Best Ag Engineering Podcasts (2025)

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The gas turbine crunch 38:58

Play Pause

3d ago38:58

38:58

Demand for turbines is growing fast, but so are lead times — causing serious headaches for developers and even cancellations. In Texas, one of six cancelled projects cited “equipment procurement constraints” as the reasons for its withdrawal. Lead times are stretching to four years and sometimes more. Costs are climbing. So what’s behind the bottle…

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Field Walk - Produce and Popcorn with Ashley at Hurricane Flats Farm: EP37 2:06:01

7d ago2:06:01

2:06:01

Text me a message! Today’s episode comes to you from South Royalton Vermont where we visit with Ashley Loehr of Hurricane Flats Farm. She’s got over 25 years farming experience, and is getting a good feel for the land as this is her 4th season since buying this farm. This episode starts off in the field checking out pretty much all the crops. We ta…

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WS Podcast #31 - Regenerative Baustoffe 35:44

9d ago35:44

35:44

Lucio Blandini (ILEK), Dirk Hebel (KIT) und Stefanie Weidner (Werner Sobek AG) erklären, an welchen Lösungen Forscher:innen und Planer:innen für mehr Nachhaltigkeit im Bauwesen heute arbeiten – und womit wir morgen bauen werden.By Werner Sobek AG

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Will inference move to the edge? 47:47

11d ago47:47

47:47

Today virtually all AI compute takes place in centralized data centers, driving the demand for massive power infrastructure. But as workloads shift from training to inference, and AI applications become more latency-sensitive (autonomous vehicles, anyone?), there‘s another pathway: migrating a portion of inference from centralized computing to the …

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Can AI revolutionize EPC? 35:01

17d ago35:01

35:01

Big construction projects in the U.S. are notoriously unpredictable, often finishing over budget and behind schedule. Part of the problem is the inherent complexity of these kinds of projects, like data centers and first-of-a-kind plants. But there’s another problem: the companies that actually build these projects — called EPC firms for engineerin…

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Dave Swain: Persistence, Pivots and Ag-Tech Progress 20:50

19d ago20:50

20:50

Ryan Cote sits down with ag-tech founder Dave Swain to unpack his journey from an Indiana farm to leading Vision Technology Management. They talk about adapting to change, surviving a full year with zero revenue, and why communication and relationships matter just as much as the latest tools.By Ryan Cote

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Who benefits from the AI power bottleneck? 34:56

25d ago34:56

34:56

The bottleneck holding back AI is a scarcity of power, or so goes the story. That may be true — and plenty of reporting backs it up — but different actors in the space face varying incentives to play up or play down that narrative. So what incentives are at play, and how do they shape each player's story? In this episode, Shayle talks to Shanu Math…

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Tires and Technology: Talking about Soil Compaction Management 45:23

25d ago45:23

45:23

Tony Mensing and Kapil Arora break down the science behind soil compaction, explaining how equipment adjustments and technology can help manage compaction. They discuss the physical process of soil compaction and its impacts for ag crop production and share practical steps farmers can take to protect soil structure. Understanding and Managing Soil …

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Growing, Drying and Selling Medicinal Herbs with Jeff Carpenter of Zack Woods Herb Farm: EP36 1:18:53

27d ago1:18:53

1:18:53

Text me a message! Today’s episode comes to you from Hyde Park, Vermont where we visit with Jeff Carpenter from Zack Woods Herb Farm. They grow medicinal herbs and have been doing so for 26 years. We start off with a look into his high tunnel where they grow their starts, discuss the construction of their batch dryer, check out a field of perennial…

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Looking for a turnaround in transmission 29:15

1M ago29:15

29:15

After years of stalled transmission buildout, there are new signs of progress. Earlier this month, SPP approved $8.6 billion in transmission projects across 14 states. Major plans are emerging in MISO, PJM, and ERCOT. Despite the DOE canceling its loan guarantee, the Grain Belt Express is still moving forward. And regardless of court battles, so is…

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New Mexico proves America can still build [partner content] 31:15

1M ago31:15

31:15

Across the country, people are asking the same question: why is it so hard to build in America? From transmission lines to clean energy factories, projects are taking longer, costs are rising, and frustration is growing. But in New Mexico, two cabinet secretaries are trying to show that it doesn’t have to be this way. Together, Economic Development…

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Driving down the cost of green hydrogen 41:28

2M ago41:28

41:28

A few years ago, industry and political leaders embraced hydrogen as a solution to a laundry list of hard-to-abate decarbonization challenges — steel production, ammonia production, and more. But hydrogen failed to come down in costs and policymakers pulled back support. Ultimately, the bubble burst. So what does it take to drive down the costs of …

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Inside a $300 million bet on AI for physical R&D 36:26

2M ago36:26

36:26

A big problem with using artificial intelligence to discover new materials? It struggles to predict beyond its training data. That means AI might be better at optimizing known materials than discovering entirely new ones — like a room temperature superconductor or carbon-capture sorbents. But since we last covered the topic in September 2024, a few…

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Fenceless Goat Grazing at Does Leap Farm: EP35 1:33:23

2M ago1:33:23

1:33:23

Text me a message! Today’s episode comes to you from Bakersfield Vermont where we visit with George van Vlaanderen of Does’ Leap Farm (https://doesleap.com/). He shares how they developed the farm from raw wooded land while raising children, goats and living in a yurt all at the same time over twenty years ago. He shares now how his grazing system …

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Robert Weiss: Nail B2B Video by Leading With Your Message 22:01

2M ago22:01

22:01

Video pro Robert Weiss joins Ryan Cote on the Manufacturer's Mindset Podcast to share how manufacturers win with message-first videos, smarter planning, and AI polish. Learn to turn one shoot into sales, training, and industry-specific assets that drive revenue.By Ryan Cote

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Unpacking DOE's proposal to transform data center interconnection 40:37

2M ago40:37

40:37

Last Thursday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider rulemaking to fast-track interconnection for large loads — as long as they agree to be curtailable or colocate with dispatchable generation. So what does this proposal actually mean for interconnection? In this episode, Shayle talks with Allis…

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Five big questions about the future of energy 44:23

2M ago44:23

44:23

We’ve covered AI’s massive power appetite in depth over the past year – with good reason. It’s the driving force behind much of the change and uncertainty in the energy world right now, from the error bars around our demand for electricity to the lineup of technologies vying to meet that demand. In this episode Shayle talks to his colleague Andy Lu…

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Frontier Forum: The new power map for AI infrastructure 36:04

2M ago36:04

36:04

As AI reshapes the industrial landscape, companies are questioning whether the grid can keep pace. Permitting delays, transmission constraints, and reliability risks are forcing developers to rethink where power comes from. In this episode, KR Sridhar, CEO of Bloom Energy, lays out a radically different vision. He believes that many data centers wi…

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Calibrating hype with Akshat Rathi 41:14

2M ago41:14

41:14

In the climate space, every idea sits somewhere along the hype continuum. Some command outsize attention. Others fly under the radar despite big potential. And a rare few hit the sweet spot, earning exactly the buzz they deserve. But how do you tell which is which? In this episode, Shayle teams up with Akshat Rathi, senior reporter for climate at B…

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How insurance can narrow the valley of death [partner content] 26:50

2M ago26:50

26:50

Jamie Daggett started his career as a mechanical engineer working for cleantech startups in Silicon Valley. But after five startups and three buyouts, Daggett saw the same story repeat itself: good technologies that worked in the lab often died before reaching commercial scale. And often they didn’t fail because the science was wrong; they failed b…

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Paul Kiesche: Build a Manufacturer Brand That Boosts Sales and Hiring 25:31

3M ago25:31

25:31

In this episode, we speak with Paul Kiesche from Aviate Creative about real world lessons on branding, AI, and resilience. Specifically, how a focused manufacturer brand boosts sales and hiring, how to show up in Google and ChatGPT, and why AI is a tool not a replacement. He also covers losing six clients in two days, the power of niching, and simp…

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Long Island Landscaper to 20 Acres of Vegetables with Jon & Karin of Bear Roots Farm: EP34 1:29:59

3M ago1:29:59

1:29:59

Text me a message! Today’s episode comes to you from Williamstown Vermont where we visit with Jon Waner and Karin Bellemare of Bear Roots Farm and The Roots Farm Market. Together they’ve built up a 20 acre vegetable farm and local goods store in Central Vermont. Jon starts off by sharing how they got started in Long Island, and how they ramped up t…

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How Base Power plans to use its fresh $1B 39:51

3M ago39:51

39:51

Yesterday, Base Power announced a $1 billion series C, giving the residential battery company an eye-popping $4 billion post-money valuation. Base manufactures, installs, owns, and operates residential batteries — a vertical integration strategy that CEO Zach Dell says is the “magic” to beating utility-scale batteries on CapEx. The company also act…

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Frontier Forum: A new playbook for clean energy growth 31:57

3M ago31:57

31:57

After the failure of federal climate legislation in 2010, clean energy advocates realized they had to look elsewhere for momentum. The result was a shift toward states and regional markets — and the creation of Advanced Energy United, a trade group built to make policy progress outside of Washington. Today, that strategy is more important than ever…

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The new wave of DERs 39:03

3M ago39:03

39:03

Demand response was the original distributed energy resource. In its early days, it was surprisingly manual: a grid operator would call up a large load, like a factory, and request a few hours of reduced demand during peak times. Fast forward to today and DERs look dramatically different. They’re automated, deployed frequently across the country, a…

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The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy Explained 49:02

3M ago49:02

49:02

In this episode, Tony Mensing sits down with Dr. Matt Helmers to explore the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (INRS)—an initiative launched in 2013 to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus runoff into the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico by 45%. Dr. Helmers breaks down the science and policy behind the strategy, highlighting the roles of both agricult…

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Ag residue and carbon removal 35:16

3M ago35:16

35:16

Agricultural byproducts like corn stover, wood chips, and soybean husks typically get left to decompose and release carbon dioxide. Don’t call them “waste” though; some farmers use these byproducts as field cover to improve soil health. And industry uses a fraction of this biomass as feedstock for valuable products like ethanol, electricity, and he…

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Don Fuchs: Keep Shoveling and Outlast the Competition 19:40

3M ago19:40

19:40

In this episode of The Manufacturer's Mindset Podcast, Ryan Cote talks with Don Fuchs, CEO of Harris Thermal Transfer Products. Don shares his unique career journey from law and legal tech entrepreneurship to leading a 140-year-old family-owned manufacturing company.By Ryan Cote

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Is now the time for DERs to scale? 41:01

3M ago41:01

41:01

A decade ago, DERs were hot. The hype was that things like batteries, smart devices, and other distributed energy technologies would offset the need for expanding traditional grid infrastructure. But DERs never took off, at least not at the scale that many hoped for. They had high price tags and short track records compared to the existing substati…

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Mushrooms, Veggies, Meat and More! From Farmers Market to on Farm Cider House at 1000 Stone Farm: EP33 1:34:24

3M ago1:34:24

1:34:24

Text me a message! Today’s Episode comes to you from Brookfield Vermont where we visit with Kyle Dodda and Betsy Simpson of 1000 Stone Farm. They’ve got many balls in the air with a wide range of crops from veggies to perennial fruit, eggs and meat, hard cider and a restaurant. They sell retail out of a farmstore, wholesale, CSA & go to a farmers m…

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When to colocate data centers with generation 36:32

4M ago36:32

36:32

The idea of colocating data centers with behind-the-meter generation is picking up steam, including large projects in Memphis, Texas, and Utah developing significant on-site capacity, mostly from combined-cycle gas plants. The main argument is speed to power. Building your own generation allows data centers to sidestep the challenges involved in gr…

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Makenzie Morrill: "Look for the Duct Tape" in Marketing and Customer Success 19:55

4M ago19:55

19:55

In this episode, we chat with Makenzie Morrill, Marketing Mgr at Spartronics, about her journey into manufacturing, networking, and "looking for the duct tape" when solving customer challenges. She shares lessons from being a one-person marketing team, how AMA fuels her growth, and why AI is best as an assistant (not a replacement).…

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AMA: Geoengineering, nuclear, power prices, and more 42:06

4M ago42:06

42:06

You sent in great questions, and today we’re answering them. In this episode, Shayle hands it over to Lara Pierpoint, the managing director of Trellis Climate at the Prime Coalition and host of The Green Blueprint. Together they cover topics like: Whether solar radiation management will remain the “black sheep” of climate technologies What technolo…

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The mechanics of data center flexibility 36:07

4M ago36:07

36:07

Adding flexibility to data center loads could ease strain on the grid and reduce the need for costly new generation. And, according to one study, shaving off just a few megawatts during peak hours could also unlock unused capacity —as many as 98 gigawatts in the U.S — if those facilities reduced load by just 0.5% each year. The problem: data center…

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The Green Blueprint: Terrawatt Infrastructure’s billion-dollar strategy 35:45

4M ago35:45

35:45

Editor's note: With the Trump administration's efforts to roll back California's electric trucking rules, there's new attention on heavy duty transport right now. So we're bringing you a deep dive into the industry, an episode of The Green Blueprint on Terawatt Infrastructure's $1 billion strategy to build charging depots. In 2021, Neha Palmer co-f…

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Ben Hanfling: How Understanding Customer Needs Drives Product Development & Revenue Growth 20:06

5M ago20:06

20:06

In this episode of Manufacturer's Mindset, we sit down with Ben Hanfling, Chief Revenue Officer at Bay Cities Metal Products, a family-owned manufacturing company specializing in roofing and building products. Ben discusses the importance of listening to customers, empowering employees, and the strategic thinking required to increase revenue in a c…

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The case for sodium-ion 45:36

5M ago45:36

45:36

Our first episode covering sodium-ion batteries featured a cautious take on the chemistry: Back in February Adrian Yao, founder of Stanford’s STEER program, explained the challenges of reaching competitive energy density and costs, especially given the falling price of LFP. Still, sodium-ion chemistries are picking up steam, thanks largely to growi…

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Explaining the ‘Watt-Bit Spread’ 42:01

5M ago42:01

42:01

Editor’s note: The uncertainties of data center construction — like when, where, and how much to build — are as pressing as ever. So we’re revisiting a conversation with Brian Janous, co-founder and chief commercial officer at data center developer Cloverleaf Infrastructure. In this episode, he explains his theory of the ‘Watt-Bit Spread’, which of…

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Enjoying Retirement While Still Living on the Farm with Dave Pierson of Pierson Farm: EP32 1:08:10

5M ago1:08:10

1:08:10

Text me a message! Today’s Episode comes to you from Bradford Vermont where we visit with David Pierson of Pierson Farm. After 42 years of running a mixed vegetable farm to supply a roadside farm stand, with 3 acres of strawberries being one of the big draws, he was able to retire, leasing the farm to a long time employee Dan. We start off the epis…

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PJM and the capacity crunch 31:43

5M ago31:43

31:43

The PJM capacity auction this month broke records with sky-high wholesale power prices — and that was by design. Under PJM’s auction rules, tight supply raises prices, incentivizing the development of new generation and encouraging existing generation to stay online. The big driver of that tight supply? Data-center driven load growth. The independe…

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Repurposing EV batteries for grid storage 27:35

5M ago27:35

27:35

The job of an EV battery is unforgiving. If its performance slips too far — say, lost acceleration or range — it's probably off to the recycling heap. That’s even though it may have plenty of usable life, if only for something less demanding than powering a vehicle. Grid storage is theoretically a gentler job, involving slower discharging and more …

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Mike Womack: Elevating Manufacturers with Marketing and Advocacy 22:34

5M ago22:34

22:34

In this episode of Manufacturer's Mindset, we sit down with Mike Womack, Director of Marketing and Communications at NJMEP. We discuss how manufacturers can utilize marketing, adapt to AI, and thrive despite limited resources.By Ryan Cote

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Five big questions emerging from the OBBB 44:19

5M ago44:19

44:19

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) complicates things. Together with a related executive order, it dismantled key parts of the Inflation Reduction Act, while also injecting uncertainty into tax credit eligibility. The uncertainty in particular throws a wrench into project planning and leaves big questions about the impact across climate tech. So wha…

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#30 Wie gelingt interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit? Das Beispiel Fassadenplanung 1:01:53

6M ago1:01:53

1:01:53

„Gute Kommunikation ist der Grundstein für eine gute Zusammenarbeit“, erklärt unser Kollege Martin Groß in der neuesten Ausgabe unseres Podcast…By Werner Sobek AG

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Tumult in residential solar 34:34

6M ago34:34

34:34

Residential solar has had a rough couple of years. In 2024, the market contracted 31% and major companies like Sunpower and Titan went bankrupt. Now, only halfway through 2025, Sunnova and Mosaic have filed for bankruptcy, too. The market has suffered from low demand, high interest rates, and major policy changes like California’s cuts to net meter…

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Increasing Acreage & Narrowing the Crop Mix with John Hirsch at Clearfield Farm: EP31 1:47:50

6M ago1:47:50

1:47:50

Text me a message! Today’s episode comes from Granville Vermont where we visit with John Hirsch of Clearfield Farm. With over 10 years under his belt he’s refined his farm business to be lean on labor and focused in scope as his primary crops are wholesale carrots and potatoes. He’s also excited to be getting into grain and doing more intensive rot…

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Fresh intel from state utility regulatory filings 36:34

6M ago36:34

36:34

You’ve probably heard about Nat Bullard’s massive decarbonization slide decks, filled with charts and insights into decarbonization drawn from climate and energy data. This time he's waded through piles of utility regulatory filings — countless PDFs that hint at the inner workings of utilities and large customers — to find clues about everything fr…

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Jon M. Williams: The Evolution from EV Batteries to Broader Energy Solutions 20:39

6M ago20:39

20:39

In this episode, we speak with Jon M. Williams, CEO of Viridi Parente, a company at the forefront of sustainable energy solutions. With over 35 years of entrepreneurial experience, Jon offers valuable insights into innovation, leadership, and the evolving landscape of battery technology.By Ryan Cote

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GM's big new battery tech push 36:35

6M ago36:35

36:35

Lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) batteries could offer a rare combination in energy storage: high energy density at lower costs. They swap much of the expensive nickel for abundant, affordable manganese. But technical hurdles — like poor cycle life, voltage decay, and long formation time — kept them on the sidelines. Now GM says it’s solved these chall…

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The story of steam 32:06

6M ago32:06

32:06

Addison Stark thinks waste heat is a waste of time. The real opportunity, he argues, is decarbonizing industrial steam, which accounts for roughly 30% of industrial heat in the U.S. But doing that means deploying alternatives to the fossil fuel boilers industry currently relies on. So how do you clean up steam? And why does Addison think waste heat…