The Business of Agriculture Podcast

Americans consume approximately 10 pounds of fresh apples per person per year, not to mention applesauce, apple juice, and all the other places apples go. But do you know how apples are produced, treated, and sold? Washington apple producer, Dave Robison and Wilbur Ellis horticultural specialist Nate Squires join me for an informative discussion about America's favorite fruit. Move over Granny Smith, the Super B apple is about to replace you! Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

We've been hearing about supply chain squeezes for months now, but what will be the impact at the farm level on availability and pricing? Jim Sprowl, Regional Sales Manager for Ceres Co-Op explains the Ag input market from his perspective. He also shares outlook and a few predictions. In a nutshell: Product availability issues vary by the day and by the product line, unlike toilet paper - hoarding isn't the culprit, prices will be higher, adaptability is key to producing crops next year, and ultimately there's not likely to be a yield drag. That and more in this relevant and timely episode of The Business of Agriculture. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

In production Agriculture, you generally play the role of price taker. As commodity production specialization has evolved with modern Agriculture, this puts farmers in a situation to be a victim. At least, that's how Jason Mauck sees it. Jason is an entrepreneurial farmer with a lot going on. He farms with his family operation, bought and expanded a local meat company, and is now endeavoring on a mixed use Ag production / retail / tourism concept. Mr. Mauck shares his ideas on creating one's own Ag economy through diversification. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Regenerative Agriculture is getting a lot of buzz these days. What is regenerative farming? What are the benefits and detriments? Do you need certified to begin regenerative practices? And what will we see in way of government and / or corporate standards around adoption of regenerative farming practices? Christie Apple — "CropScout Christie" — joins me to discuss the reality and future of regenerative Ag's adoption. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Last week the federal government unveiled a round of "green" initiatives for Agriculture. Some of the proposals were new, some were recycled old programs, and some touched more heavily on the issue of carbon. This cycle of green talk coincides with the COP26 climate summit in Scotland where countries like the U.S. are making bold pledges about climate change commitments. So, how will this impact Ag at the farm level? Justin Lewton of Lewton Farms in Bennett, Colorado joins me to discuss. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Producing bountiful crops or earning a lot of income won't guarantee success. In fact, big yields or big gross income won't even guarantee a net profit. Whether you're a farm owner or have a job in the Ag industry, your success will be accentuated with good money habits and tax management. Paul Neiffer, the Farm CPA joins me to explain tax changes in DC and what you need to know (or do!). Paul Neiffer's column - The Farm CPA — is carried in Top Producer magazine and he hosts a podcast of the same name. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Tillable — the online farm land rental site — came on the Ag scene in 2017. Since then, the company has made some waves. From farm land rental, the company moved into farm land sales, and is now morphing into farm financing. Tillable CEO and founder, Corbett Kull, joins me to discuss his company's beginnings, movements in the Ag land marketplace, the future and much more. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

The 2021 U.S. soybean crop is projected to yield 4.45 billion bushels on just less than 88 million acres. Not bad considering a century ago we devoted only about 100,000 American acres to soybean production. So where do all those soybeans go and what happens to them once they leave the field? Mac Marshall, VP of Market Intelligence with the United Soybean Board explains all things soy - from exports to human soybean consumption to grower-funded marketing and research. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

You probably don't think much about duration of milking time for a cow or how protein content might vary from one cow's milk to another. But if you're a dairy farmer, these are the sort of things that can keep you profitable. Technological application along with rapid increases in data analysis is happening on modern dairy farms. Dr. Jeffrey Bewley of U.S. Registered Holsteins explains the cool stuff his organization is working on to make cows better and the lives of dairy farmers better. The bonus: consumers get tasty dairy products and less natural resources are used to produce milk. Give this a listen! Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

When Tyrel Obrecht left his banking job to return to the family ranch in Turner, Montana, he knew he needed to increase the ranch's revenue. Could selling carbon credits to improve the ranch's infrastructure be the answer? Tyrel and his father, Sam, are about to find out. They've teamed up with the Western Sustainability Exchange (WSE) to make grazing changes and add improvements which helped them secure a carbon contract with Native Energy Project. Tyrel, Sam, and Chris Mehus of WSE join me to explain how they're using carbon to grow revenue and improve the ranch. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Inflation is upon us, now the only question is: For how long and how much will prices keep accelerating? This is a challenge for every business, especially production Agriculture, which operates on thin margins and involves the acquisition and application of a lot of expensive inputs. To successfully navigate the pricing turmoil, you need to know why prices are increasing and strategies to employ to guarantee you have the inputs you need come spring. This is a panel discussion featuring a manufacturer, retailer, and farmer — Darla Huff with Advanced Drainage Systems, Jon Gilbert with Agtegra, and Lee Lubbers of Lubbers Farms. ** This is a joint episode with XtremeAg's Cutting The Curve podcast, which I'm producing for them. Check out more farm relevant content at XtremeAg.farm! Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

If you haven't heard of the oilseed Camelina, join the club. It's reportedly similar to canola and it's pushers believe it has big potential as an ingredient in bioplastics — i.e. plastics that won't clog up our landfills for centuries or leach out as petroleum byproducts. This, combined with the plant's winter planting season, make it an option for cover cropping as well as fitting into a future of carbon capture for profit (or by regulatory decree). Dr. Oliver Peoples, cofounder of Yield10Bio, joins me to explain this new crop and discuss its potential future. Is it too good to be true or will we be planting Camelina in a few years?

John Hansen worked for Ted Turner's ranching venture long enough to see that buffalo breeding stock wasn't going to match the billionaire's TV ventures. He did see, however, the benefit for land and landowner in paying attention to the ecology of one's land resource. Now Mr. Hansen works for LandTrust. He joins me to discuss how agri-tourism can increase supplemental revenue for rural landowners. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Jayson Menke of Acres and Shares discusses the sugar beet business and provides a North Dakota perspective on Ag. His company brokers agricultural real estate as well as shares of stock in American Crystal Sugar. Did you know the majority of sugar consumed in America is derived from beets (not cane)? Jayson and I cover everything from land prices to canola in this episode — pull up a chair! Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

BDA Farms, a 6,000 acre operation in Uniontown, Alabama, quit conventional row crop farming to pursue direct to consumer Agriculture. The operation has grown into other categories. The farm produces grass fed beef and lamb, and pasture raised pork and eggs. BDA also grows organic vegetables on ten acres that continues to expand and runs three lodging facilities for Agri-tourism. Mark Harris, a former farmer turned CEO and Allen Williams, a former Mississippi State professor turned farming partner explain their business. And no, BDA isn't just some rich guy's passion project — it's a for profit business. I know because I asked! Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

When you dig into your pork chop you probably aren't thinking about the boar semen and breeding sow that made that pork chop so delicious. But if you want to know about the fascinating, behind the scenes work that goes on in Agriculture to produce tasty meat in a hugely efficient manner, listen to this. Meat starts with genetics from the sire and dam and this episode will explain it all. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

I have long held the opinion that the United Nations is an activist organization not unlike PETA or the Environmental Working Group. The notable exception being that the U.N.'s funding comes from taxpayers of its wealthy nation members. In anticipation of this Fall's COP26 summit on climate change, the U.N. released another of its studies, which usually paint Agriculture as environmental evil doer. Todd Thurman joins me to share the real facts about Ag's environmental footprint and explains how modern farming practices can benefit the environment. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

We've come a long way from yesterday's tractors and farm equipment. Technologically, environmentally, and from the basis of what the machine can accomplish. Matt Ramage and Karl Huebner with Hutson, Inc — a chain of John Deere dealerships, join me to discuss the farm equipment business. We're paying roughly $1,000 per one rating of horsepower — what is the ROI and what are these machines doing now compared to just a few decades ago? Are autonomous implements coming? (answer: yes, but how soon) Are electric tractors far off? Will we consolidate the machinery biz even more? We discuss all this and more. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

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 by LandTrust landtrust.com

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 allowed to sell their products. That's where Hummingbird Technologies comes in — they're the verification arm for large Ag companies and they use artificial intelligence to do it. Listen to founder Will Wells explain where Ag is and where it's going in relation to sustainability. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

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. The company harvests vegetative waste and turns it into a pasteurized, pathogen free fertility product for soil-less indoor farming operations. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

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 concept of "naturally regenerative" crops, and the five specifications his company requires of their contract farmers. In many ways this is a discussion about where food production and marketing is headed, beyond plant proteins. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

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 online commerce, where simply showing up with an order form won't cut it? As a seasoned veteran, adapting to succeed in marketing and sales, Ms. Brockmann shares her five success traits and much more. Bonus: a dire prediction about the future of Ag Sales — half of those who do it, won't be necessary soon!

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 behind the scenes of a productive Agricultural operation. The leadership of Brookside Laboratories joins me to discuss resource management with a member of their Amplify consultant network. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 about those land prices — they are actually dropping in the west due to water, not productivity or the economy. How will labor cost adjustments and grocery prices impact The Business of Agriculture? Curt Covington with AgAmerica Lending joins me for an informative discussion. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 to wash down your 10,000 calorie buffet dinner. We cover a lot of ground in this very entertaining episode. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 meat packing industry? Brad Kooima, a beef producer, commodity trader, grain farmer, and National Cattleman's Beef Association officer joins me to discuss problems with the protein processing industry from his perspective. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 Ag loans. Their region is huge in livestock production and touts some of the best farm land in America. Eric Haveman and Josh Metzger provide perspective on farm finances and the Business of Agriculture. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 lacking) and much more. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 — and dairy products under the guise of curing climate change. I also see more lawsuits on the heels of Bayer's $11.6 billion settlement. And, you can count on more federal regulation of farming practices. So how can Ag win? By staying away from the science. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 / older customer base, and possibly even competition for immigrants. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 why I encourage you to share this episode with your non-Ag friends — because, as Joe explains — many adjuvants used in pesticides are also found in detergent, shampoo, and home cleaning supplies. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

"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 ourselves!), and some of the ways Wisconsin Cheese is messaging to its customers. Enjoy the lively discussion between Suzanne and I — we disagree on at least a couple things! Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 salmon consumption and production, and talk about everything seafood. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

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 nations such as the U.S. should switch to a 100% synthetic meat diet. He then stated that to accomplish this "might require regulations." Now you understand some of my concern. When a guy who wants to control America's dinner plate controls vast amounts of farmland and possesses the financial resources to dictate legislative outcomes, I see red flags. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 discuss his vision, the farm land marketplace, and what the future might look like for farm property ownership. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 — a manufacturer of chicken coops and nesting boxes for pasture poultry operations. The Hitzfield brothers join me to share business lessons and share entrepreneurial outlook for niche Agriculture. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 Gaydos with DPI Global join me to discuss the reality and the future of livestock production as it pertains to these two topics. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 methods of activism, dealing with regulations, and what he sees in the future. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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, LandTrust, does just that. As landowners, we must always look for opportunities to earn revenue off our holding while protecting it for the next generation. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 so what's the downside? Farmer and friend of show, Andy Ambriole joins me to discuss the rights and wrongs of consumer outreach. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 its early stages. Agriculture will be increasingly affected and possibly rewarded — listen closely! Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 explains pecan production's ups and downs and talks about starting out as a young person in the Business of Agriculture. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 their use is growing. Michael Ott and Emily Carlson of Rantizo — an Iowa based drone technology, Ag input company join me to discuss the future. It may already be here! Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 environment? And what if improving the environment also improved our farms and earned us a bonus check? Iowa farmer and carbon seller, Kelly Garrett of Garrett Land & Cattle Company joins me to discuss the carbon trade and how he's making money to sequester carbon while improving his acres. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 producers — is set through a complex formula originally created by an act of government in 1933. You'll find this educational and slightly entertaining. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 chair for never-dull discussion. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 programs having on property prices? If they're not making any more land" is that a good reason to buy? These and other questions are covered in this episode with Howard Halderman, president of Halderman Real Estate Services. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com

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 otherwise, the impact of consolidation, regulation, cropping changes, and the evolution of Ag as seen from the cockpit. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com