Farm Broadcaster, Lorrie Boyer

Beth Ray, an ag business management instructor at Northeastern Junior College, discusses her role in helping farmers and ranchers with bookkeeping and business planning. She also runs a first-generational farm in Joes, Colorado, with her husband, focusing on dryland crops and a custom hay business. Beth transitioned from being an FFA advisor to a part-time junior college instructor to balance fami...

Vikkie Becker a farmer from Northwest Morgan County, discussed her extensive involvement in agriculture and leadership programs. She works part-time at a local radio station and is part of the Illinois Soybean Association LEAD program, serving as a mentor. Vicki also leads Illinois Agri Women, an affiliate of American Agri Women, with around 250-300 members. She highlighted the "Women Changin...

Ian O’Banion, the new Stewardship, Innovations, and Industry Partners Manager at the Colorado Corn Promotion Council, discussed his background and role. His responsibilities include managing research proposals, focusing on water quality, sustainability, and new uses for corn. 

Thaddeus Bates, senior manager of applied research at Nutrien Ag Solutions, discussed the importance of data in agriculture. He emphasized the need for data to drive decisions, especially with tight margins and high variability. Bates highlighted the role of precision agriculture in managing soil variability and optimizing fertility inputs. He noted that data helps in right-sizing rates and matchi...

Cyndi Hofmeister, Executive Director of Colorado Ag in the Classroom , discussed her role and the program's mission to increase agricultural literacy. The program, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, provides free or low-cost educational materials to classrooms, reaching 350,000 people annually. They have expanded from 400 classrooms in 2023 to 2,400 in 2025. Key projects include the Readers Journey 2050,...

Kevin Brooks,  University of Illinois Extension farm business management and marketing educator, discusses the importance of evaluating balance sheets for farm businesses. He notes that while many farms are in good shape, others are struggling, with some potentially facing insolvency despite government programs.

Mark Gebhards, the Illinois Farm Bureau Eagle award winner, discussed his extensive career in agriculture as he was named the Illinois Farm Bureau Eagle Award winner at the 2025 annual meeting. 

Aaron Kelly, Chief Commercial Officer of New Leaf Symbiotics, discussed the company's 13-year history and its focus on developing microbial solutions for agriculture. New Leaf's primary product, a probiotic for plants called PPFM, helps plants withstand stressors and improve health. https://newleafsym.com .

Andrew Pritchard, a senior atmospheric scientist at Nutrien , discusses his role in analyzing weather impacts on crops, providing weather safety training, and supporting farmers and crop consultants. He produces weather videos and email reports, tailored to different levels within the company, and frequently interacts with divisions in Nebraska, Iowa, and the Dakotas. Pritchard highlights the earl...

Rural Minds, a four-year-old nonprofit that focuses on mental health equity for the 46 million people in rural America. The organization addresses the disproportionate mental health resources available in urban and suburban areas compared to rural areas. Recent challenges include potential tariff reductions affecting agricultural commodities, the impact of COVID-19 on rural communities, and the lo...

Interview with incoming board President, Jessica Brophy. 

Nathan Troudt from Trout Meats discussed the official opening of his USDA-inspected processing facility located eight miles north of Otis, Colorado. The facility handles pork, beef, lamb, and goats, with pork typically processed on Fridays. Troudt highlighted the extensive paperwork and meetings required for USDA inspection. He noted a strong local and regional customer base, with a preference for...

Tristan Cravens, a senior computer science student at Illinois State University and IT innovation intern at GrowMark, discussed his participation in the Gateway to Agriculture Careers Program. The program, which aims to integrate agriculture into the digital age, sent six students to a three-day conference in Clearwater Beach. Cravens highlighted the importance of Artificial Intelligence in agricu...

Learn more about the Colorado Young Farmer and Rancher program , which is for individuals aged 18-35 interested in agriculture. The Colorado Farm Bureau aims to develop future leaders in agriculture through initiatives like the Discussion Meet competition, which helps participants hone public speaking and collaboration skills. The upcoming leadership conference on February 6-7 in Cheyenne, Wyoming...

Keaton Dugan, a senior manager at Pinion Global ,  emphasized the importance of long-term tax planning for farmers, advising them to consider future needs and not just minimize taxes annually. Dugan highlighted key strategies such as deferred grain contracts, crop insurance deferrals, and bonus depreciation. He also stressed the importance of accurate record-keeping, timely communication with CPAs...

Brian Knifong, Nutrien Ag Solutions Head of Marketing for North America. He emphasized the importance of soil sampling post-harvest to inform crop planning for 2026.  He also stressed the value of biologicals and bio-stimulants in enhancing fertilizer efficiency. Brian concluded by encouraging farmers to control controllables and leverage digital tools like the Nutrient Hub for better decision-mak...

KSIR's Lorrie Boyer talks with Travis Grant, Executive Director of the Colorado Livestock Association (CLA). Grant discussed the controversial impact of former President Trump’s beef pricing policies, emphasizing CLA's support for free trade and rigorous import standards to protect U.S. beef quality. He highlighted the ineffectiveness of mandatory country-of-origin labeling and noted the...

Colorado Corn Promotion Counc il Executive Director Nick Colglazier. He discussed the impact of the U.S. government shutdown and a recent trade mission to Mexico led by the Colorado Corn Promotion Council and the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council. The mission highlighted Mexico's significant corn imports, totaling 984 million bushels last year, and the need for U.S. corn to meet Mexico&apos...

Nutrien Ag Solutions, Director of Product Management for the Nutrien Ag Solutions Hub, discussed the evolution of digital technology in agriculture. The Nutrien Hub, launched in May, consolidates multiple ag tech tools into one platform, offering services like credit applications, online payments, weather insights, and crop planning tools. It aims to enhance grower-crop consultant collaboration an...

Dave Newcomb, Agriculture Rescue Program Manager at the Illinois Fire Service Institute, discussed the institute's training programs, which trained over 58,000 students last year. The institute offers over 80 courses, including grain bin rescue and machinery incident response. Newcomb highlighted the issue of grain entrapment, noting three recent incidents in central Illinois, with an average...

David Grindle, President and CEO of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions , discussed the organization's role in supporting fairs since 1884. He highlighted the economic impact of fairs, noting that the average U.S. fair runs for 6.6 days, generating $30 billion annually, and fairgrounds contribute $52 billion and 343,000 jobs. Grindle emphasized the importance of volunteer e...

Troy Schneider, a past president of the Colorado Corn Promotion Council and current board member of the National Corn Growers Association, discussed recent legislative efforts in Washington, DC. Key points included the push for year-round E15 fuel to stabilize prices and reduce EPA waivers, the need for a comprehensive farm bill to address agricultural concerns, and the impact of high input costs...

Amy France, Chair of the National Sorghum Producers, discussed the recent MaHA report, emphasizing sorghum's unique benefits and the need for better education on its role in healthier diets. She highlighted a potential crisis due to a 23% yield increase and the loss of the Chinese market, which historically accounted for 50-70% of U.S. sorghum exports. France stressed the urgency of diversify...

Austin Gellings, Senior Director of Agricultural Services at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, discusses the updated report on precision agriculture. The report highlights the significant benefits of precision ag technologies, including a 6-7% increase in productivity using fewer acres, avoiding 11.4 million acres of land (equivalent to five Yellowstone National Parks), and reducing herb...

Eric Snodgrass, Senior Science Fellow at Nutrien Ag Solutions, discussed the unpredictable 2023 weather season, which initially raised drought concerns but was later alleviated by significant rainfall in April and May. He highlighted the impact of the Bermuda High and Gulf of Alaska temperatures on Midwest weather. Snodgrass noted the importance of monitoring local and ocean conditions for future...