『Farm4Profit Podcast』のカバーアート

Farm4Profit Podcast

Farm4Profit Podcast

著者： David Whitaker Corey Hillebo Tanner Winterhof
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Our mission is to provide farms and operators an independent and unbiased outlet for information related to increasing the profitability of their farming operation. We will be providing farms and operators of all sizes and experience levels access to the latest trends, projections, and the tools necessary to increase farming profitability. We will take each episode to deliver latest news, what's working for active farms, and a topic of focus each episode. Remember, if you aren't farming for profit you won't be farming for long. 個人ファイナンス 経済学
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  • Former Traders Reveal How Grain Merchants Really Think

    Former Traders Reveal How Grain Merchants Really Think
    2026/08/17
    Most farmers spend countless hours trying to grow another five bushels per acre. Mike Rolfsen and Jeff Kazin believe there may be an even bigger opportunity waiting after harvest. The Agris Academy co-founders return to Farm4Profit to explain why merchandising—not market prediction—is where many producers leave money on the table. Drawing on decades of experience trading commodities and managing physical grain businesses at Cargill, they explain how successful grain companies approach risk, logistics, negotiations, and marketing far differently than most farms. One of the biggest themes throughout the conversation is that grain marketing isn't about predicting prices—it's about managing risk. Mike and Jeff explain why commercial grain companies hedge rather than speculate, and why farmers should think more like professional risk managers than market forecasters. Instead of trying to outguess the futures market, producers should focus on the controllable parts of merchandising that consistently add value year after year. The discussion also explores what life inside one of the world's largest grain companies actually looks like. While many people imagine traders constantly buying and selling futures contracts, Mike and Jeff explain that most of their time was spent optimizing logistics, transportation, physical grain movement, basis opportunities, and operational details that collectively create significant value. They then introduce Agris Academy, the education platform they founded to teach farmers the merchandising skills they believe are missing from traditional agricultural education. Unlike brokerage firms or advisory services, Agris Academy focuses entirely on helping producers understand grain marketing mechanics, negotiation strategies, basis, carry, storage economics, and risk management principles that can be applied to any farming operation. Throughout the episode they discuss: Why hedging should never be confused with speculation.The psychology behind futures markets.How margin calls actually work.Why documenting marketing decisions improves long-term discipline.Why every farm's marketing plan should match its own financial situation instead of following someone else's advice. One of the biggest takeaways is their concept of creating a "knowledge asset." While farms continually invest in land, machinery, and buildings, Mike and Jeff argue that merchandising education creates an asset that can benefit multiple generations. Once the skills are learned, they become part of the operation's long-term competitive advantage and can be passed down just like any physical asset. The conversation also dives into one of agriculture's biggest capital decisions: grain storage. Mike and Jeff explain why the economics of permanent grain bins have changed dramatically, why many large farms are now using grain bags as flexible storage, and how understanding carry, basis, and storage costs often matters more than simply adding more bins. They also discuss treating on-farm storage like a commercial elevator instead of simply holding grain until later in the year. Another important topic is cost of production. While understanding production costs remains critical for managing the farm business, Mike and Jeff explain why the futures market doesn't care what any individual producer's breakeven happens to be. Instead, successful marketers focus on managing risk, understanding merchandising opportunities, and maximizing basis and carry opportunities available in their local markets. The episode also covers: Negotiation strategies farmers can immediately apply.Why every marketing plan should be documented.Learning to think like an elevator.Separating farm performance from speculative trading.Why women often excel at grain merchandising.Building marketing confidence through repetition and small steps instead of large speculative bets. To wrap things up, Mike and Jeff share several entertaining stories from their international trading careers—including stolen vegetable oil, disappearing sugar shipments, homemade liquor in Eastern Europe, and why, after working around the globe, they still believe the United States remains one of the best places in the world to farm. If you've ever wondered how professional grain merchandisers think—or how to make more money without growing more bushels—this episode delivers practical insights you can begin applying immediately. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don’t forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/...
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    59 分
  • Mike Naig: The Pressure Farmers Are Feeling and the Next Opportunity

    Mike Naig: The Pressure Farmers Are Feeling and the Next Opportunity
    2026/08/13
    In this episode of Farm4Profit, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig returns to the studio for a conversation that covers nearly every major issue impacting producers today. Mike begins by sharing how he balances his role as Secretary of Agriculture with remaining involved in his family’s fourth-generation northwest Iowa farm. He discusses growing up around corn, soybeans, and hogs, how the family operation has evolved, and why having one foot in production agriculture continues to shape the way he approaches his job. The conversation quickly turns to one of agriculture’s biggest uncontrollable variables: weather. Iowa farmers have dealt with derechos, excessive rainfall, flooding, drought, and increasingly severe weather events. Mike explains why risk management, infrastructure, crop resilience, and better monitoring tools are becoming even more important as producers try to manage events they simply cannot control. The crew also talks openly about the mental and financial pressure farmers are feeling. Tight margins, extreme weather, policy uncertainty, and growing public criticism of agriculture are all piling up at the same time. Mike says he has noticed increasing frustration among producers who feel they are being blamed for problems while already operating under significant financial stress. Water quality becomes a major part of the discussion. Mike breaks down Iowa’s nutrient reduction efforts, progress on phosphorus, ongoing nitrate challenges, and the state’s new “Farm to Faucet” approach. That effort includes increased nitrate treatment capacity, expanded water monitoring, conservation funding, cover crop incentives, streamside buffers, and more than $50 million targeted toward conservation practices in the Greater Des Moines Watershed over the next 12 years. The group also tackles one of Iowa’s most controversial conversations: whether agriculture is being unfairly blamed for cancer rates in the state. Mike stresses that the issue is complex and should be driven by research rather than politics. He points to known risk factors including radon, smoking, alcohol use, obesity, and sun exposure while also supporting continued research into environmental and genetic factors. From there, the episode moves into biofuels and new revenue opportunities. Mike discusses Iowa’s growing use of E15, the economic benefits ethanol provides consumers, the potential of 45Z, and why future clean-fuel programs could create additional revenue streams for farmers if measurement and reporting requirements can be made practical. One of the biggest opportunities Mike sees for Iowa is cattle. With the U.S. cow herd at historically low levels, Mike believes Iowa has room to grow beef production—especially by identifying row crop acres that are underperforming because of slope, erosion, wetness, or poor soil productivity and converting those acres into pasture or forage. He explains how the state’s cattle and conservation programs are already helping connect landowners with livestock producers while supporting fencing, water access, pasture establishment, and even virtual fencing. That conversation naturally leads into the next generation of agriculture. Mike and the Farm4Profit crew discuss how livestock can create a realistic entry point for young producers who may have labor and ambition but lack capital. They explore ideas around financing, conservation incentives, access to land, custom farming, direct-to-consumer agriculture, specialty crops, and off-farm income as ways to create more opportunities for young people to build a future in agriculture. Mike also shares his view that profitability has to remain at the center of every agricultural conversation. Conservation, technology, diversification, and policy only work if the farm itself can remain financially viable. He discusses input costs, market development, trade, Farm Bill uncertainty, E15, and the many pieces that have to come together for producers to succeed. The episode also looks ahead to Iowa’s changing political landscape, Mike’s 2026 reelection campaign, the role of the Secretary of Agriculture, animal disease preparedness, food safety, pesticide regulation, and why Iowa agriculture remains one of the state’s greatest economic strengths. The conversation ends with a question Farm4Profit hears everywhere: How does a young person get into farming? Mike’s answer is simple—there is no golden ticket. But there are more paths than ever. Livestock, direct-to-consumer sales, custom application, drones, seed sales, specialty crops, custom farming, and other farm-adjacent businesses can all provide a foothold. His message: farming has never been easy to enter, but agriculture should work to make sure it doesn’t become unnecessarily harder. This episode is a wide-ranging look at where Iowa agriculture stands today—and what farmers, policymakers, and rural communities need to think about next. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom...
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    1 時間 10 分
  • Agronomy Analogies Every Farmer Will Remember

    Agronomy Analogies Every Farmer Will Remember
    2026/08/12

    https://agxplore.com/assessment/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=us_branding_search&utm_content=us_branding_search&utm_creative=&utm_term=nitrogen%20fertilizer%E2%80%A8&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19647814938&gbraid=0AAAAABcjE32bUOUfaJpssNXD_ZsSRg9jE

    Gunther Kreps and Dr. John Murphy teach with Walmart parking lots, old pickup trucks, M&M's, jawbreakers, extending radio antennas, Legos, and ibuprofen.

    In this entertaining What's Working in Ag episode, the AgXplore team shares some of their favorite analogies that have helped thousands of growers better understand soil fertility, nutrient availability, plant physiology, and crop nutrition.

    Instead of memorizing technical terms, listeners will finally understand:

    • Why cation exchange capacity (CEC) is like the size of a parking lot.
    • How base saturation determines whether nutrients have a place to "park."
    • Why chelated nutrients behave like M&M's instead of jawbreakers.
    • How boron functions like an old vehicle's power antenna.
    • Why every nutrient matters when building a crop—just like every brick matters when building a wall.
    • How tiny amounts of plant growth regulators can have massive biological impacts.

    The conversation also explores why storytelling is one of the most effective teaching tools in agriculture and how simplifying complex science leads to better agronomic decisions on the farm.

    Whether you're new to crop nutrition or have been farming for decades, this episode will leave you looking at your soil tests—and your crop—completely differently.

    Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!

    https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/

    Don’t forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen!

    Website: www.Farm4Profit.com

    Shareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.com

    Email address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.com

    Call/Text: 515.207.9640

    Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5Xqw

    Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc

    Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/

    Farm4Profit Media is not a financial, legal, or tax advisor. Content is provided for informational purposes only, and we serve solely as a platform for third-party opinions. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk.


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    13 分
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