Farm4Profit Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Taylor, National Sales Manager at AgriFinancial (AgFi), and Ethan Turley, Underwriter, to talk about agriculture through the eyes of credit underwriters.

Margins are tight.

Interest rates are elevated.

Commodity prices have softened.

Input costs remain stubbornly high.

So what are lenders actually seeing?

We break down:

📉 The 2026 Farm Economy

• Are we in a “pause and survive” cycle — or a full reset?

• How higher interest rates have reshaped farm finance

• Liquidity tightening despite strong equity positions

• Commodity softness vs. sticky cost structures

• Borrower uncertainty and delayed decision-making

📊 What Underwriters Are Watching Closely

• Working capital burn rate

• Carryover operating debt

• Term debt stacking

• Equipment values softening

• Land values stabilizing — and adjusting in some regions

• Inventory positioning shifts

• Early warning signs of liquidity stress

We also ask the big question:

Are farms still strong on paper — but tight on cash?

🏦 Smart Restructuring vs. Desperation

AgFi shares insight into a 3–5 year interest-only loan product designed to help producers shore up working capital without panicking.

• Who is the ideal fit?

• What problem does it actually solve?

• When does restructure make sense — and when is it too late?

• What separates proactive operators from reactive ones?

This conversation is real. It’s candid. And it’s exactly what producers need to hear in a margin-compression cycle.

Because in times like this, clarity beats comfort.

Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!
https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/

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: [email protected]
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/

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

In 1956, Iowa farmer and inventor Arthur Luscombe built a rugged PTO-powered grinder mixer on his farm. That simple idea would become the foundation of Art’s Way Manufacturing — a company that has weathered decades of ag cycles, market volatility, and industry consolidation.

Today, Art’s Way employs approximately 120–150 people across facilities in Armstrong and Monona, Iowa, producing specialized agricultural equipment designed to fill niche operational needs.

In this anniversary episode, we explore:

🏗 Company History & Evolution

• How Art’s Way grew from a farm-built grinder mixer into a publicly traded manufacturer

• Why niche markets became their strategic advantage

• How independent dealer networks have remained central to their model

• What it takes to survive nearly 70 years in agriculture

🚜 Product Lines & Innovation

• Grinder mixers and feed processing equipment

• Bale processors and hay tools (Miller Pro & Badger acquisitions)

• Sugar beet harvesters and defoliators

• Manure spreaders, land graders, land planes

• Portable grain augers

• Combine and swather reels (Universal Harvester integration)

• Modular buildings division — a key stabilizer during ag downturns

• Tools and scientific divisions

We also talk about:

• How demand softness and inventory challenges have impacted equipment manufacturers

• Why modular building growth has helped balance agricultural equipment fluctuations

• The role of dealer strategy and committed niche-focused partners

Joining the conversation is Jim Cronk, Inside Sales Representative at Art’s Way.

Jim and his wife Shelby continue to farm a row crop and cow-calf operation while he works full-time in ag equipment sales — giving him firsthand insight into what today’s producers actually need.

This episode isn’t just about celebrating an anniversary.

It’s about resilience. It’s about specialization over scale. And it’s about what it takes to manufacture ag equipment in a world of consolidation, volatility, and rapid change.

Because sometimes the companies that last the longest are the ones that stay closest to the farmer.

Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!
https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/

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: [email protected]
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/

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

Most farmers think tax credits are for tech companies and laboratories.

They’re wrong.

The Research & Development tax credit has been around since 1981 — originally built to encourage innovation. Over the decades, it has become more taxpayer-friendly and more accessible… but still incredibly underutilized in agriculture.

In this episode, we talk with Onshore, a tax technology company founded in 2020.

Joining us:

• Tim Taschner – Midwest native who grew up around ADM, now leading agricultural R&D tax credit case studies

• Dominic Vitucci – CEO with a background in accounting and computer science, blending tax expertise with automation

We break down:

• What the R&D tax credit actually is

• The history behind it and how it evolved

• What qualifies in agriculture (farming, livestock, food processing)

• Why testing new hybrids, chemistries, feed strategies, or processes may qualify

• How AI now automates roughly 80% of the documentation process

• What “audit-ready documentation” actually means

• The difference between deductions and credits

• What happens if you haven’t paid taxes yet

• How credits can carry back or forward

• Why cost segregation and 179D deductions also matter

Onshore’s mission is simple:

Turn tax incentives from a confusing compliance burden into a strategic advantage.

Instead of spending weeks building documentation manually, their software integrates with enterprise systems, processes data quickly, and delivers clean, audit-ready support — including free audit defense.

In today’s tight-margin environment, producers and agribusinesses can’t afford to overlook legitimate credits.

If you operate:

• 800+ acres

• Livestock operations

• Food processing

• Agribusiness support companies

• Or any operation testing improvements

This conversation could directly impact your bottom line.

Because the smartest operators don’t just grow crops.

Want Farm4Profit Merch?  Custom order your favorite items today!

https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/

 

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: [email protected]

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/

Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!
https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/

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: [email protected]
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/

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

Most farmers think tax credits are for tech companies and laboratories.

They’re wrong.

The Research & Development tax credit has been around since 1981 — originally built to encourage innovation. Over the decades, it has become more taxpayer-friendly and more accessible… but still incredibly underutilized in agriculture.

In this episode, we talk with Onshore, a tax technology company founded in 2020.

Joining us:

• Tim Taschner – Midwest native who grew up around ADM, now leading agricultural R&D tax credit case studies

• Dominic Vitucci – CEO with a background in accounting and computer science, blending tax expertise with automation

We break down:

• What the R&D tax credit actually is

• The history behind it and how it evolved

• What qualifies in agriculture (farming, livestock, food processing)

• Why testing new hybrids, chemistries, feed strategies, or processes may qualify

• How AI now automates roughly 80% of the documentation process

• What “audit-ready documentation” actually means

• The difference between deductions and credits

• What happens if you haven’t paid taxes yet

• How credits can carry back or forward

• Why cost segregation and 179D deductions also matter

Onshore’s mission is simple:

Turn tax incentives from a confusing compliance burden into a strategic advantage.

Instead of spending weeks building documentation manually, their software integrates with enterprise systems, processes data quickly, and delivers clean, audit-ready support — including free audit defense.

In today’s tight-margin environment, producers and agribusinesses can’t afford to overlook legitimate credits.

If you operate:

• 800+ acres

• Livestock operations

• Food processing

• Agribusiness support companies

• Or any operation testing improvements

This conversation could directly impact your bottom line.

Because the smartest operators don’t just grow crops.

Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!
https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/

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: [email protected]
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/

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

Bar 7 Ranch in Gatesville, Texas isn’t just a working cattle and sheep operation — it’s one of the most recognized ranch brands on the internet.
But here’s the twist:
Cody and Erika Archie didn’t grow up ranching.
They’re first-generation ranchers who built their life from the ground up — raising beef cattle and Dorper sheep while raising their two kids, Kylee and Clancy, right alongside them.
And then… one random TikTok changed everything.
A single video launched them into viral fame, building an audience of millions across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. What started as documenting real ranch life turned into a full-blown social media empire for agriculture education.
In this episode, we unpack:
• How two first-generation ranchers built Bar 7 from scratch
• The viral moment that exploded their online following
• What it’s really like running a ranch while running massive social channels
• The business behind the brand — merch, direct beef sales, rental properties, spec homes, and Valet Cleaners & Laundry
• How they balance content creation with real cattle work
• Dealing with criticism, online hate, and even death threats
• Why faith plays a central role in their ranch and family life
• Their carnivore health journey and lifestyle choices
• What modern ranching looks like in a digital-first world
The Archies represent something bigger happening in agriculture:
Old industries adapting to new platforms.
Traditional ranch work meeting modern storytelling.
And producers realizing that education, transparency, and personality matter more than ever.

Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!
https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/

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: [email protected]
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/

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