Mike Way started his Ag career selling citrus upon graduating from Fresno State. A few years later, he hopped over to vegetables with a few partners. Today he is the CEO and half owner of Prime Time — a California-based grower / shipper / packer of produce specializing mostly in peppers. Mike explains the challenges of providing year-round vegetables to the food service and retail marketplace while also navigating California’s increasingly anti-Ag policies. Both of those challenges spurred his business to expand into Mexico. Chances are, you’ve eaten a Prime Time pepper. If you’re looking for the story behind that pepper, here it is. Sponsored by:  Pattern Ag pattern.ag  AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com  Truterra truterraag.com

299 - Prime Time Pepper Production

Damian travels all over the globe talking to audiences about trends in the business of food, fuel, and fiber. With his clever wit and down-to-earth delivery, he has turned these topics into an interesting (and sometimes controversial) podcast.

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In production Agriculture we tend to over manage for some pathogens — corn root worm for instance — while under managing for others such as Fusarium. Mike Tweedy with PatternAg cites his company's recent finding in a certain geography where Fusarium — a disease for which we generally under manage — caused an average of 30 lost bushels. As commodity prices squeeze farm profit margins, managing against disease loss is critical. What if you can do so proactively? Mike and Damian discuss predictive agronomics, bio-fertility, nutrient uptake, and the ineffectiveness of most crop scouting (hint: It’s more an autopsy than a doctor visit!). The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com  

343 - Technology to Mitigate Crop Loss Risk

Money was pouring into Agricultural startups a few years ago. What’s the investment climate look like now? Damian Mason is joined by Business Transaction Attorney Max Bremer on this episode of The Business of Agriculture. They discuss money flow into Ag, the pace of mergers and acquisitions, and how legislation is pushing some consolidation. The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com  

342 - Money, Mergers & Cage Free Eggs — The Investment Climate in Ag

Most people don’t hold investment money in the Ag commodity space. That may be changing as investing in things like corn is made easier via ETFs — exchange traded funds. Jake Hanley with Teucrium explains the oftentimes complex commodities trading industry and how his company is simplifying — or as Damian Mason says “democratizing” — commodity investing. Whether you’re looking to diversify into alternative investments or not, you should listen to this information-packed episode of The Business of Agriculture. The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com  

341 - Exchange Traded Funds for Agricultural Commodities

Fruits and vegetables have been bred over the past half century for the primary objective of transportability and shelf life. The tradeoff: taste and nutrient density. As marketplaces mature and consumers are afforded increasing food options in the produce section, might a play toward taste, nutrition, and reduced food waste be a winner? Nathan Pumplin, CEO of Norfolk Healthy Produce thinks so. He explains his company’s proprietary purple tomato (you read that right, it’s purple!) and its myriad benefits — reduced food waste, novelty appeal, flavor, and above all, nutrient density. Another fun discussion with Damian Mason about food, production, and the business side of Agriculture. The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com  

340 - Purple Tomatoes, Taste, Waste, Nutritive Value & Much More

Most of the fertilizer applied to fields, doesn’t actually get absorbed by the plant. That’s an economic as well as environmental liability for Agriculture. Technological advances in adjuvants, fertilizer amendments and biologicals aim to change farming. In this episode of The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason, Clark Bell, CEO of NanoYield talks to Damian Mason about technology that maximizes efficacy of products we already use in Ag — fertilizer and herbicide — while allowing a reduction in applied rates. The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com  

299 - Prime Time Pepper Production

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