Tell us why the market continues to do what it does!  Aaron Bledsoe is back in the podcast room with your hosts, Ryan Priest and Sal Sama, for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Aaron is no stranger to the podcast and is quite the fan favorite!  An aspiring gator hunter and well-known Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, he’s here to share his thoughts on all things connected to the most recent USDA report. 

Aaron will share how the weather in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana could disrupt the market especially in light of all of the bushels still on the farm.  You’ll learn about the complications that exist because of the existing on-farm storage and potential for exports.  Aaron also sheds light into how the record flooding in Brazil may impact the overall supply.  Will we hit the 181 bushels per acre yield that’s being predicted?  “Now is the time for discipline…  Get back to basics and just come up with a solid plan and work from there.”  

What’s all this hype around renewable diesel?  To help us dig into this topic, Matt Makinson comes back to join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Matt is the Vice President of Supply and Marketing for CountryMark, and he’s got a lot to share regarding what’s happened in the two years since he joined us last!

You’ll hear about the latest CountryMark news and their renewable diesel co-processing project which involves expanding the capacity in the refinery and adding the capability to process soybean oil.  In addition to sustainability, you’ll learn about the other benefits of renewable diesel, what goes into creating the product, and how it’s different from biodiesel.  In addition to learning about how this project will help increase the overall output, you’ll learn how this project will help hedge against RFS compliance costs if RIN prices go up.  If you’re wondering what the Renewable Identification Number system is all about and how it impacts growers in the first place, you’ll learn about that and more!

Why is Premier spending the money on another plant?  David Brim and Scott Sharp, both returning guests, join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Scott is the Vice President of Crop Nutrients and Operations for Premier, and David also works for Premier as the Manager of the Mitchell facility.  

You’ll hear about the new facility that’s being built in Washington County, Indiana and why they’re moving two older plants together.  They’ll share insight into the increase in efficiency and speed that will be afforded and how that will allow them to service their customers even better.  Have you heard rumors that they’re putting in fuel pumps and restaurants?  They’ll address those rumors and share how they determine which brands they buy.  “Premier is really investing in the community, and it shows the commitment…the company has to our local farmers and our customers.”

We’ve got vines already starting to grow and ragweed up to the interns’ armpits! How much money are we supposed to spend on this? Special guest Glenn Longabaugh is in the house today!  He joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama back in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  You don’t have to be around the podcast too long to know that Glenn is the Agronomist for Premier Companies, and he’s here to share why it’s time for growers to start to transition from the mindset where everything revolves around planting to actual maintenance of the crop.

It’s no secret that planting has been delayed and weed growth is accelerated. Many are feeling that there’s much that’s due simultaneously including weeds that are getting away from us, side-dressing, burndown, nutritionals, and more!  In light of that, Glenn will share his thoughts around fungicide application, timing, and how that will help position us for a strong season in the long run.  All growers are asking how we can make “the mostest from the leastest,” and Glenn’s got some tips to help you get the biggest bang for your buck, both economically and for the environment.   This is another episode you’re not going to want to miss!

If you’ve ever wondered how Mario Andretti is connected to soybeans or where the money that gets sent to the checkoff programs goes, this is the episode for you!  Special guest and “accidental aggie,” Courtney Kingery joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Courtney is the CEO of the Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, and the Indiana Corn Growers Association.

In addition to hearing about how she ended up in agriculture instead of law school, you’ll learn about how the Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, and the Indiana Corn Growers Association are related and work together.  You’ll hear about the education, program, and research portions of the checkoff funds and how that ultimately helps growers improve sustainability, yield, producer engagement, and value creation.  This episode features a couple of success stories including how high oleic initiative has led to a return of 100 million dollars worth of premiums to the growers in Indiana for the cost of a candybar per acre.  

How do answer plots help farmers choose the best products for their land?  An old friend but new guest, Kyle Pearson, who was rained out from planting today, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Kyle is the Answer Plot Senior Research Manager for WinField United, and he’s been in the agriculture industry for over 20 years.

You’ll hear about Kyle’s career path including his experience at Purdue, FFR, and how that brought him to WinField United.  In addition to learning about the equipment they use and their biological trials, you’ll learn about WinField United’s showcase and research portions of answer plots.  If you enjoy learning about farming equipment and technology, you’ll love this conversation with Kyle!

As growers, sellers, and agronomists, what should we be watching for at this point in the spring season?  Returning guest and fan favorite, Glenn Longabaugh, joins hosts Ryan Priest and a singing Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  As the Agronomist for Premier Companies, there’s no one better to give us the lay of the land.  Just don’t ask Glenn questions about pop culture!

In this episode, you’ll hear about current planting conditions across the United States, common planting mistakes, and his thoughts about growers making emotional decisions to change rotation.  If you are considering replanting, Glenn will provide a few things to think through to make the wisest decision and tips to finish out the planting season with the best mindset possible.  There are tips for self-application, dealing with waterhemp, planting with forecasted rainfall, and upcoming planting potential.  “Too often we get spun out on these tangents of things we don’t have any control over.”

As Ryan says, the world of fertilizer is rocked just about every day!  Returning guest Josh Linville joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, and as StoneX’s Vice President of Fertilizer, Josh is able to shed a ton of insight into the quickly-changing world of fertilizer.

In addition to explaining how some of the key events around the world impact fertilizer availability and prices, you’ll hear why Iran is a key country to keep your eyes on for urea availability.  He’ll also explain the domino effect that could take place if the nitrogen supply is cut off and what the overall outlook is for the supply in the United States this year.  Josh will also provide some insight into why we need to pay attention to phosphate exports from around the globe and the impacts we’d experience with a decreasing phosphate supply.  This is an episode you’re not going to want to miss!

To keep up with Josh, find him on X (Twitter) at @JLinvilleFert and StoneX.com ([email protected]).

When you’re in a downward cycle, how’d we get here, how long’s it going to last, and how do we get out?  To provide her insight on this topic, Jacqui Fatka joins solo host Sal Sama in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Jacqui is the Lead Industry Analyst for CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division covering the Farm Supply and Biofuels segments.

Jacqui shares about her career development from her start growing up on the farm to a career as an agriculture journalist to her current role with CoBank. You’ll learn about how her current role helps her spot industry trends and what she’s seeing in current markets overall.  She’ll dig into overall industry trends including debt to asset ratios, why it’s important to know your cost of production numbers, and why we are in a bit of a downward cycle.  She’ll also share how labor costs and the number of available workers has affected interest rates, and she’ll dig into how electric vehicles and the Renewable Fuel Standard have impacted growers.  “There’s new opportunities coming and… if designed well, it can be a new opportunity to really take ag to a new level and get to a new cycle.”

What does the Indiana State Department of Agriculture actually do?  To answer that question, special guest Don Lamb joins host Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground, powered by Premier Companies.  In addition to being a farmer, Don is the Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.  

Today, you’ll hear about Don and his career path including the history of his family farm which his father started from scratch.  He’ll share more about the various happenings in the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, how it’s helped him better appreciate farmers, and the various functions within the department.  Don will also share about how Indiana differs from other states in both budget and regulatory functions, what we should be aware of in the current farm bill, and how Indiana Grain Buyers functions and helps protect farmers.  “If I’m not gonna be a farmer, I can’t think of a better job I could have than to just be an advocate for agriculture.”