Green Cover Podcast

Glenn and Carol Elzinga of Alder Spring Ranch were losing cattle to wolves, losing money, and ready to walk away from everything — until they discovered that the answer wasn't new technology or better systems, but going back to the way God designed animals and land to work together. By stopping fighting creation and starting to work with it, they watched their soil organic matter triple, plant diversity explode from just two dominant species to over 80, and beavers come back to restore their waterways. In this episode, Glenn dives deep into the relationship between grazing animals, living roots, and soil biology — and how understanding that connection transformed not just their land, but the quality and flavor of the beef it produces. If you believe the land can do better tomorrow than it does today, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, Keith welcomes back Greg Thoren, a regenerative farmer from northwest Illinois, for a highly anticipated follow-up conversation. Greg farms approximately 2,400 acres that are all no-till, non-GMO, and cover cropped. This time around, Keith and Greg discuss Greg's 60-inch row corn system, sharing why the wider row spacing has been a game-changer. Greg has found that 60 inch spacing work better for capturing the sunlight necessary to produce enough forage value to offset the yield tradeoff. Greg also discusses his custom cover crop and forage mixes, and using virtual fence collars with his cattle. Finally, the conversation turns to the future. Greg and his wife have spent decades building a thriving regenerative system on land they're unwilling to watch revert to conventional farming. So rather than selling or renting to the highest bidder, Greg is charting a unique path for transition: bringing in three young families with regenerative mindsets to farm the operation together. Greg's innovative approach extends not only to day-to-day operations on his farm, but to securing its future. It's not just regenerative farming, it's regenerative community building.

In this episode of the Green Cover Podcast, host Keith Berns welcomes Abe Collins of Vermont, an innovative farmer and systems thinker who has spent decades developing tools and practices to rapidly heal degraded land. Abe shares how combining deep rooted plant diversity, custom rip sower technology, and biological inputs can dramatically improve soil health, water infiltration, and drought resilience. The conversation then expands into Abe's compelling vision of "watershed contracting," where farmer cooperatives organize to heal entire watersheds in service to their communities, moving agriculture beyond commodity pricing into a transparent, cost plus model that benefits everyone. If you're passionate about the future of regenerative agriculture and building resilient communities from the ground up, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

In this episode, Keith sits down with Alex Frazier, a fourth-generation farmer and agronomist from South Dakota, who has been interseeding cover crops into his soybeans for six years. Alex shares how planting a simple mix of oats, rye, and flax alongside his beans — then terminating it six to eight weeks later — has helped him boost his farm's soybean average from 39 to 52 bushels per acre while reducing phosphorus inputs by 75% and nitrogen by 40%. They dig into the specifics of mix design, spray timing, weed suppression, nutrient cycling, and the surprising soil test that showed higher organic carbon after interseeded beans than after 200-bushel corn. Whether you're looking to build biology in a corn-and-bean rotation or just want a low-cost, low-risk way to start experimenting with regenerative practices, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways. Tune in and learn how a $13–15/acre companion crop investment can pay dividends for your soil and your bottom line.

In this episode, consultant and Illinois farmer David Kleinschmidt discusses the tragic 2023 dust storm on Interstate 55 that claimed seven lives, exploring how it reveals a deeper crisis in soil health. David shares his journey from ag retail to soil health consulting, emphasizing that erosion is fundamentally a biological problem, not just a mechanical one. He offers practical advice on getting started with cover crops, understanding carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, and managing soil aggregation to prevent both wind and water erosion. David also discusses the importance of balancing conservation practices with farm profitability, the future of diverse crop rotations, and why every farmer should read "The Soil Owner's Manual." Whether you're just starting your regenerative agriculture journey or looking to refine your practices, this conversation provides valuable insights on building healthier, more resilient soils.