In this episode of the On-Farm Trials podcast, we’re on Esser Farms outside of Moscow, ID. Long-time innovator Garry Esser shares his experience with many soil-health focused trials starting with the transition to direct seed and being part of Shepherd’s Grain. Listen as Garry describes more recent trials such as alternative crop rotations, including intercropping with pulses and underseeding clovers, compost tea, and how ‘unintended consequences’ led to integrated grazing on the farm. The conversation explores getting your feet on the ground and seeing what you’re looking at - and how it can be more fun to try new things with friends.

In the first full episode of On-Farm Trials Season 2 Jason Bishop of Living Heritage Farm in Edwall, Washington, describes his trials building life on the farm with alternative crop rotations, intercropping, and a range of cover cropping strategies that include cows jumping fences- all while looking both forward and backward for inspiration to further the farm’s management goals.

The first episode of season 2 is a short introduction to Jason and Jill Bishop of Living Heritage Farm in Edwall, Washington. In our ‘pre-season episode’ Jason and Jill describe coming back to the farm and working to build out value-added direct marketing enterprises to support the addition of their family on the farm. Hear how they embrace the farm name, and their experiences ranging from specialty beef, to seed increases from the Einkorn heritage grain patch started in their suburban Seattle backyard.

In this episode we hear from WSU Extension Specialist Aaron Esser, and land-owner cooperator Howard Nelson of Creston, WA. In this interview on the WSU Wilke Research Farm in Davenport, WA our guests discuss liming trials along with soil pH as it relates to maintaining soil health. We also hear about a long history of collaboration from work on winter peas, to decision-making for the advisory committee for the Wilke Farm.

In this episode of the On-Farm Trials podcast we hear from Clay Hutchens of Hutchens Family Farms outside of Dayton, Washington. Join the conversation to hear from Clay as the Washington Soil Health Initiative’s Soil Health Producer of the Year for 2023, what soil health means to him and his perspective on the imperative of a safe and abundant food supply. He shares his thoughts on soil acidification and his experience collaborating with the Columbia County Conservation District to ameliorate soil acidification with lime, and his experience as an early adopter of precision nutrient management technology - don’t miss his description of adapting his early computers to the tractor cab!

Join this conversation about On-Farm Trials with recently-retired farmer, Mark Sheffles, outside

of Wilbur, Washington. Mark describes his trials with winter peas, the Weed-it spot sprayer, and

his history with direct seeding.

This episode of On-Farm Trials comes to you from the Rosanoff Homestead outside of Ritzville, WA where we hear from Ron Jirava and the WSU research team Dr. Bill Schilinger, Dr. Tim Paulitz, Dr. Jeremy Hansen, Dr. Surendra Singh, and Bruce Sower about their work together on the longest running Dryland On-Farm Trial collaboration in Washington State. Their conversation covers an array of the work that has come from this trial around alternative cropping systems, the soil microbiome, pathogens, tillage equipment, and residue management and how they all of these management strategies interact with soil moisture in a dryland environment. We also hear about future directions for the research to come, building on past work and exploring new ideas, including even more focus on soil health!

Join the conversation on Uhlorn Family Farms outside of Cottonwood, ID with Darrel and Brentley Uhlorn and Dave Dahlsrud. In this interview they describe their trials with cropping system innovations, alternative crops, weed management, integrating cattle, and using compost teas, extracts, biostimulants, and foliar fertilizers at production scale.