The Scoop Podcast

Ag retailers are heading into 2027 asking policymakers for one thing above all: certainty. On this episode of the Scoop Podcast, Ag Retailers Association (ARA) policy leaders Richard Gupton and Hunter Carpenter break down the issues shaping the fall agenda, just after ARA's fall board meeting in St. Louis.

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Two honorees from The Scoop's latest 40 Under 40 awardee class tackle a different side of the same challenge: making ag retail work smarter for growers. David Vail, an Insights and Analytics Specialist at Simplot Grower Solutions in Boise, Idaho, uses tools like Power BI and ArcGIS to turn sales and spatial data into fast, actionable insight for crop advisors — freeing them up to spend less time digging and more time with growers. Dakota Patton, CFO at United Prairie, a 13-location ag retailer based in Tolono, Illinois, is solving a related problem from the finance side, using Agvance and the AgVend grower portal to run a growing operation efficiently and get farmers the information they need on their schedule, not the retailer's. Together, they offer a look at how the next generation of ag retail leadership is putting data and technology to work in service of the grower relationship.

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Biologicals are no longer a curiosity. As adoption grows and claims multiply, ag retailers are being asked to evaluate more products, respond faster to growers, and help connect biological inputs to real system outcomes. In our recent conversation with Rick Melnick, COO and Managing Partner of DunhamTrimmer, we broke down the biggest market shifts—and what retailers should do to stay confident in a rapidly evolving category.

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In todays episode of The Scoop Podcast, Margy Ecklecamp sits down with two of The Scoop’s 40 Under 40 recipients. Margy talks with Tommy Setterdahl Preconstruction Manager at Stueve Construction and Nathan Joraanstad, Product Manager at Bushel.

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On this episode of The Scoop, Hunter Carpenter offers insight into the policy and regulatory issues dominating the conversation in Washington, including the push for ag labor reform, support for voluntary regenerative agriculture, new pesticide registrations, and transportation concerns tied to rail consolidation.

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Nathan Packer was recently named Senior Vice President of Retail Across North America for Nutrien Ag Solutions. In his first media interview, Packer talks about industry trends and how Nutrien is planning to grow its business. Packer has a career history working for legacy companies in the Nutrien timeline including Crop Production Services. He says Nutrien is staying focused by remaining close to its customers and being ready to adopt technology to reliably serve their needs.

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Corbett Kull takes us through his journey from building Tillable's farmland marketplace to pivoting into Camo Ag, a map-first platform designed specifically for ag salespeople. We dive into why generic tools fail in agriculture and how data-driven, agriculture-built solutions are professionalizing the way companies sell to farmers.

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Syngenta’s Jeremy Groeteke joins Margy Eckelkamp to discuss the shift from collecting data to taking action. Explore the three buckets of AI, the future of autonomous farming, and how retailers can overcome "data fatigue" to deliver real-world ROI and profitability to their grower customers.

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In this episode of The Scoop Podcast, host Margy Eckelkamp speaks with Isaac Wolford, the Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) Representative to the Ag Retailers Association (ARA) Board, about the vital role of CCA accreditation in the ag retail industry. Isaac outlines the program's 30-year history as a "boots-on-the-ground" certification that validates expertise in pest, nutrient, crop, and soil management.

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In this episode of The Scoop, Margy Eckelkamp sits down with Hunter Carpenter from the Agricultural Retailers Association to break down the critical policy shifts currently moving through Washington, D.C. The conversation centers on the House-passed Farm Bill, highlighting key wins like the TSP Access Act and the new plant biostimulant definition. However, Hunter also addresses the "hiccups" in the House version, specifically the removal of language regarding uniform labeling and NPDES permit reforms—issues the ARA hopes to revive in the Senate. The episode further explores the House's recent passage of year-round E15 sales. Beyond legislation, Hunter discusses the ARA’s cautious stance on the proposed Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern rail merger, emphasizing that maintaining competition is vital for keeping freight rates manageable for retailers.

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