Farm4Profit Podcast

Dan takes the guys inside his Northeast Iowa dairy, where his family milks nearly 200 Holsteins with three Lely A5 robots, an automated Lely Vector feeding system, and a Lely Calm calf feeder. Dan explains why automation isn't simply about replacing labor—it's about efficiency, lifestyle and allowing a relatively small dairy to produce millions of pounds of milk with very few employees. His philosophy is simple: technology won't turn a bad manager into a good one, but it can help turn a good manager into a great one. They also discuss dairy genetics, beef-on-dairy calves, profitability and Dan...

Farm margins are tight, but there are still programs designed to help producers invest in energy efficiency and infrastructure. Bethany from GDS Associates says EQIP continues to fund projects, while REAP had been paused as changes were made under the new administration. At the time of the interview, GDS said they were hearing REAP was expected to reopen in the fall.One of the biggest takeaways is understanding the difference between the programs—and not starting too soon. With EQIP, Bethany advises producers not to change anything until they've received approval. REAP can offer more flexibility once a...

Why can mental health be so difficult to talk about in agriculture? Sam and Easton explore the unique pressures farmers carry—from finances and isolation to the responsibility of keeping land and a family legacy alive. Rather than blaming farmers for being unwilling to talk, they challenge agriculture to create better opportunities for conversations to happen naturally and earlier.Sam shares the story behind Perfect Sundays, a six-episode fictional drama created after farmers repeatedly encouraged him to address farmer suicide following the success of his film Silo. The series follows a dairy family rebuilding after losing its pa...

Tom Brown didn't grow up farming. After studying anthropology and horticulture at Kansas State, he spent roughly 15 years living and working in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he gained experience in agribusiness development, seed production, horticulture, and helping farmers improve their operations. When he eventually returned to the United States, the desire to build a farm of his own was still there.Instead of starting with what he wanted to grow, Tom started by asking potential customers what they wanted to buy. The answer was fresh, pick-your-own peaches. He intentionally searched within a 30-minute drive of Wichita and...

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 Potassium is a macronutrient crops need throughout the growing season, but simply having adequate soil levels doesn't guarantee the plant can access it. The AgXplore team explains that roots only explore a portion of the soil profile and potassium movement is heavily tied to water—creating a challenge during dry late-season conditions when crop demand can still be sig...

Does tillage make money? The answer isn't simply yes or no. The KUHN team explains why the industry is moving away from “recreational tillage” toward more calculated, specialized passes designed to solve specific problems. From managing heavy residue and correcting compaction to creating a seedbed, the goal is to understand what the field needs and then determine whether the fuel, labor, equipment, and time required can generate a return.The conversation also challenges the idea that broadcast fertilizer is simply “slinging it.” Garrick explains how modern precision spreaders control drop points, spread patterns, application rates, section control, and bord...

Andrea Fleming and Regan Bieber return to Farm4Fun to share how their lives and operations have changed since their previous appearances. Regan talks about stepping back into her South Dakota family farm during the COVID era while continuing to grow The Cactus Brand, which she started in high school. Andrea shares how a plan to become a veterinarian ultimately brought her back to the Minnesota family farm, where she now combines cattle, crops, content creation, personal training, public speaking, agritourism, and a few fainting goats. The conversation gets deeper as they discuss the growing disconnect between f...

In this What’s Working in Ag segment, Tanner gets an up-close look at Brandt’s 16125 HP Swingaway Auger. With bins continuing to get taller and wider, Brandt says demand is growing for equipment capable of keeping up. The 16125 can move up to 23,000 bushels per hour, with Brandt recommending roughly a 300-horsepower tractor for the job.Chance explains the engineering behind Brandt’s HP—or High Performance—design, including an oversized 17-inch intake section and hopper designed to keep the main auger full and increase capacity. The Easy Swing System also allows operators to hydraulically position the heavy swin...

Dr. Eric Scherder of Corteva Agriscience returns to Farm4Profit to look back at the 2026 growing season and help farmers start building their 2027 agronomy plan. The conversation begins with cover crops and why simply getting seed on the ground isn't enough. From erosion and nitrate management to weed suppression and soil health, Eric explains why farmers need to know their objective, establish a good stand, and have a termination strategy before spring arrives.The discussion moves into weed management and the importance of starting clean, using multiple modes of action, and layering residuals—especially in early-planted soybeans. Er...

Calli Williams, the Millennial Rancher, joins Farm4Fun to share the story behind TW Angus and what it takes to build a first-generation cattle operation in South Dakota. Calli grew up around cattle, 4-H, and FFA, while her husband Tate grew up without a livestock background and got his start by taking out a loan to buy a couple of heifers.  Calli explains how TW Angus balances an annual online bull sale with a growing direct-to-consumer beef business. After deciding in 2020 to stop selling calves through the sale barn, they began finishing cattle themselves and eventually expanded f...

Greg Schreiner of Quick Organics returns with some major updates, including collaboration with USDA around the Common Organic System Plan and new tools designed to simplify one of the biggest headaches in organic farming: recordkeeping. Quick Organics now combines its Organic System Plan tools with an activity tracker and digital filing cabinet, allowing producers to document field activities, seed labels, cultivation dates, and certification records from their phones.  But this conversation isn't about convincing every farmer to go organic. It's about helping the "organic curious" understand whether it could make financial sense for a portion of their o...

How does an agricultural idea go from someone's garage or university lab to something farmers actually want to use? AgLaunch's Margaret Oldham and North Central Iowa farmer Mark take Farm4Profit behind the scenes of a startup accelerator built around putting farmers directly into the innovation process. Through AgLaunch Farmers LLC and its partnership with AgVentures Alliance, farmers help select startups, conduct real-world trials, provide feedback, and determine whether a product actually delivers value. Instead of simply receiving a free product for their time and acres, participating farmers can earn equity tied to the startups they're helping...

What does Amazon Web Services (one of the worlds largest companies) have to do with agriculture? A lot more than most farmers probably realize. Dr. Karen Hildebrand joins Farm4Profit at Tech Hub LIVE to explain how AWS supports agricultural technology companies around the world and why she believes successful innovation has to start by working backward from the problems farmers actually need solved. Karen brings a unique perspective as both a technologist and a fourth-generation Manitoba farmer. The conversation explores the explosion of AI tools, how farmers can avoid technology overload, and why there probably isn't...

Carbon credits. Regenerative agriculture. CI scores. 45Z. If you've been hearing these terms but still aren't sure what they actually mean for your farm, this episode is for you. Tanner, Corey, and Dave sit down with Kelly Garrett of XtremeAg and Mike Busing of Windy Ridge Ag to unpack one of the most talked-about opportunities facing corn growers today: 45Z. The conversation begins by looking back at the rise and fall of carbon markets. Mike shares his experience helping build one of the country's largest carbon programs through Regenerative Roots, while Kelly explains...

Kyle Kirchhoff joins Farm4Profit for a conversation about manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and an often-overlooked piece of grain management: grain quality. Kyle shares how growing up on a Southwest Iowa farm, studying welding and metallurgy, and starting a small repair business eventually led to KWF and the acquisition of the Magik Grain Cleaners product line.  The discussion digs into how removing fines, cracked kernels, weed seeds, dirt, and other foreign material can improve airflow and grain storage while potentially reducing discounts at delivery. Kyle explains how the gravity-fed cleaners work without an external power source, where they can f...

Farm4Profit heads to Iowa Speedway for the Iowa Corn 350 powered by Ethanol with Craig Floss, CEO of Iowa Corn, and Eric Petersen, President of Iowa Speedway, to talk NASCAR, ethanol, corn demand, and what’s ahead for racing in Iowa. The conversation dives into why Iowa Corn continues to invest in NASCAR as a way to promote ethanol beyond the farm audience. NASCAR has raced on E15 since 2011, providing a high-performance example of ethanol in action while helping Iowa Corn reach consumers and build demand for one of Iowa farmers’ biggest products. Craig shares the...

But how many actually know what those kernels are worth? In this episode of What's Working in Ag, Shianne from BranValt explains how the SmartPan harvest loss system helps farmers move beyond visual estimates and accurately measure the grain leaving the back of the combine. The discussion covers how the magnetic SmartPan captures real-time grain samples, how the accompanying app converts those samples into bushels, percentages, and dollars, and why calibrating your combine's loss sensors is critical for making informed adjustments during harvest. Using real-world examples, the Farm4Profit crew walks through soybean...

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...

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 vari...

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. <...