Farm4Profit Podcast

Farmers spend countless hours choosing the right herbicide, the right rate, and the right timing.  But what if the biggest factor in spray performance is something most growers never test?

The water in the tank.

In this episode of Farm4Profit, we sit down with AGX to discuss how water quality and adjuvants impact herbicide performance — and why many spray failures have nothing to do with resistance or product choice.

Because the reality is, You’re mostly spraying water, not chemical.

And if that water isn’t conditioned properly, your herbicide may be neutralized before it even reaches the weed.

We break down the chemistry happening inside the spray tank.

💧 Why Water Quality Matters

• Roughly 90–95% of your spray tank is water

• Many growers have never tested their spray water

• Hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium can bind with herbicides like glyphosate

• Once herbicide binds to these ions, the reaction cannot be reversed

⚗️ What Happens in the Spray Tank

• What “hard water” actually means

• How calcium and magnesium deactivate herbicides

• Why spray water pH matters

• What alkaline hydrolysis is and why it can degrade chemistry quickly

• Why herbicide effectiveness can decline while you’re driving to the field

🧪 The Correct Mixing Order

Many spray issues come from simply mixing products in the wrong order.

The correct order should be:

Water

Water conditioner / AMS / buffering agent

Herbicides

Surfactants or crop oils

Drift reduction products

If herbicide goes into bad water first, it can bind immediately and lose effectiveness.

🌱 Understanding Adjuvants

• What adjuvants actually do

• The difference between surfactants, oils, buffers, and water conditioners

• Why glyphosate specifically requires conditioning

• The role of ammonium sulfate (AMS)

• Why dry AMS sometimes fails to solve the problem

💰 The Economics of Water Conditioning

We also compare the real costs:

• The cheap cost of conditioning water

• The expense of re-spraying fields

• The yield loss from surviving weeds

And we discuss an uncomfortable truth:

Some weeds labeled as “resistant” may actually be survivors of poor spray applications caused by water chemistry.

Proper adjuvant use and water conditioning can improve herbicide performance, reduce re-sprays, and potentially lower overall chemical usage.

Sometimes the cheapest yield protection available isn’t another chemical.

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Website: www.Farm4Profit.com
Shareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.com
Email address: [email protected]
Call/Text: 515.207.9640
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In this episode of Farm4Profit, we sit down with Lauryn and Colin Pinkston, a young couple from Lexington, Kentucky, who are building Pinkston Cattle Company while balancing off-farm careers and a rapidly growing social media following.

What makes their story unique is that neither of them grew up directly involved in production agriculture.

Lauryn grew up riding horses with family ties to the Kentucky racehorse industry, while Colin spent time helping friends on local tobacco farms before developing a deeper interest in cattle production.

After getting married in October 2024, the couple planned to build their first farm from the ground up. But when the right opportunity appeared, they made a bold move — purchasing a farm and downsizing their home to make the operation work.

Today they’re renovating the property while growing a commercial cattle and hay business.

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/

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In this episode of Farm4Profit, we sit down with Richard Fordyce, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, for a timely conversation about federal policy and what it means for American producers.

💰 BRIDGE Payment Application Process

• What producers need to know

• How to apply

• Key deadlines and considerations

• How this support fits into today’s margin environment

💻 Moving USDA into the Modern Century

• Online acreage reporting

• Technology upgrades within FSA and USDA

• Reducing paperwork and improving efficiency

• What modernization means for producers at the county office level

🌎 Global & Trade Landscape

• The upcoming meeting between the U.S. President and China’s President

• What trade discussions could mean for U.S. agriculture

• The global backdrop farmers should be watching

📜 The Farm Bill Outlook

• Priorities under Secretary Brooke Rollins

• What’s realistic in the coming year

• How the department is approaching policy in a tight fiscal and political climate

• What producers should prepare for heading into 2026

 

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
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More farmers across the Midwest are pushing planting dates earlier in the season to capture longer growing seasons, improved yield potential, and better crop development.

In this episode of Farm4Profit, we sit down with Eric Sherder from Corteva to talk about why early soybean planting is gaining momentum and how new genetics and herbicide systems are helping farmers manage the risks.

We discuss:

🌱 Why Early Soybean Planting Works

• Longer growing seasons and higher yield potential

• How long summer days improve plant development

• The impact on pod formation and seed fill

• Avoiding late-season stress from heat and drought

• Regional considerations and soil conditions

⚠️ Managing the Risks

• Cold stress concerns when planting early

• Early-season diseases and pest pressure

• Insects and nematodes that can threaten early stands

• Strategies farmers use to protect young soybean plants

🧪 The Role of Seed Treatments

• How treatments help protect against early-season diseases

• Improving emergence and stand establishment in cool soils

• Reducing later-season pest pressure

• Saving time and reducing the need for additional crop protection passes

🌿 Enlist® Soybean Technology

• What makes the Enlist® system different from conventional soybean platforms

• Herbicide flexibility with 2,4-D choline, glyphosate, and glufosinate

• Multiple modes of action to tackle tougher weed challenges

• Extended application windows from pre-plant through post-emergence

• How Enlist soybeans fit into modern integrated weed management programs

 

Learn more at https://www.corteva.com/us/products-and-solutions/crop-protection/soybean-herbicides-portfolio.html

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
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Not every farm starts with generational wealth.  Not every farmer gets to farm full-time.

In this episode of Farm4Profit, we sit down with Jesse and Alex — the Lampley Brothers, Middle Tennessee farmers who are building their operation the hard way.

They raise:

• Beef cattle

• Hay

• Row crops

And they do it while maintaining full-time off-farm careers.

What started in 2021 as funny, relatable farm memes quickly grew into a serious social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube — connecting with tens of thousands of farmers who see themselves in the grind.

🐂 The Operation

• How they split responsibilities

• What their cow-calf program looks like

• How they make breeding and genetics decisions

• What crops and hay they’re growing

• Fertility strategy and soil health approach

• Equipment decisions — repair vs. replace

• What technology has actually improved efficiency

• The numbers they track most closely

• How they budget operating expenses year over year

🕔 Farming With Full-Time Jobs

• Why off-farm income has been necessary

• The reality of balancing careers, husbands, fathers, and farmers

• What happens when an off-farm job disappears

• Advice for young producers growing their farm after hours

📱 Social Media & Brand Growth

• Why they decided to hit “post” in 2021

• Why humor and relatability win

• Which platform surprised them most

• How they balance comedy with the real stress of agriculture

• Their long-term vision for Lampley Brothers Farming

This episode hits home for a lot of producers.  Because the truth is, many modern farms are built in the evenings. On weekends. With sweat equity.

The Lampley Brothers represent a new wave of agriculture — hardworking, transparent, and willing to show both the wins and the struggle.

If you’ve ever farmed after punching a time clock… this one’s for you.

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/

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