The FARMSMART Podcast, presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions

In the heart of soybean country, you'll find Indiana farmers who have been utilizing sustainable best practices since long before it was called "sustainability." But a new Nutrien Ag Solutions incentive program with Bunge is making it possible for these growers to actually be compensated for these practices. And that's changing the game, both in terms of environmental impact AND the bottom line. D...

Most growers have reached the point in their year when it's time to look back on what they've accomplished, review the records, and start looking for ways to improve their operations in the new year ahead. Nutrien Ag Solutions can help connect growers to programs that pay farmers for their sustainable agriculture practices. But it's going to take carefully collected and curated data to back up you...

Agriculture has been around for more than 10,000 years. But you can argue that in the last 50 years, it’s changing and evolving faster than ever before. That evolution has included the growing relationship between agriculture and what we now call “sustainability.”  And someone who's been along for almost that entire ride is our very own Tom Daniel, Nutrien Ag Solutions' Director of North America R...

Sustainability doesn't stop at the border. In fact, Nutrien Ag Solutions supports thousands of growers across Canada, and many of them are well along the path in their sustainability journey. But while the overall goals and ideas are the same, like so much about the relationship between the U.S. and Canada, things are a little different north of the border. So in this episode, we're discussing the...

You can have all the agronomic tools in the world. But if you don't have a plan to place the right seed on the right acre, both your margins and your sustainability footprint will suffer. Plans take insight. Insight takes data. And our seed product management team is working harder than ever before to provide our crop consultants with both. So in this episode, we're talking to Todd Pester, the Sen...

When you talk about sustainable agriculture, you could be talking about greenhouse gas reduction, practice changes, nutrient management, or any number of other pieces of the sustainability puzzle. Our mission at Nutrien Ag Solutions has always been to support farmers in their operations, helping them minimize their environmental impact while maximizing their margins. But starting that sustainabili...

From painfully dry weather across much of North America, to record high temps in the South and West, to massive wildfires in the North, weather extremes have had an impact on growers across the continent this year. So in this episode, we're going to start with a weather update from Nutrien Ag Solutions senior meteorologist Andrew Pritchard. He'll explain how an emerging El Nino pattern and a weake...

Climate change is an issue that's global in scale. So when two companies that are global leaders band together to address the problem, it's sure to make some real headway. Bunge, the world leader in oilseed processing, and Nutrien Ag Solutions are launching a strategic alliance and commercial agreement to support U.S. farmers in the implementation of sustainable farming practices that will help in...

In the heart of the Corn Belt, Iowa has long been a leader in agricultural production. But with a mandate from state lawmakers and the public, the Iowa Nutrient Research Center was launched at Iowa State University in 2013 with a mission to study nutrient management practices, providing recommendations on implementing such practices and developing new practices as well. And over the last 10 years,...

The planter is tuned up, the seed is in the shed, and growers are ready to get to work. But that doesn't mean Mother Nature is in any mood to cooperate yet with Planting Season 2023. In this episode, we talk with Eric Snodgrass, Science Fellow and Principal Atmospheric Scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions, for a look at what the planting season has in store from a climate and weather perspective in a...

We learned a lot in 2022 from our pilot sustainability programs. And in 2023, Nutrien Ag Solutions is using what we learned to craft an even broader range of sustainability programs and opportunities for our grower customers. In this episode, Tom and Sally will examine some of the lessons they took away from last year's major rollout of sustainability offerings, and revisit some of the big events...

As many as 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021—a number that is, alarmingly, growing. And at the end of a year that has seen food security disrupted by a number of unexpected issues, like Russia's attack on Ukraine, supply chain issues and inflation, it's expected that these problems will only get more acute. That's why it's more important than ever for the conversation around susta...

As we work to counter the effects of global climate change, carbon accounting—the ways we measure greenhouse gas emissions and reduction—is becoming more important than ever. In this new field, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide gas emissions from fertilizer use present a problem, not only at the field level, but up through the supply chain to the companies that sell goods produced from the...

NASCAR drivers may get all the glory. But just like a grower depends on their hands in the field, a driver depends on the team around them. And without the eyes in the sky of the team spotter, a NASCAR team would be blind as they tried to coordinate their strategy on the track. So in this episode, we’re back at the Charlotte Motor Speedway with Brett Griffin, NASCAR spotter for Kaulig racing, owne...

Over the last six years at Kaulig Racing, Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice have built a winning Xfinity series program, bringing in veteran NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger to lead them to a series of big wins this year and positioning them to compete for a championship in Phoenix. Similarly, growers are building, growing and planning sustainability in their farming operations year over year as well, prior...

Growers build their legacy in the farming success they have today, but also the impact they leave for the future. But if an operation doesn't have the financial support it needs, that could affect its viability for future generations. So in this episode of the Future. Faster Podcast, we're talking to John Maman, sales and marketing director at Nutrien Financial. We'll discuss some of the financial...

Having their hands in the dirt is nothing new to farmers in North America. But it turns out they're not the only ones "working the field." In every cubic inch of soil, there's a miniature ecosystem living, breathing and feeding—and the health of that ecosystem can have a vast impact on crop yields, water retention and even the overall success or failure of a given planting season. So in this episo...

Another growing season is winding down, and harvest time is upon us in the American South. And so, in this episode, we'll talk with Nutrien Ag Solutions South Region Agronomist Clara Millsaps to get an update on how the harvest is expected to progress in her area, what sorts of conditions and yields farmers can anticipate this year, and why now is the time to make plans for cover cropping and soil...

Controlling nutrient runoff is essential for protecting waterways, improving water use efficiency and boosting growers' profitability. So in this episode, Tom and Sally discuss how Nutrien Ag Solutions is helping farmers take on the challenge. Through the Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes (SNO) program, growers can get paid to reduce their nitrogen use through improved management practices—for example...

California is in the middle of a historic drought. And since 1990, average annual water allocation to growers from state water systems has been cut in half as water resources dwindle. So how do growers plan for their crop when faced with an unreliable water supply? On this episode, Chris White, General Manager of the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, is going to explain how t...

In earning the distinction of being "carbon neutral," Ontario-based Maple Leaf Foods had to reduce its carbon footprint, and then invest in projects that offset its remaining output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It certainly wasn't an easy process. But it was absolutely worth it, according to Director of Sustainability Strategy and Partnerships Mauricio Alanis. So in this episode, we as...

The agriculture industry isn't the only one grappling with massive supply chain disruptions right now. But any grower can tell you they're feeling the pinch in the cost of their inputs, which have risen as a result of a cascade of global pressures and unexpected interruptions. So in this episode, we talk to Mat Taylor, Senior Director of Procurement at Nutrien Ag Solutions, about his experience ma...

It's been a busy year full of insights on the Future. Faster. Podcast. And if you missed even one episode, you missed a lot. So in this, our 25th podcast episode, we're listening back to some of the highlights from the last year of the Nutrien Ag Solutions podcast project. We'll hear some of the most important lessons, and some of the most memorable moments, including actionable insights for cover...

Most crops are in the ground for the summer here in North America. But that just means that the time is upon us to look ahead to the fall and winter. And so in this episode, we’re going to review some of the sustainability programs that Nutrien Ag Solutions is rolling out for later this year, so that you can get prepared to maximize your yields, capitalize on those new sustainability revenue sourc...

The State of Iowa is home to some of the richest, most productive farm fields in North America. But it’s also the site of one of the greatest agricultural climate disasters of all-time, the 2020 Derecho storm event that flattened six million acres of crops. In this episode, we talk with Bill Northey, former USDA Under-Secretary and the new CEO of the Agri-Business Association of Iowa, about how gr...