Episodes

  • Agricultural Security is National Security: How the FBI Protects the Ag Industry From Threats
    Jul 9 2025

    This episode may not contain top secret information, but it comes close. Join Andrew and Brock as they sit down to interrogate...we mean interview...the FBI! Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge from the FBI Omaha Field Office, joins The Herd for an insightful conversation about how the FBI works to protect the agriculture industry from various types of threats. This is one you won't want to miss, so tune in to the full episode to learn all about the classified details.

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    32 mins
  • Preparing Ag Professionals of the Future
    Jun 25 2025

    Who will be working in and leading the agriculture industry several decades from now? How will those individuals prepare to take that charge? Andrew and Brock share perspectives on what it means to prepare the ag professionals of the future. They talk about education, internships, and much more as they dig into this important topic. As an added bonus, they take a look back at the first half of Season 2 of Sustaining The Herd for a partial year in review discussion. Tune in to hear it all!

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    37 mins
  • Verifying Sustainability with Doug Stanton
    Jun 11 2025

    Interested in knowing if the food you eat is sustainably produced and how sustainable production is verified? Are you a food producer looking to verify your production practices in order to access new markets and increase profitability? Andrew and Brock dig into these topics and more when they sit down with Doug Stanton of IMI Global and Where Food Comes From to discuss how sustainability claims and agricultural production practices are verified. Doug and his team work with stakeholders across the agricultural supply chain to help producers add value to their products while also giving consumers confidence in the food they're buying. This is yet another aspect of sustainability that we're excited to explore on Sustaining The Herd. Tune in for the full conversation!

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    36 mins
  • Settling the Debate on Settleables: What’s Filling My Digester?
    May 28 2025

    An anaerobic digester project developer’s worst nightmare—tanks filled with sand. But is it only sand that settles in digesters? Sand bedding on dairies is an easy target when it comes to digester tanks filled with sand, but there are other settleable particles in manure—some inorganic, some organic. In Episode 29 of Sustaining the Herd, Brock quizzes Andrew on sources of settleable material in manure, their respective quantities, and what to do about them. Andrew discusses mixing and agitation, as well as separation strategies and the future of sand handling in digesters.

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    37 mins
  • Self Driving Feed Trucks and Precision Cattle Feeding with Jacob Hansen of ALA Engineering
    May 14 2025

    You may have heard of a robotaxi... but have you heard of a robo feed truck--a self-driving feed truck? In this episode of Sustaining the Herd, Andrew and Brock sit down with Jacob Hansen of ALA Engineering. In the words of Jacob, he feeds cattle—but not as a cattle feeder in the traditional sense. ALA Engineering feeds cattle with their self-driving feed truck that they're currently bringing to market. Jacob talks about how the self-driving feed truck first came to be. He also gives a glimpse into the future of precision cattle feeding. Buckle up and tune in for a fun ride in Episode 28!

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    41 mins
  • LIVE From Biogas Americas in Denver, Colorado
    Apr 30 2025

    In Episode 27, Andrew Wedel and Brock Vetick record LIVE from the Biogas Americas Conference in Denver, Colorado. They dive into the latest trends shaping the biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) industry, offering insights from the heart of the action. Tune in as they discuss the value of connecting with industry professionals, sharing perspectives on innovation, collaboration, and the future of sustainable energy.

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    25 mins
  • Sustainable Crop Production and Global Ag Trade with Andy Fabin
    Apr 16 2025

    What’s the average farm field size in Western Pennsylvania? Where in the world are US soybeans sold and how are they marketed? Join Andrew and Brock as they sit down with Andy Fabin of Fabin Brothers Farms located near Indiana, Pennsylvania. Andy shares about sustainable corn and soybean production as well as soybean processing on his family's farm. As if that's not enough to discuss on its own, the conversation takes a turn into global trade and how it's a critical component of the United States ag economy. Check out the full episode to hear it all!

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    39 mins
  • The "Pondcast": Talking Innovation and Industry Involvement with Dr. Kevin Pond of WTAMU
    Apr 2 2025

    Where are 25% of cattle on feed in the United States located? If you guessed within a 150-mile radius of Canyon, Texas, you guessed right! Andrew and Brock sit down with Dr. Kevin Pond, who serves as Dean of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. Dr. Pond has dedicated his career to innovation and sustainability in the beef industry here and abroad. Dr. Pond talks about WTAMU and explains how working together with industry is central to his college's mission. He also shares an exciting update as he talks about the new feedlot research and education center currently being designed and soon to be constructed at WTAMU. If you have any level of interest in cattle feeding, this episode is for you. Tune in to catch the full conversation!

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    37 mins