The Business of Agriculture Podcast

To grow crops, you need seed, as such seed is a big business within the business of Ag. Like all things, technology is changing how we plant and even the seed that we plant. Three seed professionals sit down with me to discuss changes they see happening in the seed biz and take a look at where genetics and seed sales may go in the future. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Sustainability has, frankly, been mostly a marketing phrase for well over a decade. But that's changing amid increasing demands from consumers and governments to "be sustainable." Companies are pushing their ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) standards onto their producers. Meaning, farmers will be held to certain production practices to be allowed to sell their products. That's where Hummingbird Technologies comes in — they're the verification arm for large Ag companies and they use artificial intelligence to do it. Listen to founder Will Wells explain where Ag is and where it's going in relation to sustainability. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

We waste about 35% of the food we produce. In poor countries it's more due to lack of infrastructure, in affluent countries it's because food is cheap and easy to discard. But there's an environmental cost that will increasingly become an issue. Re-Nuble is an Ag startup that seeks to prevent food waste while giving an assist to indoor Agriculture. The company harvests vegetative waste and turns it into a pasteurized, pathogen free fertility product for soil-less indoor farming operations. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

No, we're not talking about pretend meat in this episode. We're talking lentils, peas, and beans and their potential growth opportunity as a food and crop category. Lionel Kambeitz, CEO and co-founder of Above Food, explains his company's role in providing improved plant protein products to a hungry marketplace. He discusses food tribalism, the concept of "naturally regenerative" crops, and the five specifications his company requires of their contract farmers. In many ways this is a discussion about where food production and marketing is headed, beyond plant proteins. Sponsored by LandTrust landtrust.com

Bobbi Brockmann, VP of Sales for Immucell, manages 9 field sales reps as well as the behind the scenes staff who cover the entire country calling (principally) on dairy operations. She joins me to discuss how changes in scale, size, and management of farms has changed how companies go to business. What do Ag sales people do in a world adapting to online commerce, where simply showing up with an order form won't cut it? As a seasoned veteran, adapting to succeed in marketing and sales, Ms. Brockmann shares her five success traits and much more. Bonus: a dire prediction about the future of Ag Sales — half of those who do it, won't be necessary soon!

Business, in very simple terms, is the act of exploiting one's resources to create something of value. For production Agriculture this means utilizing the sun, water, and soil, along with inputs to create a crop. But how do you know how much and which resources to apply? Turns out there's a great deal of analysis and consultation that goes on behind the scenes of a productive Agricultural operation. The leadership of Brookside Laboratories joins me to discuss resource management with a member of their Amplify consultant network. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

At this point in 2020, Ag was receiving the first of two rounds of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and things looked a bit bleak. Today, commodity prices are roaring, farm land prices are surging, and farm income projections may enter record territory. But, is this merely the leading edge of hyper inflation for the overall economy? And what about those land prices — they are actually dropping in the west due to water, not productivity or the economy. How will labor cost adjustments and grocery prices impact The Business of Agriculture? Curt Covington with AgAmerica Lending joins me for an informative discussion. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

Eric Snodgrass has a title long enough to fill the front and back of his business card. Basically, he's a weather dude, atmospheric scientist, and former professor. Eric joins me to discuss climate reality. What's happening with the weather, what it means for Agriculture, and why blaming bovines for green house gasses is like ordering a Diet Coke to wash down your 10,000 calorie buffet dinner. We cover a lot of ground in this very entertaining episode. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

Twice in the last year we've faced a major disruption to our meat supply. The first due to Covid closing packing facilities, the second due to a Cyber attack last week on JBS - the world's largest meat processing company. What does this mean for producers and consumers? More importantly, are these disruptions an expected symptom of an oligopolistic meat packing industry? Brad Kooima, a beef producer, commodity trader, grain farmer, and National Cattleman's Beef Association officer joins me to discuss problems with the protein processing industry from his perspective. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

A lot has changed rapidly when it comes to farm level finances. Commodity prices in grains have doubled in less than a year, while beef producers are getting hammered and pork producers are getting ahead (for now). I sit down with two Ag lenders with American State Bank, a Northwest Iowa community bank with approximately a $400 million balance of Ag loans. Their region is huge in livestock production and touts some of the best farm land in America. Eric Haveman and Josh Metzger provide perspective on farm finances and the Business of Agriculture. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com