Damian travels all over the globe talking to audiences about trends in the business of food, fuel, and fiber. With his clever wit and down-to-earth delivery, he has turned these topics into an interesting (and sometimes controversial) podcast.
…
continue reading
You've probably heard about Regenerative Agriculture, now there's Regenified Certified. This innovative certification designates products produced using advanced regenerative farming practices. In this episode of The Business of Agriculture, host Damian Mason is joined by Heidi Diestel from Diestel Ranch, a pioneering California-based turkey produc…
…
continue reading
The subject of solar development on farm ground generates a lot of impassioned opinions. But do you know the all the facts? Listen to Damian’s discussion with Illinois farmer John Carroll, who has eight on-farm solar developments powering livestock and farm facilities. He is also exploring community solar projects, where a municipality leases farm …
…
continue reading
Imagine a future with more environmental regulation, a fusion of regenerative and conventional farming practices, tastier food that’s still affordable, fewer farmland acres — especially of corn and soy — with more acres of oddball crops like sorghum. These are just a few of Damian Mason’s BIG thoughts on the future of farming, food prices, and what…
…
continue reading
41.9% of Americans are obese. Most of these people are not on obesity drugs. Yet. But that day is coming according to Damian Mason, and when it does Agriculture is going to — for the first time ever — face a marketplace of declining per-person caloric consumption. Todd Thurman joins Damian in this forward - looking discussion. What will the impact …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
356 - How De-Globalization, a Strong Dollar, and Consumers Factor into American Agricultural Trade
49:39
The United States’ Agricultural projected 2024 trade imbalance isn’t due to a lack of sales. In fact, American Ag is on track to sell more corn, soy, pork, and other farm products than ever before. The imbalance — meaning we’re buying more dollars worth of Agricultural goods than we’re selling — is due to deglobalizaion, a strong dollar, and consum…
…
continue reading
Bee populations are declining, as you’ve likely heard. Is the decline a problem for Agriculture? Yes, says Itai Kanot, co-founder of BeeHero. With 75% of food crops requiring pollination, humanity needs bees. We need both wild honeybees — and perhaps more importantly — the kind kept by professional beekeepers. Professional beekeepers are hired by f…
…
continue reading
The global Agriculture drone market is predicted to grow by 31.5% annually over the next four years. That’s good for Ag innovation but bad for American national security. Why? Because the dominant global manufacturer of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) for Agriculture, is directly linked to the Chinese Communist Party. That company — DJI — currentl…
…
continue reading
Historically, investment in Africa has been extractive, as in, spend money to build mines or infrastructure to extract resources from the continent. Jeff Bordes with Acres Club says his company is changing that by deploying capital investment into Africa to build farms to nourish the local population. Developing farms in other countries is nothing …
…
continue reading
Recycled freight containers turned into backyard hydroponic farms for suburbanites? Space farming to combat the perils of Earth-bound climate crisis? These are just two of the multitude of Agriculture-themed business ventures being pitched by their founders, investors and public relations consultants. The problem with these ventures: They seek to s…
…
continue reading
The U.S. is staring down its largest Agricultural trade deficit in history. One factor in that is the amount of off-shore produce and specialty crop imports from nations with significantly lower labor costs. Jamie Clover Adams, Executive Director of Michigan Asparagus joins Damian Mason to explain why American farmers are losing out to other countr…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
350 - Older, Poorer Customers — The Influence of Demographics and Food Inflation On Agriculture
49:18
The demographics are actually quite staggering — we are getting old, fast. Which means our customer’s dietary choices and demands are changing. Is Agriculture changing with its customers? What about the food inflation situation, with grocery prices up 25% since 2020? Todd Thurman, of Swine Insights International joins Damian to discuss economics, d…
…
continue reading
For six decades, American Agriculture ran a trade surplus — meaning, we sold more dollars worth of Ag products to other countries than we bought. That’s changed. American Ag has run a trade deficit (bought more than we sold) four of the last six years. A record trade imbalance of $32 Billion is projected for 2024. Why is American Agriculture at a t…
…
continue reading
Farming is a business. Complete with a lot of moving parts, huge capital investment, and low margins. Adding in the trend toward farm consolidation, those larger farms that remain are left feeling a bit isolated. What’s a forward-looking farmer to do? Join a professional peer group where you get business advice, information, and feedback from other…
…
continue reading
Agriculture has been consolidating for almost a century. There were 6.8 million American farms in 1935, today, less than 2 million. About 160,000 of those two million American farms do the bulk of the heavy lifting, production wise, with more than 90% of farm revenue. Consolidation has been the norm in not only production Agriculture but also on th…
…
continue reading
Big companies have gotten bigger in Agriculture, generally by acquiring, or merging with, other companies. Consolidation in the Business of Agriculture has been going on for decades and it’s likely to continue. The question is: Who benefits from consolidation in the Agriculture industry? Damian Mason asks Corteva’s Jim Davis that question, amid man…
…
continue reading
For years Agriculture has prioritized production, transport-ability, appearance, and efficiency in the food we make. But what about nutrients? Did nutrient content of food get relegated to the back seat? Somewhat, and that’s changing, as consumers demand tastier, more nutritious food. University of Florida professor, farmer, and podcast host Kevin …
…
continue reading
The last twenty years have been very good ones — financially speaking — for American Agriculture. The last three years 2021, ’22, and ’23 are the highest farm income years ever in both nominal and inflation adjusted, real dollars. Now, in 2024, we face a revenue downturn. While commodity prices are OK, input prices remain elevated. This scenario is…
…
continue reading
In production Agriculture we tend to over manage for some pathogens — corn root worm for instance — while under managing for others such as Fusarium. Mike Tweedy with PatternAg cites his company's recent finding in a certain geography where Fusarium — a disease for which we generally under manage — caused an average of 30 lost bushels. As commodity…
…
continue reading
Money was pouring into Agricultural startups a few years ago. What’s the investment climate look like now? Damian Mason is joined by Business Transaction Attorney Max Bremer on this episode of The Business of Agriculture. They discuss money flow into Ag, the pace of mergers and acquisitions, and how legislation is pushing some consolidation. The Bu…
…
continue reading
Most people don’t hold investment money in the Ag commodity space. That may be changing as investing in things like corn is made easier via ETFs — exchange traded funds. Jake Hanley with Teucrium explains the oftentimes complex commodities trading industry and how his company is simplifying — or as Damian Mason says “democratizing” — commodity inve…
…
continue reading
Fruits and vegetables have been bred over the past half century for the primary objective of transportability and shelf life. The tradeoff: taste and nutrient density. As marketplaces mature and consumers are afforded increasing food options in the produce section, might a play toward taste, nutrition, and reduced food waste be a winner? Nathan Pum…
…
continue reading
Most of the fertilizer applied to fields, doesn’t actually get absorbed by the plant. That’s an economic as well as environmental liability for Agriculture. Technological advances in adjuvants, fertilizer amendments and biologicals aim to change farming. In this episode of The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason, Clark Bell, CEO of Na…
…
continue reading
Frank Tiegs started farming in the Columbia basin region of Washington in 1975. Then he bought an apple packing facility. From there, the operation has expanded mightily to involve 140,000 acres of farming and 15 food processing facilities. Upon Frank’s recent passing, his son Keith re-joined the business as president. In this episode of the Busine…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
337 - Is It Time for Legislation Restricting Foreign Ownership of American Farm Land? 25 States Think So!
50:47
Indiana appears poised to become the twenty-fifth state to restrict — or outright ban — ownership of Agricultural real estate by foreign entities. Many people — from both within and outside of Ag — have been calling for such legislation. Currenly, twenty four states have similar laws on the books. Generally, the legislation is directed at entities …
…
continue reading
A full three quarters of farmworkers in the U.S. are migrants and many are here illegally. Add in food service, meat processing, and the ancillary industries that feed the food business and you’re talking about a LOT of foreign-born workers who work to put food on America’s table. Is the migrant crisis we’re witnessing on our nation’s southern bord…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
335 - Are We Wrong About Oversupply?
1:09:35
1:09:35
در پخش در آینده
در پخش در آینده
لیست ها
پسندیدن
دوست داشته شد
1:09:35
In the last episode Todd Thurman joined Damian to cover a topic most in Agriculture have never considered: Are we permanently over supplied with Agricultural commodities? Pointing out the reasons demand won’t outpace - or even keep up with - our productive capacity, Thurman and Mason painted a picture of long term surpluses that keep prices below b…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
334 - Oversupplied: What Happens When Ag Keeps Increasing Production While Demand Slides?
1:11:42
1:11:42
در پخش در آینده
در پخش در آینده
لیست ها
پسندیدن
دوست داشته شد
1:11:42
We in Agriculture love production! For example, we’re producing about 50% more corn, soy, and pork than we did just a quarter century ago here in the U.S. The playbook for decades has been: find more global markets to peddle our commodities so we can keep doing what we like doing, which is producing stuff. Here’s the problem — and the commodity pri…
…
continue reading
It’s setting up to be a challenging year for farm economics. Add to that: it’s an election year, Washington DC is as dysfunctional as ever, and we still don’t have a Farm Bill — which was supposed to have been passed last year. What’s the outlook financially for farms. What about trade policy? Does renewable energy investment favor Ag? Will the U.S…
…
continue reading
Nationally, between 30 and 40% of farmland is rented to an operator from a land owner. But how are rental rates for this hugely valuable asset class determined? Are the rental rates fair? What causes variability in values? Howard Halderman of Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management explains the math and methodology of farm cash rents. The structu…
…
continue reading
Kyle Beaver is a self-admitted Jack-of-all-Trades who, at age 25, turned a Google search into a mushroom business. Six years later he’s refining Ten Mile Mushrooms and launched a subsidiary. The business still grows some fungus for consumption but has morphed into a supplier of ready-to-fruit substrate. That means, they sell the stuff that makes mu…
…
continue reading
Agricultural trade events can be a lot of fun, but are they always valuable? And who are they valuable to? Brandon Wipf, South Dakota farmer and co-chair of Commodity Classic 2024, joins Damian Mason and XtremeAg’s Kelly Garrett to talk trade events. How do these two business-minded farmers get value from trade events? How can you maximize your ROI…
…
continue reading
Blake Matthews returned to the Idaho family farming operation twenty years ago. Upon his return, he began experimenting with a new array of products and practices, including bio-nutrients. First, he used bio-nutrients to help his sugar beets bounce back after applying glyphosate. He moved on to potatoes where he has eliminated fungicide and insecti…
…
continue reading
22 years ago, immediately after graduating from college AND getting married, John Carroll and his new bride flew to Brazil to start farming. John’s family, with a farming operation in west central Illinois, had just purchased farm land in a newly developed Ag area of Brazil. Today John and his family are living back in Illinois but he manages the B…
…
continue reading
In Agriculture we generally have the perception that farmers as price takers are being short-changed as “middle men” make all the margin. While it’s popular to talk about “cutting out the middle man,” how realistic is it to actually happen? Ryan Moe and Todd Thurman join Damian to discuss who these middle operators are, what they do, and whether or…
…
continue reading
Ag commodity marketing is too complex, largely misunderstood, and the industry is full of products and services you probably don’t even need to profitably market your grain. That truth bomb — along with many more — is courtesy of Joe Vaclavik of Standard Grain. Mr. Vaclavik, a former grain trader turned commodity marketing commentator, says there a…
…
continue reading
Interest rates appear to be stabilizing, wage and food inflation are still worsening, and predictions for America’s Ag sector are a bit dour for 2024. What’s going on at the macro-economic level and what does it mean for Agriculture? Compeer’s Chief Risk Officer, Bill Moore, joins Damian to discuss inflation, land values, debt, the American consume…
…
continue reading
Cost of production set a record in 2023 as the most expensive crops ever planted. How things turned out for the P&L statement depended on weather, yield, and how well operators navigated the commodity markets. Prices for land, labor, fuel, machinery, and crop inputs aren’t subsiding, nor is the interest rate for borrowed money. All this points to a…
…
continue reading
Canada is the world’s number one exporter of oats — a commodity enjoying an upswing in demand thanks to snack bars and oat milk. Did you know almost every bushel of oats goes straight to human consumption? With horse racing’s decline in popularity, human oat consumption is the key to future growth. John Bergen and Riley Anderson, Manitoba farmers, …
…
continue reading
Calvin Koeller's Illinois farm operation is about to lose a couple miles worth of farm land to an electrical grid expansion. This new electric line project was defeated a few years ago but, with support from the Inflation Reduction Act — and some Illinois politics — the Grainbelt Express Electric project is back on track. As currently designed, it’…
…
continue reading
Currently, pork profitability (or lack thereof) has certain observers comparing the industry to the late ’90s when pork was in turmoil. It was that era, in fact, that set the stage for today’s (mostly) vertically integrated hog production model using contact grower farmers. Adam Krause, a contract grower, joins Glenn Muller, Executive Director of S…
…
continue reading
If you’re in business, at some level, you’re in sales. So, how exactly would you rate your sales game? Do you ask the right questions? Is your product knowledge keeping up? Do you understand the needs and problems of the customers you seek to serve? St. John (“Sinjin”) Craner, a sales and marketing trainer specializing in Agriculture explains how s…
…
continue reading
The Mississippi River is low and that’s causing shipping problems for Agriculture. Mark Milam with Independent Commodity Intelligence Services joins Damian to discuss issues of transportation, supply, and distribution of fertilizer for crop year 2024. Sponsored by: Pattern Ag pattern.ag AGvisorPRO getagvisorpro.com Truterra truterraag.com…
…
continue reading
The chasm between beef and dairy is being bridged as the two industries fuse in a trend that could be good for beef, dairy, consumers, the marketplace, and maybe the environment. The advent of sex-specific semen made a whole lot of dairy cow uteruses available. Meanwhile the beef industry needed calves. The result: beef bulls being bred to dairy ca…
…
continue reading
As it turns out, we’ve not always been good to our soil. Fortunately we’re starting to better understand the living organism beneath our feet. However, we’re still mistreating this valuable asset that’s selling for $15,000 to $20,000 per acre in some areas. David Kleinschmidt of Progressive Agronomy and Illinois farmer Mike Imhoff discuss cover cro…
…
continue reading
Using a $40 million federal grant paid over five years via USDA’s climate initiative, DeLong company created the “Grown Climate Smart” program. A 38 branch Ag retailer and grain elevator, DeLong has roughly 250,000 customer acres enrolled in the program that incentivizes wind breaks, cover cropping, tillage reduction, and nutrient management. Now t…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
315 - Is Ag Real Estate At A Peak?
1:22:50
1:22:50
در پخش در آینده
در پخش در آینده
لیست ها
پسندیدن
دوست داشته شد
1:22:50
Farmland prices have been on fire the last couple years. But are those prices peaking? Beyond the huge sale numbers seen on social media, Ag property has been selling well but…there are signs of a cooling off. What can we expect moving forward? Will the institutional investors remain in Ag land? And what are the drivers of farm ground pricing and s…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
314 - A SWOT Analysis for American Agriculture
1:07:33
1:07:33
در پخش در آینده
در پخش در آینده
لیست ها
پسندیدن
دوست داشته شد
1:07:33
Businesses are encouraged to conduct assessments of their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. In short: What are you good at, what do you suck at, where will tomorrow’s money be made, and what things could put you out of business? The most critical element of an effective SWOT Analysis is the ability to be critical. That’s why I broug…
…
continue reading
Used machinery markets are heating up earlier than normal. Is this because farmers in need of equipment recall getting shut out during the supply chain disruptions of Covid or is there a used equipment shortage? What are interest rates — more than double what they were just a year or so ago— doing to the farm implement market? Does a farmer need th…
…
continue reading
Comet Bio is a technology-enabled food ingredient company that, after eight years, is finally ready to churn out food ingredients. The company extracts fiber — arabinoxylan to be specific — from wheat straw and turns it into an ingredient for food companies to use in food for human consumption. This is a win-win for everyone involved: New demand fo…
…
continue reading
Organic food sales growth still outpaces conventional, despite food inflation and even after nearly two decades of “organic” being a thing. Additionally, the margins are better for organic. So, how much longer can “organic” grow organically? How do organic chicken farms operate, is it the same as vertically integrated conventional poultry productio…
…
continue reading