Farm4Profit Podcast

Tom Brown didn't grow up farming. After studying anthropology and horticulture at Kansas State, he spent roughly 15 years living and working in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he gained experience in agribusiness development, seed production, horticulture, and helping farmers improve their operations. When he eventually returned to the United States, the desire to build a farm of his own was still there.
Instead of starting with what he wanted to grow, Tom started by asking potential customers what they wanted to buy. The answer was fresh, pick-your-own peaches. He intentionally searched within a 30-minute drive of Wichita and purchased 80 acres in 2010 for $225,000.00. Today, Meadowlark includes roughly 18 acres of peaches, 17–18 acres of apples, two acres of strawberries, two acres of pumpkins, and a hard cider business.
Tom explains how agritourism changes the way a farmer thinks about everything from orchard layout and parking to crop selection and customer experience. Feedback from families helped drive Meadowlark's expansion into apples, while fallen fruit that could have become waste created an additional opportunity through hard cider. The result is a business built around multiple revenue streams rather than production alone.
The conversation also gets into the numbers. Tom uses Ambrook to help track the finances of a complicated operation with multiple enterprises and direct costs. As the orchard approaches its physical production limits, he sees future growth coming primarily from cider sales and on-farm experiences, which he believes could significantly increase gross revenue over the next five years. His biggest lesson applies well beyond specialty crops: farming changes slowly, mistakes are expensive, and “every lesson takes a year.”

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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
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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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Potassium is a macronutrient crops need throughout the growing season, but simply having adequate soil levels doesn't guarantee the plant can access it. The AgXplore team explains that roots only explore a portion of the soil profile and potassium movement is heavily tied to water—creating a challenge during dry late-season conditions when crop demand can still be significant.
Dr. John and Ben discuss potassium acetate as a highly plant-available form and explain potassium's role in photosynthesis, stalk quality, standability, and the opening and closing of stomata. That stomatal function becomes especially important under heat and moisture stress because it affects transpiration and the plant's ability to continue moving water and nutrients.
The conversation then turns to timing. AgXplore's Nutri-K provides potassium acetate, while KSB combines potassium, sulfur, boron, and biostimulants. The team says late-season applications have produced positive results across several crops and geographies. In one replicated Wisconsin trial discussed in the episode, potassium treatments improved yield by roughly 5–10 bushels, with the guests citing a minimum ROI around 6-to-1 in that trial. They also found that stacking an earlier application with a later application performed better than a single application.
The bigger takeaway isn't simply to apply more potassium. It's about understanding the crop's demand curve and supplying “the right groceries at the right time.” Soil fertility still provides the foundation, but strategically timed nutrition may help keep the crop functioning and finishing stronger when environmental conditions make soil uptake more difficult.

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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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Does tillage make money? The answer isn't simply yes or no. The KUHN team explains why the industry is moving away from “recreational tillage” toward more calculated, specialized passes designed to solve specific problems. From managing heavy residue and correcting compaction to creating a seedbed, the goal is to understand what the field needs and then determine whether the fuel, labor, equipment, and time required can generate a return.
The conversation also challenges the idea that broadcast fertilizer is simply “slinging it.” Garrick explains how modern precision spreaders control drop points, spread patterns, application rates, section control, and border spreading. KUHN's EMC system measures torque on the spinner discs every second and can respond to changing material flow, clogs, and over- or under-application to maintain the target rate.
Then the guys get into strip-till and KUHN's new 24-row 1210 Gladiator XL. Beyond reducing passes, strip-till can combine targeted tillage with concentrated fertilizer placement in the root zone. KUHN discusses trials where an 8- to 10-bushel yield gain across enough acres could potentially create a roughly two-year equipment payback, while more efficient nutrient placement may offer opportunities to rethink fertilizer rates.
Ultimately, this episode isn't about convincing every farmer to till—or not to till. It's about knowing why you're making the pass. Soil type, compaction, residue, fertility, pH, equipment, labor, timeliness, and management style all matter. The right system is the one that solves a problem on your farm and can justify its cost.

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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
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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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Andrea Fleming and Regan Bieber return to Farm4Fun to share how their lives and operations have changed since their previous appearances. Regan talks about stepping back into her South Dakota family farm during the COVID era while continuing to grow The Cactus Brand, which she started in high school. Andrea shares how a plan to become a veterinarian ultimately brought her back to the Minnesota family farm, where she now combines cattle, crops, content creation, personal training, public speaking, agritourism, and a few fainting goats.
The conversation gets deeper as they discuss the growing disconnect between farmers and consumers. Andrea explains why she decided to publicly stand up for feedlots and modern livestock production rather than letting outdated images define agriculture. Both women believe farmers need to keep showing up, have conversations, and show people what agriculture actually looks like instead of simply throwing facts at them.
They also talk about being women in a traditionally male-dominated industry, encouraging daughters to get involved on the farm, and giving young people the opportunity to prove what they're capable of. Andrea shares the personal story behind her message that changing plans doesn't make you a failure, while Regan explains why farming, fashion, business, and creativity don't have to fit into separate lanes. It's a fun conversation about building a life in agriculture without feeling like there's only one way to do it.

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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
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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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In this What’s Working in Ag segment, Tanner gets an up-close look at Brandt’s 16125 HP Swingaway Auger. With bins continuing to get taller and wider, Brandt says demand is growing for equipment capable of keeping up. The 16125 can move up to 23,000 bushels per hour, with Brandt recommending roughly a 300-horsepower tractor for the job.
Chance explains the engineering behind Brandt’s HP—or High Performance—design, including an oversized 17-inch intake section and hopper designed to keep the main auger full and increase capacity. The Easy Swing System also allows operators to hydraulically position the heavy swing hopper from either side and control it through truck remotes or Brandt’s LeadHand App on a smartphone.
The result is serious grain-moving capacity—roughly enough to unload a 1,000-bushel truck about every five minutes. Brandt also offers 10- and 13-inch auger options, while the 16-inch model adds an A-frame undercarriage, extendable axles, heavy lift cylinders, and adjustable cables for stability when reaching larger bins.

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: 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.