Redox Grows

Continuing to expand our technology for the betterment of farming is the driving force at Redox. It is passionate quest of our research team, headed by Dr. Gifford Gillette.

“It’s an incredibly challenging time in agriculture right now,” Gillette said. “We are doing our absolute best to provide answers and solutions for the challenges that growers face.”

Each summer, a group of talented interns helps this effort, and this year’s additions of  Sheldyn Rogers, Dallas Cummins, Shianne Bair and Cyrus Taylor have made an immediate, positive impact with their work ethic and quick acclimation. 

The company’s firm commitment to research is evidenced by a new state of the art laboratory, three PhD’s on staff and the recent addition of Jackeline Garza as Chief Technology Officer. 

Traditional Fourth of July fireworks and festivities will feature a little extra this year, with America’s 250th birthday. It’s a good time to reflect on U.S. history and the foundations for our success. 

“There’s so much to be proud of in our countries history” remarked Idaho State Historian, HannaLore Hein. “These different arenas include innovation, development of new technologies, opportunity that has existed in this country for individuals and for organizations , and just the growth and the progress that the country has led the world in deserves a moment of praise.”

Agriculture has long been a central part of America’s success, as productive farms have yielded abundant food and positive economic impacts.  

The incredible service by our military has also been crucial, and many veterans are involved in farming. 

“Patriotism is something that’s ingrained in a big part of our culture,” said Tommy McMurren of Five Patriots Farms in Illinois, whose family has had generations of military service. “I think it’s encoded in our genetics.”

While our nation faces challenges, optimism continues to many, including Tyler Adams, Vice President of Sales for Willard Agri-Service on the East Coast. Tyler carried out nine years of active duty in the U.S. Army, including in Afghanistan. 

“The core of this country is the things I'm really the most optimistic about” Adams said. “It's the ones quietly coaching the kids' sports teams, the ones running the small business, the ones that are raising good kids and families and engaging their communities. They know what America is all about, and that's about working together as a team, building something that's real, showing up.”

Working along California’s Central Coast, Vishal Shinde excels at two different jobs in agriculture – growing food and helping other growers succeed.

Shinde is Research Director at Growers Research and Innovation Network (GRIN). He and his team work with many clients, including Redox, to garner valuable data, including product efficacy. 

He also grows organic blueberries, which are in high demand and help major retailers including Costco maintain good supplies for their customers. 

Shinde said new technology, including biostimulants, offers great promise for productive farming, providing proper research is carried out.

“Since I've grown up with this biological pest management, and so I minimize least amount of pesticides and this blueberry operation, I have not used any insecticides because I rely on those natural enemies of all kinds of pests,” he said. “That's helping us pretty well.’

Whatever the crop or region, growers prioritize the same things – yield and quality. Understanding the relationship of redox active molecules in maintaining plant charge balance provides a crucial pathway to achieving those goals. 

“Energy is either building yield and quality or fixing problems” said Dr. Gifford Gillette, Redox lead researcher. “A redox active molecule enables the plant to do more with less.”

“What we are talking about is continuing with the fertilizer base that people have,” said Redox CEO Darin Moon. “In order to get better ROI, we have to wrap this inside of plant charge balance. The way you deal with plant charge balance is a redox active molecule, properly evaluated, fractionated and put into a product mix, that can literally affect the ability of a plant to absorb energy,  create energy flow, improve nutrient efficiency, yield and quality.” 

Redox RAM Technology is unrivaled in its ability to balance plants, helping growers do more with less and improving performance.

Combine the wisdom of a fifth-generation superintendent with a historic golf course in one of the most picturesque parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and you begin to understand the appeal of Blowing Rock Country Club.

This golf course dates back to 1915, and is impeccably maintained by Josh Costner and his team. It fits well into this scenic part of North Carolina’s High Country, which has a wide array of wildlife, and 160 species of birds, including Bald Eagles. Costner relies on Redox TurfRx products for their impressive playing conditions.

“We try to focus on playability a lot,” he said. “That’s how we got into Redox, was getting more into the fast, firm, yet healthy grass plants.” 

Redox TurfRx® products utilized at Blowing Rock include K+, Linx™, XTraction™, Micro+, OxyCal®, CA, Supreme. Platinum and RDX-N®.

Find out more about Josh’s golf course at blowingrockcountryclub.com. It’s the only Seth Raynor-deigned golf course in North Carolina. 

The challenges in agriculture are easy to name and experienced broadly. The opportunities are also there, and Sierra Pacific Farms is helping navigate successful farming for the longterm. 

The Southern California-based company began in 1988 and is a professional farm management firm that helps growers with a wide variety of areas, including grove management, development, harvesting, consulting and pest management. Hayden McIntyre and Allisen Carmichael head their northern division, and utilize Redox products in the farms they work with.

Sierra Pacific specializes in citrus and avocados in high- value California agriculture. Ventura County farm ground exceeds $100,000 per acre, on average. 

Learn more about Sierra Pacific Farms at spfarminc.com.

The classic proverb “fortune favors the bold” holds widespread truth, including in agriculture. Thoughtfully incorporating new technology can provide a boost to a grower’s bottom line, which is especially helpful during their current economic difficulties.

John Dunmore with the Biological Products Industry Alliance walks the halls of Congress to help provide raise the profile of biological products, which help crops perform better.

Key legislation currently being considered would provide a uniform federal definition of plant biostimulants, which would bolster grower confidence.

“These are innovative products,” Dunmore said. “They are great for soil health, the environment, and for agriculture as a whole.”

Find out more at bpia.org/. 

Fortitude is very much a necessary part of the toolkit for successful farming. Those at Kimball Ranches- El Hogar know that as well as any.  One of California’s most devastating natural disasters, the 2017 Thomas Fire wreaked havoc to their and many other farms in their region. 

“You could be called crazy for being in partnership with Mother Nature, because as a farmer there are so many things outside of your control,” said Rachael Laenen, Director of Farming and Operations at Kimball Ranches in Ventura County, California. “But it just means  that actually you can really focus on the things that are in your control and do better every day.”

This persevering attitude has led to a successful recovery and retooling of their operation, including their crop nutrition.

“We were really lucky to come across Redox,” she said. “They have fundamentally changed the way we farm here.”

Laenen said Rx Platinum™ has been a crucial part of their young tree establishment program, while Mainstay® Calcium and diKaP have provided major benefits to their older trees. 

Laenen is the first female chair of the California Avocado Commission’s Board of Directors. She and her father, Gordon, carry on the family farming legacy. 

Find out more about Kimball Ranches- El Hogar, including their retail sales, at https://www.kimballavocados.com.

Whether advancements in crops or livestock, upgrading mechanization or efficient use of resources, research carried out by universities has gone a long way to the abundance in agriculture that benefits us all.  It’s a top priority for the University of Idaho, one of the top ag schools in the nation. Leslie Edgar, Dean of the University’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, recently visited Redox Headquarters to strengthen our partnership. 

"Theory is amazing, but making sure that we can actually apply it so it works for producers is really important," Edgar said. "That's the blessing of being at a land-grant university that we get to do that. The value of us partnering with companies like Redox is that you have the innovation, and that we have the scientists and the students that can work with you and then partner at a really high level."

Golf is far more than a cherished pastime, it’s an immense economic engine, source of jobs and, perhaps surprisingly, an awesome way to learn about science, math and many other vital subjects.

The First Green program from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GSCAA) makes this all possible. 

“I hear teachers saying things like ‘Hey guys, look at this. This is what I’m teaching you in class, but this is how you apply it in real life,” remarked Dave Phipps, former superintendent and one of the organization’s nine regional representatives.

Dave is part of a team passionately working in First Green; connecting students with many relevant topics and making them aware of future job opportunities. A growing area of focus is working with the more than one million FFA students in the U.S.