Those in agriculture face daily challenges. In Central Oregon, grower Rob Galyen not only persevered through drought, he also fought and won against an insidious and unlikely foe for his age: fast moving cancer.   

Through his family support, fortitude and an aggressive treatment program, Rob is now cancer free. 

Rob said it his family was his anchor through grueling treatments, including 36 sessions of radiation.

“They’re the reason to my why, plain and simple” he said.

Galyen’s crop mix includes specialty seed crops, wheat and hay. His nutrition program includes Redox. 

Quantification is crucial to successful farming. With The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) granting certification to Mainstay® Si, Redox Bio-Nutrients is the only company with two certified biostimulants. 

Last fall, TFI certification was given to Mainstay® Calcium 2.0.

Redox Lead Agronomist John Kelly comments on the importance of the independent and rigorous certification, and the beneficial role Mainstay® Si plays for crops. 

Golf popularity is on an upswing, and a crucial part of a positive experience is maintaining premium quality turfgrass.

The Redox TurfRx team works with superintendents throughout the U.S. and internationally, providing next generation technology for superior results. 

New additions to the team will help secure still more positive collaborations. 

“It all starts at the beginning with the technology we’re using and the philosophy of plant charge balance,” said Chris Toporski, Redox TurfRx Northeast Agronomist. “If we can get that plant moving in the right direction using those secondary metabolites to really make everything work efficiency, then we can reduce stress on the plant and on the playing surfaces, so the superintendents can take that time to focus on other things.”

TJ Winzeler, the Redox TurfRx Southwest Agronomist, is helping superintendents maintain courses with several challenges, most notably water.

“Down in the Southwest every drop of water that’s used is tracked,” he said. “Every drop of water that’s used is owned by someone and gets paid for by someone. It’s the number one limiting factor in being able to grow any sort of medium and being able to expand your business, in some cases.”

Commonalities between all golf regions, and all of agriculture, is finding the ability to do more with less. Redox TurfRx technology is backed by more than 30 years of research and proven results to do just that.

Every year, thousands who work hard to make sure golf experience is the best it can be get together for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Show.  For the first time in nearly 40 years, the event was held in Phoenix, with thousands from throughout the U.S. and overseas on hand.

The conference and show are a great opportunity for those in the industry to ensure the industry remains strong, including making the superintendent’s job easier.

“Our members they’re on the front line” remarked GCSAA CEO, Rhett Evans. “They certainly know that, without the golf course, there is no business or game of golf. It begins with them. The pressure to be able to be more sustainable, to manage costs, and to meet the expectations of golfers is extremely high.”

This show provided an excellent opportunity for the Redox TurfRx team to meet with current and prospective customers, as well as our network of retailers.

There’s a positive feeling for the year, with a surge in golf popularity, due in part to people seeking outdoor alternatives during Covid outbreaks.

Superintendents also have plenty of success stories regarding Redox technology.

“It took me 22 years before I found Redox, so I struggled with challenges from day one,” said Dean Piller, longtime Superintendent of the Cordova Bay Golf Course in Victoria, British Columbia. “I started with a very simple program with Redox, using their Fairway product, which is a really great soluble carbon source. Then I added some PeneCal, and that really helped reduce the amount of heat stress, the soil started to work better for me, we cut back on the nitrogen so there’s much less clippings, so the whole system became easier to maintain.”

Piller said after more than a dozen years, based on the results he has seen, “we are fully committed to Redox in all of our fertility programs.”

“Once I started using Redox, it changed the dynamics of my soil greatly,” Scott Dulina, Director of Golf Course Maintenance at Champion Turf Club at St. James in Port St. Lucie, Florida. “I had poor infiltration prior to using Redox, and it has greatly helped me in my spray programs- not only in my greens, but I was able to take my greens program and expand it into further areas."

Additional attendees at the show featured in this podcast are Mory Ogata with Axxion in Japan, a key partner with Redox, and Frank LaVardera with Audubon International, who is working with golf courses far and wide to help them be as environmentally friendly as possible.

U.S. farmers have made dramatic productivity gains over the generations, which is in large part due to advancements in research.

Dr. Gifford Gillette, lead researcher at Redox Bio-Nutrients, said he expects even more scientific advancements to help growers in the coming years.

“I couldn’t be more excited for the agricultural community, in general, with the work that we’re doing,” he remarked. “I’m grateful that we have a situation at Redox that values science and puts the resources necessary to do it in a quality fashion."

2023 was a monumental year for Redox research, including 44 off site field trials, with 21 different crops in 15 states, as well as 78 trials on the research farm, greenhouse and grow in boxes, covering 24 crops.

Gillette said priorities for 2024 include more study in the promising area of improving nitrogen efficiency, as well as water use efficiency in agriculture.

Already faced with many risks that come with working in agriculture, Jake Wenger was confronted with a massive challenge. In 2021 his son, Jaden, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

The same resilience that has sustained their longtime farm family was key to Jaden’s recovery.

“Resilience is bred in who we are as farmers,” Jake said. “So many times, we take health for granted.  That was one for our family that changed in a hurry.”

Only 12 years old at the time, Jaden successfully emerged from this nightmare and has resumed normal activity. To get there, he had to endure 224 days in the hospital, 219 doses of chemotherapy, 166 blood transfusions, multiple bacterial infections, and fungal pneumonia.

Family members credit perseverance, prayer, and expert medical care for this priceless gift.

After graduation, Jaden hopes to attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where his father and grandfather, Paul, graduated. Following college, he wants to return to the family farm and continue their farming legacy.

In the meantime, Jaden said he hopes to be an inspiration to those who are suffering and in despair.

“I think I can tell my story and help people get through their challenges, and to show that there really is daylight at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

As Redox re-entered direct sales to assist the turfgrass industry, a major positive development involved getting a team with incredible knowledge and passion.

That hurdle was cleared with the hiring of Tom Breiner and Jeep Hogue, who have a combined 80 years in the industry.

While Hogue will work with customers in the Southeast, Breiner has the Northeast territory covered.  The latter said he’s excited for this opportunity, and the benefits of the TurfRx product line tie in well with keeping golf courses healthy, thus lowering some of the major concerns felt by superintendents.

“Sound agronomy is always a big challenge, and it relates to labor,” Breiner said. “Plants that are optimally grown with proper nutrition require less daytime watering, which is a real labor eater. A sound approach to dealing with agronomic issues can have lasting benefits."

Breiner has more than 50 years of experience in the golf turf industry, including 20 years at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, New Jersey’s largest golf facility. He played a significant role in this course becoming the state’s first Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

He said interest in sustainability is finally taking off in the turf industry.

“It’s becoming a more accepted concept, because it works,” Breiner said. 

Farmers are a critical link to food production, but many others are also needed to keep farms producing at their best.

Allan James of Mid Valley Ag has helped farmers for decades, and recently won Certified Crop Advisor of the Year for the Western Region.

He said while many changes have been seen with mechanization and fertilization, there are still many more advancements to come.

“Changes in the fertility are coming,” James said. “We’re going to see new products. We’re going to see different combinations of products, and the biostimulant type of products are going to be part of that, because they complement fertilizer and fertilizer complements them. We hope to be able to provide the grower with even better crops and less need for fertilizer, by using biostimulants."

James works in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, which is a remarkably productive area. San Joaquin County has more than $3 billion in crop value each year, with top crops including almonds, walnuts, cherries, and wine grapes.

Georgia is widely known as the Peach State, but blueberries have risen to become their most valuable fruit crop.

Despite being grown and harvested in a fairly short window, the crop needs year-round attention to get the best results.

With some of his crop struggling, Michael Taft at Mixon Farms in Waresboro sought out a solution. Through trials of Redox Bio-Nutrients products, he saw significant gains in brix and yield. Sugar levels in the trial fields nearly doubled compared to other blocks of the same variety. Additionally, yields increased by about a ton per acre when compared to his conventionally-grown blueberries.

As a result, Taft said he’s shifting solely to Redox products for his 900-acres of blueberries in 2024.

“As long as I’m the farm, we will always have Redox on it,” Taft said.

Blueberries are grown in many parts of the U.S. Georgia is one of the leading states, as well as Washington, Michigan, and Oregon. 

Modern Agriculture is as much about business acumen as it is about tending to fields and orchards. That’s where Damian Mason comes in. Mason hosts the wildly popular podcast, The Business of Agriculture, which provides a lively, in-depth look at fundamental farm issues that often don’t get a lot of attention.

Mason uses comedy and a self-described acerbic approach to handle issues like farm succession, soil health, ag real estate and regenerative ranching.

Mason believes the relative affluence of the American consumer provides a huge opportunity for those in Ag, if producers understand what the public wants and how to get it to them.

“We still have a commodity mindset, because we produce commodities,” he remarked. “The consumers aren’t necessarily commodity minded. They’re not thinking ‘how cheap can I get this gallon of milk for’? They’re thinking ‘how can I get milk that makes me feel good’? There’s opportunity in this industry to get more margin.”

A Purdue University graduate, Mason left his sales job with a Fortune 500 company to branch out on his own to put his creativity to better use. He’s a published author, keynote speaker and carries out a weekly podcast, among other enterprises.

Redox Bio-Nutrients will be a sponsor of Mason’s The Business of Agriculture Podcast in 2024.  

Golf can be learned quickly, but improvements continue many years after your first drive, chip, and putt.

A big part of the experience involves the quality of turf, and that’s where the highly efficient, carbon-based technology from Redox TurfRx comes into play.

“Carbon-based nutrition, in combination with a mineral fertility, is just a more efficient way than doing mineral fertility alone,” remarked Jeep Hogue, Southeast Agronomist for Redox TurfRx. “We grow healthier plants this way, and even in a more responsible manner.”

Hogue is the newest member to the Redox TurfRx team. He brings nearly 30 years’ experience in golf and sports turf, including as superintendent of three different golf courses in the Southeast: Brookhaven, Cane Brake, and Shadow Ridge.

“I’m super passionate about this,” Hogue said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the developments in technologies being utilized, moving forward.” 

Solid planning and passion are important elements in farming, and for more than a decade, Jose Ramirez has helped guide many success stories.

Ramirez works as a Cropping Systems Agronomist at Buttonwillow Warehouse Company, an ag retailer working with Redox Bio-nutrients. He provides agronomic help to growers in the Monterey and Watsonville areas of California, as well as in Mexico.

He said biostimulants should continue to grow in importance, as they provide growers an efficient method to ensure positive healthy, productive crops.

“As farmers continue to witness that the practices from 10 years ago are no longer being effective today, they’re going to start welcoming the use of these biostimulants,” Ramirez said. “As these biostimulants get better, get more complex, and we weed away the non-efficacious ones, I believe the farmer is going to gain stronger confidence in them and is going to adapt them in their farming operation.”

Strawberries are a billion-dollar crop along California’s Central Coast and one of the crops Ramirez works with the most. He said this fruit offers a lot of positives.

“I love them and could eat them all day in every way and form,” he remarked. “Strawberries are really important. I see in places like Costco, that kids get super excited when they see the red of the berries.  …  That makes my heart smile, because we’re creating jobs and taking care of the Earth. The farmer has always been a sustainable individual, If not, we wouldn’t exist.”

Pecans are one of the most popular foods grown and consumed in the Southern U.S., but the road to success is not always easy. Growers, including Buck Paulk of Shiloh Pecan Farms, are reeling from the effects of Hurricane Idalia.

Paulk is orchestrating his crews through harvest this fall, while finishing removal of 19,000 pecan trees he lost during the late summer disaster.

This is the only job Paulk has ever had or ever wanted, and he said his trees are far more than his profession.

“It’s a real personal relationship,” he said. “When I look at a field, in my mind’s eye, it comes off as ‘I remember when I was planting that. I remember what grade I was in, or I remember that’s the year I was married, or that’s the year this child of mind was born.’ There’s always a personal tie to just about everything that I look at. It’s not just an orchard, but it’s an orchard that’s dated in my to some particular season in my life or an event in my life.”

Georgia is the nation’s leading producer of pecans, which is the only tree nut native to North America. 

Low returns, high input costs and a murky trade environment have plagued many growers this year, but there’s at least one brighter spot for agriculture heading into 2026.

“Since September, we’ve seen some adjustments to the federal interest rate, and the downstream effects will impact farmers,” commented Redox Chief Financial Officer, Scott Moulton. “Right now, farmers are spending for their operating lines - getting funding for next year’s crop. Rates in recent years have been upwards of 8 percent. I can see that coming down with what the fed rate is doing. We should see some decreases coming in 2026, and equipment interest rates should soften as well.”

With volatile to higher prices for N, P and K, Moulton said many growers will seek ways to increase efficiency with inputs. Redox technology, including RDX-N®, is specially designed to help growers optimize inputs, while maintaining or enhancing yield and quality.

Berries can provide a handsome return to growers, but they are tricky to grow.

Doing the job right requires expertise like that displayed by agronomist Tomas Aguayo, who works in California’s Central Coast. Tomas has worked in many countries with many crops, and he said there is one foundational part of getting the highest quality and best yield.

“Once of the thing I have learned is, no matter where you are or what crop you’re working for, it’s all about nutrition, always,” he said.

Aguayo’s current work primarily centers on blackberries and strawberries. Farming these crops has a tremendous number of variables, as they are sensitive to soil-borne disease, excessive water, lack of water and salinity, among other factors.

“I’m always looking to keep the crop as healthy as possible,” Aguayo said. “Producing yield and quality is the number one priority for this industry.”

He said the critical link between soil microbiology and soil nutrition is one key to improving efficiency on the farm, which would have widespread benefits.

Workdays are long and complex, but there are ample rewards with bountiful, premium quality harvests.

“That’s the biggest prize for me,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the crop response and to see happiness on the face of the ranch manager!”

Few foods are as iconic as the Idaho potato, and, considering the consistent quality and production levels, the top echelon reputation of these spuds is well-earned. Idaho is the nation’s largest potato producer. 

The combination of rich soil and optimal weather provide a great environment for growing potatoes, but the task is not always an easy one.

“Potatoes are very susceptible to certain diseases,” remarked Blake Matthews, a potato grower from Oakley, Idaho. “Early blight, late blight, and a lot of insect pressure. Some of the ways we’ve dealt with those are a lot of Redox products. For instance, Mainstay Si helps to create a barrier on the leaves that sucking and biting insects can’t get through. We’ve been able to step away from fungicides because of our use of Mainstay Si in our program, to be able to make those plants almost impervious to those types of insects.

 Matthews is a fifth-generation grower who hopes his next generation will continue the tradition. To do so, he continually strives for a healthy, productive growing environment.

 “I think the keys to harvesting a good potato are, you’ve got to maintain plant health throughout the season,” he said. “That starts with soil health. You’ve got to keep that plant happy. If you can do that throughout the season and give it what it needs according to the plant samples that we pull, then we will eventually harvest a good potato.”

Idaho growers produce about one-third of the U.S. potato crop. That’s more than 10 billion pounds of spuds every year on about 300,000 acres. 

Honeybees are among the hardest working and most vital of all of the Earth’s creatures. Beekeepers help guide these mighty insects through several vital tasks, including pollinating California’s 1.6-million-acre almond crop every spring.

But there’s much more to bees than one season of work.

Joel Smith and Ryan Razee own and operate Belliston Brothers Apiaries in Burley, Idaho, which began in the 1940s. Their bees not only help pollinate nut orchards in California’s Central Valley, but they are also used for further pollination, honey and beeswax production.

“It takes them a long time to make all this honey,” Ryan remarked during their late summer extraction process. “It’s awesome to see all of it coming in. We always wish there was more, but we take it as we get it.”

It’s estimated that honeybees provide a contribution of more than $15 billion to our economy, in keeping fruits, nuts and vegetables on our tables.

“Really, it’s a domino effect all around,” Smith said. “Bees pollinate a third or better of all of our crops - the food we eat on our plate. It really effects the world in a huge way, if we don’t have honeybees.”

Rice has been part of the foundation of California’s Sacramento Valley for more than a century, providing $5 billion a year to the state’s economy and virtually all of America’s sushi rice. The industry suffered through a devastating drought in 2022, and, thanks to a wet winter, returned to normal acreage, and is in the midst of a promising harvest. 

“There’s rice everywhere and water to irrigate that rice,” said Kurt Richter, Vice President of Richter AG in Colusa. “All of the wildlife activity is restored. Whereas this time a year ago, it was tens of thousands of acres that were bone dry growing dryland weeds. It was just a desolate place. Now it has become the vibrant rice country that we’re all familiar with.”

The estimated 511,000 acres of California rice is more than double the 2022 total. More rice grown has widespread benefits that extend well beyond the farm.

“This year is vastly improved from last year,“ remarked Nicole Montna Van Vleck, President and CEO of Montna Farms, a family farm near Yuba City. “It’s really a welcome event for everyone across the eight counties that we grow rice in in California. To see a full crop and wall to wall rice across the valley, brings about lots of jobs, lots of economic activity to these small towns throughout the Sacramento Valley.”

In addition to provide a staple food, Northern California rice fields are home to nearly 230 wildlife species, including millions of migrating ducks and geese every fall and winter. 

Growers and all involved in agriculture continually strive to grow the best quality food with the highest yields.

Success, including at Betteravia Farms in Santa Maria, California, comes from dedication and innovation from the ground up, including from their Director of Agronomy, Cintia Perez. Her main areas of work are in plant health, soil management and pest control.

Even with such favorable weather along the Central California Coast, agronomic problems arise and need to be dealt with quickly and effectively.

“You have to be a really big problem-solver,” Perez said. “I think that’s actually the funnest part of the job is to be able to solve problems. I have a checklist to try to figure out what the issue is in the field…. The most important part is to make sure you are in your field often, so when an issue does arise, they are able to deal with it quickly.”

Betteravia Farms, which shoppers will recognize through the Bonipak label, grows about 20 different crops, both conventional and organic, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, cilantro, and several types of berries.

Perez said it’s encouraging to see more women and greater diversity in agriculture. Her advice to those seeking a similar profession is to persevere, even when challenges arise.

“I enjoy seeing more and more women in ag,” she remarked. “Being a pest control advisor, being an agronomist, isn’t an easy job. Males struggle in this industry, as well. I always just tell people ‘Make sure you don’t give up. Just keep pushing through those hard times and you’ll get through it.’” 

The technology that has helped Redox Bio-Nutrients be a leader in efficient, carbon-based nutrition in agriculture has for many years also been a go-to for the turf industry. Big changes are underway for the Redox TurfRx™ line moving forward.

Effective October 1, Redox will re-enter the turf market directly through turf retailers. Other changes include new packaging and new products en route.

What doesn’t change is our company commitment to providing superior quality nutrition that benefits golf courses across the U.S. and internationally.

“It all starts with soil health,” said Redox Turf Agronomist Todd Scott, who has 36 years of work in the industry. “Any good carbon-based product is going to help in soil health situations. You also have to have good mineral nutrition in combination with that.  It’s a combination of abiotic stress defense, soil health, improving microbial activity – they all have to work hand in hand to get the best result…. The quality of the chelation and complexing is where the difference comes in with Redox.”

Scott said he’s ecstatic about the hiring of Tom Breiner as the Redox Turf Agronomist in the Northeast. Breiner has extensive turf experience, including 25 years as superintendent of the largest golf course facility in New Jersey.

For more information, go to RedoxTurf.com 

Farming goals were different when virtually everyone was growing food. Today, farming and ranching are often done well away from the public, and the average consumer has become less aware of what it takes to go from field to fork.

The danger of a society without Agricultural literacy is huge, according to Shay Myers, CEO of Owyhee Produce. Myers regularly reaches millions of people with informative and entertaining content through @shayfarmkid on many social media platforms, but he said more communication needs to happen industrywide.

“I think there’s much, much more that we can do,” he remarked. “There’s much more that we need to do. You can see it on social media today. The conversations that are had, and the misunderstandings and misconceptions that are still in place about what agriculture does, from an environmental standpoint, from a social standpoint – from basically every angle. The consumer still needs to understand and see the transparency in what we’re doing.”

Shay, his mother Robin, and sister Bailey recently visited Redox Headquarters in Burley, as their third-generation farm met with our second-generation bio-nutrient company.

Owyhee Produce is a major onion producer, growing 1,200 acres of the vegetable. They also grow asparagus, watermelons, and sweet corn. More than a dozen family members are active in the business.

Owyhee Produce has several events per year to engage with their customers, including their asparagus festival in the spring.

Find out more about the company and their engaging CEO at https://owyheeproduce.com.

Unpredictability is one of the most predictable aspects of farming. Growers in the Midwest have persevered through drought, but late rains should help their crops come harvest time.

While corn and soybeans reign supreme in the Farm Belt, Illinois grower Andrew DeGroot has a more diverse set of crops, including peppers, squash, cabbage, and potatoes. He attributed the Redox Bio-Nutrients product diKaP as one key to help his crops through abiotic stress from dryer than normal conditions.

“I think it helps push us through dry times and heat stress,” he said. “The plants seem to keep growing and pushing through, even though the weather isn’t favorable. When we started using it about six or seven years ago, I just noted a great crop response. Plants weren’t wilting like they used to. Potatoes kept bulking and sizing, holding on to set – not aborting potatoes in the hot, dry weather. It has been a very valuable tool.”

With acreage about an hour outside of Chicago, DeGroot’s vegetables are enjoyed far and wide, including at Chipotle and Campbell’s Soup. He said his Redox program helps ensure excellent results, which, in turn, keeps customers happy.

“Fruit quality is just massive,” DeGroot said. “Nice, solid potatoes that cook up nice. They store nicely. It helps everything. Everybody wants a quality product, and Redox has definitely helped us be able to bring that to the table, for sure!”

Sometimes a change of scenery can bring clarity. Washington state hay grower Andrew Eddie had reservations about staying on the family farm in Moses Lake, but he had a change of heart, following his education at the University of Oregon.

“I went and had a good experience in college,” he said. “Got a communications degree, then it came down to time to get after it, and I was like ‘you know, I’m going to go back to the farm and see how it goes’ and so far, it has worked out really well.  I enjoy what I do every day. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t want to work as hard as I do.”

Eddie said his communications degree has been a tremendous help, as it helps him frequently in everyday life, whether conveying information on the farm, or communicating with others on why agriculture matters.

Eddie is President of the Washington State Hay Growers Association.  He and his father grow more than 1,000 acres of forage crops, and custom farm several thousand additional acres. Hay from their state is utilized domestically and internationally, including in Asia and the Middle East.

Washington is a large hay state, with nearly 3 million tons grown each year. 

Sustainability is one of the biggest areas of discussion and focus in agriculture today. Whether in the U.S. or many other countries, increasing farm efficiency in an environmentally sound way is the way of the future. 

The University of Idaho’s ambitious CAFE, the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, aims to help many sectors of agriculture understand and implement sustainable practices in the future.
 
A major component of CAFE is a 640-acre dairy under construction near Rupert, Idaho. When completed, it will be the largest research dairy in the nation, and it should help dairy farmers locally and nationally with their stewardship.
 
Construction of the dairy began this spring. The first cows are expected on site by the end of 2024, with the first milking anticipated in 2025. 

“As an industry, we have to survive and have a path into the future, and that’s what this research is hopefully going to provide,” commented Project Manager John Wright. “You go to a dairyman who works very hard at being a good neighbor. He works very hard at being clean. He wants to do what’s right, but now some of these issues brought up with saving the environment, global warming and all of these other issues that come up, the dairyman looks around and says, ‘I want to help, but what do I do?’ Hopefully this research dairy can answer some of those questions.” 

The Idaho Dairymen’s Association represents the state’s dairy farmers, which comprise a longstanding industry that contributes approximately $11 billion in annual sales. Idaho is the nation’s third-largest dairy state. Association CEO Rick Naerebout said their commitment to CAFE included $2 million towards buying land for the research dairy.  He said there are two key areas this research should help the industry.

“In broad strokes, water quality and air quality are the two biggest pressure points we see,” he said. “We have to have the science to back up our dairymen, to help explain to the public just what the true science is behind some of the practices and some of what our industry does.”

In addition to assisting dairy farmers, CAFE is expected to benefit many other sectors of agriculture.

Redox Bio-Nutrients CEO Darin Moon said CAFE should provide important data for even greater sustainability in the future and strengthen the connection between animal and plant agriculture.

“This is such an exciting project,” Moon said. “It is from research to production to profitability that we’re going to see the results of how we do things better. … This project will give both research and practicality, with a high level of probability of success. That’s what excites me about this. Plus, all of the innovations that are going to come out of this. How do we handle compost? How do we handle liquid waste in a better manner? How do we handle feed in a better manner? All of these items that go into dairy and go into production agriculture – many of those questions are going to start to be answered and given practicality and real answers to growers.”

CAFE has received broad support from agricultural groups, the Idaho Legislature, and federal government. You can find out more about the $45 million project at: www.uidaho.edu/cafe. 

Born and raised in South Africa, Herman Els has covered a lot of ground before finding his ideal job. As Agronomy Manager at Limoneira, a large and historic farm in Southern California, Herman is overseeing a major cropping change.

They are switching hundreds of acres from lemons to avocados, and are in process of being America’s largest avocado grower.

Els said their new orchards are looking great, and Redox nutrition has been a big factor.

“It’s been really nice seeing these young orchards grow,” he said. “Our goal is to push them into production as soon as we can. I’m working hard on the root health, the soil health with products like H-85®, Rootex®, RootRx® and Rx Platinum®. They’re all amazing products and I’m seeing good responses. The trees are looking really good, and I’m getting lots of compliments on the vigor, the health of the flush and just the rate that these trees are growing.”

The Pacific Northwest not only has jaw-dropping scenery, it’s also a major food growing region.  In addition to growing 70 percent of the nation’s apples, Washington farmers produce 300 different crops, including potatoes, cherries, and wheat. Oregon is also an agricultural powerhouse, with $5 billion worth of crops produced yearly, including berries pears, onions, and sweet corn.

Scott Drake of Innovative Farm Consulting is one of those helping farmers in the PNW succeed.

He said he considers himself part detective and part mechanic, as he works with growers to solve complex challenges, all in the name of healthy fields and orchards, along with abundant crops.

He has worked with Redox Bio-Nutrients, either as an employee or working with the product line, for nearly 25 years, and said Redox products are “truly unique and work amazing, in my opinion.”

Drake grew up on a farm and was a grower himself, so he said he can relate to the rewards and challenges farmers face.

“If people knew how much families and farms risk every year to produce the food, and the amount of work that goes into it 24/7, they would be amazed,” he remarked. “There’s a lot easier ways of life out there. It’s a lifestyle. I take my hat off to them and we wouldn’t be eating if it wasn’t for them.”

After a cooler and wetter than normal start to the year, the heat is on in many farming regions of the U.S. Excessive heat is one of the major types of abiotic stress that can harm trees and plants, ultimately leading to reduced crop quality and size.

Fortunately, there are steps growers can take to help with abiotic stress defense. 

Nutrition is a key part of successful farming, especially during stressful times.

“We’re playing catch up from a cool spring,” said Redox Bio-Nutrients CEO, Darin Moon. “How will we properly feed and cultivate the plant. Number two, as it gets warmer, we have two effects of heat: excessive UV radiation can be damaging to a plant, and then heat itself. As a plant respires, can it respire fast enough to deal with excessive heat? It’s very important that growers understand and take precautionary steps to deal with both UV radiation in how they fertilize and how they water their crops.” Redox technology helps plants ward off abiotic stress through highly efficient mineral nutrients that get into the plant and help with plant metabolism faster. Also, the organic molecules attached in Redox products provide proteins, amino acids, and other beneficial materials to reduce the oxidative component of oxidative stress and help a plant to metabolize better. Two key Redox products especially popular in the summer at diKaP and Banx. They deal with plant-water relations and improve plant metabolism through ultra-efficient potassium, amino acids, and plant extracts.

Moon added the volatility in world fertilizer supply and price over the last two years is another major reason growers should seek out more efficient fertilizers and work to improve soil health, so the fertilizers applied are more effective. Doing so, he said, would leave growers less at the mercy of world economic situations. It also would increase farm efficiency and sustainability, both environmental and economic. 

The more you know, the better chance of success.

Gathering detailed intelligence is vital not only in miliary settings, but also in farming.

Tyler Adams can attest to this winning combination. Adams spent nearly a decade in the US Army, including managing a nine-month counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. He’s now a field representative at Willard Agri-Service in Maryland, providing proven Redox Bio-Nutrients technology to help farmers get the most of their crops.

“The more you understand the soil, the climate, and how a crop reacts biologically in a certain condition, and then analyze that with the goals you’re trying to achieve… you can then make informed decisions,” Adams said. “So, you can predict how a plant is going to respond at a certain time or certain treatment, and impact it at the cellular level for stronger, sweeter fruit, more yield or build a plant that’s more resistant to stress. I think that’s what I love about Redox is we’re looking at the cellular level and we’re not just putting out a magic bullet. We’re applying nutrients and products at key timings and making those recommendations to impact them, because we know our ‘enemy’ the plant, and we understand it at the biological level.”

Adams works with growers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, an immense area which requires tremendous adherence to environmental regulations. He said ultra-efficient Redox technology fits well in this regard, providing effective results with significantly fewer materials than conventional crop inputs.

Find out more about Willard Agri-Service and their half century of service to farmers at willardag.com.

Getting produce from the farm to market involves many people working in unison, including produce brokers.

One of those helping keep supermarkets and restaurants well-stocked is Steven Johnson with Florida Specialties. He markets a wide range of vegetables to retail, food service and various food distribution companies all over North America.

He logs a lot of time on his three phones, to help get the best return for the growers he works for. That process isn’t for the faint-hearted.

“It’s definitely a high-stakes poker game, especially on the vegetable side, because there are no programs that supplement when they have a bad year,” Johnson remarked. “It’s a win or lose proposition. I don’t know how they do it.”

Johnson said his family farm background and his working on a farm prior to this job help him understand the effort it takes to maintain an abundant, high quality food supply for our country. 

“Most people have no idea the investment these vegetable growers have, long before they ever see a penny back, as far as on return,” he said.  “At there’s been a lot of years where, no matter how hard we try, we don’t get all of their investment back.”

Johnson said Redox products are an important part of maintaining strong vegetable crops in the Southeast. 

“I’d probably be hard pressed to name any major growers in this area that didn’t use the line in growing their crops” he said. “Absolutely, it has been really big for these growers, as far as leveraging and getting the most of their crops as they possibly can.” 

With worldwide competition and a myriad of challenges, advancements in technology have long been a key to financial health on the farm.

While earlier breakthroughs were largely centered on machinery, the information revolution is playing a greater role in growing crops.

Redox Bio-Nutrients has partnered with Canada-based ChrysaLabs and their real-time soil analysis technology. ChrysaLabs has developed a portable AI-based soil health probe that measures 37 soil nutrients and characteristics, delivering data for producers and agronomists in a matter of seconds, instead of traditional lab analysis, which takes several days.

Recently, three members of the ChrysaLabs team visited our headquarters and research farm in Burley, Idaho.  They met with Redox management and learned more about how our company provides effective, efficient technology to agriculture.

Co-founder and CEO, Samuel Fornier said the company launched, after a need was identified to get faster soil analysis data.

“We tried to identify how growers and agronomists got their soil information and realized that nothing was existing except brick-and-mortar labs,” he said. “So, we decided to make a leap of faith directly in this market, and bring innovation that would provide more information to growers, to bring more sustainability in agriculture.”

Through this partnership, Redox agronomists are utilizing ChrysaLabs probes on several farms in different parts of the U.S., including fields, vineyards, and orchards of California, Idaho, the Southeast, and the Pacific Northwest. 

Farmers gamble with each growing season, so it’s vital that whatever tools they use delivers as advertised. Redox Bio-Nutrients technology is put through multiple checks, including at our research farm in Burley, Idaho.

Redox Director of Research and Development, Gifford Gillette, said he and the research team have more than 30 trials planned for this year, including some new crops this year – spinach, peppers, and broccoli.

In addition, there are about 50 third party trials being carried out nationwide, with 24 different research entities. The Midwest is a growing area of focus for our research.

“We’ve been able to build off of what we’re already done the last year, as well as expand,” Gillette said. “I think that’s a credit to the team that the management at Redox has built around us, as well as the team that we have. We have been able to expand and broaden our experience beyond nutrient efficiency, into abiotic stress categories and root development.”

In addition to Jamie Harrell, Noah Masoner, and Quinten Morgan, interns Karter Zampedri, Faith Talley, Tyson Ramsey, and Courtney Beene have joined the team and took little time in finding ways to contribute.

The interns are carrying out a variety of projects, from planting corn to growing broccoli and spinach.

The new arrivals have shown great enthusiasm and quickly adapted. All expressed excitement and optimism that their work will ultimately contribute to the Redox purpose of creating passion and excitement in growing healthier plants.

“What we’re doing is actually making a difference in how people are eating,” Zampedri said. “It’s really crazy to think about that. We start (our research) in a greenhouse. We grow 26 pots of spinach, and we get enough data from that, that we have a chance to actually change something in the world.” 

The San Joaquin Valley is a vital producer of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, but it hasn’t been an easy stretch on the farm. Drought, supply chain issues, fallout from the pandemic, and gyrating input costs are some of the hurdles that growers face.

Greg Schmidt strives to make a positive difference for farmers bringing stability to these uncertain times.

Schmidt is a crop consultant at Buttonwillow Warehouse Company, an agricultural retailer that provides Redox Bio-Nutrients technology to improve the efficiency and success of growers far and wide.

He said this year’s challenges include a slow start to crop maturity due to cooler and wetter than normal conditions.  As the season progresses and temperatures warm, work in fields and orchards will also rise – including Schmidt working alongside growers to provide the best root growth, soil health, nutrient efficiency, and abiotic stress defense.

Schmidt is a Fresno State graduate and considers his work with farmers to be much more than a “9 to 5” job.

“It’s a pleasure driving up and down the road, seeing the fruits of everybody’s labor – going out and providing nutrition to the community,” he said. “There’s no place like the valley! It’s hot, it’s cold. Some call it a dustbowl, some call it ugly. But without it, we’d all be struggling to get some good fruit.”

Fresno County is one of America’s top ag area, with more than 170 farm commodities and nearly 2 million acres of crops, and a gross value of more than 8 billion dollars a year.

A parade of storms allowed California to recover from a historic drought, although the cooler and wetter spring has delayed crops and important cultural practices.

Third generation grower Jeff Colombini in San Juaquin County is among those impacted. His cherry harvest is 2 ½ weeks later than last year, due to the dramatic weather shift. In addition, ill-timed rain can cause the fruit to swell and crack, making the cherries unmarketable.

Colombini remains calm through the ups and downs of cherry growing, saying he focuses on what he can control, and tries not to worry about the variables that are out of his hands.

He says he wants to understand everything he can about his crops, to have the best chance of productivity and profitability now and into the future.

“It all starts with soil health,” he said. “…To get health soil microbes, you need good organic matter. Quite frankly, any plant cannot take nutrients into its roots without soil microbes. We’re big believers in cover cropping and compost use, to increase organic matter to feed the soil microbes. When you have soil right, then you can get everything else right. If you don’t have a good, healthy soil, it’s like building a house without a good foundation."

California is second to Washington in cherry production. Cherries from the Golden State are even enjoyed overseas, with customers in Japan, China, South Korea, Canada, and India.    

History, innovation, and perseverance are keys to success for Putt Wetherbee, one of Georgia’s leading pecan growers.

Despite the deep roots his family have in farming, this fifth-generation grower continues to seek new ways to improve efficiency and productivity.

To this end, he finds promise in the emerging science of regenerative agriculture; a series of management practices to improve soil health and, ultimately reduce inputs and increase yields. Steps such as adding cover crops, chicken litter, and ash from a biomass energy plant have come after plenty of research.

Redox Bio-Nutrients products have also been a part of his successful farming methods.

Aside from the farm, Wetherbee has been blessed by his wife, Margaret, daughters Frannie, Berkeley, and Sims, as well as his faithful English Field Cocker, Huckleberry. 

His strong faith and family helped him through a violent home invasion in 2017 that left him paralyzed from the chest down.

“I have forgiven the people that did this to me,” he said. “If anybody needs any direction in life, start with the Lord’s Prayer and then go through the Ten Commandments. All your answers are right there. … I have to forgive, because God forgave me. I’m not nearly arrogant enough not to pass on the grace that He gave me.” 

The determination, positivity, and strength of Putt Wetherbee are an inspiration to all fortunate to know him.

Jason Tyrone took a circuitous journey before establishing a highly successful vegetable farm in Lake Park, Georgia. After graduating from Mississippi State University, he returned to his home state of Arkansas to work. After additional steps, he established Tycor Farms in 2010 with his now brother-in law.

Tycor Farms grows peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, cabbage, and green beans. Their location offers many positives. Crops are grown in sandy soil, which drains well. The climate allows for spring and fall harvests, and the farm is near major interstate highways which help with distribution.

Tyrone said maintaining consistently high-quality produce is vital, as it helps the vegetables hold up well during their journey to market. It also helps keep customers coming back for more.

“I started with Redox not long after I started farming, first with their calcium product,” he said. “That’s a big thing in bell peppers.  We saw a lot of improvements looking at numbers on paper and quality itself, so it’s been part of program for probably 15 years.”

The H-2A guestworker program is a key part of the farm’s workforce. At its peak, Tycor employs some 275 farm workers.

“We would literally be nothing without them,” Tyrone said. “I’ve been here, in total, for almost 20 years. Some of the same people have been coming here for as long as I’ve been here. We have a lot of return workers, especially our main guys. They love coming here. They take time away from their family to come here for two or three months at a time. They want to make all of the money they can. They take a lot of pride in their work at this farm, which means everything to us.”

Food safety is a top priority at the farm, with a full-time employee devoted to this area. As Tyrone explained, “If everybody is doing their part to make sure we’re sending off a good, healthy product, we’re all better off.”

At the end of a long workday, Tyrone said he remains fascinated with the growing process.

“That’s what keeps me doing this,” he said. “That’s my favorite thing, is to watch the crop grow and how good it looks there at the end before we start tearing it up picking it.”

Sometimes in farming, more isn’t always better. Plant nutrition is a classic example where quality trumps quantity.

Plant charge balance is crucial to yield and quality. It’s not pounds per acre, but charge per acre that matters most. Redox Active Molecules (RAM) balance plant charge by donating or accepting electrons.  RAM are part of every product at Redox Bio-Nutrients.

Our growing understanding of successful farming is evidenced by RDX-N, patented proven technology that replaces 50 percent of synthetic nitrogen, while maintaining yields and enhancing crop quality.

“We have a molecule or molecules in our extraction process of the botanical extracts that is more powerful than anything I have ever seen,” remarked Redox owner and CEO, Darin Moon.

Moon said his optimism for the company and technological advancements has never been greater. 

The annual Georgia Pecan Show is equal parts history and family, with nearly 900 growers and industry officials in attendance. In addition to renewing friendships and learning the latest technology, growers are on a mission to seek any way to boost their return on investment. This is especially important with crop prices down and higher input costs. 

For Dee Simpson of Howhum Nurseries in Pelham, Georgia, utilizing Redox products has been a key to achieving the premium quality he seeks for their young pecan trees. 

“I started with Redox from the beginning,” he said. “We have seen exponential growth in our roots, as well as the tops of our trees. … Through that program, we have been able to pump out the quality of tree that we want to put out there.”

Georgia grows more pecans than any other state, and the industry has a history that has spanned generations.

Keeping as much of the family on the farm is important to grower Jerry Hall, a first-generation pecan grower. His son, grandson, daughter, and son-in-law are all involved.

“We’re very excited about it,” he remarked. “We actually live on a family farm that has been in the family probably 150 years, and we hope to keep it that way going forward.”

Pecans are grown in 15 states. Ninety percent of all pecans are grown in the US.

Idaho Governor Brad Little, Ag Advocate

Idaho agriculture is so much more than potatoes. Farmers and ranchers in the state grow more than 185 different commodities and provide some $8.5 billion to the Idaho economy each year, including Brad Little, 33rd Governor of the Gem State.

Little and his wife, Teresa, are the latest in a long line of cattle ranchers in the family. 

He said he’s committed to helping agricultural producers in several ways, including ensuring they have sufficient water and manageable regulations.

Little said innovation is one key to Idaho agriculture continuing to thrive.

“Every change you make is to make it better for the next generation,” Little said. “One of my favorite sayings that I tell all my agricultural friends is ‘Change is inevitable. Adaptation and survival are optional.’”

He added that, fortunately, farmers and ranchers in the state are very innovative and willing to adopt the latest technology to get the most from their crops and livestock. 

Little said, although only a small percentage of the state and nation farm, everyone benefits from agriculture.

“So many people move to Idaho because of the farms, ranches and open space, and how it contributes to the watershed and wildlife habitat,” he remarked. “I love it when people show a picture of Idaho, and there are a couple of cows, potato field or grain field in the background. They appreciate that. We need to remind people that somebody’s paying the cost of those cows and that agriculture out there. All we want is a fair return on our investment and a regulatory atmosphere to where they can be profitable from one generation to the next.”

About one-third of all the food we eat is made possible through hardworking honeybees. In fact, billions of bees are needed this time of the year to help pollinate 1.5 million acres of almond trees in California’s Central Valley, which is the largest single pollination event on earth.

That massive number of bees needed to pollinate almonds come from many different locations, including Belliston Brothers Apiaries in Burley, a few miles from our Redox Bio-Nutrients Headquarters.

Ryan Razee and Joel Smith took over the operation six years ago, and they continue the company’s tradition of providing healthy hives for pollination, quality honey (including to Sue Bee Honey) and beeswax.

Late winter and early spring, their major work is shepherding millions of bees from Idaho to blooming almond orchards in California’s Central Valley. Weather in the Golden State has been unusually wet, which is a positive for the state’s water outlook but makes successful pollination more difficult.

“It has definitely been challenging this year,” Smith said. “The weather down there this year has been causing it to where obviously the almonds actually are not able to bud out as quickly, and the bees are not able to get out as much. But, they usually generally do pretty good, as far as being able to get out – even on cooler days.”

Working hives is laborious and requires continual vigilance to ensure the bees are healthy and content. One of the biggest challenges is the varroa mite, which can have devastating consequences for hives far and wide.

At the end of the day, the beekeepers said they get great satisfaction out of playing an important role in growing food.

“I really love it,” Razee said. “It is a job that comes with its ups and downs, but I love it and feel like we are a big part of the ag community.”

Orange juice from Florida is as ubiquitous as peaches from Georgia and almonds from California. However, it has been a bumpy ride of late. Urbanization, uncooperative weather, and an insect-spread disease in the groves have dropped estimated production at its lowest level since the Great Depression.

The McLean family has persevered through this major industry challenge, through their innovative growing approach and finding a niche in the marketplace.

Benny McLean in Lake County is joined by numerous generations of family members who help their business in a variety of ways. His son, Matt, launched and runs Uncle Matt’s organic juice company, which is sold nationwide through Whole Foods. Launched in 1999, Uncle Matt’s is the oldest and largest organic orange juice brand in the nation. Meanwhile on the farm, son Ben leads their work to find the most successful farming approaches; made difficult through citrus greening disease.

Through the highs and lows, family and faith are foundational for the McLeans. Despite their busy schedule, they consistently devote time to enrich others, including bringing many smiles during grove tours with the disabled. 

“I’m living the dream,” Benny said. “I’ve got all my grandkids growing up here, working with us, and I’m working with Ben, Matt and my daughter, Martha Sue. … It has been a tremendous blessing to my wife and I.”

Golf has been enjoyed for generations around the world, and turf is a vital part of the playing experience.

Thousands gathered in Orlando, Florida this month, for the annual Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Conference. The GCSAA has been around for nearly a century, and their conference and trade show brought together industry experts from throughout the US and around the world.

In addition to a showcase of new products and technology, increasing industry sustainability was a common theme.

“It’s more important than ever and it’s only going to get more important,” remarked Tom Coyne, best-selling author who gave a talk in the booth of Aquatrols, which partners with Redox to market turf products. “In the golf industry, we have to do more with less, and water is at the very top of that list.”

“It’s absolutely number one,” said Michael Fance, Technical Support and European Account Manager with Aquatrols. “Legislation is really, really harsh in my trading area, so the eyes of the world are on nitrates in water, etcetera.”  He said their products provide a major boost to this effort, aligning nitrogen reduction with improved turf health.

Another key issue with turf is helping fight off abiotic stress.  How to fight it depends on several factors, but there are effective solutions available.

“It really does depend on what stress we’re trying to address,” said Graham O’Connor, European Business Manager at Aquatrols. “What we’ve found is that, when we can home in on whatever it is, then we have a product that’s a “go to” to deal with an issue. Then people say ‘well, let’s look at more. Let’s look at something else. We want to see what else is on this line, because it has ticked that box.’”

Whatever the challenge, Redox and Aquatrols gain great satisfaction in providing valuable tools to healthy golf course turf.

Ken Maltby, Senior Superintendent of Florida’s Grand Cypress Resort, has been a satisfied Redox customer for nearly a decade.

“Once you get on a steady program, then you can adjust your rates, you actually start using less product almost, once you address those soil issues” he said. “That’s another great value of having the Redox products is the adjustability or compatibility with all of the products they have.”

With much of the West gripped by an epic drought, you might wonder if any amount of additional water is too much for California, the nation’s leading agricultural producer. When 32 trillion gallons of water fell during three weeks of a soggy winter, it’s a good question to consider.

The massive influx of rain and snowfall is largely a positive for California, including farmers, who benefit from replenished underground aquifers, a major influx of water in storage and reduced soil salinity.

Challenges from that much water all at once include thousands of acres of flooded strawberry fields, and the potential that overly wet conditions may negatively impact upcoming almond pollination. Bees do not like to gather pollen if it’s too cold or wet.

“In certain regions, there’s going to inevitably be flooding, due to the substantial snowpack,” remarked Justin Rose, Redox Bio-Nutrients Agronomist working with growers in the San Joaquin Valley. “For some of these early guys who’ll be getting in for bloom time, for sprays in almonds and some fruit trees, saturated soils will prevent them from entering, so they’ll either have to go by air, or they won’t spray any bloom sprays at all.”

Rose said Supreme is one of the products that provides big benefits during this time in the season. It’s a full nutrient package with a fermentation process that helps retain and size nuts.

Along the coast, Redox Bio-Nutrients Agronomist Kort Holzwart is working to help strawberry growers get the most from their fields, especially with key sales periods like Mother’s Day around the corner.

“Early on, it’s most important to have the field drained,” he said. “As we move forward into the season, I would recommend products to help stimulate plant and root growth. H-85 is going to be a phenomenal product, to stimulate microbial activity. Also, RootRx is a winning root stimulant option for some of these growers.”

Agriculture is not only fundamental but is also one of the most resilient industries. Every year without fail, growers must clear a myriad of hurdles, ranging from preparing fields, planting, harvesting, shipping, and navigating through market swings.

A consistently important factor for successful farming is agricultural research, and a new project should greatly help this area.

With its $500,000 contribution, Redox Bio-Nutrients is among those providing substantial support to the University of Idaho’s Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE).

“Agriculture is at a transformative state of change right now,” said Darin Moon, CEO of Redox Bio-Nutrients. “We have to move forward through sound science that allows us to positively adapt and change. We couldn’t pass up this opportunity to contribute in a significant way, because it’s a part of who we are.”

When completed, Idaho CAFE will be the nation’s largest research dairy and will have many other components to foster scientific research, agricultural sustainability and consumer education. Plans call to begin milking cows in 2024.

Idaho CAFE not only will help growers and consumers, it is also a testament to the strength and unity of the agricultural industry.

“Collectively, we can move mountains” said Michael Parrella, Dean of the University of Idaho’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. “From the Idaho Legislature to Redox and others in agriculture, it truly is a remarkable partnership that will pay widespread dividends.”

Link: https://www.uidaho.edu/research/entities/cafe

Orange County, California, is best known as home to Disneyland. It’s California’s third most populated county, with more than 3 million residents. Thanks to ingenuity and adaptability, it’s also a big farming region.

Orange County farmers grow about $90 million worth of crops each year- primarily nursery crops, trees, berries, and vegetables. Strawberries and green beans are the specialties for Orange County Land Management Services, where Vice President Mark Lopez has worked since 1999.

Lopez said adaptability is key to farming in such an urban area, meaning they grow crops in several non-traditional areas.

“Land in Irvine is about $4 million an acre,” Lopez remarked. “The military base that used to be there in Irvine, El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, when they shut it down in 1991 or ’92, it was vacant for a few years. We got called out there and they started letting us farm. We farm right between the runways … several little islands of 10-15 acres of green beans and strawberries. We do still currently farm at Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station … farming on a gigantic magazine of about 1,000 acres.”

One of the ways this farm has succeeded is careful use of inputs, including help from Redox Bio-Nutrients. Lopez said they had big success using Supreme in their green beans, with results easily seen. They are also planning on trialing Mainstay Si in their strawberries.

Berries are a large crop at Lopez’s farm and in many areas of the California Coast. A wet winter has hurt some yields, but optimism remains for a good crop and excellent demand during the all-important marketing period around Valentine’s Day. 

The pace of the world continues to quicken, and patience is sometimes tossed aside. However, agricultural research remains an area where a lot of time is needed to get the best results.

Whether on our research farm in Burley, Idaho, or through third parties, the process of quantifying benefits from Redox Bio-Nutrients products can take several years. Dozens of trials are underway or planned at farms across the U.S., with commodities ranging from melons in the Arizona Desert to sugar cane in Florida.

The hard work has a payoff, as research has identified hundreds of successful results from Redox products that ultimately help farmers do their job.

Redox Bio-Nutrients Head of Science, Gifford Gillette, was raised on a farm and has a passion for making a tangible difference to assist farmers and, ultimately, consumers. He said agricultural research is exciting – and vital.

“Down the road and now, we’re providing access to technology that isn’t 50 years old,” he remarked. “What that means is we can provide greater efficiency in what is delivered, and that’s always going to be better for the grower. Buying less, transporting less, delivering less to the field. We do the work to make sure they continue to bring in the yield that they’re used to, if not better.”

California’s Central Valley is one of America’s top farming regions, providing more than half of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown in the United States. 

The Filter family is among those who have spent generations growing crops and helping keep abundant, affordable food for consumers. They grow 900-acres of walnuts, cling peaches, and prunes in the Sacramento Valley near Yuba City. They also have an onsite commercial walnut huller and dryer, processing about 10 million pounds a year. 

 Steven Filter’s great grandfather Godfrey immigrated from Germany to Northern California in the late 1800s. He plays a major role in ensuring their orchards are healthy and productive. 

 Filter said soil health is a vital part of the success of any farm.

 “Everything starts with the soil,” he remarked. “Our trees are all dependent on it. Harvest is dependent on the quality of the soil. It’s very similar to a human. If you’re a healthy human, you eat great and exercise, you’re going to be a little bit more resistant when it comes to getting sick. It’s the same with our trees. If we can start with a healthy soil in the spring and give that tree everything we need through just the soil being healthy and alive and having a good microbiome – giving it the nutrients it needs. That tree will be healthier, and when insects, fungus, or any kind of disease comes in, that tree is already stronger.”

 California farmers grow more than two-thirds of the world’s walnuts and prunes, as well as nearly all of the nation’s cling peaches for processing.

South Carolina not only has hundreds of golf courses, it’s also where the first where American golf got it’s start. 

Keeping turfgrass in great shape still is a major focus, especially considering the area sees extreme hold and cold conditions. 

Sam Adams is in charge of making Paris Mountain Country Club look its best, and he relies on a host of Redox TurfRx products to get the job done.
 
 “For me, you can’t put a price on having healthy greens,” he said. “We definitely don’t want to skimp on quality on our greens.”

TurfRx products in use at Paris Mountain include OxyCal, Platinum, Supreme and Xtraction, which he said provide tremendous stress relief, especially during summer heatwaves. 

Adams has been superintendent at Paris Mountain since 2014. The course debuted in 1938. 

Anyone with any time spent in farming knows it’s a job filled with challenges as well as rewards. With soaring input costs, supply chain snags and uncooperative weather in many regions, the past year provided more of the former than the later.

“Some of the big items that impacted us this last year especially was we were late due to weather,” remarked Andrew Eddie, a hay grower in Moses Lake, Washington. “We were about a month behind a normal season. Also, crop input prices were very high.”

Many of the factors present in 2022 could be back in 2023, including a squeeze on global fertilizer, due to unrest in several areas of the world.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty,” Redox Bio-Nutrients President Colton Moon said. “The Russian-Ukrainian War has a major impact on fertilizer prices. Russia and Belarus are among the largest potash exporters in the world. China is also a major player, as one of the largest phosphate exporters in the world. When they aren’t exporting, it increases the demand on other exporters to fulfill supply in the marketplace, and that will shoot up prices. Other factors include the price of liquified natural gas and crude oil.”

With real concern for the availability and price of agricultural inputs, growers will pay especially close attention to their purchases. As they search for the best return on investment and more assured supply, bio-nutrients may even look more attractive.

Redox Bio-Nutrients founder, owner and CEO Darin Moon said an advancement to more efficient crop inputs could gain ground.

“We have advanced in tractor technology, irrigation equipment technology and pesticide spray application technology, but some growers are still using the same basic fertilizer technology that was present in the 1970s and 80s,” Moon remarked. “The way that we look at soil regeneration, how plants grow, how nutrients move in the soil and are actually utilized by the plants and how much actual nutrients need to be applied to the soil – that’s how growers will adapt and change.” 

To farm successfully, a lot of things need to go right. One of the most basic ingredients to success is soil. 

 Ensuring healthy soil is one of the four foundational elements of the grower tools developed at Redox Bio-Nutrients.  It’s also a top priority of Cody Hatzenbuhler, agronomist and owner of Pan Ag, who works with growers in North Dakota and surrounding areas to find solutions to help them get the most from their crops.

 “Soil health is a passion of mine and trying to keep that biology going with a lot of non-commercial fertilizers,” he said. “There’s always something new for the growers I work with. I like to find new products that we can change the methods of applying fertilizer more efficiently. … including with new companies like Redox. We can apply less fertilizer in more efficient ways that the plant can use and uptake.”

 Cody’s family arrived in North Dakota from Germany in 1902, making him the fifth generation to farm. 

 He spent more than a decade at the US Department of Agriculture working in natural resource management, teaching farmers about the soil and how to protect it from wind and water erosion, trying to protect it for future generations.
 
 Hatzenbuhler said growers understand the value of protecting soil for future generations of farmers.

Farmers frequently battle less than perfect weather, but 2022 provided extra challenges in many regions. 

 Whether it was too hot, dry, cold or wet, many crops were stressed in the past year. As a result, abiotic stress defense has become an even bigger topic of discussion in agriculture.

 The good news is, success is possible through thoughtful planning that strengths your soil, promotes healthy roots, efficient nutrient uptake and better defends plants against stress. 

 Darin Moon, founder, owner and CEO of Redox Bio-Nutrients has been passionately working to help farmers succeed for decades. He said understanding and implementing a strategy centered on regenerative agriculture is key to success during climate volatility. 

 “Yes, it is very possible,”he said. “Even with the daunting task of environmental conditions and water quality, lack of water, and all of these changes that agriculture is going through right now. That simply means that we have to understand the system better. That simply means that no longer can we just put out a whole bunch of fertilizer, a whole bunch of product, and then just hope for the result in the end. We have to be more laser focused in what we do and how we do it. We have to be understand the types of soil we’re farming. The type of water of water we’re using. The type of crop we’re planting in that soil, and view that system as a whole and not as individual parts.”