The Business of Agriculture Podcast

April 22nd, 2018 marks the 48th installment of Earth Day. In this episode I give you some background on Earth Day. Did you know it was a social movement attempting to capitalize on the anti- Viet Nam war fervor? Earth Day is also credited for creating the EPA - now an $8 billion, 15,000 employee federal juggernaut — oftentimes at odds with Agriculture. (WOTUS anyone?) The business of agriculture has many environmental accomplishments our detractors never mention. But I do! Share this episode with your non Ag friends. We're talking Earth and Agriculture. Earth is our livelihood and our biggest asset. Happy Earth Day!

Join the conversation with fellow Ag speaker and funny man, Mark Mayfield. Usually we cover issues impacting the industry of food and farming but this episode is a bit lighter. Mark and I discuss comedy, why comedian and farmer are job descriptions that get disrespect, humorous material that only works for Ag audiences, the perils of the job as a traveling talker, and more.

Last week was a volatile week in the grain trade but what does all this mean? Matt Bennett of Bennett Consulting joins me to discuss the basics of commodity markets, terminology of the trade, and his thoughts on the global grain business. We discuss how you can profit - or at least limit your risk - as a grain buyer or seller. We close with Matt's advice for limiting emotional mistakes and why he's bullish on the Business of Agriculture.

Ranching & Farming on public land will come to an end in the next 20 years. In this episode I tell you why. I also delve into political reality: this is a bigger issue than just a few thousand ranchers on public land, it's about the culture of Agriculture. Which is very much at odds with the media's portrayal of contemporary America.

The Business of Agriculture is caught in the crosshairs of trade negotiations. As usual. Agricultural crops are often used as bargaining chips. Food is commonly used as a political weapon. So, what is the current picture of trade? Will China really stop buying American soybeans - and what if they do? Should you panic? Jim Wiesemeyer, D.C. policy analyst for ProFarmer and Farm Journal is my guest. We're talking NAFTA, TPP, global Ag markets, and mega changes in the Business of Agriculture.

This week we celebrate Agriculture with our 45th National Ag Day. While it's a day to recognize all that Ag does, we sometimes take the "thank a farmer" movement a little too far. Wouldn't it also be appropriate to thank the paying customer who buys our product? In this episode I share thoughts for the men and women of Agriculture, followed by an Ag Day message for our consumers. Please share this podcast with your non Ag friends. Because this week is all about celebrating North American Ag's bounty. Do so and enjoy!

The business of Ag has seen a rapid amount of consolidation. Seed, chemical, equipment, fertilizer, and possibly even grain handlers are getting fewer in number. And bigger. Will size and scale stifle innovation? Do new companies have greater control over farm customers? Seems it's not a matter of if, but when, will we reach the point of Big 3 Economics - with 3 major players in every category. But does it even matter? A century ago critics screamed Sears was going to control the world! How'd that play out?

Fake news is a new term for an old practice: using misinformation to trigger an emotional reaction, thereby affecting an outcome. I delve into the history of media-perpetuated inaccuracies. Particularly, how it negatively impacts the Business of Agriculture. From Oprah's anti-beef episode to gluten as evil. When it comes to fake news, we lose. Learn how Ag can battle better. Defense versus offense. The peril of playing nice when our opponents don't. And why facts don't matter to a feelings based customer.

Friend of Show, Rob Saik joins me to deliver his take on Agriculture past, present, and future. What innovations make it possible for 1% fo the populace to feed the other 99%? What agricultural advancements allowed human advancement? We talk about the 5 iterations of Agriculture: Muscle, Machinery, Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Convergence. This episode explores where food production and the business of agriculture are headed.

Dwayne Faber is a Twitter star who earns his living as a dairy farmer in Washington state. We talk about the Ag economy, the future of commodity production, money, and family. We also delve into social media and the finer points of comedy. Two ADHD dairy guys getting funny on this episode of The Business of Agriculture!