Modern Ag Solutions: Deep in the Kernel

This is Episode 10 of Deep in the Kernel with Rich Mort and Brandon Shreves of Modern Ag Solutions

Today we are joined by Matt Burger from Merchants Bank of Indiana, Mark Truster, from Reynolds Farm Equipment Agronomy division, and Stephanie Clifton from Banked and Balanced. In this Episode we wrap up our discussion on the 2026 season and what your Banker is really looking for.

This is Episode 9 of Deep in the Kernel with Rich Mort and Brandon Shreves of Modern Ag Solutions

In this Episode we are joined by Matt Burger from Merchants Bank of Indiana, Mark Truster, from Reynolds Farm Equipment Agronomy Division, and Stephanie Clifton from Banked and Balanced as we discuss in part 1 of this 2 part series, The 2026 season and what your Banker is really looking for.

Rich is joined by 3 farmers after our Growers meeting for 2025 to talk about things that worked and lessons learned during the 2025 season.

In this Episode we are joined by Creed Gun to that about what worked in 2025 and what we are going to try in 2026

In this episode, Rich and Brandon wrap up the conversation with Michael Widner, Scott Stoller, and Matt Weaver.

Topics covered in this episode

Government programs, tough markets, and tough economics. Where do you go next?

How do you tune out the white noise of speculation on crop yields?

In this episode, Rich and Brandon continue the conversation with Michael Widner, Scott Stoller, and Matt Weaver.

Topics covered in this episode

-Demand for the 2025 Crop where is it coming from especially with the political climate in its current state

-What marketing decision do you need to make this year based on corn and bean prices?

In this episode Rich and Brandon are joined by Michael Weidner, Scott Stoller, and Matt Weaver.

We discuss

Marketing with the 2025-2026 cropDroughts in the Midwest & hedging against them
What to do without storage bins & huge facilities
- Bags & baggers
Crop insurance
Big Beautiful Bill  / Government Subsidies / Prepping for claims
Michael Weidner is the GROW Grain Lead for Landus. He has experience consulting individual farm operations, developing tailored marketing plans, educating growers on hedge strategies, and originating grain across Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. He possesses crop insurance licenses in Illinois and Indiana while also holding Series 3 and 30 licenses. Michael graduated from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois with Management & Marketing degrees in 2014 and played four years for the nationally ranked football team. His passion lies in simplifying decision making for farmers with a distinct focus on profitability, historical probability, cash flow needs, and local cash markets all of which drive execution, deliver ROI, and remove emotion

Scott Stoller is a Grain Merchandiser and Originator for Lanuds.  He has spent over 25 years in the grain business in variety of Midwest states, but namely Illinois and Indiana.  Growing up in Central Illinois on a grain and livestock farm, Scott saw first hand the implications of risk management after the 1988 drought and the flood of 1993.  After graduating from Illinois State University, he worked for ADM in the eastern cornbelt, lastly selling Non-GMO soybeans off of export of Baltimore for tofu and miso.  After leading growth at a country elevator system in Northern Illinois for 10.5 years, Scott helped start an all off the farm, direct ship grain business in Illinois and Indiana thru AgPerspective.  By 2021, he purchased the grain business from AgPerspective and rebranded as Stoller Grain Solutions.  In 2023, Scott sold his grain business to Landus and became a full time Landus employee.  He has been married to his wife of 24 years, Aimee, and has two college aged daughters, Kyra and Kate.

Join Rich Mort and Brandon Shreves from Modern Ag Solutions as they talk with Sean Nettleton from BW Fusion and Travis Burnette from Becks Seeds as they discuss crops and planting progress so far this spring.

For our second episode, Rich and Brandon are joined with Devin Baker and Bodie Kitchel, with BW Fusion. We discuss a lot for this episode, ranging from planting in March, to the chemistry behind BW Fusion.

In our very first episode, Rich and Brandon are joined by Craig Benedict, with Reynolds Farm Equipment, to discuss the importance of equipment maintenance and future innovations of farming equipment.