is

1298
00:34:57,349 --> 00:34:59,260
Speaker 1: going to be a full swing here.

1299
00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:00,120
Speaker 1: Hopefully get a home run.

1300
00:35:02,579 --> 00:35:04,000
Speaker 1: Yeah. It's, it's interesting to

1301
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:04,800
Speaker 1: observe

1302
00:35:05,769 --> 00:35:07,309
Speaker 1: The common pattern with a lot of

1303
00:35:07,309 --> 00:35:08,329
Speaker 1: rose starters is, of course,

1304
00:35:08,750 --> 00:35:10,289
Speaker 1: regional soil variation.

1305
00:35:10,570 --> 00:35:12,170
Speaker 1: So it's not a universal by any

1306
00:35:12,170 --> 00:35:12,970
Speaker 1: stretch, but

1307
00:35:13,989 --> 00:35:15,349
Speaker 1: it's surprising the number of

1308
00:35:15,349 --> 00:35:16,969
Speaker 1: growers that we speak

1309
00:35:17,380 --> 00:35:18,300
Speaker 1: with that when we start

1310
00:35:18,300 --> 00:35:19,500
Speaker 1: analyzing their situation, we

1311
00:35:19,500 --> 00:35:21,179
Speaker 1: ask them to conduct a trial with

1312
00:35:21,179 --> 00:35:21,980
Speaker 1: and without.

1313
00:35:22,849 --> 00:35:24,510
Speaker 1: There's often visual differences

1314
00:35:24,510 --> 00:35:26,349
Speaker 1: early that the starter shows up

1315
00:35:26,349 --> 00:35:27,309
Speaker 1: very strong early.

1316
00:35:27,429 --> 00:35:29,789
Speaker 1: It shows the plants look nicer,

1317
00:35:29,949 --> 00:35:31,070
Speaker 1: the stand is stronger, better,

1318
00:35:31,269 --> 00:35:32,690
Speaker 1: they take off faster,

1319
00:35:34,039 --> 00:35:35,340
Speaker 1: but there's no yield response.

1320
00:35:36,070 --> 00:35:37,429
Speaker 1: over and over and over again

1321
00:35:37,429 --> 00:35:38,929
Speaker 1: there is not a yield response

1322
00:35:38,929 --> 00:35:40,469
Speaker 1: from that starter application in

1323
00:35:40,469 --> 00:35:41,989
Speaker 1: some cases it's a yield drag

1324
00:35:42,690 --> 00:35:44,329
Speaker 1: which is not the way that it's

1325
00:35:44,329 --> 00:35:46,110
Speaker 1: supposed to work at all so but

1326
00:35:46,110 --> 00:35:47,230
Speaker 1: that's why i asked it's pretty

1327
00:35:47,230 --> 00:35:48,110
Speaker 1: intriguing to observe

1328
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:52,320
Speaker 1: yeah well i'm i'm hoping it's

1329
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:53,120
Speaker 1: going to work because we're

1330
00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:54,619
Speaker 1: going to be committed to it so i

1331
00:35:54,619 --> 00:35:56,800
Speaker 1: i am going to be doing some test

1332
00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:59,940
Speaker 1: uh checks too just so i know it

1333
00:35:59,940 --> 00:36:01,179
Speaker 1: works i might just shut the

1334
00:36:01,179 --> 00:36:02,519
Speaker 1: planner completely off on a

1335
00:36:02,519 --> 00:36:04,139
Speaker 1: couple paths and see what my

1336
00:36:04,940 --> 00:36:06,679
Speaker 1: fields can do on its own i would

1337
00:36:06,679 --> 00:36:08,260
Speaker 1: like to try some of that um

1338
00:36:09,460 --> 00:36:10,519
Speaker 1: i

1339
00:36:11,730 --> 00:36:12,530
Speaker 1: know i'm going to

1340
00:36:13,579 --> 00:36:14,380
Speaker 1: tried.

1341
00:36:14,739 --> 00:36:16,039
Speaker 1: We need to play around with some

1342
00:36:16,039 --> 00:36:17,599
Speaker 1: different rates of you

1343
00:36:18,909 --> 00:36:20,489
Speaker 1: should put algae in one pass and

1344
00:36:20,489 --> 00:36:21,989
Speaker 1: not take it and take it out one

1345
00:36:21,989 --> 00:36:23,010
Speaker 1: pass. I mean, there's a there's

1346
00:36:23,010 --> 00:36:23,929
Speaker 1: a few things I want to keep

1347
00:36:23,929 --> 00:36:25,329
Speaker 1: trying. And then we have the

1348
00:36:25,329 --> 00:36:26,530
Speaker 1: drone now too. So I might

1349
00:36:27,420 --> 00:36:28,800
Speaker 1: like to do some maybe compost

1350
00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:30,119
Speaker 1: extract foliar feeding that

1351
00:36:30,119 --> 00:36:31,619
Speaker 1: hopefully maybe help break down

1352
00:36:31,619 --> 00:36:33,699
Speaker 1: some of the croppers I do or

1353
00:36:33,699 --> 00:36:35,019
Speaker 1: just increase the diversity in

1354
00:36:35,019 --> 00:36:36,619
Speaker 1: those fields and can play around

1355
00:36:36,619 --> 00:36:37,920
Speaker 1: with some sugar and algae

1356
00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:39,340
Speaker 1: applications with that and some

1357
00:36:39,340 --> 00:36:41,079
Speaker 1: micronutrient tests too with the

1358
00:36:41,079 --> 00:36:41,880
Speaker 1: drone.

1359
00:36:44,119 --> 00:36:45,139
Speaker 1: How do you hope to see your

1360
00:36:45,139 --> 00:36:46,480
Speaker 1: farming operation evolve over

1361
00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:47,280
Speaker 1: the next couple years?

1362
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:51,860
Speaker 1: Well my two biggest goals that

1363
00:36:51,860 --> 00:36:54,079
Speaker 1: are really driving me that I've

1364
00:36:54,079 --> 00:36:54,880
Speaker 1: spent

1365
00:36:54,690 --> 00:36:56,570
Speaker 1: my whole winter researching on

1366
00:36:56,570 --> 00:36:57,730
Speaker 1: was drone

1367
00:36:58,389 --> 00:37:00,889
Speaker 1: applications and composting so

1368
00:37:01,699 --> 00:37:04,860
Speaker 1: my goals are to increase our

1369
00:37:04,860 --> 00:37:06,739
Speaker 1: fungal levels in our field

1370
00:37:07,599 --> 00:37:09,199
Speaker 1: and to get cover crops

1371
00:37:09,199 --> 00:37:11,840
Speaker 1: interseeded on all our acres so

1372
00:37:12,340 --> 00:37:14,199
Speaker 1: we can get away from you

1373
00:37:14,739 --> 00:37:15,539
Speaker 1: know just

1374
00:37:15,739 --> 00:37:16,860
Speaker 1: getting right now we're just

1375
00:37:16,860 --> 00:37:18,420
Speaker 1: getting cover crops hopefully

1376
00:37:18,420 --> 00:37:19,840
Speaker 1: established in the fall if we

1377
00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,219
Speaker 1: can and then we have very

1378
00:37:22,219 --> 00:37:23,860
Speaker 1: minimum growth and then the

1379
00:37:23,860 --> 00:37:25,679
Speaker 1: springtime obviously it takes

1380
00:37:25,679 --> 00:37:27,059
Speaker 1: off in the spring but

1381
00:37:28,099 --> 00:37:29,119
Speaker 1: The whole reason of getting the

1382
00:37:29,119 --> 00:37:31,119
Speaker 1: drone was to get cover crops

1383
00:37:31,119 --> 00:37:32,980
Speaker 1: interseeded, you know, late

1384
00:37:32,980 --> 00:37:34,219
Speaker 1: September, early August.

1385
00:37:34,809 --> 00:37:36,250
Speaker 1: So we can get those extra

1386
00:37:36,250 --> 00:37:37,730
Speaker 1: hundred days of

1387
00:37:38,780 --> 00:37:40,519
Speaker 1: growing green, capturing more

1388
00:37:40,519 --> 00:37:41,699
Speaker 1: sunlight, more sugar,

1389
00:37:43,230 --> 00:37:44,389
Speaker 1: more carbon storage.

1390
00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:46,800
Speaker 1: So those are,

1391
00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:49,500
Speaker 1: I would love to see our

1392
00:37:49,500 --> 00:37:51,610
Speaker 1: landscape change and have more

1393
00:37:51,610 --> 00:37:53,369
Speaker 1: green in our fields longer.

1394
00:37:54,730 --> 00:37:55,889
Speaker 1: And I would love to see our

1395
00:37:55,889 --> 00:37:57,369
Speaker 1: Haney tests and our soil tests

1396
00:37:57,619 --> 00:37:59,639
Speaker 1: reflect that with the compost

1397
00:37:59,639 --> 00:38:01,199
Speaker 1: applications and having the

1398
00:38:01,199 --> 00:38:02,599
Speaker 1: cover crops growing longer.

1399
00:38:03,610 --> 00:38:06,610
Speaker 1: and keep reducing our chemistry

1400
00:38:06,610 --> 00:38:08,110
Speaker 1: applications and fertilizer

1401
00:38:08,110 --> 00:38:09,210
Speaker 1: applications.

1402
00:38:10,179 --> 00:38:11,480
Speaker 1: Hopefully I can maybe do better

1403
00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:12,940
Speaker 1: jobs with more nitrogen

1404
00:38:12,940 --> 00:38:14,219
Speaker 1: efficiency with the drone,

1405
00:38:15,300 --> 00:38:16,440
Speaker 1: kind of like more of a band -aid

1406
00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:18,519
Speaker 1: step until I can raise that

1407
00:38:18,519 --> 00:38:20,119
Speaker 1: fungi -bacteria ratio maybe to

1408
00:38:20,119 --> 00:38:21,320
Speaker 1: one -to -one and get the soil

1409
00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,179
Speaker 1: cycling so I can keep further

1410
00:38:23,179 --> 00:38:25,820
Speaker 1: pulling back off on nitrogen and

1411
00:38:25,820 --> 00:38:26,900
Speaker 1: herbicide applications.

1412
00:38:28,599 --> 00:38:29,719
Speaker 1: What does your crop mix look

1413
00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:30,699
Speaker 1: like at this point?

1414
00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:33,280
Speaker 1: For rotations?

1415
00:38:33,599 --> 00:38:34,400
Speaker 1: Yeah.

1416
00:38:34,900 --> 00:38:37,079
Speaker 1: So our cropping rotation is

1417
00:38:37,079 --> 00:38:39,099
Speaker 1: typically a corn soybean

1418
00:38:39,099 --> 00:38:39,900
Speaker 1: rotation.

1419
00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:42,639
Speaker 1: Then we'll add small grains in

1420
00:38:42,639 --> 00:38:44,119
Speaker 1: there as well. We usually grow

1421
00:38:44,119 --> 00:38:45,599
Speaker 1: rye or oats for grain.

1422
00:38:46,300 --> 00:38:47,100
Speaker 1: We use that

1423
00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:49,539
Speaker 1: residue for bedding and then

1424
00:38:49,539 --> 00:38:50,340
Speaker 1: we'll sell the grain

1425
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:52,539
Speaker 1: to a co -op or feed mill or

1426
00:38:52,539 --> 00:38:53,340
Speaker 1: whatever.

1427
00:38:53,820 --> 00:38:55,059
Speaker 1: But I mean, it's not the most

1428
00:38:55,059 --> 00:38:56,380
Speaker 1: perfect rotation.

1429
00:38:56,579 --> 00:38:58,480
Speaker 1: We do corn on corn, beans on

1430
00:38:58,480 --> 00:38:59,280
Speaker 1: beans.

1431
00:38:59,340 --> 00:39:00,140
Speaker 1: We

1432
00:39:00,260 --> 00:39:02,440
Speaker 1: watch the markets and see

1433
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,679
Speaker 1: what best fits the acres too.

1434
00:39:04,900 --> 00:39:06,619
Speaker 1: And a lot of financial decisions

1435
00:39:06,619 --> 00:39:08,139
Speaker 1: behind it, but it's not the most

1436
00:39:08,139 --> 00:39:09,219
Speaker 1: ideal cropping rotation.

1437
00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:10,380
Speaker 1: It's just, it's what works for

1438
00:39:10,380 --> 00:39:11,800
Speaker 1: us and what makes the most

1439
00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:12,600
Speaker 1: sense.

1440
00:39:15,659 --> 00:39:17,000
Speaker 1: You know, there's many

1441
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:18,420
Speaker 1: directions that we could

1442
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,559
Speaker 1: take this discussion in, but one

1443
00:39:20,559 --> 00:39:22,219
Speaker 1: of the things you spoke about

1444
00:39:22,219 --> 00:39:23,260
Speaker 1: all the new things that you're

1445
00:39:23,260 --> 00:39:24,420
Speaker 1: experimenting and you're trying

1446
00:39:24,420 --> 00:39:25,260
Speaker 1: with, you've been on this

1447
00:39:25,260 --> 00:39:26,219
Speaker 1: pathway for a while.

1448
00:39:27,550 --> 00:39:28,350
Speaker 1: What

1449
00:39:28,789 --> 00:39:30,130
Speaker 1: have you become really good at?

1450
00:39:30,250 --> 00:39:31,489
Speaker 1: One of the things that

1451
00:39:31,929 --> 00:39:34,070
Speaker 1: we're all on alert on a journey

1452
00:39:34,070 --> 00:39:35,409
Speaker 1: of constantly learning and we're

1453
00:39:35,409 --> 00:39:37,010
Speaker 1: all hopefully constantly trying

1454
00:39:37,010 --> 00:39:37,810
Speaker 1: new things.

1455
00:39:38,139 --> 00:39:39,099
Speaker 1: But what are the things that you

1456
00:39:39,099 --> 00:39:40,820
Speaker 1: think you've you've figured out

1457
00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:43,059
Speaker 1: reasonably well that you're

1458
00:39:43,059 --> 00:39:44,980
Speaker 1: happy with the success that

1459
00:39:45,289 --> 00:39:47,050
Speaker 1: you've had and the momentum that

1460
00:39:47,050 --> 00:39:48,309
Speaker 1: you've had on your operation?

1461
00:39:51,079 --> 00:39:51,900
Speaker 1: Well, I think

1462
00:39:53,650 --> 00:39:55,030
Speaker 1: every time I think I have a

1463
00:39:55,030 --> 00:39:55,830
Speaker 1: smart idea,

1464
00:39:57,400 --> 00:39:59,639
Speaker 1: I have to ask the question, is

1465
00:39:59,639 --> 00:40:00,539
Speaker 1: this what

1466
00:40:00,889 --> 00:40:02,550
Speaker 1: nature would like me to do?

1467
00:40:03,070 --> 00:40:05,929
Speaker 1: Or is this what I think I want

1468
00:40:05,929 --> 00:40:06,730
Speaker 1: to do?

1469
00:40:07,130 --> 00:40:07,930
Speaker 1: And if it doesn't

1470
00:40:09,250 --> 00:40:11,260
Speaker 1: fit nature's cards,

1471
00:40:12,559 --> 00:40:13,860
Speaker 1: rule of thumb, generally it's

1472
00:40:13,860 --> 00:40:15,539
Speaker 1: not going to be a wise idea.

1473
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:17,139
Speaker 1: Or it's not going to get the

1474
00:40:17,139 --> 00:40:17,940
Speaker 1: goals you want.

1475
00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:18,880
Speaker 1: So if you think you're smarter

1476
00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:19,800
Speaker 1: than nature and you think you

1477
00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:20,619
Speaker 1: can outrun nature, her,

1478
00:40:21,679 --> 00:40:22,480
Speaker 1: you're wrong.

1479
00:40:22,460 --> 00:40:23,739
Speaker 1: And once I grasped that

1480
00:40:23,739 --> 00:40:24,559
Speaker 1: mentality,

1481
00:40:25,369 --> 00:40:26,309
Speaker 1: that I'm not right,

1482
00:40:26,829 --> 00:40:27,650
Speaker 1: you drop your ego,

1483
00:40:29,250 --> 00:40:30,690
Speaker 1: the world opens up to a

1484
00:40:30,690 --> 00:40:31,909
Speaker 1: different lens, you can look at

1485
00:40:31,909 --> 00:40:33,349
Speaker 1: things a lot differently.

1486
00:40:34,030 --> 00:40:35,329
Speaker 1: So if someone wants to sell you

1487
00:40:35,329 --> 00:40:37,769
Speaker 1: this product, or this seed or

1488
00:40:37,769 --> 00:40:39,969
Speaker 1: this chemical or this practice,

1489
00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:42,800
Speaker 1: you can kind of sift through the

1490
00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:43,600
Speaker 1: lens, I guess,

1491
00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:45,519
Speaker 1: and call bs to a lot of things

1492
00:40:45,519 --> 00:40:46,320
Speaker 1: and say this

1493
00:40:47,150 --> 00:40:48,469
Speaker 1: is kind of a quick scheme to

1494
00:40:48,469 --> 00:40:49,750
Speaker 1: make a buck off a farmer again

1495
00:40:49,750 --> 00:40:51,250
Speaker 1: and kind of look at life in the

1496
00:40:51,250 --> 00:40:52,050
Speaker 1: world.

1497
00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:53,739
Speaker 1: What are some examples of

1498
00:40:53,739 --> 00:40:55,780
Speaker 1: moments where you looked

1499
00:40:57,340 --> 00:40:59,179
Speaker 1: at that perspective and changed

1500
00:40:59,179 --> 00:41:00,559
Speaker 1: your opinion or your point of

1501
00:41:00,559 --> 00:41:01,420
Speaker 1: view about something you were

1502
00:41:01,420 --> 00:41:02,220
Speaker 1: considering?

1503
00:41:03,889 --> 00:41:05,389
Speaker 1: Well, just the dry fertilizers,

1504
00:41:05,489 --> 00:41:06,289
Speaker 1: the P and K.

1505
00:41:07,030 --> 00:41:09,239
Speaker 1: After you can see the fertility

1506
00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:12,719
Speaker 1: levels in your soils are just

1507
00:41:12,719 --> 00:41:13,880
Speaker 1: out of this world and they

1508
00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:15,510
Speaker 1: wanted to keep selling you P and

1509
00:41:15,510 --> 00:41:16,310
Speaker 1: K.

1510
00:41:16,510 --> 00:41:18,030
Speaker 1: So that was one of them.

1511
00:41:18,329 --> 00:41:19,130
Speaker 1: And

1512
00:41:19,670 --> 00:41:20,889
Speaker 1: you know, you got to buy this

1513
00:41:20,889 --> 00:41:22,150
Speaker 1: high horsepower equipment to get

1514
00:41:22,150 --> 00:41:24,039
Speaker 1: stuff done and get wide tillage

1515
00:41:24,039 --> 00:41:25,519
Speaker 1: parts or tillage equipment

1516
00:41:25,519 --> 00:41:26,840
Speaker 1: pieces to get stuff done.

1517
00:41:26,900 --> 00:41:28,579
Speaker 1: It's like you don't need to have

1518
00:41:28,579 --> 00:41:30,659
Speaker 1: high horsepower by

1519
00:41:31,159 --> 00:41:32,940
Speaker 1: equipment no more to get some

1520
00:41:32,940 --> 00:41:33,740
Speaker 1: done.

1521
00:41:33,659 --> 00:41:35,699
Speaker 1: We went from having 300 plus

1522
00:41:35,699 --> 00:41:37,719
Speaker 1: horse tractors down to our

1523
00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:39,380
Speaker 1: biggest tractor now is a 305 and

1524
00:41:39,380 --> 00:41:41,320
Speaker 1: everything else on that is lower

1525
00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:42,159
Speaker 1: horsepower than that.

1526
00:41:42,199 --> 00:41:44,579
Speaker 1: So we're getting more done with

1527
00:41:44,579 --> 00:41:46,059
Speaker 1: less equipment, less horsepower,

1528
00:41:47,489 --> 00:41:49,090
Speaker 1: less principal and interest

1529
00:41:49,090 --> 00:41:49,890
Speaker 1: payments.

1530
00:41:50,570 --> 00:41:52,130
Speaker 1: You don't have to get caught on

1531
00:41:52,130 --> 00:41:54,010
Speaker 1: the bandwagon of you have to be

1532
00:41:54,010 --> 00:41:56,030
Speaker 1: X, Y, and Z farmer and buy all

1533
00:41:56,030 --> 00:41:56,830
Speaker 1: this stuff.

1534
00:42:01,530 --> 00:42:02,809
Speaker 1: What have we missed talking

1535
00:42:02,809 --> 00:42:03,610
Speaker 1: about?

1536
00:42:03,900 --> 00:42:05,280
Speaker 1: What are the strengths that

1537
00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:06,080
Speaker 1: you've developed,

1538
00:42:06,219 --> 00:42:07,400
Speaker 1: either you individually or you

1539
00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:08,200
Speaker 1: and your operation,

1540
00:42:08,460 --> 00:42:09,619
Speaker 1: that people would benefit from

1541
00:42:09,619 --> 00:42:10,420
Speaker 1: knowing about?

1542
00:42:13,619 --> 00:42:14,579
Speaker 1: Could you repeat the question?

1543
00:42:14,820 --> 00:42:15,690
Speaker 1: You're good. of cutting out.

1544
00:42:16,679 --> 00:42:17,860
Speaker 1: Yeah. My question is, what are

1545
00:42:17,860 --> 00:42:18,880
Speaker 1: the, what are the things that

1546
00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:20,019
Speaker 1: we've missed talking about?

1547
00:42:20,159 --> 00:42:21,280
Speaker 1: What are the strengths that you

1548
00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:23,039
Speaker 1: have developed or that you have

1549
00:42:23,039 --> 00:42:24,179
Speaker 1: developed in your operation?

1550
00:42:24,780 --> 00:42:26,199
Speaker 1: Either you personally or you as

1551
00:42:26,199 --> 00:42:27,739
Speaker 1: a, as the operation, what are

1552
00:42:27,739 --> 00:42:28,599
Speaker 1: the things that you've become

1553
00:42:28,599 --> 00:42:29,659
Speaker 1: really good at that people would

1554
00:42:29,659 --> 00:42:30,619
Speaker 1: benefit from knowing about?

1555
00:42:33,119 --> 00:42:34,139
Speaker 1: I'd like to question everything,

1556
00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:35,679
Speaker 1: whether it's a good question or

1557
00:42:35,679 --> 00:42:36,480
Speaker 1: a bad question.

1558
00:42:36,900 --> 00:42:38,179
Speaker 1: Someone told me the

1559
00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:40,840
Speaker 1: only dumb question you ask is

1560
00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:41,739
Speaker 1: the one you don't ask.

1561
00:42:42,559 --> 00:42:43,780
Speaker 1: So even if you think it's a

1562
00:42:43,780 --> 00:42:44,980
Speaker 1: silly question, ask it anyhow.

1563
00:42:45,139 --> 00:42:45,940
Speaker 1: So then you'll know.

1564
00:42:47,210 --> 00:42:48,409
Speaker 1: Like I said, that's really

1565
00:42:48,409 --> 00:42:50,349
Speaker 1: helped us change everything

1566
00:42:50,349 --> 00:42:51,349
Speaker 1: we've done. So I've always

1567
00:42:51,349 --> 00:42:53,550
Speaker 1: asked, why do I have to buy this

1568
00:42:53,550 --> 00:42:55,210
Speaker 1: big high horsepower tractor?

1569
00:42:55,349 --> 00:42:56,550
Speaker 1: Or why do we have to buy this

1570
00:42:56,550 --> 00:42:57,350
Speaker 1: traded seed?

1571
00:42:58,110 --> 00:42:59,329
Speaker 1: Or why do I have to till the

1572
00:42:59,329 --> 00:43:00,530
Speaker 1: soil? What is that doing?

1573
00:43:00,869 --> 00:43:02,329
Speaker 1: Or why is water infiltration

1574
00:43:02,329 --> 00:43:03,130
Speaker 1: important?

1575
00:43:03,869 --> 00:43:04,670
Speaker 1: And those just,

1576
00:43:05,860 --> 00:43:07,900
Speaker 1: if you ask the right question,

1577
00:43:08,079 --> 00:43:09,440
Speaker 1: it will steer you in the right

1578
00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:10,240
Speaker 1: direction.

1579
00:43:10,949 --> 00:43:12,849
Speaker 1: And once I understood why

1580
00:43:13,739 --> 00:43:15,119
Speaker 1: it's important to implement all

1581
00:43:15,119 --> 00:43:16,460
Speaker 1: five soil health principles,

1582
00:43:17,289 --> 00:43:18,849
Speaker 1: I mean, you can overcomplicate

1583
00:43:18,849 --> 00:43:20,190
Speaker 1: this journey in a real hurry

1584
00:43:21,010 --> 00:43:23,570
Speaker 1: and get stressed about trying to

1585
00:43:23,570 --> 00:43:24,550
Speaker 1: do everything. But if you just

1586
00:43:24,550 --> 00:43:25,550
Speaker 1: stick to the basics,

1587
00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:27,380
Speaker 1: do the five principles,

1588
00:43:28,449 --> 00:43:29,829
Speaker 1: everything will just fix and

1589
00:43:29,829 --> 00:43:30,630
Speaker 1: correct it.

1590
00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:33,280
Speaker 1: Good.

1591
00:43:33,559 --> 00:43:34,500
Speaker 1: This has been a wonderful

1592
00:43:34,500 --> 00:43:35,400
Speaker 1: conversation, Alex.

1593
00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:36,240
Speaker 1: I've enjoyed it.

1594
00:43:36,059 --> 00:43:37,460
Speaker 1: Where can people connect with

1595
00:43:37,460 --> 00:43:38,460
Speaker 1: you or learn more about your

1596
00:43:38,460 --> 00:43:39,260
Speaker 1: operation?

1597
00:43:40,739 --> 00:43:42,619
Speaker 1: You've all heard our story of

1598
00:43:42,619 --> 00:43:44,239
Speaker 1: the financial struggles we went

1599
00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:45,039
Speaker 1: through.

1600
00:43:45,429 --> 00:43:46,230
Speaker 1: And

1601
00:43:46,559 --> 00:43:47,780
Speaker 1: when we went through this

1602
00:43:47,780 --> 00:43:49,380
Speaker 1: process of adapting regenerative

1603
00:43:49,380 --> 00:43:50,180
Speaker 1: farming,

1604
00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:51,400
Speaker 1: It's what really,

1605
00:43:51,820 --> 00:43:54,300
Speaker 1: truly saved our operation from

1606
00:43:54,300 --> 00:43:55,100
Speaker 1: shutting

1607
00:43:55,349 --> 00:43:56,369
Speaker 1: the doors down and having an

1608
00:43:56,369 --> 00:43:57,590
Speaker 1: auction and walking away from

1609
00:43:57,590 --> 00:43:59,170
Speaker 1: the egg industry completely.

1610
00:43:59,469 --> 00:44:00,449
Speaker 1: So this

1611
00:44:00,800 --> 00:44:02,380
Speaker 1: new farming style has

1612
00:44:03,070 --> 00:44:05,849
Speaker 1: burned itself into my soul.

1613
00:44:06,250 --> 00:44:07,769
Speaker 1: Like I don't

1614
00:44:08,210 --> 00:44:09,010
Speaker 1: want to give it up.

1615
00:44:09,190 --> 00:44:10,150
Speaker 1: It's, it's, you know,

1616
00:44:10,530 --> 00:44:13,070
Speaker 1: connected to me and I have a

1617
00:44:13,070 --> 00:44:13,889
Speaker 1: passion for it.

1618
00:44:14,429 --> 00:44:16,469
Speaker 1: We went through a

1619
00:44:17,260 --> 00:44:19,579
Speaker 1: lot of things that were not very

1620
00:44:19,579 --> 00:44:21,780
Speaker 1: enjoyable between buying a

1621
00:44:21,780 --> 00:44:23,679
Speaker 1: business partner out and free

1622
00:44:23,679 --> 00:44:25,139
Speaker 1: financing with a different bank

1623
00:44:25,139 --> 00:44:25,940
Speaker 1: and equipment.

1624
00:44:26,159 --> 00:44:27,380
Speaker 1: It was bad.

1625
00:44:28,199 --> 00:44:30,599
Speaker 1: And I never wanted that feeling

1626
00:44:30,599 --> 00:44:31,400
Speaker 1: ever again.

1627
00:44:31,739 --> 00:44:33,980
Speaker 1: So I thought, if I could help

1628
00:44:33,980 --> 00:44:36,440
Speaker 1: somebody else out to avoid our

1629
00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:38,400
Speaker 1: costly mistakes or the stress we

1630
00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:39,200
Speaker 1: have.

1631
00:44:39,650 --> 00:44:41,710
Speaker 1: So I just volunteer my time

1632
00:44:42,659 --> 00:44:44,340
Speaker 1: working with our local soil and

1633
00:44:44,340 --> 00:44:45,140
Speaker 1: waters,

1634
00:44:45,230 --> 00:44:46,190
Speaker 1: doing field days.

1635
00:44:46,389 --> 00:44:48,190
Speaker 1: I'll go present on panels.

1636
00:44:48,309 --> 00:44:49,230
Speaker 1: I'll bring equipment out.

1637
00:44:49,349 --> 00:44:50,670
Speaker 1: We'll do planter demos, drill

1638
00:44:50,670 --> 00:44:51,470
Speaker 1: demos,

1639
00:44:52,610 --> 00:44:54,010
Speaker 1: kind of just give my experience

1640
00:44:54,010 --> 00:44:54,810
Speaker 1: to other people.

1641
00:44:54,829 --> 00:44:55,630
Speaker 1: And

1642
00:44:56,010 --> 00:44:58,150
Speaker 1: I've had a great opportunity.

1643
00:44:58,809 --> 00:45:00,289
Speaker 1: with the Minnesota Soil Health

1644
00:45:00,289 --> 00:45:01,090
Speaker 1: Coalition.

1645
00:45:01,610 --> 00:45:02,750
Speaker 1: And I really wanted to take our

1646
00:45:02,750 --> 00:45:04,050
Speaker 1: farm to the next level and go

1647
00:45:04,050 --> 00:45:04,949
Speaker 1: like super advanced.

1648
00:45:05,050 --> 00:45:06,190
Speaker 1: And the coalition was that

1649
00:45:06,190 --> 00:45:07,250
Speaker 1: missing bridge for me.

1650
00:45:07,829 --> 00:45:09,170
Speaker 1: And once I got hooked up with

1651
00:45:09,170 --> 00:45:10,409
Speaker 1: Mark, it's been,

1652
00:45:11,030 --> 00:45:12,550
Speaker 1: let's go hang on.

1653
00:45:12,750 --> 00:45:13,550
Speaker 1: So

1654
00:45:13,849 --> 00:45:15,530
Speaker 1: He's opened the doors and new

1655
00:45:15,530 --> 00:45:16,449
Speaker 1: opportunities and new

1656
00:45:16,449 --> 00:45:18,050
Speaker 1: conversations that I didn't even

1657
00:45:18,050 --> 00:45:19,369
Speaker 1: dream or thinking about.

1658
00:45:19,650 --> 00:45:20,849
Speaker 1: And, you know, I've had

1659
00:45:20,849 --> 00:45:22,190
Speaker 1: conversations with Russell

1660
00:45:22,190 --> 00:45:23,530
Speaker 1: Hedricks, Ray Archuleta, Liz

1661
00:45:23,530 --> 00:45:24,330
Speaker 1: Haney,

1662
00:45:24,530 --> 00:45:25,650
Speaker 1: had this opportunity with you.

1663
00:45:26,010 --> 00:45:27,510
Speaker 1: I mean, it's the endless

1664
00:45:27,510 --> 00:45:28,809
Speaker 1: opportunities to help advance

1665
00:45:28,809 --> 00:45:29,610
Speaker 1: our farm. So,

1666
00:45:30,519 --> 00:45:31,659
Speaker 1: I just kind of devoted,

1667
00:45:31,980 --> 00:45:34,000
Speaker 1: or I told Mark about my passion

1668
00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:35,199
Speaker 1: for this and I told him I want

1669
00:45:35,199 --> 00:45:36,039
Speaker 1: to get helped out more.

1670
00:45:37,030 --> 00:45:38,909
Speaker 1: I think last winter, I became a

1671
00:45:38,909 --> 00:45:41,449
Speaker 1: mentor with the Minnesota Soil

1672
00:45:41,449 --> 00:45:42,349
Speaker 1: Health Coalition, where it's

1673
00:45:42,349 --> 00:45:43,150
Speaker 1: just,

1674
00:45:42,789 --> 00:45:44,909
Speaker 1: I think we have over 75 farmer

1675
00:45:44,909 --> 00:45:46,630
Speaker 1: mentors in the whole state of

1676
00:45:46,630 --> 00:45:47,430
Speaker 1: Minnesota,

1677
00:45:47,429 --> 00:45:49,809
Speaker 1: and talk to people like me and

1678
00:45:49,809 --> 00:45:50,610
Speaker 1: other farmers.

1679
00:45:50,789 --> 00:45:52,590
Speaker 1: We just give our time to talk to

1680
00:45:52,590 --> 00:45:53,909
Speaker 1: other producers about what works

1681
00:45:53,909 --> 00:45:55,230
Speaker 1: for us, what don't work, or how

1682
00:45:55,230 --> 00:45:56,309
Speaker 1: do we do it, or if you have a

1683
00:45:56,309 --> 00:45:58,030
Speaker 1: question about something, we'll

1684
00:45:58,340 --> 00:45:59,420
Speaker 1: track an answer down for you

1685
00:45:59,420 --> 00:46:00,480
Speaker 1: somehow. Although if I don't

1686
00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:02,079
Speaker 1: know it, I'll ask Mark and we'll

1687
00:46:02,079 --> 00:46:03,380
Speaker 1: find somebody for you.

1688
00:46:03,940 --> 00:46:04,960
Speaker 1: So I do that now.

1689
00:46:05,380 --> 00:46:07,699
Speaker 1: I'm also a part -time employee

1690
00:46:07,699 --> 00:46:08,920
Speaker 1: with the coalition, so I get to

1691
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:10,519
Speaker 1: go to field days and speak with

1692
00:46:10,519 --> 00:46:11,320
Speaker 1: them now.

1693
00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:12,200
Speaker 1: And then

1694
00:46:12,750 --> 00:46:14,829
Speaker 1: we also have a social media page

1695
00:46:14,829 --> 00:46:15,630
Speaker 1: on Facebook,

1696
00:46:16,059 --> 00:46:17,440
Speaker 1: probably our most popular one,

1697
00:46:17,480 --> 00:46:18,699
Speaker 1: where I post quite a bit of

1698
00:46:18,699 --> 00:46:21,519
Speaker 1: stuff too. I try to post weekly.

1699
00:46:21,760 --> 00:46:23,119
Speaker 1: It gets tough sometimes, but I

1700
00:46:23,119 --> 00:46:24,320
Speaker 1: try to post what we're up to and

1701
00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:25,219
Speaker 1: why we're doing it.

1702
00:46:25,599 --> 00:46:27,179
Speaker 1: Just post educational, funny

1703
00:46:27,179 --> 00:46:29,019
Speaker 1: videos or descriptions of a

1704
00:46:29,019 --> 00:46:29,820
Speaker 1: pitcher or something.

1705
00:46:31,130 --> 00:46:32,150
Speaker 1: I don't know, I just like giving

1706
00:46:32,150 --> 00:46:34,090
Speaker 1: back and helping somebody out

1707
00:46:34,090 --> 00:46:36,250
Speaker 1: because I told myself too, I

1708
00:46:36,250 --> 00:46:37,809
Speaker 1: don't want to farm the whole

1709
00:46:37,809 --> 00:46:38,730
Speaker 1: county or the whole state.

1710
00:46:38,829 --> 00:46:39,750
Speaker 1: I have no desire to.

1711
00:46:41,039 --> 00:46:42,239
Speaker 1: If I can farm just enough acres

1712
00:46:42,239 --> 00:46:43,039
Speaker 1: to

1713
00:46:43,230 --> 00:46:44,630
Speaker 1: provide for our families, that's

1714
00:46:44,630 --> 00:46:46,170
Speaker 1: all I need. I don't have to, you

1715
00:46:46,170 --> 00:46:48,289
Speaker 1: know, farm 10 ,000 acres to make

1716
00:46:48,289 --> 00:46:49,090
Speaker 1: a living.

1717
00:46:49,530 --> 00:46:51,210
Speaker 1: We can farm less acres and

1718
00:46:51,210 --> 00:46:52,510
Speaker 1: probably make more money and

1719
00:46:52,510 --> 00:46:53,349
Speaker 1: enjoy doing it.

1720
00:46:53,929 --> 00:46:54,730
Speaker 1: I just want to give that to

1721
00:46:54,730 --> 00:46:56,110
Speaker 1: somebody else too.

1722
00:46:57,289 --> 00:46:58,090
Speaker 1: Thank you, Alex.

1723
00:46:57,949 --> 00:47:00,690
Speaker 1: That is so valuable because I'm

1724
00:47:01,250 --> 00:47:02,550
Speaker 1: very much of the persuasion that

1725
00:47:02,909 --> 00:47:04,510
Speaker 1: What you put out into the world

1726
00:47:04,510 --> 00:47:06,429
Speaker 1: is what gets returned to you and

1727
00:47:06,429 --> 00:47:07,570
Speaker 1: what comes back to you again.

1728
00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:09,599
Speaker 1: And it

1729
00:47:10,079 --> 00:47:11,840
Speaker 1: is really, it is the, what you

1730
00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:13,300
Speaker 1: are describing is the power of

1731
00:47:13,300 --> 00:47:14,719
Speaker 1: community. When you

1732
00:47:15,190 --> 00:47:17,210
Speaker 1: actively engage to support other

1733
00:47:17,210 --> 00:47:18,369
Speaker 1: people and to work with others,

1734
00:47:19,050 --> 00:47:20,269
Speaker 1: you build a community around

1735
00:47:20,269 --> 00:47:21,550
Speaker 1: yourself. And that's something

1736
00:47:21,550 --> 00:47:23,510
Speaker 1: that we are so sadly missing in

1737
00:47:23,510 --> 00:47:24,310
Speaker 1: our world today.

1738
00:47:24,210 --> 00:47:25,929
Speaker 1: If we, if we all view each other

1739
00:47:25,929 --> 00:47:27,429
Speaker 1: as potential competitors instead

1740
00:47:27,429 --> 00:47:28,230
Speaker 1: of collaborators.

1741
00:47:28,309 --> 00:47:29,110
Speaker 1: So

1742
00:47:28,989 --> 00:47:30,030
Speaker 1: thank you for doing that.

1743
00:47:30,090 --> 00:47:30,890
Speaker 1: And thanks for all the work that

1744
00:47:30,750 --> 00:47:31,590
Speaker 1: you're doing in that space.

1745
00:47:32,619 --> 00:47:33,420
Speaker 1: You're welcome.

1746
00:47:33,039 --> 00:47:33,840
Speaker 1: Like I said,

1747
00:47:33,900 --> 00:47:35,159
Speaker 1: the networking is the hugest

1748
00:47:35,159 --> 00:47:35,960
Speaker 1: part.

1749
00:47:36,469 --> 00:47:37,690
Speaker 1: How can we all help each other?

1750
00:47:38,050 --> 00:47:40,039
Speaker 1: Because once we all understand

1751
00:47:40,039 --> 00:47:41,059
Speaker 1: that we're in this together,

1752
00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:43,579
Speaker 1: if all farmers got together and

1753
00:47:43,579 --> 00:47:44,619
Speaker 1: helped each other out, we could

1754
00:47:44,619 --> 00:47:45,420
Speaker 1: change the world.

1755
00:47:46,369 --> 00:47:47,289
Speaker 1: And not just changing our

1756
00:47:47,289 --> 00:47:49,150
Speaker 1: families, I'm talking outside

1757
00:47:49,150 --> 00:47:50,329
Speaker 1: the farm too. We can

1758
00:47:50,929 --> 00:47:52,389
Speaker 1: increase the world with human

1759
00:47:52,389 --> 00:47:53,949
Speaker 1: health, cleaner water, cleaner

1760
00:47:54,099 --> 00:47:56,840
Speaker 1: air, healthier soils, more

1761
00:47:56,840 --> 00:47:58,019
Speaker 1: nutrient -dense crops and

1762
00:47:58,019 --> 00:47:59,360
Speaker 1: produce and healthier livestock.

1763
00:48:00,300 --> 00:48:01,659
Speaker 1: I mean, we physically and truly

1764
00:48:01,659 --> 00:48:03,840
Speaker 1: can change the world the way we

1765
00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:05,179
Speaker 1: farm with everything.

1766
00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:06,880
Speaker 1: Wonderful. Well, thank you,

1767
00:48:06,900 --> 00:48:08,079
Speaker 1: Alex. Thanks for being here.

1768
00:48:08,239 --> 00:48:09,099
Speaker 1: Thank you for sharing your

1769
00:48:09,099 --> 00:48:11,159
Speaker 1: knowledge and wisdom and I look

1770
00:48:11,159 --> 00:48:11,960
Speaker 1: forward to speaking with you

1771
00:48:11,920 --> 00:48:12,720
Speaker 1: again soon.

1772
00:48:14,210 --> 00:48:15,369
Speaker 1: Not a problem. I appreciate this

1773
00:48:15,369 --> 00:48:16,389
Speaker 1: as well. Thank you for the

1774
00:48:16,389 --> 00:48:17,190
Speaker 1: opportunity.

1775
00:48:17,150 --> 00:48:17,950
Speaker 1: It was fun.

1776
00:48:18,599 --> 00:48:20,280
Speaker 1: The team at AEA and I are

1777
00:48:20,280 --> 00:48:21,820
Speaker 1: dedicated to bringing this show

1778
00:48:21,820 --> 00:48:23,400
Speaker 1: to you because we believe that

1779
00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:25,099
Speaker 1: knowledge and information is the

1780
00:48:25,099 --> 00:48:26,800
Speaker 1: foundation of successful

1781
00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:28,079
Speaker 1: regenerative systems.

1782
00:48:28,829 --> 00:48:30,789
Speaker 1: At AEA, we believe that growing

1783
00:48:30,789 --> 00:48:32,510
Speaker 1: better quality food and making

1784
00:48:32,510 --> 00:48:34,050
Speaker 1: more money from your crops is

1785
00:48:34,050 --> 00:48:34,850
Speaker 1: possible.

1786
00:48:35,199 --> 00:48:36,119
Speaker 1: And since 2006,

1787
00:48:36,420 --> 00:48:37,400
Speaker 1: we've worked with leading

1788
00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:38,760
Speaker 1: professional growers to help

1789
00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:39,699
Speaker 1: them do just that.

1790
00:48:40,449 --> 00:48:42,110
Speaker 1: At AEA, we don't guess.

1791
00:48:42,369 --> 00:48:43,590
Speaker 1: We test. We analyze.

1792
00:48:44,139 --> 00:48:45,500
Speaker 1: And we provide recommendations

1793
00:48:45,500 --> 00:48:47,280
Speaker 1: based on scientific data,

1794
00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:48,739
Speaker 1: knowledge, and experience.

1795
00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:50,420
Speaker 1: We've developed products that

1796
00:48:50,420 --> 00:48:51,719
Speaker 1: are uniquely positioned to help

1797
00:48:51,719 --> 00:48:53,219
Speaker 1: growers make more money with

1798
00:48:53,219 --> 00:48:54,219
Speaker 1: regenerative agriculture.

1799
00:48:55,050 --> 00:48:56,349
Speaker 1: If you are a professional grower

1800
00:48:56,349 --> 00:48:58,190
Speaker 1: who believes in testing instead

1801
00:48:58,190 --> 00:48:58,990
Speaker 1: of guessing,

1802
00:48:59,550 --> 00:49:00,630
Speaker 1: someone who believes in a

1803
00:49:00,630 --> 00:49:02,050
Speaker 1: better, more regenerative way to

1804
00:49:02,050 --> 00:49:02,850
Speaker 1: grow,

1805
00:49:03,090 --> 00:49:05,530
Speaker 1: visit advancingecoag .com and

1806
00:49:05,530 --> 00:49:07,070
Speaker 1: contact us to see if AEA is

1807
00:49:07,070 --> 00:49:07,870
Speaker 1: right for you.