Third party research is crucial to making sure agricultural inputs work as advertised, and David Holden has been a trusted evaluator for many companies, including ours.

Holden Research and Consulting in Ventura County has worked with more than 100 crops, ranging from avocados to zucchini.

Holden has carried out at least 750 biostimulant-type trials in the last 20 years. He said biostmulants hold promise in fighting abiotic stress, in particular.

“I have quite often seen a reduction in the effect of various diseases, mites and insects when you use some of these products,” he said. “In other words, healthier plants are happier plants, and they live under stress situations better.”

Holden said his research helps show how biostimulants work, but growers would be interested in knowing why they are working. He said better answers to those questions would entice more farmers to try this newer technology. 

Thirty years in business is no easy feat. It was in 1994 that Redox started in business and speaker, podcaster and author Damian Mason branched out with independent work.

Damian travels across the U.S. for keynote addresses to agricultural groups and hosts three podcasts, including The Business of Agriculture. He provides insight and commentary on critical subjects in a way that few others can.

He said he expects an increasing call for reducing overall synthetic nitrogen in agriculture, a reduction in acreage in future years based on which ground is best suited for farming, more of a premium paid for better-tasting food and the likelihood of reduced food demand from China based on expectations their population will plummet within the next years.

As for any anxiety over a potential drop in farm income, he pointed out that the recent track record for growers has been excellent. 

“I think the mode is a little doomy and gloomy that perhaps is warranted,” he remarked. “Here we are in the first year of a downturn. It’s good to keep in mind that the three years prior to this were the highest agricultural income years in the history of the United States of America.”

Find out more about Damian at DamianMason.com.

The West is in the middle of a record-shattering hot spell, fueling concern that crops and turfgrass could be harmed.

Fortunately, there are ways growers and golf course superintendents can help this situation.

Redox Bio-Nutrients has an array of technology to help plants through abiotic stress events such as excessive heat.

Redox Chief Agronomic Officer Jared Sannar says products that can help plants better withstand prolonged hot spells include diKaP, Oxycom Calcium and H-85. This technology aids abiotic stress defense, keeps the plant hydrated, aids in water retention in the soil profile and stimulates root growth. 

Redox Turf Rx Sales Manager Todd Scott says K+ is a popular and effective choice by superintendents to help combat heat impacts on their courses.

Scott says it’s helpful to understand the basic agronomic principal of achieving Redox homeostasis, or plant charge balance, which is a foundational part of keeping plants at their productive best.

From humble beginnings on a Georgia farm, Donnie Cochran has soared to heights few have experienced.

Cochran broke historic barriers as the first African American pilot in the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, as well as the first African-Americana Commanding Officer and Squadron Leader.

The Blue Angels showcase patriotism and incredible skill as they perform shows far and wide. Their coordinated maneuvers reached speeds of more than 400 miles per hour, with as little as 18 inches between each aircraft.

Aviation and farming are his two passions, and he’s heartily pursuing the later through building up the farm he grew up as one of 12 children. Cochran is working with Ag Nutrients, powered by Redox Bio-Nutrients, for nutrition for his young pecan orchard. 

He said he learned many important lessons while serving America and said three critical attributes for success in life are ACE, attitude, character, and enthusiasm. 

Cochran’s book, Glad to Be Here, chronicles his amazing journey, as well as inspirational insight into making the most of your life. Glad to Be Here represents the motto of the Blue Angels and is available at Amazon.com. 

California is a powerhouse for strawberry production, growing about 85 percent of the U.S. crop. Berries are susceptible to insect and disease pressure, and that’s where the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Strawberry Center comes into play.

“Pathology, entomology, and innovation – those are the three areas of emphasis for us,” said Gerald Holmes, who has served as center director since its inception in 2014. 

The Strawberry Center is a partnership between Cal Poly and the California Strawberry Commission, with the goal of increasing the sustainability of the industry through research and education. 

The Center’s annual field day will be held August 8, when hundreds will gather to get the latest on research projects, including the battle against harmful insects and soil-borne pathogens. 

You can find more information on the center at strawberry.calpoly.edu 

The best sustained success in agriculture happens with a healthy growing environment. The University of Idaho’s new Center for Plant and Soil Health in Parma is a welcome addition to the landscape.

“The new center is a much-needed advancement,” remarked Margie Watson of J.C. Watson, an onion grower-packer shipper with more than a century in business. She also served as the mayor of Parma. “This brand new, wonderful facility is going to take us to another level. We have to have researchers in agriculture, with this changing world, and they have to have facilities to go and do the research.”

“I see evidence that the work we do really does impact the industry,” said Mike Thornton, Professor of Plant Sciences at the University of Idaho. “I see it on a small level with individual growers, but also on a larger scale. For example, our onion industry has adopted drip irrigation over the last decade and a half. … To see that rapid adoption tells me that we’re really making an impact.”

“The key part is that my knowledge helps the grower and all of our producers reduce the impact of crop diseases on their bottom line,” Juliet Marshall, Plant Sciences Department Head, Professor and Plant Pathologist at the University of Idaho. “{It’s an economic and a food safety issue.”

Thornton and Marshall said research conducted in Idaho can also assist growers elsewhere in the U.S.

The $12.1 million dollar facility encompasses 9,600 square feet and is a welcome addition to the small town of Parma, where the University of Idaho has had a research presence since 1922.

Georgia is far and away the nation’s leading peanut producer, with annual production greater than the next six states combined.

One of their leading voices is Tyron Spearman, who has been working in a variety of different jobs in the peanut industry for more than 50 years. His resume includes a decade as Executive Director of the Georgia Peanut Commission, President of the American Peanut Council, heading up the Peanut Farm Market News publication, and manager of the National Peanut Buying Points Association.  Interestingly, the association’s founder was peanut farmer, America’s 39th President, and Nobel Prize winner, Jimmy Carter.

Spearman said the industry continues to explore new uses for peanuts, including using peanut oil for future jet fuel and to help bolster nutrition of eggs and chicken meat. 

Georgia produces about three billion pounds of peanuts a year, more than half of the U.S. crop.

Spearman has single-handedly grilled countless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches over the decades as an ambassador for the industry. 

While much in agriculture and the science behind crop nutrition have changed since Redox Bio-Nutrients started business in 1994, our company’s founding principles have not.

Integrity, sound agronomic knowledge, and the continual quest for scientific advancements have defined Redox since the first days Darin and Val Moon started operations with John Kelly.

Today, Redox technology helps growers succeed throughout the U.S. and internationally, covering a wide variety of crops, both conventional and organic.

Owner, founder and CEO Darin Moon said with greater scientific understanding and growth in sustainable farming, the future for Redox is bright.

“I’ve been fascinated with it for years and I’m even more fascinated now, with the ability of plants to grow and how we manage that, to get the most nutrition per acre with the least amount of input and damage to the environment,” Moon said. ““I’m more excited today than the day I started the company.”

Our technology helps create long term farming success through Redox Homeostasis, a 50-50 balance between positive and negative electrical charges during nutrient uptake. The less plants need to work to achieve Redox Homeostasis, the more they will spend ensuring positive outcomes, including yield and crop quality. 

The Southern California Coast maintains a strong agricultural industry despite a host of challenges, including ever-marching urbanization.

A sometimes-overlooked key to productive farming is the role agronomists play in guiding positive outcomes.

Working in the Oxnard area, Fernando Mendez of Buttonwillow Warehouse Company is among those working to get the most out of every acre planted.  He is a PCA, CCA, and California Nitrogen Management Specialist who works to ensure that vital nutrition is utilized for strong plants, abundant crops, and sustainable farming.

He works with growers of a wide variety of crops, including avocados, citrus, cut flowers and a variety of berries, including strawberries.

“I’m always looking for the best for the growers,” he said.  “That includes sustainability, with good results, and helping the grower to make money.”

Oxnard is an important region for berries and is often mentioned as strawberry capital of the world.

The California Coast is where a significant amount of the nation’s vegetables is grown, but that bounty doesn’t always come easily.

Frankie Orozco grows for Dole Fresh Vegetables in the Oxnard area, working with his team to grow crops including celery and romaine lettuce.

He works with Redox Bio-Nutrients to provide nutrition for his crops and said the newer technology has yielded favorable results.

“There’s a lot of positive things I have seen using biostimulants,” he said. “Just itself, being able to reduce inputs, whether it be fertilizers or pesticides, and just starting to be more friendly to our soil.  Starting to give back slowly, being more sustainable and leaving something good for the next generation to come.”

California produces about 75 percent of the U.S. celery crop, and about 80 percent of the nation’s romaine lettuce.

Farmers far and wide face challenges in growing crops, but growers in highly-urbanized Southern California navigate through a rather-unique set.

Home to more than three million people and stunning real estate value, Orange County farmers continue to grow a variety of high value crops.

Mark Lopez, Vice President of Orange County Land Management Services, has successfully grown crops in creative places for a quarter century.  He said the expensive conditions mandate he does his job right every time out.

“We can’t afford to make mistakes,” he remarked. “Between the pH in the soil and in the water, we’re trying to make it optimally so we can grow. Those that don’t do what we do, you won’t be as fortunate.”

One of the most unusual places Lopez grows crops is the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.

Lopez and his team utilize Redox Bio-Nutrients products in their inputs to grow a variety of crops, including strawberries, carrots and green beans.

California supplies 95 percent of the U.S. avocado crop, although growers don’t always have an easy path to success.

In Ventura County, grower Jason Cole continues their family avocado heritage that his grandfather started more than 50 years ago.  He credits a new nutrition program as part of their successful farming formula.

“We keep breaking our own records,” he said. “2020 was just a tremendous year for our ranch. Again in 2022, we broke our records on total yield and per ranch yield/per acre return on volume and pounds. Now in 2024, we’re only about 10 percent harvested right now, but the ranches we’ve picked are way ahead; just breaking all of the yield records for those particular sites.

A big part of their nutrition upgrade involves Redox Bio-Nutrients technology, as Cole employs several Redox products.

“After college graduation in 2009, I came right home and went to work,” he said. “We probably do nothing the same agronomically today that we were doing back then.” 

California avocados are a huge part of Cinco de Mayo, which corresponds well with the industries harvest and marketing season.

Growing up on a farm helped Ben Jauregui form his deep appreciation for agriculture, and it shows in his work.

As a Pest Control Advisor working at AgRx, one of our ag retailers, Ben guides decisions for about 1,800 acres of crops on California’s Central Coast, with strawberries commanding the greatest acreage.

“The most important thing is trust,” he said. “Carrying that relationship with the growers to where they can trust you, especially with the decisions that we’re making every week. There’s a lot of money at stake.”

Every weekday, Ben starts his day at 6:30 am.  With the help of a co-worker, they walk every acre, every week. They write recommendations, and after a spray or if they find an area of concern, they will return and review that crop within three to four days.

Ben is active on social media, as he wants to show off crops and many longtime farmers. He’s on Instagram and LinkedIn at #BenNPK.

Brian Bonlender has found a great formula for running a successful golf course. As longtime superintendent at the historic West Bend Country Club in Wisconsin, he overseas an experienced staff and keeps the course in great shape through a strong nutrition program of Redox TurfRx products.

“The healthier the plant, the easier your job becomes,” he said. “It’s all about health. It’s all keeping the best conditions possible on a daily basis. It’s consistency.”

Brian began at an entry level job at the country club 25 years ago. Since the early days, he graduated with a horticultural degree and has risen to the superintendent’s role.  His tenure, tenacity, and continual tinkering to provide the best nutrition to his turfgrass have served West Bend well. 

Keeping the course in great shape takes careful planning, as the country club is within 30 miles of Lake Michigan, so temperatures can stay low for much of the year. 

“The joke is ‘keep your winter jacket in your car until the Fourth of July, take it out, hang it up, and on the fifth put it back in’,” he remarked. “We’ve seen snow in May. We’ve seen 85 degrees in May. It really keeps you on your toes.”

No subject in technology garners more interest than artificial intelligence. The days of AI as futuristic science fiction are in the past. The use of AI in farming is growing, and it holds a lot of promise, according to UC Davis Professor, Isaya Kisekka.

“AI has been applied to a lot of aspects in agriculture,” Kisekka said. “For example, it’s being applied in plant breeding, robotic fruit harvesting, we apply it in irrigation and nutrient management, precision weed control, and all these things.”

Kisekka said he understands why some people have reservations with this technology, but it continues to improve and will offer a wide range of applications for growers.

“My dream would be, one day for us to have an autonomous irrigation system – an irrigation system that knows what to do, how to do it, and it can learn from what is has done.”

Federal Ag policy is complicated and crucial for growers across the country. Fortunately, there are analysts like Jim Wiesemeyer to help clarify and contextualize action from the nation’s capital.

Wiesemeyer works at Pro Farmer and has served as one of the top ag policy analysts for decades – all the way back to the Reagan and Carter Administrations. He is still going strong, providing regular updates, and speaking to growers and agricultural groups across the country.

While the Farm Bill, trade, labor, and the Presidential race command a lot of energy, Wiesemeyer said sustainability is also a key issue that’s gaining momentum.

“Agriculture is rebranding right now to be a participant at that sustainability table,” he said. “They’ve learned some lessons. I think it’s a good sign. But agriculture wants farmer sustainability, that’s called income sustainability, and I think there’s enough to go around.”

You can follow Wiesemeyer’s work at ProFarmer.Com.

U.S. growers have benefitted from better machinery, improved varieties, and hi-tech advancements. Biostimulants are an emerging frontier in growing healthy, abundant crops.

While plant biostimulants have yielded many positives, additional effort is needed to add clarity and consistency to their definition and regulation.

“We really feel confident in a lot of these products moving forward, that growers are going to have an array of new options to deal with things like drought, or challenges that they have continuing to increase their yields, and doing it cost effectively” remarked Nick Young, Environmental Program Manager at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “It’s an exciting time. There hasn’t been a time like this in 50 years at least, where there is so much innovation happening that can benefit this industry.”

Young is among those working at the state and federal levels, including with the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO), for uniform fertilizer regulation, protecting growers and consumers, and fostering environmental stewardship.  One goal is standardized, easy to understand fertilizer labels.

At the federal level, Congress is working on a bill that would bring a more consistent regulatory approach and clear definition for plant biostimulants, which would help farmers, consumers, and regulators.  The bill is currently part of the Farm Bill package, which is sweeping legislation to help American agriculture and consumers.

As work continues to bring a more consistent definition and approach to plant biostimulants, those who utilize this technology see tangible benefits in healthy, sustainable food production.

“It’s much more of a systems approach to management to achieve consistent, sustainable and profitable gains in crop production,” said Mike Twining, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Willard Agri-Service, a longtime ag retailer working with Redox Bio-Nutrients. “That’s really where Redox shines, is having a systematic approach to help growers.”

“I believe we will look back 10 years from now and we will say the biological movement, however you want to define that, with companies like Redox and I hope Willard Agri-Service, it’s going to be like hybrid seed corn, in terms of how it transforms what we’re thinking and doing about crop production, the way we’re growing crops, and our ability to utilize plant nutrition to produce profitable yields,” Twining said.

Georgia row crop farmer Winston Rentz has a busy and productive life. The third-generation grower farms peanuts, cotton, blueberries and cattle. He and his wife, Beth, also raise three young children.

Farming is a balancing act, but Winston said he benefits from many positives- a supportive wife, hard-working father, solid labor force, and strong nutrition program for his crops, including from Redox Bio-Nutrients.

“Nutrition for our crops is definitely number one on the list,” he said. “If you don’t have good nutrition, you won’t have a good crop.”

Winston works with Ag Nutrients agronomist Clay Kolbie, and he had exceptional results with Redox products on his blueberries and peanuts. 

Walter Pritchett has done exemplary work at Hurstbourne Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky, elevating their golf course from unranked status to the top echelon of Golf Digest’s state rankings.

One of his keys to success has been a winning nutrition program for his turfgrass through Redox TurfRx technology.

“I don’t think I would still be a superintendent, if it wasn’t for the Redox programs that we’re on, and the way we’ve been able to evolve our program,” he said.

Prichett said Redox has improved everything from their soil health and root growth to less mowing and improved water use efficiency.

As leader of a highly successful business, Prichett said he’s rewarded every time his members and staff have a positive experience with his course. He said their turfgrass nutrition program is a significant part of a successful formula.

“It’s just a fertilizer right, but it has been life-changing for me,” he added.

The largest single pollination event on Earth is underway in California’s Central Valley, with billions of bees pollinating billions of almond blossoms.

It’s a critical stage for almond growing, with sunny skies and light winds beneficial to success.

“A week ago, I would have told you there was a little bit of concern, because of the wet weather we were having,” said John Rodriguez, grower rep for Mariani Nut Company. “Now that we’re on the other side of it, things are shaping up and looking pretty good.”

“This is going to be a prolonged bloom, which is good during bad weather events,” remarked Ryan Warren, farm manager at JJB Farms. “It gives the bees more opportunities to have good days. And the bud set looks good, so the amount of flowers that are going to be out there looks good too. All in all, it should be good, but it’s Mother Nature that we’re dealing with, so we’ll see.”

California has 1.6 million acres of almond orchards and produces 80 percent of the world’s supply. 

Author, speaker, farm owner, and podcaster Damian Mason logs extensive air miles, speaking to audiences across the country. A recent stop in Burley afforded him time to tour the Redox Bio-Nutrients Headquarters and research farm.

Mason came away with positive impressions after he visited with Redox CEO Darin Moon, grower Blake Matthews, and Rocky Mountain Agronomist Jared Cook.

“I like what I saw here today,” Mason said. “I like learning, and I liked seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff that happens. It’s not just sticking stuff in a jug. There’s actually the science that goes into it, which is pretty cool."

Mason said he was impressed with seeing firsthand greenhouse research projects, including exciting nitrogen efficiency breakthroughs with corn. He also was brought up to speed on turf research and scientific study of an apple orchard on company grounds. 

Mason’s trip to Burley included speaking to hundreds at a Salute to Agriculture luncheon, carried out by the Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce, with support from several local businesses.

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.

From the small town of Pauanui, New Zealand, to Gonzales, Louisiana, is 8,000 air miles and a world of difference. That’s the trek Mike “Kiwi” Robinson made as a young adult, and he’s now running the highly regarded Pelican Point Golf Club in the Bayou State.

 Louisiana summers usually come with heat and tremendous humidity, so Mike has countered with well thought out plant nutrition from the Redox TurfRx™ line, with a variety of products as stables, including K+, NatureCur, C-85, Supreme™, and CA. 

He said Redox not only helps keep his course in great shape, it has taken a significant amount of his stress away.

“Apart from having healthy turf, the biggest thing I get from using Redox is my stress levels are down,” he remarked. 

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. 

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. 

California is a world leader in strawberry production, growing $3 billion of the fruit annually. Getting the most out of the crop was the focus of the annual Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Strawberry Center Field Day.

Areas covered included non-chemical pest and disease solutions such as bug vacuums and the use of UV-C light for disease suppression. A myriad of other issues were addressed, including workplace efficiency and safety, as well as mechanical ag plastic removal and recycling.

“The thing that impresses me the most is the variety of innovative products,” remarked Leo Stoeckle, a longtime strawberry industry official. “Everything from fertility products to ag chemicals to disease control to strawberry genetic resistance. We get the whole gamut here.”

The Cal Poly Strawberry Center recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and is operated in partnership with the California Strawberry Commission.

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. 

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. 

Agricultural research is the cornerstone of productive farms and abundant food. The investment Redox Bio-Nutrients has made continues to grow and pay dividends.

“The is really a banner year for Redox,” said Head of Research, Dr. Gifford Gillette. He said the addition of Dr. Debatosh Das to the team and a second year for Faith Talley, who started as an intern and now works with the research team on carrying over protocols and adding new ones.

The understanding of and benefits from biostimulants continue to grow, leading to rising optimism about the ability for this technology to help growers.

“Dr. Das has put together a 56 biostimulant mode of action checklist,” Gillette said. “We probably never will measure all 56 of the modes of action, but they’re all on our radar. This matches well with what we know about the science of biostimulants in agriculture and what they do for crops.”

The global biostimulant market has seen rapid growth, with estimates that the value of sales may triple within the next decade.

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.”