The Rogue Agronomist

What kind of independent agronomist am I? More on what I want to see and why I don’t post everything for free online like most retailers do…

Funds have been frozen, agronomists taking money to make recommendations, and more moral dilemmas that crazy amounts of government funding has created in the Ag industry. My take and where we go from here is still up for interpretation.

We have all been there, the huge post it notes come out and part of the group sees an opportunity to kiss some backside while others get nervous…are these effective and ways to build an engaged sales staff without doing presentations. Like, Follow, Subscribe and Share...or I won't post anymore of these...

Influencers are all the rage on X and the TikTok ban has me reflecting on why I don’t post podcast episodes anymore with low engagement and everyone wanting everything for free

Is it a placebo or a tool and getting comfortable being uncomfortable are two things I want people to focus on for 2025. We may have to evaluate convenience over ROI and look at what certain practices cost us. There are potential savings we could utilize but some of it may come with changing our purchases or going without some things.

Things are changing in the retail landscape, can Ag Retail keep up? A very frank discussion on what’s going on and what the future may hold.

Strip-till identifies as no-till, what are EENF’s, and who’s making big money on this? Reading through the rules and opinions on what they mean, and why we have more questions than answers. Video also available here https://youtu.be/s3NL51Z_Dps?si=jDIGV4DulO3h9tOS Rules can be found here https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-24-37.pdf

You’ve likely heard this expression, but how does it play into today’s agriculture? After seeing this video where he talks about an experiment they did it seems very easy to apply to agriculture. Could someone make a recommendation that might be easily shown to be based on flawed data but still feel like they are in the right? Dice Experiment Dr. Dan Ariely https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV1dVtG8xwQ

Have we lost our filter due to social media? Do you constantly dislike the content you are seeing? You may be hate following people without even realizing it...

With current market prices we could all be losing our heads, but while everyone keeps talking about the markets negatively those who have a plan and keep their emotions in check may come out ahead. Discussing taking the emotions out of decisions and why we can’t afford to have an ego in this market. Also, a discussion on ag mental health and making sure you reach out if you need help.

It’s concerning to think about the fact that we don’t have to “learn” and recall information like we used to. Is the ability to instantly find information causing us to not verify and evaluate that information? Find this and more at www.stullagronomy.com

Selling/buying the plot winners might be easy and exciting for some but what happens when the plot winner isn’t the hybrid a farm needs? Sales training and how “sell the mix” changed how I approached seed sales in a world of Type A personalities feeling like the outsider.

Sometimes we get the “what have you done for me lately” to creep into agriculture when we forget what has all transpired during the season. Short term memory loss is what I call it, and it affects all of us when we get busy. Check out Stull Agronomy on TikTok and Facebook for more up to date field updates

My journey in dealing with narcissists and their gaslighting ultimatums towards sales staff. Also ideas on how management can identify and help their staff deal with this problem.

Will saving $ on inputs put you on the path toward profitability…or will finding bushels and having someone in your corner create value you need to survive as we move forward with inflation and higher interest rates? Tune in to hear my thoughts

We spend all winter trying to find ways to save money and once the crop is planted we spend money to “improve” it. The importance of having a budget and focusing on per acre costs and not total price.

We all know about ESG’s (Environmental, Sustainability, and Governance) but who truly benefits from them and are they actually about sustainability or is it a huge cash grab? Tune in to find out my opinions on this controversial topic.

We all know about the Farm Crisis in the 80's but are there any comparisons to what is happening now? A look at what led to the Farm Crisis and what the current Ag environment shares with the 70's/80's

Is tissue sampling the key or is it a tool? Getting out in the field making observations may just be the best part of what any program does.

A Wednesday two-fer because....why not. With weather, rootworm issues, weed resistance, commodity prices, and input prices the past few years is this our new normal? Indecision and emotions may just be our downfall if we don’t work with people who push us to be better.

This past week we celebrated being in business for 5 years and with that comes a few changes. Listen in as I talk about the past and where we are headed in the future.

What is sticky trapping and does it provide a good picture of what is happening in your fields? An insider perspective on our current rootworm environment and what the industry is doing to adapt. For information on sticky trap sampling check out these resources: https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/blog/ashley-dean-erin-hodgson/use-sticky-traps-monitor-corn-rootworm-beetles-summer https://ipcm.wisc.edu/blog/2021/08/corn-rootworm-beetle-scouting-3/

It’s that time of year again, time for those in ag retail sales to get indoctrinated on this year’s new training mantra. Could we improve sales training and are there way’s for employees to get the most out of training? Tune in and see my unique perspective…

As we see business hours get shorter, availability get less, and charges go up for services is it generational differences or could it be farmer consumer driven? An analysis of generational differences and changes in farmer purchasing habits.

I often get told my distrust for anyone trying to sell you products is rooted in competition, it’s more from past experiences. We should all have some skepticism with those who have financial gain from the products you are recommended.

As advisors should our role be to make others follow our agenda or should we provide information for informed decisions? Championing those who fail doing it another way is counterproductive.

Ag retail experiences, farming, and agronomy…Who’s idea was it to give these two guys a microphone anyway?

Does the vehicle you drive, the equipment color you use, or your career define who you are? My time as a company man and buying my dream car were things I thought defined who I am, but as I get older I’ve learned that what defines you is much more.

They’re new, they’re innovative, and they are everywhere…but beyond the money grab that is happening is there something we are missing? Are these companies really coming up with something we have all missed the past 200 years, or are they just the hot thing right now?

Join myself and Kyle Okke as we talk about whatever agronomy topics come to our minds.

One of the most popular games in the world goes back to the farm, talking Farming Simulator with our client Jake Linskens. Find out what mods we use, or what a mod even is, and where we have reached peak simulation by flushing toilets…

We all know that one customer that everyone doesn’t like calling on, but does the fact they have some narcissistic tendencies make them a narcissist or does their personality type just not mesh with yours? The ag retail sales conundrum of giving up customers that you don’t mesh with but you may be looked down upon for not selling them.

As I have gotten further in my career and watched kids turn into adults taking on responsibilities it is never lost on me that I may just be a role model for them and some parents instill that trust in me when working with their children. You have the opportunity to cultivate (pun) these younger people, whether you acknowledge that or not is up to you.

Are you a new employee in ag retail, are you a manager of young employees in ag retail? Why training would benefit from mentorships and management taking a hands off approach.

Since the advent of Roundup Ready soybeans we’ve heard about trait yield drag, is there still yield drag in new traits or is it more about marketing and yield lag? An analysis of trait launches from RR soybeans to Enlist and SmartStax Pro.

We hear a lot about staffing issues in agriculture, is there a fix? For some, it may be simple, but for others it may take a management change and a realization of value.

Every program does something the others don’t do but none of them do it all. It’s free, then we want to charge for what used to be free, then change it to how much are you willing to pay… it’s broken and the only way to fix it is to stop the “we’re different because we’re different” BS

How important is hybrid selection? (It is, contrary what others say) Fungicide timing, effectiveness, and do you need two passes…all this and more from 5 years of managing tar spot across several genetic platforms.

Sometimes you don't get to celebrate being correct, and that's ok.

With crop prices near record highs and variable weather you know we are going to see issues…sometimes the fix doesn’t come in a jug but everyone will be willing to sell you something to “fix” a problem if you seek out the wrong advice.

Do you expect a thank you from your supplier? Does it matter if they get a thank you back from you for services? Does anybody read these?

With story after story proclaiming all profits are taken away from higher input prices, what does this do to Ag mental health. Telling the difference between stress and anxiety, and ways to help others based on my journey with mental health.

Emotions are surging with commodity and input pricing, here we talk about taking a step back and working with people that can help you take emotions out of decisions, especially where we have much going for agriculture right now.

Why don’t I care if I am an Ag influencer and the importance of building your own brand.

Inputs are high, supply issues remain, but financially things look good for 2022 and even 2023. Are we headed for the next boom period in Ag? Maybe it’s time to get excited about the “good times”.

Why hasn’t the price of foliar fertilizer gone up? What exactly constitutes a biological product? Why did I pay 2x what I prepaid for chemicals this year? All this and more as we get out and work with our clients planning for 2022

As mergers and acquisitions happen and they talk about synergies what do they really mean? Are mergers good for you, does retail’s vision change as they get bigger, and what does farm size have to do with it?

As agriculture changes, so has hiring. As new younger hires get started in management in ag, be wary of falling for shiny shoes syndrome. Sometimes getting dirty gains more respect than degrees or even titles.

Some real talk about how great 2021 was for many farms and why you can still make decent money in 2022 even with higher inputs. Also, a discussion on agronomy services and avoiding lost opportunities by cutting services.

A discussion about genetic gain and how we may be missing out on bushels by sacrificing those bushels for hybrid familiarity when we are planting hybrids we have past positive experiences with. Recognizing what happens when we change practices that should be increasing yield but yields seem to plateau.