The Business of Agriculture Podcast

American agriculture is changing—quietly in some ways, dramatically in others. The question is not whether the industry will look different in ten years, but who will still be standing when it does.
In this episode, Damian Mason sits down with Scott Sartor of Croptell to unpack the real forces shaping the future of farming in the United States. From generational land transitions and shifting acreage decisions to the growing divide between large-scale operators and niche producers, this conversation goes beyond headlines and into what is actually happening on the ground.
The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Life Scientific
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

Is agriculture facing a cyclical downturn, or are we witnessing a structural realignment of the global ag economy? In this episode of The Business of Agriculture, Damian Mason speaks with Illinois farmer and business advisor Mark Severson to examine the forces reshaping U.S. agriculture. Key topics include global competition from Brazil, evolving demand from China, margin compression, rising input costs, and the implications of protectionism and deglobalization. The discussion challenges traditional assumptions about agricultural cycles and explores whether long-standing boom-and-bust patterns still apply. This episode provides critical insights for farmers, agribusiness professionals, lenders, and ag investors evaluating risk, profitability, and long-term strategy in a changing agricultural landscape.
The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

Can the United States re-shore fresh produce production to improve food security, public health, and supply chain resilience? In this episode, Damian Mason speaks with Zeb Portanova, CEO of Agricultural Scientific, about America's growing agricultural trade deficit, the risks of foreign produce dependence, and why domestic tomato production matters for national security. With more than $300 million committed to fresh, local, organic production, Zeb explains the investment case for rebuilding U.S. specialty crop capacity and creating a healthier, more secure food system.
The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

American agriculture is facing a fertilizer supply crisis — and the disruption may arrive sooner than most producers expect. Nations with adversarial relationships toward the United States control critical production capacity and transportation infrastructure for synthetic fertilizer, and the fossil fuel dependence embedded in conventional manufacturing only compounds the vulnerability. Yet within this challenge lies a genuine question worth asking: could constrained fertilizer availability force the kind of agronomic innovation that has long been possible but rarely urgent? Midwest farmer-innovators Jason Mauck and Zack Smith join Damian Mason to examine the economic calculus that producers will soon face — including the possibility that lower input costs may offset yield declines, resulting in improved net margins.
The conversation covers precision agriculture technologies, biological nutrient alternatives, soil health strategies, and the financial modeling farmers need to evaluate real-world trade-offs. This is not speculation — it is a serious examination of how American producers can adapt and potentially thrive when synthetic fertilizer supply chains are no longer reliable. Where economic pressure, agronomic science, and environmental necessity converge, innovation tends to follow. This episode of The Business of Agriculture examines exactly what that might look like.
The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

Fertilizer supply remains one of the most urgent issues facing American agriculture. From trade disruptions and Covid-era shutdowns to geopolitical conflict and reliance on imports from hostile regions, farmers are once again confronting uncertainty around fertilizer availability, pricing, and production. In this episode of The Business of Agriculture, Damian Mason speaks with Josh Linville, Vice President of Fertilizer at StoneX, about the current fertilizer marketplace and what comes next. They examine whether the United States can re-shore fertilizer production, the capital required to expand domestic capacity, the role of global supply chains, and whether fertilizer manufacturers are limiting output. This timely conversation explores fertilizer shortages, input costs, crop yield risk, and what the fertilizer fight means for farmers, agribusiness, and the future of U.S. farm productivity.
 
The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by:
Ag View Solutions
Tidal Grow Agriscience
Nano-Yield 
Also, make sure to check out DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary. 
 
This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.