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Sean Arians and I have known each other for years through Ag Twitter, farming, and our work in agriculture. But it took a conversation while I was traveling to Philmont Scout Ranch for us to discover another connection: Sean had experienced Philmont as both a Scout and an adult leader.

We begin with Philmont, resilience, and the leadership lessons learned when a group must reach the finish line together. From there, the conversation moves through community, knowing when to say no so someone else can say yes, making room for younger leaders and women in agriculture, Sean’s path through farming and the agricultural industry, and his newest challenge: becoming a pilot.

We eventually arrive at a larger question. Why should people care about agriculture? Sean argues that agriculture touches far more lives, careers, businesses, and communities than most people recognize. Our responsibility is to 

Be safe out there.

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Jim expected a conversation about the differences between farming in Canada and the United States. Instead, he and central Alberta farmer John Kowalchuk kept finding the things farmers have in common.

They talk about the financial pressure facing agriculture, the perpetual optimism that can make farmers resilient and sometimes get them into trouble, and what happens during those long hours alone in the tractor when productive thinking can turn into simply being stuck in your own head.

The conversation eventually moves to John's years of sharing farm life on social media. Why show the broken combine along with the good crop? What responsibility comes with having an audience? Can the people following you become accountability partners? And when thousands of followers are possible, what does meaningful influence actually look like?

John also explains the story behind #RegularFarmer and why being comfortable as a "regular farmer" can be harder than it sounds. That leads Jim and John into competition between farmers, farm size, success, retirement, and a question that doesn't get asked very often in agriculture:

When is enough enough?

Different countries. Different crops. Different governments and currencies.

But maybe a regular farmer in Alberta isn't all that different from a regular farmer in northeast Indiana.

Be Safe Out There!

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Cory Ritter and I go back to the early days of Ag Twitter and something called Cory Corn. Today, Cory farms near Blue Mound, Illinois, and works as Midwest Regional Sales Manager for Huma.

We started this conversation pondering what farmers are getting wrong, why comfort can keep us from changing, what Cory Corn taught him about social media, and how being a farmer influences the way Cory approaches sales.

Then the conversation turned.

Our conversation happened on the one-year anniversary of the grain-bin accident that killed Cory's father and farming partner, Tom. Cory talks openly about the accident, the questions he still carries, nearly walking away from farming, and the neighbors who showed up with more than a dozen combines to help his family harvest their crop.

We also talk about what happens when farm succession comes without warning, why families need to have uncomfortable conversations before they are forced to, and what Cory has changed on his own farm after losing his dad.

This conversation goes places neither of us expected. Cory wrestles openly with anger, responsibility, the risks we convince ourselves we can handle, the people who show up when everything changes, and the unfinished work of figuring out how to move forward. Along the way, both Cory and I shed tears. Some of these things are difficult to put into words.

Cory leaves us with a simple message worth remembering as harvest approaches:

Be safe out there.

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For 99 episodes, I've been the one asking the questions.

For Episode 100, I switched chairs.

When I started planning this episode, I knew I didn't want to do the typical retrospective of favorite guests, favorite moments, or lessons learned. I wanted to do something different.

So I invited three previous Patio Pondering guests back to the patio and asked them to interview me.

Grant Hood, Andy Vance, and Amber Hoopengardner Foote each came with their own questions. Just like my typical guests, I didn't know what they were going to ask.

And they took the conversations in three very different directions.

We talked about how Patio Pondering has changed over 100 episodes, what I've learned about asking questions and listening to the answers, agriculture, careers, opportunities, relationships, and how some of my own thinking has changed along the way.

This isn't really a retrospective of the first 100 episodes.

It's three conversations about what happened along the way.

Welcome to Episode 100 and The Other Side of the Patio.

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Ryan Martin has never been particularly afraid to say what he thinks, even when his opinion runs against conventional wisdom.

Ryan is a meteorologist, grain originator, farmer, seed salesman, and one of the two people who encouraged me to start the Patio Pondering Podcast. So, with Episode 100 right around the corner, it seemed appropriate to finally invite him onto the patio for Episode 99.

What followed wasn't really a conversation about weather.

We talked about why agriculture struggles with uncertainty, our fear of being wrong, what failure actually means, how farming has changed Ryan's perspective, and why relationships may matter more than we sometimes admit. We wandered into farmers advertising themselves, the changing scale of agriculture, opportunities for the next generation, and whether we spend too much time protecting the status quo.

But one idea kept resurfacing: listening.

Ryan believes good conversations require us to hear what someone is actually saying, even when we disagree. Near the end, he put it another way: agriculture needs more discourse, not discord.  

That's probably a pretty good description of what we try to do here on the patio.

Join Ryan Martin and me for a conversation about agriculture, relationships, uncomfortable questions, and the value of occasionally being willing to admit we might be wrong.

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Most agricultural businesses begin with a business plan.

New Ag Supply began with a farmer trying to solve a problem.

In this episode, I sit down with Kansas farmer and New Ag Supply founder Brian Sieker to talk about the entrepreneurial mindset that has quietly shaped agriculture for generations. What starts as a conversation about planter parts quickly becomes a discussion about trust, relationships, purpose, and why the best businesses are built by helping other people succeed.

Along the way we explore:

•  Why entrepreneurs are often driven by problems, not profits 
•  Building a business while returning to the family farm 
•  Trust versus technology in modern agriculture 
•  Helping other agricultural entrepreneurs succeed 
•  Why relationships still matter in an increasingly digital world 
•  The future of entrepreneurship in agriculture 

Whether you farm, own a business, or simply enjoy conversations about leadership and innovation, Brian offers thoughtful insights into what it means to build something that lasts.

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We've all said it.

Somebody ought to do something.

Somebody ought to volunteer. Somebody ought to run. Somebody ought to help.

It's an easy sentence to say because "somebody" doesn't have a face.

But every once in a while, life asks a harder question:

What happens when somebody has a name...and that name is yours?

In this solo episode, Jim explores the other side of leadership. The previous episode focused on knowing when to step back and let others lead. This conversation asks when experience becomes responsibility and when it's time for us to step forward.

Whether you're thinking about your community, your family, your church, your business, or your own life, this episode is an invitation to ask one simple question:

Where are you uniquely qualified to serve?

Because leadership isn't always about taking charge.

Sometimes it's about recognizing that the person you've been waiting for is already looking back at you in the mirror.

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We all say we want young people to become leaders.

But are we willing to let them lead?

In this solo episode, I use what I call the 0.6x lens to look at three seemingly unrelated experiences: livestock showing, an Eagle Scout project, and preparing a crew for Philmont Scout Ranch.

The more I stepped back, the more I realized they were all asking the same question:

Who needs to be doing this?

Along the way, I share stories from agriculture, Scouting, and my own leadership experiences—including a few moments when I had to admit I didn't always get it right.

Whether you're a parent, mentor, teacher, employer, coach, or volunteer, I hope this conversation challenges you to think differently about what it really means to help someone grow.

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Swine nutrition has become increasingly precise. We have better models, better ingredient analytics, better data, and more technology than ever before.

But pigs still have to get fed.

Dr. Hyatt Frobose has spent the last eleven years working in the space between what nutritionists can design on a spreadsheet and what actually happens inside a barn. In this conversation, Hyatt and I talk about why he chose an unconventional career path after earning his Ph.D. at Kansas State University, what he has learned about translating science into practical application, and why sometimes there is elegance in simplicity.

Our discussion moves well beyond feeding equipment. We talk about leadership and developing people, learning from lost sales, breaking down silos between nutrition, production, facilities, and engineering, the opportunities and limitations of precision feeding, and why the swine industry should be uncomfortable with current levels of mortality.

We also discuss animal welfare, the importance of maintaining a strong connection between research and the realities of commercial production, and the challenge of turning nuanced science into information people can actually use.

This is a conversation about technology, but more importantly, it is about implementation. Because the best science in the world only creates value when we can make it work on the farm.

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What does the next generation of agriculture really want?

In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, I sit down with Purdue student, sheep producer, dairy cattle judge, and former Indiana FFA State Officer Seth Ariens for an honest conversation about where agriculture is headed and what it will take to keep young people engaged.

Seth shares why he believes production agriculture still offers tremendous opportunities, why the barriers to entry may not be as high as many people think, and how technology, leadership, and relationships are shaping the future of farming. Along the way, we discuss Purdue's role in preparing students for careers in agriculture, the value of leadership experiences through FFA and FarmHouse Fraternity, and why authentic conversations matter more than scripted answers.

Whether you're a farmer, student, educator, or simply care about the future of rural America, this episode offers thoughtful perspectives on leadership, opportunity, and finding your place in agriculture.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why young people still want careers in production agriculture
 • Breaking down the barriers to entering farming
 • Purdue, leadership, and preparing the next generation
 • The future of livestock, technology, and family farms
 • Lessons from FFA, FarmHouse, and the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA)
 • Why relationships remain agriculture's greatest asset