The FARMSMART Podcast, presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions

Let's start with the good news about the North American climate outlook for the 2024 growing season: drought conditions are significantly better than they were last year. However, maybe it's force-of-habit, but growers seem to have more anxiety than usual about weather in the coming growing season, according to Nutrien Ag Solutions science fellow and principal atmospheric scientist Eric Snodgrass. And among the growers he talks to across the continent, he says everyone has something they're hoping for that could make or break their year. So in this episode, we'll dive in to the climatological outlook for every region in North America and try to tell you what kind of help... or hinderance... you can expect from Mother Nature. We'll discuss what the unusually warm winter means for planting operations across the continent, and see how long-term trade winds trends will impact weather patterns. Then, Eric will explain why he expects to see an active severe weather season this Spring, followed by Summer weather that might seem reminiscent of 2016 for some growers.

Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium. Every grower knows that these three nutrients are at the heart of every successful cropping plan. But in 2024, the tools to manage those nutrients are so much more potent and complex than they used to be. And cutting back on fertilizer inputs—discerningly and purposefully—can be a powerful opportunity to reduce costs and improve an operation's sustainability footprint. So in this episode, we're talking to Ron Calhoun—Senior Marketing Manager of Plant Nutrition from Loveland Products at Nutrien Ag Solutions—to find out how growers can leverage tools like enhanced efficiency fertilizers. He'll tell us why there's no one-size-fits-all answer. But how, by bringing the best science and technology to bear, Nutrien Ag Solutions makes it possible for growers to improve their profitability and benefit the planet.

In the heart of soybean country, you'll find Indiana farmers who have been utilizing sustainable best practices since long before it was called "sustainability." But a new Nutrien Ag Solutions incentive program with Bunge is making it possible for these growers to actually be compensated for these practices. And that's changing the game, both in terms of environmental impact AND the bottom line. Danny Carmony Jr. is the division manager of Central Indiana for Nutrien Ag Solutions, and a back-to-back Dean Albrecht Award winner, an honor bestowed upon the manager of Nutrien Ag Solutions' top-performing division each year. And in this episode, he joins us to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities for growers in the central Indiana region, including its diverse geography and soil types. He'll also highlight the successes of the Bunge sustainable soybean program, discuss how it's affecting the implementation of sustainability practices like cover crops and no-till, and explore how offerings like Agrible make it easier than ever before to collect and leverage ag data. Visit this link to learn more about the sustainable soybean program: https://viewer.joomag.com/bunge-sustainable-soybean-program-sky-final/0749223001699469844 And visit agrible.com to check your eligibility.

Most growers have reached the point in their year when it's time to look back on what they've accomplished, review the records, and start looking for ways to improve their operations in the new year ahead. Nutrien Ag Solutions can help connect growers to programs that pay farmers for their sustainable agriculture practices. But it's going to take carefully collected and curated data to back up your sustainability story. So Agrible is available to make data collection, management and insights easy to accomplish and understand. And in this episode, we're talking to Ryan Adams, Nutrien Ag Solutions Director of Digital Sustainability, to learn about the new features that are making this sustainability tool even more useful. Learn more or sign up at agrible.com.

Agriculture has been around for more than 10,000 years. But you can argue that in the last 50 years, it’s changing and evolving faster than ever before. That evolution has included the growing relationship between agriculture and what we now call “sustainability.” And someone who's been along for almost that entire ride is our very own Tom Daniel, Nutrien Ag Solutions' Director of North America Retail and Grower Sustainable Ag, who is retiring after 43 years in the industry. So in this episode, we thought it would be fun and interesting to look back at that history through Tom's eyes. He'll tell us about trends that have come and gone and re-emerged yet again. We'll chart how new technologies have made better sustainability outcomes, higher productivity and healthier margins possible. And we'll explore the changing relationship between consumers and the food they eat, and how sustainable ag has always been at the heart of all we do—whether you actually call it "sustainable ag" or not.

Sustainability doesn't stop at the border. In fact, Nutrien Ag Solutions supports thousands of growers across Canada, and many of them are well along the path in their sustainability journey. But while the overall goals and ideas are the same, like so much about the relationship between the U.S. and Canada, things are a little different north of the border. So in this episode, we're discussing the sustainable ag program offerings for Canadian Nutrien Ag Solutions customers, and the evolving set of practices that are getting results there. To do so, we're speaking with Dani Kerr, a Crop Production Advisor in Alberta. She'll tell us how she's grown the total acreage enrolled in the Canadian Carbon program, how her team uses data to drive results for its growers, and what sustainability lessons they've learned that farmers across North America can benefit from. Plus, Tom makes a big announcement. Learn more about the Canadian Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes program at nutrienagsolutions.ca/sno And check out the Canadian FARMSMART page at nutrienagsolutions.ca/farmsmart

You can have all the agronomic tools in the world. But if you don't have a plan to place the right seed on the right acre, both your margins and your sustainability footprint will suffer. Plans take insight. Insight takes data. And our seed product management team is working harder than ever before to provide our crop consultants with both. So in this episode, we're talking to Todd Pester, the Senior Manager of Seed Product Management at Nutrien Ag Solutions, to talk about the tools that are available to help growers select the right seed for the right acre and maximize both their sustainability impact and their profitability. You can find Dyna-Gro's Seed Recommendation Tool, as well as the full lineup of seed products, at dynagroseed.com Plus, Tom and Sally reveal their plans for the 2nd Annual Sustainable Success Champions Program at Commodity Classic in Houston next year. Visit nutrienagsolutions.com/champion to learn more or sign up.

When you talk about sustainable agriculture, you could be talking about greenhouse gas reduction, practice changes, nutrient management, or any number of other pieces of the sustainability puzzle. Our mission at Nutrien Ag Solutions has always been to support farmers in their operations, helping them minimize their environmental impact while maximizing their margins. But starting that sustainability conversation is tricky, when no two farm fields are the same. So on this episode, we're meeting Matt Marshall, Vice President of Sustainable Ag and Retail Strategy at Nutrien Ag Solutions, to discuss how the company is simplifying the sustainability value proposition under its new FARMSMART brand. Plus, we break some exciting news about a new sustainability milestone for Nutrien Ag Solutions that Sally has been pursuing for a long time.

From painfully dry weather across much of North America, to record high temps in the South and West, to massive wildfires in the North, weather extremes have had an impact on growers across the continent this year. So in this episode, we're going to start with a weather update from Nutrien Ag Solutions senior meteorologist Andrew Pritchard. He'll explain how an emerging El Nino pattern and a weakened jet stream have contributed to the conditions we've seen so far, and how there may be some relief in sight for parched parts of the Corn Belt as the calendar rolls over into August. And then, we'll visit Montana with Nutrien Ag Solutions crop consultant Lyle Benjamin. As one of the early adopters of our Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes and soil organic carbon programs, Lyle has secured more than 150,000 acres of enrollment across his territory in the arid Mountain West. And it turns out that, in a drought-heavy year, we can all learn a lot from growers in one of the driest parts of the country. Lyle will discuss what's working for his customers and what's not, how he makes the case for growers to get enrolled, and what we can learn from his neighbors to the north in Canada.

Climate change is an issue that's global in scale. So when two companies that are global leaders band together to address the problem, it's sure to make some real headway. Bunge, the world leader in oilseed processing, and Nutrien Ag Solutions are launching a strategic alliance and commercial agreement to support U.S. farmers in the implementation of sustainable farming practices that will help increase the development of lower carbon products. The initiative is expected to expand sustainable agriculture across shared supply chains in North America, bringing more whole-acre solutions to food, feed and fuel customers and end-consumers. The initial program will focus on soybeans grown in the regions close to Bunge’s crushing facilities in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Decatur, Indiana, with the opportunity for future expansion to other locations and crops such as corn and wheat. The program is targeting the 2023/2024 crop season and is expected to include practices such as cover crops, reduced tillage, nutrient management and responsible pesticide use. So in this episode, we talk to Fernando Candia, Vice President of Carbon Solutions at Bunge, to discuss how it will work, why it was important to incentivize both new and existing sustainability practices, and how this strategic alliance utilizes the separate expertise of both companies. Plus, Tom and Sally discuss some tools that are available during the growing season to gauge and minimize nitrogen needs, like tissue sampling and micro-nutrient management, allowing growers to incorporate new sustainability practices on fields that are already planted. Visit agrible.com to sign up for Nutrien Ag Solutions' free digital toolkit, and info.nutrienagsolutions.com/SNO to learn more about Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes.

In the heart of the Corn Belt, Iowa has long been a leader in agricultural production. But with a mandate from state lawmakers and the public, the Iowa Nutrient Research Center was launched at Iowa State University in 2013 with a mission to study nutrient management practices, providing recommendations on implementing such practices and developing new practices as well. And over the last 10 years, researchers like center director Matt Helmers have measured and quantified the impact of nutrient management, cover cropping and other techniques aimed at improving water quality and maintaining ag productivity. So in this episode, Matt shares insights that you can incorporate into your operation to improve your sustainability footprint and pad your bottom line. Plus, Tom and Sally provide an update on the current state of planting across North America, and discuss some of the new sustainability programs that are available for growers to enroll. Visit agrible.com to sign up for Nutrien Ag Solutions' free digital toolkit, and info.nutrienagsolutions.com/SNO to learn more about Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes.

The planter is tuned up, the seed is in the shed, and growers are ready to get to work. But that doesn't mean Mother Nature is in any mood to cooperate yet with Planting Season 2023. In this episode, we talk with Eric Snodgrass, Science Fellow and Principal Atmospheric Scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions, for a look at what the planting season has in store from a climate and weather perspective in another year that seems poised to swing between extremes. Eric tells us that the La Nina system that has driven weather patterns for the last several years has wound down, and there seems to be an El Nino rising up in its place. He explains what that will mean for growers across North America, and explains why some previously drought-stricken parts of the country are suddenly inundated with too much rain. Plus, we examine how recent outbreaks of severe weather are on the rise, and how North America's weather fits in to the broader global climate picture. Visit nutrienagsolutions.com/farmsmart to learn more about FARMSMART, Nutrien Ag Solutions' new sustainable ag brand.

There's a danger lurking in the conversation happening around sustainability, according to Nutrien Ag Solutions Senior VP North America David Elser. If we become too tunnel-vision focused on one metric or goal in our sustainability discussion, he says we run the risk of sustainability becoming a "selfish" proposition. David has the perspective of having worked in sustainability at a field level, with agronomists, and from the big picture perspective. So in this episode, we discuss how the...

We learned a lot in 2022 from our pilot sustainability programs. And in 2023, Nutrien Ag Solutions is using what we learned to craft an even broader range of sustainability programs and opportunities for our grower customers. In this episode, Tom and Sally will examine some of the lessons they took away from last year's major rollout of sustainability offerings, and revisit some of the big events that capped off a successful year. Plus, they'll offer up a sneak peek at what programs growers can enroll in for 2023. Visit Agrible.com to check eligibility and start your enrollment process.

As many as 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021—a number that is, alarmingly, growing. And at the end of a year that has seen food security disrupted by a number of unexpected issues, like Russia's attack on Ukraine, supply chain issues and inflation, it's expected that these problems will only get more acute. That's why it's more important than ever for the conversation around sustainable agriculture to include solutions that help boost productivity, rather than hamper it. So in this episode, we're joined by Mark Thompson, Nutrien's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, to talk about the intersection between food security, geopolitics, the economy and sustainability. He'll discuss Nutrien's ongoing efforts to combat these inflationary pressures and equip growers with the tools they need to do their jobs more sustainably and productively than ever. Because, at the end of the day, it's on us to feed and fuel the world while we fight climate change.

As we work to counter the effects of global climate change, carbon accounting—the ways we measure greenhouse gas emissions and reduction—is becoming more important than ever. In this new field, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide gas emissions from fertilizer use present a problem, not only at the field level, but up through the supply chain to the companies that sell goods produced from the crops that farmers grow. So making sure that these impacts are being measured accurately is so important, the Securities and Exchange Commission is even considering regulating the emerging carbon marketplace. And growers have a vested interest in making sure that new regulations don't sap productivity at a field level in pursuit of on-size-fits-all, silver-bullet solutions. In this episode, Tom and Sally discuss what growers need to know about this increasingly important conversation, and why it's imperative for growers to stay involved in the discussion so they can continue to feed a growing population in the most efficient, environmentally-sound manner possible.

NASCAR drivers may get all the glory. But just like a grower depends on their hands in the field, a driver depends on the team around them. And without the eyes in the sky of the team spotter, a NASCAR team would be blind as they tried to coordinate their strategy on the track. So in this episode, we’re back at the Charlotte Motor Speedway with Brett Griffin, NASCAR spotter for Kaulig racing, owner of Spot-On Activations, and host of the podcast, Door, Bumper, Clear. He also hosts “Leading the Field,” Nutrien Ag Solutions’ new video series, and we’re going to talk about what he’s learned from touring growing operations across North America, where the business worlds of sustainable agriculture and NASCAR racing intersect, and how NASCAR spotters help foster the teamwork that it takes to win races.

Over the last six years at Kaulig Racing, Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice have built a winning Xfinity series program, bringing in veteran NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger to lead them to a series of big wins this year and positioning them to compete for a championship in Phoenix. Similarly, growers are building, growing and planning sustainability in their farming operations year over year as well, prioritizing long-term success. Nutrien Ag Solutions is proud to be a sponsor of Allmendinger's #16 Chevy Camaro, because he exemplifies the hard work and determination that it takes to find success in the field. So in this episode, Tom and Sally visit with AJ in the infield at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a few hours before his thrilling comeback win in the Bank of America ROVAL 400. He tells us what it means to represent agriculture on the track, how cooperation and hard work power success in both the worlds of racing and farming, and how he's positioning himself to bring home a championship this year in Phoenix.

Growers build their legacy in the farming success they have today, but also the impact they leave for the future. But if an operation doesn't have the financial support it needs, that could affect its viability for future generations. So in this episode of the Future. Faster Podcast, we're talking to John Maman, sales and marketing director at Nutrien Financial. We'll discuss some of the financial tools Nutrien offers for supporting a grower's economic and operational sustainability, how these financing tools support Nutrien's broader ESG goals, and how to limit risk for growers in sustainable practice-specific farming operations. Plus, Tom and Sally discuss the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Ian in the state of Florida and throughout the American Southeast. They explore what crops and farming operations suffered the most, how the affects will ripple out across the agriculture industry, and what it means for sustainability practices.

Having their hands in the dirt is nothing new to farmers in North America. But it turns out they're not the only ones "working the field." In every cubic inch of soil, there's a miniature ecosystem living, breathing and feeding—and the health of that ecosystem can have a vast impact on crop yields, water retention and even the overall success or failure of a given planting season. So in this episode, we're talking to Lizzie French, a principal scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions' Champagne, Illinois research lab, for a critical year-end overview on ensuring next year’s soil health, and how that can reduce our reliance on other inputs. We'll talk about soil sampling, cover crops and other critical tools to ensure that your soil is working for you, plus hear about her incredible background as the daughter of missionary parents that sparked her interest in soil management practices. Plus, Tom and Sally discuss equipping growers with the terminology and tools they need to discuss sustainability practices with consumer products groups, and why that's so important in 2022.