Farm4Profit Podcast

What’s Working in Ag, the Farm4Profit team welcomes back Luke Stamp from DPA Auctions to discuss the realities of today’s farm equipment market and what farmers can do to position themselves for success.

With tighter margins, uncertain commodity prices, and increased pressure on farm profitability, equipment decisions matter more than ever. Luke shares how the auction industry has evolved, why online auctions now dominate the marketplace, and what sellers can do to attract the right buyers and maximize returns.

The conversation explores:

The growth of online auctions in agriculture

Why buyer reach matters when selling equipment

How DPA Auctions helps simplify the selling process

Current trends in farm equipment values

What successful sellers are doing differently

The importance of realistic expectations and market-based pricing

How equipment appraisals and data-driven insights are changing the industry

New asset management and valuation tools being developed by DPA Auctions

Luke also discusses how access to quality market data helps both buyers and sellers make better decisions, especially during periods of economic uncertainty. Whether you're considering upgrading equipment, reducing machinery costs, or simply trying to understand where values are headed, this episode provides practical takeaways for today’s farm operators.

If you're evaluating your machinery lineup or looking for strategies to improve your operation's financial position, this quick-hitting conversation offers valuable insights into what’s currently working in agriculture.

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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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https://agxplore.com/assessment/

How do top growers consistently push yield boundaries while still focusing on return on investment?

In this special Farm4Profit episode recorded from the AgX booth at Commodity Classic, Tanner and Corey sit down with AgX Sales Agronomist Billy Carter and three progressive farmers who are proving what's possible in modern agriculture.

Minnesota farmer Ron Pagel shares how he surpassed the 300-bushel corn mark by combining advanced fertility programs, drone applications, fungicide timing, and a commitment to trying new ideas. Wisconsin farmer Dave Justman discusses balancing farming, retail agronomy, and the pursuit of higher-yielding soybeans while helping customers implement proven agronomic practices. Kentucky farmer and Kentucky Soybean Association President Jonathan Reynolds explains how conservation practices, cover crops, no-till management, and long-term soil health improvements have created a foundation for both yield and profitability.

Throughout the conversation, Billy Carter breaks down the agronomic principles behind AgX’s high-yield programs, including seed treatments, fertility management, fungicide strategies, plant growth regulation, hybrid selection, and the importance of focusing on details many growers overlook.

Topics include:

Breaking the 300-bushel corn barrier

Building profitable high-yield systems

Contest plots versus whole-farm ROI

Cover crops and soil health as yield drivers

Fragipan soils and improving water infiltration

Nitrogen efficiency and fertility management

Hybrid and variety selection strategies

Drone applications and late-season management

High-yield soybean challenges and opportunities

The role of mindset, observation, and continuous learning

Whether you're chasing yield contest results or simply looking to improve efficiency and profitability across your operation, this episode delivers practical lessons from growers who are constantly pushing the limits of what's possible in the field.

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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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The conversation begins with the life of founder Ray Hagie, an Iowa State graduate, farmer, entrepreneur, inventor, and public servant whose relentless focus on solving problems led to one of agriculture's greatest innovations. Faced with labor shortages during the 1940s and inspired by the introduction of 2,4-D herbicide, Ray envisioned a better way to apply crop protection products. In 1947, that vision became the world's first self-propelled sprayer.

Kevin walks through the evolution of Hagie's equipment lineup, including:

The early three-wheel machines

The introduction of front-mounted booms

The first hydrostatic drive sprayer

Expansion into larger-capacity, high-clearance machines

The development of iconic models like the 640, 8400, 2100, and STS series

The discussion highlights how Hagie wasn't simply building machinery—it was creating timing flexibility and efficiency that farmers could never achieve with traditional pull-type sprayers.

The episode also dives into:

Why front-mounted booms were revolutionary

How Hagie survived the difficult farm economy of the 1980s

The advantages of remaining independent and focused on a niche market

What customers demanded as sprayer technology evolved

The importance of innovation culture within the company

A major portion of the conversation centers on the 2016 partnership with John Deere. Kevin explains what led to the agreement, what both companies gained, and how Hagie has successfully maintained its unique identity while leveraging Deere's technology, precision agriculture systems, dealer network, and global reach.

Along the way, listeners will hear stories about Ray Hagie's leadership, entrepreneurial mindset, and lasting influence on agriculture. The discussion also explores what Ray might be working on if he were innovating today and whether the spirit of problem-solving that built Hagie still drives the company forward.

Whether you're a machinery enthusiast, Hagie owner, John Deere fan, or simply appreciate stories of agricultural innovation, this episode provides a fascinating look at one of the most important equipment manufacturers in farming history. Information for this episode was provided in the guest outline and historical materials supplied by the show team.

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
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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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www.iasoybeans.com/Farm4Profit

Through more than 200 on-farm trials each year, the Iowa Soybean Association is helping farmers make better decisions based on real-world conditions, not controlled plots. Their work spans everything from seeding rates to fungicide use to nitrogen efficiency, all with one goal: improving profitability and sustainability at the farm level.

One of the biggest takeaways? Many farmers are planting more soybean seeds than they need. Research shows populations can often be reduced to around 110,000 seeds per acre without sacrificing yield, creating a clear opportunity to cut input costs in tight-margin years.

Another major focus has been fungicide and insecticide applications. Despite common “program” approaches where these products are applied every season, multiple years of trials have shown that in the absence of disease pressure, these applications rarely pay. In fact, only about one in five blanket applications delivers a return, reinforcing the importance of scouting before making application decisions.

The conversation also highlights how far crop genetics have come—reducing the need for routine treatments that may have made sense years ago but don’t always deliver value today.

On the corn side, nitrogen efficiency continues to stand out. Some of the most efficient operators are producing strong yields using as little as 0.6 pounds of nitrogen per bushel by leveraging practices like split applications and better timing. Trials are also exploring the value of stabilizers in spring-applied nitrogen, showing early signs that protecting that investment can make a difference.

At its core, this episode reinforces a simple but powerful idea: farmers don’t need more data—they need better data they can trust. And when that data comes directly from farms like theirs, it becomes a tool they can use with confidence.

If you’re looking for ways to trim costs, improve efficiency, and make smarter agronomic decisions, this is a conversation worth paying attention to.

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
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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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This episode takes a unique approach to ag finance:

“Think like a lender. Act like an investor. Farm like an operator.”

Jake explains how sophisticated lenders and institutional investors evaluate farming operations differently than producers often evaluate themselves. The discussion challenges farmers to step back and ask an important question:

“If your farm walked into your office asking for a loan… would you approve it?”

We break down:

What lenders actually look at first when evaluating an operation

What separates a “bankable” farm from a risky one

Why consistency and decision-making discipline matter more than acres alone

How lenders think in terms of risk while farmers often think in bushels

The conversation introduces a practical framework for understanding farm financial health through three key buckets:

Liquidity — Can you survive?

Working capital

Cash flow flexibility

Burn rate management

Equity — Can you withstand shocks?

Land values

Leverage ratios

Collateral strength

Efficiency — Can you win long-term?

Cost structure

ROI on assets

Decision quality

Jake also explains why institutional investors continue to value farmland as an asset class, what they see in agricultural real estate, and whether current farmland prices are sustainable.

Additional topics include:

Whether farmland is overpriced, fairly valued, or still undervalued

What could actually cause land values to decline

Why farmland may remain strong while farm cash flow weakens

Long-term land financing versus operating lines

Flexible financing structures and matching debt to asset life

How growth-oriented operations approach lending differently

What top-tier operators are doing differently in today’s economy

Conversations successful operators are having with lenders right now

The episode also explores how data, performance analysis, and decision-making tools used in athletics and business could transform financial management in agriculture.

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.