Under The Covers

Bill and James continue their talk about oat season for 2026. Oats don’t always get much attention in Iowa agriculture, but they’ve earned a spot in our system.In this episode, Bill and James break down what it actually takes to grow oats. From planning and planting to figuring out where they fit in the rotation, this is a real-world look at what’s working, what’s not, and why oats might be worth a second look.If you’ve been thinking about small grains, this is a good place to start.Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss the next hand. Also, if you have enjoyed the podcast, leave us a review and share this episode to your support!Find us on social media in between episodes on:Facebook: https://facebook.com/iowacovercropInstagram: @iowacovercropX: @iacovercropYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iowacovercropLearn more about Iowa Cover Crop at www.iowacovercrop.com

Bill and James talk about oat season for 2026. Oats don’t always get much attention in Iowa agriculture, but they’ve earned a spot in our system.In this episode, Bill and James break down what it actually takes to grow oats. From planning and planting to figuring out where they fit in the rotation, this is a real-world look at what’s working, what’s not, and why oats might be worth a second look.If you’ve been thinking about small grains, this is a good place to start.Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss the next hand. Also, if you have enjoyed the podcast, leave us a review and share this episode to your support!Find us on social media in between episodes on:Facebook: https://facebook.com/iowacovercropInstagram: @iowacovercropX: @iacovercropYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iowacovercropLearn more about Iowa Cover Crop at www.iowacovercrop.com

Piggybacking off Bill’s trip to the Iowa Farm Expo, this episode is simply about money on the farm.Some things are an easy yes. Others? You’ll think about them for months… maybe years… and still not pull the trigger.In this episode of Under the Covers, Bill Frederick and James Holz talk through some of their spending decisions on their farms. Equipment, inputs, and everything in between. Learn what we’re comfortable spending money on, what we hesitate on, and what that probably says about how we operate.Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss the next hand. Also, if you have enjoyed the podcast, leave us a review and share this episode to your support!Find us on social media in between episodes on:Facebook: https://facebook.com/iowacovercropInstagram: @iowacovercropX: @iacovercropYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iowacovercropLearn more about Iowa Cover Crop at www.iowacovercrop.com

The 2026 Practical Farmers of Iowa Conference is in the books.In this episode of Under the Covers, we talk about what actually stuck with us after PFI.Not a play-by-play recap, just the conversations, themes, and ideas we’re still thinking about weeks later.We cover:• How we explain the Practical Farmers of Iowa Conference to someone who’s never been• What makes PFI different from other ag conferences• Themes we kept hearing in hallway conversations• A few moments that stayed with us• Ideas we’re excited to take back to our own farms• What feels like it’s shifting in Midwest agriculture right nowSome conversations reinforced things we’ve been thinking about for a while.Others pushed us a little.A few made us rethink how we’re approaching our own acres.This episode is us sorting through what we heard and what it might mean for our farms, our business, and the direction regenerative agriculture and Midwest farming seem to be heading.If you care about:Practical Farmers of IowaRegenerative agricultureSoil healthCover cropsGrazing systemsSmall grainsFarm profitabilityRural communitiesOr the future of independent farmingYou’re in the right place.Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss the next hand. Also, if you have enjoyed the podcast, leave us a review and share this episode to your support!Find us on social media in between episodes on:Facebook: https://facebook.com/iowacovercropInstagram: @iowacovercropX: @iacovercropYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iowacovercropLearn more about Iowa Cover Crop at www.iowacovercrop.com

If you live in Iowa, you’ve probably heard the headlines.When Central Iowa Water Works turned on its nitrate removal system in January, it caught attention across the state. Winter operation is rare. Nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers were elevated. And once again, Iowa water quality and agriculture were in the news.In this episode of Under the Covers, we slow the conversation down.We talk about:The history and context behind Des Moines Water Works and Iowa farmersWhat actually happened during the 2015 Des Moines Water Works lawsuitHow that moment intersected with the early days of Iowa Cover CropWhat the nitrate removal system sounds like when it’s runningHow we felt about the lawsuit then and how we think about Iowa’s water quality progress nowPractical ideas for improving water quality moving forwardThis isn’t outrage radio.And we won’t pretend this is simple.It’s a farmer-to-farmer conversation about Iowa water quality, nitrogen management, responsibility, and the realities of modern agriculture.We don’t solve it.We don’t dodge it.We talk through it.And yes, we’re still playing cribbage while we do.If you care about:Iowa farmingWater qualityNitrogen managementRegenerative agricultureCover cropsAg policyTile drainageRural economicsOr how farmers are actually thinking about these issuesYou’re in the right place.When the game ends, the episode ends.Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss the next hand. Also, if you have enjoyed the podcast, leave us a review and share this episode to your support!Find us on social media in between episodes on:Facebook: https://facebook.com/iowacovercropInstagram: @iowacovercropX: @iacovercropYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iowacovercropLearn more about Iowa Cover Crop at www.iowacovercrop.com

If you’ve ever wondered what real conversations between farmers actually sound like… this is it.Welcome to Under the Covers, a podcast hosted by Bill Frederick and James Holz,founders of Iowa Cover Crop. We’re two Midwest farmers who built an independent seed business and decided that recording our constant banter and frequent disagreements was a good idea.This episode sets the stage.We talk about:- How Iowa Cover Crop got started- What our farms look like today- Why we decided to start a farming podcast now- Who this show is actually for- And why we’re playing cribbage while we recordThis isn’t an academic deep dive.It’s not a sales pitch.And we’re definitely not going to agree on everything.This is farmer to farmer conversation about agriculture, regenerative farming practices, rural business, soil health, decision-making, and whatever else ends up on the table.When the cribbage game ends, the episode ends.If you care about:Midwest farmingRow cropsSmall GrainsCover cropsCattleGrazingRegenerative agricultureIndependent ag businessesAgriculture policyRural economicsOr just honest farm talkYou’re in the right place.Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss the next hand. Also, if you have enjoyed the podcast, leave us a review and share this episode to your support!Find us on social media in between episodes on:Facebook: https://facebook.com/iowacovercropInstagram: @iowacovercropX: @iacovercropYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iowacovercropLearn more about Iowa Cover Crop at www.iowacovercrop.com