The Little Red Barn

You know the saying hold your friends close, and your enemies closer?  It revolves around trust, or lack thereof. These days data is everywhere: Rewards cards, points accounts, inputing phone numbers and emails, and we swear our phones, smart TVs and routers are listening to us. Ag was a bit late to the party, but seems to be catching up to the Data Craze quite swiftly. Do you know where pieces of information about you are being captured, where they are going and whats being done with it all? Do you think companies have your best interest at heart? Or is there a lot more in play here?  We'll dive into the trust issue this time around.  Where we go from here, still yet to be determined.

Happy New Year!  2026 rolls in with a full slate of meetings, farm shows, and shop projects. If one of those shop projects revolves around changing your planter set up or rebuilding row units, this week's guest will be a good resource. Rich Schipf, of Shlipf Precision Ag has probably forgotten more about planter set ups than most of us can claim to have picked up in a lifetime. This week we talk about precision ag, where it came from, where it's going  and where you might be leaving profit on the table when it comes to planter set ups.

While trying to take a look at a year in review to finish out 2025, Ryan and Charlie get side-tracked by layers of dust, fire hazards, actual fires, winter shop tasks and worthless tools. It's a good thing that there was nothing really going on in the markets or with the weather.

Charlie finally wraps up corn harvest, and that means a weight is lifted as part of a Christmas Miracle. But now we have Bridge Payments to fret about! What the heck are they, how are they calculated and when does it all happen?  We have some of those answers to go along with a whole lot of Ryan and Charlie speculation for this week. Weather looks very un-Christmas-like, markets certainly are scrooge-worthy, and Charlie was a winner in harvest Bingo this year. Brought to you by Mac America Ag Finance, Norhtern Indiana:  574-253-3433

Controversy, Questions, Promises and Inaction. This week Ryan and Charlie rehash the headlines of the week, from Indiana re-districting to USDA's dud of a WASDE report. China's commodity buying to Charlie's harvest progress. Farmer Bridge Payments to bi-polar weather patterns. The thoughts and comments in our discussions this week may surprise you...or perhaps they wont. Either way, we probably don't care...as long as we provoke thought.

Ryan is already deep into meeting season. Charlie is still harvesting corn in the snow. Temps have already pushed below zero and the markets still suck. But we ponder this: How many times have you lamented about what is wrong with your world, your community or your country, and wanted it to be different? This week we sit down with Mike Thompson, a District Sales Manager for a regional seed company who has decided to try and make a difference by running for the Indiana State Senate seat in District 17. After recapping the year in the field on test plots, genetics and what's in the pipeline, we shift to his senate run, the thought process and ask "have you gone mental, man?"...but in a polite and curious way. This episode speaks a lot about ambition, loyalty, community pride and setting an example.

Ryan is already deep into meeting season. Charlie is still harvesting corn in the snow. Temps have already pushed below zero and the markets still suck. But we ponder this: How many times have you lamented about what is wrong with your world, your community or your country, and wanted it to be different? This week we sit down with Mike Thompson, a District Sales Manager for a regional seed company who has decided to try and make a difference by running for the Indiana State Senate seat in District 17. After recapping the year in the field on test plots, genetics and what's in the pipeline, we shift to his senate run, the thought process and ask "have you gone mental, man?"...but in a polite and curious way. This episode speaks a lot about ambition, loyalty, community pride and setting an example.

Mark Eads returns as we discuss land use. While its easy to see black and white when it comes to the best and most prudent use of prime farm land, there is plenty of gray area and questions that surround present and future development as well when it comes down to it. There are some winners and plenty of losers in this high stakes game.

Mark Eads returns as we discuss land use. While its easy to see black and white when it comes to the best and most prudent use of prime farm land, there is plenty of gray area and questions that surround present and future development as well when it comes down to it. There are some winners and plenty of losers in this high stakes game.

Mark Eads returns as we discuss land use. While its easy to see black and white when it comes to the best and most prudent use of prime farm land, there is plenty of gray area and questions that surround present and future development as well when it comes down to it. There are some winners and plenty of losers in this high stakes game.