Field Work
Hosted by two commercial row-crop farmers and a dairy farmer, Field Work is a podcast that provides space for frank, realistic discussions about the benefits and challenges of sustainable agriculture. Hosts Zach Johnson, Mitchell Hora, and Tara Vander Dussen (who joined the team in season four) explore the successes and challenges farmers experience as they adopt new practices, while still getting into the weeds on the difficulties.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 41 minutes
- Episodes
- 71
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2022
Precision Ag: Hype or Hope?
There are a lot of technologies available these days like sensors, geo-mapping, robots, and all sorts of other big data tools. The idea behind them, of course, is to make farming more efficient, and …
Cover Crops Part 2: Recycling Your Nutrient Dollars
Cover crops blanket the soil from the time you harvest one crop until you plant the next. And there’s a long list of benefits they provide: they can replenish soil in between planting, prevent soil e…
How Can Data Boost Sustainable Ag?
Farmers collect a lot of data on fields, inputs, and yields. But many questions remain about how to use the data and who to share it with. Zach and Mitchell talk to Charles Baron of Farmers Business …
Don’t Treat Your Soil Like Dirt
Many farmers have heard the alarming statistic that we’re losing topsoil to erosion about 10 times faster than it can be replenished. We want to keep our soil healthy and intact so we can continue fa…
Nutrient Management: Find That Nitrogen Sweet Spot
Nutrient management is an art as much as it is a science. And nitrogen, in particular, can be a difficult nutrient to manage. Understanding how it behaves in soil systems can help farmers increase it…
Landowners, Lenders and More: How to Get Stakeholders on Board with Change
Sometimes the hurdles to sustainable practices come from people right in a farmer’s network: family, landowners, neighbors, seed dealers, and lenders. Bryan and Lauren Biegler, farmers in Minnesota, …
Cover Crops Part 1: What Newbies Should Consider
There are a lot of big questions to consider for farmers interested in trying out cover crops. Perhaps the most important one, according to cover crop coach Steve Groff, is this: what do you want to …
Drain Tile: Friend or Foe?
We explore the benefits and downsides of drain tile with Rodney Rulon, an Indiana farmer, and Matt Helmers, the director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State University. Drain tiles dry…
Meet Zach and Mitchell
In this episode, you’ll learn about our hosts and what drives their interest in sustainable agriculture. Zach Johnson, a farmer near Alexandria, Minnesota, also hosts the popular MN Millennial Farmer…
Conservation Tillage: Should Zach's "Friend" Give It a Try?
Conservation tillage can provide a lot of benefits. It increases water filtration, reduces erosion, and improves soil productivity. But some farmers worry about weed control challenges and lower yiel…
Coming Soon: Field Work
Field Work is a podcast that showcases frank, realistic discussions about the benefits and challenges of adopting sustainable ag practices. It’s hosted by two commercial row crop farmers, Zach Johnso…