Claim OwnershipA Better Way To Farm Podcast
Subscribed: 166Played: 13,259
Subscribe
© Rod Livesay
Description
Low commodity prices and high interest rates are putting a squeeze on American farmers. A Better Way To Farm shows you how to maximize profit so you can farm the way you want! Visit https://abetterwaytofarm.com to use the free Farm Profit Score calculator.
376 Episodes
Reverse
In this episode, we explain why many fertilizer programs fail and how you can make improvements.
If you want to improve fertilizer efficiency and increase your yield potential, this episode will show you practical steps you can take this season.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why fertility programs stop working
How to improve fertilizer efficiency
Why early plant nutrition matters
In this episode, Andrew talks with a Minnesota farmer who decided he was done guessing. He was tired of writing checks and hoping things would work out. He wanted to understand why he was doing what he was doing. Four years later, his yields are up in a big way.
In this episode, we cover:
How soil testing helps you stop guessing and start making smart choices
Why fixing pH can unlock yield you are already paying for
How foliar feeding and in furrow systems can raise yields without raising costs
There’s a lot of noise in agriculture right now. Big promises. Shiny shortcuts. That’s not what this episode is about.
We’re going back to the fundamentals…the things that actually move the needle. Strong starts, healthy roots, simple decisions that stack into real profit.
This episode focuses on early-season choices that protect yield from day one. No hype. No magic. Just proven basics done right.
In this episode, we cover:
Why early root growth protects your yield
How small, low-cost inputs can bring strong returns
How soil biology helps unlock nutrients you’re already paying for
In this episode, we talk with North Dakota farmer Darrell about how small changes made a big difference on his farm. He shares how testing new ideas helped him gain confidence, grow better crops, and protect his profit margin even after a hail storm.
This is a great conversation with a farmer who decided to make a change for his farm.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
Why plant nutrition matters more than just N, P, and K
How stronger plants can handle stress and still win
and so much more!
In this episode, we talk with market expert Roger Wright to share clear and steady ways to protect your farm income. This conversation helps farmers focus on smart choices, calm thinking, and strong planning so farms stay alive for the next generation.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
How to protect your farm income even when markets swing
When to sell crops to avoid big price drops
Why locking in a safe price helps farms survive longer
Today’s episode is here to help rice growers stay strong and make smart moves. We walk through rice fertility in a simple way that makes sense in the field. This episode is packed with real farm knowledge you can use this season.
If you grow rice or work with someone who does, this episode will help you think differently about nutrients, water, and timing. Small changes can lead to healthier crops and stronger yields.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
Why phosphorus and potassium are hard to build in rice fields and what to do instead
How zinc supports plant health when fields are flooded
How better nitrogen timing helps rice fill grain and boost profit
High input costs and tight margins are forcing farmers to look harder at every dollar. In this episode, Ryan talks with Stephanie Fackler from John Deere Financial about how financing decisions impact profitability more than most producers realize. Many farms rely on the same operating loan year after year without understanding the hidden costs. This conversation breaks down better ways to manage cash flow, what 0% financing really means, and why unsecured input financing can reduce risk. Stephanie also shares insight on where the Ag economy may be headed and how farmers can protect working capital while navigating low commodity prices.
When margins are compressed, profitability isn’t just about yield. It’s about making better decisions with your inputs, your timing, and your money.
In this episode, we talk with Robbie, a farmer from Mississippi who decided to question the way things had always been done. After floods, lost seasons, and rising costs, Robbie knew the “old way” was not working.
He shares why putting nutrients exactly where the plant needs them made a real difference on his farm.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
• Why questioning old habits can protect your farm
• How targeted fertility gained him 12+ bushels
• A better way to spend money from planting to harvest
Farming carries heart, pride, and purpose. Today, we talk with Sam, a sixth generation Iowa farmer, who shares how learning, teamwork, and belief helped his farm grow again. With guidance and education, his farm found new energy. His joy for farming returned. His family gained confidence.
This episode reminds us that farming is better when we grow together.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
• How simple agronomy knowledge can boost confidence in the field
• Why working with a strong team helps farms move ahead
• How a positive mindset can lift your farm and your family
🎧 Tune in and keep building a better way to farm.
In this episode, we talk with Scott, a South Dakota farmer who is chasing better margins. What he has learned helped him cut nitrogen nearly in half and grow healthier crops.
If you have ever wondered if there is a better way, this episode is for you.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
• How Scott cut nitrogen rates almost 50% while maintaining yield
• Why placement and timing beat adding more fertilizer
• How healthier plants stay green longer and grain fill better
Today, let’s finish strong. Zinc may be small, yet it plays a big role in how your crop grows, uses water, and fills grain. When zinc is right, plants stay steady. When zinc runs short, yield quietly slips away.
In this episode, we’ll show why early attention keeps crops moving forward all season.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
• Why zinc matters from planting to harvest
• How zinc drives hormones, enzymes, and seed formation
• Why high phosphorus often leads to zinc trouble
Test with purpose. Place it early. Protect what the seed already promised. That’s the better way to farm.
Manganese does not get much attention, yet it can make your fertilizer dollars work harder. Get it right and crops run smoother. Miss it and yield slips away without much warning.
In this episode, we walk through why manganese matters, how it works with other nutrients, and why small fixes here can protect big yields.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
• What manganese does inside the plant
• How manganese helps phosphorus, calcium, and nitrogen work better
• Why yellow striping often points to manganese
Remember that manganese is small money with big influence. It helps crops use what you already paid for. Tune in now!
Iron may be small, yet it plays a big role in how your crops grow, stay green, and fill the bin. If your plants look pale, weak, or slow early in the season, iron could be the missing link.
Today, we’ll hear how strong roots, smart testing, and targeted foliar applications help keep crops dark green, growing strong, and producing sugar when it counts.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
• Why iron is key to chlorophyll, photosynthesis, and sugar production
• How to spot iron deficiency early before yield slips away
• Why high pH soils make iron hard for plants to use
Let’s talk nutrients that do not get much airtime. Chloride and Moly can help a crop or hurt it. It depends on how they are used. In this episode, we’ll break it down so you can make better fertility calls and protect yield.
This is not about chasing silver bullets. It’s about knowing what is helping your crop and what might be quietly holding it back.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
• When and why chloride can strengthen plants and also cause real trouble
• What moly does inside the plant and why it matters for nitrogen
• How too much chloride can hurt soybeans and soil life
Let’s take a closer look at copper. It’s a micronutrient needed in very small amounts however, is critical to yield, stalk strength, and nutrient efficiency.
In this episode, let’s see where copper fits, how to test for it correctly, and why balancing micronutrients is essential for getting more from every input dollar.
🌱 What You’ll Learn:
• Why copper keeps getting ignored
• When N, P, and K stop working
• How to take a clean tissue sample
If you want your crop to finish strong and your fertilizer program to work as intended, this episode is for you.
If you’re pouring on nitrogen and not seeing the yield you expect, sulfur might be what’s missing. We used to get sulfur for free. We don’t anymore. And pretending we still do is costing us real money.
In this episode, we break down sulfur in a way that actually makes sense—no fancy words, no guessing, just what works in the field.
🌱 What You’ll Learn (Plain and Simple):
• Why sulfur isn’t “extra” anymore—it’s essential
• What sulfur deficiency actually looks like in the field
• Why “just throw on 30 pounds” is a lazy advice
Think of it like this: Nitrogen is the fuel. Sulfur is what makes the engine run smooth.
Ever see yellow leaves and think, “I need more nitrogen”?
🚨 Hold on. It might be magnesium waving a red flag.
In today’s episode, we break down why magnesium is the heart of chlorophyll, why too much can be just as bad as too little, and how the wrong balance can tighten soils, waste fertilizer, and hurt yields.
🌱 What You’ll Learn Today:
• How potassium and nitrogen block magnesium uptake
• The biggest mistake farmers make with yellow corn
• When high-mag lime helps—and when it hurts
Magnesium isn’t optional. It’s not about more—it’s about balance. That’s how you farm smarter. Tune in for more!
Ever wonder why your crop just doesn’t finish strong—even when pH looks “fine”? 👀
Today’s episode breaks down calcium, the quiet workhorse that keeps plants strong, roots growing, and soil life booming.
Today, we clear up big myths, tell real farm stories, and show why calcium is more than just lime—it’s the key to better yields and healthier soil.
🌱 What You’ll Learn Today:
• How calcium helps roots, microbes, and nutrient flow
• Why soil testing beats guessing—every time
• How calcium helps your soil hold carbon and water
When it’s right, your soil works with you—not against you. Tune in for more!
In today’s episode, we’re talking about a nutrient that packs a punch: BORON. This powerhouse helps your crops bloom, grow, and increase yield. If you want bigger ears, fuller kernels, and better plants, this episode is for you!
🌱 What You’ll Learn Today:
• How boron helps pollen, silks, blooms, and seed development
• Why waiting until you see a deficiency means lost yield
• How boron boosts microbes, fungi, and even drought tolerance
Soil tests show 90% of farms are deficient and that means lost bushels. Tune in for more!
Want better yields and more profit without wasting money? Then this episode is for you because we’re breaking down why potassium is a game-changer. Plus, how using it the right way can help you win big.
🌱 What You’ll Learn Today:
• Why potassium is one of the hardest-working nutrients in your crop
• How CEC changes what “low” and “high” potassium really means
• Why drought makes potassium deficiency show up fast
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States