XtremeAg: Cutting The Curve Podcast

Hosted by XtremeAg

Business Education

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Episodes

428

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

XtremeAg’s Cutting the Curve Podcast, one of the best farming podcasts in America, hosted by Damian Mason. In each episode, top American farmers share their proven strategies for boosting crop yields and improving farm ROI. Learn from farming experts who provide tips on regenerative agriculture, new farm equipment, fertilizer recommendations, agronomy and farm efficiency. Whether you want to improve your crop yield for corn or soybeans, explore sustainable farming practices, or optimize your nutrient management, the Cutting the Curve Podcast delivers insights you can apply to your farming operation today. Stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of agriculture. https://www.xtremeag.farm/podcasts

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 27, 202630 min

Do Farmers Stay in the Game Too Long? | The Granary

When is it time to hand over the keys—and when does experience make you too valuable to quit? Damian Mason sits down with Matt Miles, Chad Henderson, and Todd Kimbrell to tackle a touchy subject in agriculture: Do farmers stay in the game too long? The guys dig into farm succession, giving the next generation room to make decisions (and mistakes), and finding the balance between staying involved and standing in the way. They also get into the financial realities of transitioning a farm, estate planning, rising land values, changing technology, and why simply working harder isn't always the answer. It’s a candid Granary conversation about family, farming, money, identity, and knowing when your greatest contribution might be your experience—not your hours in the tractor. Presented by Nachurs

October 16, 202617 min

Cover Crop Conversations: 5 Cover Crop Myths

“Cover crops won't work on my farm.” Kelly Garrett has heard that one plenty of times. After more than a decade of growing cover crops, he knows there's usually more to the story. In this episode of Cover Crop Conversations, Kelly joins TJ Kartes of Bio-Till in a newly seeded field to tackle five of the biggest myths farmers have about cover crops. Do they steal moisture? Hurt corn and soybean yields? Create a spring termination nightmare? And how do you justify the expense on rented ground? From managing water to dealing with stubborn cereal rye, Kelly and TJ have some real-world experience to share. Turns out, some of those coffee shop arguments might not hold up quite like you'd think.

October 13, 202631 min

What Really Makes a Farmer Try Something New? | The Granary

What does it take for a farmer to ditch the familiar and give a new product, practice, or technology a shot? Damian Mason sits down with Kelly Garrett, Adam Ullrich, and Trey Cutts of Tidal Grow to debate what really drives innovation on the farm. Is it university research? On-farm trials? ROI? A recommendation from a trusted farmer? Or does seeing the neighbor make it work carry more weight than a stack of data? The crew digs into why controlled research doesn’t always translate to real-world farming, the “snake oil” label surrounding some crop inputs, and why ease of use can make or break adoption. They also explore how AI could help farmers sort through mountains of information—and whether digital modeling might someday change the way products are tested. When you only get so many growing seasons in a career, how much proof is enough to try something new? Presented by Tidal Agro AgriScience

October 9, 202615 min

Cover Crop Series | Are Cover Crops Worth It? Soil Health, ROI & Species Selection

Why would you spend money planting a crop you can't sell? That's the question Kelly Garrett is asking as he kicks off XtremeAg's new Cover Crop Series with TJ Kartes of Bio-Till . Standing in a five-way cover crop mix on Kelly's western Iowa farm, the two get into what these plants are actually doing below ground and whether the benefits justify the cost. Kelly's got cattle to graze his covers, but what about farmers who don't? And when it comes to corn-on-corn acres, could choosing the right species make more of a difference than just getting something green in the field? Kelly and TJ dig into some interesting possibilities that might have you rethinking your cover crop plan.

September 29, 202634 min

What Should Agriculture Really Be Worried About? | The Granary

Agriculture has plenty to worry about—but are we focused on the right things? Damian Mason sits down with Chad Henderson, Matt Miles, and Tommy Roach for a wide-ranging conversation about the issues that could have a lasting impact on American agriculture. They dig into agriculture’s shrinking political influence, the growing disconnect between farmers and consumers, fragmentation within the industry, questions surrounding land-grant universities, and whether agriculture needs a better approach to public communication. Along the way, the crew debates food policy, social media misinformation, consumer expectations, and agriculture’s role in national security. And somehow, a serious discussion about the future of farming also turns into an investigation of one of modern food’s great mysteries: How exactly do you milk a cashew? Pull up a chair for a candid look at the challenges agriculture may need to start paying more attention to. Presented by Nachurs .

September 15, 202631 min

Can Farmers Diversify Beyond Corn and Soybeans? | The Granary

Calls for American agriculture to diversify sound great—but what exactly are farmers supposed to grow instead? Damian Mason sits down with Kelly Garrett, Adam Ullrich, and Galynn Beer (Tidal Grow) to dig into the economics and realities of moving acres away from corn and soybeans. From wheat, oats, rye, and sorghum to sweet corn and even a little talk about flax and buffalo, the group explores where diversification might actually pencil out. But growing another crop is only half the battle. Farmers still need buyers, storage, transportation, infrastructure, and enough demand to keep a promising alternative from becoming the next oversupplied commodity. The conversation also tackles marginal farmland, government support, regional advantages, water limitations, logistics, and why the smartest diversification strategy might look completely different from one farm to the next. So, can American agriculture really diversify—or are corn and soybeans simply too deeply rooted in the system? This episode is presented by Tidal Grow AgriScience

September 1, 202627 min

That Won't Work Here! Or Will It? | The Granary

“That won’t work here.” It might be one of the most common phrases in farming—and one of the most dangerous. Damian Mason joins Matt Miles, Chad Henderson, and Todd Kimbrell to talk about what happens when farmers challenge conventional wisdom and try something anyway. From Y-drops and liquid fertility to cover crops, strip-till, planter setups, and pushing planting dates, they’ve all seen ideas dismissed because they supposedly wouldn’t work in a particular region. Sometimes the skeptics were right. Other times, those “crazy” ideas changed the way they farm. The guys dig into regional differences, learning from other growers, managing risk, and why being willing to fail is part of finding the next thing that works. After all, there’s only one good way to find out whether “that won’t work here” is actually true. Presented by Nachurs .

August 18, 202630 min

Are Nutrient Regulations Coming for Farmers? | The Granary

Are nutrient regulations headed for American agriculture? Damian Mason sits down at The Granary table with Kelly Garrett, Todd Kimbrell, and Tommy Roach to dig into a topic farmers may want to get ahead of. From nitrate concerns in Iowa and Nebraska to phosphorus issues around Lake Erie and the Chesapeake Bay, the guys discuss why nutrient management is attracting more attention—and what future regulation could actually look like. Pounds-per-acre limits? Water monitoring? Application restrictions? More recordkeeping? But regulation isn’t the only reason to rethink fertility. The conversation turns to nutrient use efficiency, cutting unnecessary nitrogen, drainage tile, soil mineralization, and the dollars that leave the farm every time nutrients leave the field. Can farmers maintain yield while applying less—and could better nutrient management actually improve the bottom line? Pull up a chair. This one gets into the water, the soil, the regulations, and, naturally, a little manure. This episode is presented by Nachurs .

July 31, 202640 min

Farming Podcast | Regenerative Farming's 3rd Iteration | XtremeAg

Kelly Garrett is joined by Iowa's Lobe Rangers —Matt Bormann, Zack Smith, and James Hepp—to discuss what they call regenerative farming's third iteration: dramatically reducing synthetic nitrogen and phosphorus while maintaining yield and improving profitability. Moving beyond cover crops and no-till, the conversation explores on-farm nitrogen trials, nutrient management strategies, Iowa State research on reducing nitrate loss, and the emerging opportunities surrounding the 45Z tax credit. The group emphasizes that reducing fertilizer inputs is first and foremost a business decision that can improve return on investment while delivering environmental benefits as a byproduct.

July 14, 202625 min

Farming Podcast | Reduce Nitrogen, Lower Your Carbon Score, and Capture 45Z Money—Here's How

Reducing synthetic nitrogen is becoming increasingly important as the USDA's updated 45Z carbon intensity calculator places greater weight on nitrogen use. XtremeAg is testing how far nitrogen rates can be reduced while maintaining yield through on-farm trials featuring Agricen's N-FINITY. Kelly Garrett is evaluating nitrogen programs ranging from 140 to 45 pounds per acre. The combination of lower fertilizer costs and potential 45Z tax credit eligibility makes nitrogen efficiency one of the biggest financial opportunities for corn growers.

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