SMART Farmer Podcast

Jerry Flint may not technically be a farmer, but he did grow up on a farm in Ohio and his entire career has been focused on delivering new innovations to smart farmers. In addition to being vice president of regulatory affairs for Dow DuPont Agriculture Division, Flint is also first vice chair for the American Seed Trade Association, and his company is an industry partner for the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Association. DowDuPont is the official name of the company which now includes the very...

In this episode of the SMART farmer podcast, we learn a lot more about the dairy industry from the World Dairy Expo in Madison Wisconsin. Jamie Johansen sat down with Chris Galen of the National Milk Producers Federation to have him explain some of the many ways dairy producers are SMART farmers when it comes to efficiency and sustainability.

Jeremy Brown is a Texas farmer who grows both organic and traditional cotton and peanuts, as well as other crops. As one of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) faces of farming, he gets he opportunity to engage with the non-farm public on the highly emotional topic of biotechnology and GMO crops from the perspective of someone who grows both.

Rochelle Krusemark is a Minnesota grain and soybean farmer, a state and national soybean board and USFRA board member, wife, mother and grandmother - all at the same time! Obviously a busy lady, Rochelle squeezed in time as she was watching her two toddler grandsons to tell us what being a SMART farmer means to her, and why she is so passionate about education about agriculture. A former teacher herself, Rochelle has been a longtime advocate of the Ag in the Classroom program and has worked...

Katie Roth and her husband TJ farm with their partners John and Luann Shea in the southwest corner of America’s Dairyland in Wisconsin. They milk 260 Holsteins and all of their feedstuffs are grown on the farm including corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat.

Our latest smart farmer is Emily Buck, a crop farmer from Ohio who also produces sheep. Last year, the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) chose Emily to be one of their faces of farming and ranching, which has given her the opportunity to do on a national platform what she already does at home in Ohio – talk to the non-farm public about what farmers do and why they do it. While being full time active on the farm, Emily is also a professor of agricultural communications at Ohio State...

In this edition of the SMART farmer podcast, we are talking to one of the smartest people on the planet when it comes to modern agriculture. Robert Fraley grew up on a small farm in Illinois and developed a passion for plants that became his life’s work as a microbiologist and biochemist. He was awarded the World Food Prize in 2013, together with two others who helped pioneer the scientific breakthroughs that have led to smarter farming around the world. Robb Fraley has worked for Monsanto...

Anne Meis is a family farmer from Elgin, Nebraska who raises corn, soybeans, and beef with her husband Jim. She serves on the Nebraska Soybean Board and the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance board. She talks about the importance of technology such as genetically modified crops for smart farmers.

Phil Borgic has a family farm in Nokomis, Illinois where he raises hogs, corn, soybeans and wheat. He also serves on the board of directors for the National Pork Producers Council and the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. In this podcast, he talks about how today’s production methods are both humane and sustainable, in addition to being smart. Take a virtual tour of Borgic Farms on-line – and in 360 surround with a VR viewer or headset here....

Jeanette Merritt is a 4th generation Indiana hog and soybean farmer, a Purdue University graduate, former farm broadcaster, Director of Checkoff Programs for Indiana Pork and serves on the Indiana Soybean Alliance board and the board of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA).

The subject of this SMART Farmer podcast comes from Michigan where she and her husband have a dairy operation that has been in her family for over a century. Carla Wardin is dedicated to telling the real story of dairy farming through her blog Truth or Dairy, and in 2014 was chosen to represent agriculture as one of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance Faces of Farming and Ranching. Jamie Johansen had the pleasure of sitting down with Carla to find out why smart farming is so important to...

Tennessee native Jennifer Houston and her husband Mark own and operate East Tennessee Livestock Center in Sweetwater, Tennessee. In this edition of the podcast, Jennifer talks about how the business of producing and marketing beef cattle has become smarter in recent years.

Learn about today's smart poultry and egg producers from a poultry industry veteran who has worked in nearly all aspects of the business. Monty Henderson started as a broiler service manager with Tyson Foods and later with Campbell Soup Company. He served as president of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and in 1994 joined George’s, Inc., as president and CEO where he retired in 2010. In addition to serving as a past chairman for U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, Henderson has served on the Board...

Brad Greenway of South Dakota was named 2016 Pig Farmer of the Year by the National Pork Board. The award recognizes a pig farmer who excels at raising pigs using the industry’s We Care ethical principles that include not only raising pigs humanely and safely, but also promoting a safe workplace and contributing to the local community – and Brad does all that, in addition to being the chairman for the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.

In this episode of the SMART Farmer podcast we meet Scott VanderWal, a third-generation corn and soybean farmer and cattle feeder from Volga, South Dakota. In addition to operating the family farm with his father and brothers, Scott serves as vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, and is a board member of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.

Bev Flores with John Deere discusses how the 180-year-old company continues to innovate for farmers and ranchers. She took part in a recent National Ag Day event with the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA).

Nancy Kavazanjian farms with her husband Charlie Hammer in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on land that has been in his family for 150 years. She grew up on Long Island, made a career as an agricultural journalist, has served as chairperson of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and currently serves on the board representing the United Soybean Board.

Galen Lee has a diversified 4th generation farm operation in southwest Idaho that produces sugarbeets, asparagus, and peppermint, as well as dairy and beef. In this podcast, he talks about how sugarbeets are raised and made into sugar and how biotech varieties have made them more sustainable. He also talks about how he raises peppermint for the oil that is used in things like gum, candy and toothpaste! Galen is president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association and a board member of the...