When you think of the midwest, you may not think of “black gold,” but maybe you won’t discount it after this episode. Special and returning guest Matt Smorch joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Matt is the President and CEO of CountryMark Cooperative.  

Matt joins us to discuss the quality of CountryMark diesel and fuel and what sets them apart from other suppliers in the area. In addition to speaking about blue hydrogen, Matt will put on his chemical engineering hat and share about the ISO Technology that is used to help increase the quality of their diesel fuel and add power and cetane while still keeping exceptional winter performance. You’ll also learn about the refinery in Mount Vernon, Indiana that processes 35,000 barrels of crude oil from Indiana each day. For many reasons including their use of soybeans in their biodiesel and renewable diesel, you’ll learn how CountryMark stands behind growers. “We’re a cooperative, so when we make money, it helps all of Ag in Indiana and the money stays here.”

Is there more roadwork happening or does it just feel that way?  Special guest Josh Haley joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Josh is the CEO at Temple & Temple Excavating and Paving in Salem, Indiana.

Josh, Jeff, and Sal will explore how Josh went from a general laborer to the CEO of Temple & Temple, an excavation business that’s been around for over 75 years.  From underground work to roadways and epoxy coating, Josh will share the variety of jobs Temple & Temple can complete.  You’ll also learn about the roadwork cycle and they’ll shed some light into why it seems there’s an increasing amount of road construction these days.  Josh will also share how his company faced labor challenges head on by forming a partnership with local high schools to help students become licensed and skilled operators.  If you’re considering a career in excavation and paving, you’ll want to tune in! 

Considering skipping that treated Nitrogen application next year? Stu Hirt and Cody Hornaday join hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Stu is the Territory Business Manager and Cody is the Technical Agronomist for Koch Agronomic Services. Though they’re rookies to the podcast, Sal and Jeff have known them for a long time, so they’re no strangers to Premier.

In addition to hearing how Stu and Cody ended up working for Koch Agronomic Services, you’ll learn about the three main forms of nitrogen loss and how Koch Agronomic Services can help protect against that loss.  You’ll also learn about volatilization inhibitors,symptoms of nitrogen deficiency, how nutrients are all connected, and why the data shows that more untreated Nitrogen actually drives losses higher instead of protecting a lower amount. Think of Nitrogen as an insurance policy. “If I could get you 12 to 15, sometimes 20 bushel more off of treated Nitrogen versus untreated Nitrogen, I mean, to me that’s a no-brainer.”

What’s happening when your alfalfa field has been treated but still becomes a weevil buffet?  Brand new guest, Erika Rodbell, PhD, joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Dr. Rodbell is the Forage Research Agronomist at Forage Genetics International, and she’s here to discuss the dreaded alfalfa weevil.  

Dr. Rodbell will share how she went from speaking at a conference to becoming an employee of Forage Genetics International on a podcast discussing weevils.  You’ll learn about the different types of weevils across the United States and why the insecticides that used to work 20 years ago are no longer as effective.  If you have resistance to pyrethroids, Dr. Rodbell will discuss the alternatives on the market including indoxacarb and spinosad and the differences between them.  From cultural to mechanical and biological control strategies, you’ll learn what people can do outside the application of insecticides.  If you’re interested in learning more about the various traits on the market today, visit HarvXtra.com to get some insight on what kind of investment that could be for your operation.

We’re talking about AI, but it might not be the AI you’re thinking of.  Returning guest Kyle Schonert joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Kyle is the Field Marketing Director for WinField United, and he’s here to talk with us about the tariff landscape as it relates to active ingredients.

If you’ve ever wondered where all of our finished products in our insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides come from and what the tariffs have done to the overall costs in this realm, Kyle will break all of those down for us today.  Jeff, Sal, and Kyle will also dig into some of the surprising places the tariffs show up and why communication and planning ahead with your retailer matter more than ever.  From tackling supply concerns to discussing the risks of failing to plan, this episode is packed with insights on how global trade decisions trickle all the way down to the farm.

Cows can lose over 100 pounds per night, but how?  Special and returning guest Ryan Batt has taken Jeff and Sal out of the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  As you may remember, Ryan is the Facility Manager for United Producers Inc, and they’re coming to us from the Little York Livestock Market.

In addition to learning how and why a single cow can lose that much weight overnight, you’ll learn how the animals are stored prior to going to the sale ring and what it takes to run a busy market day.  You’ll hear about the various types of livestock sales they handle in Little York, m and Ryan will also educate the listeners about preconditioned calves.  We know that cattle numbers are low, but what does that mean for the future markets and livestock numbers overall?  

Guess who’s back.  Glenn’s back!  Sal Sama is the solo host today joined by special guest, Glenn Longabaugh, for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  As you may already know, Glenn is the Technical Agronomist here at Premier Companies, and he’s here to share a 2025 harvest update.

What’s the green stem phenomenon?  Glenn will explain what’s happening with delayed senescence and the factors involved.  He’ll also tell us why our corn has gotten so tall this year and why he believes yield will be strong this season.  Sal and Glenn will discuss why each grower should consider doing a push test on their corn and how that could help prioritize harvest to minimize yield losses.  You’ll also learn how drying corn can help prevent fungi from continuing to degrade stored corn and why growers should be considering maintaining phosphorus levels based on what was removed by the crop.  This is another episode you’re not going to want to miss!

“Everyone’s wondering where’s this market gonna go?”  Sal’s the lone host for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, but he’s in good company with fan favorite Aaron Bledsoe joining him in the podcast room.  If you’ve been around the podcast for any amount of time, you already know Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, and he’s the person growers want to hear from when it comes to market news.

From acreage surprises to August’s lack of rain, Sal and Aaron will talk through the findings of the most recent WASDE report.  You’ll learn what’s changed with yield, harvested acres, and usage, and Aaron will share how that will impact the grower.  You’ll also hear about how our domestic use is the bright side to the entire situation and how it provides insulation on the demand side.  If you’re a grower who’s feeling undersold or like you need to get some risk off the table, you’re going to want to tune in!

How can you identify tar spot from 90 feet above a field?  With Taranis!  We’ve got three special guests, Luke Schnitker, Brad Roberts, and Cory Edge, joining host Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Luke is celebrating a recent promotion to Director of Crop Protection and Seed with Premier Companies.  Brad is the Regional Account Manager and Cory is the Customer Success Representative for Taranis, a precision agriculture company focused on helping growers increase efficiency and yield with their crop and farm management software.

On today’s episode, you’ll hear how each guest ended up in their current roles and why Luke isn’t going to rock a mustache.  Brad and Cory will also share how Taranis is able to utilize their drones to scout their fields and why it offers more information to a grower than just seeing the crop from a four wheeler.  You’ll also learn about the history of Taranis, how they hire their drone pilots, and get a glimpse into where AI could be utilized more in the agriculture industry.  “Scouting for us is being able to see every acre and then being able to understand what’s happening at the leaf level.”

Why does soil sampling depth matter?  Host Sal Sama is joined in the podcast room by special guests, Drew Schumacher and Blake Albrecht.  Drew is the co-founder and CEO of ROGO Ag, a high accuracy soil sampling company, and Blake is the TRAX Agronomy Lead West at Premier Companies.  

You’ll hear about Drew’s career path and how he went from working in mechanical engineering to founding a business in the agriculture industry.  You’ll also learn about Blake’s path to Premier Ag and the many hats he wears for the company, including his work with the TRAX department.  You’ll learn about soil sampling and how Rogo Ag can remove the human error element in soil sampling and help farmers learn how to apply fertilizer more accurately.  Soil sampling is something that needs to be taken very seriously.  “It’s the foundation for so many decisions that get made until the next sample rotation comes around…”