The Pacesetter Pod

Show Highlights:

• What an operationalized finance capability means in ag. [05:00]
• Understanding accounting vs. FP&A, and building talent. [08:42]
• Pricing and working capital strategy in the real world. [14:33]
• Decision-making benefits of an effective finance function. [21:13]
• Centralization of finance and its impact on local players. [27:08]
• What are the risks and gaps in CFO hiring models today? [35:43]
• AmpliFi's "finance-as-a-service" CFO alternative solution. [40:10]
• How AmpliFi became an agribusiness specialist. [45:03]
• The power of operational finance readiness in M&A. [49:42]

Contact Kevin Griffith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevingriffith14/.

To explore AmpliFi, go to https://amplificap.com/.

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.

Show Highlights:

• Key hurdles for ag co-ops today, plus top differentiators. [04:04]
• How co-ops can evolve beyond assets to a farmer-support model. [07:17]
• Does farm consolidation outpace operational change? [09:29]
• Why patronage "and" broader shared co-op value can coexist. [14:34]
• Why are there so few closed deals despite M&A chatter? [20:30]
• Differentiating mega-local and regional/federated co-ops. [23:30]
• Strategies for successful co-op mergers and integration. [29:35]
• How to foster a strong board–management partnership. [38:36]
• New vs. experienced board member roles, and legacy in ag. [42:04]
• Carl Dickinson's post-retirement chapter helping co-ops. [45:56]

Connect with Carl Dickinson on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-dickinson-09725b36/.

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.

Show Highlights:

• Cyclical vs. structural changes in the crop protection industry. [02:59]
• The four forces of change in crop protection at a glance. [05:19]
• Global rise in generics expansion with China/India stats. [07:00]
• Impact of a 9% agrochemical cost hike from China's rebate cuts. [11:05]
• Prospects and risks in generics for co-ops and retailers. [12:31]
• Crop protection molecule discovery decline with data by decade. [17:11]
• Will AI have a greater role in molecule development? [22:45]
• Regulatory dynamics affecting new molecule approvals. [25:19]
• Effects of FTC anticompetitive scrutiny of manufacturers. [26:30]
• Is value shifting from chemicals to application technology? [35:07]
• The value of scenario planning and jobs-to-be-done thinking. [41:10]

Connect with Shane Thomas on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanethomasag/.

Learn more about Upstream Ag Insights by visiting https://upstream.ag/.

Read the "Four Forces Reshaping the Crop Protection Industry" article: https://upstream.ag/p/the-four-forces-reshaping-the-crop-protection-industry-and-what-comes-next

Links to our past episodes with Shane:

Episode 88: Innovation Theater: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep88-innovation-theater-with-shane-thomas-of-upstream-ag/id1674259917?i=1000676749349

Episode 33: Paying Strategy Tax: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep33-paying-strategy-tax-with-shane-thomas/id1674259917?i=1000632526569

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.

Show Highlights:

• Key ag co-op challenges and how top cop-ops thrive. [04:42]
• Costs causing pain for co-ops and strategies to defend their gross margins. [06:34]
• Oversight and the crucial role of high-performing boards. [13:58]
• The need for systems over GMs to absorb rapid change. [17:22]
• Continuity risks "yes boards" pose under strong GMs. [23:02]
• Should cop-ops develop their next leaders internally? [31:18]
• Balancing traditional services with profitability as co-ops. [39:10]
• Services the Iowa Institute for Cooperatives offers co-ops. [45:14]
• Why it's critical for co-op directors to pursue training. [50:06]

Connect with Bobby Martens on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbymartens/.

Learn more about the Iowa Institute for Cooperatives at https://iowainstitute.coop/.

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.

Show Highlights:

• Cheaper retention and untapped SOW in ag customer loyalty amid farm loss. [05:12]
• The $5.6B cost of 7.2% yearly churn with 72% non-returns in ag retail. [13:05]
• Detecting "relative" churn for faster growth in 2026. [15:42]
• Why GROWERS created AI for predictive churn analytics. [18:24]
• Pro tip: Drive customer loyalty with cross-segment sales. [19:15]
• Do young farmers prefer visible rewards over patronage? [20:51]
• GROWERS' powerful AI-enabled, white-label loyalty program. [26:59]
• Differentiation strategies for single-segment companies. [34:13]
• How ERP hygiene improves readiness for tech adoption. [42:06]
• Integrate sales with loyalty tech for 13% more sales. [46:53]
• GROWERS' farmer-first model vs. anticompetitive tactics. [54:41]
• Farmer, retailer, and manufacturer alignment for win-wins in GROWERS. [57:34]

Contact Steven Valencsin on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenvalencsin/.

To explore GROWERS, visit their website: https://growers.ag/

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.

Show Highlights:

• Why a co-op is a set of business lines, not "one co-op." [02:08]
• Assessing strategic clarity in business line optimization. [04:18]
• Where alignment breaks in grain, feed, agronomy, and energy lines. [08:25]
• Quick profiling of five co-op member segments. [14:44]
• Key diagnostic questions for co-op leaders to segment by line. [16:44]
• How legacy and inertia cause drag in co-op performance. [19:52]
• Capital allocation as the key signal of business line alignment. [21:27]
• Reality check questions for capital investment decisions. [24:46]
• What are the characteristics of aligned multiline co-ops? [26:54]
• Open invitation to leaders to share stories on the pod. [30:30]

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.

Show Highlights:

• External forces that challenge co-ops in today's ag world. [00:36]
• The myth of co-op member alignment vs. diverging needs. [02:18]
• Explore the key drivers of co-op member misalignment. [07:07]
• Observable signals and costs of misalignment in co-ops. [11:06]
• Why co-ops must segment members like a business, not a club. [13:31]
• Successful explicit segmentation criteria for co-ops. [14:32]
• Leaning into the discomfort of strategic segmentation. [17:00]
• The mechanics of segmentation and pitfalls to avoid. [18:58]
• Embracing tough inevitable trade-offs to let clarity win. [22:18]
• Discover clear signs of effective member segmentation. [26:36]

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.

Show Highlights:

• Bryan Buerkle's view of ag logistics as a profit center. [03:44]
• FarmPro's tools for decision-grade data-driven logistics. [07:03]
• Uber-like solutions for fragmented ag trucking and underutilized assets. [11:27]
• How FarmPro offers tech-driven workflow streamlining. [14:37]
• FarmPro's safeguards to protect shippers from risks. [17:28]
• Automated ticket digitization and accounting integration. [18:59]
• The power of incremental adoption with early-adopter impacts. [25:01]
• Time and factoring incentives for carriers and co-ops using the app. [29:56]
• Can companies without an ERP option use FarmPro? [37:56]
• Cash flow innovation and working capital management. [42:59]

Find Bryan Buerkle on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-buerkle/?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAADF8BQBlyKl__PfX7ZMWiujlFbbOoru7ow.

To explore FarmPro, visit https://www.farmpro.ag/.

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.

Show Highlights:

• The current state and evolving landscape of ag retail. [02:44]
• Must retailers diversify and "own" all grower needs within service radii? [05:18]
• Driving equipment utilization decisions for grower profitability. [08:19]
• The growing need for agronomic talent with sales skills. [14:37]
• Framing up-to-date agronomic recommendations with credibility. [17:43]
• Why fertility offers more opportunity for differentiation. [23:54]
• Customer and cultural focus value over efficiency in ag M&A. [27:50]
• Empowering top talent with commonsensical policies. [35:55]
• Strategies for boards to foster cultural fit during M&As. [40:30]

To explore Farrell Growth Group, visit https://www.farrellgrowth.com/.

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.

Show Highlights:

• Celebrating 150 episodes and Mosher Consulting Group's 5-year milestone. [00:46]
• The need for periodic recalibration of perceptions of risk. [04:15]
• Is job stability a buffer or a hidden liability? [05:52]
• Why business planning is futile yet imperative. [09:42]
• How planning drives clarity and rigorous thinking. [10:57]
• Embrace uncertainty for opportunity hiding in plain sight. [18:21]
• Failing and learning fast vs. overoptimizing for certainty. [21:51]
• Authentic, non-extractive business relationship value. [26:05]
• Meaningful impacts revealed by our podcast stats. [32:40]
• The four lessons of this episode in the podcast's journey. [35:22]

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.