The Business of Agriculture Podcast

Last week was a volatile week in the grain trade but what does all this mean? Matt Bennett of Bennett Consulting joins me to discuss the basics of commodity markets, terminology of the trade, and his thoughts on the global grain business. We discuss how you can profit - or at least limit your risk - as a grain buyer or seller. We close with Matt's advice for limiting emotional mistakes and why he'...

Ranching & Farming on public land will come to an end in the next 20 years. In this episode I tell you why. I also delve into political reality: this is a bigger issue than just a few thousand ranchers on public land, it's about the culture of Agriculture. Which is very much at odds with the media's portrayal of contemporary America.

The Business of Agriculture is caught in the crosshairs of trade negotiations. As usual. Agricultural crops are often used as bargaining chips. Food is commonly used as a political weapon. So, what is the current picture of trade? Will China really stop buying American soybeans - and what if they do? Should you panic? Jim Wiesemeyer, D.C. policy analyst for ProFarmer and Farm Journal is my guest....

This week we celebrate Agriculture with our 45th National Ag Day. While it's a day to recognize all that Ag does, we sometimes take the "thank a farmer" movement a little too far. Wouldn't it also be appropriate to thank the paying customer who buys our product? In this episode I share thoughts for the men and women of Agriculture, followed by an Ag Day message for our consumers. Please share this...

The business of Ag has seen a rapid amount of consolidation. Seed, chemical, equipment, fertilizer, and possibly even grain handlers are getting fewer in number. And bigger. Will size and scale stifle innovation? Do new companies have greater control over farm customers? Seems it's not a matter of if, but when, will we reach the point of Big 3 Economics - with 3 major players in every category. Bu...

Fake news is a new term for an old practice: using misinformation to trigger an emotional reaction, thereby affecting an outcome. I delve into the history of media-perpetuated inaccuracies. Particularly, how it negatively impacts the Business of Agriculture. From Oprah's anti-beef episode to gluten as evil. When it comes to fake news, we lose. Learn how Ag can battle better. Defense versus offense...

Friend of Show, Rob Saik joins me to deliver his take on Agriculture past, present, and future. What innovations make it possible for 1% fo the populace to feed the other 99%? What agricultural advancements allowed human advancement? We talk about the 5 iterations of Agriculture: Muscle, Machinery, Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Convergence. This episode explores where food production and the busin...

Dwayne Faber is a Twitter star who earns his living as a dairy farmer in Washington state. We talk about the Ag economy, the future of commodity production, money, and family. We also delve into social media and the finer points of comedy. Two ADHD dairy guys getting funny on this episode of The Business of Agriculture!

You hear me talk a lot about Ag's ability to reap bigger profits by breaking the commodity mindset. Socially conscious branding is an excellent opportunity to do this. If you watched the Super Bowl - or even if you didn't - social consciousness was on display with several commercials. Take for example, Anheuser - Busch, who devoted two spots to the brewer's work at providing clean water to people...

From government, to cause groups, to well - intentioned foodies, seems everyone is out to control food and agriculture. Jayson Lusk, author of "The Food Police: A Well -Fed Manifesto about the Politics of Your Plate" joins me to talk about the various food forces. Topics: why soda taxes don't make fat people skinny, should there be federal dietary nutritional guidelines (we disagree on this!), the...

From government, to cause groups, to well - intentioned foodies, seems everyone is out to control food and agriculture. Jayson Lusk, author of "The Food Police: A Well -Fed Manifesto about the Politics of Your Plate" joins me to talk about the various food forces. Topics: why soda taxes don't make fat people skinny, should there be federal dietary nutritional guidelines (we disagree on this!), the...

Chips, fries, hash browns, baked, scalloped, and lets not forget tater tots. In this episode, I talk taters with Matt Hemphill of Potatoes New Brunswick. Yep, that's one of the Maritime Provinces just east of Maine and Canada's third biggest producer of spuds. We eat potatoes but how familiar are we with this amazing tuber? Did you know a lot of potato farmers get 25- 30 tons of spuds per acre? Di...

Agriculture is changing. To protect the legacy and lifestyle we love so much, we must address the business side of farming. While farmers are amazing at production, there are other complexities. Issues of size, scale, input management, legalities, managing employees, and keeping a handle on financials, for example. Jim Raftis, with Family Farms Group is my guest. FFG works with member teams — inde...

We in Agriculture have a tendency to run for the exits screaming "fire!" when faced with a bit of price adversity. In this episode I tell you why the Ag economy slowed down, why it's normal, and why you should still be excited about the future. American Ag ingenuity will continue to create high quality, value added products an increasingly affluent global middle class demands. We're talking trade,...

PART 2 OF 2 Real estate is the biggest capital asset we in Agriculture have. So what's happening with Ag land? Who's buying, who's selling and for how much? Are investors out bidding farmers for dirt? Is there going to be an Ag land meltdown? Is farm land still a good investment? Should you manage your own farm land or hire a professional? Howard Halderman of Halderman Real Estate and Farm Managem...

PART 1 OF 2 Real estate is the biggest capital asset we in Agriculture have. So what's happening with Ag land? Who's buying, who's selling and for how much? Are investors out bidding farmers for dirt? Is there going to be an Ag land meltdown? Is farm land still a good investment? Should you manage your own farm land or hire a professional? Howard Halderman of Halderman Real Estate and Farm Managem...

Agriculture is a family business. But what happens when there's a death, divorce, dispute, or default? Who is the manager? Where does the money come from? And how will you keep things from blowing up between the personalities involved? Jolene Brown, farmer, speaker, and family business consultant joins me to discuss the personal, professional, and legal aspects of a family Ag biz. Want to keep you...

Are we treating our soil like dirt? In some ways yes. Agronomist Jodi DeJong-Hughes, regional educator in crops and soils with with University of Minnesota Extension joins me. We talk about the evils of tillage, soil health, and provide recommendations on what Ag can do to enhance your land. For example, did you know a 1% increase in organic matter increases water holding capacity by 27,000 gallon...

Dennis Haugen is a North Dakota farmer who ran a side business cleaning grain. In 1995 a 50- car train derailment on his farm sparked another business venture: salvage work. Mr. Haugen still farms but his business has grown into various other endeavors. He has his own trademarked radish brand for cover crop mixes and his company, General Grain, handles salvage jobs all over North America. What hap...

When I was a kid, we went to the co-op every week to get our feed ground. The highlight for me was a bottle of ice cold Choc-ola from the vending machine! Much has changed for the cooperatives serving farmers since then, just as much has changed in Agriculture. They've merged, expanded, and renamed, but co-ops still serve Agriculture. In this episode I talk to Stan Feekes, general manager of Farme...

When Ford or Google advance humanity through technology, we hail their progress. So, why is innovation in food production treated differently? I sit down with Ag entrepreneur, businessman, and authority on genetic engineering in Ag, Rob Saik. We have a spirited, and informative talk about: the environmentalism of GMOs, how The Non-GMO Project proliferates ignorance via "butterfly bullshit," and Ro...

There's an issue that all businesses in all industries face: Do you sell what you're good at making or do you make what you can sell. The day I recorded this podcast a genetics company publicized a pig they'd developed with 24% less fat. But the marketplace didn't ask for a low fat pig. Well heeled consumers are paying premiums for pork with more fat. Why? Because we spent several decades breeding...

Environmentalism is the latest weapon deployed by those who seek control over what people eat while putting animal agriculture out of business. One of the biggest arguments against meat, milk, and eggs is resource usage and management of manure. Jeramy Sanford, Nutrient Separation Specialist with GEA joins me to talk about the future of manure. We also talk money, nutrient management, and appealin...

The cost of compliance with burdensome regulations makes American Ag less competitive in world markets. Federal regulations and EPA overreach effect all of us in agriculture but farms in California face greater scrutiny. My guest is Eric Bream, California citrus grower, olive producer, and voice of the opposition. We discuss why it won't be the price of crops that puts farmers out of business — it...

What areas of employment in Ag are hot? Where is the glut? What skills are employers craving in new hires? How do you set yourself apart from the competition to land your dream job? Tim Hammerich of Agri-Associates joins me to talk professional opportunities in Ag and much more. He should know, he's a professional recruiter. He's also a podcaster — "The Future of Ag"— which I've been a guest on tw...