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…”

What have we learned from the 2025 answer plots?  While Jeff is probably off doing his hair, host Sal Sama is joined in the podcast room by the fan favorite, Glenn Longabaugh.  Glenn is famous for being the Technical Agronomist for Premier Companies, and he’s also an amateur investigator for crop damage caused by animals.  

Glenn will share about the success they’ve had with this year’s answer plot participation and the information he’s been able to share with area growers regarding getting more from your crop protection spend, nutrition, and ag technology.  Glenn will also share why he feels growers should frontload their herbicide applications to help get control of weeds and the work he and his team have done on red crown rot which is a soil borne pathogen.  “We are well respected at Premier amongst the basic manufacturers for being able to make these kinds of trials and help collect data on this sort of thing, and it should tell our growers that we’re in a leadership position, that we’re actively looking for solutions for their problems…”

What do the northern lights have to do with farming equipment?  Jay Rieckers joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Jay is the Service Manager and in large equipment sales at Jacobi Sales and Service.

You’ll learn about Jay’s career path and what led to him moving from equipment service to selling for Jacobi, even at Taekwondo. From equipment that can plant at 10 miles an hour to other equipment that has the ability to apply two different fertilizer prescriptions simultaneously and manage downforce, you’ll be astounded by the changes that have occurred in agriculture equipment over the last couple of decades.  Sal, Jeff, and Jay will dig into the connection between northern lights and farming equipment in addition to discussing draper header versus auger headers.  Whether you’re a grower or just an equipment fanatic, you’ll love this episode!

There’s something exciting about this episode!  It’s number 200!  To help us celebrate, special guest Harold Cooper joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama in the podcast room.  As you may remember from previous episodes, Harold is the CEO of Premier Companies who’s been with the podcast from the very beginning and with the company for about 25 years.

You’ll hear what it was like to get the podcast running, why he appreciates hearing some of the top players in the agriculture industry in the podcast setting, and what he sees from his standpoint regarding the recent changes in the agriculture industry.  We’ll also learn about how the character and values in those who first started the company help Premier lead as they look to move forward.  From County Mark’s investment into turning soybean oil into renewable diesel fuel to the future in agriculture with robotics, you’ll learn how growers can be supported and markets can be expanded under the same values that existed when Premier Companies was started.  “We really are… positioned very, very well to help those farmers and help this company not only survive but succeed and be different and better in this ever-changing future that we’re gonna have.”