Is farmland the ultimate investment? In this insightful episode, Damian sits down with Robert Andjelic, Canada’s largest private farmland owner, to explore the future of agricultural real estate. Despite having no farming background, Robert now owns 250,000 acres of prime Canadian farmland—mostly in Saskatchewan, with holdings in Manitoba and Alberta. After leaving the commercial real estate sector in 2007, Robert turned to farmland, citing water security, climate change, and the decline of arable land worldwide as key factors driving his investment. In this conversation, he shares his perspective on the economics of farmland, global instability, and the shifting agricultural landscape. Tune in to discover why farmland is becoming a sought-after asset and what the future holds for Canadian agriculture. Don’t miss this deep dive into one of the world’s most essential and evolving industries!

 

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:

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Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 

 

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved. 

 

The agriculture industry is at a turning point, with nearly two-thirds of U.S. farmers over 55 and many surpassing 65. As farming faces massive capital demands and generational shifts, what does the future hold? Adam Lasch, a self-made, first-generation Wisconsin farmer, joins Damian to explore the financial hurdles, demographic changes, and innovations shaping modern farming. Discover how the next generation of farmers can navigate rising costs, land ownership challenges, and evolving technology in this insightful conversation on the future of agriculture.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:

NewFields Ag  https://newfieldsag.com/

Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com

Gripp Gripp.ag

Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 

 

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved. 

 

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) could become a game-changer for production agriculture, driving a surge in demand for corn and soybeans—two crops currently facing significant oversupply challenges. But will SAF truly take off? What policies, regulations, and incentives are necessary to make this vision a reality? Join biofuels analyst Corey Lavinsky of S&P Global and Pete Meyer of Muddy Boots Ag as they explore the present and future of SAF. Learn how this emerging industry could reshape North American agriculture, create new markets, and provide a sustainable boost for farmers.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:

AGVisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com

Gripp Gripp.ag

Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 

 

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved. 

 

 

Fact: There will be fewer American farmers ten years from now than there are today. In no way is this meant to be fatalistic or negative, it’s just reality. “Peak farm” occurred in 1935 with 6.8 million farming operations in the U.S. The number has been declining ever since to two million farming operations today. Of those two million operations, about 175,000 do almost all the heavy lifting of food production and farm the vast majority of acres. That number is expected to drop as farm consolidation continues. Facing this reality, what strategies should be employed to succeed if your customers are farmers and each year there will be fewer of them? Joel Farley and Eric Lohse of Midwest Ag Advisors discuss their business and what they’re doing to expand in the face of Ag consolidation.

When you think of buying a piece of farm ground, you probably think of the very real possibility that the soil is depleted. But what if it’s got more than enough fertility and what if you can actually use that banked fertility to lower your taxes? Turns out, per IRS Section 180, you can depreciate excess fertility on newly acquired farm land (purchased, not rented). Alec Bean with Agricultural Soil Management explains this crinkle in the tax code that might make your next farm land purchase a bit better for your tax plan. Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com Truterra truterraag.com

Much of American Agriculture is predicted to have a prosperous 2023. But there are concerns. Commodity prices are high but so are inputs. Exports set a record last year but geopolitical strife is simmering on the verge of boiling over. What’s the future hold for Ag? Arlan Suderman, Chief Commodities Economist with StoneX Financial and a self-proclaimed “glass half-full” guy discusses farm economics, trade, domestic consumption, burning through over-production, and why the USDA is wrong about China among other things.

The Amazon effect is coming to Agriculture. In fact, it’s already here. If you need something on your farm, chances are you can order it up on your smart phone and have it by the end of the week. Even chemicals, seed, and fertilizer. But will Ag retail go away? Not likely, given the proximity, relationship, and handling capacity. Lance Ramthun, founder of Farmerce, discusses his company’s incarnation, growth curve, and value proposition. This is a fun and moving discussion about the future of Ag input allocation! Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com Truterra truterraag.com

All indications are, money is going to be blowing into Agriculture from a myriad of sources over the next year, largely in the form of environmentalism. Is this trend for real? Will the funds come from a new Farm Bill? Are corporate players truly investing in Ag or just covering their tales in the new era of ESG — Environmental, Social, and Governance movements? John Duff of Sero Ag Strategies provides his take on the matter. While carbon sequestration programs are still evolving, nitrogen reduction programs, carbon intensity scores, and even water reduction and quality initiatives are in the offing. While some in Ag look at this new environmentalism with skepticism, there appears to be money behind the movement. Agriculture is a business, which means this revenue stream should be on everyone’s radar. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

If you’ve worked in the Business of Agriculture for one year or the past 50 years, all you’ve known is increased globalization of our industry. That’s changing and the pace of change will likely accelerate during the next decade. Todd Thurman, co-host of The Business of Ag Success Group discusses the rise of globalization as we examine American Ag exports past, present, and future and what tomorrow's global markets might look like. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

North American Agriculture has benefited greatly by China’s rise during the last couple decades. But, as you’ve heard, all good things must come to an end and in this case, the end might not end well. Tensions between China and the west — particularly the United States — have ramped up. And frankly, those tensions aren’t likely to subside. In this episode we discuss trade, numbers, and the reasons it’s time to start weaning North American Agriculture off the adversarial customer that is China. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

American Agriculture often times suffers from a disorder I’ve termed Acute Commodity Mindset. Symptoms of this disorder include thinking customers should purchase what we produce — regardless of what they actually want — and resisting opportunities to up-sell higher profit margin products. We saw both of these behaviors in the recent “spat” with Mexico, who initiated a ban on GMO corn beginning in 2024. Mexico softened their stance on Genetically engineered corn after being threatened by American Ag. Unfortunately, we’ll take the wrong lesson from this “victory” over our number two Ag customer, who I believe will ultimately look to replace the U.S. as a corn provider. XtremeAg’s Matt Swanson discusses the issue. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

A few years ago, it seemed that capital was on every corner looking for a place to invest. But even in those cash-rich days, not a lot of investors looked at Agriculture as an investment objective — aside from biological crop inputs and technology. Then there is Open Prairie, an Illinois-based private equity group deploying investor money into growing agricultural companies. Open Prairie’s founder and CEO, Jim Schultz discusses the landscape of Ag venture capital, why he’s bullish on Ag, and the future. Mr. Schultz also explains — in simple terms — the process of investing and how his fund works, then he shares some great illustrations citing companies you may have heard of! Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

Luke Roush was just a kid when I met him, now he’s managing a diversified Indiana farming operation with his father. We talk about skill sets, strengths, weaknesses, employee management, growth, money, the future, and more. What does Luke see from his perspective? Where are the challenges, and where are the opportunities? How does technology adoption favor his generation? What concerns do the next generation of farmers have? Most importantly, what excites tomorrow’s farmers? It’s all here! Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

Just before Christmas 2024, the federal government unveiled a $31 billion aid package for American farmers—$10 billion in direct payments and $21 billion in disaster relief for the past two years. But here’s the twist: even more funding might be on the horizon. In this episode, Damian Mason is joined by Paul Neiffer, the Farm CPA, and Chris Barron of Ag View Solutions for a deep-dive into the long-term effects of government farm payments. They explore how such payouts historically boost supply, sustain operations that might otherwise shutter, and often become a recurring fixture in agriculture. Tune in to understand the implications of these subsidies and what they mean for the future of farming.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:

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A shovel full of soil contains billions of microbes, thousands of bacteria, and a biological complexity we’re only beginning to understand. With the advent of soil sampling, we’ve generally tossed out macronutrients in large quantities and started to look at micronutrients. But we’ve not done much when it comes to predicting pathogens. So, we’ve either treated unnecessarily for disease and pathogens, or we’ve suffered yield loss oblivious to the pathogenic pressure. Those days are done — or at least they can be. Mike Tweedy with PatternAg explains Predictive Agronomy. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

More than half the states in the U.S. are considering “right-to-repair” laws according to a recent article. Legislation at the federal level is being pushed by Montana senator Jon Tester. Pushers of “right-to-repair” regulation position themselves as victims of big equipment companies. Big equipment companies, on the other hand, claim they have the right to void warranties if owners put the wrenches to their increasingly sophisticated machines and, in doing so, make a mess. Ultimately, I believe this issue will resolve itself as equipment gets increasingly complex and as the ownership model morphs into more of a subscription. Fred Simkin, right-to-repair proponent and engineer joins me for a discussion (and occasional disagreement) on the subject. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

I’ve been hearing the complaint, “it’s hard / impossible for a young person to start out in farming these days” for decades. Recently, an interviewer went down this road about the struggle of young people to get into farming and blamed the phenomenon on “corporate-ization.” You’ve no doubt heard this complaint yourself, but is it even true? If it is true, why is it? In this episode I provide some historic perspective, numbers, data, outlook, and reality: that commodity production favors scale and size, whether you’re in the business of making corn or manufacturing copper. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

Kelly Garrett is an entrepreneurial farmer from western Iowa. His business interests include farming, trucking, plant food distribution, ag retail, and now: direct to consumer beef. Kelly joins me to discuss the motivation behind creating GLC Beef and the opportunities for increasing profit margins by becoming vertically integrated. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

We’ve been hearing about carbon credits for several years in Agriculture. Finally, the vagueness of the ecosystem marketplace is becoming more clear. In this episode we learn how farmers enroll their acres to get compensation for carbon sequestration and nitrogen reduction. Who pays for these environmental objectives? How much money is available and how are the arrangements structured? What practices are eligible (or not allowed)? And what — besides annual revenue — are the benefits to participants? Mariah Murphy, Truterra’s Director of Retailer and Farmer Services, explains Ecosystem Services and how Ag producers can benefit by starting with a soil health assessment.

The Business of Agriculture trades commodities. We produce them, buy them, sell them, and process them to make products for our end users. But who does all this trading and who ultimately, uses the goods we make? Dave Smoldt and Kyle Schrad with StoneX Financial give us a behind the scenes look at customers they serve and how they help end users navigate the commodity markets for their business — and ultimately for profitability. We discuss marketing, risk management, supply management, the impact of ESG on Ag businesses, the reality of economics and the truth of “market volatility.” Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

U.S. net farm income set a record in 2022, up 14% from 2021 to $160.5 billion. To put it mildly, things in Ag are good financially speaking. 2022’s farm income number is double what it was just 3 years ago during the China - U.S. trade spat. What does this mean for those of us who earn our living in Agriculture? Will expenses rise by more than income (2023 will be the most expensive crop ever planted!)? Will the good times keep rolling or are we about to be blind sided? And what should we in Ag be doing now to capitalize on the positive financial situation while managing for the next downturn? Paul Neiffer, The Farm Accountant, and Chris Barron with Ag View Solutions address all this and more! Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag, AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com, and Truterra truterraag.com

Agriculture has a lot of battles to fight beyond the daily challenges of producing our food, fuel, and fiber. Causes against production Ag have turned into religious movements as well as full-blown business models. Call it what it is, it’s “the conflict industry” and in places like Holland, farms are being forcibly liquidated by government to reach an alleged environmental objective. This subject is just one that we cover in this episode about Agricultural advocacy with guests Natalie Kovarik and Tara Vander Dussen. If you don’t know these ladies, you soon will as they’re tearing it up on social media elevating Ag one video at a time. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

In 2022 American farmers produced the fourth largest soybean crop on record at 117 million metric tons or roughly 4.4 billion bushels. The good news: Demand is matching global supply and prices are decent. The challenging news: Our demand for soybean oil is outpacing our demand for soybean meal. Given the math (about 80% of a soybean is meal, 20% is oil), this presents a challenge. That’s why the soybean industry has issued a challenge to find more innovative ways to utilize soybean meal. Mac Marshall, VP of Market Intelligence with United Soybean Board joins Damian for an always interesting dialogue about soybeans, world markets, and more. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Cow farts cause “climate crisis” and climate crisis is reducing crop yields, eating eggs causes high cholesterol, global population growth will cause mass starvation, sunlight exposure is harmful to your health. You’ve likely heard these dire predictions confidently proclaimed by so-called experts. The only problem: Most of these doomsday scenarios are inaccurate. Yet they persist but why? Todd Thurman joins me to discuss the peril of following “experts,” the reality of our future versus doomsday paranoia, and why people cling to false or disproven narratives. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Chris Barron has weathered several Ag downturns as an Iowa farmer. He’s also helped hundreds of farming operations succeed despite farm economy downturns as an Ag consultant with his company, Ag View Solutions. Chris joins Damian Mason to discuss the Business of Agriculture at the farm level, laying out strategies smart operators can deploy to — not only survive, but prosper — during a rocky farm economy patch.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:
Pattern Ag pattern.ag
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Truterra truterraag.com

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved. Not available for AI.

 

Shay Foulk with Ag View Solutions predicts cost of corn production for 2023 will average $5.35 per bushel. That number is an all time high and it’s due to an increase in every crop input from nitrogen to diesel to labor. The story is the same for the other major commodity of soybeans, and presumably for wheat as well. The reason: crop input price inflation. The good news: farms are still predicted to turn a profit in 2023, helped by high commodity prices. And, these are nominal dollars, not real dollars (we’ll explain!). What does all this mean to you, me, the rest of the Ag sector and our consumers? Shay joins Joe Vaclavik of Standard Grain to shed light on marketplace outlook amid the most expensive crop ever planted looming this spring. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Farmers love to talk about the weather but in this episode we go deeper and talk about systems, climate, global weather patterns, and the year ahead. My guest is Eric Snodgrass, Senior Science Fellow for Nutrien Ag Solutions. Will we see the sort of devastating dryness we experienced in the west in 2022 make a repeat? Will we have subsoil moisture replenished? And what about the Mississippi river…will it fill up soon? Those questions and more in this episode of The Business of Agriculture. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Lasse Jakobsen was born in Denmark, now the Millennial heads up U.S. business development for the company his grandfather created to serve European hog production. Today, Protekta is a joint venture with a Danish organization that produces feed additives, among other things, for pork, poultry, and primarily dairy producers. Lasse discusses the advantages of selling to a consolidating industry, lessons learned about customer outreach, surviving Covid disruptions, the advantage he has from working in Europe, and other business perspectives. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Your smart phone has more technology and capability than NASA’s Apollo program had 50 years ago. Think about that, then think about the technology in today’s modern farm machinery. Data collection, yield monitoring, analysis down to the square foot…It’s amazing to say the least. John Deere business development manager Dan Paschke joins Deere dealer representatives Jeremy Ostrander and Jon Carlo of Agrivision Equipment and PrairieLand Partners to discuss farm machinery, technology, and the past and present of the Business of Agriculture from their perspective. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Two weeks ago I posted on social media a photo of an antique tractor next to a modern machine. In my post I referenced the advancements we’ve made since the antique tractor worked the land — 7 times increase in per acre yield, less natural resource consumption per calorie produced, environmental advancements, etc… Then, as often happens on social media, the detractors began commenting. This post brought out the nostalgia for simpler times back when small farms could compete and farming was easier and more profitable. The only problem with these comments of course is that they’re completely inaccurate. In this episode I debunk revisionist Ag history. The good old days weren’t always good. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Renewable diesel is the new buzz talk everywhere in Agriculture. Will its take off and reality match the fervor in farm circle discussions? Will the tax credits giving RD lift off remain with us? Will more biofuel fuel the “no food for fuel” debate? Well, yes, that’s almost a guarantee! Mac Marshall, VP of Market Intelligence with the United Soybean Board talks all things soybean and renewable diesel, from numbers to acres, to marketplace issues and more. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Fertilizer markets have been tumultuous for a few years now. Just when you thought things had settled down on fertilizer price and availability, a hurricane hit, a war broke out, and the Mississippi dried up. Nathan Carson is VP of Operations with Chemical Dynamics, a Florida specialty fertilizer company. He shares perspective on Florida Ag and outlook on fertilizer price and availability. Nathan also provides discussion points on everything from California’s water problems to Mexican fentanyl’s role in produce imports. Tune in — this is an awesome talk! Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

The global population is getting older and fertility rates have been plummeting. Unless you follow my commentary, this is probably news to you. Most everyone in Ag is still operating under the misguided assumption that population growth is boundless. It’s not. As fertility rates drop like a rock, the population gets older. Fast. Here in the U.S. for instance, our median age has aged by more than a decade in the last 50 years. An aging population means big changes for our industry. From the product mix we produce (old people don’t drink milk), to the quantities we put on the plate (old people eat less), to questions of labor availability (working age population is at record high), there are huge challenges associated with an aging population. Todd Thurman joins me to discuss how Ag must admit and address this reality. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Ken Wall left his post as an attorney and moved his two sons back to the Ontario specialty crop farm he was raised on in the 1990s. Since then he’s expanded the enterprise, gotten in the seed business, built a food processing facility, and created a niche manufacturing company. He explains the business of asparagus and describes his diversified Agriculture business. Did you know Germans eat about 3 times as much asparagus as North Americans do? That, along with outlook for the future of horticulture, a peek at labor’s impact on Ag, and more in this awesome episode of The Business of Agriculture podcast! Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

There’s an industry within the world’s most important industry that most folks probably don’t think a lot about but it’s huge and it’s growing: The fats and oils side of Ag. Vegetable oil demand is growing, not just because of human consumption but also as a fuel source with renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel demand on the up tick. Then there is the animal fat by-product and its myriad uses. All this and more is explained and discussed with Chris Peterson of HeroBX as Damian prepares for his presentation at the American Fats and Oils Association. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

American consumption of beef — contrary to predictions otherwise — has held up amazingly well, despite beef prices outpacing the rate of general food inflation. 85% of that beef is processed by the “Big 4” packers. Looking ahead, what changes are coming for beef? Will smaller meat processors, backed by federal grants announced a few years ago, change the landscape? Will food inflation, environmentalist’s lobbing, or the marketing of synthetic meat decrease beef consumption? What about direct-to-consumer beef production and niche beef companies — can they reach scale in a marketplace dominated by legacy producers? Jeff and Kara Smith with Colorado Craft Beef join Damian Mason in this lively discussion about the future of America’s favorite meat.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:
Pattern Ag pattern.ag
Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com
Truterra truterraag.com

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved. Not available for AI.

 

You’ve likely heard the horror stories about unhealthy Agricultural family business succession. Dysfunctional relationships, favoritism, squandered wealth, sibling rivalry — Elaine Froese, the Farm Family Coach, has seen it all. The sad part: it’s all preventable. Elaine joins me to discuss strategies to successful business succession. She shares valuable information and tips on how to run a family operation like the business it is. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

While most farm operators quest for more acres, the real drive should be for more profitable acres. Which means, less productive acres in some cases would be better off going un-farmed. That’s the concept of precision conservation as promoted by Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever. Jacob Taylor a specialist with the wildlife organization joins Tennessee Farmer Jeremy Fowler to explain how they enroll less productive farm land into conservation programs enhancing wildlife and landowner profit. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

Sorghum, Grain Sorghum, Milo…whatever you call it, it’s a crop that’s likely to expand in acres over the next decade. The reason: water. Specifically, water restrictions — either by regulatory forces or adequate availability — will increase the economic justification for drought tolerant crops like sorghum. John Duff, one of the world’s foremost experts on sorghum discusses the crop, the marketplace, and the future of the world’s fifth most important grain crop. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag and AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com

The Trudeau administration recently announced its intention to bring (potentially stifling) environmental regulations to Canada’s Ag sector. So far, the rules are just proposals and are still ambiguous and evolving. The Netherlands kicked off what is fast becoming a green agenda in Ag that could leave the farm sector economically wounded or even force Dutch farmers to liquidate. Is this degree of green crusade coming to North America via Canada? Manitoban farmer Riley Anderson joins me to discuss the potential outcomes, negatives, and even a possible positive for farmers. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

A new white paper produced by a team of members of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers outlines 13 trends impacting the future of production Agriculture. In this two-part episode I am joined by an AEM panel to dig into the trends and provide outlook on the rapid changes coming to Ag over the next decade. Who will own the farm land? What will you do to protect your increasing dependence on technology from cyber attack? Will water use become limited? Does technology and climate cause a different crop rotation? Those and other questions about the future of rural America’s most vital business are in these two episodes! Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

A new white paper produced by a team of members of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers outlines 13 trends impacting the future of production Agriculture. In this two-part episode I am joined by an AEM panel to dig into the trends and provide outlook on the rapid changes coming to Ag over the next decade. Who will own the farm land? What will you do to protect your increasing dependence on technology from cyber attack? Will water use become limited? Does technology and climate cause a different crop rotation? Those and other questions about the future of rural America’s most vital business are in these two episodes! Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

During the Summer of 2022, Dutch farmers began protesting extreme environmental legislation poised to force liquidation of livestock and shut down farms. The purpose of Holland's legislation is allegedly for the good of the environment, but upon further analysis, the laws will simply offshore and worsen environmental damage. Todd Thurman joins me to discuss how rapidly advancing “green” legislation is reducing food output, harming the poor, and disproportionately targeting Agriculture. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

Biologicals are the newest iteration in Ag inputs but they’ve actually been around for several decades and they still lack consistent results. Consolidation among Ag’s biggest players has left just a handful of huge companies — will they all still be here in a decade? If so, who will they acquire? Meanwhile, farms are consolidating too (as they have been for almost a century), how does that change the Ag inputs biz? And what does the future look like in way of crop inputs and the manner in which they are developed, sold, and distributed? This and more is discussed in this episode of The Business of Agriculture with guests Galynn Beer and Brian Waugh of Agroliquid. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

Farm land prices are up. A lot! So are interest rates, input prices, and diesel fuel. What does all this mean heading into fall and for 2023? Should you buy acres to expand your Ag enterprise in this environment? How will a doubling of operating loan interest rates impact your bottom line. Jarod Creed of JC Marketing & Ag Financial Services in Iowa joins me to address those issues and questions. Bad news: Inflation is here for a while. Good news: Higher interest rates aren’t as big a cost risk factor as you might think. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

50 years we didn’t have much in the way of crop insurance. Then came the 80’s and the realization it was smarter — and more financially sound— for the government to subsidize crop insurance. Today, more than 90% of American cropland acres are insured. But that’s still not enough coverage for the amount of capital deployed in production Ag. Which is why new products and programs are being rolled out as the insurance industry evolves. Now covering livestock and specialty crop with an array of packages that make sense for producers — the insurance biz is changing. The folks from AgriSompo explain. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

RFK Jr. as head of Health and Human Services will oversee the Food and Drug Administration and will have a role in setting food policy in the United States. Will RFK “Un-Fauci” our food system? And what exactly is meant by “Fauci’d,” you ask? When a bureaucrat uses fraudulent science to achieve political outcomes, enhance his power, and collaborate with corporations to earn profits, that’s the "Fauci Factor." Believe it or not, our food was “Fauci’d” beginning in the 1950s. Will RFK eradicate the bad science and corporate interests making us unhealthy? Or will his organic zealotry and opposition to seed oils make matters worse? Damian Mason delves into those questions and possible outcomes in this special edition of The Business of Agriculture, recorded in Damian’s kitchen!

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:
Pattern Ag pattern.ag
Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com
Truterra truterraag.com

This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved. Not available for AI.

 

The Columbia - Snake River system consists of 465 miles of river that acts as Agricultural infrastructure. The waterways and their 8 dams allow barges to move 10% of America’s exported wheat and 40% of the inland Northwest’s total wheat production. In short, the river system is vital for food production as well as the economies of Agriculturally dependent communities in three states. So why do environmental groups and certain politicians want to blow up the dams? Me and my panel of experts discuss how environmental activism is taking food off our plate. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

There’s way more to Montana than just Yellowstone — the park AND the popular television show. Montana agriculture is diverse, productive, and as big as the Big Sky state. The state produces wheat, oats, flax, canola, camelina, lentils, peas, and more. Justin Miller, a fifth generation Montana farmer / rancher joins me to explain his farming operation that produces all those aforementioned crops. He is joined by Lance Lindbloom of 406 Agronomy to discuss Agriculture from the perspective of two native Montanans. They’re no Kevin Costners, but I promise you’ll be entertained and informed after hearing from these guys. Pop yourself a yellow jacket (Coors) and enjoy! Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag

Wheat prices are in record territory. Russia is reportedly seizing Ukrainian wheat and re-selling it. Africa and the Middle East might very well be starving soon, given wheat shortages. And the USA planted fewer acres of wheat last year than at any time on record, as farmers switched acreage to more profitable and higher-yielding crops. If wheat is in short supply even with high prices, is now the time to (finally) approve genetically engineered wheat? Darren Padgett, Oregon wheat producer and past chair of U.S. Wheat Associates joins Terry Wanzek, North Dakota state senator and farmer to discuss. Sponsored by Pattern Ag pattern.ag