When you’re in a downward cycle, how’d we get here, how long’s it going to last, and how do we get out? To provide her insight on this topic, Jacqui Fatka joins solo host Sal Sama in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Jacqui is the Lead Industry Analyst for CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division covering the Farm Supply and Biofuels segments. Jacqui shares about her career development from her start growing up on the farm to a career as an agricul...
May 06, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 133
What does the Indiana State Department of Agriculture actually do? To answer that question, special guest Don Lamb joins host Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground, powered by Premier Companies. In addition to being a farmer, Don is the Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Today, you’ll hear about Don and his career path including the history of his family farm which his father started from scratch. He’ll share more about the various happenings in t...
Apr 29, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 132
“I walked on the farm for the first time, and I showed up to the darn thing in heels!” Hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest are joined by returning and special guest, Leah Anderson, for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Leah is the Senior Vice President of Land O’ Lakes, and she’s also the President of WinField United which is a change from the last time we spoke with her! Leah shares her story around how her role at Land O’ Lakes and WinField has changed over the last year...
Apr 22, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 131
What should growers be thinking about as they look to prepare for the 2024 planting season? To answer that question, returning guest Glenn Longabaugh is back in the podcast room with hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama on this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is no stranger to the podcast, and he’s the Agronomist for Premier Companies. In addition to sharing about a recent hunting trip to hunt red stag in Argentina, you’ll hear about the types of things growers should be...
Apr 15, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 130
Looking for some information on the recent planting report and what it did to the markets? You’re in the right place. To address the report, returning guest Aaron Bledsoe joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. If you’ve been around this podcast for any time at all, you already know Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies. Aaron will share some insight into what is going on with the unanswered acres that showed up on th...
Apr 08, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 129
Which of the agrifood trends will be the most transformative for 2024? Dr. Allen Gray returns for another round with hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for another episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. As you may remember, in addition to being the Land O’Lakes Chair in Food and Agribusiness, Dr. Gray is the Professor of Agriculture Economics at Purdue University. On today’s episode, Dr. Gray will share some thoughts from his recent article, How Will Tech Enable Agrifood Trends of ...
Apr 01, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 128
Have you heard the story about the business that was started because an intern grabbed some dirt from a ditch for soil sampling? You’ll hear it today! On this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama are joined by special guest Steven Roswarski. Steven is the VP of Sales and Marketing for Rogo Ag, and in addition to telling us the story of Rogo Ag, he joins us today to talk about technology and how Rogo Ag is working to move the industry forward. On...
Mar 25, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Why would someone consider a career as an account manager for a co-op? Jeff Davis is here with the answer to that question as he joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Jeff is the Senior Account Manager for Premier Companies, and he’s the reason the phrase “shoot and poop” has now been on The High Ground. On this episode, you’ll hear a bit about Jeff’s career path and how he and his family ended up in Seymour,...
Mar 18, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 126
How’d our market prices get here? To answer that question, returning and special guest, Aaron Bledsoe, joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. If you’ve been around for any amount of time, you already know that Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, and he’s joining us today to shed some light onto what’s been happening in the grain markets. Aaron will tell us where the corn and soybean markets stand and why March is ...
Mar 11, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 125
“People forget that farmers aren’t just farmers. They’re small businesses!” Eric Pfieffer joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Eric is the Vice President of Hoosier Ag Today, and they’ve been a wonderful partner for Premier over the years and a source of education not just for farmers, but for the general public as well. You’ll hear about Eric’s “radio love story,” the Indiana agriculture community, California’s Prop 12 and the im...
Mar 04, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Glenn’s got his farmer hat on! Fan favorite guest, Glenn Longabaugh, is back in the studio today, alongside hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. As an agronomist at Premier and a farmer himself, Glenn is able to speak to both the agronomics and economics of farming! Sal, Ryan, and Glenn will cover a variety of topics including the risk and reward of farming, why growers shudder when you say, “2012,” and a bit about how crop insurance wo...
Feb 26, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 123
With growers making up such a small percentage of the population, our Farm Legacy Series has become a special part of how we can get their stories out into the world. Special guests, Charlie Sanders and Ed Sanders, join hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The Farm Legacy Series on The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Charlie and Ed are owners of Sanders Farm and Sanders Farm Service. You’ll hear about Charlie and Ed’s history with the business and lear...
Feb 19, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Have you wondered why movie theater popcorn is so much different from the popcorn you put in your microwave? Bryan Churchill joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the studio for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, and he’s the National Account Manager for Preferred Popcorn, located in Palmyra, Indiana. He’s full of all sorts of popcorn knowledge! In addition to learning about Preferred Popcorn and how they’ve grown over the years, you’ll hear about the various experie...
Feb 12, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Are you considering a career in agriculture, but are you unsure whether or not school is right for you? Consider an apprenticeship with Premier, and make use of their paid on-the-job training! Hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama are on their own for today’s podcast! In case you’ve missed it, Ryan is the Chief Operating Officer for Premier Companies, and Sal is the Vice President of Agronomy Sales and Marketing. They’re talking all things employment at Premier for this episode of The High Ground power...
Feb 05, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 120
“If we agree that food is the only economy that touches every person on the planet, then it’s people at the center of this thing.” So how do we grow the agbioscience economy in the state of Indiana in a way that is smart, durable, and draws innovators to Indiana? Mitch Frazier joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in front of our first live, studio audience for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Mitch Frazier is the President and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana which is a non-...
Jan 29, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 119
How do we stay current on the ever-evolving science in agriculture? Answer Plot can help! On this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, Steve Anthofer joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest all the way from Carroll, Iowa. Steve has a Master of Science in Agronomy. Steve handles Winfield United’s operations over Answer Plot and is the Director of Research and Development Support. You’ll hear more about Answer Plot, how they choose their locations, and how their data can provide v...
Jan 22, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Have you been considering adding a propane tank to your property? Returning guest, Bill Houze, and brand new guest, Bryan Lonsberry, join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Bryan is Premier Energy’s Routing and Scheduling Coordinator, and Bill handles liquid fuel and propane sales for Premier Energy. Bill and Bryan will share propane safety tips with us including what to do when you smell propane, why that might be happening, and how ...
Jan 15, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 117
“Having that reassurance through the co-op supply chain is very comforting.” As part of the Farm Legacy Series, Donald Schnitcker joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. In addition to being a Regional Council Representative for Ag Region Four for Land O’Lakes, he’s a grower and farm owner who has been a member of the co-op family since the 1970s! Donald will share about the history of Schnitcker farms and how bei...
Jan 08, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 116
“There are about 258 million people in over 50 countries in the world who are at crisis level of hunger. …Two thirds of those people are farmers themselves.” What is the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and why does it exist? To answer that, two very special guests are joining us for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Harold Cooper joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the podcast room, and Beth Bechdol joins us virtually all the way from Rome, Italy. If y...
Jan 01, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Glenn is back! Glenn Longabaugh is our resident agronomist at Premier Companies, and he joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies to discuss all things agronomy. Sal, Ryan, and Glenn will discuss our latest pathogen, tar spot, including what it is, how it got here, and how we treat corn crops with fungicide. You’ll also learn about how our treatment of southern rust has helped farmers in Southern Indiana mitigate the...
Dec 25, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 114
“The food and ag business industry was ranked 22nd out of 22 industries with respect to its digital footprint.” What can be done about that? An industry leader, Dr. Allen Gray, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Dr. Gray is not only the Professor of Agriculture Economics at Purdue University but is also the Land O’Lakes Chair in Food and Agribusiness! Dr. Gray is a wealth of knowledge, and shares information about his backgro...
Dec 18, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 113
If you find yourself scratching your head over terms like “topsoil” and options, this episode is for you! Our fan favorites, Glenn Longabaugh and Aaron Bledsoe, join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this special episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is our resident Agronomist, and Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser, and they’re here to break the agriculture code for you. On this episode, you’ll learn learn about types of resistance in the agronomy world and what that mean...
Dec 11, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Special guest Amanda Bahn-Ziegler joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Amanda grew up as a farm kid in Wisconsin, and she is now an account manager for Truterra. Truterra is the sustainability division of Land O’Lakes and has a program designed to help farmers steward their fields well. Amanda will share what makes Truterra and Land O'Lakes unique, how they’re connected to Premier Companies, and how their programs benefit local fa...
Dec 04, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 114
“It’s another glorious day at Premier Ag!” Bryan Fischer joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for another conversation as part of our Farm Legacy Series on this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Bryan is the owner of Fischer Farms which includes Fischer Seeds and Fischer Food Grade. You’ll hear about the history of Fischer Farms from the time it was purchased in 1933 and learn how it grew from a 60-acre farm to today’s facility with three processing plants at Fischer Seeds...
Nov 27, 2023•41 min
It’s swine time with the hog guy! New guest, Dan Vague, joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Dan is the VP of LIvestock Production for Swinelink, which is a division of Premier Companies. Dan will give us a glimpse into his career with Premier and his transition into his current role for Swinelink. He’ll also share what the entire process looks like to take their hogs from start to finish including the types of feed the hogs eat, ...
Nov 20, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 109
We’re talking WASDE reports and grain today! Returning fan favorite, Aaron Bledsoe, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. If you’ve been around the podcast for a while, you know he’s the Grain Merchandiser at Premier Companies, and he’s here to tell us what’s happening in the grain world. Aaron will share what he’s seeing with the logistics surrounding the tail end of the harvest including transportation around ...
Nov 13, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 108
What’s happening with the crop protection pricing this year? Returning guest, Brad Chesnek, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Brad is WinField United’s Field Marketing Director for everything east of the Mississippi on the crop protection side of their business, and he’s seen firsthand what’s happened within the world of crop protection. Brad shares an update on pricing for this year’s crop protection pricing and how logistics ...
Nov 06, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 107
We’re kicking off the Farm Legacy Series! Aaron Johnson joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Aaron is over the crops area of River View Farms where he serves as Vice President and is the first guest in the Farm Legacy Series which will serve to highlight members, customers, and local farms. On today’s episode, Aaron answers a variety of questions regarding his operation and contributions to the world of agricul...
Oct 30, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 106
What’s happening with the harvest this year? Special returning guest, Glenn Longabaugh, joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is the Agronomist (and budding Psychologist) for Premier, and he’s a real fan favorite. Glenn will share the state of the soybean harvest and why the yield has been so strong this year. You’ll also hear Glenn’s thoughts on Enlist versus Xtend beans in terms of maturity and performance, how geneticists ...
Oct 23, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 105
“What better time to get our grain guy on than harvest?” No stranger to the podcast, Aaron Bledsoe joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama on this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, and he’s joining us to shine some light on the 2023 harvest. You’ll hear about how dependent the Midwest is on the river, the current state of barge traffic, and concerns that have arisen when it comes to storage capacity. You’ll also learn abo...
Oct 16, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 104
