In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with the Alsum family from Wisconsin who just won the most recent Top Producer of the Year award. In the podcast we discuss their farm operation, how it started and how the succession process is coming along. Larry Alsum grew up a fourth generation dairy farmer but pivoted to a first-generation producer farmer and packer.

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In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with Josh Linville of StoneX. Josh is a repeat visitor and we discuss the current world supply and demand situation for fertilizer. One comment from Josh was that the nitrogen to corn ratio is at the second highest level ever for this time of year, second only to 2005, right before the ethanol boom started. Back then corn had a 2 in front of its price and nitrogen was over $200 a ton wholesale.

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In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with Cory Walters, associate professor at the University of Nebraska. Cory grew up on a farm in NW Montana, but has spent his career in academia and helps farmers with many items but in today's podcast we discuss typical risk management options. We then have a discussion on how farmers might be able to utilize a micro captive insurance company that they own and operate and how that might help their farm operation.

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In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with Drew Blankenbaker of Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT. Drew and his team help farmers who are farming organically or trying to transition to organic obtain land that will be tied up for longer periods of time. The fund does allow the farmer to purchase the land after six years for fair market value. They have pipeline of over $50 million of farmland, now they just need to find the investors.

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In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with Tim Nuss of Nuss Farms in Lodi, California. Tim is a fifth-generation farmer whose family raises about 10 different crops and he is also this year’s Top Producer Next Gen award winner. Tim and his younger brother also started The Modern Acre podcast back in 2018 and have about 450 episodes on that.

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In today's podcast, Paul has a conversation with Edward and Rebecca Dalton of northern Ohio. The Dalton's raise corn, soybeans, wheat and spelt on their farm but also finish about 450 head of dairy beef that they sell directly to the consumer. They are Top Producer of Year candidates for 2026.

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In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with Meg Whitty of Lanza Jet. Lanza Jet has the first Ethanol to SAF facility in Georgia that just officially produced its first gallon of SAF in November (on her birthday). We are still waiting for further IRS guidance on Section 45Z SAF tax credit, but we now have actual production that can take advantage of it.

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In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with Chris Roehm of Cash Balance Plan Partners. Most farmers are aware of 401(k) plans where you can set aside up to $70,000 or more in a year. A Cash Balance Plan allows older farmers nearing retirement to set aside and deduct up to $300,000 or more in a year. These plans can be a great option to help farmers nearing retirement to continue to defer paying taxes until age 75 or later.

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In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with Chris Barron of Ag View Solutions. We discuss the overall profit trends in corn and soybeans for 2025 and then based on their database review the trends for 2026. It appears that corn is profitable in both years, but soybeans are not even with estimated 2025 PLC/ARC payments to come in October.

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In today's podcast Paul shares a story of a Christmas to remember and also provides 22 slides of his growing up years on the farm. For those of you who listen to the podcast, you may want to go view this on YouTube at Farm Journal Top Producer.

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