The Patio Pondering Podcast
Bringing clarity to complex agriculture, through conversations with the people living it every day.
I ask the questions many others don't.
My goal is to get past the polished press release so we can learn what is really happening in agriculture.
Real conversations with farmers, scientists, leaders, and the occasional contrarian who tells you what they actually think.
New episodes drop every Tuesday morning. Listen here, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.
New Here?
Patio Pondering is a long-form podcast built for thoughtful listening. I skip the warm-up and get straight to what matters: Hard questions, real perspectives, and the issues producers with money on the line actually care about. You can start with the most recent episode or explore past conversations. Each one stands on its own.
Scroll Down to review the library of podcast episodes
Clear thinking for complex agriculture. I’ll send a note when it’s worth sharing.
Who Gets Heard?
Agriculture values experience. But how do we decide whose experience counts—and whose ideas deserve to be heard?
Sarah Beth Aubrey joins Jim Smith for a conversation that starts with her observation that agriculture can be “snobbish about ag knowledge” and explores how we recognize talent, build trust, and make room for different perspectives.
They ponder changing opportunities for women in agriculture, mentoring the next generation, and the difference between having the loudest voice and having something worth hearing. Sarah Beth also shares what facilitating difficult conversations has taught her about leadership, change, and competing interests in rural land use.
From the workplace to the neighboring farm, we don’t all think the same way. What happens when we take time to understand why?
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
That Wasn’t the Plan!
A veterinarian in rural Oklahoma probably doesn't imagine that studying liver flukes, endangered woodpeckers, and anthrax will eventually lead him into the world of national security. But that's exactly where Dr. Kimothy Smith's career took him.
In this episode of Patio Pondering, Jim sits down with Kimothy to explore a career shaped less by a grand plan than by curiosity, unexpected opportunities, and a willingness to say yes.
Their conversation travels from veterinary medicine and anthrax research to Homeland Security, biological threats to agriculture, and what African swine fever and COVID-19 revealed about disease preparedness, public trust, and the importance of sharing information.
Along the way, they explore the challenges of communicating science, balancing individual rights with public health, recognizing talents that don't necessarily fit someone's job title, and leading people who may know more than you do.
What emerges isn't simply a discussion about biosecurity or national security. It's a conversation about curiosity, humility, leadership, and the unexpected directions life can take when we're willing to explore possibilities we never anticipated.
Patio Pondering — Clear Thinking for Complex Agriculture.
Be Safe Out There.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
It's Not That Simple
Guest: Dr. Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University
Did the pork industry become so good at raising pigs that it forgot about selling pork?
Dr. Glynn Tonsor, agricultural economist at Kansas State University, joins Jim on the Patio to explore that question and a much bigger one: What do we really understand about the people buying our meat?
Both grew up raising pigs, and both earned Ph.D.s from Kansas State. But their professional experiences have given them different perspectives on an industry that has changed enormously.
The conversation moves from the 1998 hog market collapse to beef's remarkable demand growth, the unexpected relationship between beef and pork prices, and what Glynn has learned through K-State's Meat Demand Monitor.
They also explore why consumers don't always buy the cheaper alternative, what GLP-1 medications could mean for meat demand, and why economic models don't always capture the complexities of agricultural production.
Along the way, Glynn challenges some of Jim's assumptions about pork quality and consumer demand.
It's a conversation about livestock, economics, and understanding the people we're producing food for.
Patio Pondering — Clear Thinking for Complex Agriculture.
Be Safe Out There.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
From Livestock to Leadership — Colby Stackhouse | Patio Pondering Archive Gem
The Leo High School marching band has plenty to celebrate this fall!
With 110 students on the field—the largest group in its history—the band has qualified for Semi-State. The opening of the new Leo Fieldhouse has also given the band its own practice field and tower.
It's a fitting time to revisit my conversation with band director Colby Stackhouse.
Long before Colby became a band director, he was involved in agriculture and 4-H. Those experiences helped shape the leader and teacher he is today.
In our conversation, we explore how lessons learned raising livestock, participating in 4-H, and growing up around agriculture can influence the way we approach leadership, education, and working with others.
Sometimes the greatest impact of agriculture happens far beyond the farm.
Join me for this week's Patio Pondering Archive Gem, From Livestock to Leadership.
Be Safe Out There.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
Against the Grain — Bullshit, Big Ag, and the Power of Speaking Up | Patio Pondering Gem
PATIO PONDERING GEM
Some conversations are worth another listen.
For this Patio Pondering Gem, we’re going back to Episode 50 and my conversation with Oklahoma farmer and rancher Jerod McDaniel: Against the Grain — Bullshit, Big Ag, and the Power of Speaking Up.
Jerod has never been particularly interested in doing something simply because that’s the way everyone else does it. After taking responsibility for his family’s operation at 18, experience taught him to question assumptions, trace information back to its source, make his own mistakes, and be willing to change course when the evidence says he was wrong.
That philosophy takes this conversation well beyond farming.
We talk about raising cattle and crops in the Oklahoma Panhandle, low-population corn, agricultural economics, raising independent kids, learning from previous generations, the danger of following the herd, and why agriculture sometimes hurts itself by refusing to be completely honest about how food is produced.
Jerod’s lesson from agriculture is simple: Question everything—and do your own due diligence.
And when I ask what small change could make a huge difference for agriculture’s future, his answer may summarize the entire conversation:
Rip back the curtain.
This was one of the most-listened-to conversations in Patio Pondering history. The original episode was released as audio only, but the video remained in the archive.
For the first time, here is the original video conversation.
Jerod McDaniel — Against the Grain.
Clear Thinking for Complex Agriculture.
Be Safe Out There.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
Where Do I Fit?
John Canary farms with his family in Johnson County, Indiana, where the edge of Indianapolis keeps moving closer. Houses, warehouses, and other development compete for the land around him. What does a farmer build when he cannot count on the acres being there?
John has found openings in sweet corn, pumpkins, straw, hay, livestock, and direct sales. He is also repairing old barns and weighing what to preserve against the changes the farm needs to survive. His family’s history matters to him, but he is candid about the burden that history can place on the next generation.
We talk about the roadside stand, competition for niche markets, and how he tells the farm’s story online without turning it into a performance. The conversation moves into the work his children do, the difficulty of stepping away from the farm, and the financial pressure behind many conversations about farmers’ mental health.
This is John’s first podcast interview. He does not arrive with a polished answer to where he fits in agriculture. He thinks it through with me: how to keep a family farm useful, honest, and possible as the world around it changes.
Be Safe Out There.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
We Got Exactly What We Asked For!
An article about beef’s long push for eating quality got me fired up about pork. I started with a sharp critique of the industry—then realized I was handing the work of change to everyone else.
In this bonus episode from The Patio, I look at what The Other White Meat accomplished, the lean pig we deliberately created, and the choices that could make pork worth seeking out for its own eating quality. I was part of that pursuit of leanness. Now I think we need to invest in marbling, color, and a better experience on the plate.
Change takes decades. We’d better get started.
Be Safe Out There.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
The Customer Is Not Always Right!
Karl Shlagel joined me from the cab of a tractor while spraying pumpkins on his family’s fourth-generation farm near Waldorf, Maryland. The connection occasionally fought us, the tractor kept moving, and the conversation zigged and zagged—which made it feel right at home on the Patio.
Karl’s family grows fruits and vegetables that they sell wholesale, at farmers markets, through an on-farm store, and directly to consumers. While much of agriculture talks about what consumers want, Karl meets them face-to-face, and he has learned that we cannot assume we know what they value, what they can afford, or what they are willing to buy.
We talk about growing the farm business so another generation can return, why profitable farms are the best form of farmland preservation, and the institutional knowledge that can disappear when succession planning comes too late. Karl also explains why Southern Maryland’s attachment to tobacco may have prevented agriculture from adapting sooner.
The conversation moves into food safety, wildlife pressure, direct marketing, Farm Bureau leadership, and the difficult balance between respecting those who built an organization and creating room for new people and new ideas.
Karl is candid, opinionated, and willing to challenge one of the most dangerous phrases in any business: “This is what we’ve always done.”
This is a raw conversation recorded in the middle of a working day; exactly the kind of conversation the Patio was built for.
Be Safe Out There.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
Did It Make Money?
Farmers have never had more information available to them. But more data does not automatically lead to better decisions.
Dale Durchholz has spent nearly five decades studying agricultural markets, analyzing data, and helping farmers make decisions when certainty is impossible. Dale joins Jim on the Patio to discuss what makes data trustworthy, why farmers sometimes accept bullish numbers while rejecting bearish ones, and what a career in the markets has taught him about being right, being wrong, and managing emotion.
Their conversation moves beyond USDA reports and price projections into farmer responsibility, marketing decisions, diversification, and the importance of building mental security into both a farm business and a life.
Because the question is not simply whether a decision proved perfect. Sometimes the better question is: Did it make money?
Until next time, be safe out there.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
Why People Should Care
Sean Arians and I have known each other for years through Ag Twitter, farming, and our work in agriculture. But it took a conversation while I was traveling to Philmont Scout Ranch for us to discover another connection: Sean had experienced Philmont as both a Scout and an adult leader.
We begin with Philmont, resilience, and the leadership lessons learned when a group must reach the finish line together. From there, the conversation moves through community, knowing when to say no so someone else can say yes, making room for younger leaders and women in agriculture, Sean’s path through farming and the agricultural industry, and his newest challenge: becoming a pilot.
We eventually arrive at a larger question. Why should people care about agriculture? Sean argues that agriculture touches far more lives, careers, businesses, and communities than most people recognize. Our responsibility is to help them understand why it matters.
Be safe out there.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
When is Enough Enough?
Jim expected a conversation about the differences between farming in Canada and the United States. Instead, he and central Alberta farmer John Kowalchuk kept finding the things farmers have in common.
They talk about the financial pressure facing agriculture, the perpetual optimism that can make farmers resilient and sometimes get them into trouble, and what happens during those long hours alone in the tractor when productive thinking can turn into simply being stuck in your own head.
The conversation eventually moves to John's years of sharing farm life on social media. Why show the broken combine along with the good crop? What responsibility comes with having an audience? Can the people following you become accountability partners? And when thousands of followers are possible, what does meaningful influence actually look like?
John also explains the story behind #RegularFarmer and why being comfortable as a "regular farmer" can be harder than it sounds. That leads Jim and John into competition between farmers, farm size, success, retirement, and a question that doesn't get asked very often in agriculture:
When is enough enough?
Different countries. Different crops. Different governments and currencies.
But maybe a regular farmer in Alberta isn't all that different from a regular farmer in northeast Indiana.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
Be Safe Out There
Cory Ritter and I go back to the early days of Ag Twitter and something called Cory Corn. Today, Cory farms near Blue Mound, Illinois, and works as Midwest Regional Sales Manager for Huma.
We started this conversation pondering what farmers are getting wrong, why comfort can keep us from changing, what Cory Corn taught him about social media, and how being a farmer influences the way Cory approaches sales.
Then the conversation turned.
Our conversation happened on the one-year anniversary of the grain-bin accident that killed Cory's father and farming partner, Tom. Cory talks openly about the accident, the questions he still carries, nearly walking away from farming, and the neighbors who showed up with more than a dozen combines to help his family harvest their crop.
We also talk about what happens when farm succession comes without warning, why families need to have uncomfortable conversations before they are forced to, and what Cory has changed on his own farm after losing his dad.
This conversation goes places neither of us expected. Cory wrestles openly with anger, responsibility, the risks we convince ourselves we can handle, the people who show up when everything changes, and the unfinished work of figuring out how to move forward. Along the way, both Cory and I shed tears. Some of these things are difficult to put into words.
Cory leaves us with a simple message worth remembering as harvest approaches:
Be safe out there.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
EPISODE 100: The Other Side of the Patio
For 99 episodes, I've been the one asking the questions.
For Episode 100, I switched chairs.
When I started planning this episode, I knew I didn't want to do the typical retrospective of favorite guests, favorite moments, or lessons learned. I wanted to do something different.
So I invited three previous Patio Pondering guests back to the patio and asked them to interview me.
Grant Hood, Andy Vance, and Amber Hoopengardner Foote each came with their own questions. Just like my typical guests, I didn't know what they were going to ask.
And they took the conversations in three very different directions.
We talked about how Patio Pondering has changed over 100 episodes, what I've learned about asking questions and listening to the answers, agriculture, careers, opportunities, relationships, and how some of my own thinking has changed along the way.
This isn't really a retrospective of the first 100 episodes.
It's three conversations about what happened along the way.
Welcome to Episode 100 and The Other Side of the Patio.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
Discourse, Not Discord with Ryan Martin
Ryan Martin has never been particularly afraid to say what he thinks, even when his opinion runs against conventional wisdom.
Ryan is a meteorologist, grain originator, farmer, seed salesman, and one of the two people who encouraged me to start the Patio Pondering Podcast. So, with Episode 100 right around the corner, it seemed appropriate to finally invite him onto the patio for Episode 99.
What followed wasn't really a conversation about weather.
We talked about why agriculture struggles with uncertainty, our fear of being wrong, what failure actually means, how farming has changed Ryan's perspective, and why relationships may matter more than we sometimes admit. We wandered into farmers advertising themselves, the changing scale of agriculture, opportunities for the next generation, and whether we spend too much time protecting the status quo.
But one idea kept resurfacing: listening.
Ryan believes good conversations require us to hear what someone is actually saying, even when we disagree. Near the end, he put it another way: agriculture needs more discourse, not discord.
That's probably a pretty good description of what we try to do here on the patio.
Join Ryan Martin and me for a conversation about agriculture, relationships, uncomfortable questions, and the value of occasionally being willing to admit we might be wrong.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
Building More Than a Business | Brian Sieker
Most agricultural businesses begin with a business plan.
New Ag Supply began with a farmer trying to solve a problem.
In this episode, I sit down with Kansas farmer and New Ag Supply founder Brian Sieker to talk about the entrepreneurial mindset that has quietly shaped agriculture for generations. What starts as a conversation about planter parts quickly becomes a discussion about trust, relationships, purpose, and why the best businesses are built by helping other people succeed.
Along the way we explore:
Why entrepreneurs are often driven by problems, not profits
Building a business while returning to the family farm
Trust versus technology in modern agriculture
Helping other agricultural entrepreneurs succeed
Why relationships still matter in an increasingly digital world
The future of entrepreneurship in agriculture
Whether you farm, own a business, or simply enjoy conversations about leadership and innovation, Brian offers thoughtful insights into what it means to build something that lasts.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
When Somebody Ought to Be You
We've all said it.
Somebody ought to do something.
Somebody ought to volunteer. Somebody ought to run. Somebody ought to help.
It's an easy sentence to say because "somebody" doesn't have a face.
But every once in a while, life asks a harder question:
What happens when somebody has a name...and that name is yours?
In this solo episode, Jim explores the other side of leadership. The previous episode focused on knowing when to step back and let others lead. This conversation asks when experience becomes responsibility and when it's time for us to step forward.
Whether you're thinking about your community, your family, your church, your business, or your own life, this episode is an invitation to ask one simple question:
Where are you uniquely qualified to serve?
Because leadership isn't always about taking charge.
Sometimes it's about recognizing that the person you've been waiting for is already looking back at you in the mirror.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
Who Needs to Be Doing This?
We all say we want young people to become leaders.
But are we willing to let them lead?
In this solo episode, I use what I call the 0.6x lens to look at three seemingly unrelated experiences: livestock showing, an Eagle Scout project, and preparing a crew for Philmont Scout Ranch.
The more I stepped back, the more I realized they were all asking the same question:
Who needs to be doing this?
Along the way, I share stories from agriculture, Scouting, and my own leadership experiences—including a few moments when I had to admit I didn't always get it right.
Whether you're a parent, mentor, teacher, employer, coach, or volunteer, I hope this conversation challenges you to think differently about what it really means to help someone grow.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
From the Spreadsheet to the Slats | Dr. Hyatt Frobose
Swine nutrition has become increasingly precise. We have better models, better ingredient analytics, better data, and more technology than ever before.
But pigs still have to get fed.
Dr. Hyatt Frobose has spent the last eleven years working in the space between what nutritionists can design on a spreadsheet and what actually happens inside a barn. In this conversation, Hyatt and I talk about why he chose an unconventional career path after earning his Ph.D. at Kansas State University, what he has learned about translating science into practical application, and why sometimes there is elegance in simplicity.
Our discussion moves well beyond feeding equipment. We talk about leadership and developing people, learning from lost sales, breaking down silos between nutrition, production, facilities, and engineering, the opportunities and limitations of precision feeding, and why the swine industry should be uncomfortable with current levels of mortality.
We also discuss animal welfare, the importance of maintaining a strong connection between research and the realities of commercial production, and the challenge of turning nuanced science into information people can actually use.
This is a conversation about technology, but more importantly, it is about implementation. Because the best science in the world only creates value when we can make it work on the farm.
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
Can the Next Generation Still Farm? | Seth Ariens
What does the next generation of agriculture really want?
In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, I sit down with Purdue student, sheep producer, dairy cattle judge, and former Indiana FFA State Officer Seth Ariens for an honest conversation about where agriculture is headed and what it will take to keep young people engaged.
Seth shares why he believes production agriculture still offers tremendous opportunities, why the barriers to entry may not be as high as many people think, and how technology, leadership, and relationships are shaping the future of farming. Along the way, we discuss Purdue's role in preparing students for careers in agriculture, the value of leadership experiences through FFA and FarmHouse Fraternity, and why authentic conversations matter more than scripted answers.
Whether you're a farmer, student, educator, or simply care about the future of rural America, this episode offers thoughtful perspectives on leadership, opportunity, and finding your place in agriculture.
In this episode we discuss:
• Why young people still want careers in production agriculture
• Breaking down the barriers to entering farming
• Purdue, leadership, and preparing the next generation
• The future of livestock, technology, and family farms
• Lessons from FFA, FarmHouse, and the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA)
• Why relationships remain agriculture's greatest asset
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.
What We're Still Getting Wrong in Swine Production | Dr. Bob Thaler
What challenges will define the future of the pork industry? In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, Jim Smith welcomes Dr. Bob Thaler of South Dakota State University for a thoughtful conversation about swine nutrition, sow mortality, pig survivability, and the future of animal agriculture.
Drawing on decades of experience in research, Extension, consulting, and commercial pork production, Dr. Thaler shares his perspective on improving sow productivity, reducing mortality, developing the next generation of animal scientists, and why Land-Grant universities remain critical to the future of agriculture. The discussion also explores workforce challenges, livestock economics, technology, and the practical realities of modern pork production.
Whether you're a swine producer, nutritionist, veterinarian, animal science student, or agribusiness professional, this episode offers practical insights into some of the biggest questions facing today's pork industry.
Topics include:
• Swine nutrition and sow productivity
• Sow mortality and pig survivability
• Land-Grant universities and Extension
• Graduate education and workforce development
• Technology, automation, and the future of pork production
If you’d rather not chase these conversations on social media, I’ll send them your way.