On Life and Land

Happy holidays from On Life & Land! Join us for a quick look back at some of our favorite stories from Season One. 

When the monks of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts decided they needed a new revenue stream, they turned to one of the oldest agricultural products known to man. "It has moments of really intense physical activity," says Father Isaac of St. Joseph's of the production process, "but it's an almost silent environment. It really fits in with our contemplative life."  

Organic. Natural. Certified. GMO-free. What do they mean, and what should you choose? In this episode, we moderate a 'food fight' between co-host Chrissy Taylor and our friend Jen Anderson as they discuss how they (and we) make the choices we do at the store or restaurant, which labels make them put an item back on the shelf or into the cart, and what ag is doing right...or could be doing better...when it comes to promoting the health and safety of our food supply. We're talking labeling, food-shaming, fear-based marketing, and more. 

Lucky Linda Cheddar. Little Lucy Brie. Tipsy Tilsiter. These are just a few of the “ridiculously good” cheeses on offer from Brooten, Minnesota’s Redhead Creamery. In this episode of “On Life & Land,” Alise Sjostrom (President, CEO, and resident redhead) and her mom, Linda Jennissen, talk about how the creamery came to be, the challenges facing kids who want to return to the farm...and about their love of all things cheese-related! 

Tucked away along the northern edge of Iowa is the town of Mason City...agricultural hub and home to the Historic Park Inn Hotel, the only remaining hotel designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Like so many buildings of its era, the Hotel fell into a state of disrepair before a massive renovation effort began in 2009; the Hotel reopened to the public in 2011. In this episode, we speak with designer Scott Borcherding, current president of Wright on the Park, Inc., partner at Bergland + Cram Architects, and member of the Historic Park Inn Hotel restoration team.

In our latest episode, we chat with Ben Harshyne, agent and land specialist with Whitetail Properties. Ben makes his living helping recreational and agricultural clients find the right piece of ground to fit their needs, whether it’s deer hunting or crop production. In this episode, Ben talks about land use, creating wildlife habitat, his love of maps, and his time with the National Counter-Terrorism Center.

Join us for our conversation with Patrick Montgomery, former U.S. Army Ranger and founder of KC Cattle Company in Weston, Missouri. KCCC is one of Missouri's largest producers of Wagyu and Wagyu-cross beef, and was recently honored by Food & Wine magazine for...wait for it...Best Hot Dog! In this episode, Patrick speaks openly about the challenges of running a start-up, niche-market business, and of transitioning to civilian life after serving in combat. 

In central Illinois, you'll find corn, soybeans...and bison, if you're anywhere near Grand Detour and the Nachusa Grasslands Preserve. Established in 1986, Nachusa began as an effort to preserve remnant tracts of native prairie. In 2014, Nachusa released their first bison onto the preserve. Today, Nachusa is home to over 100 bison and is a model of cooperation between agriculture and conservation. In this episode, we speak with Nachusa's Cody Considine and Dr. Elizabeth Bach about the challenges of establishing and maintaining their bison herd. 

"New Farmers," a recently-released book and photography exhibit from the University of Kansas, "combines stories and photography to illustrate the future of farming with an honest eye and a raw spirit." In this episode, we sit down with Tim Hossler and Paul Stock of KU, along with Phil Holman-Hebert of Sweetlove Farm, to talk about the exhibit, and about the challenges and rewards of becoming a "mid-career" farmer. The book "New Farmers 2014/2018," is available here. The exhibit will be on display at The Commons at the University of Kansas beginning October 3 and continuing throughout November; more information is available here. 

With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill last December, hemp once again became a legal crop for US producers. For the last episode of our "Nashville Road Trip" series, the team from On Life & Land speaks with Brent Cornett of London, Kentucky, about his transition from tobacco production to hemp, and about the challenges potential hemp producers might face. 

Barely 20 minutes from downtown Nashville, you'll find the historic Bells Bend Conservation Corridor, an area whose residents are determined to preserve not only its natural beauty, but also its agricultural heritage. Join the On Life & Land team as we speak with Brenda Butka, one of Bells Bend's long-time residents, and conservationist Sara Trunzo about what makes this area so special. 

In part 2 of our "Nashville Road Trip" series, the team from On Life & Land visits Nashville Craft Distillery to learn how founder Bruce Boeko uses locally sourced grains and specialty ingredients to create spirits like "Crane City Gin" and "Naked Biscuit Sorghum Spirit. 

Join the On Life & Land team as we take a road trip through and around Nashville, Tennessee. For the first of our four Nashville episodes, we sit down with musician Dale Watson for a conversation about music and land, about his adopted second home in Tennessee, and about how a farmer named David Buxkemper became the subject of a song on his latest album, “Call Me Lucky.”

What do a craft distiller, a hemp producer, a land conservator, and a honky-tonk musician have in common? They're all guests on upcoming episodes of On Life & Land. Join us for a preview of our Nashville Road Trip series, beginning July 2.

In a little more than a mile of the Columbia-Snake River System, you'll find a wide range of activities, including transportation, recreation, power generation, and agricultural irrigation. Join field editor Steve Werblow for an up-close look at this critical waterway and the people who use it, maintain it, and depend on it. And be sure to check out Steve's story and the accompanying video series at JohnDeereFurrow.com. 

A view from space can tell a farmer a lot about the state of the crop. Join us for our interview with Zara Khan, product marketing manager with Planet, one of the premier providers of satellite imagery for agricultural, industrial, and research applications. 

As one of the first social-media superstars of farming, Dairy Carrie helped show agriculture the power of blogging, of Facebook, and of sharing real stories of farm life. Today, she’s still very active on social media. We sat with Carrie to get her thoughts on how well ag is...or is not...communicating its message to the public, and on how she’s using the medium these days.

As African Swine Fever (ASF) threatens the global pork supply, producers and animal health experts around the world are scrambling to contain the threat. In this "breaking news" episode, field editor Lorne McClinton speaks with Dr. Jaspinder Komal, Chief Veterinary Officer for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, about this potentially devastating swine disease and how producers and consumers can help prevent its spread.  For more information, visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency web site at inspection.gc.ca, or in the U.S., the National Pork Producers Council at nppc.org.

It’s a dream so many of us have had...living on an island, isolated from the aggravations of city life in our own little slice of Heaven. But how does the dream match up to the reality of living according to a ferry schedule, and having to plan every trip to the grocery store or doctor’s office? Find out first-hand as our Canadian field editor Lorne McClinton interviews residents of the Discovery Islands, a small chain off the coast of British Columbia. And make sure to check out our video series, “Rhythm of the Ferries,” available at JohnDeereFurrow.com and JohnDeereHomestead.com.

A group of farmers in California is working to pull excess carbon out of the atmosphere and put it where it can do some good...into their soil. Learn more about the Marin County Carbon Project...and hear their success story...in this week's episode. 

In this episode, we chronicle the growth and success of The Local Pig, a butcher shop and restaurant, and their relationship with Campo Lindo Farms, a poultry operation that sells direct to local restaurants and grocers. With appearances on Food Network and a contract with Whole Foods, this chef/farmer pair illustrates how they’ve connected farmers with eaters, and why it’s not so outrageous to think that first-time farmers can accomplish the same. Read more at TheLocalPig.com and CampoLindoFarms.com.

How do we decide what technology to adopt? Is it pure dollars and sense? How do we decide what technology to trust...and what to trust it with? Join us for a deeper dive into the psychology of tech with our four guests: former U.S. Navy pilot Dr. Missy Cummings, now of Duke University; Dr. Julian Sanchez of John Deere; and farmers Larry Reichenberger and Dean Houghton. 

Ten years ago, Jason and Colleen Gerke left corporate jobs to pursue their dreams of wine-making. Today, Jowler Creek Winery is one of western Missouri's premier wine destinations, with weekend events, music, and of course, plenty of wines for tasting and pairing. Along with way, the Gerkes' focus on sustainable production methods earned them multiple awards, including Platte County Farm Family of the Year and the Missouri Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award. Learn more about how they did it in this episode of "On Life and Land."

As one of the nation’s most beloved brands, Deere & Company has an extensive collection of historical documents, equipment, literature, and memorabilia. Join us for an interview with Deere & Company archivist Neil Dahlstrom as we talk about the history of the company and of The Furrow magazine, how he decides what to keep and what to throw away, and some of the more notable items currently stored in the collection.  

In the second part of our series “Out of the Darkness,” field editor Steve Werblow speaks with musician and mental-health advocate Jason DeShaw about the stigma of mental illness, the right things to do and say to a friend or loved one who is suffering, the unique challenges farmers and rural residents face when seeking treatment, and about Jason’s own struggles with depression.

In the first of our two-part series "Out of the Darkness," field editor Steve Werblow speaks with Dr. Robert Fetsch, Colorado State University Extension, on the specific dangers rural residents face when addressing mental health evaluation and treatment, and on the signs to watch for in friends and loved ones who may be suffering from behavioral health issues. 

We see and hear the question all the time: “I want to be a farmer, but I have no money, no acreage, no tractor, and no experience. How do I start?” Very few other industries are as attractive to newcomers, and as difficult to break into, as production agriculture. And even though the number of farms is decreasing, we still need young people to be interested in coming into...or back to...the farm life. Join Larry Reichenberger and Dean Houghton, field editors for John Deere's The Furrow and Homestead magazines, for a discussion on what it takes to be a farmer.

Got a lawyer? Need a lawyer? Either way you’ll want to hear this episode of “On Life and Land,” in which we speak with Prof. Susan Schneider, head of the agricultural law program at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, about hunting leases, undivided interests, choosing an attorney, and more.

Take a walk on the wide side with Bob Recker of Cedar Valley Innovation. A John Deere retiree who just couldn’t leave the industry, Bob spends his time now working with cooperating farmers to run test plots and research. One of his areas of focus recently has been on the potential benefits of planting corn on 60-inch rows...benefits which could include improved soil health and reduced fertilizer demands. Join editor David Jones, co-hosts Chad Wagner and Chrissy Taylor, along with field editor Dean Houghton and his guest Bob Recker, for a look into the wide wide world of wide-row corn planting. And be sure to see Dean’s article, A Walk on the Wide Side, from the Spring 2018 issue of The Furrow. 

We were driving along Hwy 33 in Osborn, Missouri when it came into view. A tower standing a 100-ft or so tall, it’s bright white paint a stark contrast against the baby blue sky. In bold, black letters down the side of the tower we could make out the letters “M I L K.” It’s here that we talked with Matt Shatto about his family’s journey of building their small dairy farm, Shatto Milk Company, into a successful multi-faceted farm-to-market business…and becoming one of the Midwest’s most beloved dairies along the way. Join us as we chat about the day they decided to cut the cord with their co-op, how they’ve expanded their product line to include award-winning cheeses, ice creams and flavored milks (root beer milk anyone?), and how they reincarnated the milk man with their home delivery service – a business model that not only includes their products, but meats and produce from other local farmers as well. Afterward, we challenge you to check out ShattoMilk.com and try not to drool.

It’s hard not to be struck by the poppies. Standing inside the World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, we’re looking down on a display floor made up of thousands of red silk poppies. Our tour guide tells the story of how the poppy became a symbol of the human cost of the War.  When they’re planted, poppy seeds need to be placed fairly shallow, to get the most possible light; without strong light, the seeds can lay dormant for decades. During the worst of the fighting, in places like coastal Belgium and northern France, artillery shells churned up tons of dirt on the battlefields, raising long-dormant poppy seeds...just like agricultural work can bring up weed seeds. After the fighting, area residents noticed the abandoned battlefields covered with a carpet of poppies, more colorful and more numerous than they’d seen before. The combination of displaced soil, nitrates from the explosives, and human and animal decomposition created a nutrient-rich environment in which the poppies grew and thrived, serving as inspiration for John McCrae’s memorial poem “In Flanders Fields,” and forever associating the poppy with World War I. Today, the poppy serves as a grave and graceful reminder of the human cost of conflict. Nine-thousand poppies cover the floor of the Museum, each representing 1,000 human deaths directly attributed to the War. Join us for this two-part premiere of “On Life and Land,” in which we hear from John Deere retiree and Museum volunteer Mark Dold about the history of World War I and its lasting effect on agriculture and food production. 

It’s hard not to be struck by the poppies. Standing inside the World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, we’re looking down on a display floor made up of thousands of red silk poppies. Our tour guide tells the story of how the poppy became a symbol of the human cost of the War.  When they’re planted, poppy seeds need to be placed fairly shallow, to get the most possible light; without strong light, the seeds can lay dormant for decades. During the worst of the fighting, in places like coastal Belgium and northern France, artillery shells churned up tons of dirt on the battlefields, raising long-dormant poppy seeds...just like agricultural work can bring up weed seeds. After the fighting, area residents noticed the abandoned battlefields covered with a carpet of poppies, more colorful and more numerous than they’d seen before. The combination of displaced soil, nitrates from the explosives, and human and animal decomposition created a nutrient-rich environment in which the poppies grew and thrived, serving as inspiration for John McCrae’s memorial poem “In Flanders Fields,” and forever associating the poppy with World War I. Today, the poppy serves as a grave and graceful reminder of the human cost of conflict. Nine-thousand poppies cover the floor of the Museum, each representing 1,000 human deaths directly attributed to the War. Join us for this two-part premiere of “On Life and Land,” in which we hear from John Deere retiree and Museum volunteer Mark Dold about the history of World War I and its lasting effect on agriculture and food production. 

On Life and Land Preview. Overview of our upcoming Podcast series.