Living Roots with Loran Steinlage, Tom Cannon, Kyle Schnell and Todd Tobin

Join Tom Lawler and Darrin Unruh from Indigo Ag for Living Roots and hear from farmers like Loran Steinlage, Tom Cannon, Kyle Schnell, and Todd Tobin about implementing #soilhealth #farming practices. 

Kyle Schnell is a fourth-generation farmer from Newton, Iowa. He farms 1,000 acres, having transitioned 700 of those to regenerative organic practices. On the remaining 300 acres, he utilizes regenerative practices like cover crops, grazing, reduced inputs, and no-till. On his farm, Kyle grows corn, soybeans, oats, alfalfa, rye, and peas. He has been farming using regenerative practices for three years and has already seen a huge difference within the soil profile.

Loran Stienlage is a farmer from Fayette County. Loran was a 2020 National No Till Innovator Award recipient. Loran has been no tilling his farm ground for twenty years and implements a diversity of cover crops and cash crops. Loran is well respected internationally for his regenerative practices and speaks at many conventions sharing his successes and challenges.

Tom Cannon marks the fourth generation on Goodson Ranch near Blackwell, OK. After his father suffered a debilitating pickup truck accident in 1997, Tom left his education at Oklahoma State University to help on the ranch. Finding the soil at 1% organic matter, Tom attended his first No-till on the Plains Winter Conference in 1998. The experience led the Goodson Ranch CEO to sell all the tillage equipment and convert to 100% no-till. Now, among other radical experiences, Tom finds his soil testing at 3% organic matter. Back then, he sold all but 50 cows and continued only with stockers. Today, he manages 175 cows and says he regrets not including cattle in his no-till system all along. “I have a passion for our creation and an even greater passion for the Creator,” Tom says. “Responsibility for good stewardship tops my list of occupational duties.” Tom and his father have been awarded the Oklahoma Governor’s ASCS Environmental Award, and the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Environmental Stewardship Awards.

Todd Tobin is a farmer from Iuka, KS.  Todd integrates cover crops and custom grazing on his operation to increase his soil health and profitability.