The Scoop Podcast

Tyler Mitchell, agronomy account manager at River Valley Cooperative in Davenport, Iowa, details the daily complexities he and his team unravel for farmers as they serve as boots on the ground. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the driest year in over 130 years to extreme hail events, Evan Fust and his teams work with farmers across Colorado and Kansas. Fust is general manager of CHS High Plains, CHS Quintec and CHS United Plains which totals more than 40 locations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marketing consultant Morgan Seger says one prediction for the year ahead is companies will start using more artificial intelligence in their communications. However, she cautions her clients to be careful so they don’t start sounding like everyone else. Seger also provides insights on how digital marketing can be used to meet farmers where they are, prime the sales funnel, and improve how ag retai...

Richard Gupton with the Agricultural Retailers Association joins the podcast to give a regulatory and policy update. This is on the heels of the federal court in Arizona’s ruling which vacated the label for over the top dicamba application in 2024. Gupton shares what steps the ARA is taking, and what retailers should know. He also shares updates on litigation surrounding treated seed and chlorpyri...

As an irrigation water management specialist at Centra Sota Cooperative, Rebecca Schubert does farmer outreach, education, and program partnerships. As a Technical Service Provider, Schubert assists farmers with opportunities via USDA-NRCS. She says this expansion is beyond what has been assumed a co-op can provide while also helping farmers pull together all aspects of their approach to conservat...

Consulting with farmers across 40 crops, Cory Broad and the team at Avid Water help bring agronomic solutions to the field including system automation, moisture monitoring, satellite imaging, water treatment systems and more. With $20/hour minimum wage and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Broad shares how irrigation technologies can help farmers answer these challenges. See omnystudio.c...

As a technical resource, Kyle Gustafson shares his role as Crop Protection Product Manager at Winfield United allows him to help with some of the most difficult weeds to management in row crop agriculture. He says the way agriculture does business has changed, but a farmer’s nature hasn’t. And his focus is threading the needle of doing business in a better way while understanding the farmer’s deci...

Tyler Steinkamp, crop protection product manager at Winfield United, works with farmers and retailers across Iowa and Missouri. He shares why last year made agronomists recite the common real estate mantra: location, location, location. And Steinkamp says killing weeds is a favorite part of his job while encouraging farmers to make every application count to give the best level of weed control. Se...

Co-founder and CEO of Bushel Jake Joraanstad shares what is table stakes in ag software. The past two years have seen accelerated onboarding for the team at Bushel, which now connects more than 2,600 grain locations to farmers. Joraanstad says when the business was launched, the expectations of farmers was much lower than what the team knew the technology could deliver. And that’s been a driver fo...

As ag retailers report a tightening labor pool, many are seeking new outlets to find team members. In 2023, The Equity brought on 20 seasonal H2-A workers. They’ve found such success that they are more than doubling that in 2024. Learn more from Human Resources Manager Robin Brown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Gupton and Hunter Carpenter from the Ag Retailers Association share news from capitol hill including what the new speaker of the house means for the legislative pipeline. They also give their outlook for the Farm Bill extension. And the policy team shares what ag retailers should be watching for in regards to court cases and regulatory agency decisions effecting the products they sell. See...

Lindsey Sankey, a marketing specialist at Co-Alliance, explains a new program, SEED (Securing Experience and Employee Development). This will bring on two high school graduates who were enrolled in FFA to come work for the co-op for two years with a multi-division rotation through all of the business units. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave Swain draws on his experience from application equipment, ag retail and technology roles with his consulting business: Vision Technology Management. On the podcast, he shares where the gaps are in the industry and the way he advocates for ag retailers and farmers to get the most from their technology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lisa Woodke is sustainability director at Star of the West. She shares how their business has helped connect food companies with farmers to advance conservation agriculture from the field to the grocery shelves. Woodke walks through a handful of real-world case studies, including their work as part of the USDA’s Climate Smart Commodities Grants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kristen Ireland and Erin Mies started People Spark 5 years ago with a consulting focus to boost a company’s bottom line by increasing profits and margin, increasing retention and engagement, and creating a culture of success. They aim to provide business leaders with simple, practical solutions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What can organizations do to elevate their entire team’s performance? Dave Mitchell, Founder of The Leadership Difference, says the answer lies in your company’s culture. He’ll be sharing insights during the session “The Foundation of Peak Performance Culture” at the Ag Retailers Association Conference and Expo, which takes place Nov. 28 to 30 in Orlando, Fla. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Hunter Carpenter from the Ag Retailers Association shares a bit more about the timing of the pending Farm Bill deadline and how in 2018 even getting the bill done 4 months late is now considered “on time.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Gupton with the Agricultural Retailers Associations rejoins the podcast to give an update from DC. With the failure to reauthorize CFATS and EPA’s announcements around pesticide regulations, Gupton shares what retailers need to know about how these actions effect their business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erich Eller, of Forefront Ag Solutions details how he got hooked on digital agriculture—and using precision ag tools to make in-field decisions. He shares how his consulting business helps farmers agronomically and economically do better. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Lambert, technology services manager at Centra Sota Cooperative, shares how his team is structured to help farmers advance their yields and return on investment. He says technology can be overwhelming because of how everything intertwines like a cobweb. But as a baseline: the exponential benefits will come when they are able to get a majority of their farmers optimizing soil sampling, varia...

Even with a footprint across 10 states, the team at GreenPoint Ag is focusing on the local communities they are part of. Shannon Fortenberry, Community investment manager at GreenPoint Ag, shares more about the programs the company has stood up in the past couple of years, which now boast giving matches up to $1,000 per employee and two days for volunteering which have already totaled 2,000 hours...

Matt Dolch is the corn product manager for NK Brand at Syngenta, and he says he’s a bit of an outlier for his generation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joseph Rickard is a crop protection product manager at WinField United who shares the past three years have definitely taught us one thing about the ag retail industry—it’s still a face-to-face business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy Asmus from Asmus Farm Supply didn’t have a linear path to being in ag retail–from a graphic designer, to a county correctional officer, she found agronomy via the Certified Crop Advisor program. Asmus  shares the value of coming together with peers across the industry as part of the Agricultural Retailers Association and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blake Gates, national accounts manager at Morral Companies, shares how the company serves the industry as a fertilizer manufacturer and retailer. He brings to life the importance of stewardship, advocacy, and in particular what has benefited him and his company in being a member of ARA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.