E83 | Beyond the Bushels: Protecting Your Farm’s Bottom Line with Landon Shafer
Release Date: 09/09/2025
E99 | Fear or Purpose: What Will Drive You in 2026?
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary As 2025 comes to a close, I walk through reframing how to approach the challenges and opportunities ahead of us in 2026. I walk through two scenarios — one driven by fear, overwhelm, and scarcity, and the other grounded in purpose, optimism, and intentional action — this episode challenges you to examine what actually motivates you to move forward. I dive into how fear can sometimes push us into action, but more often leads to paralysis, inaction, and burnout. I talk about why lasting progress comes not from running away from what we don’t want, but from clearly defining...
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E98 | Lessons Learned the Hard Way: Our Mistakes from 2025
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary As the year winds down and the holidays approach, I take a look back at 2025 — not to highlight wins, but to analyze the mistakes and learning opportunities that happened throughout the year. From communication breakdowns and rushed decisions to equipment issues, agronomic timing, and family-life lessons, this episode is an honest reflection on what went wrong, what it cost, and what can be learned. This episode isn’t about beating yourself up over mistakes. It’s about documenting lessons, slowing down, improving communication, and intentionally learning so you — and...
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E97 | Bridging the Gap Between Survival and Profit
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary In this week's Pioneer Mindset episode, I break down what I call the “profit gap” in farming — the space between being stuck in the trenches and reaching profitability I talk about why so many service providers in agriculture are built to help producers once they’re already profitable, while far fewer are designed to help farmers and ranchers who are still grinding to get there. From accountants and bankers to agronomists and marketing advisors, I dive into who helps at each stage — and why bridging that gap requires a mindset shift and a return to the basics of...
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E96 | A Lender’s Perspective for Farmers with Banker Bryce Havlovic
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary In this episode, Garrett sits down with agricultural lender Bryce from CharterWest Bank to give producers a clearer understanding of what lenders actually look for — and how you can set yourself up for a smoother, more successful loan renewal process. They break down the realities of farm financing, why equipment and land decisions can’t be based on “justifying” the numbers, and how being organized with your financials can save you real money through better rates and stronger lending relationships. Bryce shares his lender insights, including the biggest mistakes...
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E95 | Your End-of-Year Farm Business Checklist
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary As we enter the final month of 2025, I break down the essential business tasks every farmer and rancher should focus on to finish the year strong and set up 2026 with clarity—not chaos. I walks through the some core areas that make the biggest impact on your financial organization, stress levels, and decision-making as we close out the year. Whether you’re ahead, behind, or somewhere in between, this episode helps you get grounded, stay proactive, and avoid the December overwhelm that so many operations fall into. In this week’s episode I share some core areas to focus on...
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E94 | Creative Ways to Add Revenue to Your Operation in 2026
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary What It Really Means to “Provide Value” to Your Operation We all grow up wanting nothing more than to farm, but many of us work off farm jobs, build side businesses, or take big risks just to earn our way to keeping the farm alive. In this week’s episode, I challenge the mindset of “just keep doing what we’ve always done” — and encourage you to think differently, experiment, and not fear failure. The Truth About Sharing Your Competitive Advantages Farmers are naturally protective of what works. I dive into the challenge of opening up to others about what we’re...
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E93 | The Money Mindset Every Farmer Needs
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary In this week’s solo episode of Pioneer Mindset, I dive deep into how you think about money — because your mindset around money impacts far more than just your bank account. I recently listened to one of Mel Robbins’ podcast interviews with Morgan Housel, author of The Psychology of Money.From that episode, I share my own thoughts and break down the core principles from the book and connect them directly to farm and ranch life. Farm and ranch life is FULL of financial pressure — high input costs, volatile markets, land prices, debt, and constant comparison to what others...
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E92 | Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze? The Custom Work Dilemma
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary As harvest wraps up, I take a practical look at one of the most common questions farmers face each fall: is custom work worth it? Whether you’re combining for neighbors, drilling cover crops, or taking on extra acres to help justify equipment costs, there are real pros, cons, and mindset shifts to consider. In this episode, I break down how to evaluate custom work in your own operation—beyond the surface of “extra income.” In this week’s episode on custom work: The hidden costs (time, wear, and stress) that can eat into custom work margins. Why custom work can be a...
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E91 | The Weight of Always Trying: Letting Go of Striving and Trusting God’s Plan
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary In this solo episode, Garrett opens up about the reality of “trying so hard” — in harvest, in family life, in business, and in faith. From long days in the combine to the quiet moments of reflection that come after, this conversation is an honest look at the weight many farmers carry: trying to be the best husband, father, Christian, and business owner — all at once. In this week’s episode I share about the reality of “trying so hard”: We’re all trying hard — and that’s okay. Acknowledge the effort without letting it drain your joy. Faith in the plan. Even...
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E90 | Informed. Aligned. Actionable. The Framework for Smart Farm Decisions
Pioneer Mindset
Episode Summary In this episode of Pioneer Mindset, I break down one of the most overlooked skills in agriculture — decision-making. Every day, farmers and ranchers make thousands of choices, but not all of them are quality decisions. I dive into what it means to make high-quality decisions, why the process matters more than the outcome, and how improving your decision-making directly impacts profitability, confidence, and legacy. I share a simple but impactful framework for better decisions — Informed, Aligned, and Actionable.I walk through some real-world examples from our own operation,...
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Crop insurance may not be the most exciting part of farming, but it can make or break your bottom line. In this episode of Pioneer Mindset, I sits down with crop insurance agent and advisor Landon Shafer to break down what farmers need to know heading into harvest and beyond. From understanding new program changes and margin coverage options to managing claims, price discovery, and production records, this conversation is packed with practical insights you can use right now. We also dive into livestock risk management, exploring tools like LRP (Livestock Risk Protection) and how producers can lock in profitability while protecting against volatility.
Whether you’re a row crop operation, feeding cattle, or both, this episode will help you think differently about managing risk and making confident business decisions on your farm.
Resources & Links:
- To learn more about how I can help you achieve financial clarity and confidence through essential tools and systems, check out my free training here!
Connect with Garrett:
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- Follow on TikTok - @garrettruskamp
- Learn more about Pioneer Farmer here!
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