The Business of Agriculture Podcast

Eric Snodgrass has a title long enough to fill the front and back of his business card. Basically, he's a weather dude, atmospheric scientist, and former professor. Eric joins me to discuss climate reality. What's happening with the weather, what it means for Agriculture, and why blaming bovines for green house gasses is like ordering a Diet Coke to wash down your 10,000 calorie buffet dinner. We cover a lot of ground in this very entertaining episode. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

Twice in the last year we've faced a major disruption to our meat supply. The first due to Covid closing packing facilities, the second due to a Cyber attack last week on JBS - the world's largest meat processing company. What does this mean for producers and consumers? More importantly, are these disruptions an expected symptom of an oligopolistic meat packing industry? Brad Kooima, a beef producer, commodity trader, grain farmer, and National Cattleman's Beef Association officer joins me to discuss problems with the protein processing industry from his perspective. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

A lot has changed rapidly when it comes to farm level finances. Commodity prices in grains have doubled in less than a year, while beef producers are getting hammered and pork producers are getting ahead (for now). I sit down with two Ag lenders with American State Bank, a Northwest Iowa community bank with approximately a $400 million balance of Ag loans. Their region is huge in livestock production and touts some of the best farm land in America. Eric Haveman and Josh Metzger provide perspective on farm finances and the Business of Agriculture. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

Brice McIntosh is the Vocational Ag instructor and FFA leader in Wheatland, Wyoming. The farm kid turned teacher has plenty of opinions about the Business of Agriculture, the future, and what we're doing right and wrong with instructing our youth. We discuss technology, curriculum, and the skillsets he's instructing (as well as the traits he sees lacking) and much more. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

Agriculture is increasingly under environmental scrutiny and the pressure will only get worse. The pressure comes from activist groups teaming with trial lawyers, politicians out to control food choice, and wealthy individuals such as Bill Gates whose motives may not be as philanthropic as he portrays. I see calls to tax meat — especially beef — and dairy products under the guise of curing climate change. I also see more lawsuits on the heels of Bayer's $11.6 billion settlement. And, you can count on more federal regulation of farming practices. So how can Ag win? By staying away from the science. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

More than 2 years ago I had the author of Empty Planet on the podcast to discuss the reality: humans aren't going to overpopulate Earth and that we weren't going to run out of food. In this episode, Todd Thurman and I discuss what slowing population growth — and even decline — means for Ag. Hint: Less "feed the world" talk, catering to a wealthier / older customer base, and possibly even competition for immigrants. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

What's an adjuvant, you ask? They're inert ingredients used in crop protection products to make the chemistry more efficient and effective. Joe Gednalske with the Council of Producer & Distributors of Agrotechnology joins me to discuss technology in crop production. Joe holds 38 patents and has been in the Ag industry for half a century. Which is why I encourage you to share this episode with your non-Ag friends — because, as Joe explains — many adjuvants used in pesticides are also found in detergent, shampoo, and home cleaning supplies. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

"Cheese is who we are." That's the statement from Wisconsin Cheese's Chief Marketing Officer, Suzanne Fanning. I invited her on The Business of Ag podcast after reading about the organization's award winning Cheeselandia marketing campaign. We discuss all things Ag promotion, what things Ag gets wrong (way too much preaching to ourselves about ourselves!), and some of the ways Wisconsin Cheese is messaging to its customers. Enjoy the lively discussion between Suzanne and I — we disagree on at least a couple things! Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

Aquabounty is a company that came on my radar a couple years ago when they purchased and redeveloped an indoor fish farm in Indiana. The company produces genetically engineered salmon — the first animal protein to be GMO (which, as you can imagine, invites a lot of scrutiny). Sylvia Wulf, Aquabounty's CEO joins me to explain aquaculture, discuss salmon consumption and production, and talk about everything seafood. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com and LandTrust landtrust.com

Bill and Melinda Gates own almost 250,000 acres of productive farm land, and it's my hunch that it's not simply because he loves the smell of dirt. Bill, along with a cooperative media, bills himself a philanthropist. But the world's 4th wealthiest man occasionally passes off as altruism what is in reality control. Two months ago he stated wealthy nations such as the U.S. should switch to a 100% synthetic meat diet. He then stated that to accomplish this "might require regulations." Now you understand some of my concern. When a guy who wants to control America's dinner plate controls vast amounts of farmland and possesses the financial resources to dictate legislative outcomes, I see red flags. Sponsored by Harvest Profit harvestprofit.com