Libsyn Directory

Ep. 234: Fertilizer Crisis Explodes and Farmers Say the Numbers Are Wrong

Release Date: 04/17/2026

Talk Dirt to Me

If beef costs so much at the grocery store, why aren’t cattle producers swimming in money? In this episode, we tackle some of the biggest and occasionally dumbest questions people ask about American agriculture. We break down where your food dollar actually goes, how inflation has affected beef prices, and why expensive groceries don’t automatically mean farmers are getting rich. We also explain what cattle really eat, whether livestock are treated humanely, and how farmers turn everything from ethanol byproducts to rejected candy into valuable feed instead of waste. Then we get into the...

Ep. 247: Eat More Beef, The Salad's the One Trying to Kill You

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In this episode of Talk Dirt To Me, we're answering your farming questions and breaking down the biggest stories impacting agriculture right now. We kick things off with some listener Q&As before diving into Bayer's new hybrid wheat. Is it GMO? How much more yield are they claiming? Is the ROI better than saved seed, and could hybrid wheat change the future of grain production? From there, we take a deep dive into the latest USDA Crop Progress Report, highlighting why Tennessee continues to be one of the nation's most overlooked row crop states despite ranking among the top performers for...

Ep. 246: The John Deere Lawsuit, Relay Cropping & Funeral Playlists

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If you've ever wondered whether farmland should be taken out of row crop production to make it easier for the next generation of farmers to get started, this episode is for you. We kick things off with listener Q&A and tackle one of agriculture's biggest questions: would reducing row crop acres actually help young farmers, or would it create even bigger problems? From there, we dive into the growing conversation around relay cropping (intercropping) and discuss why innovative farmer Jason Mauck has so many people in agriculture paying attention. Is this the future of row crop farming, or...

Ep. 245: Glyphosate, MAHA, and the Attack on American Farming Feat. Rusty Grills and Stefan Maupin

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Is glyphosate really safe? What happens if it's banned? Is modern American farming under attack? This week on Talk Dirt To Me, we're joined in studio by Tennessee State Representative Rusty Grills and Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council Executive Director Stefan Maupin for one of our most candid and hard-hitting conversations yet. We kick things off by tackling an issue that rarely makes headlines but is costing farmers millions every year: deer damage to crops. As urban sprawl continues to expand, exploding deer populations are creating a growing crisis for row crop farmers across...

Ep. 244: Should We Eliminate Row Crop Farming? We Did the Math.

Talk Dirt to Me

This week on Talk Dirt To Me, we're answering your questions, taking our lumps, and diving headfirst into some of agriculture's biggest debates. One listener absolutely roasts us before asking the question that sparked one of our favorite discussions: Is ethanol actually a good thing? As a row crop farmer, Logan shares his honest perspective on ethanol, corn demand, consumer choice, and whether the benefits are as clear-cut as many people claim. We also tackle a social media comment suggesting the United States should simply eliminate row crop farming. What would actually happen if we...

Ep. 243: Ticks, Antibiotics & The Future of Cattle Production | Nick Patterson & Dale Parker

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This week on Talk Dirt To Me, we're joined in studio by Nick Patterson, President of the Tennessee Cattlemen's Association, and Dale Parker, Vice President of the Tennessee Cattlemen's Association, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of Tennessee's cattle industry. We dive into Nick and Dale's backgrounds as cattle producers, how they became involved with the TCA, and their vision for strengthening the voice of Tennessee cattlemen across the state. From industry advocacy to producer education, we discuss what they hope to accomplish and why organizations like the Tennessee...

Ep. 242: Who Let the Screwworm In? | Listener Q&A

Talk Dirt to Me

This week on Talk Dirt To Me, we're turning the microphone over to you for a listener Q&A episode packed with agriculture, cattle, farming, and plenty of rural common sense. We continue to dive into one of the biggest livestock stories in the country right now, the New World Screwworm outbreak. Who is really responsible for screwworm making its way back toward the United States? How did it spread across multiple regions, and what could it mean for cattle producers, and beef prices moving forward? We break down the facts, the finger-pointing, and what farmers and ranchers need to know. We...

Ep. 241: Farmer Sues the USDA, A Race to the Bottom, and the Screwworm Arrives!

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This week's lineup is loaded. The FTC just opened its first real antitrust investigation into fertilizer pricing, a Wisconsin farmer took the USDA to court over discrimination and won, and cattle prices are sitting at record highs while the screwworm threat creeps toward the border. Plus AI moving into the field, a hard look at why everybody copying everybody is killing small ag, and our Made in America pick. In this episode we get into the FTC fertilizer antitrust investigation, including why prices jumped overnight with no supply change and how that seems dirty. We break down the USDA...

Ep. 240: Corn, Ethanol & The Future of Farming with Amy McNeil | Tennessee Corn

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In this episode of Talk Dirt To Me, we're joined by Amy McNeil, Executive Director of Tennessee Corn, for a conversation about the future of agriculture, corn production, and the challenges facing farmers today. Amy shares her background growing up in agriculture, how her family's farming roots shaped her career, and what led her to become one of the leading voices representing Tennessee corn growers. We discuss the role of the Tennessee Corn Association and how it works alongside the National Corn Growers Association to advocate for farmers across the state and the country. We also dive into...

Ep. 239: The Biggest Cattle Theft Story We’ve Seen In Years plus China trade deals??

Talk Dirt to Me

This week on Talk Dirt To Me, we dive into one of the craziest ag crime stories we’ve seen in years after 64 Holstein calves vanished overnight from an Ohio farm in a theft worth well over $120,000. Law enforcement believes it was likely an inside job, and we break down just how difficult it would be to move that many cattle without somebody in the industry knowing exactly what they were doing. From ear tags and sale barns to modern cattle rustling and sky-high beef prices, this one opens up a much bigger conversation about where the cattle market is right now. From there, we jump into how...

More Episodes

In this episode of Talk Dirt To Me, we cover a little bit of everything and then dive headfirst into one of the biggest issues in agriculture right now.

We start off with our top 5 comedy movies of all time, which turns into a solid mix of classics and a few surprises. From there, Bobby Lee shares a wild story involving a Department of Homeland Security phone call about possible drug smuggling, and it is every bit as crazy as it sounds.

We also give a full update on planting season and how things are shaping up here in West Tennessee. We are running way ahead of schedule this year, which is not something we are used to, and we talk about what that could mean moving forward.

The biggest conversation in this episode centers around the fertilizer situation. The fertilizer crisis is getting worse, prices are still brutal, and availability is a real concern. We break down the latest poll results from the American Farm Bureau and compare them to Brooke Rollins’ numbers on how many farmers supposedly pre booked fertilizer. The two do not line up at all, and from where we sit, the reality on the ground tells a very different story.

If you want real insight from farmers dealing with rising input costs, tight margins, and uncertainty heading into the growing season, this episode delivers it straight.

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