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In this special bonus episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, recorded live during Ag Day at the Allen County Fair, Jim Smith sits down with three respected voices in agricultural markets and communications: Rob Winters, Jon Cavanaugh, and David Kohli.

Collectively, these three gentlemen bring well over 150 years of experience serving agriculture. From broadcasting and market reporting to grain merchandising, commodity brokerage, and risk management, they have helped generations of farmers navigate changing markets and economic conditions.

Their conversation explores today's agricultural economy, compares current conditions to the challenges of the 1980s farm crisis, and discusses what producers should be watching in the months ahead. Drawing on decades of experience, they share candid perspectives on farm profitability, grain markets, interest rates, and the resilience of American agriculture.

Whether you remember listening to farm radio on the tractor or are simply interested in where agriculture may be headed next, this discussion offers valuable insights from three men who have spent their careers helping farmers make sense of uncertainty.

Guests:
• Rob Winters – Agricultural Broadcaster
• Jon Cavanaugh – Grain Merchandiser and Marketing Advisor
• David Kohli – Commodity Broker, Marketing Advisor, and Risk Management Consultant

Recorded live at the Allen County Fair.

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What does farming really cost?

For Mike Burkhart, the answer goes far beyond machinery, land, and interest rates.

In this conversation, Mike reflects on beginning his farming career in the 1970s, surviving the 1980s Farm Crisis, the growing dependence on off-farm income, and the financial pressures that continue to reshape American agriculture. Along the way, we explore family succession, the realities of cash rent, why "it's just business" isn't always enough, and how one family's tragedy changed the course of their lives forever.

Today, Mike spends much of his time educating consumers through social media and serving others through the Travis Burkhart Foundation, proving that purpose doesn't end when a farming career does.

This is a conversation about resilience, stewardship, and discovering that some of life's greatest harvests happen long after the last crop is planted.

A few things we discuss:

•  Growing up and farming through the 1970s and 1980s 
•  The Farm Crisis and its lasting lessons 
•  Why off-farm income shouldn't carry a stigma 
•  Cash rent, consolidation, and the changing structure of agriculture 
•  The impact of Travis Burkhart's accident on the family and farm 
•  Retirement, purpose, and serving others through the Travis Burkhart Foundation 
•  Lessons every generation of farmers can learn

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Agriculture today faces many of the same pressures it did during the 1980s farm crisis—but the solutions may look very different.

In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, I sit down with Purdue agricultural economist Dr. Michael Langemeier to discuss how modern farm businesses can navigate low margins, rising costs, global competition, and generational transition.

Our conversation explores the difference between strong balance sheets and healthy cash flow, why working capital matters more than ever, and how strategic planning is becoming just as important as production efficiency. We also discuss the growing influence of Brazil in global agriculture, the challenges of succession planning, and why many farms need to think more like businesses without losing what makes family agriculture unique.

We finish with a fascinating discussion on artificial intelligence, lifelong learning, and how new technologies may help producers make better decisions in an increasingly complex industry.

Topics include:

• Comparing today's farm economy to the 1980s farm crisis
 • Cash flow, debt, and working capital management
 • Strategic risk versus production risk
 • Value-added agriculture and competitive advantage
 • Accrual accounting and financial decision-making
 • Family business transitions and succession planning
 • AI, decision support, and the future of farm management
 • Why lifelong learning remains agriculture's greatest advantage

Dr. Michael Langemeier is a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University and a leader within the Center for Commercial Agriculture. His work focuses on farm management, financial performance, strategic planning, and producer decision-making.

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What Has the Modern Swine Industry Gained… and What Has It Quietly Lost? | Dr. Doug Newcom

The modern swine industry has never been more productive. Weaning rates are higher, pigs grow faster, feed efficiency continues to improve, and genetic tools are more powerful than ever.

But progress comes with tradeoffs.

In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, Jim Smith sits down with Dr. Doug Newcom, Vice President of Genetics and Technology at the National Swine Registry, to explore how the pork industry has evolved over the past four decades—and what may have been left behind along the way.

The conversation moves from genetic selection and reproductive efficiency to pork quality, resilience, stockmanship, youth development, and the future of the industry. Doug shares perspectives from a career that spans seedstock production, genetic evaluation, international swine genetics, and leadership within the National Swine Registry. 

Topics include:

• How the industry increased pigs born alive from 10 to 14–16 pigs per litter
 • Why pork quality and eating experience still matter
 • What great breeders recognized before the data proved it
 • Efficiency versus resilience in modern production systems
 • The decline of independent seedstock producers and the impact of industry consolidation
 • Why youth livestock programs remain critical to agriculture's future
 • Lessons from promoting U.S. swine genetics around the world, including China, Vietnam, South Africa, and beyond
 • What gives Doug optimism about the future of the pork industry 

If you've ever wondered whether agriculture can become more efficient without losing the qualities that made it successful in the first place, this conversation is worth your time.

Guest: Dr. Doug Newcom
Vice President, Genetics & Technology

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What happens when a hog farmer, feed industry veteran, and former National Pork Producers Council president looks across the entire pork supply chain?

In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, I sit down with Lori Stevermer to explore the connections between production, nutrition, policy, trade, and consumer confidence.

Drawing from decades in the feed industry with Wayne Feeds, Hubbard Feeds, and Alltech, along with her leadership at NPPC, Lori shares a perspective that spans from the slat level to Washington, D.C.

We discuss:

• Why consumers need confidence in the food system
 • The growing role of choice in pork production and marketing
 • What COVID revealed about our food supply chain
 • Why trade matters far beyond pork chops and bacon
 • The importance of Canada, Mexico, and international markets to U.S. pork producers
 • Labor challenges facing agriculture over the next decade
 • How ASF, global disease pressure, and biosecurity shape industry decisions
 • Why agriculture sometimes struggles to slow down and think

Along the way, Lori reflects on leadership, running, balancing industry service with farm life, and the importance of meeting consumers where they are.

Whether you're involved in pork production, agriculture policy, animal nutrition, or simply interested in how complex systems actually work, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at the people and decisions behind modern agriculture.

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Tom Kingery grew up in agriculture, judged livestock at Purdue University, taught middle and high school ag education for 15 years, and now helps prepare the next generation of agriculture teachers at Western Kentucky University.

In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, Jim and Tom reconnect decades after traveling together on Purdue’s 1992 livestock judging team to discuss how agricultural education has changed — and what today’s students still need from teachers, parents, and the industry itself.

The conversation explores:

•  Why many students today lack the confidence and hands-on experiences previous generations developed naturally 
•  The growing disconnect between “college-for-all” messaging and the reality of skilled trades demand 
•  Why agriculture programs risk overlooking the “lost middle” students who are neither struggling nor standout academic stars 
•  The value of FFA, livestock judging, shop classes, and career-focused education 
•  Why skilled trades like welding, HVAC, electrical work, and equipment technology may offer stronger opportunities than many traditional four-year degrees 
•  The challenge of balancing STEM-focused education with practical career preparation 
•  How social media and technology are reshaping communication, learning, and student engagement 
•  Why relationships, relevance, and rigor still matter in the classroom 

Tom also shares how Western Kentucky University emphasizes hands-on agricultural experiences — from cutting hay and fixing fence to developing real-world teaching labs — to prepare students for careers in agriculture education, animal science, agronomy, and beyond.

This episode is not just about education. It is a broader conversation about workforce development, agriculture’s future, rural culture, and what happens when society loses respect for skilled labor and practical knowledge.

If you care about agriculture, education, workforce development, FFA, skilled trades, or the future of rural America, this conversation will challenge you to think deeper about how we prepare the next generation.

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In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, Jim sits down with fellow Purdue FarmHouse brother Lee Stanish — proprietor and pitmaster of Eddie Joe’s Icehouse near Lafayette, Indiana — for a conversation about leadership, responsibility, and the changing realities of managing people.

Lee shares perspectives shaped by agriculture, Purdue, FarmHouse leadership, and nearly a decade of restaurant ownership. The discussion explores employee expectations, resiliency, staffing challenges, personality differences, leadership without authority, and what it was like helping lead the effort to tear down and rebuild the Purdue FarmHouse chapter house.

This is not a conversation about barbecue recipes or résumé highlights. It is a thoughtful discussion about people — how they work, what motivates them, and how leadership changes when the outcome ultimately rests on your shoulders.

Topics include:

• Managing employees in today’s labor environment
• Leadership lessons from FarmHouse and the Purdue chapter house project
• Building teams in restaurants and volunteer organizations
• Resiliency, work ethic, and changing expectations
• Personality testing and understanding team dynamics
• The difference between operating a business and owning one

If you enjoy conversations about leadership, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and human nature, this episode will make you think.

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What does the future of the U.S. pork industry really look like?

In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, swine nutritionists Jim Smith and Dr. Trey Kellner from AMVC discuss the biggest challenges facing modern pork production—and surprisingly, very little of the conversation centers on actual pig diets. 

Instead, this conversation explores the larger forces shaping the future of the swine industry, including:

•  Swine nutrition and feed strategy 
•  Pork industry labor shortages 
•  Capital requirements for modern sow farms and finishing barns 
•  Agricultural leadership development 
•  Training the next generation of swine nutritionists 
•  Communication inside pork production systems 
•  Feed mill operations and execution 
•  Graduate education and soft skills in agriculture 
•  Mental health and pressure in agriculture 
•  The future of pork production in the United States 

Dr. Kellner shares insight from working across multiple pork production systems, feed mills, ingredient programs, and business units while balancing formulation strategy, manufacturing logistics, labor challenges, economics, and team leadership. 

Jim and Trey also discuss:

•  Why capital access may become one of the defining issues in pork production 
•  How labor shortages are reshaping swine operations 
•  Why execution matters more than perfect feed formulations 
•  The growing importance of leadership and communication skills for animal science graduates 
•  How modern swine nutritionists must balance economics, logistics, people management, and production realities—not just amino acid levels 

The conversation also takes a deeper turn into mentorship, pressure, work-life balance, and the emotional weight often carried by leaders in agriculture. 

Whether you work in swine nutrition, pork production, feed manufacturing, animal agriculture, agribusiness, or agricultural leadership, this episode offers a thoughtful look at where the pork industry may be headed over the next 10 to 30 years.

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There’s a lot of noise in agriculture right now.

From ag media to Washington, depending on who you listen to, we’re either heading into a financial crisis… or standing on the edge of a golden age.

But what if the real story isn’t either of those?

In this episode, I sit down with Shay Foulk of Ag View Solutions — a farmer and consultant who works directly inside the numbers of real farm operations through Profit Manager and peer groups.

He’s not reacting to headlines. He’s seeing what’s actually happening.

We start with a simple but uncomfortable question:

Are we in a true crisis… or are we seeing a growing gap between strong operators and those that are struggling?

From there, the conversation moves into the places most farms don’t openly talk about:

•  Why some operations are pulling ahead while others are falling behind 
•  The reality of cost of production — and how many actually know it 
•  The disconnect between tax accounting and real decision-making 
•  How household spending quietly shapes farm profitability 
•  Why “people would rather be happy than informed” when it comes to their numbers 
•  The role of peer groups, accountability, and getting off the “island” 

We also get into the harder conversations around transition planning, family dynamics, and what happens when farms operate as families first and businesses second.

Shay brings a perspective shaped by farming, consulting, and military experience — blending discipline, preparation, and decision-making into how he approaches both business and life.

And by the end, we land somewhere different than where we started.

Maybe the golden age of agriculture isn’t something happening out there…

Maybe it’s something that gets built — or missed — on your own farm.

🔗 Connect with Shay Foulk & Ag View Solutions

Ag View Solutions:
 https://www.agviewsolutions.com/

Farm Profit Manager:
 https://farmprofitmanager.app/

Ag View Pitch Podcast:
 https://www.agviewsolutions.com/podcasts

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When I started the Patio Pondering Podcast, there were a handful of conversations I hoped I might get to have someday. This is one of them.

In this episode, I sit down with Shaun Haney, founder of RealAgriculture, to talk about something a little different than production, nutrition, or markets.

We talk about how agriculture thinks about itself.

Shaun has spent the last 15+ years building RealAgriculture into one of the most recognized voices in ag media—starting with a camcorder and an instinct that the industry was ready for something different.

Our conversation covers:

•  What questions agriculture should be asking—but isn’t 
•  How RealAgriculture grew in what many saw as a “mature” media space 
•  The role of timing, technology, and simply getting started 
•  Why velocity and consistency matter more than perfection 
•  The challenge of balancing attention, depth, and relevance in today’s media environment 
•  How audience behavior—not intention—drives what gets covered 

We also spend time on Shaun’s role in the Friday Roundtable on AgriTalk AM with Chip Flory, and how his Canadian perspective shapes the way he interprets U.S. agriculture.

That leads into a broader discussion on:

•  The changing role of media in agriculture 
•  Why perspective matters as much as information 
•  The importance of hearing multiple viewpoints—even the ones we disagree with 
•  And where agriculture may be headed in the next 10 years 

Shaun also shares his personal journey—from production agriculture to media—and what it took to leave the farm and build something entirely different.

We wrap up with the Five Signature Questions, covering everything from Henry Wallace’s legacy to why agriculture may be one of the most capital-intensive, misunderstood industries in the world.

Closing Thought

This is not a conversation about how to farm better.

It’s a conversation about how we understand agriculture—and how that understanding shapes the decisions being made across the industry every day.

If you’re interested in how the story of agriculture gets told—and why that matters—this is one you’ll want to listen to.