RFK Jr. as head of Health and Human Services will oversee the Food and Drug Administration and will have a role in setting food policy in the United States. Will RFK “Un-Fauci” our food system? And what exactly is meant by “Fauci’d,” you ask? When a bureaucrat uses fraudulent science to achieve political outcomes, enhance his power, and collaborate with corporations to earn profits, that’s the "Fauci Factor." Believe it or not, our food was “Fauci’d” beginning in the 1950s. Will RFK eradicate the bad science and corporate interests making us unhealthy? Or will his organic zealotry and opposition to seed oils make matters worse? Damian Mason delves into those questions and possible outcomes in this special edition of The Business of Agriculture, recorded in Damian’s kitchen!

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com

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Vance Crowe and Damian Mason have spoken to hundreds of thousands of Agricultural audience members. In this fun and fast moving discussion, they share "behind the scenes” stories from their careers on stage at Ag meetings all over the world. How do you handle a disagreeable audience? Why should you never actually write a speech? What makes for a good or bad audience? Have you ever bombed? (Anyone who says they haven’t is a liar!) What’s hard about the speaking biz that most people don’t see? Damian and Vance cover all that and more in this friendly and entertaining edition 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

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As production Agriculture moves from banner years economically to a downturn, what changes will we see on the land front? Presumably values decline as other asset classes compete for investor dollars as the farm belt tightens amid lower commodity prices. Couple that with a dying generation handing off farm assets to disinterested, non-farming heirs and we could see hefty changes in Ag country — from shifting land use to idling of ground to big capital buying up property. Mike Downey with Uncommon Farms and author of the More Than Dirt blog joins Damian Mason for outlook mixed with a hint of sentimentality.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com

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We in Agriculture are told, “The low cost producer wins.” That’s been generally true for as long as anyone working in Ag today can remember. But what about moving forward? Will efficiency gains be enough to keep Agriculture profitable? No, they won’t be. The reason: Focusing on efficiency addresses supply, when our real problem moving forward will be stagnating demand. Agricultural consultant Todd Thurman joins Damian Mason for a compelling discussion about a mindset change for Agriculture.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com

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Beginning in the 1960s, Americans were told of the evils of saturated fat. From the 1970s through the ’90s, “low fat” was a can’t miss marketing slogan. Abstaining from meat, eggs, butter, and milk would keep us thin and stave off heart attacks, we were told. Grains and fiber were the answer for health and longevity, according to the experts. At one point the government’s food pyramid recommended 11 servings of grain per day. (Seriously? Livestock rations contain less grain!) Turns out, the so-called experts were wrong. Worse than just wrong, many of the experts have been lying to us, influenced by money from processed food companies, big pharma, and animal rights groups. Nina Teicholz, Nutrition Journalist and author of The Big Fat Surprise, joins Damian for this feast of truth about food, health, and consumption of animal-based fat.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com

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We’re in year one of an Agricultural economic downturn due to low commodity prices. How bad are things, really? Where - geographically - are the numbers worse and who’s holding up better? Curt Covington, with Ag America Lending joins Damian Mason for the third time on The Business of Agriculture show. Curt provides a letter grade on farm and lender financials from California almonds to Florida dairy to the Midwest corn and soy producer. What lies ahead? Tune in to find out!

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com

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The number of farming operations in the U.S. has dipped below 2 million for the first time since we became a developed nation. Peak farm — meaning the year we had the most operations — occurred in 1935 when we had 6.8 million farms with a farming population of 32 million. Of a national population of approximately 128 million, that means one in four Americans farmed.

Today, a few more than 3 million (about 1% of our current population) operate 1.9 million farming operations. Approximately five percent of America’s farms shut down or exit the business each year. Why do smaller farming entities close up shop? Is the trend reversible? Does it matter to our food system, our customers, or our national psyche? Brian Reisinger, author of Land Rich, Cash Poor joins Damian Mason for a lively discussion about Agricultural consolidation, the reasons for it, and what can be done to retain smaller farming operations. The big question: Does it matter or is consolidation just the natural flow of a maturing industry?

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved. Not available for AI.

Netafim, a subsurface drip irrigation maker, is teaming up with corporations eager to offset their water consumption. Through their Corporate Partnership Program, Netafim secures commitments from outside corporations to fund 50% or more of the cost of new irrigation installation on farms. Similar to carbon offset programs you may have heard about, in this arrangement farm owners agree to put in water efficient systems to reduce their irrigation load.  Large companies — from Google to Dr. Pepper — subsidize the on-farm project. Netafim North America President Mike Hemman explains the arrangement and shares his views of the future of corporate sustainability spending.  

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com

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What happens if Robert F. Kennedy, the self-described “extreme environmentalist” who rails against “factory farms,” is in charge of the Department of Agriculture? The trust fund heir turned environmental lawyer turned politician led the first lawsuits against Monsanto, and he’s on the record as saying we can end diabetes with organic food. Those are just a few of the alarm bells Damian Mason and his guest, Dr. Josh Miller cite in this discussion about misguided political movements and their impact on the Business of Agriculture.

If you don’t think this could happen, know this:

Robert F. Kennedy released video on October 14th standing in front of the USDA building in Washington, DC stating, "When @DonaldJTrump gets me inside the USDA, we're going to give farmers an off-ramp from the current system that destroys soil, makes people sick, and harms family farms.” This is part of RFK Junior’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign coinciding with the Trump campaign.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved. Not available for AI.

Will we get a new Farm Bill and if so, what will it look like? Damian Mason asks those questions and plenty more of his guest, Roger Cryan, Chief Economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation. Dr. Cryan and Damian provide a brief history of farm legislation (it dates back to the 1930’s) as well as a look ahead at what a future farm bill might include. Based on current administrative sentiment, anything involving “climate smart Agriculture” is in, as are nutrition programs, and permanent programs such as crop insurance. What’s not going to be a part of future farm legislation? Listen and find out!

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Truterra truterraag.com

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved. Not available for AI.