The Business of Agriculture Podcast

For six decades, American Agriculture ran a trade surplus — meaning, we sold more dollars worth of Ag products to other countries than we bought. That's changed. American Ag has run a trade deficit (bought more than we sold) four of the last six years. A record trade imbalance of $32 Billion is projected for 2024. Why is American Agriculture at a trade imbalance? Hint: Low corn and soybean prices combined with Americans' love of coffee, sugar, tequila, and avocados is part of the problem. John Newton, Chief Economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry talks trade with Damian Mason!

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

Farming is a business. Complete with a lot of moving parts, huge capital investment, and low margins. Adding in the trend toward farm consolidation, those larger farms that remain are left feeling a bit isolated. What's a forward-looking farmer to do? Join a professional peer group where you get business advice, information, and feedback from other farming operations similar to yours. Chris Barron with Ag View Solutions explains how his Ag peer groups function to benefit farmers. Chris is joined by farmer, ag business owner, and peer group member Brad Downing.

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

Agriculture has been consolidating for almost a century. There were 6.8 million American farms in 1935, today, less than 2 million. About 160,000 of those two million American farms do the bulk of the heavy lifting, production wise, with more than 90% of farm revenue. Consolidation has been the norm in not only production Agriculture but also on the business side. From farm machinery, to genetics, chemistry, and retail, there are fewer players today than in past decades. As we head into a declining Ag income cycle, consolidations will increase, based on historical precedent. But what are the limitations of consolidation? Landus CEO Matt Carstens joins Damian Mason for a lively Business of Agriculture episode!

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

Big companies have gotten bigger in Agriculture, generally by acquiring, or merging with, other companies. Consolidation in the Business of Agriculture has been going on for decades and it's likely to continue. The question is: Who benefits from consolidation in the Agriculture industry? Damian Mason asks Corteva's Jim Davis that question, amid many other frank inquiries in this very interesting discussion. This is the first release in a two part series digging into consolidation in Agriculture.

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

For years Agriculture has prioritized production, transport-ability, appearance, and efficiency in the food we make. But what about nutrients? Did nutrient content of food get relegated to the back seat? Somewhat, and that's changing, as consumers demand tastier, more nutritious food. University of Florida professor, farmer, and podcast host Kevin Folta joins Damian Mason on the Business of Agriculture for an intelligent discussion about the nutrient content of food. From McDonald's to Wal-Mart, trends and preferences are evolving. The future of food and nutrition will be impacted by policy, healthcare, and consumer demand. Navigating the change is Ag's next challenge.

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

The last twenty years have been very good ones — financially speaking — for American Agriculture. The last three years 2021, '22, and '23 are the highest farm income years ever in both nominal and inflation adjusted, real dollars. Now, in 2024, we face a revenue downturn. While commodity prices are OK, input prices remain elevated. This scenario is setting up a financial breakeven for producers. What does this mean for all of us and what can crafty operators do to remain financially viable? John Maman with Nutrien Financial, and Nutrien Chief Economist Jason Newton share data along with financial recommendations in this 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

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

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

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

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