This episode was originally aired on April 25, 2025 and it was a top performing episode on Farm+Food+Facts.

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action established an independent scientific working group to analyze the potential for U.S. agriculture to collectively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and possibly achieve a state of negative emissions, or emitting fewer total GHGs than are sequestered. The resulting report, “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to be Greenhouse Gas Negative,” was peer-reviewed and published. In this episode, we dive deeper into one of the key areas of opportunity outlined in the report: Nitrogen fertilizer management.

Join Farm+Food+Facts host Joanna Guza and Dr. Bruno Basso, professor of earth and environmental sciences at Michigan State University, as they discuss how nitrogen management can help improve farmer profitability and reduce emissions. They explore the nitrogen cycle, emerging technologies, precision agriculture and other tools to be successful.

To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here. Check out USFRA’s report, “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative.”

Join Farm+Food+Facts host Joanna Guza and Ian Welsh, co-founder and chair of Innovation Forum. Ian and his team will be hosting The Future of Food and Beverage USA, a national conference being held May 27-28 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that will feature more than 250 farmers, leading brands, retailers, traders, investors and policy makers. This episode explores key topics that will be discussed at the event, including regenerative agriculture. USFRA (farmer board members and staff) will be speaking at the event.

• Learn more about the Food and Beverage Forum here.
• Register for the forum here.

To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here.

Gary Wickham, founder and CEO of MagrowTec, shares how he’s watching how AI will fit into agriculture and how we can turn data into meaningful interactions.

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Meryl Richards, program director of Food & Forests at Ceres, explains why she is excited about the rapid evolution of new technology in agriculture.

To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here.

Greg Shoemaker, North America Commercial Director at Cargill and a USFRA board member, discusses artificial intelligence's impact on agriculture and how he challenges himself to learn more about it.

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Farm+Food+Facts host Joanna Guza talks with Meryl Richards, program director of Food & Forests at Ceres about how investors and companies are working with farmers to improve sustainability.

To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here.

Farm+Food+Facts host Joanna Guza talks with Greg Shoemaker, North America Commercial Director at Cargill and a USFRA board member, about the company’s seven-generation history, it’s strategic focus in the dairy division and how it helps improve profitability for farmers.

Resources:

• Cargill website
• Cargill Dairy MAX
• Dairy | Animal Nutrition - United States

To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here.

Carla Schultz, owner of Eight Plates Farm in Michigan and a United Soybean Board farmer-leader, and Patrick Giberson, owner of Giberson Farms in New Jersey and a United Soybean farmer-leader and a USFRA board member, discuss what they are keeping an eye on in 2026, including the loss of farmland and challenges in the carbon credit space.

To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here.