Land & Everything Else

Dr. Craig Lemoine & Ailie Elmore
  • 5.0 (47)
  • Education
  • Updated Biweekly

Land & Everything Else is dedicated to demystifying the world of alternative investments. Brought to you by the department of Agriculture and Consumer Economics within the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, Land and Everything Else will explore the nuts and bolts of non-stock and bond investing. From dirt to derivatives, this podcast will guide financial planners, wealth managers and consumers into the land of alternative investing.  

  1. May 14

    59. Leaving Academia to Build the Future of Ag Software with Dr. Kaustubh Bhalerao

    What pushes a tenured associate professor of agricultural engineering to "eject from the aircraft" and start a software company? For Kaustubh Bhalerao, it wasn't a singular moment, but a persistent drive to move beyond journal articles and into the field where his work could solve real-world problems for farmers and soil labs. In this episode, Dr. Craig Lemoine sits down with Dr. Kaustubh Bhalerao, Ph.D. at the Land Expo to discuss his journey from academia to entrepreneurship and how technology is fundamentally reshaping the agricultural landscape. Kaustubh shares a fascinating look at how he uses AI not just as a tool for automation, but as a "second brain" and a thinking partner to build anti-fragile software and defensible business workflows. Key takeaways: How a Jesuit education and academic mentorship shaped Kaustubh’s view of impact.The process of building geospatial modeling and digitizing workflows for an underserved ag industry.Practical ways to use generative AI for back-office automation and code maintainability.How AI tools can help investors better understand their risk appetite and lifestyle goals.Why tangible assets and family networks are becoming the ultimate hedges against a volatile labor market. Connect with us! Dr. Kaustubh Bhalerao on LinkedInSoil DiagnosticsDr. Craig Lemoine on LinkedInAgriculture Focused Financial PlanningLand & Everything Else YouTube Channel

    26 min

  2. Apr 15

    58. Liquidity, Land, and Ag's Next Chapter with Jackson Takach

    Agricultural lending doesn't make headlines the way Wall Street does. But behind every farm mortgage is a system designed to keep capital moving, lenders solvent, and farmers farming. That system nearly broke in the 1980s. Congress responded by creating Farmer Mac, and the market has never been the same. In this conversation, Dr. Craig Lemoine sits down with Jackson Takach, Chief Economist at Farmer Mac, to trace the arc of agricultural finance from the farm crisis through COVID, the commodity boom, rising interest rates, tariff disruptions, and into a 2026 landscape full of uncertainty and opportunity. Jackson brings two decades of perspective to the conversation and doesn't shy away from what worries him or what excites him about the year ahead. Key topics: What Farmer Mac does and why the secondary market for ag mortgages mattersHow COVID triggered a refinancing boom that saved many farm operations real moneyWhy rising interest rates froze land supply and pushed farmland prices higher anywayHow tariffs hit soybean, cotton, and rice producers hardest and drove up Chapter 12 bankruptciesWhat 2026 looks like across corn, soybeans, biofuels, proteins, and specialty cropsHow farmers are tapping land equity to manage working capital as input costs stay elevatedConnect with us! Jackson Takach on LinkedInFarmer Mac Dr. Craig Lemoine on LinkedInAgriculture Focused Financial PlanningLand & Everything Else YouTube Channel

    22 min

  3. Mar 12

    57. Trading Grain and Commodities with Dave Chatterton

    Markets now react to headlines in milliseconds. Algorithms scan reports, execute trades, and flood exchanges with activity before most humans finish reading the news. Yet agriculture still moves on a different clock. Crops grow over months, risk builds across seasons, and farmers face decisions that affect an entire year’s income. In this conversation, Dr. Craig Lemoine sits down with commodity trader Dave Chatterton to explore how farmers manage price risk and how commodity markets evolved from noisy trading pits to high-speed electronic systems. The tools changed dramatically. The relationships and judgment behind them still matter just as much. Key topics: How farmers use futures, options, and marketing strategies to manage price risk before harvestThe role grain marketing plays in determining a farm’s annual profitWhat changed as commodity trading moved from open-outcry pits to algorithmic marketsWhy information floods markets today and how professionals filter what actually mattersThe growing interest in farmland from investors, family offices, and financial advisorsWhy agriculture remains a relationship-driven industry even as technology accelerates tradingConnect with us! Dave Chatterton on LinkedInStrategic Farm Marketing Dr. Craig Lemoine on LinkedInAgriculture Focused Financial PlanningLand & Everything Else YouTube Channel

    26 min

  4. Feb 12

    56. International Agriculture with Ed Blundy

    Farmland is no longer a purely local conversation. As global capital looks for stability, diversification, and long-term value, agriculture continues to draw interest from investors who may have never stepped foot on a farm. That shift brings opportunity, complexity, and new questions about how land is owned, managed, and passed on across generations. In this episode, Ed Blundy of Brown & Co. joins Dr. Lemoine to explore agriculture through an international lens shaped by both education and lived experience. Ed was trained in practical agriculture before moving into land management, and brings a perspective that sits between working farms and institutional capital. He shares how that foundation informs his work at Brown & Co., before diving into the UK’s evolving inheritance tax landscape and the growing institutional interest in farmland across Europe, Australia, and beyond, connecting financial strategy with the realities of rural economies. Key topics and takeaways How farmland is emerging as a global asset class for institutional and family office investorsThe impact of inheritance tax changes on land ownership and succession in the UKWhy collaboration and data-sharing matter in cross-border agricultural investingWhat rising input costs, water constraints, and technology could mean for the future of farmingConnect with us! Ed Blundy on LinkedInBrown & CoDr. Craig Lemoine on LinkedInAgriculture Focused Financial PlanningLand & Everything Else YouTube Channel

    30 min

  5. Jan 15

    55. Money and Happiness with Professor Donovan Sanchez

    Money shows up in nearly every major life decision, but it almost never comes with clear guidance on how to use it in a way that actually supports our long-term satisfaction. In this episode, Dr. Craig Lemoine sits down with Professor Donovan Sanchez to explore how financial education is evolving and why happiness deserves a place in the conversation alongside returns, income, and planning models. The discussion moves through what the data says about income and well-being, how people adapt to comfort and convenience, and why experiences and relationships consistently matter more than most financial upgrades. The episode also takes a thoughtful turn into higher education, examining what it means to train future advisors and how research reshapes the way we think and question assumptions. Key topics discussed in this episode: How income relates to happiness and why the relationship is weaker than most people expectThe role of hedonic adaptation in everyday financial decisionsWhy experiences tend to create longer-lasting satisfaction than material purchasesHow spending on others strengthens relationships and personal well-beingWhat the research says about money, meaning, and life evaluationHow financial education can better connect numbers to human outcomes Connect with us! Donovan Sanchez LinkedInDr. Craig Lemoine on LinkedInAgriculture Focused Financial PlanningLand & Everything Else YouTube Channel

    43 min

  6. 12/11/2025

    54. Land, Real Estate, Private Equity & AI with Peter Lehman

    Some opportunities only reveal themselves to people who pay attention, and that’s exactly what makes this conversation with Peter Lehman so interesting. From the strength of Midwest farmland to the global forces fueling demand for protein, Peter shares how he and his team have repeatedly found value where others weren’t looking. The stories behind those decisions are surprising, thoughtful, and full of insight for anyone watching today’s markets with a long horizon in mind. Key Topics: The global protein shift reshaping agriculture and investment.Why farmland remains a resilient long-term store of value.How specialty sector funds create an edge through relationships.What fix-and-flip lending taught Peter about timing and risk.The career skills that become more valuable as AI accelerates. 0:00 - Setting The Stage: Durable Skills 0:24 - Granite Creek: Who We Are 2:52 - Why Farmland Belongs In Portfolios 6:11 - Rates, Cash Flow, And The New Math 10:55 - Macro Tailwinds: Water And Protein 14:16 - Buy, Sell, 1031: Playing Offense 18:20 - Stability Versus Bonds 22:16 - Building The Agribusiness Thesis 27:00 - Lessons From China’s Rise Connect with us! Peter Lehman on LinkedInGranite Creek Capital PartnersDr. Craig Lemoine on LinkedInAgriculture Focused Financial PlanningLand & Everything Else YouTube Channel

    29 min

  7. 11/13/2025

    53. The Financial Advisor Is Alive and Well: Season 3 Begins with Ilya Zlotnik

    Welcome back! We’re kicking off season 3 of Land and Everything Else with a conversation that bridges technology, trust, and transformation in wealth management. Dr. Craig Lemoine welcomes back Ilya Zlotnik, Partner and Managing Director at Vivaldi Capital Management, to explore how AI is changing the way advisors work and why it’s making the human element more valuable than ever. Together, they unpack what AI can (and can’t) do in the advisory space, how fintech tools are freeing up time for deeper client relationships, and what the rise of private markets means for investors and future planners. Key topics: The myth of the “dead advisor” in the AI eraHow AI tools like Copilot are reshaping efficiency and client serviceThe expanding role of alternatives and private marketsWhy emotional intelligence and trust still define great advisorsConnect with us! Ilya Zlotnik on LinkedInVivaldi CapitalDr. Craig Lemoine on LinkedInAgriculture Focused Financial PlanningLand & Everything Else YouTube Channel

    36 min

  8. 10/30/2025

    52. Season 2 Finale: The Journey Behind Land and Everything Else

    It’s the end of Season 2, and for the first time, Dr. Craig Lemoine takes the mic solo to reflect on how far Land and Everything Else has come. What started as a simple idea to connect agriculture and alternative investing in the classroom has grown into a full-scale learning platform with thousands of students, nine courses, and fifty-one guests who helped shape the conversation along the way. Two years later, this space has become a place where ideas turned into action, and stories turned into lessons. In this season finale, Craig looks back with gratitude for every voice that’s helped build it, and with curiosity for what comes next. Connect with us! Dr. Craig Lemoine on LinkedInAgriculture Focused Financial PlanningLand & Everything Else YouTube Channel

    12 min
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5
out of 5
47 Ratings

About

Land & Everything Else is dedicated to demystifying the world of alternative investments. Brought to you by the department of Agriculture and Consumer Economics within the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, Land and Everything Else will explore the nuts and bolts of non-stock and bond investing. From dirt to derivatives, this podcast will guide financial planners, wealth managers and consumers into the land of alternative investing.  

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Craig Lemoine & Ailie Elmore
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Land & Everything Else
  • Show Website
    Land & Everything Else

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