The Business of Agriculture Podcast

The Trudeau administration recently announced its intention to bring (potentially stifling) environmental regulations to Canada's Ag sector. So far, the rules are just proposals and are still ambiguous and evolving. The Netherlands kicked off what is fast becoming a green agenda in Ag that could leave the farm sector economically wounded or even force Dutch farmers to liquidate. Is this degree of...

A new white paper produced by a team of members of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers outlines 13 trends impacting the future of production Agriculture. In this two-part episode I am joined by an AEM panel to dig into the trends and provide outlook on the rapid changes coming to Ag over the next decade. Who will own the farm land? What will you do to protect your increasing dependence on t...

A new white paper produced by a team of members of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers outlines 13 trends impacting the future of production Agriculture. In this two-part episode I am joined by an AEM panel to dig into the trends and provide outlook on the rapid changes coming to Ag over the next decade. Who will own the farm land? What will you do to protect your increasing dependence on t...

During the Summer of 2022, Dutch farmers began protesting extreme environmental legislation poised to force liquidation of livestock and shut down farms. The purpose of Holland's legislation is allegedly for the good of the environment, but upon further analysis, the laws will simply offshore and worsen environmental damage. Todd Thurman joins me to discuss how rapidly advancing "green" legislatio...

Biologicals are the newest iteration in Ag inputs but they've actually been around for several decades and they still lack consistent results. Consolidation among Ag's biggest players has left just a handful of huge companies — will they all still be here in a decade? If so, who will they acquire? Meanwhile, farms are consolidating too (as they have been for almost a century), how does that change...

Farm land prices are up. A lot! So are interest rates, input prices, and diesel fuel. What does all this mean heading into fall and for 2023? Should you buy acres to expand your Ag enterprise in this environment? How will a doubling of operating loan interest rates impact your bottom line. Jarod Creed of JC Marketing & Ag Financial Services in Iowa joins me to address those issues and questions. B...

50 years we didn't have much in the way of crop insurance. Then came the 80's and the realization it was smarter — and more financially sound— for the government to subsidize crop insurance. Today, more than 90% of American cropland acres are insured. But that's still not enough coverage for the amount of capital deployed in production Ag. Which is why new products and programs are being rolled ou...

The Columbia - Snake River system consists of 465 miles of river that acts as Agricultural infrastructure. The waterways and their 8 dams allow barges to move 10% of America's exported wheat and 40% of the inland Northwest's total wheat production. In short, the river system is vital for food production as well as the economies of Agriculturally dependent communities in three states. So why do env...

There's way more to Montana than just Yellowstone — the park AND the popular television show. Montana agriculture is diverse, productive, and as big as the Big Sky state. The state produces wheat, oats, flax, canola, camelina, lentils, peas, and more. Justin Miller, a fifth generation Montana farmer / rancher joins me to explain his farming operation that produces all those aforementioned crops. H...

Wheat prices are in record territory. Russia is reportedly seizing Ukrainian wheat and re-selling it. Africa and the Middle East might very well be starving soon, given wheat shortages. And the USA planted fewer acres of wheat last year than at any time on record, as farmers switched acreage to more profitable and higher-yielding crops. If wheat is in short supply even with high prices, is now the...

While Ag's detractors often paint Agriculture as an environmental villain, I promote Agriculture as an environmental solution. Renewable energy, carbon sequestration, water filtration, and enviro benefit via land management are all enhanced through Agriculture. In the future we may also be a reservoir for carbon rich bio char and a supplier of alternative products — besides corn and soy — for rene...

Gas price hikes are a daily conversation and the exorbitant price of fuel is literally hyper-fueling inflation. The last time we saw conditions like this was the 1970s which gave rise to a new product — "Gasohol." From there, came the ethanol boom and biodiesel. But diesel from soybeans never really gained traction. And ethanol fueled the "no food for fuel" debates that have arisen with every food...

We began incessantly hearing the words "supply chain" a year after we'd already been feeling the brunt of its breakdown. In Agriculture it became noticeable when meat and milk processing plants closed or couldn't convert to a new product mix during shutdowns. Then it moved to a supply problem, meaning, we didn't think we'd have the inputs necessary to produce food. We're past some of those immedia...

2022 started off with dire predictions for production Agriculture's financial outlook. But, by mid spring the picture was changing, and by early summer a very profitable year was being predicted. Is that still the case? Are farm balance sheets going to swell? Or will interest rates and inflationary pressure on inputs create losses? Tim Koch, Chief Credit Officer for Farm Credit Services of America...

Diseases, pathogens, and parasites rob yield from our farms and unfortunately, we usually don't know we have the problem until the damage is done. But what if a soil analysis — which you are already doing for soil nutrient monitoring — could also predict pathogens so that you could treat the problem proactively? South Dakota farmer Paul Sittig and Mike Tweedy of Pattern Ag join me to discuss the c...

Oftentimes, environmental organizations use modern Agriculture as a target and a tool for fundraising. Worse, some organizations use their political heft to create hurdles or even do harm to our industry. But not The Nature Conservancy, according to Jack Bobo. Jack joins me to discuss how environmental groups can work with the world's most important industry to accomplish mutual objectives. He als...

California's regulatory environment is prohibitive, especially for production Agriculture which uses a lot of water and works on historically slim margins. So, what's an enterprising California farm operator to do when faced with the challenge of preserving the family ranch in light of exploding regulatory costs? That's the question Eric Bream aims to answer with new ventures. His first venture: d...

We've been hearing about carbon credits as a possible revenue source for farmers for a couple years now. In fact, we've covered the subject here on The Business of Agriculture podcast a couple times. But how do you go about qualifying, what paperwork and approvals are required, must you change your farming practices, and who sets the price for your farm's carbon sequestration? Those and other ques...

As farming changes, who will survive, who will thrive, and who will exit the business? What sort of traits and habits will provide a competitive edge? How much of an industry shake up will consolidation bring? Brett Sciotto, CEO of Aimpoint Research explains farmer psychographics and the research and outlook his firm does on behalf of Agricultural organizations. From Leveraged Lifestylers to Enter...

Wheat is up 70% with other commodities up substantially as well. Farm land sale prices are setting records. To say things are frothy is an understatement, and it's not just in Ag. So what does all this mean at the farm level? What impact does a half to one percent raise in interest rates have on our industry? Curt Covington, Senior Director of Institutional Credit at AgAmerica joins me to discuss...

In February of 2022 a "study" caught wide media attention (as it was designed by its sponsors to specifically do). The study, commissioned by National Wildlife Fund, found that corn ethanol is worse for the environment than fuel derived from oil. Groups ranging from the fossil fuel industry to readers of Mother Jones embraced the study, flawed as it was. Turns out, the analysis of environmental im...

Avian Influenza, or Bird Flu, is whipping through the American poultry industry. Spread by migratory fowl, the disease has, so far, had an outsized impact on backyard flocks. But its negative effect on commercial poultry production is an ongoing concern. As of April 4, 2022, 13 million commercial layers have been euthanized to prevent disease spread. The virus appears to hit turkeys and layers har...

7,600 California farming operations produce 80% of the world's almonds, which is California's number two crop by revenue. Unfortunately, because of weather problems — a freeze at bloom stage— and water rationing, almonds are going to be in shorter supply and more expensive very soon. Aubrey Bettencourt, a fourth generation farmer and president of the Almond Alliance of California explains almond p...

Ori Ben Ner's father is an agronomist and serial entrepreneur, with 5 Ag tech companies to his credit. The Israeli farm family — 91 year old grandpa still operates a small farm — has an environmental proposal to reduce water consumption, packaged with a business proposal to make farmers more money. The company — SupPlant — uses plant sensing technology, AI, and data to achieve their goal of digita...

On March 22, 2022 we celebrate the 49th annual National Ag Day. In this episode Damian shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about what the Business of Agriculture is and does. Some great stuff here — share it with your Ag and non-Ag friends.  Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com