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 Folta joins Damian Mason on the Business of Agriculture for an intelligent discussion about the nutrient content of food. From McDonald’s to Wal-Mart, trends and preferences are evolving. The future of food and nutrition will be impacted by policy, healthcare, and consumer demand. Navigating the change is Ag’s next challenge.

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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 setting up a financial breakeven for producers. What does this mean for all of us and what can crafty operators do to remain financially viable? John Maman with Nutrien Financial, and Nutrien Chief Economist Jason Newton share data along with financial recommendations in this episode of The Business of Agriculture.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:
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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 prices squeeze farm profit margins, managing against disease loss is critical. What if you can do so proactively? Mike and Damian discuss predictive agronomics, bio-fertility, nutrient uptake, and the ineffectiveness of most crop scouting (hint: It’s more an autopsy than a doctor visit!).

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:
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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.

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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 investing. Whether you’re looking to diversify into alternative investments or not, you should listen to this information-packed episode of The Business of Agriculture.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:
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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 Pumplin, CEO of Norfolk Healthy Produce thinks so. He explains his company’s proprietary purple tomato (you read that right, it’s purple!) and its myriad benefits — reduced food waste, novelty appeal, flavor, and above all, nutrient density. Another fun discussion with Damian Mason about food, production, and the business side of Agriculture.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:
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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 NanoYield talks to Damian Mason about technology that maximizes efficacy of products we already use in Ag — fertilizer and herbicide — while allowing a reduction in applied rates.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:
Pattern Ag pattern.ag
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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 Business of Agriculture Podcast, Keith talks to Damian Mason about the potato biz, specialty crop production, food processing, the business side of Oregon Potato Company, and all that goes into managing the operation.

The Business of Agriculture Podcast with Damian Mason is Sponsored by:
Pattern Ag pattern.ag
Redox Bio-Nutrients redoxgrows.com
Truterra truterraag.com