Ohio Field Leader Podcast

There is more than the topography that is “rolling” at Rolling Fields Company in Perry County.  When Keith Dennis and his wife Jane purchased the farm in 1976, this rolling farm ground had water rolling any time it had a heavy rain, cutting deep gullies. Erosion was a huge concern.  Since 2011 Keith has planted cover crops and began utilizing the Haney Soil Health test.  Now the rolling fields are green and covered with a mixture of cover crops. Today the main things rolling are the numbers and data on spreadsheets from over a decade of soil health test results. Dusty and Keith discuss the farm's transition to high productivity on this episode of the podcast and look ahead to the future.

For over a quarter century Matt Reese of Ohio's Country Journal has been covering the story of Agriculture and its' people. In those years Reese has seen a number of major changes in the soybean industry in Ohio. From No-till planting, to Round-up Ready, to Soybean Aphids and Soybean Rust, to White Mold and Specialty IP beans, Reese has covered many of the stories that have impacted soybean farmers all across the Buckeye state. In the episode, Dusty visits with Matt about his time at OCJ and all the changes he has observed, as well as some lessons learned along the way.

In this episode, Dusty visits with a farmer, podcaster, boilermaker, professor, meteorologist, grain marketer, and canoe livery owner, all rolled into one - Ryan Martin. For decades, Ryan has been forecasting agricultural weather and reporting for numerous organizations. He has also been analyzing grain markets and trade patterns, regularly sharing his valuable insights with farmers and college students alike. As a farmer, Ryan has a unique perspective on the agriculture industry and the opportunities and challenges that the future holds.

It is known as the invisible yield robber. Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) is a leading cause of lower yields in soybean fields across the country with no noticeable symptoms above ground on the plant. In a recent news release from the SCN Coalition, SCN has been identified in over 30 additional counties across the country. That is in addition to the counties that it had previously been detected in. That new number includes two new counties in Ohio. Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora is an OSU Extension Soybean Pathologist and Nematologist. Dr. Lopez-Nicora has been working aggressively to help farmers identify fields with SCN populations and develop strategies to manage their presence of the pest and lower those populations. Dusty visits with Horacio on this episode to discuss the recent survey results and management strategies that farmers can employ to deal wtih the spread of SCN.

The first Ohio Field Leader Podcast for 2025 features Dusty visiting with Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora, OSU Extension Soybean Pathologist and Nematologist. Dusty and Horacio take a look back at the 2024 growing season and the stress factors that impacted soybean production from a disease pressure standpoint and things we can take away from it as we look ahead to the 2025 crop year.