The Business of Agriculture Podcast

You hear me talk a lot about Ag's ability to reap bigger profits by breaking the commodity mindset. Socially conscious branding is an excellent opportunity to do this. If you watched the Super Bowl - or even if you didn't - social consciousness was on display with several commercials. Take for example, Anheuser - Busch, who devoted two spots to the brewer's work at providing clean water to people in need. Why does this matter to you, and Agriculture in general? Because affluent consumers such as ours in North America spend money to feel good about doing global good. And we're not taking advantage of this marketing opportunity. Give this a listen and I'll give you some ideas on how we can!

From government, to cause groups, to well - intentioned foodies, seems everyone is out to control food and agriculture. Jayson Lusk, author of "The Food Police: A Well -Fed Manifesto about the Politics of Your Plate" joins me to talk about the various food forces. Topics: why soda taxes don't make fat people skinny, should there be federal dietary nutritional guidelines (we disagree on this!), the perils of Ag's reliance on the school lunch program, and disruptive trends in food and agriculture. Besides writing books about food, Jayson Lusk is also the head of the Agricultural Economics department at Purdue University. I asked him what Ag schools are doing to combat the anti - Ag forces that weren't as well weaponized a few decades ago. ** We made this a two part podcast. Enjoy!

From government, to cause groups, to well - intentioned foodies, seems everyone is out to control food and agriculture. Jayson Lusk, author of "The Food Police: A Well -Fed Manifesto about the Politics of Your Plate" joins me to talk about the various food forces. Topics: why soda taxes don't make fat people skinny, should there be federal dietary nutritional guidelines (we disagree on this!), the perils of Ag's reliance on the school lunch program, and disruptive trends in food and agriculture. Besides writing books about food, Jayson Lusk is also the head of the Agricultural Economics department at Purdue University. I asked him what Ag schools are doing to combat the anti - Ag forces that weren't as well weaponized a few decades ago. ** We made this a two part podcast. Enjoy!

Chips, fries, hash browns, baked, scalloped, and lets not forget tater tots. In this episode, I talk taters with Matt Hemphill of Potatoes New Brunswick. Yep, that's one of the Maritime Provinces just east of Maine and Canada's third biggest producer of spuds. We eat potatoes but how familiar are we with this amazing tuber? Did you know a lot of potato farmers get 25- 30 tons of spuds per acre? Did you know China is now the number one producer of potatoes. Did you also know Asia is discovering what we did long ago - that French Fries are delicious? Pop a cold beverage and fill a plate with your favorite potato product because we're talkin' taters!

Agriculture is changing. To protect the legacy and lifestyle we love so much, we must address the business side of farming. While farmers are amazing at production, there are other complexities. Issues of size, scale, input management, legalities, managing employees, and keeping a handle on financials, for example. Jim Raftis, with Family Farms Group is my guest. FFG works with member teams — independent family farms. Acting as coach, consultant, and information resource, FFG help farmers strengthen their weaknesses. Loads of takeaways on how to improve your Ag enterprise and keep up the legacy!

We in Agriculture have a tendency to run for the exits screaming "fire!" when faced with a bit of price adversity. In this episode I tell you why the Ag economy slowed down, why it's normal, and why you should still be excited about the future. American Ag ingenuity will continue to create high quality, value added products an increasingly affluent global middle class demands. We're talking trade, money, farm land, regulation, consolidation, and what all this means for you. Super cycles like we experienced from 2005-2013 are the exception, not the norm. Welcome to Ag Normal!

PART 2 OF 2 Real estate is the biggest capital asset we in Agriculture have. So what's happening with Ag land? Who's buying, who's selling and for how much? Are investors out bidding farmers for dirt? Is there going to be an Ag land meltdown? Is farm land still a good investment? Should you manage your own farm land or hire a professional? Howard Halderman of Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management joins me for an informative 2 part series covering a lot of ground. A lot of ground, get it?

PART 1 OF 2 Real estate is the biggest capital asset we in Agriculture have. So what's happening with Ag land? Who's buying, who's selling and for how much? Are investors out bidding farmers for dirt? Is there going to be an Ag land meltdown? Is farm land still a good investment? Should you manage your own farm land or hire a professional? Howard Halderman of Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management joins me for an informative 2 part series covering a lot of ground. A lot of ground, get it?

Agriculture is a family business. But what happens when there's a death, divorce, dispute, or default? Who is the manager? Where does the money come from? And how will you keep things from blowing up between the personalities involved? Jolene Brown, farmer, speaker, and family business consultant joins me to discuss the personal, professional, and legal aspects of a family Ag biz. Want to keep your family financially solvent and still speaking to one another after a disruption or death? Listen to this episode for great advice on setting up a thriving family biz. As Jolene says, "A conversation is not a contract."

Are we treating our soil like dirt? In some ways yes. Agronomist Jodi DeJong-Hughes, regional educator in crops and soils with with University of Minnesota Extension joins me. We talk about the evils of tillage, soil health, and provide recommendations on what Ag can do to enhance your land. For example, did you know a 1% increase in organic matter increases water holding capacity by 27,000 gallons per acre? Listen and learn what you can do to enhance soil — it's Ag's most valuable asset!