National Cattlemen November 2023 | Page 8

It takes one to know one , and Jared Knock knows a diverse , sustainable farm when he sees one . That ’ s because Jared has more than 25 years of experience as part-owner of a livestock and crop farm in South Dakota where he and his wife Kati , his parents , and neighbor raise commercial cattle , hogs , sheep and grow a variety of crops like soybeans , alfalfa , corn and forages .

Knock is also part owner of Dakota Vision Ag , a company he began that offers quality seed and livestock genetics for local producers . They offer their customers a gamut of Pioneer and Millborn seeds as well as ABS Global beef semen . Through Dakota Ag Vision , Knock and his wife focus on four priorities — distribution , connection , education and progress . Not only do they want to provide their customers with a quality product , but they also want to equip them with knowledge and a community atmosphere .

“ Everything I do , the core of who I am , is involved in animal agriculture . It ’ s what my family does for work , what we do for a hobby , it ’ s what we talk about . We live in a very dense cow-calf livestock production area ,” Knock explained . “ When I go to a school event , we talk cows . When I go to church , we talk about cows . Almost every person in my immediate and extended family has cattle , so it is very embedded in my life .”

Because of this lifestyle and mindset and his deep-rooted love for animal agriculture , it came as a surprise to Knock when he went to college and found a whole group of people who believe animal agriculture and conventional agriculture are ethically wrong , bad for the environment , and poor for human health . In light of this , two years ago he co-founded a company called AgSpire , a service team to help agriculturalists advance their economic and environmental sustainability goals with solutions optimizing resiliency and renewal of natural resources .

“ I started doing a lot of my own research , and I found compelling evidence pointing out that beef and red meat has

better nutritional value than we thought ,” he explained . “ But if you look at the greatest threat to the future of beef consumption , I think it is the negative perception of how beef is raised and its impact on the environment .”

It became a personal mission for Knock to share facts and combat the misinformation surrounding the environment and agriculture , which he would need to do by highlighting stories and data behind the practices farmers and ranchers use daily . The purpose of AgSpire is to monitor and research companies and businesses who are implementing techniques like increasing biodiversity , increasing soil health , utilizing cover crops and rotational grazing and show them how they can continue to invest in themselves and their resources .

“ We provide technical assistance to farms and ranches to get win-win outcomes for them to access incentives and premiums that allow them to develop their farm and ranch in a resilient , robust manner ,” he explained .

This spring , he applied and was selected to give a TEDx talk in Sioux Falls , South Dakota , about resource allocation and the difference between linear and circular systems of resource extraction . Knock explained that linear systems are finite ; they are resources that will eventually be depleted , whereas circular systems can regrow or repopulate . While Knock had given presentations before , this format was new to him — it was scripted , timed , and without audience questions afterwards .

“ Even in a rural place like South Dakota , it was a young , urban audience , and I was the only ag presenter that night , but the comments afterwards were from people who appreciated

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