The Scoop Podcast

BenVireo TerraLux (10-0-0 liquid organic nitrogen (N) fertilizer) has been named The Scoop’s New Product of the Year runner-up. Gina Colfer, sustainable solutions agronomy manager for Wilbur-Ellis, explains BenVireo is something organic growers may not have dreamed they’d have access to 30 years ago.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During its annual fly-in, more than 120 Agricultural Retailers Association members visited 130 congressional offices to promote ARA’s policy priorities. “Being engaged, having a voice for the industry is critically important,” says Richard Gupton, ARA’s senior vice president of public policy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congratulations goes to Indigo Ag and its biotrinsic Nemora FP being named The Scoop’s new product of the year. PJ Smith, Senior Global Product Manager at Indigo Ag, gives insights on how biologicals have grown as a category and as a brand how “when people hear Nemora, they immediately think, no more nematodes.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Blome, owner and president of Hedlin Ag, works with agribusinesses and clients for leadership and executive searches and role placements. She shares two key skills needed in the industry right now are financial management and excellence in leadership.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The team at River Valley Cooperative shares the backstory and gives insights into their industry-leading programs and initiatives. With the mantra “On the ground all year round,” the co-op has integrated all four divisions—agronomy, grain, feed, energy—and invested in internal and customer-facing technologies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With its upcoming legislative fly-in, ARA’s policy team has been working on its priorities for the year ahead. ARA’s senior director of government affairs Hunter Carpenter gave a status report in mid-January as funding and appropriation bills were starting to move.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna Cardoze, vice president of strategic accounts at Growers, shares how ag retailers’ approach to growing customer loyalty has changed alongside the technology available to make the programs perform. She also gives insights on how every ag retail business is nuanced and which may have low hanging fruit to build their businesses bigger with customers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just before his retirement from Nutrien, Jeff Tarsi talks about his career and how ag retail has evolved over the past four decades. He shares the role technology has played in the transformation and the importance of staying on top of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IFCA President KJ Johnson gives an update on the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy and how retailers across the state are putting effort into reducing nutrient loss and enhance water quality.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grower's Edge CEO Matt Hansen shares how his company has pivoted and changed in the ag fintech space to help ag retailers and manufacturers grow and improve their marketing, product placement and revenue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hunter Carpenter from ARA’s public policy team joins the podcast to discuss the bill reopening the federal government, and what’s included for ag. He also gives an update on trade including USMCA, China, and the critical minerals listing. You can join the ag retail industry as it gathers from the annual ARA Conference and Expo in Salt Lake City. Learn more at aradc.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Makens from Makens Weather will present at the 2026 ARA Conference and Expo. In this podcast, he shares a recap of the weather trends most effecting agriculture in 2025, and gives a preview for his outlook going into 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With at least 95% accuracy at key estimate timings in late July and early August, Growmark’s myFS agronomy platform gives its retail advisors and farmers new insights. Brendan Bachman, FS Agronomy Director, explains how the tool works and what it means for the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Galynn Beer, vice president of global sales for Tidal Grow, says the current dynamics in agriculture bring opportunity to think about fertilizer differently. Tidal Grow is bringing crop fertility products to the market to elevate yields and solve for environmental loss and sustainability.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keith Byerly, commercial sustainability lead for Mosaic, says retailers need to celebrate their wins and take more credit for the recommendations they’ve made that have resulted in higher yields and profitability for their grower-customers. As farmers are harvesting their fields and thinking about their results, it is a great time for retailers to build their equity with their customers and humbly remind growers of how their recommendations helped grow a successful crop.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lukas Koch is CEO of Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems, which spun out of an ag retail business. From bigger, faster drones that could fly farther, Koch shares more about what the future of application via drone looks like.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.