Welcome back to the Prairie Farm Podcast Coffee Time Wednesday! This week we discuss Kent's frustration on planes, an innovation in plastic that biodegrades within hours, Nicolas’ coffee shop plastic problem, and the exciting news that WE'RE HIRING!

We at The Prairie Farm Podcast are very excited to host Doug's new show. He will be joining us quarterly to have deep, and thought provoking conversations about our land ethic and how we can make a difference for the future. Because... "It's not ours. It's just our turn."

What does it really take to create a deer paradise? We’re joined by Jared Van Hees of The Habitat Podcast to get the dirt on what truly matters. We cover everything from smart timber stand improvement and working with loggers to building effective perennial food plots for year-round wildlife health.

The lawns we have created have a dark side to them. We go through the stats of what lawns do to our ecosystem. We also tell old lawn mowing stories. Why do we still have lawns? Where did they come from? What’s a good alternative?

Dr. Patrick Keyser, of University of Tennessee, joins us to discuss something we know our listeners are passionate about, Native Grazing! He has researched and reviewed colleagues research for years on the topic. We discuss what grasses are best for cattle, what forbs go well in the mixes, and how much of the mix should be cool season grasses.

Doug Duren joins us as we dive into his thoughts on land owner’s responsibility for water quality. Who is responsible to pay for our water quality? Is it the water consumers, or the ones who dirty the waters?

Dr. Weber, Director at IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering and Iowa Flood Center, knows more about our state's water than anyone. We highly recommend giving this one a listen.

They start The Prairie Farm Podcast episode by answering a listener question about mitigating Big Bluestem through mowing instead of grazing. A fantastic question! They finish with the topic on how the Big Beautiful Bill affects rural hospitals.

For landowners managing for whitetail, food plots are common, but what are we overlooking in the native landscape? This episode we were joined by biologist Dr. Mark Turner to discuss a critical component of deer nutrition, native forbs. Dr. Turner explains how these wildflowers and prairie plants are more than just "weeds" and how they provide essential nutrients for antler growth and overall herd health. This is a must-listen for anyone serious about creating a truly resilient and superior wildlife habitat.

This week, Kent and Riley sit down for a different kind of Coffee Time episode. In the quiet moments following the passing of our founder, mentor, and friend, Carroll Hoksbergen, we wanted to take some time to simply remember the man who started it all.

Beyond personal protection, we also explore the bigger conservation picture: how thoughtful land management and healthy habitats can help reduce tick populations.

Nick shares his deep passion for upland hunting—from grouse and woodcock in the woods to pheasants and quail in the grasslands—and tells us why these pursuits create fierce advocates for habitat. The conversation takes a critical turn as we discuss the urgent threat that proposed copper-sulfide mines pose to the clean water and pristine wilderness of the Boundary Waters.

Check out this episode of the Prairie Farm Podcast to find out more!

This week, we’re talking about a new Texas law, SB 25, that forces a national conversation on food additives. We dig into why a law about grocery store labels matters for the future of American agriculture, land stewardship, and creating healthy habitats from the ground up.

Kelly Kindscher is THE MAN. He has trekked over 600 miles in one walk to study prairie. He has dedicated to being a voice for the quickly disappearing prairie. He also is an expert on how indigenous people connected with the prairie. We spoke to him on his thoughts on how agriculture today affects the remaining prairie as well as about his book on Edible and Medicinal native plants.

We start by answering a question about interseeding native prairie into an established pasture field. Then we discuss how Ghana has started the process of banning styrofoam. It’s a fascinating topic that could maybe be replicated throughout the rest of the world.

Lastly, Kent talks to us about public land and the attempt of federal land being sold to states. We get pretty excited about this topic.

Aaron Warbritton, with The Hunting Public, joins us to discuss a new venture The Habitat Association. We are very excited for this nonprofit conservation organization. We also discuss what's going on in public land today and our natural resources.

We start to by asking ourselves if we had to get rid of caffeine or sugar, which would we get rid of? Then we hear about Riley’s new bison birth story. Afterwards we dive into the question of the week. We talk about how urbanization effect conservation and what to do if someone offers you stupid money for your land.

Tabitha Panas was one of thousands of USDA employees fired on Valentine’s Day with no warning. The reason was “performance”, but we know first hand that Tabitha gets incredible results at her job. So what’s going on? Why did DOGE fire her and others. We get into her side of the story to start the podcast. We also discuss the future of conservation and the people who are entering the industry. We spend a long time at the end of the episode doing a mental exercise on what would happen to the ecology if all humans left Iowa right now.

We start this episode with a listener question from Zach. We talk about how to make money on farms that isn’t necessarily mono crops (corn or beans). It’s a tough question, because conservation and making money don’t always have a huge overlap on their vin diagram.

Then we jump to our conversation with Rob Sand. Our founder, Carroll Hoksbergen, joined us for the conversation. We talk about water quality, today’s ag practices, Iowa cancer rates, white-tail bow hunting, and the corruption in Iowa’s government.