5 JUN. 2024 · In this episode, I reflect on a project I drilled in May for a client. I was drilling a standard native prairie mix and I was sharing the importance of getting residue off the soil so it can dry out quickly, better surface contact with herbicides, and most important part seed to soil contact for your native prairie seed. I share about summer projectcs I am burning (see what I did there) to do with growing season burns and taking out the recurring invasive species on the farm. Finally, I share about how to remove cool season grasses in an old field situations or in prairie seedings.

26 MAY. 2024 · In this episode, I decided to share the frustrations of owning equipment and the rising costs of maintaining equipment. I go over the acres I have drilled over the years and how much the demand for services fluctuate and how much the government through CRP can influence that. I explain the difference for me how manageing forestry is more profitable and larger habitat impact vs driving a tractor up and down the road. I have enjoyed my time doing the custom work, but I'd rather leave the tractor parked for now and enjoy the time with family working the farm and watching my kids grow up.

14 MAY. 2024 · In this episode, I talk about different options for tree plantings with having the least amount of enviornmental impact for the future. I talk about having an early successional plant community in your tree planting. You may have to use some hardcore herbicides the fall prior to have the most effective cool season grass kill so you do not have to spray again or avoid the annual pre-emergent applications for 3-5 years.

12 MAY. 2024 · In this episode I give an update on the challenges of a wet spring in southeast Iowa as a habitat contractor and a farm hand. I go over my battle of Candida a viscous little fungus that ruins your gut. I also talk about the turkey season. It was not successful, however the habitat work has paid off and I learned a lot about this bird. I am obsessed and can't wait to pursuit the turkey again.

10 ABR. 2024 · In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Marcus Lashley. Dr. Lashley is host of Fire University is co-host of the Wild Turkey Science. Dr. Marcus is assistant Professor at the University of Florida's Department of Wildlife and Ecology. In this episode, we discussed more about fire ecology, but also discussed fire behavior and safety. Fire is one of the ultimate tools in wildlife management, but there is a time and place. Inappropriate times will lead to disaster. Let's use prescribed fire in the safest way, but also the most effective way. Fire University Podcast: https://fireuniversity.libsyn.com/ Wild Turkey Science https://turkeysfortomorrow.org/wild-turkey-science-podcast/ Forest Service s130 and s190 Online Training: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/angeles/fire/?cid=FSEPRD1059372

4 ABR. 2024 · In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Doug Duren. Doug is a hunter, land specalist, and conservationist of Cazenovia, Wisconsin. Doug manages his family farm and it has been in his family for 115 years. Doug has started Sharing the Land Initiative. Sharing the Land Initiative is a network to connect hunters looking for access to hunt with landowners to acheive stewarding the land together as a partnership. Doug has also contributed tremendously to Meat Eater. Folks, I had a lot of questions for Doug, but I asked him about the Sharing the Land Initiative and I just let him roll! I could listen to him talk all day and I immensely enjoyed this conversation and hope you all do as well! Doug Duren Website: https://www.dougduren.com/aboutdoug Sharing the Land: https://www.sharingtheland.com/

27 MAR. 2024 · In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Iowa's Department of Natural Resources own Deer Biologist, Jace Elliott. Jace has a Bachelors of Science in Conservation Biology of University of Wisconsin and a Masters of Science in Wildlife Biology of University of Auburn. Jace and I talked about the need for prescribed fire to promote early successional plant communities. We talked about manager deer numbers focuisng primarily on does and how to conduct deer surveys. The current state of the deer population across the state of Iowa. Jace and I also talked about EHD and CWD and what the future holds for the health of the deer herd of Iowa. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

20 MAR. 2024 · In this episode, I interview in training MMA fighter, Micah Washington. Micah is from Burlington, IA. Micah grew up as an athelte being in as many sports as possinle. Micah was introduced to the world of fighting and fell in love with it. Due to a bad shoulder injury and one prescription of pain killers led Micah down a dark path of addiction. His fighting career gone and lost in the darkness. Micah met the love of his life. Micah worked on getting clean and once Micah and his wife found out they were going to have a baby, Micah was determined to stay clean. Micah started a health journey and found purpose in fitness and challenging who you were yesterday. Micah earned his certificate throuhg AFAA and NASM and is a personal trainer. He currently works at Impact Fitness in Fairfield, IA. Micah is currently training as a MMA fighter again and his first fight of March 30th! I love Micah's story and want to have him on so he can share it. Micah has his first fight in Des Moines, Iowa at the Val Air Ballroom Hosted by Midwest Cage Champisonship 301 Ashworth Road W Des Moines, IA 50265 Micah Washington Health and Fitness Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556328366705 Impact Fitness https://impactfitnessandsportsperformance.com/

13 MAR. 2024 · In this episode, I interviewed Lindsay Thomas Jr. the Chief Communications Officer of the National Deer Association. Lindsay and I discussed the positive outlook on whitetail management. Land managers, hunters, and land owners are actively switching from monoculture management to quality management promoting prescribed fire, early succesional plant communities, and soil regeneration for food plots. Not intended, but this episode became a positive response ot my previous episode, "The Ecological Conscience". Lindsay and I discussed the fear mindset I've noticed from whitetail deer oriented landowners ecspecailly noticeable in the Midwest. We discussed the back and forth finger pointing from hunters about different methods of take, which I feel has been settled in this episode. I enjoyed this conversation so much I became a member of the National Deer Association the next day. This is beyond whitetail management, this is beyond us as hunters, it's about managing the ground as God intended.

6 MAR. 2024 · In this episode, I started off reading one of my favorite essays from Aldo Leopold from his collection of essays called, "The River of the Mother of God". The Ecological Conscience was a collection of personal examples Aldo Leopold experienced under the guise of conservation. After reading this, I came unglued. I was angry. I have my patience with the current status of so-called conservation in this country. God bless to the landowners either in state or out of state that work with locals to give them access to land. God bless those that take a kid or a veteran or disabled hunting. God bless those that are tired of the status quote and fire up a chain or light a drip torch. God bless those that listen to the scientist getting the funding to fund a fire ecology study or early successional studies. Thank you to the ones that care for the next one's turn. 60 Year Prescribed Fire Study https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjww5GYne7Y Doug Duren's Sharing the Land https://www.sharingtheland.com/ Correction: I did mention about this 60 year Prescribed Fire Study here is the correct amount of browse per acre depending on the intervals 1 year intervals: 200#/acre 2 year interval: 400-500#/acre 3 year interval: 6000-800#/acre Never burned: 25-100#/acre But this took place in Florida with more denser plant communities and longer growing season. It would be interesting to see the amount of the browse from these fire intervals in the Midwest or New England