AgEmerge Podcast 198 with Robert Boyle

Rob discusses moving from dairy farming into custom hay work, using strip till and diverse cover crops to improve soil, and adopting robotic sprinklers to apply water more precisely. He also shares lessons from experimenting with new equipment, why he sees winter cover crops as a profit center, and how his definition of legacy changed after the family sold its dairy.

About Robert Boyle: Robert is an innovative Arizona farmer and the 2026 Strip-Till Innovator, recognized for his commitment to water conservation, efficiency and sustainable agriculture. Raised on a dairy farm in Chandler, Arizona, Boyle later moved south to Coolidge, where he expanded into dairy production, forage crops and custom farming. After transitioning fully to crop production in 2019, he built an intensive forage operation that now includes baling roughly 4,000 acres every 28 days, producing up to 10 cuttings annually plus green-chop harvests. His practical approach to conserving water while maintaining productivity has made him a leader in advancing more resilient farming systems in the arid Southwest.

Rob jokes that Coolidge is “a quarter mile from hell,” describing the area’s unusually hot well water. He explains how cover crop roots helped improve soil conditions where repeated tillage had fallen short. After selling the family dairy, Rob came to see his daughter—not the cows—as his legacy.

Robert shares how a third-generation Arizona farm evolved from dairying into a highly efficient custom hay and row-crop operation. The conversation centers on strip till, high-diversity cover crops, and precision irrigation, with a strong focus on making farming work in a hot, salty, high-pressure water environment. Monte and Robert talk about adapted machinery, water management, and crop rotations to stay profitable under urban pressure and shrinking water access.

Timestamps:

03:20 Building an efficient operation with technology

04:31 How steamers changed desert hay baling

06:28 Making premium horse hay

08:09 Getting started with strip till

15:40 What changed Rob’s mind about cover crops

16:36 Cover crops as a profit center

18:45 Winter forage economics and seed costs