The Germinate Podcast

This episode is a recording of The Momentum Network Webinar, originally held on October 1, 2026, and has been repurposed for The Germinate Podcast.
In this special episode of The Germinate Podcast, hosts Joe Sampson and Jeremy Groeteke sit down with Corey Hillebo, Chief Talent Officer at Farm4Profit, for a candid conversation about one of the biggest challenges facing Midwest agriculture: Has the corn and soybean system become a trap, and is there a realistic way out?
For decades, the corn and soybean rotation has been the backbone of Midwest farming. It has shaped everything from equipment and infrastructure to input decisions and farm profitability. But as production costs continue to put pressure on margins and farmers face increasingly difficult financial decisions, it’s worth asking whether the system that has supported agriculture for generations is still working for producers today.
The conversation takes a closer look at the current state of corn and soybean production, examining what’s working, what isn’t, and why changing an established agricultural system is far more complicated than simply planting something different. With so much of the industry built around these two crops, farmers must balance tradition, profitability, and risk when making decisions about the future of their operations.
Joe, Jeremy, and Corey also explore the economics behind crop rotation strategies. While corn and soybeans have long been the standard across much of the Midwest, does following that traditional rotation still make the most financial sense? The discussion raises important questions about whether alternative cropping strategies can offer meaningful opportunities or whether the numbers continue to favor the familiar system.
Input costs and risk management are another major focus. With profitability under pressure, farmers are forced to evaluate every decision, from what they plant to how they manage expenses and protect their operations against market uncertainty. The challenge isn’t simply finding a different approach. It’s finding one that makes financial sense while managing the realities of running a farm.
The discussion also examines the potential for alternative crops and whether diversification is a viable opportunity for Midwest producers. While growing something other than corn and soybeans may sound appealing, farmers must consider available markets, infrastructure, equipment, and the financial risks associated with making a change. How much flexibility do producers really have when so much of the surrounding agricultural economy is designed around the existing system?
At its core, this conversation isn’t about dismissing the success of corn and soybean production or suggesting that farmers have been doing things wrong. It’s about taking an honest look at the economic pressures, established practices, and limitations shaping today’s agricultural decisions.
Ultimately, The Corn & Soybean Trap: Is There a Way Out? challenges farmers, agronomists, agribusiness leaders, and anyone invested in the future of row-crop agriculture to think critically about where the industry stands and where it goes from here.
The question isn’t just whether agriculture can change. It’s whether the current system gives farmers the financial freedom and practical options to make those changes possible.

In this episode of The Germinate Podcast, Joe Sampson sits down with Clayton Lind, founder of Atlas Media Group, along with Jeremy, for a candid conversation about one of the biggest questions facing American agriculture: Has the industry become too dependent on corn and soybeans, and what would it actually take to change the system?
Clayton brings a unique perspective to the conversation. Originally from California with a background as a diesel mechanic, he found his way into Iowa agriculture during COVID, eventually working on farms, building a media and marketing company, and returning to farming himself. Through Atlas Media Group and his work across the industry, Clayton has gained exposure to farmers, processors, technology companies, agribusinesses, and food companies across the U.S. and beyond. He has also built a reputation for being willing to ask uncomfortable questions about the systems agriculture has relied on for decades.
The conversation begins with Joe’s recent experience at the Farm Progress Show and a question that has been driving several episodes of the podcast: why does so much of the agricultural economy rise and fall with the prices of just two commodities? From equipment manufacturers and seed companies to suppliers, dealerships, and rural communities, the health of agribusiness is deeply connected to what happens with corn and soybean markets. Clayton and Jeremy unpack how that system developed and why changing it is far more complicated than simply telling farmers to grow something different.
Clayton traces some of that history through the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, World War II, changing global food demand, and the farm crisis of the 1980s. Over time, infrastructure, markets, government programs, equipment, and risk-management tools increasingly supported a system where corn and soybeans became the logical choice for many Midwestern operations. The problem, Clayton argues, is that while agriculture has built a strong system for helping producers operate within those commodities, there are far fewer established pathways for farmers who want to diversify.
The same commodity cycle extends far beyond the farm gate. When commodity prices fall, farmers spend less, equipment sales slow, manufacturers reduce production, suppliers feel the pressure, and jobs throughout rural communities can be affected. When prices rebound, the industry ramps up again. Clayton questions whether agriculture has become too comfortable riding that cycle instead of using stronger years to prepare for the next downturn.
Joe, Clayton, and Jeremy also tackle some of the environmental questions surrounding the current system, including crop rotation, soil health, pest and disease pressure, chemical use, and water quality. Rather than reducing those issues to one cause or one solution, the conversation highlights how interconnected they are. More diverse rotations can change pest and disease pressures, while improving water quality may require solutions both on the farm and through better treatment infrastructure.
Clayton closes with a more optimistic way of looking at the challenge. Agriculture is only one piece of a much larger food economy that includes processing, transportation, restaurants, distribution, and countless other businesses. Instead of seeing commodity prices as the only path to opportunity, he encourages entrepreneurs, farmers, and agribusiness leaders to look further across the food system and ask where new value can be created.
There may not be one solution to agriculture’s corn-and-soybean cycle. But there may be far more opportunities than the industry realizes.

In this solo episode of The Germinate Podcast, Joe Sampson steps behind the mic to unpack a question that has been on his mind after attending the Farm Progress Show and watching a recent LinkedIn article spark a much bigger conversation: Has American agriculture become too dependent on the corn-and-soybean system?
Joe starts with what he saw on the ground during farm show season. After several difficult years across agriculture, there seemed to be some optimism returning. Equipment was moving, manufacturers were introducing new and diversified product lines, and conversations around stronger commodity prices were bringing some energy back into the industry. But that optimism also raised a larger question. Why is the financial health of so much of agribusiness tied so closely to the price of two crops?
From equipment manufacturers and suppliers to seed companies, fertilizer businesses, labor, transportation, and infrastructure, an enormous portion of the agricultural economy depends on corn and soybeans. Joe explores how deeply that system has become embedded in American agriculture and asks a question that sounds simple but becomes increasingly complicated: How did we get here, and does it have to stay this way?
The episode isn’t an argument against corn, soybeans, modern equipment, or agricultural technology. Joe acknowledges the incredible gains agriculture has made in productivity and efficiency. Instead, he questions whether continuing to invest more money, research, chemistry, technology, and equipment into making the same system increasingly efficient is addressing the underlying challenges or simply helping agriculture operate within a cycle that has become harder and more expensive to sustain.
That question becomes even more important when looking at the rising cost of farming. Equipment, fertilizer, labor, interest, repairs, transportation, and other expenses have climbed significantly. Even when commodity prices improve, producers still have to contend with a cost structure that looks very different from a decade ago. Efficiency can help, but becoming more efficient often requires another investment, creating yet another challenge for farmers trying to protect their margins.
Joe also revisits his recent conversation with Chris Jones, which pushed him to think more deeply about crop diversification, soil, water quality, and the long-term effects of repeatedly rotating between corn and soybeans. The questions aren’t simple. Farmers cannot simply plant a different crop tomorrow if there isn’t an established market, infrastructure, or financial safety net behind it. Diversification may sound good in theory, but it has to work economically for the people actually farming the land.
This episode also sets the stage for what is coming next on The Germinate Podcast. Joe plans to continue the conversation with voices from universities, media, agribusiness, and companies directly connected to the current agricultural system. Rather than approaching the issue with a predetermined conclusion, the goal is to hear different perspectives, challenge assumptions, and better understand what the next decade of agriculture could look like.
Ultimately, this solo episode is about curiosity and critical thinking during what Joe sees as an important period of change for agriculture. The industry has accomplished incredible things, but the challenges facing farmers and agribusiness are changing. Instead of assuming the existing system is the only option, Joe wants to create space for a larger conversation about where agriculture goes from here.

In this episode of The Germinate Podcast, Joe Sampson sits down with Jeremy Bess and Patrick Luce, Principal/Senior Economists at Stantec, to make sense of an economy that can often feel anything but predictable. Ahead of their appearance at the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association conference in New Orleans, Jeremy and Patrick break down the economic signals businesses should actually be watching and what those signals could mean for agriculture, manufacturing, and the years ahead.
The conversation begins by taking economics out of the textbook and putting it into practical terms. Jeremy and Patrick explain how larger trends like inflation, interest rates, global supply chains, demographics, and economic growth eventually make their way down to individual businesses and households. Their work focuses not only on understanding what is happening in the economy, but on using data to determine what may be coming next and how businesses can prepare for it.
The discussion then turns directly to agriculture. Joe points to the massive growth in global corn and soybean production over the last decade and asks what increasing supply means for commodity prices, farmers, and the businesses that depend on them. Patrick explains that corn and soybean pricing can act as a leading indicator for farm equipment manufacturing, with changes in commodity prices often showing up in equipment production several quarters later. While recent pricing data has shown some upward momentum, the longer-term picture becomes more complicated when global production, demand, input costs, interest rates, and economic growth are considered together.

Joe also brings artificial intelligence into the economic conversation. The rapid expansion of AI and data centers is already affecting demand for electrical components, infrastructure, land, and other resources. But Patrick offers another side of the story: productivity. He compares today’s AI boom with the early years of the internet and explains that productivity growth since the mainstream arrival of generative AI has shown similarities to productivity gains during the dot-com era. Manufacturing productivity has also begun improving after years of decline.
That productivity could become increasingly important as experienced workers retire. Jeremy explains how technology and AI may help businesses compensate for demographic shifts by allowing employees and companies to accomplish more with fewer resources. Rather than looking at AI only through the lens of job replacement, the conversation explores its potential to augment workers, improve efficiency, and help businesses adapt to a changing labor market.
As the episode wraps up, Patrick and Jeremy offer a simpler way to cut through all the economic noise. Patrick recommends watching interest rates, oil prices, and disposable personal income for clues about where the broader economy may be headed. Jeremy brings the conversation directly back to business leaders with three straightforward metrics: bookings, billings, and backlog. Together, those indicators can help companies better understand their own momentum and prepare for what may be coming next.
Ultimately, this conversation isn’t about predicting every twist and turn in the economy. It’s about understanding the signals well enough to make smarter decisions. Whether you’re running a farm equipment company, investing in new technology, managing a business, or simply trying to understand where the economy may be headed, Jeremy and Patrick make the case for looking beyond the headlines, following the data, and preparing for the next part of the cycle.85.png

In this episode of The Germinate Podcast, Joe Sampson sits down with Harman Sangha, assistant professor at Auburn University, for a conversation about artificial intelligence, automation, agricultural engineering, and what the next generation of farm technology could look like. Harman brings a unique perspective shaped by work in both India and the United States, with experience ranging from small-scale agricultural equipment and UAV technology to computer vision, machine learning, and machinery automation.
The conversation begins with Harman’s path into agricultural engineering. After earning his bachelor’s degree in India, he joined an ag startup developing handheld cotton pickers designed specifically for smaller farms. He later continued his education at Kansas State University, where he worked with UAVs, multispectral cameras, and thermal sensors, before completing his PhD at Iowa State University and working with its Digital Ag Innovations Lab. Those experiences allowed him to collaborate with farmers and major industry partners while focusing on automation systems for the next generation of agricultural machinery.
Using planting as an example, Harman explains how machine learning could analyze factors such as ground speed, soil moisture, vacuum pressure, and other variables to better understand how seeds are placed in the ground. Even something as specific as seed orientation could potentially affect germination timing and ultimately crop performance. The conversation illustrates how the future of precision agriculture may come from improving details that were once impossible to measure or control.
Harman also shares how he approaches research at Auburn. Rather than beginning with technology and searching for an application, he talks directly with farmers and extension agents to understand where current machinery falls short. His goal is to develop systems that can reach producers relatively quickly, including work with peanut and cotton farmers and research exploring whether technology can help accelerate the development of new crop varieties.
One of the biggest themes of the episode is that the future of agriculture is automation, but automation has to work when farmers need it most. Labor shortages continue to create challenges across harvesting, spraying, fertilizer application, and specialty crops. Yet Harman acknowledges why farmers can be hesitant to adopt more complicated technology. During a narrow planting or harvest window, a system that breaks down and can’t be quickly repaired can create more problems than it solves. For Harman, the next step isn’t simply more automation. It’s more reliable, robust, and practical automation.
For students, that creates an enormous opportunity. Harman discusses how undergraduate and graduate students can become directly involved in research, gaining hands-on experience collecting data, working in the field, and helping develop technologies that could eventually reach farmers. He also points to the opportunities available with smaller agricultural equipment manufacturers, where young engineers may have the chance to make an immediate impact.
Throughout the conversation, Harman’s passion for agricultural engineering comes back to something simple: he likes getting into the field, working on machinery, and building solutions that can make a difference for producers. For all the discussion around AI and advanced technology, his approach remains grounded in solving real problems for farmers and creating systems they can actually use.