Farming the Countryside with Andrew McCrea

It’s difficult to pencil a profit on some crop acres this year, but there are profitable margins to be had.  Meet a farmer who shares his tips on keeping things in the black even in lean times to help generate consistent positive returns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Clay always brings a valuable insight to our conversation with his midwestern farm roots and his global perspective on how agriculture and food. This time he talks about the long term impacts of the conflict in the Middle East and some of the changes he sees for the crops we raise and who buys them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former USDA Secretary Dan Glickman is still very involved in the agriculture industry, working with individuals, businesses and nations around the world. We got his thoughts on the proposed Farm Bill, Food Pyramids and much more that will impact the profitability and future of farming. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farming has its risks and some of those risks are unavoidable. How do you decide what level of risk is acceptable in order to make a living and create the best possible future? We visit with a first-generation farmer who is weighing the choices his farm has to support a future generation without risking too much in the present. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prospects for profits on this year’s crop could be a challenge. However, Kelly Garrett sees opportunities. Kelly is always looking at the best ways to efficiently produce more bushels and best market was he grows. We take a look at some of the key items he will be implementing this year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This family farm has a four month waiting list for its beef. Plus, they have other local producers that have joined their effort to supply their on-farm store that has become quite popular. These Ohio corn and soybean farmers share their personal story that helped make them one of the 2026 Top Producer of the Year finalists.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we meet a farmer using a combination of crop techniques to promote better soil health, reduce costs and improve margins. Some of the ideas are time proven methods such as cover crops, but the way this operation seeds those covers and integrates them with livestock provide opportunities to thrive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we visit with a farmer who is the recently retired secretary of agriculture for his thoughts on key trends impacting the ag industry. What are the important market moving factors that will impact farmers of all types? What are the opportunities to change our operations to increase profits and build a sustainable, multigenerational operation?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Nuss is this year’s Top Producer Next Gen Award Winner. He shares his story of coming back into a family operation and finding ways to take advantage of profit centers by identifying new and changing markets that his farm can help supply. He shares some of his top tips that have worked for his operation and lessons we apply in our own business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Machinery Pete has been logging machinery sale data for over three decades so it’s hard to surprise him with anything that happens in the industry. However, he recently reported a trend that he’s not seen in his lifetime. We discuss how tight crop margins are impacting the new and used machinery market and what to keep in mind when making a trade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may be tempting to try to improve crop margins by cutting your soil fertility program. However, some cost saving measures may wind up hurting ROI in the end. What are the most important decisions to make and how do you allocate your dollars in the best way possible?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wireless fencing is technology being adopted by some farmers and it could make rotational grazing an option for more people since it lowers the amount labor needed to move electric fences. This week I visit with a farmer who is not only rotationally grazing his cows and calves, but he’s also using it as an opportunity to better utilize crop residue and use some unique intercropping systems in his Illinois corn fields. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.