The Business of Agriculture Podcast

Damian Mason
  • 4.3 (121)
  • Business
  • Updated Biweekly

Damian travels all over the globe talking to audiences about trends in the business of food, fuel, and fiber. With his clever wit and down-to-earth delivery, he has turned these topics into an interesting (and sometimes controversial) podcast.

  1. 9h ago

    Farmer Math: Agriculture's Costly Financial Blind Spot | Damian Mason Podcast

    Why does agriculture treat farmland and equipment differently than virtually every other business treats its assets? Illinois farmer and businessman Mark Severson joins Damian Mason to examine "farmer math" — the financial thinking that can distort how producers evaluate assets, capital, depreciation, opportunity cost, and return on investment. A paid-for tractor is not free to operate simply because there is no loan payment. Farmland is not automatically a good investment simply because it has appreciated. And dividing a farm equally among heirs does not necessarily produce a fair or successful farm succession plan. Damian and Mark discuss why agriculture often separates wealth from profitability, how substantial farm net worth can mask poor returns on capital, and why emotional attachment to land and equipment can influence business decisions that should be evaluated financially. They also explore one of agriculture's most difficult financial issues: farm succession planning. The commonly repeated idea that "equal is fair" can create conflict between farming and non-farming heirs while jeopardizing the future viability of the operation. This episode of The Business of Agriculture is a practical conversation about farm finances, farmland values, equipment depreciation, opportunity cost, return on assets, farm profitability, and generational farm succession. If you own or manage agricultural assets, the numbers behind your operation deserve the same scrutiny as the acres you farm.   The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by: Heads Up Plant Protectants Tidal Grow Agriscience Nano-Yield  Good Agriculture Also, make sure to check out my new show Uprooted, DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary.      This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

  2. Sep 7

    Should Ag Have Beef with The New Beef Plan? | Damian Mason Podcast

    Beginning September 1 and continuing for 90 days, 300,000 metric tons of lean trim beef will be imported into the U.S. at zero tariff. The policy, recently announced by the Trump administration, is intended to tackle the "affordability" issue facing American consumers. Will it? International Ag consultant Todd Thurman joins Damian to discuss - and dismantle - this policy move. Is cheap food now an American entitlement? Why does Agriculture feel the brunt of "affordability" when cars, fuel, homeowners insurance, and so many other consumer products have inflated in price as much or more than beef? Did Brazilian "Big Beef" influence this decision to sell more meat? More importantly, why was this action even taken — beef consumption was increasing even amid record prices, defying the "protein trade down effect." All those questions and more are answered in this meaty episode of The Business of Agriculture! The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by: Heads Up Plant Protectants Tidal Grow Agriscience Nano-Yield  Good Agriculture Also, make sure to check out my new show Uprooted, DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary.      This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

  3. Aug 31

    465 - Why Exports Won't Save U.S. Agriculture: Geopolitics Ahead | Damian Mason Podcast

    American agriculture is not simply working through another commodity cycle. It may be confronting a structural shift in how global agricultural markets, trade, technology, energy, and food demand function. Geopolitical analyst Jacob Shapiro joins Damian Mason to examine four forces that could reshape the future of U.S. agriculture: the erosion of unquestioned American global dominance, an energy transition that could ultimately reduce input costs, artificial intelligence that may narrow some advantages of scale, and global population decline that challenges the long-held assumption of continually expanding food demand. The discussion explores why agricultural exports may no longer provide the growth strategy the industry has historically relied upon. Jacob explains how China increasingly views food production and agricultural supply chains through the lens of national security, why greater Chinese self-sufficiency could affect U.S. commodity demand, and what changing global demographics mean for farmers and agribusinesses built around expanding export markets. Damian and Jacob also examine U.S. ethanol policy more than two decades after the Renewable Fuel Standard emerged, the implications of AI for large and small agricultural operations, and how cheaper energy could alter farm economics. The outlook is disruptive, but it is not pessimistic. Jacob argues that American agriculture has substantial opportunities if producers, agribusiness leaders, and policymakers recognize that the economic assumptions of the past may not define agriculture's future. The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by: Heads Up Plant Protectants Tidal Grow Agriscience Nano-Yield  Good Agriculture Also, make sure to check out my new show Uprooted, DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary.      This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

  4. Aug 24

    The E-Shaped Economy: What It Means for Agriculture | Damian Mason Podcast

    Is America really experiencing a K-shaped economy, or has the economic divide become more complicated? Kansas State University agricultural economist Dr. Brian Briggeman joins Damian Mason to explain why he believes the familiar K-shaped economy may have evolved into something closer to an "E-shaped economy," with three distinct tiers of consumer spending. With the top 10 percent of U.S. households accounting for roughly half of consumer expenditures, the growing separation between high-income consumers and everyone else has important implications for agriculture, food businesses, rural America, and the broader U.S. economy. Briggeman explains why interest rates are a greater economic concern than the shape used to describe consumer behavior. He and Damian examine agricultural real estate, farm income pressures, federal debt, government support payments, and the financial resilience of farmland during previous economic downturns. They also address a question increasingly important across agriculture: Could current economic conditions push rural America toward another farm financial crisis resembling the 1980s, or are today's circumstances fundamentally different? For agribusiness leaders, farmers, lenders, and anyone tracking the U.S. agricultural economy, this discussion provides perspective on consumer spending, interest rates, farmland values, farm finances, and the economic forces shaping agriculture. The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by: Heads Up Plant Protectants Tidal Grow Agriscience Nano-Yield  Good Agriculture Also, make sure to check out my new show Uprooted, DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary.      This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

  5. Aug 17

    Why American Beekeepers Are Losing the Honey Market | Damian Mason Podcast

    Americans consume nearly twice as much honey as they did 30 years ago, yet U.S. beekeepers are facing one of the most challenging periods in the industry's history. Why is demand growing while domestic producers continue to struggle? Commercial beekeeper and American Beekeeping Federation Vice President Richard Coy joins Damian Mason to examine the economics behind the U.S. honey industry. They discuss declining domestic honey production, rising production costs, imported honey, honey adulteration, colony losses, pollination economics, and the policy changes many producers believe are needed to strengthen American beekeeping. The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by: Heads Up Plant Protectants Tidal Grow Agriscience Nano-Yield  Good Agriculture Also, make sure to check out my new show Uprooted, DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary.      This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

  6. Aug 10

    California Almonds: An American Agriculture Survivor Story? | Damian Mason Podcast

    California produces approximately 80 percent of the world's almonds, making it the global leader in almond production. The industry supports more than 110,000 jobs and contributes roughly $6 billion in annual exports, but profitability has become increasingly difficult. Oversupply, weak prices, international trade disputes, rising production expenses, water concerns, and California's regulatory environment have created significant challenges for almond growers. Yet moving production elsewhere is far from simple because almonds require a rare Mediterranean climate that exists in only a few regions worldwide. Damian Mason sits down with Clarice Turner, President and CEO of the Almond Board of California, Alexi Rodriguez, CEO of the Almond Alliance, and Matt Woolf, specialty crop analyst with Terrain, to discuss what is happening in the almond business today and where the industry is headed. Topics include: California almond production Almond prices and profitability Global almond markets Agricultural exports and trade California regulations Specialty crop economics Water and production challenges The future of California agriculture If you are interested in agriculture, agribusiness, specialty crops, agricultural economics, or food production, this episode delivers expert insight into one of America's most valuable agricultural industries.   The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by: Heads Up Plant Protectants Tidal Grow Agriscience Nano-Yield  Good Agriculture Also, make sure to check out my new show Uprooted, DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary.      This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

  7. Aug 3

    Will the Great American Cotton Plan Save U.S. Cotton? | Damian Mason Podcast

    $2.6 billion. That's what U.S. cotton growers stand to lose this year according to USDA, the fifth straight year of red ink for the industry. The Great American Cotton Plan, announced in May 2026, aims to change the economics of American cotton. In short, we've lost acres, we've lost infrastructure, and the producers have lost money. Plains Cotton Growers CEO, Kody Bessent joins cotton farmers Todd Kimbrell and Matt Miles. Along with Damian, they discuss: cotton's current financial condition, how they see the new initiative impacting farmers, consumer apparel issues, and the promise of renewed cotton demand's effect on rural communities. A major component of the new cotton promotion ties to the fiber's natural-ness. American consumers discard more than 70 pounds of apparel each year, nearly three fourths of which is made from petroleum based material. Will all this bode as a positive for one of America's original cash crops? The Business of Agriculture with Damian Mason is brought to you by: Heads Up Plant Protectants Tidal Grow Agriscience Nano-Yield  Good Agriculture Also, make sure to check out my new show Uprooted, DamianMason.com, XtremeAg's The Cutting The Curve Podcast and The Granary.      This content is protected. ©Damian Mason, all rights reserved.

  8. Jul 27

    AI Is Coming for Agriculture — The Upside, the Dark Side, and What It Means for Your Business | Damian Mason Podcast

    Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept for agriculture. It is already transforming how farms, agribusinesses, and agricultural professionals make decisions, manage risk, and compete in a rapidly changing global marketplace. In this episode, Damian Mason welcomes Aidan Connolly, author of The Future of Agriculture and one of the industry's most respected voices on innovation. Together they examine how AI is reshaping agriculture—not through science fiction or sensational headlines, but through practical applications that are available today. Their conversation explores why agriculture has historically lagged behind other industries in technology adoption and why the biggest obstacle is not age or cost, but organizational culture. They discuss how AI is leveling the playing field by giving producers and small agribusinesses access to capabilities that once required large staffs and specialized expertise. Damian and Aidan also examine the global AI race. While China focuses on implementation, Europe emphasizes regulation, and the United States continues to drive innovation, agricultural businesses everywhere must decide how quickly they will adapt. The discussion does not avoid the difficult questions. Data ownership, privacy, surveillance, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence are becoming business issues that every agricultural organization must address. Whether you are a farmer, rancher, agronomist, lender, crop consultant, grain marketer, livestock producer, or agribusiness executive, this episode offers practical insights into preparing for the next era of agriculture.   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.

See All (467)

4.3
out of 5
121 Ratings

About

Damian travels all over the globe talking to audiences about trends in the business of food, fuel, and fiber. With his clever wit and down-to-earth delivery, he has turned these topics into an interesting (and sometimes controversial) podcast.

Information

You Might Also Like