$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 infrastructu...

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, au...

A new study commissioned by the National Corn Growers Association finds that U.S. farmers face substantially higher crop input prices, with some products costing nearly twice as much as comparable inputs in Brazil.

In this episode, Damian Mason speaks with NCGA Chief Economist Krista Swanson abo...

More than 200 million acres of the American South are covered in timber. The South produces one-third of America’s lumber, with paper and cardboard as an important by-product. Bobby Dobson, timber investor and land broker, and Spencer Smith of Saunders Real Estate join Damian Mason to break down ...

Could a new federal tax incentive reshape investment in rural America?

Most agricultural producers, landowners, and agribusiness professionals have never heard of Rural Opportunity Zones, yet this new federal program could unlock billions of dollars in private investment for agriculture and rura...

Americans consume enormous amounts of animal protein every week, but the forces driving demand, pricing, and profitability are often misunderstood. In this episode of The Business of Agriculture, Damian Mason sits down with animal protein analyst Michael DiSabato, founder of Highline Consulting G...

A map went viral on X showing Iowa — one of America's most productive agricultural states — imports 90% of its food. Cue the outrage. Cue the gubernatorial candidates. Cue the narrative that our food system must be broken. But is it? Damian Mason brings back specialty crop grower Steve Strasheim ...

Stanford professor of biology Paul Ehrlich predicted mass starvation, water and food rationing in America and the disappearance of England as a country. His apocalyptic forecast for an overpopulated, food insecure world were laid out in his 1968 book “Population Bomb,” then reiterated over 1,000s...

Agriculture prides itself on resilience, innovation, and hard work. But is the industry as willing to accept feedback as it is to overcome adversity?

In this episode of the Business of Agriculture, Damian Mason is joined by Zach Johnson, better known as the Millennial Farmer, for a candid discus...

Autonomous tractors and robotic farm machinery were supposed to transform American agriculture. So why has adoption been so slow? In this episode of The Business of Agriculture, Damian Mason speaks with Chad Fiechter, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University, about the e...

Is American Agriculture too dependent on corn and soybean production? Probably. But what is the reasonable alternative? Business of Agriculture host Damian Mason asks Illinois farmer / businessman Marc Severson and StoneX’s Ryan Moe: Is meaningful US crop diversification actually feasible? The co...

U.S. meat consumption is at a record high despite rising grocery prices, especially for beef. Meanwhile, plant-based meat alternatives continue losing consumer interest and market share. Why are consumers still choosing real meat? Is the demand driven by protein preferences, nutrition trends, the...

Crop input costs are reaching record levels in 2026, putting added pressure on farm profitability and financial viability. In this episode of The Business of Agriculture, Damian Mason is joined by Brian Adams of Life Scientific to discuss how producers can evaluate seed, fungicides, crop protecti...

Bayer and Corteva control a major share of the seed industry, but independent seed companies still have opportunities to compete and win. Damian Mason talks with Bob Miller, founder of Miller Hybrids in Kalona, Iowa, about how small seed companies can succeed through strong genetics, farmer-focus...

American agriculture is changing—quietly in some ways, dramatically in others. The question is not whether the industry will look different in ten years, but who will still be standing when it does.

In this episode, Damian Mason sits down with Scott Sartor of Croptell to unpack the real forces s...

American agriculture is facing a fertilizer supply crisis — and the disruption may arrive sooner than most producers expect. Nations with adversarial relationships toward the United States control critical production capacity and transportation infrastructure for synthetic fertilizer, and the fos...

Can the United States re-shore fresh produce production to improve food security, public health, and supply chain resilience? In this episode, Damian Mason speaks with Zeb Portanova, CEO of Agricultural Scientific, about America’s growing agricultural trade deficit, the risks of foreign produce d...

Is agriculture facing a cyclical downturn, or are we witnessing a structural realignment of the global ag economy? In this episode of The Business of Agriculture, Damian Mason speaks with Illinois farmer and business advisor Mark Severson to examine the forces reshaping U.S. agriculture.

Is agri...

Fertilizer supply remains one of the most urgent issues facing American agriculture. From trade disruptions and Covid-era shutdowns to geopolitical conflict and reliance on imports from hostile regions, farmers are once again confronting uncertainty around fertilizer availability, pricing, and pr...

Water scarcity is becoming one of the biggest strategic threats facing American agriculture. In this episode, Damian Mason examines aquifer depletion, irrigation pressure, water regulation, and the long-term outlook for productive farm acres across the United States. Joined by Preston Marthey of ...

A massive transition is underway in agriculture. Over the next 25 years, more than $1.5 trillion in farm assets will change hands as aging farmers retire and fewer heirs return to the farm. Despite the scale of this shift, 77% of farming operations still lack a will or estate plan.

In this episo...

U.S. agriculture is in its third year of economic pressure, yet farmland values remain resilient. Why have farm real estate prices not declined alongside commodity margins?

In this episode, Damian Mason speaks with Howard Halderman of Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management about the forces shap...

Rising nitrate levels in groundwater and surface water are intensifying scrutiny of farming practices across the United States, particularly in major crop-producing states such as Iowa. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from row crop agriculture are increasingly linked to water quality degradation, ...