Ep134: Captive Insurance and Total Cost of Risk in Ag with Lane Danielsen and Jonathan Stark of TrueNorth Companies
Release Date: 10/01/2025
Ep141: Concentrations of Demand with Ben Baer of Livestock Nutrition Centers
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: The unvarnished journey of Livestock Nutrition Centers. [04:56] What custom bulk feed blends solve for pre-feedlot beef cattle. [08:57] Why custom feed mixes are superior to big brand pellets. [12:15] Successfully counter-positioning in livestock nutrition. [16:26] Maturing from competing on price to selling value as ag suppliers. [27:06] Customization vs. efficiency trade-offs. [33:03] Will individualized feed blends inevitably homogenize? [36:03] Is a complete market shift toward custom blends likely? [38:31] To learn more about Livestock Nutrition Centers, visit . Contact...
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Ep140: Tackling Ag's Talent Deficit Problem with Mark Waschek of Ag 1 Source
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: Overview of Mark Waschek’s career and Ag1Source. [05:07] Is agribusiness in a talent surplus or deficit currently? [09:05] Impacts of prioritizing structural assets over employee training in ag. [14:01] Is growing and promoting talent internally better for ag? [17:25] Why ag companies must pre-qualify leadership pipelines early. [19:19] The “Four Pillars” process for future leader evaluation. [28:57] Should incumbent CEOs exit succession discussions? [33:17] “Continue, Stop, Create” strategy to envision future CEOs by desired outcomes. [40:19] The power of EOS and...
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Ep139: Should Ag Co-ops Generate a Profit? with Glen Franzluebbers of No Limit Ag
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: Glen Franzluebbers’ life in ag and No Limit Ag’s focus. [05:32] The need for synergy over size in the current co-op M&A wave. [12:05] Make co-op scaling objectives and strategy explicit pre-deal. [18:05] Problem-first strategic steps for precision ag and AI use. [24:32] Signs of the problem-first approach done unproductively. [29:16] Discover the “Success Triangle” for testing new ideas. [32:21] How to exit failed initiatives successfully with learnings. [36:05] Reserve the right to learn and pivot as agtech evolves. [37:37] Should co-ops even be making money?...
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Ep138: Building Better Ag Strategy with Mac Marshall of Apeel
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: Agribusiness strategic commercialization focus. [06:16] The need for cross-functional collaboration when assessing risk. [14:18] Ensure rigor with reciprocal quantitative and qualitative data. [17:06] Why opportunistic M&A must be rooted in a preexisting strategy. [21:36] How Apeel scales edible coatings to reduce food waste. [27:46] Is de-risking farming the real mission of agtech? [28:31] Respecting multivariable farmer decisions when solving slow tech adoption. [37:22] Reconcile long-term planning with market volatility. [50:29] “Home vs. away” game thinking in ag...
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Ep137: Breaking Down the Proposed UP-NS Mega-Merger with Jay Shabat of Railroad Weekly
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: Meet Jay Shabat, industry analyst and Railroad Weekly author. [04:25] Overview of Class I railroads and their market power. [08:01] Lessons from the pros and cons of the CPKC merger. [13:48] What’s driving Union Pacific’s acquisition of NS? [18:29] Why Norfolk Southern is open to a strategic merger with UP. [24:39] Potential impacts of the UP–NS merger on ag shippers. [31:31] The STB’s regulatory relief for captive shippers and competitive remedies. [38:38] UP’s argument for transcontinental shipping efficiency. [44:34] Will BNSF and CSX respond with their own...
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Ep136: Agribusiness 2026 M&A Outlook with Scott Porter of Cascadia Capital
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: Cascadia Capital’s services, its ag practice and ag client profiles. [03:55] The impact of net farm income on ag market dynamics. [08:04] What are the drivers of supply–demand imbalance in ag? [09:50] M&A as an exit in downturns, and qualities of winning companies. [14:17] Crucial strategic considerations for opportunistic M&As. [20:21] The paradox of market recovery and producer distress. [26:10] Explore four distinct M&A “eras” identified in ag. [30:50] Two co-op types and long-term sustainability explained. [37:40] What attracts PE to ag and yet causes...
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Ep135: Five Strategies for Capital Project Success in Ag with Matt Frandsen of Keen Project Solutions
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: Discover full-service design-build Keen Project Solutions. [06:22] Serving clients of all sizes in the agribusiness spectrum. [11:28] How to facilitate project-objective clarity with clients. [15:52] Why slow front-end planning matters for fast execution. [20:16] The “must-do” list for successful CapEx projects in ag. [27:54] The importance of appointing a dedicated project lead. [34:47] Minimizing gaps between operator needs and procurement strategies. [38:26] Keen’s merit shop Millwright apprenticeship program. [44:15] To learn more about Keen Project Solutions,...
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Ep134: Captive Insurance and Total Cost of Risk in Ag with Lane Danielsen and Jonathan Stark of TrueNorth Companies
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: What’s captive insurance, and how does it work? [05:13] Control over risk attracting agribusinesses to captives. [07:18] How captives offer an underwriting income opportunity. [08:58] Financial and tax benefits in captives compared to self-insurance. [12:54] Get to know TrueNorth Companies and their unique strengths. [16:43] Rural risk factors in ag and insurance market challenges. [20:20] Understand the real costs involved in deductibles. [28:45] How are evolving market cycles redefining co-op insurance? [32:29] Analyze your “total cost of risk” beyond premiums....
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Ep133: The Messy Middleware of Ag Innovation with Brad Fruth of Beck's Hybrids
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: Defining and fostering innovation at Beck’s Hybrids. [04:32] Balancing skunkworks for future lines within R&D. [08:37] Bridging the gap between internal innovation and the farm gate. [12:44] Why does Beck partner with startups as a customer, avoiding a CVC model? [16:26] Hard lessons from rejected ideas and organizational resistance. [23:22] The power of relationships in driving innovation. [26:12] How to handle risk and goal misalignment in leadership. [35:26] The single most important trait that startup partners cannot fake. [43:18] Advice for innovation leaders and...
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Ep 132: Beans Without Borders - A History of U.S. Soybean Exports with Jim Sutter of the U.S. Soybean Export Council
The Pacesetter Pod
Show Highlights: USSEC’s formation, role, and three strategic objectives. [06:05] Why countries import soy, and its unique global demand growth. [14:10] How past U.S. trade tensions led to Brazil’s soy export boom. [16:12] A timeline of U.S.–China soybean trade from 1995 to the 2020 “Phase One” deal. [21:03] Benefits of reducing export risk by diversifying markets. [25:53] The future of U.S. soy in China in the 2025 tariff fallout. [26:45] What a VT study predicts about China’s soybean imports. [31:50] Will the 90-day tariff truce extension with China work? [38:35] Healing trust...
info_outlineShow Highlights:
- What’s captive insurance, and how does it work? [05:13]
- Control over risk attracting agribusinesses to captives. [07:18]
- How captives offer an underwriting income opportunity. [08:58]
- Financial and tax benefits in captives compared to self-insurance. [12:54]
- Get to know TrueNorth Companies and their unique strengths. [16:43]
- Rural risk factors in ag and insurance market challenges. [20:20]
- Understand the real costs involved in deductibles. [28:45]
- How are evolving market cycles redefining co-op insurance? [32:29]
- Analyze your “total cost of risk” beyond premiums. [39:08]
- Why partnering with a proactive, consultative broker matters. [42:32]
Explore TrueNorth Companies at https://truenorthcompanies.com/.
Find Lane Danielsen at LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lane-danielsen-99675456/. Lane can also be reached via email at ldanielsen@truenorthcompanies.com.
To connect with Jonathan Stark on LinkedIn, go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-stark-649865b7/.
If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/, or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com.