The Business of Agriculture Podcast

You probably don't think much about duration of milking time for a cow or how protein content might vary from one cow's milk to another. But if you're a dairy farmer, these are the sort of things that can keep you profitable. Technological application along with rapid increases in data analysis is happening on modern dairy farms. Dr. Jeffrey Bewley of U.S. Registered Holsteins explains the cool stuff his organization is working on to make cows better and the lives of dairy farmers better. The bonus: consumers get tasty dairy products and less natural resources are used to produce milk. Give this a listen! Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

When Tyrel Obrecht left his banking job to return to the family ranch in Turner, Montana, he knew he needed to increase the ranch's revenue. Could selling carbon credits to improve the ranch's infrastructure be the answer? Tyrel and his father, Sam, are about to find out. They've teamed up with the Western Sustainability Exchange (WSE) to make grazing changes and add improvements which helped them secure a carbon contract with Native Energy Project. Tyrel, Sam, and Chris Mehus of WSE join me to explain how they're using carbon to grow revenue and improve the ranch. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Inflation is upon us, now the only question is: For how long and how much will prices keep accelerating? This is a challenge for every business, especially production Agriculture, which operates on thin margins and involves the acquisition and application of a lot of expensive inputs. To successfully navigate the pricing turmoil, you need to know why prices are increasing and strategies to employ to guarantee you have the inputs you need come spring. This is a panel discussion featuring a manufacturer, retailer, and farmer — Darla Huff with Advanced Drainage Systems, Jon Gilbert with Agtegra, and Lee Lubbers of Lubbers Farms. ** This is a joint episode with XtremeAg's Cutting The Curve podcast, which I'm producing for them. Check out more farm relevant content at XtremeAg.farm! Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

If you haven't heard of the oilseed Camelina, join the club. It's reportedly similar to canola and it's pushers believe it has big potential as an ingredient in bioplastics — i.e. plastics that won't clog up our landfills for centuries or leach out as petroleum byproducts. This, combined with the plant's winter planting season, make it an option for cover cropping as well as fitting into a future of carbon capture for profit (or by regulatory decree). Dr. Oliver Peoples, cofounder of Yield10Bio, joins me to explain this new crop and discuss its potential future. Is it too good to be true or will we be planting Camelina in a few years?

John Hansen worked for Ted Turner's ranching venture long enough to see that buffalo breeding stock wasn't going to match the billionaire's TV ventures. He did see, however, the benefit for land and landowner in paying attention to the ecology of one's land resource. Now Mr. Hansen works for LandTrust. He joins me to discuss how agri-tourism can increase supplemental revenue for rural landowners. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Jayson Menke of Acres and Shares discusses the sugar beet business and provides a North Dakota perspective on Ag. His company brokers agricultural real estate as well as shares of stock in American Crystal Sugar. Did you know the majority of sugar consumed in America is derived from beets (not cane)? Jayson and I cover everything from land prices to canola in this episode — pull up a chair! Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

BDA Farms, a 6,000 acre operation in Uniontown, Alabama, quit conventional row crop farming to pursue direct to consumer Agriculture. The operation has grown into other categories. The farm produces grass fed beef and lamb, and pasture raised pork and eggs. BDA also grows organic vegetables on ten acres that continues to expand and runs three lodging facilities for Agri-tourism. Mark Harris, a former farmer turned CEO and Allen Williams, a former Mississippi State professor turned farming partner explain their business. And no, BDA isn't just some rich guy's passion project — it's a for profit business. I know because I asked! Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

When you dig into your pork chop you probably aren't thinking about the boar semen and breeding sow that made that pork chop so delicious. But if you want to know about the fascinating, behind the scenes work that goes on in Agriculture to produce tasty meat in a hugely efficient manner, listen to this. Meat starts with genetics from the sire and dam and this episode will explain it all. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

I have long held the opinion that the United Nations is an activist organization not unlike PETA or the Environmental Working Group. The notable exception being that the U.N.'s funding comes from taxpayers of its wealthy nation members. In anticipation of this Fall's COP26 summit on climate change, the U.N. released another of its studies, which usually paint Agriculture as environmental evil doer. Todd Thurman joins me to share the real facts about Ag's environmental footprint and explains how modern farming practices can benefit the environment. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

We've come a long way from yesterday's tractors and farm equipment. Technologically, environmentally, and from the basis of what the machine can accomplish. Matt Ramage and Karl Huebner with Hutson, Inc — a chain of John Deere dealerships, join me to discuss the farm equipment business. We're paying roughly $1,000 per one rating of horsepower — what is the ROI and what are these machines doing now compared to just a few decades ago? Are autonomous implements coming? (answer: yes, but how soon) Are electric tractors far off? Will we consolidate the machinery biz even more? We discuss all this and more. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com