# AgEmerge Podcast 183 with James Hepp

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ag-emerge-podcast-429041/agemerge-podcast-183-with-james-hepp
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ag-emerge-podcast-429041/agemerge-podcast-183-with-james-hepp.md
Podcast: [Ag Emerge Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ag-emerge-podcast-429041)
Published: 2026-03-10T12:48:04+00:00
Episode link: https://soundcloud.com/agemerge/agemerge-podcast-183
Audio file: https://chrt.fm/track/7AC664/http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2276877350-agemerge-agemerge-podcast-183.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ag-emerge-podcast-429041/episodes/agemerge-podcast-183-with-james-hepp
Duration seconds: 3951

## Resource

Rockwell City native James Hepp aspired to farm, but with no direct ties to land, that dream seemed out of reach. So how did he get to be farming thousands of acres and a Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner? About Our Guest: James Hepp aspired to farm, but with no direct ties to land, that dream seemed out of reach. Hepp attended Northwest Missouri State University, where he earned a degree in agricultural business and started his career as a crop insurance adjuster after graduation. In 2019, the opportunity to work with a high school friend’s father, who was nearing retirement, led to a crop-share arrangement and opened the door for Hepp to farm full time. At the same time, Hepp started up his own crop insurance agency. Hepp now manages about 1,400 acres of corn, soybeans, and small grains as a first-generation farmer. Hepp also runs an ag retail business selling lots of regenerative products he uses on his acres. With support from his landlord, Hepp incorporates a wide range of conservation and soil-health building practices on his acres, including cover crops, buffer strips, no-till, strip-till, split-applied nitrogen, variable rate seeding, and much more. Hepp is passionate about showing others how to implement conservation practices that protect soil and water quality through field days held annually on his farm. He is also involved in the local fire department and is a past president of the Calhoun County Farm Bureau. In 2024, James earned the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Environmental Leadership Award. Navigating Farm Transitions, Conservation, and Innovation with James Hepp In this episode, James Hepp shares his inspiring journey from a non-traditional farming background to becoming a full-time, innovative no-till farmer. He discusses transitioni…

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## Transcript

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