This episode of the Cutting The Curve – farming podcast features Texas farmer Todd Kimbrell and his game-changing pivot into sesame farming . Learn how Kimbrell diversified with 1,500 acres of sesame using a specialty contract model that includes Act of God protection and logistical support. With no fertilizer and minimal inputs, he’s seeing $100+/acre returns on fields that used to sit idle after wheat harvest. Discover how dryland crop options, contract farming models, and low-input systems ca...
Jul 06, 2025•33 min
This episode of "Cutting the Curve" focuses on the critical role of calcium in crop health and nutrient uptake. Agronomic expert Tommy Roach and farmer Kelly Garrett discuss how calcium, often misclassified and overlooked in row crop management, is essential for cell strength, nitrogen uptake, and overall yield. Despite soil containing adequate levels, calcium's availability and mobility to the plant are limited due to its double positive charge and mass flow dependency, especially under drought...
Jun 30, 2025•34 min
In this episode of the Cutting The Curve Farming Podcast, Damian Mason and Kelly Garrett talk with Farm Weird founder Jason Mauck of Gaston, Indiana, about his innovative relay cropping system that grows wheat and soybeans together for 80–90 days. Jason seeds ultra-early wheat in 45″ bands at low rates (300–400K seeds/acre), creating windbreaks and conserving moisture. Soybeans are planted in between at about 160K seeds/acre, with canopy closure by mid-May for effective weed suppression. A singl...
Jun 19, 2025•40 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve – Kelly Garrett and Mike Evans preview Field Day 2025, revealing how SAP testing enables early detection of nutrient needs, helping farmers stay ahead of stress symptoms and make real-time soil fertility management decisions. By focusing on nitrogen assimilation, cover crops, and balanced nutrition, Kelly and Mike demonstrate how data-driven farming leads to measurable improvements... This episode is presented by Nachurs...
Jun 16, 2025•22 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve – farming podcast tackles Yield Management in Extreme Conditions. With fields underwater and replanting happening twice in some cases, Johnny Verell and Brian Adams break down the agronomic decisions they’re making to rescue yield in a season defined by delays. Listeners will gain insights on fertility management, crop planning, and how to build spring resilience through yield protection tactics. From SAP testing to cotton risk management, this one’s packed ...
Jun 09, 2025•34 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve – farming podcast highlights Agriculture Education insights from Connor "Vern" Garrett, an Iowa State agronomy graduate. Garrett shares practical advice for high school graduates and young adults pursuing a future in agriculture. He explains how entering college with general education credits already completed allows students to focus earlier on core ag subjects, saving costs and enhancing learning. Drawing from his personal experience, Garrett emphasizes th...
Jun 02, 2025•26 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve – farming podcast previews the June 2025 XtremeAg field day in McGehee, Arkansas, led by Matt and Layne Miles. Cotton trials are front and center this year. The event highlights ROI fertility strategies, low-nitrogen trials, and partner-led field plots designed to cut input costs and boost yields. Listeners will hear about lessons learned from last year’s plot challenges and get a sneak peek into precision irrigation and harvesting tech that helps farmers im...
May 26, 2025•28 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve – farming podcast features Todd Kimbrell sharing his strategies for growing dryland corn , cotton, and wheat in the face of extreme Texas heat. Kimbrell explains how early planting, soil conservation practices, and equipment efficiency help him farm without irrigation in unpredictable climates. Listeners will gain insight into Texas dryland farming, specialty crop diversification, and the adaptations that drive success in extreme weather farming conditions. ...
May 19, 2025•39 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve – farming podcast features Fertilizer for Soybeans trials from Chad Henderson’s 2025 Alabama field day. In this episode of the Cutting the Curve podcast, Chad Henderson previews his May 22, 2025, XtremeAg field day in Madison, Alabama. Key agronomic demonstrations include 30-inch soybean fertility strategies, skip-row and circular corn planting, and strip-till vs. conventional systems. Participating companies—Nachurs, AgroLiquid, Spraytec, ADS, and Concept A...
May 12, 2025•17 min
In this episode of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason talks with Art Graves of Vive Crop Protection about how fertilizer compatibility directly impacts crop protection efficiency and overall farm productivity. The conversation centers on nano-encapsulation technology, which enables crop protection products—such as fungicides—to blend seamlessly with starter fertilizers, avoiding common issues like precipitation, clogging, and inconsistent application. Graves explains how this compatibility supports...
May 05, 2025•33 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve - farming podcast features a deep dive into the value of hiring an agronomist . Johnny Verell and Brian Adams explain how to build a support system of consultants, crop scouts, and agronomic advisors that improve efficiency, reduce mistakes, and deliver a better bottom line. Learn what to ask for in a scouting contract, how to measure agronomic ROI, and how the right expert team can scale to any size operation. Presented by Nachurs Bio-K...
Apr 28, 2025•45 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve farming podcast explores how the faster sprayer system from Dura Products is transforming farm operations by cutting costs and boosting productivity. Temple Rhodes of XtremeAg reveals how his team now fills sprayers in just five minutes, sprays an additional 100 acres per day, and has completely eliminated chemical handling risks. With simplified trailer setups, safer chemical mixing, and a plug-and-play design, this system delivers rapid ROI for both farmer...
Apr 21, 2025•24 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve Farming Podcast dives deep into farmland values for 2025. Join host Damian Mason with South Dakota farmer Lee Lubbers and First Dakota Bank’s Nathan Sparks as they unpack what’s driving land prices, how rising interest rates are shaping the ag market, and whether a price correction is on the horizon. Learn how to navigate land purchases, leases, and investment planning in today’s complex farm economy. Together, they break down: What’s driving current land pr...
Apr 14, 2025•45 min
In this episode of the Cutting The Curve Farming Podcast, Damian Mason sits down with Kelly Garrett to unpack key insights from the 2025 Commodity Classic. In a tight farm economy, it’s not just about cutting costs — it’s about spending smarter. From adjusting input strategies to leveraging cost-saving technologies, Kelly shares practical takeaways that can help you make better financial decisions without compromising performance. Listeners will learn how to effectively manage fertility inputs a...
Apr 06, 2025•19 min
This episode of the farming podcast delves into soybean planting with Quebec farmer Sam Coutu. He reveals his strategies for April soybean planting, focusing on optimizing fertility timing and adjusting plant populations to boost yields. Additionally, Sam discusses how to effectively utilize recent equipment upgrades to cut costs and enhance crop management. This episode provides valuable insights for farmers looking to improve efficiency and achieve harvest success in 2025....
Mar 31, 2025•15 min
This episode of the Cutting The Curve farming podcast dives into phosphorus efficiency , focusing on how to get phosphorus into soil effectively. Damian Mason hosts experts from AgroTech USA and XtremeAg, who discuss how farmers can raise phosphorus levels in soil through optimized fertility programs. They reveal practical strategies to reduce input costs, improve crop yields, and combat phosphorus deficiency in plants while enhancing soil health. This episode is crucial for anyone looking to bo...
Mar 27, 2025•39 min
Thinking about adding grain sorghum—aka milo—to your operation? Lee Lubbers shares why this crop is a game-changer for his farm. From lower production costs compared to corn to boosting organic matter where soybeans fall short, milo is earning its place in his cropping system. In this episode, Lee talks with Damian about his strategy for maximizing yield and nutrient content to command a premium price. As always, Lee isn’t just experimenting—he’s all in. Tune in to hear how he’s making milo work...
Mar 24, 2025•31 min•Ep. 162
Temple Rhodes did a large scale trial in 2024 eliminating applied dried fertilizer and replacing it with plant-applied nutrients. It worked. So he’s making some big changes to his nutrient application strategy this year to focus on the crop, not just the soil test. A few side benefits include: reduction of salts in the soil, bigger yields, and less cost. Not to mention increased soil biology which is another focus for the new year. Temple takes a break to talk to Damian about exciting changes co...
Mar 17, 2025•36 min
Strip-till isn’t just about conservation—it’s a game-changer for nutrient availability and soil health. That’s one of Chad Henderson’s key strategies as he heads into the new season. In this episode of XtremeAg's Cutting the Curve, Chad shares why he’s doubling down on strip-till , upgrading his data collection with cost-effective tech for his equipment, and making a major shift from in-furrow application to seed treatments. His goal? Reduce labor, simplify operations, and cut costs without sacr...
Mar 09, 2025•23 min
Can cutting input costs actually cost you more in the long run? Farmer Matt Miles shares hard lessons from his 2024 season, where saving $50 per acre on potassium ended up costing him $150 per acre in lost yield. He also reveals the hidden costs of skipping crop rotation after a seven-bushel decline in non-rotated soybeans. In this episode of Cutting the Curve , Matt and host Damian Mason break down the true impact of fertility decisions and crop rotation on farm profitability. Tune in for insig...
Mar 02, 2025•20 min
In this episode of XtremeAg Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason sits down with Kelly Garrett and TJ Kartes to discuss a bold move for 2025— interseeding cover crops into growing corn as early as June. Kelly shares the agronomic, economic, and sustainability benefits of this approach, from erosion control to carbon sequestration and livestock forage. TJ Kartes of Saddle Butte Ag breaks down the science behind selecting the right cover crop species and dispels common myths about water retention, ...
Feb 23, 2025•37 min
Most farms today rely on data management software and on-implement hardware—but are you truly maximizing these tools for bigger returns and streamlined operations? In this episode, Layne Miles teams up with Ryan Stien to break down Deere’s Operations Center and how it helps Miles Farms make smarter, more profitable decisions. As Layne puts it, “If you missed the technology train, grab a cab and go catch it because the train isn’t coming back to the station.” Tune in to learn how leveraging farm ...
Feb 20, 2025•31 min
Johnny Verell is on a mission to trim up to $20 per acre in expenses by strategically adjusting his spraying regimen . By eliminating one sprayer pass and an airplane pass, he’s cutting costs without cutting corners. But instead of simply saving, he’s reinvesting—reallocating his nutrient budget and timing fertility applications based on moisture conditions. In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason sits down with Johnny to discuss smarter spending strategies, maximizing efficiency...
Feb 16, 2025•25 min
It started with auto steer on tractors — or maybe even before that — where automation ends up, is still an open discussion. Damian Mason hosts that discussion in this episode with XtremeAg’s John Verell and John Deere’s Michael Porter. The evolution of farm machinery automation rolls forward on America’s farms. Johnny Verell explains how autonomy helps him farm better, make more money, and do more work with fewer people. If you’re already on the path to autonomy, listen to what lies ahead. If yo...
Feb 12, 2025•27 min
Kevin Matthews is shaking up his fertility practices in 2025 with a hybrid approach to crop care. While he remains a firm believer in trickling liquid fertilizer “just in time” for crop development, he’s turning to dry fertilizer to tackle problem areas. But there’s a catch—it requires upgrading to strip-till equipment . In this episode, Kevin shares how he’s streamlining his farm operations, including an eye-opening review of his parts and machinery inventory that revealed unexpected waste. Tun...
Feb 10, 2025•18 min
Is your farm financially prepared for 2025? Economic pressures are mounting, and staying solvent requires a solid strategy. In this episode of Cutting The Curve, Jeff Janssen joins Kelly Garrett and Damian Mason to tackle critical topics like working capital, cash flow, cost of production, and aligning your financial goals with your banker’s expectations. From calculating current assets to understanding the hidden costs of stored grain, this discussion delivers actionable insights to maximize yo...
Feb 06, 2025•34 min
New paint is sexy. We get it. We’re farmers too and we like shiny new machinery! But farming is a business and a business faced with reduced revenue must make adjustments. How do you stay on the cutting edge of Agricultural technology with older machinery? With precision equipment upgrades, that’s how. XtremeAg’s Kelly Garrett and John Deere’s Clint Chaffer explain how — for a fraction of the price of new — you can update your existing machinery to improve productivity. Proof: Kelly went to the ...
Feb 02, 2025•35 min
Are farm finances tighter than usual? Discover how to save money while maintaining yield and revenue in this must-listen episode. Host Damian Mason talks with XtremeAg’s John Verell and Meristem’s Peter Rousonelos about cost-effective farming practices using the “R’s” of crop cost removal: Reduce, Recycle, Re-use, Repurpose, and Re-Think. Learn innovative ways to cut costs per acre, boost farm profitability, and keep your operation financially sustainable. If you’re a farmer looking for proven s...
Jan 30, 2025•27 min
Award-winning results, less nitrogen. Kelly Garrett , with agronomist Mike Evans, achieved an impressive 324 bushels per acre with just 151 pounds of applied nitrogen—earning him recognition in the National Corn Growers Association’s new Nitrogen Management Class . In this episode, they join Damian Mason to share their game-changing methodology and discuss the future of farming under increased environmental scrutiny. Discover how to optimize nitrogen use, break the over-application cycle, and bo...
Jan 26, 2025•31 min
Kelly Garrett and Temple Rhodes were both highly skeptical when they received their small plastic bags of pink powder with instructions to treat their seed corn. The pink powder was New Leaf’s bacterial technology , which is now available in products from four different companies. Kelly and Temple share results and lessons from their trials. Both saw a yield response, more roots , and bigger biomass from using the bio stimulant. Kelly intends to use New Leaf’s biological insecticide technology o...
Jan 22, 2025•34 min
