Sorghum Smart Talk

Today on #sorghumsmarttalk, we have Sanders Barbee on to discuss her summer adventures from Morocco! Sanders was selected to participate in the IFYE international commodity leadership program for the sorghum industry and was able to experience a summer, immersed in international understanding with a focus on agriculture trade relations, specifically sorghum. Tune in today to hear all about her experience!

Today on #sorghumsmarttalk, Adam York takes the wheel to have a chat with Kristy Lewis & Grace Dennis of Quinn Snacks! Join along as we dive into this tasty sorghum based snack that is on a mission to add transparency back into our food system. Listen today!

Welcome Back to Sorghum Smart Talk! The Checkoff was recently at Kibblecon, hosted in Manhattan, KS and your Executive Director, Norma Ritz Johnson and Director of Ingredient Utilization, Zach Simon are here to tell you all about it! Listen in as they recap all the new technologies happening in the pet world that include sorghum as well as how sorghum, The Resource Conserving Crop™ is a great ingredient to have in your four-legged friend's diet.

Today on #sorghumsmarttalk, John Duff and Florentino Lopez are joined by Reece Cannady with U.S. Grains Council! Tune in to part 2 of our Global Market Podcast as we dive into a macro view of world trade from a global perspective. Listen to the full episode now!

Today's episode kicks off a three part series we will be diving into over global markets! John Duff takes the wheel as host today and is joined by Florentino Lopez and Shelee Padgett to discuss how important global markets are for sorghum and US commodities as a whole. Listen to the full episode today!

It's that time of year! Leadership Sorghum Class V is concluding, which means we are launching the search for Class VI participants! Join Shelee as she brings on Deanna & Matt to discuss their experiences of leadership sorghum and why they took the leap to join. For more information or to apply, visit https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/our-farmers/leadership-sorghum/

Today on #sorghumsmarttalk, we are bringing you an awesome episode, covering sorghum silage with Texas A&M agrilife extension & research associate professor and agronomist, Jourdan Bell! USCP Communications Manager, Hailey takes the driver seat to interview Jourdan over the importance of sorghum silage, why it matters, and why it could be a great fit for your farm. Tune in to the full episode today!    For more information, visit amarillo.tamu.edu Jourdan Bell 806.341.8925 jourdan.bell@ag.tamu.edu

Today on Sorghum Smart Talk, USCP Tim Lust is joined by BHA Deputy Director for the Office of Field and Response Operations, Greg Olson, to discuss USAID, food aid, and how sorghum is a key player. Listen to the full episode today!

The 2022 sorghum planting season is here!! Today on Sorghum Smart Talk, our Communications Manager, Hailey, takes the wheel to interview special guest, Lucas Haag, the extension agronomist for K-State research and extension, to discuss sorghum planting, irrigation, and how to maximize your water use.    Find Lucas Haag on twitter - @lucasahaag  For more information, visit https://www.northwest.k-state.edu/agronomy/

Today we are bringing you the full audio from our learning center session “Finding the Sweet Spot: Combining Precision Agriculture and Conservation to Build a Sustainable and Diverse Farming Landscape”. Tune in as we discuss conservation practices targeted to increase an operation's overall economic profitability and find that “sweet spot” for healthy farming landscapes!

Today on #sorghumsmarkttalk, John, Zach, and Tim take the driver seat as they dive into the basics of sorghum basis. Learn how basis works, how to read the numbers, and what to expect when the prices fluctuate. Tune in today!

This week is the second installment of our two part series highlighting  our upcoming learning center session, “Finding the Sweet Spot”. Last week, we discussed the role that precision agriculture can play in implementing conservation practices and improving farm profitability. Today, farmers Andy Hineman & Nick McMichen join us to take a broad look at what sustainability means to them and how precision ag and profitability have influenced their own conservation experiences.   For more details on the Learning Center Session, visit https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/commodityclassic/

We are bringing you a bonus episode on #sorghumsmarktalk! John & Zach co-host today's episode and bring on Chris Hughes and Trenton Jones of White Energy to discuss what they do and how they are dedicated to creating clean energy for a clean future. Tune in today!

In the first installment of a two part series about our upcoming learning center session, “Finding the Sweet Spot”, we bring on our first guest, Dr. Mark McConnell, researcher and wildlife biologist at Mississippi State University, to dive into the role of precision agriculture in implementing conservation practices and improving farm profitability. Listen in now!    For more details on the Learning Center Session, visit https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/commodityclassic/

DeKalb has long been one of America's most well-known agricultural brands. The company is also a significant player in the sorghum seed business, owing to quality genetics and an outstanding team to support its growers. This week on Sorghum Smart Talk, DeKalb sorghum product manager Bryan Thomas joins to talk about the history of DeKalb and what the company  has been up to lately.

Today on #sorghumsmarttalk, our very own Norma Ritz Johnson takes the wheel to discuss the changes to the marketing efforts with a team approach and a new staff member addition to fully capitalize on sorghum's versatility.

Regenerative Agriculture has been established for as long as mankind has been practicing agriculture however it is receiving a renewed focus with principals that center around sustainability & conservation when it comes to farming. Tune in today as we bring on Ethan Miller, USCP Board member and Central, Missouri Farmer who implements regenerative agriculture practices on his farm, to talk about his experience in implementing these practices and how they can benefit you and your farm.

Have you dreamed of seeing the world and learning a new culture? Do you have a passion for agriculture? This week on #sorghumsmarttalk we bring on Ken Gordon with IFYE to discuss the grant recently approved by USCP to fund one participant in the IFYE international commodity leadership program for the sorghum industry! Tune in to learn more about this international exchange experience and how YOU can apply today!

Our nation is dotted with sorghum farmers from Kansas, to Texas, to the Dakotas, to New Mexico and everywhere in between. Leadership sorghum is a program that was developed to connect those farmers to establish lifelong connections & friendships. This week, our Director of Emerging Markets & Grower Leader Development, Shelee Padgett takes the wheel & interviews Leadership Sorghum Class Two graduate, Lance Russell. Tune in to the full episode today!

Zach Simon hosts this week's episode of Sorghum Smart Talk & brings on a familiar guest, Sarah Sexton-Bowser! Sarah has been on our podcast before, but we wanted to highlight her amazing work with the Center for Sorghum Improvement! Dive in as we discuss how she and her team develop discoveries into viable products that can make an impact into new technologies for farmers along with data driven decision making that is innovating the future of sorghum. Listen to the full episode now!

John Duff is back with another invigorating episode all about the grain market! Tune in as we bring John Miller, founder of Southwest Agribusiness Consulting, Inc. In this episode, we discuss factors affecting the grain market and strategies for managing risk on the farm. Listen to the full episode now!

Dive in with Dr. Brent Bean as he drives us into sorghum & new seed technology with special guest, Scott Staggenborg from S&W Seed Company! In this episode, they discuss research updates, breeding, current trends, and more. Listen to the full episode now!

Our very own Norma Ritz Johnson takes the driver seat to interview native Kansan and Executive Director of the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission and Producers Association, Jesse McCurry. In this episode, they discuss all things KANSAS Sorghum, the purpose & mission of the Kansas commission, this year's crop, and more. Listen to the full episode now!

Executive Vice President, John Duff returns to the Sorghum Smart Talk podcast to discuss KansCAT in the final installment of the series. In this episode, John brings on Sorghum Checkoff CEO, Tim Lust to discuss overarching conservation & sustainability issues & why they are important. Tune in to the full episode to learn more!

Sorghum Checkoff Sustainability Director Kira Everhart-Valentine returns to Sorghum Smart Talk this week to visit with Nebraska sorghum producer Tracy Zink. Tracy discusses her journey before the farm, why she began producing sorghum, and what sustainability means to her and her farm. Tune in to learn more about why producers like Tracy are choosing sorghum for sustainability.

On this week's episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with former Sorghum Checkoff Board Chairwoman and current U.S. Grains Council At-Large Director Verity Ulibarri. She looks back on her time with the Sorghum Checkoff and discusses what she has learned this past year on the USGC Board of Directors. Tune in to learn more about Verity and her re-election campaign to the U.S. Grains Council Board.

On this week's episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. We discuss the role that farmers play in the production of ethanol, and what we as consumers can do to make a change in the world we live in. To learn more about ethanol and how to make a change visit https://getbiofuel.com/fuelbeyond/. 

On this week's episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with the new United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board Chairman Kent Martin. From Alva, Oklahoma, Martin runs a diverse crop operation while also managing an international consulting business. Tune in to learn more about Martin's family, his business and journey back to the farm.

On this week’s episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with Sorghum Checkoff Director of Agronomy Brent Bean, Ph.D., to discuss last-minute planting considerations. To learn more about fertilizer recommendation, hybrid selection considerations and suggested seeding rates, listen in before you hit the field for #Plant21.

This week, we have Sorghum Checkoff Market Development Director Doug Bice on the podcast. Bice speaks about sorghum’s role in the consumer foods space and a new partnership between sorghum, pork and pulses called Powerful Pairings. To learn more about an emerging market for U.S. sorghum, listen in!

This week we visit with Brandon Lipps, former deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about hunger and food insecurity. Brandon explains how sorghum, and other American-grown commodities, could be the answer to hunger in the U.S. and around the world. Listen in to learn more about government programs, how these programs feed our neighbors and how American commodities could benefit.

On this edition of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with Sorghum Checkoff International Market Development Director Florentino Lopez. He discusses commodity availability on a global scale and what these conditions could potentially mean for American sorghum farmers. To learn more about Florentino’s perspective on what marketing sorghum could look like for the next several years, tune in.

On this week’s episode, we visit with Dan O’Brien, an extension agricultural economist at Kansas State University. Dan is a long standing friend of Sorghum Smart Talk and we are excited to have him back on the podcast to discuss the recently released USDA prospective planting and WASDE reports. Tune in to learn more about marketing grain sorghum in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 marketing years amid historically bullish price and basis.

On this week’s installment of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with Sorghum Checkoff Director of Agronomy Brent Bean, Ph.D., to discuss waxy sorghum. Bean breaks down what makes waxy sorghum unique from grain sorghum, potential market opportunities and offers advice to growers who may be interested in growing waxy varieties. He wraps up the episode with last-minute consideration for the 2021 growing season, covering mostly fertilization options. Listen in!

On this episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, Corteva Strategic Account Manager Russell French discusses sorghum seed availability as growers begin to finalize planting decisions in northern Texas. Russell provides growers with planting considerations, hybrid selection and what the particular weather patterns could mean for seed supply. Tune in!

On this episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with Sorghum Checkoff Sustainability Director Kira Everhart-Valentin, Pheasants Forever Chris McLeland and Kansas sorghum farmer Garrett Love to talk about the sustainable relationship between sorghum operations and upland game bird populations. To learn more about this upcoming partnership from the perspective of our checkoff, a conservation group and a sorghum farmer, tune in! We might be a little biased—but this is an episode you won’t want to miss.  Resources: https://pheasantsforever.org/  https://quailforever.org/  https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/news-and-media/newsroom/2020/12/17/for-love-of-the-land/

On this installment of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with the newest edition to the Sorghum Checkoff, Norma Ritz Johnson. After working for the Lubbock community for over a decade, Norma started serving as the checkoff’s executive director earlier this year. She brings a culmination of prior sorghum experience, expansive leadership capabilities and industry rapport to the Sorghum Checkoff’s team. We are excited to welcome Norma to the team—we hope you are, too!

We had Dave White from the 9B Group on this week’s episode of Sorghum Smart Talk. Dave works for a benefit corporation focused exclusively on improving public health through agricultural channels. For Dave's insight into proposed climate initiatives and what could be expected in the sustainability space, tune in.

On this week’s episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with Daniel Sell—better known as Farmer Dan. Daniel describes his family’s farming operation in the Texas Panhandle, his experience on social media and how he advocates for agriculture to diverse audiences. To learn more about Dan and his online presence, listen in!

On this episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with Texas Grain Sorghum Producers Policy Director Patrick Wade about his role on the agricultural technical advisory committees for trade and what free trade could mean for American sorghum producers. To learn more about emerging market opportunities, the potential for existing market expansion and what is on the docket for trade policy, listen in.

We kick off 2021 with Sorghum Checkoff CEO Tim Lust on the year’s first installment of Sorghum Smart Talk. Sorghum just closed out one of the most exciting years to date, and the industry is looking forward to all the new things 2021 could bring. Lust discusses price, basis, exports, markets and more. You don’t want to miss this one!

As 2020 comes to a close, the Sorghum Checkoff welcomes 2021 with open arms. On this week’s episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with Sorghum Checkoff Past Chairman Craig Poore from Alton, Kansas. Craig shares how his operation fared in 2020, reflects on his time with the Sorghum Checkoff and what he looks forward to in 2021 for the sorghum industry.

On this episode of Sorghum Smart Talk, we visit with Miranda Barrett from Texas’ Coastal Bend. Barrett talks about her journey from a nurse in Houston, Texas, to a farmer in South Texas. She reflects on how her role has changed since she arrived on the farm, and what she is looking forward to in the future. Tune in!

We visit with Sorghum Checkoff Agronomy Director Brent Bean, Ph.D., on this week’s episode of Sorghum Smart Talk. Bean advises growers to consider the area’s projected weather forecast, different hybrids and the application of new technologies. Listen in to learn more!

On the final episode of a three-part series looking at sorghum in 2021, we have Tom Christiansen from Foresight Brokerage, LLC, on to talk about what could be on the horizon for coarse grains—specifically sorghum—in the upcoming season. He discusses risk management, global demand and what farmers can be to protect themselves from market volatility.

On the second episode of our three-part series covering sorghum markets, we visit with a very special guest. This week, we talked with Paul Huang of Jun Jie Agricultural Trading Company, the largest Chinese importer of U.S. sorghum. Paul discusses the need for American sorghum in recovering, emerging and strengthening Chinese markets, and says, “if you can grow it, we will buy it.” Listen in!

On the first installment of a three part series covering all things sorghum markets, we visit with Dr. Dan O’Brien from Kansas State University. O’Brien breaks down how the 2020 season went, predicts how the 2021 season will go and encourages farmers to act now. Listen in!

National Sorghum Producers Executive Vice President John Duff and Sorghum Checkoff Market Development Director Doug Bice co-host this week’s episode of Sorghum Smart Talk to discuss pet food with Kansas State University Research Professor Greg Aldrich, Ph.D. The trio tackles the nutritional benefits of sorghum in campion animal formulations, how the pet food industry has changed in the past six months and what might be around the corner for sorghum in pet foods.

Sorghum Checkoff Sustainability Director Kira Everhart-Valentin joins us on Sorghum Smart Talk to chat about sustainability, conservation and potential industry partnerships. Everhart-Valentin explains that sorghum is well positioned to take advantage of both current and future initiatives, what the sustainability space may look like in a few years and what the Sorghum Checkoff is doing across the industry to promote sorghum’s sustainable properties.

With sorghum harvest creeping further north, we have Kooper Kutter Product Development and Marketing Manager Alan VanNahmen on this week’s episode to discuss their ARRO conversion. VanNahmen explains that ARRO is making sorghum harvest fun again but converting a corn head to cut sorghum and other agronomic crops. To learn more about their kits, how the conversion works and how you can get one—or a few—on your farm, listen in!

This week's Sorghum Smart Talk features Nu Life Market President Earl Roemer. Earl is a fifth generation farmer from Scott City, Kansas, who has always been interested in value-added agriculture opportunities. This interest led him to create Nu Life Market, a sorghum-based food company providing both bulk and retail products to consumers. To learn more about the company’s start, Roemer’s market projections and what the future of consumer foods may look like, tune in!