This week we talk with Don Villwock. Don is a farmer, former state president of Farm Bureau and a retiree that is not really that good at being retired, it seems! Don has his hands in a lot of things, from red tractors, to Purdue projects to consulting. We talk about ag of the past, and present, the challenges he's seen, and where we have come. From the icebox to go pros, Don as something for almost everyone in this conversation.

This week we veer off on a slightly different track as we welcome the Langfeldt girls to the studio, Its hot, but is time for sweet corn and county fairs, farmers markets and fall planning. We dive into agro-tourism and see what it looks like to learn as you go as an entrepreneur on the farm. From pumpkins to corn mazes, hay rides, growing sweet corn, roasting sweet corn, building grain bins and raising cattle...there is a lot to unpack with these gals.

This week the guys dive into the June 30 USDA reports on Planted Acreage and Quarterly Grain Stocks. The report was not really all that noteworthy, except that Charlie had to eat come crow during the podcast. How did the heat impact local crops this past week, and what about moisture from here? But perhaps the biggest outcome of this week's podcast is Ryan's new purpose in life: getting cattle integrated into the Houin farmstead!  Make sure you get on to the Little Red Barn Podcast Facebook page to vote on which cattle breed should be the backbone of the newly minted "Houin Beef" operation!

This week we catch up with Becks Agronomist Travis Burnett to discuss the how and why of getting the right type of hybrid on the right kind of ground. Charlie says its an AI job, which means Ryan wants none of it. But, is there something to the science? Do we need to look at some different kinds of metrics on the seed in our seed catalogs? An interesting discussion, even if it does walk close to the AI line...

The Red Barn Road Show is back again this week...but this time because Ryan is trying to catch a little R&R up in the Michigan UP. This week we talk the over-hyping of weather and how that is getting old, the mother of all farm bankruptcies, and the upcoming USDA June 30th reports. That discussion brings a bit of surprise, as Charlie's thoughts would be wildly bullish for the market. Buckle up!

This week Ryan and Charlie get a down in the weeds look at vintage power fanaticism! Rob and Kelley Meyers of the International Harvester Collectors Club Chapter 33 dropped by Red Barn Studios to talk tractors, tanks, trucks and implements...every one of them carrying the IH logo. It's a fantastic romp through the history of this brand and may give you a few trivia nuggets to tuck away. The reasons folks hang on to or collect various items are wide ranging...but they are all personal. Everyone has a story! Settle in with a nice beverage and let's walk back in time, just a bit!

Did you see Big Boy steam through the corn belt this week? Ryan and Charlie talk about that, the wild ride the market took us on this week and the astounding amount of local agriculture history that is increasingly lost as time goes by. Plus, go back to school with a bit of a Trade Primer on different tariffs and trade law.

Weather has been nearly perfect this past week for drying out fields. Even those with the wettest and toughest ground were able to get after it last week. But, now the social media "weatherists" are crowing about Flash Drought?  Oh come on!  But, there are increasing voices in parts of the state saying "we could use a rain" for various reasons, including activating chemistry. Are fertilizer prices heading down? We take a walk down memory lane on tractors, and also dig in to why its becoming more difficult to navigate repairs and breakdowns.

Adventures with Charlie returns this week, as he wrestles with breakdowns on the corn planter. Its graduation season, along with and end of Track season as planting season rolls on. Markets are not giving huge opportunities as of late, but weather will in many areas this week and next. Plus, another installment of "Ryan's Rants" in this week's episode.

Plenty to rehash this week as USDA served up some WASDE surprises, Trump meets Xi and area farmers made more progress than perhaps we thought they could. But the big story of the week is ASA vs NCGA...or bean guys vs corn guys on the issue of E15. But this is not a new story. Farmers are notorious for not supporting fellow farmers if issues don't pertain to them, and flat out coming against fellow farmers if its in their own best interests. We're sure to ruffle feathers this week, of farmers, trade groups, and who knows who else. But its guaranteed to start conversations.