The 4Farmers Podcast

18. How AI Will Change Farming Forever | Guy Coleman on Precision Agriculture

What happens when agriculture meets artificial intelligence?
In this episode, Bill Crabtree interviews rising weed science researcher Guy Coleman about the future of precision agriculture and how AI, robotics, computer vision, and autonomous machines are changing the battle against weeds.
The discussion covers laser weeders, smart sprayers, herbicide resistance, harvest weed seed control, and the growing role of machine learning in farming systems worldwide.
A fascinating conversation for farmers, agronomists, ag-tech enthusiasts, and anyone curious about where agriculture is heading next.

17. Solving Soil, Water & Yield Problems with Chemistry

In this 17th episode, Bill we sat down with David Seagreen, a chemist, innovator, and one of the minds behind some of the most interesting developments in modern agriculture.
From growing up in a farming community in South Africa to building a fertilizer company in Western Australia, David shares the journey that shaped his thinking around soil, water, and plant nutrition.
We dive into:
The real problem with water use in farming
Why traditional approaches don’t always work
The science behind products like Aquifer and CalBud
How nanotechnology and surface area can impact plant growth
And how small changes in application can lead to major differences in yield
This isn’t theory, it’s decades of hands-on experimentation, problem-solving, and pushing boundaries in agriculture.
If you’re interested in improving water efficiency, understanding soil behavior, or just thinking differently about farming inputs, this episode is worth your time.

16. What 23 Years in Agriculture Taught Me (Real Talk)

Farming isn’t just about crops, it’s about constant learning.
In this episode, we sit down with Jeremy Lemon to unpack his journey from South Australia to Western Australia, and how he spent over two decades helping shape farming systems in Esperance.
From early canola trials to soil challenges and major industry shifts, this is a grounded, experience-driven conversation about agriculture at its core.

15. From Barley to Breakthrough: The Untold Story of Mohawk Wheat

In this 15th episode, we sit down with Kevin Young, one of Western Australia’s most respected agricultural minds, to unpack decades of innovation, failure, and breakthrough in crop science.
From his early days in barley agronomy to pioneering high-yield systems, Kevin shares how farming evolved from 2-ton crops to 6–8 ton potential, and what made that shift possible.
We dive deep into:
The rise of no-till farming
The science behind yield improvements
Lessons from decades in plant breeding
The reality of failure in agriculture
And the development of Mohawk, a winter wheat variety changing how farmers think about early sowing
This episode is both technical and deeply human, a story of persistence, curiosity, and long-term impact on Australian agriculture.
Whether you’re a farmer, agronomist, or just curious about how food systems evolve, this is one conversation worth listening to.

14. The Future of Farming: Politics, GM Crops, Energy & Global Food

In this episode of 4Farmers, Bill sits down with Trevor Whittington for a wide-ranging conversation that moves far beyond agronomy.
Trevor comes from a long farming lineage in Western Australia and has spent decades working across agriculture, agri-politics, government policy, and international affairs. From growing up on the land to advising ministers and working in Indigenous pastoral enterprises, Trevor brings a unique perspective on the challenges facing modern agriculture.
This conversation explores everything from soil science and farming innovation to global geopolitics, energy policy, and the future of food production.
Topics discussed include:
The changing landscape of Western Australian agriculture
Why farm sizes are increasing and farmer numbers are declining
The role of GM crops and agricultural technology
Indigenous land ownership and pastoral station management
Global grain markets and future commodity prices
Population trends and their impact on food demand
Energy policy, nuclear power, and farming economics
The intersection of agriculture and geopolitics
Trevor shares insights drawn from decades of experience in policy, farming, and international travel across more than 60 countries.
The episode offers a candid look at the forces shaping the future of agriculture, from the paddock to global politics.

13. From Lupins to Canola: The Shift That Changed WA Farming

In this 13th episode of the 4Farmers Podcast, we sit down with Mark Seymour, research agronomist based in Esperance, to unpack over 40 years of change in Western Australian agriculture.
From the early days of lupins and alternative legumes to the rise of canola dominance, Mark shares an honest, experienced perspective on how rotations evolved, why pulses declined in some regions, and whether we may have leaned too heavily on certain systems.
We dive into:
• The boom years of lupins in WA• Why canola transformed rotations• What really limits lentils and faba beans• Soil pH, herbicide sensitivity, and hidden risks• Waterlogging, drainage, and system thinking• Whether legumes still have a serious future in WA
This is not a surface-level chat. It is a deep look at decisions, trade-offs, and long-term system impacts from someone who has been there since the late 1980s.
If you care about sustainable rotations, crop profitability, and the future of WA farming, this episode is a must-listen.

12. David Lindsay: Why Scientists Still Fail at Communication

Professor David Lindsay has spent a lifetime at the forefront of Australian agricultural science but this conversation goes far beyond the lab.
In this episode, Bill sits down with David to explore a career that shaped modern understanding of animal reproduction, fertility, nutrition, and farmer–scientist collaboration. From early breakthroughs in sheep fertility to the role of lupins, hormones, and gut biology, David reflects on the discoveries that genuinely changed farming systems across Western Australia.
Along the way, David shares candid stories from the paddock, the lecture theatre, and the research world that reveal how knowledge is built and how it can be lost.
This episode is essential listening for scientists, agronomists, farmers, students, and anyone interested in how ideas shape industries, policy, and public trust.

11. GMOs, Glyphosate & Biotechnology Explained - Professor Kevin Folta

In this episode, Bill sits down with Professor Kevin Folta, molecular biologist at the University of Florida and host of the Talking Biotech podcast, to unpack the science, controversy, and real-world impact of genetic engineering in modern agriculture.
From the early days of producing insulin in bacteria to the development of Bt crops and genetically engineered oilseeds, Professor Folta shares how biotechnology was built to solve practical farming problems and why resistance to these tools has grown despite nearly three decades of safe global use.
The conversation dives into the communication breakdown between scientists and the public, exploring why data alone often fails to build trust. Kevin reflects on hard lessons learned engaging with concerned parents, the environmental movement, and policymakers, and explains why safety, transparency, and honesty matter more than technical jargon.
The episode concludes with a powerful call to action for farmers to step into the public conversation. As trusted voices, their role in sharing real experiences can drive meaningful change, one conversation at a time.
As Professor Folta puts it, the science takes care of itself. The challenge now is ensuring farmers have access to every tool available to feed the world safely, responsibly, and sustainably.

10. The Caluka Experiment: Genetics, Pastures and the Hard Truths Behind Australia’s Sheep Industry

Agronomist and innovator Wayne Smith returns for one of the most candid conversations ever recorded on this podcast. Wayne opens up about the rise and collapse of Caluka Farms an ambitious livestock project that pushed the limits of pasture productivity, animal genetics and high-rainfall farming in Western Australia.
Wayne also shares powerful insights on:
• Trace-element deficiencies across Africa and Australia• Why many high-rainfall pastures underperform and how to fix them• How corporates get farming strategy wrong by ignoring the paddock-level detail• The future of livestock marketing, meat export policy and industry transparency
This is a clear, practical and emotionally grounded conversation for anyone who cares about Australian farming from how we grow grass, to how we grow sheep, to how we rebuild an industry that still holds massive untapped potential.
A must-listen for farmers, agronomists, investors and anyone seeking to understand what is truly possible in livestock agriculture when constraints are removed, and systems are pushed to their limits.

9. The Real Reason Australia’s Yields Are So High

Agronomist Wayne Smith has been behind some of the biggest shifts in Australian broadacre farming. In this episode, he joins Bill to unpack how no-till, better rotations, improved nutrition and smarter agronomy lifted WA cropping from two-tonne wheat to the high-yield systems farmers run today.
Wayne shares the breakthroughs that changed everything from zinc, copper and molybdenum diagnostics to the early disc-seeder revolution, stubble retention, deep roots and the move toward earlier sowing. He also reflects on the cultural resistance of the 80s and 90s, the “yeah-but” years, and the mindset shifts that helped WA growers become global leaders in no-till cropping.
A clear, honest and practical conversation for growers, agronomists and anyone wanting to understand why Australia’s grain yields have risen so dramatically.