PODCAST · science
In The Mix - Front Row Ag
by Front Row Ag
In The Mix by Front Row Ag delivers expert-led conversations on commercial cultivation systems, built from real-world experience across high-performance facilities. Each episode features industry operators and Front Row Ag specialists breaking down environmental control, fertigation, water quality, and data-driven decision making. Focused on proven methods—not theory—this podcast helps cultivators identify limiting factors, improve consistency, and drive measurable results.
Episodes
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Onboarding with Front Row Ag
A successful cultivation operation depends on more than a nutrient program. Crop scheduling, facility efficiency, plant health, water treatment, and post-harvest practices all play a role in overall performance and profitability. In this episode, we discuss Front Row Ag's approach to onboarding…
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Pruning & Defoliation for Under-Canopy Lights
Adding under-canopy lighting changes more than light distribution. It can also change how much pruning and defoliation your crop actually needs. In this episode, we look at how under-canopy lighting can influence canopy management and why traditional pruning strategies may need to be reconsidered...
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25-35% More Yield From Under-Canopy Lighting
Under-canopy lighting can increase productive canopy depth, improve lower flower development, and potentially reduce pruning and defoliation labor, but getting the strategy right requires more than simply adding fixtures below the canopy. In this episode, we break down how under-canopy lighting...
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Runoff Data You Need To Track
Runoff is one of the most useful diagnostic tools growers have for understanding what’s happening in the root zone, but only if it’s collected and interpreted correctly. In this episode, we break down how to properly collect runoff, what data to record, and how to use runoff volume, EC, and pH to...
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How To Reduce Room Flip Downtime to 48 Hours
How much time is your facility losing between harvest and reload? Room downtime is unavoidable—but unnecessary downtime can cost you production. At commercial scale, an extra few days between harvest and reload can add up to millions in lost revenue over time. In this episode, we break down how...
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Does Nitrogen Tapering Improve Quality?
Does nitrogen tapering actually improve flower quality, or does it depend on the cultivar? In this video, Front Row Ag Technical Expert Tyler Simmons explains what recent research tells us about nitrogen tapering, plant metabolism, and why genetics play such an important role in determining the...
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Prevent Fertigation Clogs with Better Fertilizer Chemistry
Why is Front Row built as a 3-part fertilizer system? It comes down to basic fertilizer chemistry. In this clip, Bryan explains why calcium and phosphorus concentrates should always remain separate, why clogging is one of the most common issues new customers experience, and the difference between...
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Commercial Workflows and Irrigation with Drew Greco
Labor overhead, irrigation strategy, and equipment maintenance are critical variables that dictate commercial cannabis profitability. In this episode, experienced commercial cultivator Drew Greco breaks down the operational strategies that make large-scale facilities successful. Drew explains why...
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Why CO2 Spikes Overnight in Sealed Grow Room
Why do CO₂ levels rise after the lights turn off in a sealed grow room?Many commercial cultivators notice CO₂ climbing overnight, even when CO₂ injection is disabled. In this episode, Tyler Simmons explains why this happens, what plant respiration has to do with it, and why elevated nighttime CO₂...
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Why the Same Program Succeeds in One Facility and Fails in Another
Most fertilizer companies stop at product delivery. At Front Row Ag, that's where the work begins. In this episode, we discuss how commercial customer onboarding helps identify operational challenges before they become expensive problems. From water chemistry and sanitation to irrigation...
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PSA: How Sulfuric Acid Supply Impacts Your Fertilizer Program
In this episode, Matthew breaks down an upstream supply chain issue that many growers may not realize is affecting fertilizer manufacturing worldwide: sulfuric acid availability. Sulfuric acid plays a critical role in producing many of the raw materials used throughout the fertilizer industry,...
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Why Some LED Grow Upgrades FAIL the Math
Two facilities. Same canopy size. Same yield target. Completely different electrical bills. In this episode, we break down the lighting math most growers skip: watts per square foot PPFD and uniformity fixture spacing mounting height PPE efficiency under canopy lighting why some facilities...
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SIU Researcher Dr. Jose Leme on Trichomes, Water Stress, and Biostimulants in Cultivation
What happens when you stress plants on purpose? In this video, we break down university research from Dr. Jose Leme’s lab on plant stress, trichomes, water deficit, and biostimulants. Topics covered: Stress signals vs real stress Trichome development and plant defense Water deficit strategies…
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Hiring a Lead Cultivator: What To Look For
Most facilities make the same hiring mistake: choosing a head cultivator based on plant knowledge instead of leadership ability. In modern controlled environments, success depends less on hands-on growing and more on managing systems, people, and performance. This video breaks down: Why designing...
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Light Interruption Can Cause Herms (+How to Stop It)
Light interruption is one of the most overlooked risks in indoor facilities—and it often shows up after a build is “complete.” In this breakdown, Egan O’Keefe (Co-Founder of Front Row Ag, VP of Cultivation at Story of Maryland) explains: Why commissioning doesn’t end when the building is handed...
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VPD for Every Stage of the Grow Cycle
In this video, we break down the VPD ranges we use from veg through late flower, why plant posture is one of the most underrated metrics in the room, and the exact reason your humidity spikes every time your CO2 runs out. What's covered: VPD targets for veg (and why 0.9–1.0 is the sweet spot)...
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What It Really Takes to Grow Purple
Purple expression is one of the most misunderstood traits in cultivation. In this conversation, we break down why plants turn purple, when it’s genetically driven, and what actually happens when growers try to force purple expression through environmental stress. Lower air temperatures, cold root...
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How Top-Performing Commercial Cultivation Teams Organize the Day
High-performing commercial cultivation teams don’t improvise the day. They start with a master production calendar, translate it into a short list of priority tasks, and use structured morning and end-of-day meetings to keep labor aligned and prevent drift. This conversation breaks down how...
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What Other Crops Can Teach Us About Canopy Design, Defense, and Yield
Most growers treat this crop as biologically unique. That assumption breaks more things than it fixes. In this conversation, John Sokolik explains how well-studied crops like hops, tomatoes, hackberry, and lima beans reveal practical lessons about canopy density, light penetration, pest pressure,...
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How Many Plant Touches Is Too Much?
Every time a plant is touched, there’s risk—and cost. In this conversation, we break down why plant “touchpoints” matter more than most facilities realize. From disease pressure to labor efficiency, excessive handling quietly inflates costs and introduces variability across a crop cycle. We walk...
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4 Levels of Mixing Equipment
Improper mixing equipment is one of the most common hidden causes of inconsistent feeds, validation failures, and wasted labor. In this episode, Front Row Ag formulator Matt Curran breaks down four levels of mixing equipment - from basic barrels and drills to fully integrated cone-bottom systems…
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Why Outdoor Growers Are Reconsidering Seeds
Outdoor growers are rethinking the seed vs clone decision—and not for the reasons you might expect. In this conversation, Front Row Ag’s technical team breaks down how modern seed genetics, crop scheduling, and early environmental exposure are changing what’s possible outdoors. We cover: Why...
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Mixed Light & Outdoor: What Actually Determines Success
Front Row Ag Technical Specialist Tyler Simmons chats with founders Matt Curran and Egan O’Keefe about what’s actually working in outdoor cultivation at commercial scale. In this conversation, the team breaks down real-world trends they’re seeing across commercial outdoor and mixed-light...
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Nitrogen Source: Why We Don’t Use Ammonium Nitrate
Front Row Ag formulator explains why our fertilizer is made with purified, prilled calcium nitrate. It provides stable nitrate nitrogen in “exceedingly high abundance,” supports protein formation, improves metabolic consistency, and avoids the volatility that can derail steering and crop...
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pH Mistakes That Wreck Irrigation Systems
Most irrigation problems we troubleshoot trace back to one thing: pH management mistakes. The most common? Trusting an inline meter and ignoring what’s happening in the batch tank. When pH Up hasn’t finished reacting, the real pH continues to drift upward—pushing the solution past 6.2, triggering...
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The Best Grows Have The Best Janitors
At the heart of every successful facility is a cleaning SOP. In this episode, Tyler Simmons and Mike Harnos break down why even the most advanced setups fail when sanitation slips. From floor drains and biofilm to HVAC and mini-split nightmares, we explore how simple cleaning habits can prevent...
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VPD Made Simple: 3-Minute Crash Course
If you had 3 minutes to explain Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD), where would you start? In this short video, Front Row Ag’s Tyler Simmons breaks down VPD in plain language. What it is, how it connects to relative humidity, and why there’s a “Goldilocks zone” that maximizes plant water and nutrient...
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Avoid the VPD Death Spiral
When you’re cultivating in a sealed environment like a grow room or a grow tent, running high CO₂ without enough humidity can trigger what Tyler calls the VPD Death Spiral — a feedback loop where humidity drops, stomata close, and growth grinds to a halt. This episode breaks down: Why high CO₂...
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Hydroponic Mysteries Solved: pH, Water Temp & Irrigation Mistakes
Why do some hydroponic grows see great yields in winter… then slow growth, yellowing, or strange pH problems in summer? In this video, Front Row Ag’s Matt and Tyler share real cases from commercial facilities where: Water temperature rose seasonally, dissolved oxygen crashed, and yields dropped....
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Proven Cloning Practices Every Commercial Cultivation Facility Should Use
Front Row technical expert Tyler Simmons breaks down the cloning practices that separate thriving facilities from the rest. In this video, he covers: Why keeping mothers too long increases pathogen risk Sanitation practices that actually stop pathogen spread Adjusting to Stronger Lighting Tyler...
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Keeping Large Grows on Schedule
Managing a commercial cultivation facility means keeping track of hundreds of moving parts—propagation, transplanting, sanitizing, plant training, and more. In this episode, Egan O’Keefe breaks down how ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems can bring order to the chaos. Topics covered: • How...
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Fix Uneven Watering Before You Touch Crop Steering
Uneven watering wrecks consistency. In this episode, Omar from Rivulis joins Tyler from Front Row Ag to break down the most common mistakes in irrigation system design, from pressure regulation to clogged emitters, and how to fix them with real-world setups and smarter components. 💡 Learn: The...
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Are You Overdoing Defoliation?
Join Tyler and Egan as they break down the science and strategy behind defoliation in commercial cultivation. Are you removing too much? Too little? Learn how to balance airflow, light penetration, and plant energy reserves for optimal yield. 00:00 – Why Overdefoliation Happens 00:41 – Leaves =...
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Where Bacteria Hides in Your Facility and How to Eliminate It for Good
Commercial cultivators lose tens of thousands in yield and labor every year—because of bacteria they can’t see. This conversation between Tyler Simmons and Egan O’Keefe of Front Row breaks down the hidden contamination risks in your fertigation setup, RO filters, HVAC, and humidifiers—and how to...
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Maximize Yield Per Sq Ft: Egan & Tyler on Canopy Strategy
Tyler Simmons (Technical Expert at Front Row Ag) and Egan O'Keefe (Co-Founder of Front Row Ag and Director of Cultivation at Story) dive deep into the critical aspects of optimizing Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) cultivation. They explore the intricacies of plant spacing, canopy…
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Best Practices for Algae Prevention in CEA
Front Row account manager and crop advisor Mike Harnos and technical expert Tyler Simmons break down one of the hidden threats in controlled environment agriculture: algae in water systems. In this video, they cover: Why algae doesn’t always show up on water tests How algae blooms and biofilms…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
In The Mix by Front Row Ag delivers expert-led conversations on commercial cultivation systems, built from real-world experience across high-performance facilities. Each episode features industry operators and Front Row Ag specialists breaking down environmental control, fertigation, water quality, and data-driven decision making. Focused on proven methods—not theory—this podcast helps cultivators identify limiting factors, improve consistency, and drive measurable results.
HOSTED BY
Front Row Ag
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does In The Mix - Front Row Ag have?
In The Mix - Front Row Ag currently has 36 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is In The Mix - Front Row Ag about?
In The Mix by Front Row Ag delivers expert-led conversations on commercial cultivation systems, built from real-world experience across high-performance facilities. Each episode features industry operators and Front Row Ag specialists breaking down environmental control, fertigation, water quality,...
How often does In The Mix - Front Row Ag release new episodes?
In The Mix - Front Row Ag has 36 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to In The Mix - Front Row Ag?
You can listen to In The Mix - Front Row Ag on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts In The Mix - Front Row Ag?
In The Mix - Front Row Ag is created and hosted by Front Row Ag.
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