The Business of Agriculture Podcast

Just before Christmas 2024, the federal government unveiled a $31 billion aid package for American farmers—$10 billion in direct payments and $21 billion in disaster relief for the past two years. But here's the twist: even more funding might be on the horizon. In this episode, Damian Mason is joined by Paul Neiffer, the Farm CPA, and Chris Barron of Ag View Solutions for a deep-dive into the long-term effects of government farm payments. They explore how such payouts historically boost supply, sustain operations that might otherwise shutter, and often become a recurring fixture in agriculture. Tune in to understand the implications of these subsidies and what they mean for the future of farming.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by: Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com Gripp Gripp.ag

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

Chris Barron has weathered several Ag downturns as an Iowa farmer. He's also helped hundreds of farming operations succeed despite farm economy downturns as an Ag consultant with his company, Ag View Solutions. Chris joins Damian Mason to discuss the Business of Agriculture at the farm level, laying out strategies smart operators can deploy to — not only survive, but prosper — during a rocky farm economy patch.

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.

American consumption of beef — contrary to predictions otherwise — has held up amazingly well, despite beef prices outpacing the rate of general food inflation. 85% of that beef is processed by the "Big 4" packers. Looking ahead, what changes are coming for beef? Will smaller meat processors, backed by federal grants announced a few years ago, change the landscape? Will food inflation, environmentalist's lobbing, or the marketing of synthetic meat decrease beef consumption? What about direct-to-consumer beef production and niche beef companies — can they reach scale in a marketplace dominated by legacy producers? Jeff and Kara Smith with Colorado Craft Beef join Damian Mason in this lively discussion about the future of America's favorite meat.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.