The Rogue Agronomist

As advisors should our role be to make others follow our agenda or should we provide information for informed decisions? Championing those who fail doing it another way is counterproductive.

Ag retail experiences, farming, and agronomy…Who’s idea was it to give these two guys a microphone anyway?

Does the vehicle you drive, the equipment color you use, or your career define who you are? My time as a company man and buying my dream car were things I thought defined who I am, but as I get older I’ve learned that what defines you is much more.

They’re new, they’re innovative, and they are everywhere…but beyond the money grab that is happening is there something we are missing? Are these companies really coming up with something we have all missed the past 200 years, or are they just the hot thing right now?

Join myself and Kyle Okke as we talk about whatever agronomy topics come to our minds.

One of the most popular games in the world goes back to the farm, talking Farming Simulator with our client Jake Linskens. Find out what mods we use, or what a mod even is, and where we have reached peak simulation by flushing toilets…

We all know that one customer that everyone doesn’t like calling on, but does the fact they have some narcissistic tendencies make them a narcissist or does their personality type just not mesh with yours? The ag retail sales conundrum of giving up customers that you don’t mesh with but you may be looked down upon for not selling them.

As I have gotten further in my career and watched kids turn into adults taking on responsibilities it is never lost on me that I may just be a role model for them and some parents instill that trust in me when working with their children. You have the opportunity to cultivate (pun) these younger people, whether you acknowledge that or not is up to you.

Are you a new employee in ag retail, are you a manager of young employees in ag retail? Why training would benefit from mentorships and management taking a hands off approach.

Since the advent of Roundup Ready soybeans we’ve heard about trait yield drag, is there still yield drag in new traits or is it more about marketing and yield lag? An analysis of trait launches from RR soybeans to Enlist and SmartStax Pro.

We hear a lot about staffing issues in agriculture, is there a fix? For some, it may be simple, but for others it may take a management change and a realization of value.

Every program does something the others don’t do but none of them do it all. It’s free, then we want to charge for what used to be free, then change it to how much are you willing to pay… it’s broken and the only way to fix it is to stop the “we’re different because we’re different” BS

How important is hybrid selection? (It is, contrary what others say) Fungicide timing, effectiveness, and do you need two passes…all this and more from 5 years of managing tar spot across several genetic platforms.

Sometimes you don't get to celebrate being correct, and that's ok.

With crop prices near record highs and variable weather you know we are going to see issues…sometimes the fix doesn’t come in a jug but everyone will be willing to sell you something to “fix” a problem if you seek out the wrong advice.

Do you expect a thank you from your supplier? Does it matter if they get a thank you back from you for services? Does anybody read these?

With story after story proclaiming all profits are taken away from higher input prices, what does this do to Ag mental health. Telling the difference between stress and anxiety, and ways to help others based on my journey with mental health.

Emotions are surging with commodity and input pricing, here we talk about taking a step back and working with people that can help you take emotions out of decisions, especially where we have much going for agriculture right now.

Why don’t I care if I am an Ag influencer and the importance of building your own brand.

Inputs are high, supply issues remain, but financially things look good for 2022 and even 2023. Are we headed for the next boom period in Ag? Maybe it’s time to get excited about the “good times”.

Why hasn’t the price of foliar fertilizer gone up? What exactly constitutes a biological product? Why did I pay 2x what I prepaid for chemicals this year? All this and more as we get out and work with our clients planning for 2022

As mergers and acquisitions happen and they talk about synergies what do they really mean? Are mergers good for you, does retail’s vision change as they get bigger, and what does farm size have to do with it?

As agriculture changes, so has hiring. As new younger hires get started in management in ag, be wary of falling for shiny shoes syndrome. Sometimes getting dirty gains more respect than degrees or even titles.

Some real talk about how great 2021 was for many farms and why you can still make decent money in 2022 even with higher inputs. Also, a discussion on agronomy services and avoiding lost opportunities by cutting services.

A discussion about genetic gain and how we may be missing out on bushels by sacrificing those bushels for hybrid familiarity when we are planting hybrids we have past positive experiences with. Recognizing what happens when we change practices that should be increasing yield but yields seem to plateau.