The Business Of Agriculture Podcast

To grow crops, you need seed, as such seed is a big business within the business of Ag. Like all things, technology is changing how we plant and even the seed that we plant. Three seed professionals sit down with me to discuss changes they see happening in the seed biz and take a look at where genetics and seed sales may go in the future.Sponsored …

Sustainability has, frankly, been mostly a marketing phrase for well over a decade. But that’s changing amid increasing demands from consumers and governments to “be sustainable.” Companies are pushing their ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) standards onto their producers. Meaning, farmers will be held to certain production practices to be…

We waste about 35% of the food we produce. In poor countries it’s more due to lack of infrastructure, in affluent countries it’s because food is cheap and easy to discard. But there’s an environmental cost that will increasingly become an issue. Re-Nuble is an Ag startup that seeks to prevent food waste while giving an assist to indoor Agriculture.…

No, we're not talking about pretend meat in this episode. We’re talking lentils, peas, and beans and their potential growth opportunity as a food and crop category. Lionel Kambeitz, CEO and co-founder of Above Food, explains his company's role in providing improved plant protein products to a hungry marketplace. He discusses food tribalism, the con…

Bobbi Brockmann, VP of Sales for Immucell, manages 9 field sales reps as well as the behind the scenes staff who cover the entire country calling (principally) on dairy operations. She joins me to discuss how changes in scale, size, and management of farms has changed how companies go to business. What do Ag sales people do in a world adapting to o…

Business, in very simple terms, is the act of exploiting one’s resources to create something of value. For production Agriculture this means utilizing the sun, water, and soil, along with inputs to create a crop. But how do you know how much and which resources to apply? Turns out there’s a great deal of analysis and consultation that goes on behin…

At this point in 2020, Ag was receiving the first of two rounds of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and things looked a bit bleak. Today, commodity prices are roaring, farm land prices are surging, and farm income projections may enter record territory. But, is this merely the leading edge of hyper inflation for the overall economy? And what…

Eric Snodgrass has a title long enough to fill the front and back of his business card. Basically, he’s a weather dude, atmospheric scientist, and former professor. Eric joins me to discuss climate reality. What’s happening with the weather, what it means for Agriculture, and why blaming bovines for green house gasses is like ordering a Diet Coke t…

Twice in the last year we’ve faced a major disruption to our meat supply. The first due to Covid closing packing facilities, the second due to a Cyber attack last week on JBS - the world’s largest meat processing company. What does this mean for producers and consumers? More importantly, are these disruptions an expected symptom of an oligopolistic…

A lot has changed rapidly when it comes to farm level finances. Commodity prices in grains have doubled in less than a year, while beef producers are getting hammered and pork producers are getting ahead (for now). I sit down with two Ag lenders with American State Bank, a Northwest Iowa community bank with approximately a $400 million balance of A…

Brice McIntosh is the Vocational Ag instructor and FFA leader in Wheatland, Wyoming. The farm kid turned teacher has plenty of opinions about the Business of Agriculture, the future, and what we’re doing right and wrong with instructing our youth. We discuss technology, curriculum, and the skillsets he’s instructing (as well as the traits he sees l…

Agriculture is increasingly under environmental scrutiny and the pressure will only get worse. The pressure comes from activist groups teaming with trial lawyers, politicians out to control food choice, and wealthy individuals such as Bill Gates whose motives may not be as philanthropic as he portrays. I see calls to tax meat — especially beef — an…

More than 2 years ago I had the author of Empty Planet on the podcast to discuss the reality: humans aren’t going to overpopulate Earth and that we weren’t going to run out of food. In this episode, Todd Thurman and I discuss what slowing population growth — and even decline — means for Ag. Hint: Less “feed the world” talk, catering to a wealthier …

What’s an adjuvant, you ask? They’re inert ingredients used in crop protection products to make the chemistry more efficient and effective. Joe Gednalske with the Council of Producer & Distributors of Agrotechnology joins me to discuss technology in crop production. Joe holds 38 patents and has been in the Ag industry for half a century. Which is w…

“Cheese is who we are.” That’s the statement from Wisconsin Cheese’s Chief Marketing Officer, Suzanne Fanning. I invited her on The Business of Ag podcast after reading about the organization’s award winning Cheeselandia marketing campaign. We discuss all things Ag promotion, what things Ag gets wrong (way too much preaching to ourselves about ours…

Aquabounty is a company that came on my radar a couple years ago when they purchased and redeveloped an indoor fish farm in Indiana. The company produces genetically engineered salmon — the first animal protein to be GMO (which, as you can imagine, invites a lot of scrutiny). Sylvia Wulf, Aquabounty’s CEO joins me to explain aquaculture, discuss sa…

Bill and Melinda Gates own almost 250,000 acres of productive farm land, and it’s my hunch that it’s not simply because he loves the smell of dirt. Bill, along with a cooperative media, bills himself a philanthropist. But the world’s 4th wealthiest man occasionally passes off as altruism what is in reality control. Two months ago he stated wealthy …

Farmland is an asset that appears to be garnering more attention, even from the non-farming world. But what’s an aspiring farm ground investor to do if he or she can’t muster the huge price of entry for a tract of land? Enter AcreTrader, the company designed to bring together capital and farmers who need farm land to rent. Carter Malloy joins me to…

Brice and Blaine Hitzfield are two of the seven sons who make up Seven Sons Farms — a pasture-based operation in growth mode. The family operation produces beef, pork, and eggs, and has grown into a processor and direct marketer of their products. The brothers also operate Graze Cart — an online platform for direct-to-consumer sales, and Hen Gear —…

Two main arguments used against animal Agriculture are environmental issues and animal care. We’ve faced increased regulations on both and endure lawsuits on the environmental front — particularly as related to nuisance lawsuits over odor. Facing a future of greater scrutiny on odor and antibiotics, Ag needs to look ahead. Mike Rincker and TJ Gaydo…

Agriculture is increasingly impacted by regulation from the local, state, and federal level. But it appears to be getting worse. Activists and conflict groups used to lobby and protest against our industry. Now they hold positions of power. Eric Bream, a California citrus producer and politically active Agriculturalist joins me to discuss the metho…

About 900 million acres are devoted to Agriculture in the United States. In addition to those acres are wooded property and other non-farmed land owned by American farm owners. Nic DeCastro saw those acres and — as an outdoorsman — saw an opportunity to help landowners profit by allowing short term usage for hunting and fishing. His company, LandTr…

We talk a lot about Ag’s need to educate the consumer. There are, however, multiple problems with effectively doing this. First off, the consumer is far removed from the farm. Secondly, the consumer might bristle at being told they need educated. And lastly, the consumer may not even really care — they’re eating pretty well without being educated s…

Following up on the previous episode with Iowa farmer, Kelly Garrett, where we discussed carbon farming, I sit down with Rob West of Thunder Said Energy. He’s an energy consultant turned carbon expert, and he believes Agriculture is the answer to carbon sequestration both from an economic and practicality standpoint. This is a hot topic that is in …

Most farmers are from a farm, not Cason Anderson. Sure, his parents had a few cows on an acreage but they weren’t really farmers. Cason is. He got into pecan farming by purchasing used harvesting machinery when he was 18 and picking up some small, un-maintained pecan orchards. Nine years later he and his crew of three farm 840 acres of pecans. He e…

We’re doing a lot of things in Ag that are still "on the way" to the non-Ag sector. Driverless cars are a concept but self-driving tractors have been in America’s fields for over a decade, for instance. But take drones. While we’re allegedly on the cusp of drone deliveries to our homes, we’ve been using drone technology in Ag for several years. And…

If you haven’t noticed, there is a tremendous amount of buzz going around about environment, climate change, and carbon. For years, those who oppose modern Agriculture have latched onto environmental issues as an argument against our industry. But what if Agriculture is the solution — or at least part of the solution — to all that ails the environm…

They say there are only four people who understand milk pricing and three of them are dead. Lucky for us, John Newton, Chief Economist of the American Farm Bureau Federation is the one who’s alive. He joins me for an informative discussion on milk pricing. Milk pricing — not necessarily what the consumer pays at Kroger, but the pricing for producer…

Rob Saik joins me to give highlights from his address to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, where he stood up for a vilified modern agriculture. We discuss the hypocrisy of anti-agriculture movements, global reality, COVID’s lessons for Ag, technology shortening time and distance for food production, and the future. Pull up a cha…

Without hops, there is no beer. That's reason enough for you to listen to this podcast because this episode explains the hop industry from farm to frosty glass. Ann George, executive director of Hop Growers of America and Michelle Gooding of Gooding Farms - an Idaho hop producer, explain the production and business side of this vital ingredient.Spo…

Agriculture begins with and depends on soil. If you farm, your most valuable asset is likely land. So what is that land worth? Are values up, down, or stable this year? What’s the outlook for 2021? How much farm land is owned by investors? Is it true that farmers are going bankrupt and liquidating their land in large numbers? What impact are farm p…

It’s helpful to gain perspective from other Ag professionals. I taped this episode from the National Ag Aviation Association convention and trade show. My guests are Mark Kimmel and Darrin Pluhar, owners of aerial application businesses in Mississippi and Montana, respectively. We discuss: The future of Ag input application via air, drone, and othe…

The pandemic has been good for Christmas tree farmers. Customers seeking an “authentic” holiday have bid up demand for real trees. After reading two articles about tree shortages, I decided to get the straight scoop from those in the know. Oregon tree farmer Casey Grogan joins me, along with National Christmas Tree Association Executive Director Ti…

Farming is a multi-variant problem. Meaning, from geography to weather to inputs, there are as many as 70 different multiples that factor into on-farm profitability. Nick Horob, founder of Harvest Profit, Inc. joins me to discuss technology, farm accounting, acre management, business practices, and the future of production Agriculture. This is a fu…

Take a drive through rural America, and you’re sure to see windmills. Not the old fashioned metal blades and structure pumping water from yesteryear, but modern 300 foot monoliths. They’re big, they pay landowners a nice lease payment, and if you talk to enough rural people you’ll find they’re controversial. North Dakota farmer, agri-entrepreneur, …

Jason Mauck came back to the farm ten years ago from his role a landscape owner. Being a small business owner taught him the value of having many customers. He also learned the importance of maximizing revenue from each customer. He now brings that approach to Agriculture. Jason and I discuss his latest ventures — Munsee Meats, pasture pork, and an…

Production Agriculture, at the commodity level, favors the low cost producer. So where can costs be shaved? Mitch Eviston asked that very question. His answer: through reducing redundancies in the channel — from manufacturer to distribution to retail to, eventually the farm. Call it the Amazon effect of Ag inputs — Mitch and his company, Meristem, …

At the time this episode was recorded, we hadn’t officially declared Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election. Assuming he is, here are thoughts considerations, and some outlook on what Ag can expect under a Biden administration. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.comעל ידי Damian Mason

This spring, large meat processing facilities closed as workers tested positive for coronavirus. The shutdowns resulted in meat shortages and retailer-enforced rationing which left many questioning our meat supply chain. Are we too dependent on the four big meat processors? Is there room (and profit) for a proliferation of tier 2, medium or special…

Tight margins and environmental pressure make it important to get the most out of every acre of farm land. Precision Ag helps us do that. But what’s on the horizon for applied technology in farming and what exactly is data analysis and why do we need it? Dan Frieberg of Premier Crop Services joins me to discuss how livestock producers and dairy far…

40% of farm land is expected to change hands in the next decade. Consolidation of farming operations - at the commodity level - is going to continue, which means bigger acres in the operation. These trends are real and they are coming at a time of great technological change to how we live and work. Enter CashRent.com, the online method of leasing f…

The state just north of my home state has an interesting array of Agricultural production. From cherries to wine grapes to hops and hemp, Michigan’s micro climates make for some interesting Agriculture. Christie Apple - known online to her fans and followers as Crop Scout Christie - consults for producers of 18 different Ag commodities. And, even m…

Expanding on episode 157’s subject of commodity promotion, this episode asks the question: Can promotion keep up with production? As farmers continue to produce greater quantity of everything from shrimp to soybeans, can marketing effort keep selling the excess quantity? There are three paths to marketplace profitability in commodity production. Th…

I’ve never actually seen the movie, Field of Dreams but I know this: We in Ag are amazing at food production, but we often think by "building it” (producing commodities), the consumer will come. Yet, for many commodities that’s not been the case. Realizing this, we created the Agricultural Marketing Service and the checkoff program overseen by USDA…

Bruce Vincent is the owner of Vincent Logging, a Montana timber company. He’s also a timber and environmental community activist. He was forced into his second role when environmentalists put his company out of business and destroyed his timber -reliant town. Bruce joins me to discuss the reality of this “unprecedented” fire season (it’s not, and i…

The business of Agriculture begins at the farm. With all the tumult, politics, and market disruption that 2020 has brought, what is the impact at the producer’s level? What will that mean for all of us who work in the peripheral Ag industry? Chris Barron, an Iowa farmer and owner of Ag View Solutions, provides a look at the present economic situati…

Production Agriculture’s reality - increasingly - involves doing battle with groups opposed to what we do, how we do it, and even our very existence. While we (grudgingly) accept this in places like California, the movement against farming is now common in “fly over country” too. In this episode I sit down with Leah Bunkers and Jim Pinkert, two mem…

Pre-pandemic, senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren introduced legislation limiting farm size. The subject was shelved by 24/7 Covid coverage but it’s sure to come back. And when it does, the infighting within Ag over big farm versus small farm will heat up. But does there really need to be a “versus” mentality? Small, niche Ag operations are e…

Six months into the economic and marketplace response to coronavirus, Damian takes a look at seven things revealed about Ag and our consumers. This is a fun episode that looks back over the last few months, and takes a look at what this means for the future of the Business of Agriculture.Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com…

The Business of Agriculture podcast has never been a forum for grain price charts…and it’s still not. But with USDA’s August report release coming just after Iowa got hit with 100 mph winds that damaged crops and smashed grain bins like beer cans, it’s time to look ahead at grain. Matt Bennett of AgMarket.net joins me to explain fundamentals, why t…