The Spokesman Speaks: Ag Insights for Your Farm and Family

Welcome to Episode 188 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, we talk with Farm Rescue about services they offer farm families facing crises, including illness, injury, and natural disasters. And Ben Covington, the chief test engineer for Iowa State University's Digital Ag Innovation Lab, shares what he's seeing as he tests the latest precision herbicide application technology.

Resource Mentioned in this Episode:

• Learn more about Farm Rescue.

Welcome to Episode 187 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Iowa State University Extension weed specialist Dr. Wesley Everman helps farmers navigate changing herbicide requirements, and economist Dr. John Newton offers his thoughts on the current farm economy.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Contact ISU Extension weed specialist Wesley Everman.
• See more economic analysis from Terrain.
• Register for one of Iowa Farm Bureau's upcoming Take Root farm succession workshops.
• Sign up for Iowa Farm Bureau's 2025 Young Farmer Ag Insights Tour.

Welcome to Episode 186 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson shares recent policy conversations he has had with new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and national lawmakers. And Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig discusses Iowa's conservation and water quality progress ahead of Earth Day.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Learn about USDA's Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP).
• Visit ConservationCountsIowa.com to learn about Iowa's conservation and water quality progress.
• Try the new N-Fact calculator to help you determine your best nitrogen fertilizer application rates.
• Register for Iowa Farm Bureau's 2025 Young Farmer Ag Insights Tour.

Welcome to Episode 185 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Iowa's State Climatologist, Dr. Justin Glisan, reveals his weather outlook for spring planting and beyond. Later, Amanda Van Steenwyk (who leads Iowa Farm Bureau's farm succession planning program, Take Root) and farm succession planning attorney Erin Herbold-Swalwell share their tips for successfully transitioning the family farm from one generation to the next.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Register for Dr. Justin Glisan's free "growing season weather outlook" webinar on April 10.
• Learn more about the Iowa Department of Agriculture's Climatology Bureau and contact State Climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan directly.
• Learn more about Iowa Farm Bureau's Take Root farm succession program and watch for new workshops this summer.

Welcome to Episode 184 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Iowa Farm Bureau's Dr. Christopher Pudenz and Zach Brummer share their outlook for crop and livestock markets, and Todd Thurman (an ag futurist and swine consultant with 25 years of international agriculture experience) predicts the future of the global ag economy.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Register for Iowa Farm Bureau's April 1 "Livestock Risk Protection" webinar.
• Watch Todd Thurman's webinar predicting the future of the global ag economy.
• Use these farm facts and conservation infographics/videos/stats to help celebrate Ag Week in Iowa.

Welcome to Episode 183 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Farm Bureau Financial Services regional crop consultant Angie Horn walks farmers through their crop insurance options, and Melissa Miller of the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative shares a new online tool to help farmers calculate their optimum nitrogen application rates.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Watch our recorded webinar with Farm Bureau Financial Services to learn more about your crop insurance options.
• Learn more about the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative and N-FACT in our recent Spokesman article.
• Use the new N-FACT calculator to help you determine your optimum nitrogen application rates.

Welcome to Episode 182 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, we speak with three Iowa farmers who are carving unique paths in agriculture:

• Meredith Nunnikhoven, who runs a farm and floristry business in Mahaska County, called Barnswallow Flowers.
• Lillie Beringer-Crock, who sells her family's beef and a variety of other locally-produced goods online and in-person, through her business, Beringer Family Farms in Jones County.
• And Dan Venteicher, an eastern Iowa farmer who's better known by his roughly 2.5 million followers across TikTok, Facebook and Instagram as the "Iowa Dairy Farmer."

Welcome to Episode 181 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, futurist Jack Uldrich and Iowa State University ag innovation professor Matt Darr share their thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI), technology and the future of farming.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Learn more about the Digital Ag Innovation Lab at Iowa State University.
• Learn about ISU Extension's new digital agriculture specialist, Doug Houser.
• Contact information for Doug Houser
• See ISU's Planter University locations in early February.
• Learn more about upcoming Iowa Farm Bureau events and webinars.

Welcome to Episode 180 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, we share Iowa Farm Bureau's priorities for the 2025 state legislative session, a new program that helps aspiring and beginning farmers get started with livestock, and a new program to help address the critical shortage of veterinarians in rural Iowa.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Contact your county Farm Bureau.
• Read more about Iowa Farm Bureau's 2025 state legislative priorities.
• Learn more about the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers' new Building Your Livestock Legacy Program.
• Learn more about Iowa Farm Bureau's new Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Incentive Program.
• Learn about more scholarships and grants through Iowa Farm Bureau.

Welcome to Episode 179 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson discusses agriculture's challenges and opportunities in 2025, and motivational speaker John O'Leary shares the inspiring story of how he overcame seemingly impossible odds (surviving burns on 100% of his body, when doctors gave him a 1% chance of living). No matter what obstacles you're facing in 2025, John O'Leary has helpful advice for you.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Register for Iowa Farm Bureau's Ag Market Outlook Meeting Series in February.
• Register for Iowa Farm Bureau's Acres of Opportunity Conference, February 15 in Cedar Falls.
• Register for Iowa Farm Bureau's "How to Write a Pre-Harvest Marketing Plan" webinar, January 16.
• See other upcoming Iowa Farm Bureau events and webinars.
• Learn more from motivational speaker John O'Leary at JohnOLearyInspires.com.