Growing the Future

Spring 2026 is arriving with a fertilizer market that looks nothing like anything most producers have seen. Urea at $700 a short ton. Elemental sulfur up nearly 8x in 18 months. Global ammonia production down 30–35%. China not exporting. India running at 50–60% production capacity because they can't get LNG shipments through the Persian Gulf. And retailers across Saskatchewan are 30–40% behind on...

Canola ran hard. The question wasn't whether to celebrate — it was whether to protect what you'd built. This session came out of a real conversation with a GARS advisor who pointed out something most producers have never heard explained clearly: options and production insurance don't just coexist — they can amplify each other. If you structure it right, you can protect your floor, leave your ceili...

The post came after a long drive home from a production show. Jay Peterson had spent the day talking to people at booths, catching up with friends, listening to the Manitoba and Saskatchewan numbers come out on the radio. And somewhere between Saskatoon and Swift Current, something settled on him. Nobody was really having the conversation. Not out loud. Not honestly. So he made a video. Johnny Cas...

Back in June 2025, Trent Klarenbach of Klarenbach Research did something nobody had done before. He charted Saskatchewan farmland values going back a hundred years and applied technical analysis to what he found. The chart went viral on YouTube. 52,000 views. And for good reason. The RSI had been signaling overbought conditions for over thirteen years. Previous times the market crossed that line a...

Most farm families in Western Canada have built more wealth over the past two decades than any generation before them on the land. A lot of it is sitting in the ground. And that concentration, it turns out, is quietly creating a set of problems most producers have never been introduced to. This session brought the Kohr Wealth team to the Growing the Future Productions live room. Ryan Hillstead, a...

Now I have the full transcript. Let me create the podcast summary and notes optimized for Simplecast and YouTube. Episode Summary (for the Simplecast summary field): When nothing you can grow in 2026 is projected to make money at average yields and average prices … what do you do? In this live workshop, Dan Aberhart sits down with Dave Sullivan from Global Ag Risk Solutions, Dean Klippenstine from...

Liquidity & Legacy With Ted Cawkwell, The Cawkwell Group Farm balance sheets may look strong on paper. But beneath the surface, lending behavior is changing, capital is more disciplined, and the margin for error is narrowing. In this live conversation, Dan and Ted discuss: Why profitable farms can still experience financial pressure The difference between strategic sales and forced sales How liqui...

The first two parts of this event were Robert Andjelic's thesis and his plan. This is the room pushing back -- live audience questions, direct challenges, and Robert answering without notes.   What's Inside - The audience's sharpest questions on Robert's thesis and plan - Where Robert's answers held up under direct challenge and where the room disagreed - The closing exchange on what producers sho...

Part 1 covered why Robert Andjelic believes the system is under pressure. This is where he tells you what to actually do about it: a 3-step action plan built for producers who did not lock in two years ago and need a defensive plan now, not a growth plan.   What's Inside - A recap of Robert's 12-point thesis for anyone catching this one first - The 3-step survival plan: get brutally clear on cash,...

Robert Andjelic spent two weeks meeting with 20 to 30 lenders in Toronto before he picked up the phone to call this briefing. What he found there is the spine of this conversation: banks are not turning against agriculture, they are absorbing pressure from a commercial real estate sector years into extend-and-pretend, and that pressure is starting to reach the farm gate. This is Part 1 of a three-...

Episode Notes Why most diets work briefly—and then quietly collapse The hidden cost of extreme approaches to food and fitness Growing up overweight and learning to separate identity from behavior Why protein, fiber, hydration, and sleep are foundational—not optional The difference between weight loss and health Alcohol, energy, and the trade-offs we don’t like to talk about Why tracking creates aw...

Farmers don’t need another polished sales pitch — they need tools that actually work when iron is hot and harvest pressure is on. In this live episode of What Farmers Want , host Dan Aberhart puts ag-tech innovation to the test in a Shark Tank–style format designed for one audience only: farmers. 🎙 Andrew Leaman , Founder & CEO of Chariot Command , joins the show to present technology built around...

Content note: This episode includes open conversation about mental health, burnout, and identity in agricultural leadership. If you are struggling, please reach out. Farm Stress Line: 1-866-327-6701. Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566. In the U.S.: 988. Corliss Rassyle is the founder of Lead Conference Canada. She spent years building a life in agricultural leadership before she had the breakdown...

In this episode of the Growing the Future Podcast , Dan sits down with a prairie-based entrepreneur and investor helping unlock a new wave of ag-tech innovation across Western Canada. The conversation spans angel investing, Startup TNT, and the roots of prairie innovation — from early farm accounting software and fertilizer exits to today’s venture-backed ag-tech startups. Along the way, we dig in...

In this conversation, Dan Aberhart introduces the upcoming Convergence Conference, now in its third year and happening February 3–5, 2026 in Regina. The banquet keynote speaker is Matt Havens — a leadership and generational expert with a background in corporate strategy and a knack for comedy. Dan and Matt dive into the challenges of modern farm businesses, from information overload to multi‑gener...

Tim Schaefer did not build a system because he wanted to. He built one because he had no choice. His operation was running at full capacity and still losing ground. The harder he worked, the more he had to manage. The shift from Chaos Commander to intentional CEO is not a personality change. It is a structural one. This episode covers what that shift looks like in an ag business, and the three pla...

Welcome back to Season 7, Episode 15 of the Growing the Future Podcast with Dan Aberhart and Nicole Dubé—coming to you from our brand-new studio! In this episode, we take you inside the Growing the Future Mastermind, featuring soil scientist Greg Patterson, founder of A&L Laboratories Canada. Together, we dig into advanced soil science concepts that can transform how you farm: Why cation exchange...

In This Episode: Why digital scouting tools are becoming a game-changer for producers How Agscouter streamlines reporting between agronomists, farmers, and retailers The top frustrations farmers have with ag-tech (and how to fix them) Where tech fits — and where it fails — in real-world decision-making Exclusive insights from farmers on what they actually want from innovators Featured Guests & Pan...

One year ago, independent agronomists joined forces with MNP, Canada’s largest private accounting and advisory firm. It was a move that surprised many in the industry and promised to change the way farms approach agronomy and business strategy. In this episode, we look back at what happened, why it happened, and what it means for the future of farming in Western Canada. Panelists Ryan Goodwin, Mik...

Greg Patterson has spent 30 years in soil science, plant nutrition, and microbiology. His observation is simple and expensive: almost nobody accounts for soil type when building a fertility program. The agronomy charts don't. The handbooks don't. The recommendations your neighbor follows don't. What your soil type actually needs is different from what the chart says. The gap between those two numb...

Farmers Evaluate PathoScan's Ag Tech: Real Feedback, Real Insights, Ep.2  Join us in episode two of 'What Farmers Want,' hosted by Danny Aberhart, where REAL-WORLD producers dive deep into evaluating innovative Ag Tech solutions.  In this episode, we feature Tayeb Soomro, founder of PathoScan, pitching his microbial profiling platform, PathoBox.  The technology allows early detection and managemen...

Join Dan Aberhart in this Season 7, Episode 10 of Growing the Future Productions' 'Dollars in the Dirt,' sponsored by Precision Land Solutions. Dan sits down with top producers and tile drainage experts from Manitoba to discuss the transformative impact of water management on agricultural land.  Featuring personal anecdotes and professional insights from Chris Unrau from Precision Land Solutions,...

Help STARS save Dan at rescueontheriver.ca !  STARS: Life-Saving Missions and Community Impact |  Growing the Future Podcast S7 E9  In this episode of 'Growing the Future Podcast,' host Dan Aberhart chats with Darren Entner, the Clinical Operations Manager at STARS in Regina.  They dive into the vital role STARS plays in providing critical care in remote areas through air rescue missions.  Dan als...

Epic Solitude: A 122-Day Solo Canoe Expedition Across Canada's Wilderness | Growing the Future Podcast  Join host Dan Aberhart on the Growing the Future Podcast for an awe-inspiring episode with special guest Calem Watson.  In this episode, Caleb shares his incredible 122-day solo canoe expedition across the Northwest Territories, from Fort Smith to Tuktoyaktuk in the summer of 2023.  Discover the...

What happens when you put bold ag tech in front of a panel of no-nonsense farmers and hand them the mic? In the premiere episode of “What Farmers Want” —brought to you by Cornerstone Credit Union’s Rural Tech Act —host Dan Aberhart invites you to witness a high-stakes, Shark Tank-style pitch where Kyle Folk , Founder & CEO of GroundTruth Ag , makes his case for a new approach to on-farm grain grad...