North American Ag Spotlight: Agriculture & Farming News and Views

 On this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak welcomes back Mindy Patterson, President and Co-Founder of The Cavalry Group, for an in-depth discussion on protecting agriculture through legislative advocacy, grassroots action, and informed leadership. Mindy explains how The Cavalry Group's Legislative Flash Map is helping farmers, ranchers, and animal owners stay informed ab...

As planting and growing season continues across the country, stewardship remains one of the most important responsibilities for growers and applicators. In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, host Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Mike Aerts, Vice President of Science and Regulatory Affairs at the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, to discuss the 2026 BeSure! Campaign and the role stew...

With input costs remaining high and profit margins under pressure, producers are increasingly looking for ways to improve productivity without simply adding more fertilizer, more irrigation, or more crop inputs. In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, host Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Chad Godsey, Chief Agronomist at Green Evolution Technologies, to discuss how growers are evaluating new...

Season 5: Episode 217 In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak welcomes back Gwendoline Legrand, Co-Director of FIRA, to discuss the upcoming FIRA USA 2025 event taking place October 21–23 in Woodland, California. Known as the premier gathering for agricultural robotics and automation, FIRA USA brings together growers, innovators, OEMs, startups, and investors for three days...

Season 5: Episode 216  In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Jacqui Fatka, Lead Economist for Farm Supply and Biofuels at CoBank, to discuss the shifting landscape of biofuels and the growing role of aviation fuels in agriculture. With over two decades of experience in ag policy, trade, and renewable fuels, Jacqui provides valuable insights into how demand...

Season 5: Episode 215 In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Xinnan Li, VP and Senior Packaging Analyst at Rabobank, to discuss how customer trends and evolving food preferences are reshaping agricultural markets. Xinnan shares her journey from studying biology and food science to analyzing packaging, logistics, and consumer-driven change for one of the worl...

Season 5: Episode 214 In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak is joined by Matt Durian, Livestock Manager at the American Royal, and Mae Boedeker, Livestock and Rodeo Coordinator, to talk about the upcoming American Royal Fall Livestock Show. A Kansas City tradition since 1899, the American Royal has been inspiring and educating generations through its nationally recognized...

Season 5: Episode 213  In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Raquel Gottsch Koehler, Co-Owner and Chief Marketing & Creative Officer of Rural Media Group, to talk about how agri-marketing is shifting in 2025 and what’s truly working in today’s uncertain economy. Raquel shares her unique perspective as the next generation leading RFD-TV, Rural Radio on S...

Season 5: Episode 212   In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak is joined by Jaime Jerrels, Senior Director of Policy and Outreach at the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, to discuss one of the most powerful and overlooked challenges in agriculture today: farmer mental health. Florida Farm Bureau, in partnership with UF/IFAS and the Mind Your Melon Foundation, has released it...

Season 5: Episode 211 As the ag tech sector matures, the industry is finally shifting its focus from flashy innovations to solving real problems on the ground. In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak explores how the ag tech space is becoming more practical, profitable, and proven — especially when it comes to addressing the core issue that keeps most farmers up at night: l...

Season 5: Episode 210 In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Jeffrey Smith of Valent U.S.A. and Dr. Frank Wong of Bayer Crop Science to discuss the essential and often misunderstood role of crop protection in modern agriculture. Representing the Growing Matters coalition, Jeff and Frank dive into the importance of science-based advocacy, the value of steward...

Season 5: Episode 209 This special episode of the Ag Sales Professionals Podcast is being featured on North American Ag as Chrissy Wozniak was recently invited by host Greg Martinelli to join him for a conversation about ag marketing, media, and the rapidly evolving world of ag technology. We're excited to offer this episode to our listeners, as Chrissy shares her perspective on how to effect...

Season 5: Episode 208 In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Brenda Heymer, owner of Heymer Management Accounting in Amarillo, Texas. With a deep-rooted background in agriculture and over three decades of accounting experience, Brenda shares her passion for helping producers move beyond traditional, tax-based accounting to embrace management accounting roote...

Season 5: Episode 207 In this North American Ag Spotlight podcast episode, host Chrissy Wozniak interviews Katie Pasitney from Universal Ostrich, a family-owned ostrich farm in British Columbia, Canada. The farm, which has been raising ostriches for 35 years, is facing a crisis due to a government order to cull over 400 ostriches amid an avian flu outbreak, despite most birds showing resistance an...

Season 5: Episode 206 In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight podcast, Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Svitlana Synkovska, a global event management expert with two decades of experience in agribusiness. Svitlana has organized and marketed nearly 50 international events across 12 countries, bringing together key players in commodities trading, biofuels, and more. Now serving as the Portfolio...

Season 5: Episode 205 In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak welcomes back Matt Durian, Livestock Manager at the American Royal, to discuss the highly anticipated 2025 American Royal Spring Youth Livestock Show. The American Royal, a Kansas City tradition since 1899, has long been committed to championing food and agriculture. After celebrating its 125th anniversary in 202...

Season 5: Episode 204 In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight podcast, host Chrissy Wozniak welcomes Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller for an in-depth discussion on the Biden Administration’s recent changes to the Horse Protection Act. Commissioner Miller explains how the new regulations, originally intended to curb the inhumane practice of soring in Tennessee Walking Horses, have b...

Season 5: Episode 203 In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, host Chrissy Wozniak is joined by Rusty Rumley, Senior Staff Attorney at the National Agricultural Law Center, to explore the shifting landscape of agricultural policy under the new administration. They discuss the recent election outcomes, highlighting the Republican control of both chambers of Congress and the White House, and...

Season 5: Episode 202 In this week's North American Ag Spotlight Podcast Chrissy Wozniak is joined by Curt Covington, Senior Director of Institution Credit at AgAmerica. With over 40 years of experience in agricultural banking, Curt shares valuable insights from AgAmerica’s 2025 Economic Outlook for U.S. Agriculture. The conversation covers the decline in net farm income and a projected recov...

Season 5: Episode 201 In this special episode of North American Ag Spotlight, we bring you an insightful panel discussion from FIRA USA 2024. Moderated by host Chrissy Wozniak, this engaging session delves into the evolving role of automation in the vegetable industry, featuring: David De Paoli, Founder and Chairman of the Australia Group Thomas Beach, Managing Director of Autonomous Agri Solution...

In this week's North American Ag Spotlight podcast Chrissy Wozniak celebrates a milestone 200th episode by exploring a beloved agricultural tradition, the Arizona National Livestock Show. Joining her is Tyler Grandil, Executive Director of the show, who shares his journey from an FFA member with a passion for livestock to leading the largest livestock show in the Southwest. Tyler provides ins...

In this week's North American Ag Spotlight podcast Chrissy Wozniak welcomes back Mindy Patterson, president and co-founder of The Cavalry Group and an unwavering advocate for agriculture. Mindy shares her perspective on the aftermath of the November election, discussing key government picks and their potential impact on agriculture, private property rights, and American livelihoods. Key Topic...

In this episode of the North American Ag Spotlight podcast, Chrissy Wozniak welcomes back Jose Marchetti, an agronomy engineer and Business Development leader for Ecorobotix. With a rich background in agriculture across Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, Jose shares his expertise on advancing precision agriculture. The discussion centers around the ARA ultra-high-precision sprayer, a game-c...

*To see the machinery in action, watch the video HERE. In this Ag Spotlight podcast episode Chrissy Wozniak takes us to FIRA USA 2024 in Woodland, California, a premier event where agricultural technology meets innovation. Chrissy speaks with representatives from several forward-thinking companies showcasing advancements in AI, robotics, automation, and precision agriculture. Learn how these techn...

In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak interviews Lee Klancher, a celebrated author, photographer, and publisher, known for his contributions to agricultural storytelling through his company, Octane Press. Lee discusses his latest book, Snoopy and the Spy, a thrilling narrative set during the intense rivalry between agricultural giants John Deere and International Harveste...