XtremeAg: Cutting The Curve Podcast

Using Carbon Technology to Improve Nutrient Uptake and Reduce Inputs

With increasing economic and environmental pressure, American farmers are seeking ways to improve crop nutrition without increasing reliance on synthetic inputs. One promising solution? Carbon-based soil amendments.

In a recent episode of Cutting the Curve, Arkansas farmer Matt Miles joined host Damian Mason, alongside Brad Benson and Brandon Laws of Activated Car...

In 2025, many row-crop farmers across the Midwest experienced surprising yield losses—not due to lack of fertility or weed control—but because of unmanaged or mistimed corn disease pressure. From southern rust reaching further north to recurring outbreaks of tar spot, growers were challenged with invisible yet economically significant threats to plant health and grain fill.

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In this episode, Damian Mason hosts a discussion with Temple Rhodes, Chad Henderson, and Nachurs agronomist Tommy Roach, focused on re-evaluating common fall fertility practices. The group addresses the economic inefficiencies and agronomic downsides of outdated fertilizer applications, particularly the tendency to broadcast fertilizer in the fall without tying it to actual nutrient demand. By breaking down the science of nutrient ...

Know Your Seed Treatment: Why It Matters More Than Ever

In modern agriculture, seed treatment has evolved from an optional layer of protection to a critical component of crop success. Yet many farmers are still in the dark about what's actually on the seed they plant. In this episode of XtremeAg’s Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason speaks with Paul Johnson, a 30-year industry veteran and Seed Treatment Portfolio Manager at UPL, t...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason speaks with Tommy Roach of Nachurs and Texas farmer Todd Kimbrell about moving away from conventional fertility practices toward more efficient, cost-effective nutrient strategies. The discussion centers on reducing or eliminating fall-applied nitrogen and phosphorus, and instead using in-season applications of micronutrients like zinc, sulfur, boron, copper, and potassium acetate....

Farm financial success requires more than strong yields or land appreciation. In this episode, Damian Mason speaks with Jeff Janssen of JC Ag Financial Services and Iowa farmer Kelly Garrett to explore the elements of a real financial stress test. They cover critical areas like calculating true cost of production, identifying hidden expenses, and managing financial pressure through operational scale and revenue diversification. The...

In this episode of XtremeAg’s Cutting The Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Kelly Garrett and TJ Kartes of Bio Till to explore how farmers can achieve better results with cover crops by moving beyond cereal rye. The discussion focuses on reducing disease risks, improving nutrient cycling, and tailoring cover crop strategies to specific cropping systems. The conversation also covers the benefits of interseeding, chemical program...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason speaks with South Dakota native Derek Skogsberg about building a modern, financially viable farming operation while living out of state. With a professional background in agronomy and agribusiness, Skogsberg shares how he returned to his family’s legacy farmland after decades in other industries, creating a business model that balances investment, operational efficiency, and genera...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Temple Rhodes and Barrett Ersek to explore the concept of "Thriveability" — a farmer-driven mindset focused on improving soil health, reducing inputs, and enhancing long-term economic outcomes. Barrett, founder of Holganix, explains how the company has shifted from selling crop inputs to becoming a partner in soil health by leveraging microbial technologies, inten...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason discusses the results of the Economic Fertility Challenge with farmer Johnny Verell and agronomist Stephanie Zelinko. The challenge, conducted in partnership with AgroLiquid, aimed to maximize wheat yields with a $30 foliar fertility spend per acre. Johnny Verell achieved the highest yield at 114 bushels per acre and won on both yield and ROI, outperforming fellow farmers Kell...

In this episode of Cutting The Curve, Damian Mason hosts Temple Rhodes, Chad Henderson, Kevin Matthews, Joe Leslie, and agronomist Stephanie Zelinko to discuss the Economic Fertility Challenge—a collaborative in-furrow fertility trial with AgroLiquid, aiming to maximize ROI under a $40/acre fertility budget. The challenge was conducted on irrigated corn with a 300-bushel yield goal, testing varied nutrient strategies across differe...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason hosts Temple Rhodes and agronomist Rebekah Muench of Concept Agritek to address how growers can reduce phosphorus fertilizer costs without sacrificing yield. With phosphorus sources like DAP and MAP becoming prohibitively expensive, the conversation centers on improving phosphorus efficiency by unlocking tied-up nutrients in the soil, utilizing banded and seasonally timed applicati...

In this episode of Cutting The Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Kevin Matthews and Jeremy Geerts from SprayTec to explore the hidden costs and risks associated with foam in spray applications. Excess foam in the spray tank can reduce effective volume, distort herbicide rates, tie up active ingredients, and cause off-target environmental contamination. The conversation outlines how foam affects agronomic performance and profita...

In this special edition of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason sits down with the next generation of XtremeAg contributors—Connor “Vern” Garrett, Alexander Evans, Danielle Venable, Jackson Henderson, and Layne Miles—joined by Caleb Coots of Teva Ag. The discussion centers on adaptability in agriculture: economic pressures, changes in herbicide regulations, evolving input strategies, and shifting mindsets. With real-world examples from ...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason discusses the Economic Fertility Challenge focused on cotton production with XtremeAg farmer Matt Miles and fellow contributors Kevin Matthews, Kelly Garrett, agronomist Stephanie Zelinko, and Gabe Saxon from AgroLiquid. The challenge, held on Matt Miles’ Arkansas farm, tested various foliar nutrition strategies on cotton under a strict $50 per-acre budget. With different team...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, XtremeAg tackles the widespread skepticism surrounding post-patent (generic) crop protection products. Host Damian Mason speaks with Brian Adams of Volunteer Ag Services and Bret Corbett of Albaugh to explore the misconceptions about generics, their formulation quality, and their role in modern farming systems. The conversation emphasizes that while not all generics are created equal, many U.S....

In this candid episode of Cutting the Curve, Damian Mason hosts a roundtable with members of the next generation of agriculture—Alexander Evans, Connor “Vern” Garrett, Danielle Venable, Jackson Henderson, and Layne Miles—joined by Caleb Coots of TEVA Ag. The group shares how they balance personal time with the demands of farming, how their identities are shaped by agriculture, and why building family traditions off the farm is as v...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Matt Miles and agronomist Stephanie Zelinko to break down the results of a cotton fertility challenge conducted in partnership with AgroLiquid. The trial, hosted on Matt's farm, tested three fertility programs designed by Matt, Kevin Matthews, and Kelly Garrett, each limited to a $50 foliar application budget with the goal of achieving 1,750 lbs (3.5 bales) per ac...

In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason is joined by Tennessee farmer Johnny Verell and Keith Miller from Albaugh to discuss how farmers can reduce unnecessary crop protection costs without compromising control. The conversation focuses on leveraging post-patent and rebranded legacy chemistries, improving input planning, addressing water quality factors like pH and hardness, and reevaluating fungicide, insecticide, ...