XtremeAg: Cutting The Curve Podcast

This episode of the Cutting The Curve farming podcast explores how the faster sprayer system from Dura Products is transforming farm operations by cutting costs and boosting productivity. Temple Rhodes of XtremeAg reveals how his team now fills sprayers in just five minutes, sprays an additional 100 acres per day, and has completely eliminated chemical handling risks. With simplified trailer setups, safer chemical mixing, and a plu...

This episode of the Cutting The Curve Farming Podcast dives deep into farmland values for 2025. Join host Damian Mason with South Dakota farmer Lee Lubbers and First Dakota Bank’s Nathan Sparks as they unpack what’s driving land prices, how rising interest rates are shaping the ag market, and whether a price correction is on the horizon.

Learn how to navigate land purchases, leases, and investment planning in today’s complex farm e...

In this episode of the Cutting The Curve Farming Podcast, Damian Mason sits down with Kelly Garrett to unpack key insights from the 2025 Commodity Classic. In a tight farm economy, it’s not just about cutting costs — it’s about spending smarter. From adjusting input strategies to leveraging cost-saving technologies, Kelly shares practical takeaways that can help you make better financial decisions without compromising performance...

This episode of the farming podcast delves into soybean planting with Quebec farmer Sam Coutu. He reveals his strategies for April soybean planting, focusing on optimizing fertility timing and adjusting plant populations to boost yields. Additionally, Sam discusses how to effectively utilize recent equipment upgrades to cut costs and enhance crop management. This episode provides valuable insights for farmers looking to improve eff...

This episode of the Cutting The Curve farming podcast dives into phosphorus efficiency, focusing on how to get phosphorus into soil effectively. Damian Mason hosts experts from AgroTech USA and XtremeAg, who discuss how farmers can raise phosphorus levels in soil through optimized fertility programs. They reveal practical strategies to reduce input costs, improve crop yields, and combat phosphorus deficiency in plants while enhanci...

Thinking about adding grain sorghum—aka milo—to your operation? Lee Lubbers shares why this crop is a game-changer for his farm. From lower production costs compared to corn to boosting organic matter where soybeans fall short, milo is earning its place in his cropping system. In this episode, Lee talks with Damian about his strategy for maximizing yield and nutrient content to command a premium price. As always, Lee isn’t just exp...

Temple Rhodes did a large scale trial in 2024 eliminating applied dried fertilizer and replacing it with plant-applied nutrients. It worked. So he’s making some big changes to his nutrient application strategy this year to focus on the crop, not just the soil test. A few side benefits include: reduction of salts in the soil, bigger yields, and less cost. Not to mention increased soil biology which is another focus for the new year....

Strip-till isn’t just about conservation—it’s a game-changer for nutrient availability and soil health. That’s one of Chad Henderson’s key strategies as he heads into the new season. In this episode of XtremeAg's Cutting the Curve, Chad shares why he’s doubling down on strip-till, upgrading his data collection with cost-effective tech for his equipment, and making a major shift from in-furrow application to seed treatments. His goa...

Can cutting input costs actually cost you more in the long run? Farmer Matt Miles shares hard lessons from his 2024 season, where saving $50 per acre on potassium ended up costing him $150 per acre in lost yield. He also reveals the hidden costs of skipping crop rotation after a seven-bushel decline in non-rotated soybeans. In this episode of Cutting the Curve, Matt and host Damian Mason break down the true impact of fertility deci...

In this episode of XtremeAg Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason sits down with Kelly Garrett and TJ Kartes to discuss a bold move for 2025—interseeding cover crops into growing corn as early as June. Kelly shares the agronomic, economic, and sustainability benefits of this approach, from erosion control to carbon sequestration and livestock forage. TJ Kartes of Saddle Butte Ag breaks down the science behind selecting the right cov...

Most farms today rely on data management software and on-implement hardware—but are you truly maximizing these tools for bigger returns and streamlined operations? In this episode, Layne Miles teams up with Ryan Stien to break down Deere’s Operations Center and how it helps Miles Farms make smarter, more profitable decisions. As Layne puts it, “If you missed the technology train, grab a cab and go catch it because the train isn’t c...

Johnny Verell is on a mission to trim up to $20 per acre in expenses by strategically adjusting his spraying regimen. By eliminating one sprayer pass and an airplane pass, he’s cutting costs without cutting corners. But instead of simply saving, he’s reinvesting—reallocating his nutrient budget and timing fertility applications based on moisture conditions. In this episode of Cutting the Curve, host Damian Mason sits down with John...

It started with auto steer on tractors  — or maybe even before that — where automation ends up, is still an open discussion. Damian Mason hosts that discussion in this episode with XtremeAg’s John Verell and John Deere’s Michael Porter. The evolution of farm machinery automation rolls forward on America’s farms. Johnny Verell explains how autonomy helps him farm better, make more money, and do more work with fewer people. If you’re...

Kevin Matthews is shaking up his fertility practices in 2025 with a hybrid approach to crop care. While he remains a firm believer in trickling liquid fertilizer “just in time” for crop development, he’s turning to dry fertilizer to tackle problem areas. But there’s a catch—it requires upgrading to strip-till equipment. In this episode, Kevin shares how he’s streamlining his farm operations, including an eye-opening review of his p...

Is your farm financially prepared for 2025? Economic pressures are mounting, and staying solvent requires a solid strategy. In this episode of Cutting The Curve, Jeff Janssen joins Kelly Garrett and Damian Mason to tackle critical topics like working capital, cash flow, cost of production, and aligning your financial goals with your banker’s expectations. From calculating current assets to understanding the hidden costs of stored g...

New paint is sexy. We get it. We’re farmers too and we like shiny new machinery! But farming is a business and a business faced with reduced revenue must make adjustments. How do you stay on the cutting edge of Agricultural technology with older machinery? With precision equipment upgrades, that’s how. XtremeAg’s Kelly Garrett and John Deere’s Clint Chaffer explain how — for a fraction of the price of new — you can update your exis...

Are farm finances tighter than usual? Discover how to save money while maintaining yield and revenue in this must-listen episode. Host Damian Mason talks with XtremeAg’s John Verell and Meristem’s Peter Rousonelos about cost-effective farming practices using the “R’s” of crop cost removal: Reduce, Recycle, Re-use, Repurpose, and Re-Think. Learn innovative ways to cut costs per acre, boost farm profitability, and keep your operation...

Award-winning results, less nitrogen. Kelly Garrett, with agronomist Mike Evans, achieved an impressive 324 bushels per acre with just 151 pounds of applied nitrogen—earning him recognition in the National Corn Growers Association’s new Nitrogen Management Class. In this episode, they join Damian Mason to share their game-changing methodology and discuss the future of farming under increased environmental scrutiny. Discover how to ...

Kelly Garrett and Temple Rhodes were both highly skeptical when they received their small plastic bags of pink powder with instructions to treat their seed corn. The pink powder was New Leaf’s bacterial technology, which is now available in products from four different companies. Kelly and Temple share  results and lessons from their trials. Both saw a yield response, more roots, and bigger biomass from using the bio stimulant. Kel...