🎧 Episode 105: The $600 Million Inventory Bloodbath 

Jon Paul Driver sits down with Scott Courtright of Courtright Enterprises for a brutally honest assessment of the hay export crisis. They move past the surface-level talk to provide the intellectual honesty required to navigate an industry that has effectively wiped out $600 million in equity through inventory write-downs and a historic demand collapse.

They cover:

📉 The $600 Million Hit: A conservative look at the massive inventory write-downs that have devastated balance sheets and redefined the Pacific Northwest market.

🚢 The "Disaster" Mechanics: How the fastest rate-hike cycle in history triggered a 40% collapse in customer purchasing power, evaporating 1 million tons of global demand.

🏭 The Machine Graveyard: Why there are 20+ export presses in the U.S. that may never turn on again—and why "overcapacity" is a terminal threat to current margins.

🤝 Intellectual Honesty: The industry-leading insight that "talking your book" is a recipe for failure; why being realistic about market conditions is the only path to the 2026 reset.

🏗️ The Asset Trap: A deep dive into the shift from double-digit appreciation to negative cash flow, and what happens to the industry when land values finally hit a wall.

🌾 Survival vs. Sustainability: From "nutrient mining" in the soil to short-term on-farm maneuvers, exploring the risks when growers are forced to sacrifice long-term health for immediate survival.

🌍 The Global Price War: How the U.S. is struggling to compete with $200 Pakistan alfalfa and the reality of international competitors growing their footprint.

Scott delivers a masterclass in market realism, explaining why the current shakeout is far from over and why managing through the "hard hat" era requires a radical shift in how we view the hay business.

🎙 Hosted by Jon Paul Driver

🤝 Sponsored by Krone — Dedicated to Hay and Forage Producers

🔗 Listen at hay-kings.com

A multi-generational farm survival story isn’t just about hard work—it’s about market evolution.

On the Hay Kings podcast, Mike Stefan of Stefan Hay Company joins Jon Paul Driver to explain how he transitioned from a school teacher to a premier forage producer by treating the "East Coast/West Coast" divide as an opportunity. From leveraging his "OCD" to dominate the high-stakes show-cow market to building a retail "Walmart of Hay," Mike breaks down the necessity of being a "competent neighbor" in an era of massive dairy consolidation.

This episode is required listening for growers looking to diversify their operations, producers managing multi-generational transitions, and anyone navigating the complex logistics of the modern hay trade.

Sponsored by Krone - Dedicated to Hay and Forage Growers

Learn more at Hay-Kings.com

The Anderson Chapter 11 filing isn’t an isolated failure—it’s a signal.

On the Hay Kings podcast, Don Schilling explains why years of distorted market signals, excess press capacity, and non-profit-driven capital reshaped the hay export industry.

This episode is required listening for growers, exporters, lenders, and anyone paid by the ton.

Hosted by Jon Paul Driver 

Sponsored by Krone - Dedicated to Hay and Forage Growers

Learn more at Hay-Kings.com

🎧 Episode 102 of the Hay Kings Podcast

Jon Paul Driver sits down with Jesse Bounds to talk about what’s next for the hay industry — from HayCon 2025 in Las Vegas to pivoting through low prices, export disruptions, and changing markets.

They cover:

Jesse shares honest, real-world insight about how growers can adapt, collaborate, and find opportunity even in tough conditions.

🎙 Hosted by Jon Paul Driver

🎧 Episode 101 of the Hay Kings Podcast

Making hay isn’t always the best decision. Dr. Carson Roberts, Assistant Professor and Forage Specialist at the University of Missouri, joins host Jon Paul Driver to unpack his controversial article: “10 Reasons You Should Quit Making Hay.”

From skyrocketing equipment costs to oversupply, soil health, and alternative winter feeding strategies, this episode challenges assumptions and sparks fresh thinking about specialization, economics, and forage management.

#HayKings #FarmLife #HayFarming #ForageProduction #Krone #AgriculturePodcast

🎧 Episode 100 of the Hay Kings Podcast

The Hay Kings Podcast hits a major milestone — 100 episodes! To celebrate, host Jon Paul Driver is joined by his niece, Avery Rowe, for a fun and personal conversation about farm life. From long, hot days on open-station tractors to mastering balers, rakes, and breakdowns, Avery shares six summers’ worth of stories from the hayfield while balancing her finance and Spanish studies at Washington State University. A perfect mix of family, lessons learned, and the lighter side of hay farming.

🎙 Hosted by Jon Paul Driver

#HayKings #100Episodes #FarmLife #HayFarming #ForageProduction #Krone #AgriculturePodcast

🎧 Episode 99 of the Hay Kings Podcast

🎙 Hosted by Jon Paul Driver

🎧 Episode 98 of the Hay Kings Podcast

Alfalfa weevils are turning into a high-stakes pest—and pyrethroid resistance is making the problem worse. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Erica Rodbell, Forage Research Agronomist at Forage Genetics International, and Jeffrey “Alfalfa” Jackson to dive deep into practical solutions. From regional scouting tips to insecticide rotation strategies, early cutting, and even grazing as pest control—this episode is packed with actionable insights to protect your yield and quality.

#HayKingsPodcast #AlfalfaWeevil #PestManagement #ForageScience #ScoutingMatters #InsecticideResistance #KroneNA #HayAndForage #CropProtection #EntomologyInAction #FarmSmarter

Sponsored by Krone – Dedicated to Hay and Forage Producers.

In this episode of the Hay Kings Podcast, host Jon Paul Driver is joined by logistics veteran Eric Wright of Portland Container. Together, they unpack the rhythm of global container flow, the hidden costs of just-in-time supply chains, and why parts availability matters more than ever for agriculture. From tariff shocks to warehouse trends, this episode gives hay and forage producers a strategic lens for navigating supply volatility. 

🎧 Episode 97 of the Hay Kings Podcast

#HayKingsPodcast #LogisticsMatters #AgExports #FreightDisruptions #KroneNA #TimeIsMoney #Agribusiness #HayAndForage #ContainerFlow #FarmLogistics

In this episode of Hay Kings, host Jon Paul Driver is joined by Eric Wright of Portland Container to break down the complex world of logistics and how it affects hay and agricultural exports. From container shortages and tariff risks to the high cost of downtime, Eric explains why time is the most valuable—and unforgiving—resource in the freight game. This episode dives deep into the challenges and choices that shape the movement of ag products around the world.

⏱ Time drives everything—from billing to shipping to harvest.

🚚 Disruptions cut into revenue and reduce asset use.

📦 Hay exports face challenges due to low container value.

💸 Fixed costs don’t stop when the press does.

🌎 Global shifts hit hard at the farm level.

🎧 Episode 96 of the Hay Kings Podcast

#HayKingsPodcast #LogisticsMatters #AgExports #FreightDisruptions #KroneNA #TimeIsMoney #Agribusiness #HayAndForage #ContainerFlow #FarmLogistics