The Business of Agriculture Podcast

Fertilizer supply remains one of the most urgent issues facing American agriculture. From trade disruptions and Covid-era shutdowns to geopolitical conflict and reliance on imports from hostile regions, farmers are once again confronting uncertainty around fertilizer availability, pricing, and production. In this episode of The Business of Agriculture, Damian Mason speaks with Josh Linville, Vice President of Fertilizer at StoneX, about the current fertilizer marketplace and what comes next. They examine whether the United States can re-shore fertilizer production, the capital required to expand domestic capacity, the role of global supply chains, and whether fertilizer manufacturers are limiting output. This timely conversation explores fertilizer shortages, input costs, crop yield risk, and what the fertilizer fight means for farmers, agribusiness, and the future of U.S. farm productivity.
 
The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

Water scarcity is becoming one of the biggest strategic threats facing American agriculture. In this episode, Damian Mason examines aquifer depletion, irrigation pressure, water regulation, and the long-term outlook for productive farm acres across the United States. Joined by Preston Marthey of PumpTrakr and Kansas farmer Brant Peterson, this conversation explores how agriculture can reduce water use through technology, better management, and greater awareness. The discussion also addresses whether rising demand from data centers and other industries could offset agriculture's water-saving gains. This is a practical, forward-looking episode on water management, farm productivity, and the future of U.S. agriculture.
The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

A massive transition is underway in agriculture. Over the next 25 years, more than $1.5 trillion in farm assets will change hands as aging farmers retire and fewer heirs return to the farm. Despite the scale of this shift, 77% of farming operations still lack a will or estate plan.
In this episode, Damian Mason speaks with Shay Foulk and Chris Barron of Ag View Solutions about farm succession planning, estate management, and the difficult conversations necessary to secure the future of family farming. They discuss why many agricultural businesses avoid transition planning and how producers can transform potential family conflict into a structured business strategy.
If agriculture values the family farm, then farm businesses must treat succession planning as a strategic priority. This conversation outlines the steps producers must take to ensure their operation becomes a success story rather than a financial and emotional sob story.
Topics covered include:
Farm succession planning strategies

Estate planning for agricultural businesses

Managing generational transition in farming

Avoiding family conflict in farm inheritance

Treating the farm as a business enterprise

The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

U.S. agriculture is in its third year of economic pressure, yet farmland values remain resilient. Why have farm real estate prices not declined alongside commodity margins?
In this episode, Damian Mason speaks with Howard Halderman of Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management about the forces shaping agricultural land values today. While development pressure, renewable energy projects, and data centers contribute in select regions, the primary driver remains active farmers expanding their operations.
Key farmland ownership statistics reinforce market stability: • Approximately two-thirds of farmland buyers are farmers • 85% of absentee landowners live within 100 miles of their holdings • 96.4% of U.S. farmland is owned by American individuals or entities • The average farm debt-to-asset ratio is just 14%
With strong equity positions, limited leverage, and local ownership concentration, U.S. farmland markets differ significantly from previous downturn cycles. This episode examines agricultural land investment trends, farm balance sheet strength, rural real estate outlook, and what producers and investors should expect moving forward.
If you are a farmer, landowner, ag lender, or agribusiness professional evaluating farmland investments, this discussion provides critical economic insight into agricultural real estate stability.
 
The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

Is nutrient regulation poised to fundamentally change American agriculture?
Rising nitrate levels in groundwater and surface water are intensifying scrutiny of farming practices across the United States, particularly in major crop-producing states such as Iowa. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from row crop agriculture are increasingly linked to water quality degradation, prompting legislative momentum and regulatory proposals.
Zack Smith, an Iowa farmer and entrepreneur (https://thestockcropper.com/), joins Damian Mason for a direct discussion about nutrient runoff, nitrogen management, phosphorus application, and the political realities facing production agriculture. As both a producer and business operator, Zack brings practical insight into how over-application, timing decisions, and legacy nutrient strategies are placing agriculture in the regulatory spotlight.
Will we see nutrient taxes, compliance mandates, environmental penalties, and expanded USDA oversight? Regulatory signals suggest the answer may be yes.
This episode evaluates the economic risk, policy trajectory, and operational adjustments agribusiness professionals and farmers must consider as nutrient regulation accelerates.
The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.