Farm4Profit Podcast

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 why the lack of standardized rules ultimately slowed the market's momentum. Together, they discuss why voluntary carbon programs struggled, how international demand still exists, and what lessons were learned from the "Wild West" days of carbon credits.

From there, the discussion shifts to 45Z—a federal clean fuel production tax credit that could fundamentally change how ethanol plants value grain. Kelly and Mike explain how carbon intensity (CI) scores work, why low-CI corn could become increasingly valuable, and how competition between ethanol plants may create new revenue opportunities for farmers. They also discuss why the Treasury Department's final guidance is so critical and how regional differences could determine who benefits the most.

The group also explores larger questions surrounding government incentives, environmental policy, and whether 45Z is simply another subsidy or a meaningful shift toward rewarding more efficient farming practices. Along the way, they debate whether the current program represents a "carrot" that encourages voluntary change—or whether future regulations could eventually become the "stick" if agriculture doesn't continue improving on its own.

Whether you're skeptical, optimistic, or simply trying to understand what everyone is talking about, this episode delivers one of the most practical conversations we've had on the future of carbon markets and the role 45Z could play in improving farm profitability.

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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 fit into a farm's grain-handling system, and why different crops and specialty markets require different screen configurations.

The guys also tackle the question every farmer wants answered: Does grain cleaning actually pay? Kyle shares examples ranging from avoiding dockage and rejected specialty grain to a North Dakota customer who said the savings from one bin could have paid for his cleaner. They also explore portable cleaning systems, potential drying and airflow efficiencies, cleaning versus scalping, and whether cleaner grain could become another tool for protecting the value of every bushel farmers produce.

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Website: www.Farm4Profit.com
Shareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.com
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Call/Text: 515.207.9640
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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 bigger picture for ethanol, including growing exports to countries around the world, opportunities in Southeast Asia, and the continued push for greater access to E15 and eventually higher ethanol blends. The group also discusses Iowa Corn’s work around high-ethanol farm equipment and why creating additional ethanol demand could have a meaningful impact on corn markets and farm profitability.

Eric gives listeners a look behind the scenes at Iowa Speedway, including three consecutive NASCAR sellouts, plans for a complete track repave, and the exciting news that NASCAR will return to Iowa over Independence Day weekend in 2027. He explains what goes into rebuilding a racing surface and the massive amount of work required to turn a facility with only nine full-time employees into a major NASCAR venue.

From international ethanol markets to 700-horsepower race cars, this episode shows how Iowa Corn is using motorsports to connect farmers with consumers, demonstrate ethanol performance, and ultimately create more demand for corn. As Craig puts it, no matter which driver takes the checkered flag, ethanol and Iowa corn farmers win every race.

 

 

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Website: www.Farm4Profit.com
Shareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.com
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Call/Text: 515.207.9640
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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 and corn scenarios showing how relatively small harvest losses can quickly become thousands of dollars across an operation. The conversation also explores balancing grain quality with harvest speed, automation, and why "you can't manage what you don't measure."

Topics include:

Combine harvest loss

SmartPan technology

Grain loss monitoring

Harvest efficiency

Combine calibration

Soybean harvest

Corn harvest

Precision agriculture

John Deere automation

Yield preservation

Harvest ROI

Farm profitability

Grain loss calculations

Precision harvesting

If you're looking for one of the fastest ways to improve profitability without buying another acre, this episode demonstrates why measuring harvest loss should be part of every harvest routine.

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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
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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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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!
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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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.