FARMCON Conversations

Today on FARMCON Conversations, Kevin and I are joined by FARMCON partner Jake Espenmiller, President and CEO of Conterra Ag Capital. Jake sits in a unique seat where he can see what is happening across farm balance sheets, operating credit and institutional capital, and our conversation quickly moved to what happens when an operation can look extremely wealthy on paper but starts losing liquidity...

This week’s conversation centered on how the edge is changing. Kevin talks about why information alone matters less in an AI-driven world, where he believes advantage comes from now, how higher rates are changing capital allocation, and the frameworks he uses to evaluate businesses, investments and opportunities. 1:15 — What FARMCON is really trying to build – Kevin explains why FARMCON is i...

“It’s not bringing in the new ideas that’s so hard. It’s getting rid of the old ones.” — John Maynard Keynes Today on FARMCON Conversations, we’re joined by longtime friend and FARMCON partner Ken Packard of StoneX.Ken has spent more than 30 years in commodity futures and agricultural risk management, and our conversation quickly moved to how producers manage the entire bus...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST –  Today we’re joined by Walter Cronin, co-founder and president of White River Nutrition, for a deep dive into what may be one of the more important structural shifts developing across the soybean complex. Walter was bullish the last time we had him on — and despite the move we’ve already seen in beans and soybean oil, he believes we may still be in the early inning...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST – This week Kevin and I cover a lot of ground, starting with why the rise of AI may actually make the human edge more valuable, not less. Kevin explains why street smarts, intuition, experience, hospitality, and the ability to “see around corners” could become increasingly important as everyone gains access to the same intelligence tools. We also dig into what Kevin is wa...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST – Kevin and Todd cover a lot of ground this week—from why Kevin is getting more aggressive pricing corn and wheat, to what could push soybeans toward $14, why higher wheat insurance guarantees could change 2027 planting decisions, and where dangerous “air pockets” could develop if bullish fund money starts heading for the exits. They also dig into AI, nuclear power, weath...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST >> Kevin and Todd cover grain markets, China risk, the weaker-dollar trade, AI and data centers, farm leverage, and why producers still have to remain the CEO of their own business—even when surrounded by experts. THIS WEEK’S CONVERSATION 08:00 — Why Kevin Sold More Corn Kevin explains why his resting orders were triggered around $5.20, why he rewarded the rally, an...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST Kevin and Todd cover everything from corn, soybeans and cattle to government policy, investing, selling the family farm, hiring great people, and why some of the biggest lessons in business come down to knowing when to change direction. THIS WEEK’S CONVERSATION 03:00 — What Liquid Death Can Teach Agriculture Kevin explains why FARMCON intentionally brings in successful pe...

WASDE Wild Cards, Trading Volatility & Why Good Producers Still Struggle This week Kevin and Todd dig into today’s WASDE report, where Kevin sees the biggest potential surprises, and why he believes the market may be sitting in a spot where one USDA number could trigger a much larger technical move. Kevin also explains why he is trading smaller as volatility increases, why he would rather reac...

This week’s FarmCon Conversations starts with what makes FarmCon different from a normal ag event: it is not built around vacation travel, generic networking, or people telling producers how to farm. Kevin explains why FarmCon is positioned as a room for serious producers, operators, ranchers, ag businesses, and decision-makers who are trying to make better business, market, and capital-allocation...

This week’s FarmCon Conversations starts with a FARMCON update, then corn, soybeans, wheat, but the better discussion is really about how Kevin thinks through risk, markets, business, and change. In this episode: 18:00 – Why Kevin believes producers should focus less on being right about the final yield and more on being right about how the market trades USDA’s number. 29:00 – How Kevi...

This week’s FarmCon Conversations starts with corn, soybeans, wheat, and the latest USDA numbers, but the better discussion is really about how Kevin thinks through risk, markets, business, and change. Kevin and Todd talk through what has driven the recent grain rally, why producers should avoid becoming locked onto a single price forecast, and how to recognize when bullish headlines may be creati...

This week’s FarmCon Conversations starts with corn, soybeans, wheat, and the latest USDA numbers, but the better discussion is really about how Kevin thinks through risk, markets, business, and change. Kevin explains why he took profits on a bullish corn position after the USDA report did not deliver the acreage cut he expected, even though the market still rallied. His reasoning was simple: &nbsp...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST – This week’s conversation begins with Kevin and Todd breaking down the USDA Acreage and Quarterly Stocks reports and what they believe the numbers are really telling us about corn demand, acreage, and the market’s outlook heading into the heart of the growing season. Kevin explains why he believes the long-term downside for corn and soybean prices may not be...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST – This week Kevin and Todd start out with a brief discussion on grandparents actively involved in their grandkids’ lives. Kevin shares why you might not want to trust the view from the road in wet areas and why he believes the overall downside for corn and beans may not be as low as it has been in the past 20 years thanks to demand and technology. Todd then asks Kev...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST – This week Kevin discusses the why’s and what’s of a new series in the report… “Building an Agriculture Brand.” He and Todd also share that they are soon to release a business consulting arm to their ventures, to help anyone trying to build and scale an ag business. In his commodity comments, Kevin speaks to his belief the “globalization&#82...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST – This week Kevin and Todd start out sharing the realities of getting older and facing it head on. Then, Kevin shares his current thoughts on the commodity markets and the pair dive deep into “data” in response to a reader’s email following our Scope 3/Biological Pivot story on Monday. Kevin goes on to share his perspective on the “higher for longer&#822...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST – This week Kevin Van Trump shares his current thoughts on commodities, why he and the family “background” some of their real estate investments and how he got where he is by taking action while others are still researching their next steps. The two then discuss how most people get in their own way while trading, investing and making business decisions. Kevin...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST – This week Kevin Van Trump shares his “bushels are bullets” perspective in regards to his crop marketing, along with other relevant analogies to help producers see the big picture and know when to fire their guns! Kevin and Todd dive into the Macro arena where yields and the stock markets are high and consumer sentiment isn’t. Just a reminder that the s...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST… This is a not-to-miss episode with Kevin Van Trump, Todd Loechler, and Walter Cronin of White River Nutrition, a U.S. soybean processing company. Stay tuned all the way through to find out why Walter says the U.S. soybean farmers need to hold on because you’re going to see a great decade ahead. Leading into that Kevin shares his commodity outlook and his positions. Kevin...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST… Kevin Van Trump and Todd Loechler start out by breaking down the latest WASDE numbers and what they mean for you. They also dive into current crop conditions, planting progress, wheat ratings, and the potential impact of Trump/Xi talks plus standalone E15 legislation. Kevin shares his thoughts on why markets are hitting records amid high oil prices, sticky inflation, and geopo...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST… Kevin Van Trump and Todd Loechler sit down with Joe Sinclair, Founder and CEO, Quality Ag Service of Iowa, to discuss the current crop market conditions, planting concerns, and perhaps more importantly, where fertilizer and input prices might be headed. Joe also provides some valuable insight from the ag retail perspective on farm budgeting, the impact of see-and-spray technol...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST… Kevin Van Trump and Todd Loechler sit down to discuss their latest moves in the corn, soybean, and wheat markets. Kevin discusses why he likes making backend sales in both corn and wheat, but is a bit more hesitant in the soybean market. There’s some extensive talk about the importance of weather and war headlines and how they are impacting our agricultural markets. Kevi...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST… Kevin Van Trump and Todd Loechler sit down to discuss the latest in geopolitics and how long fuel and fertilizer prices might stay elevated, and what that means for corn, soybean, and wheat prices. Kevin also takes the time to explain his marketing game-plan for this growing season and what he is thinking about 2027 prices. There’s also some great discussion around Kevin...

NEW FARMCON PODCAST… Kevin Van Trump and Todd Loechler sit down to discuss their updated corn, soybean, and wheat outlook, along with recent sales and new price objectives. There are also some deeper discussions about the importance of “time” in our grain marketing programs. Kevin and Todd also discuss investing in the collectible tractor and farm equipment market. The future of intere...