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…

Special guest Amanda Bahn-Ziegler joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Amanda grew up as a farm kid in Wisconsin, and she is now an account manager for Truterra. Truterra is the sustainability division of Land O’Lakes and has a program designed to help farmers steward their fields we…

“It’s another glorious day at Premier Ag!” Bryan Fischer joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for another conversation as part of our Farm Legacy Series on this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Bryan is the owner of Fischer Farms which includes Fischer Seeds and Fischer Food Grade. You’ll hear about the history of Fischer Fa…

It’s swine time with the hog guy! New guest, Dan Vague, joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Dan is the VP of LIvestock Production for Swinelink, which is a division of Premier Companies. Dan will give us a glimpse into his career with Premier and his transition into his current role…

We’re talking WASDE reports and grain today! Returning fan favorite, Aaron Bledsoe, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. If you’ve been around the podcast for a while, you know he’s the Grain Merchandiser at Premier Companies, and he’s here to tell us what’s happe…

What’s happening with the crop protection pricing this year? Returning guest, Brad Chesnek, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Brad is WinField United’s Field Marketing Director for everything east of the Mississippi on the crop protection side of their business, and he’s seen firs…

We’re kicking off the Farm Legacy Series! Aaron Johnson joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Aaron is over the crops area of River View Farms where he serves as Vice President and is the first guest in the Farm Legacy Series which will serve to highlight members, …

What’s happening with the harvest this year? Special returning 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 (and budding Psychologist) for Premier, and he’s a real fan favorite. Glenn will share the state of the soybean harvest and why the yie…

“What better time to get our grain guy on than harvest?” No stranger to the podcast, Aaron Bledsoe joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama on this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, and he’s joining us to shine some light on the 2023 harvest. You’ll hear about how dependent t…

What’s happening with the Farm Bill? On this episode of The High Ground, powered by Premier Companies, Andy Tauer joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room. Andy serves as the Executive Director of Public Policy for Indiana Farm Bureau Co-op and as such, he is able to provide insight into politics as it relates to agriculture on a lo…

What do drones, swine, and sewing have in common? 4-H! Special guests, Katie Martin and Heather VonDielingen are joining hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Katie is the Director of Marketing for Premier Companies, and Heather is the Purdue County Extension Director and 4-H Educator. Heat…

“I love the big shiny trucks!” Brian Farmer joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama on today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Brian is the Regional Vice President at the Larson Group which is a privately held and award-winning dealer of new and used Peterbilt trucks. Brian will share about the locations and offerings that The…

“Education and entertainment!” It’s a special edition of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies as we celebrate the 100th episode! We’ve got hosts, Ryan Priest, the COO, and the one and only Sal Sama, the VP of Agronomy, Sales, and Marketing. There’s not a better way of celebrating than getting to know your hosts through a lightning round of …

It’s goin’ up! Returning guest and livestock expert, Ryan Batt, joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. He’s got a front row seat to what’s happening in the livestock industry as the Facilities Manager for United Producers, Inc. Ryan gives us the update on the prices…

“We’re gonna run wild!” Returning fan favorite, Glenn Longabaugh, joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. If you’ve been listening to this podcast for any amount of time, you already know that Glenn is the resident agronomist for Premier Companies, and today, he’s go…

Are you interested in starting an alfalfa stand for hay production? You won’t want to miss this episode with an expert in the industry! Hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama are joined by special guest, Emily Meccage, PhD for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Emily is the Product and Development Manager at Forage Genetics Inter…

Fertilizer! It’s not an Olympic sport, but it is not for the weak. We’re talking about everything related to crop nutrients on this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Jeff Jarrett, VP of Fertilizer Procurement Operations, and Scott Sharp, VP of Crop Nutrient Operations, are joining hosts, Ryan Priest and Sal Sama, in the podca…

“When you have a superstar as a guest, this is what you deal with,” and they’re not even talking about his wet pants! Returning guest, Glenn Longabaugh, joins Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the studio for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is the Agronomist for Winfield Solutions, and he’s a fan favorite not just becau…

“We thought it was going to be pretty calm for Ag until some of the budget bills came out!” Bruce Kettler joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama remotely from the Indiana State Fair for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Bruce grew up in the farming industry, majored in agronomy, and is currently the CEO and President of th…

Have you heard of drone applicators for the agriculture industry? They’re here! On this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, hosts, Ryan Priest and Sal Sama are joined in the podcast room by two special guests, Travis Kohrman and Ben McCoy of Xperience Ag and XAG Apply. Travis, the founder of Xperience Ag, shares a bit about the…

Scullies, tank wagons, and DEF; if they’re not just cool band names, what are they? We’ve brought in two of the pros to educate us today. CD Kinney and Jason Nall join hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Both employed by Premier, CD is the Operations Manager, and Jason…

Why is there a school superintendent on the podcast today? To shed light on the existing labor shortage, Keith Nance, Superintendent for the West Washington School Corporation, joins hosts, Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Keith shares how his school system has been able to develop and drive…

The USDA report brought us some surprises! But why? To dig into the report, returning guest, Aaron Bledsoe, joins Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. If you’ve not been with us very long, Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Company, so he lives and breathes in the world of buying and se…

“I’m about to shock you again!” We’re talking livestock today, and you know what that means; Ryan Batt is back! Ryan is the Facilities Manager for United Producers, Inc., and he’s joining hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground, powered by Premier Companies. Ryan’s been in his role for 22 years, so he’…

“We want to be the reliable company… We’re gonna be there.” Special guests, Premier employees, Scott Heyne and Bill Houze, join hosts, Sal Sama and Ryan Priest, for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies to share about the customer service philosophy that Premier Companies holds. Scott is in Commercial and Residential Sales, a…

Where’s the rain, and how will the lack of it impact the upcoming planting report? Returning fan favorite, Aaron Bledsoe, joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground, powered by Premier Companies to answer that question. As many of you know, Aaron is the Grain Merchandiser for Premier Companies, so he’s got a ton of ins…

“I really like the flexibility and the freedom to make the job your own and work with customers that you really see that you can help.” Emily Nealy joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Emily is a Purdue grad and an account manager for Premier, and she is the featu…

What do the Dewey Decimal Decimal System, farm visits, and the Farm Bill have in common? This podcast episode! All the way from Washington DC, Erin Houchin joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Erin is the Congresswoman for the 9th congressional district, and she joins to share what l…

It’s time for another employee spotlight! Katelyn Steiner joins hosts Ryan Priest and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Katelyn has been with the Loogootee facility for around nine months now, and you’ll get to learn more about her role as the Grain Administrator within the company. Katel…

What do you do if you’ve got a failed crop of corn? Glenn knows! Returning guest, Glenn Longabaugh, joins hosts Sal Sama and Ryan Priest for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Glenn is a fan favorite, and he’s the newly-announced Agronomist for Premier Ag. As such, he’s able to provide insight into spring planting conditi…