Why is insurance so expensive? Christina Lauber joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Christina is the Assistant Vice President for Lockton Companies which works with companies across the US to help them build out their health and insurance programs. You’ll hear how Christina went from wanting to be an actress to working in recruitment and ultimately ended up working for an insurance broker. Sal, Jeff, and Christina will dig in...
Jul 07, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 193
The man, the myth, and the legend returns! Glenn Longabaugh returns to the podcast room with hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Of course, Glenn is the Technical Agronomist for Premier Companies, but you may not know he’s practically an expert on suck holes and vole colonies. Glenn will share an update on the current growing season and how the weather conditions have impacted each farmer’s ability to get their fields planted. You’ll ...
Jun 30, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 192
What are the market sentiments toward the reports coming out at the end of the month? On today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett are joined by Aaron Bledsoe who is no stranger to the podcast! As you may remember, Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, and he’ll be giving us the rundown on the June World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report! You’ll hear why Aaron thinks this update was just “ho-hum” and wh...
Jun 23, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 191
How do you put common sense back into Washington, D.C.? From Washington, D.C., returning and very special guest, Erin Houchin, joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett. Congresswoman Erin Houchin is the U.S. representative for Indiana’s 9th congressional district and is the second highest ranking female in Congress! Congresswoman Houchin serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Budget Committee and the Rules Committee, and because of that, she’s on the trifecta of committees for budget reco...
Jun 16, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 190
How can 4-H prepare students for life after school? Returning guest Heather VonDielingen is in the podcast room with Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Her responsibilities have changed a bit since she last met with us, and Heather is now working as the Juntos 4-H Lead for the Indiana State 4-H Office. Heather will share with us about the Juntos program which exists to help students gain the skills and resources to help them graduate high ...
Jun 09, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 189
Are you considering getting into agriculture but not sure you want to take all the risk? You’re going to want to tune into this episode! After a six-month hiatus, returning guest, Dan Vague, joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Dan is the Vice President of Swine Production at SwineLink, a division of Premier Companies that handles the management for family-owned pork facilities. You’ll learn the ins and outs o...
Jun 02, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 188
Sal’s favorite agronomist is back! Glenn Longabaugh is in the podcast room with Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. You know and love Glenn as Premier’s Technical Agronomist, and he’s handing his agronomy secrets out, but you won’t be learning any of his tricks for bowhunting turkeys. In addition to his hunting adventures, you’ll learn about ideal planting windows and why you should plant according to the weather and not according to the ca...
May 26, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 187
We’re not sure if he’s famous or infamous, but we’re glad he’s here even though he’s bringing a lot of bad news. Josh Linville returns to join hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Though you may remember him as Jeff’s most famous friend, Josh is also the Vice President of Fertilizer at StoneX. Josh, Jeff, and Sal dig into what has caused the fertilizer market to struggle so much this year. You’ll hear about how low inventories, import ...
May 19, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 186
Why is the timing of a fungicide application so important? Dr. Megan Taylor is in the podcast room with our hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Dr. Taylor is the Technical Agronomist at Bayer, and as a fun fact, she is a former colleague of Sal’s! Dr. Taylor will share about her educational background and what eventually led to her working for Bayer. You’ll learn about the changes that have occurred in the world of fungicides over the...
May 12, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 185
What’s going on in the ag department of Indiana? Don Lamb joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Don is the Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and is a second-generation farmer who has produced popcorn, corn, soybeans and seed wheat. Don describes some of the chaos happening in the ag department and the unknowns associated with the budget cuts and the challenges that have occurred as a re...
May 05, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 184
Today’s guest is quite literally outstanding in his field! Fan favorite, Glenn Longabaugh, joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. As the Technical Agronomist for Premier Companies, Glenn is no stranger to the podcast (or to turkeys), and he’s full of tips for getting this crop year off to a good start. Today, you’ll learn about the technology and regulations changes that have changed the application of herbicides and suggestions fo...
Apr 28, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 183
This is the most expensive podcast we’ve done! We’ve got some long-time listeners turned first-time podcasters as Brianna J. Schroeder and Todd J. Janzen join hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Todd is the President and Founder, and Brianna is the Law Partner at Jenzen Schroeder Ag Law LLC. Brianna and Todd will tell us how they got their start in ag law and how their background enables them to better serve those who work in agricult...
Apr 21, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 182
What’s going on in the grain markets? The old favorite, the standby, the grain expert is back! Aaron Bledsoe returns to join hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. You know him and love him as the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, and today, you’ll get to hear about his buffalo meals and Ron Burgundy couch. Together, Jeff, Sal, and Aaron tackle what’s going on in the USDA’s 2025 Prospective Plantings and quarterly grain reports. ...
Apr 14, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 181
When should growers terminate cover crops? Glenn Longabaugh joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is the ultra-famous Technical Agronomist for Premier Companies, and he’s here to share his tips for growers planning their year in light of this wild weather we’ve experienced in the midwest. Glenn will share his tips for knowing when to terminate cover crops including cereal rye and annual ryegrass and the i...
Apr 07, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 180
What is going on with California and their move to all electric vehicles? To discuss this topic and many others, special and returning guest Matt Smorch joins hosts Jeff Jarett and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Matt is the President and CEO of CountryMark Cooperative, one of the largest private Indiana companies by revenue. Jeff, Sal, and Matt discuss some of the changes the new administration has brought about and the impacts thos...
Mar 31, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 179
What should high schoolers who are interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine be doing to prepare for higher education? Returning and special guest Bret Marsh, DVM, joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for today’s episode of The High Ground Powered by Premier Companies. Bret serves as the Dean of Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and Chief Executive Officer of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, and a lot has changed since he joined us last time! Bret will shar...
Mar 24, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 178
How do you keep cattle comfortable and their water unfrozen during a harsh winter? Returning guest Ryan Batt joins Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, and he’s no stranger to the podcast! If you’ve been a listener for a while, you already know Ryan is the Facility Manager at United Producers, Inc. Ryan will share how the cold winter impacted the cattle farmers and calving operations in southern Indiana. Sal, Jeff, and Ryan will dig into how...
Mar 17, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 177
He’s our only podcast guest who has his own groupies! For this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, returning guest Glenn Longabaugh joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett in the podcast room. Glenn, a master storyteller, is also the Agronomist for Premier Ag, and he’s taking a few moments out of a very busy schedule to sit down with us. Glenn will share about his Premier Companies Grower Meetings that have been centered around Surviving or Thriving in ‘25 and changing the foc...
Mar 10, 2025•57 min•Season 1Ep. 176
Why are eggs so expensive? Special guest Tony Wesner joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Tony, a native of Jackson County, is the CEO of Rose Acre Farms which, like Premier Companies, is headquartered in Seymour, Indiana, and they’ve had a front row seat to the damage that bird flu can cause. You’ll hear about Tony’s background in agriculture and his 43+ year adventure with Rose Acre Farm which is a third generation, family-owne...
Mar 03, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 175
What are chemical prices going to do? We’ve got a new guest joining hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Kyle Schonert is the Field Marketing Director for the Eastern Corn Belt for Winfield United, and he’s brought his lucky 8 ball with him today. Kyle shares how he ended up in the agriculture industry and how he ended up employed by Winfield United. You’ll learn about his day-to-day, supply chain shortages, and the...
Feb 24, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 174
“We are a minority, but we feed the majority.” Special guest, Randy Mette, joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Randy is the Seed Product Manager for Winfield United, and he’s got a wealth of knowledge to share with us today about the seed selection, evaluation, and forecasting processes. On today’s episode, Randy will share about his background, career path, and time travel preferences. You’ll hear how he started looking for ...
Feb 17, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 173
Groupies rejoice! Glenn Longabaugh returns to the podcast room with hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is the resident agronomist at Premier Companies, and he’s a fan favorite. You’ll hear about Glenn’s new series, Thriving or Surviving, and how it ties into what growers should be focusing on to be more successful. He’ll dive into the tension between reducing the cost of inputs and the value of increasing overall yields along w...
Feb 10, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 172
The rallies continue, but will they hold? Special returning guest, Aaron Bledsoe, joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Aaron’s been on the podcast many times, so if you’ve been around for a while, you already know he’s the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, but did you also know he wants to shoot a swan? Aaron shares his predictions for markets in February and the psychological barriers that exist with $5 corn. He’ll sh...
Feb 03, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 171
We’re about to get schooled! Special guests Keith Nance and Dennis Tankersley join hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Keith is the Superintendent of the West Washington School District, and Dennis is the construction teacher at West Washington High School. You may be wondering why educators are on an agriculture podcast. The answer is easy! The high school is where our future employees are jump-starting their careers! You’ll learn ab...
Jan 27, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 170
Why would a grower consider adding alfalfa as a rotation crop? We are joined by two special guests, Glenda Gehl and Emily Meccage, for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Both Glenda and Emily are joining us from FGI, Forage Genetics International, which is a subsidiary of Land O’Lakes and has been an industry leader within the forage industry for over 30 years. Glenda serves as the President of FGI and leads the R&D efforts for the crop inputs business, and Emily i...
Jan 20, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 169
Would you believe Bill’s dream job is “selling propane and propane accessories?” Returning Sales Professional and special guest, Bill Houze, joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Bill handles propane sales and joins us representing Premier Energy. In addition to all the laughs you’d expect when Bill is a guest, you’ll learn a bit about the portion of Premier Companies known as Premier Energy and their propane division. Bill will s...
Jan 13, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 168
Ryan may be starting his career as an author penning “A Day in the Life at the Stockyard” after this episode! Returning guest, Ryan Batt, joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. If you’ve been around the podcast, you already know Ryan is the Facility Manager at United Producers in Little York, Indiana and among other things, spends his time chasing cattle. Ryan, Jeff, and Sal will discuss the current state of the...
Jan 06, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 167
What’s the most traded nitrogen product that’s out there? Returning guest, Josh Linville, joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. As you may remember, Josh is the Vice President of Fertilizer at StoneX and has over 20 years of experience in the fertilizer industry. Josh will give us a glimpse into what’s happening in the global urea market and how that sets the tone for the anhydrous market. You’ll learn how navigating transporta...
Dec 30, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 166
Jeff’s asking the good questions today, like, “What’s the strangest species you’ve created feed for?” Special guests, Kristy and Alan Lowe, join hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Kristy and Alan are co-owners of Lowe’s Pellets and Grain which has offered premium feeds for livestock for over 60 years. In addition to learning about Kristy and Alan’s career paths, you’ll learn about the family business that was star...
Dec 23, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 165
“The farmer is struggling because they’re really dying the death of a thousand apps.” On this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, Tracey Wiedmeyer joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama in the podcast room! He grew up on a farm, and now Tracey is the co-founder and CEO of Gripp Ag, a company that creates mobile software to help growers scale their agriculture operations because of their operational data tracking. Tracey will share about his career path and how he ended up con...
Dec 16, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 164
