The Truth About Ag

Kristjan Hebert, Evan Shout
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  • Updated Fortnightly

A raw, off-the-cuff discussion on the real time issues in agriculture today.

  1. 2 days ago

    The Truth About Knowledge, Advice and Capital with Colin Brisebois

    After an introduction with Evan and Kristjan discussing the beginning of harvest and how important it is to sit in someone else’s seat, Colin Brisebois joins them. Most people know Farm Credit Canada for lending, but they talk about the work happening beyond what you’d expect, including the partnership with Maverick Ag. From advisory services and strategic partnerships to transition planning and business education, Colin explains how FCC is working with producers as farm businesses become more complex and the demands on owners continue to grow. The conversation moves through some of the challenges facing farm families today, including succession, bringing the right advisers together, and actually putting plans into action. Colin also talks about the value of surrounding producers with people who can fill specific skill needs, rather than expecting one person to be great at every part of the business. Looking ahead, Colin shares where FCC is placing its attention, including transition, innovation, new forms of capital, technology adoption and the long-term strength of rural communities. It’s a broader look at how FCC sees its role in Canadian agriculture, and how knowledge, advice and capital can work together to help producers move their businesses forward.

  2. 12 Aug

    The Truth About Thinking Like a Plant with Craig Davidson

    Kristjan and Evan kick off the episode with a wide-ranging discussion on the major challenges impacting the agricultural industry. They share insights into evolving global market conditions and practical financial strategies farms can use to navigate policy shifts, manage finances, and plan strategically.  Then, live from Ag in Motion, they’re joined by Craig Davidson, CEO of Taurus Ag and the newest sponsor of The Truth About Ag. Craig shares the story behind Taurus as the company marks 25 years in business, his roots on a fifth-generation farm, and the philosophy that has shaped much of the company’s approach to agronomy and fertility: think like a plant. They dig into plant health, biologicals, fertilizer availability, salt load, phosphate and sulfur, and why measuring the value of fertility by tonnes purchased can miss what actually matters to both the plant and the farm’s margin. The conversation also moves beyond agronomy into how Craig thinks about business, relationships and the future of agriculture. He talks about the value of challenging customers and being challenged in return, supporting rural communities, being willing to fail in pursuit of something better, and the potential for AI, better data and emerging computing technology to help agriculture make faster, more precise decisions.

  3. 29 July

    The Truth About Trust and Tech with Deanna Kovar

    Live from Ag in Motion at the John Deere booth, Kristjan and Evan are joined by Deanna Kovar, President of Deere's Ag and Turf Division. She grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, started as a summer intern decades ago, and has since worked her way through nearly every corner of the company. It's a chance to talk shop with someone who's both run the numbers on a combine's R&D budget and filled the drill herself. The conversation ends up being less about any single product and more about how Deere thinks. How a company built on iron became just as much a technology company, why that bet on precision ag decades ago still shapes everything they build today, and how they're trying to earn farmers' trust with their data while actually making it useful. Trade policy and tariffs come up; so does the long road from "nobody wanted to touch Operations Centre" to "I can't run my farm without it," and there's real talk about right to repair, retrofitting older equipment, and where the next wave of value on the farm is actually going to come from. It's a wide-ranging, honest conversation from someone who clearly hasn't lost the farm-kid perspective despite the corner office — capped off with a few personal questions that get at how she thinks about leadership, decision-making, and what she'd want for the future of North American agriculture.

  4. 15 July

    The Truth About Farming’s Failing Grade with Dick Wittman

    Evan and Kristjan sit down with Dick Wittman, farm management consultant, educator, and longtime faculty member of Texas A&M's Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP). The conversation takes a hard look at an uncomfortable trend: using a proficiency checklist tracked over 25+ years, Dick reveals that farm operators, even massive, sophisticated operations doing hundreds of millions in sales, are scoring worse on basic management fundamentals today than they were two decades ago. We talk through why: gaps in agricultural education, a generation that hasn't been tested by a truly bad year, and an industry-wide habit of avoiding the "boardroom conversations" around budgets, job descriptions, and strategic planning until a crisis forces the issue. But this isn't just a story about what's going wrong; it's about the fixes. We cover succession planning as a daily discipline rather than a one-time event, hiring outside your family, the generational shift bringing more non-owner managers into leadership roles, and why building SOPs and a culture people actually want to work for matters more than ever. If you've ever wondered whether your farm would pass its own report card, this episode might change how you grade yourself.

  5. 1 July

    The Truth About Using AI With Purpose with Nick Horob

    The episode opens with Taylor Phillips setting the table on AI and tools in a practical way: what they are, how they are used, and why the starting point should be the problem you are trying to solve, not the technology itself. That carries into the full conversation with Nick Horob, who joins Evan and Kristjan to discuss farm software, AI, and the difference between building something interesting and building something useful. Farms do not need more disconnected tools. They need better ways to see their numbers, manage information, and make decisions with less friction. The conversation pushes past the broad excitement around AI and gets into where it can actually help. Nick talks about large language models, hallucinations, trusted sources, custom GPTs, and the importance of starting with the outcome before building anything. Whether it is equipment knowledge, grain marketing, SOPs, invoicing, or field-level financial decisions, the value comes from using AI with guardrails and farm-specific context. When the cost of building software keeps falling, the harder skill is knowing what should be built in the first place. For farm leaders already acting as the human router between employees, managers, advisors, accountants, and data systems, AI has potential but only when it is tied to better decisions, clearer workflows, and a farm that is easier to run.

  6. 17 June

    The Truth About Action Over Observation with Bryce Eger

    Bryce Eger returns to The Truth About Ag for a wide-ranging conversation on professional capability, leadership, follow-through and why the ag industry needs to get more comfortable being uncomfortable. From basic networking and follow-up to the difference between credentials and real knowledge, Bryce challenges the idea that experience, titles or confidence automatically equal capability. Evan, Kristjan and Bryce talk about what separates valuable advisors, salespeople and industry professionals from those who are simply showing up with a pitch. It comes down to asking better questions, respecting people’s time and teams, solving problems the customer actually believes are problems, and doing what you said you were going to do. The conversation also touches on risk, decision-making, action items, hard conversations and why agriculture cannot afford to keep talking about the same issues without taking steps forward. Bryce also shares the story behind his book, Course Corrections: Building the Pre-Shot, Post-Shot and Recovery Habits of Leadership, and why golf became the lens for exploring leadership, learning and self-awareness.

  7. 3 June

    The Truth About the Structural Breaking Point in Agriculture

    Kristjan and Evan take a timely look at the decisions, risks, and structural pressure building across Canadian agriculture. They discuss the real-time decisions farmers are facing around seeding, canola acres, crop insurance, market risk, and the cost of pushing through difficult conditions. The episode moves into the larger structural questions facing the industry. Land values, rental rates, equipment, infrastructure, capital access, tax, succession, labour, and management are all part of the conversation as they consider what happens when old assumptions no longer hold. They discuss how land appreciation has covered up losses for some farms, why infrastructure can limit flexibility, and why the next phase of agriculture may require different financing models, different HR systems, and a clearer focus on operating profitability. Kristjan and Evan also talk about the human side of the business, including time, family, health, and the long-standing belief that hours worked are a measure of success.

  8. 20 May

    The Truth About Agricultural Regulation and Innovation with Pierre Petelle

    After catching up on how seeding is going, Kristjan and Evan sit down with Pierre Petelle, President and CEO of CropLife Canada, to talk through crop protection, seed technology, regulation, and how Canada competes for new agricultural tools. Pierre explains CropLife Canada’s role in representing companies involved in crop protection, seed technology, distribution, and other agricultural inputs, while also drawing on his previous experience working with the pesticide regulator. A major focus of the conversation is the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, or PMRA, and why timelines, predictability, and regulatory efficiency matter. Canada represents about 4% of the global pesticide market, so if the process becomes too slow or uncertain, companies may prioritize larger markets like the U.S. or Brazil instead. Kristjan, Evan, and Pierre also talk about activist pressure, access to information requests, European-style agricultural policy, trade concerns, and proposed changes to the Pest Control Products Act. The episode comes back to a larger question for Canadian agriculture: how do we keep the system rigorous without making it so difficult that farmers lose access to the tools, technology, and innovation they need?

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About

A raw, off-the-cuff discussion on the real time issues in agriculture today.

Information

  • Creator
    Kristjan Hebert, Evan Shout
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The Truth About Ag

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