What might the administration changes in the new year do for the grain industry? To provide his insight, Aaron Bledsoe joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for another episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, and though he says he doesn’t have groupies, he’s certainly no strang…

What is artificial intelligence, and how can it benefit growers? To answer this question, brand new guest Taylor Wetli joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Taylor is the US Commercial and Business Development Manager for Solinftec, a company that specializes in A…

We’ve got a dignitary visiting us! That might be a bit of a stretch, but not by much! Special guest, Bruce Kettler, joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama on this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Bruce is the CEO and President of the Agribusiness Council of Indiana. In addition to learning about his background in agronomy and…

What is the TRAX program, and how can that help growers? Your hosts, Jeff and Sal, are joined in the podcast room by Joe Zimmerman and Glenn Longabaugh for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Joe is the TRAX Agronomy Lead, and Glenn is a frequent guest and the Agronomist for Premier Companies. On today’s episode, you’ll le…

Knock, knock. Who’s there? Caroline and Emily! Hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett are joined by special guests Caroline Meer and Emily Welch for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Emily and Caroline are both agronomy account managers for Premier Companies, and they’re here to share about the internship opportunities that …

A kernel is a kernel is a kernel… right? Returning but still special guest Glenn Longabaugh joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is the Agronomist for Premier Companies, and in addition to being a wealth of knowledge and large words, he’s a fan favorite! Gl…

“Without our customers, we don’t have jobs!” Special guest, Ben Schutte, joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this employee spotlight on The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Ben is the Agronomy Accounts Manager, and he’s here to share with us about his career path at Premier. Ben will share about life growing up on a dairy farm and ho…

What is Swinelink and how does it help a new grower obtain a steady income? Hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett are joined by special guest Dan Vague in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. As the VP of Swine Production for Premier Companies, Dan has had a front row seat to the ups and downs of the swine ma…

What will the yields look like with the dry summer heat? On this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama are joined by returning guest and fan favorite, Aaron Bledsoe. If you’ve been around The High Ground very long, you already know Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, and he’s the…

Have you ever heard a podcast recorded from a combine? Today you will! Returning and special guest Glenn Longabaugh joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama from the field. Glenn is a fan favorite and the Agronomist for Premier Companies. In addition to discussing highly important topics like their favorite ice cream, Glenn, Sal, and Jeff will dive in…

“Worst start to a podcast ever!” Hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama are joined by returning guest Brian Scheid for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Jeff and Sal better watch what they say, because Brian is the Director of HR, and Environmental Health and Safety. On today’s episode, you’ll learn a lot about the Human Resour…

Welcome to Geek Week! For this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama are joined by James Driscoll and Matt Persinger in the podcast room. James is the Chief Technology Officer, and Matt is the IT Project Manager, both of Premier Companies. You’ll learn about Premier’s IT department and the variety of adv…

How should you time your nutritional and fungicide applications? To shed insight on that topic on this episode of the High Ground powered by Premier Companies, Glenn Longabaugh joins Sal Sama, VP of Agronomy Sales and Marketing and Jeff Jarrett, VP of New Business Ventures and Fertilizer for Premier Ag. Unless you’re brand new to the podcast, you a…

What does it mean when we say we’re in a “carry market”? Returning guest, Aaron Bledsoe, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. As the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, Aaron has a front row seat to the changing markets and is here to provide some insight for what that could me…

Grain prices stink. So why shouldn’t we talk about fertilizer, too? On this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, our favorite fertilizer guy, Josh Linville, is joining hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama fresh from the Southwestern Fertilizer Conference. Josh is the Vice President of Fertilizer at StoneX, and with over 20 years of ex…

You see insects and say, “Let’s go bomb ‘em,” right? Well, maybe. Everyone’s favorite guest, Glenn Longabaugh, joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is the Agronomist for Premier Companies, and he’s here to talk about all things involving pest management. You’ll learn about why …

What does the Indiana State Board of Animal Health do? Bret D. Marsh, D.V.M. joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the podcast studio for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Dr. Bret, a 30-year Indiana State Veterinarian, is a Boone County native who received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Purdue University. You’…

What’s the difference between sustainability and conservation? Special guests Sydney Calhoun and Evan Eggersman join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Sydney is the Trax Conservation Agronomy Lead, and Evan is the Trax Ag Technology and Sustainability Lead for Premier Companies. In addi…

“It’s about these big flat fields, and big skies, and that’s truly where the passion is, and I may not get to do that a lot, but I get to work for the guys who do.” Chris Weldon joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Chris is the Market Development Project Manager f…

Why is the beef market so exceptional right now? Returning guest, Ryan Batt, joins Andy Pinnick and hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies to dig into that question! As you may remember, Ryan is the Facility Manager, and Andy is the Senior Director of Livestock Marketing f…

Tell us why the market continues to do what it does! Aaron Bledsoe is back in the podcast room with your hosts, Ryan Priest and Sal Sama, for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Aaron is no stranger to the podcast and is quite the fan favorite! An aspiring gator hunter and well-known Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companie…

What’s all this hype around renewable diesel? To help us dig into this topic, Matt Makinson comes back to join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Matt is the Vice President of Supply and Marketing for CountryMark, and he’s got a lot to share regarding what’s happened in the two years sin…

Why is Premier spending the money on another plant? David Brim and Scott Sharp, both returning guests, join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Scott is the Vice President of Crop Nutrients and Operations for Premier, and David also works for Premier as the Manager of the Mitchell faci…

We’ve got vines already starting to grow and ragweed up to the interns’ armpits! How much money are we supposed to spend on this? Special guest Glenn Longabaugh is in the house today! He joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama back in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. You don’t have to be around the …

If you’ve ever wondered how Mario Andretti is connected to soybeans or where the money that gets sent to the checkoff programs goes, this is the episode for you! Special guest and “accidental aggie,” Courtney Kingery joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Courtney i…

How do answer plots help farmers choose the best products for their land? An old friend but new guest, Kyle Pearson, who was rained out from planting today, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Kyle is the Answer Plot Senior Research Manager for WinField United…

As growers, sellers, and agronomists, what should we be watching for at this point in the spring season? Returning guest and fan favorite, Glenn Longabaugh, joins hosts Ryan Priest and a singing Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. As the Agronomist for Premier Companies, there’s no one bett…

As Ryan says, the world of fertilizer is rocked just about every day! Returning guest Josh Linville joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, and as StoneX’s Vice President of Fertilizer, Josh is able to shed a ton of insight into the quickly-changing world of fertilizer. In addition to e…

When you’re in a downward cycle, how’d we get here, how long’s it going to last, and how do we get out? To provide her insight on this topic, Jacqui Fatka joins solo host Sal Sama in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Jacqui is the Lead Industry Analyst for CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division cove…

What does the Indiana State Department of Agriculture actually do? To answer that question, special guest Don Lamb joins host Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground, powered by Premier Companies. In addition to being a farmer, Don is the Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Today, you’ll hear about Don …

“I walked on the farm for the first time, and I showed up to the darn thing in heels!” Hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest are joined by returning and special guest, Leah Anderson, for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Leah is the Senior Vice President of Land O’ Lakes, and she’s also the President of WinField United which is…

What should growers be thinking about as they look to prepare for the 2024 planting season? To answer that question, returning guest Glenn Longabaugh is back in the podcast room with hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama on this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is no stranger to the podcast, and he’s the Agronomist for Premie…

Looking for some information on the recent planting report and what it did to the markets? You’re in the right place. To address the report, returning guest Aaron Bledsoe joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. If you’ve been around this podcast for any time at all, you already know Aar…

Which of the agrifood trends will be the most transformative for 2024? Dr. Allen Gray returns for another round with hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for another episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. As you may remember, in addition to being the Land O’Lakes Chair in Food and Agribusiness, Dr. Gray is the Professor of Agriculture E…

Have you heard the story about the business that was started because an intern grabbed some dirt from a ditch for soil sampling? You’ll hear it today! On this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama are joined by special guest Steven Roswarski. Steven is the VP of Sales and Marketing for Rogo Ag, and …

Why would someone consider a career as an account manager for a co-op? Jeff Davis is here with the answer to that question as he joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Jeff is the Senior Account Manager for Premier Companies, and he’s the reason the phrase “shoot…

How’d our market prices get here? To answer that question, returning and special guest, Aaron Bledsoe, joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. If you’ve been around for any amount of time, you already know that Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, and he’s joining us t…

“People forget that farmers aren’t just farmers. They’re small businesses!” Eric Pfieffer joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Eric is the Vice President of Hoosier Ag Today, and they’ve been a wonderful partner for Premier over the years and a source of education not just for farmer…

Glenn’s got his farmer hat on! Fan favorite guest, Glenn Longabaugh, is back in the studio today, alongside hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. As an agronomist at Premier and a farmer himself, Glenn is able to speak to both the agronomics and economics of farming! Sal, Ryan, and Glenn wi…

With growers making up such a small percentage of the population, our Farm Legacy Series has become a special part of how we can get their stories out into the world. Special guests, Charlie Sanders and Ed Sanders, join hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The Farm Legacy Series on The High Ground powered by Premie…

Have you wondered why movie theater popcorn is so much different from the popcorn you put in your microwave? Bryan Churchill joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the studio for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, and he’s the National Account Manager for Preferred Popcorn, located in Palmyra, Indiana. He’s full of all s…

Are you considering a career in agriculture, but are you unsure whether or not school is right for you? Consider an apprenticeship with Premier, and make use of their paid on-the-job training! Hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama are on their own for today’s podcast! In case you’ve missed it, Ryan is the Chief Operating Officer for Premier Companies, and…

“If we agree that food is the only economy that touches every person on the planet, then it’s people at the center of this thing.” So how do we grow the agbioscience economy in the state of Indiana in a way that is smart, durable, and draws innovators to Indiana? Mitch Frazier joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in front of our first live, studio …

How do we stay current on the ever-evolving science in agriculture? Answer Plot can help! On this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, Steve Anthofer joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest all the way from Carroll, Iowa. Steve has a Master of Science in Agronomy. Steve handles Winfield United’s operations over Answer Plot and is t…

Have you been considering adding a propane tank to your property? Returning guest, Bill Houze, and brand new guest, Bryan Lonsberry, join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Bryan is Premier Energy’s Routing and Scheduling Coordinator, and Bill handles liquid fuel and propane sales for Pr…

“Having that reassurance through the co-op supply chain is very comforting.” As part of the Farm Legacy Series, Donald Schnitcker joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. In addition to being a Regional Council Representative for Ag Region Four for Land O’Lakes, he’s …

“There are about 258 million people in over 50 countries in the world who are at crisis level of hunger. …Two thirds of those people are farmers themselves.” What is the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and why does it exist? To answer that, two very special guests are joining us for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Com…

Glenn is back! Glenn Longabaugh is our resident agronomist at Premier Companies, and he joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies to discuss all things agronomy. Sal, Ryan, and Glenn will discuss our latest pathogen, tar spot, including what it is, how it got here, and …

“The food and ag business industry was ranked 22nd out of 22 industries with respect to its digital footprint.” What can be done about that? An industry leader, Dr. Allen Gray, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Dr. Gray is not only the Professor of Agriculture Economics at Purd…

If you find yourself scratching your head over terms like “topsoil” and options, this episode is for you! Our fan favorites, Glenn Longabaugh and Aaron Bledsoe, join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this special episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is our resident Agronomist, and Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser, and they…