In this solo episode of Rhizometrx, host Faith issues a wake-up call to growers as they head into the 2026 planning season. With margins tighter than ever, Faith challenges the industry's obsession with chasing the "last five bushels" regardless of cost.

Faith opens the books on real-world data, comparing traditional "build and maintain" fertilizer programs against the Baseline RX approach. She breaks down a sobering case study where chasing a specific Phosphorus PPM number resulted in a $165/acre net loss over four years. Conversely, she shares incredible success stories of fields crushing their 5-year APH by 30 to 60 bushels while spending less on fertility.

If you are tired of trading money to grow corn and ready to detach your emotions from arbitrary soil test numbers, this episode is your blueprint for auditing your inputs and reclaiming profitability.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

ROI vs. Ego: Why chasing high yields for the sake of a number often leads to "trading money," and why it's okay to leave bushels on the table if they aren't profitable.

** The $165/Acre Mistake:** Faith walks through a data set showing how a 4-year Phosphorus build program cost a grower significant capital with negative ROI.

Potassium Pitfalls: A look at a potash application plan that bled $25/acre per year simply to move a soil test number that didn't correlate to yield.

Grow the Crop, Not the Acre: The mindset shift needed to move away from building soil test levels (PPM) and toward feeding the specific crop in front of you based on true limiting factors.

Real-World Wins: Faith shares data from a grower who, by addressing limiting factors rather than broadcasting bulk fertilizer, achieved yields 50+ bushels over their APH on significantly less fertility spend.

Resourcefulness: Why modern farmers need to adopt a "Depression-era mindset" of resourcefulness—auditing every dollar and ensuring it performs—even when markets eventually turn back up.

After You Listen:

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