Damian Mason

You evolve in your career, and I looked at it as, yeah, how about the guy that speaks that is a former comedian and can still be funny? And also, because there's another thing that happens with comedy, people don't think you're smart. My comedy actor was very smart. I used to dress up as Bill Clinton. I was a Bill Clinton impersonator.

You evolve in your career, and I looked at it as, yeah, how about the guy that speaks that is a former comedian and can still be funny? And also, because there's another thing that happens with comedy, people don't think you're smart. My comedy actor was very smart. I used to dress up as Bill Clinton. I was a Bill Clinton impersonator.

You're funny, but you're actually kind of smart. Yeah. So growth away from that was such that I guess it was maybe a little bit of personal pride and also shelf life. I don't know. Don't you all have that experience where the person is up there and they're still clinging on to what they started their career doing? Oh, yeah. And you have a little bit of...

You're funny, but you're actually kind of smart. Yeah. So growth away from that was such that I guess it was maybe a little bit of personal pride and also shelf life. I don't know. Don't you all have that experience where the person is up there and they're still clinging on to what they started their career doing? Oh, yeah. And you have a little bit of...

Somewhere between empathy and then also sympathy and then also now disgust.

Somewhere between empathy and then also sympathy and then also now disgust.

Rodgers. Right. Yeah. Rodgers.

Rodgers. Right. Yeah. Rodgers.

And you don't want to be that person that was – Unwilling or worse yet, unable to hang up the cleats. And so I guess I looked at it as growth. Then I became the ag comedy guy. And that's a hell of a change from being a political comedian to being a guy that does ag.

And you don't want to be that person that was – Unwilling or worse yet, unable to hang up the cleats. And so I guess I looked at it as growth. Then I became the ag comedy guy. And that's a hell of a change from being a political comedian to being a guy that does ag.

So if I go to Corey's, you know, Hogan Meyer seed sales meeting and I'm funny and I make a couple of points about ag and I'm funny and funny and funny. That's a pretty big, you know.

So if I go to Corey's, you know, Hogan Meyer seed sales meeting and I'm funny and I make a couple of points about ag and I'm funny and funny and funny. That's a pretty big, you know.

sea change from doing political comedy which you know there's another thing you talk about growth I knew that political comedy had a shelf life because it was me dressed up as Bill Clinton what people probably didn't realize is I needed to get out of political comedy altogether because look around there's so much of a chasm between this side or that side and there's so much hostility so getting out of comedy was really also I got I talk about in one of my business books you get typecast

sea change from doing political comedy which you know there's another thing you talk about growth I knew that political comedy had a shelf life because it was me dressed up as Bill Clinton what people probably didn't realize is I needed to get out of political comedy altogether because look around there's so much of a chasm between this side or that side and there's so much hostility so getting out of comedy was really also I got I talk about in one of my business books you get typecast

You know, you get typecast. And I've used this on stage before to illustrate something. I'm like, put up a picture of Larry the Cable Guy. Yep. Raise your hand if you don't know who this is. And then everybody, you know, nobody raises their hand. I said, pretty funny. Yeah. Name him. Larry the Cable Guy. Yep.

You know, you get typecast. And I've used this on stage before to illustrate something. I'm like, put up a picture of Larry the Cable Guy. Yep. Raise your hand if you don't know who this is. And then everybody, you know, nobody raises their hand. I said, pretty funny. Yeah. Name him. Larry the Cable Guy. Yep.

If Larry the Cable Guy comes in here and wants to give you advice on investing, you laugh just at the very thought of it. Yeah. He's completely typecast. Yeah. I was in danger of being typecast as the guy who was Bill Clinton impersonator comedian for So I had to make a pretty big sea change to go and do that.

If Larry the Cable Guy comes in here and wants to give you advice on investing, you laugh just at the very thought of it. Yeah. He's completely typecast. Yeah. I was in danger of being typecast as the guy who was Bill Clinton impersonator comedian for So I had to make a pretty big sea change to go and do that.

And then I didn't want to be, oh, he's also now the ag comedy guy because I'm like, I got pretty well one-trick ponied before. I don't want to be one-trick ponied into that. So that's why I started in 2012, made a concerted effort, be like, yeah, I'm funny, but also we're going to make these points about the future of agriculture. What? Yeah. I read the Wall Street every day.

And then I didn't want to be, oh, he's also now the ag comedy guy because I'm like, I got pretty well one-trick ponied before. I don't want to be one-trick ponied into that. So that's why I started in 2012, made a concerted effort, be like, yeah, I'm funny, but also we're going to make these points about the future of agriculture. What? Yeah. I read the Wall Street every day.

I've read hundreds of business books, and I've got a degree in agricultural economics. We're going to talk about some issues in this industry as well as be funny. That was really me not forcing it on to any clients but selling it, and that's where the growth came because I guess I've been conditioned – trained and now scared of ever looking like you're going to get treated as the one-trick pony.

I've read hundreds of business books, and I've got a degree in agricultural economics. We're going to talk about some issues in this industry as well as be funny. That was really me not forcing it on to any clients but selling it, and that's where the growth came because I guess I've been conditioned – trained and now scared of ever looking like you're going to get treated as the one-trick pony.

A little bit. I mean, you know, growing up out on the farm, we didn't like have HBO or anything. I watched Carol Burnett show variety shows where, uh, when the seventies, uh, and I always thought I could do that or Saturday night live or Benny Hill, you know, Benny Hill reruns on the independent channel out of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

A little bit. I mean, you know, growing up out on the farm, we didn't like have HBO or anything. I watched Carol Burnett show variety shows where, uh, when the seventies, uh, and I always thought I could do that or Saturday night live or Benny Hill, you know, Benny Hill reruns on the independent channel out of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

And when I'm, you know, 14 years old and you can only watch it during the summer because it came on at 10 o'clock at night and God knows you couldn't stay up until 10 30 during the school year. Um, So, I mean, I always was inspired by that kind of thing. Certainly, I never was taken to a club or saw much in the way of speakers or humorists or anything.

And when I'm, you know, 14 years old and you can only watch it during the summer because it came on at 10 o'clock at night and God knows you couldn't stay up until 10 30 during the school year. Um, So, I mean, I always was inspired by that kind of thing. Certainly, I never was taken to a club or saw much in the way of speakers or humorists or anything.

We'd go to ag meetings, but it was like the local equipment dealership to give you a ham sandwich. And they'd play a video about the latest Case IH tractor or something like that. The motivation was creativity and compensation. And I think that's the part that if you're a farm person, you pride yourself on your work ethic.

We'd go to ag meetings, but it was like the local equipment dealership to give you a ham sandwich. And they'd play a video about the latest Case IH tractor or something like that. The motivation was creativity and compensation. And I think that's the part that if you're a farm person, you pride yourself on your work ethic.

Maybe some farm people give themselves more credit for work ethic than they really deserve. But I never was afraid of the work. And I was more concerned if I stayed with this corporation, compensation and advance would be more predicated on my ability to politic. Versus my ability to perform. And that obviously is, I'm sure, a very common lament among anybody in corporate.

Maybe some farm people give themselves more credit for work ethic than they really deserve. But I never was afraid of the work. And I was more concerned if I stayed with this corporation, compensation and advance would be more predicated on my ability to politic. Versus my ability to perform. And that obviously is, I'm sure, a very common lament among anybody in corporate.

So the compensation and the creativity was the driving force to quit and do this. Yeah, as far as looking at people... I think there's some really good performers out there, and there's some that aren't.

So the compensation and the creativity was the driving force to quit and do this. Yeah, as far as looking at people... I think there's some really good performers out there, and there's some that aren't.

Obviously, Larry the Cable Guy, the problem is I looked at that, and when he got his rise, when I was already making the adjustment to not be Bill Clinton anymore, and I'm like, and that dude's going to have the same problem as me. Graham with another comma in the earnings, probably. Sure, maybe. Hopefully. I don't know. Yeah.

Obviously, Larry the Cable Guy, the problem is I looked at that, and when he got his rise, when I was already making the adjustment to not be Bill Clinton anymore, and I'm like, and that dude's going to have the same problem as me. Graham with another comma in the earnings, probably. Sure, maybe. Hopefully. I don't know. Yeah.

Talking about Shaquille O'Neal, any of these people, now you can say, oh, he wouldn't have had to do anything. He wouldn't have. Okay, you just take his Orlando Magic revenue, and then it was a Laker, and then he was somewhere else in between. I don't remember. Was he a Houston?

Talking about Shaquille O'Neal, any of these people, now you can say, oh, he wouldn't have had to do anything. He wouldn't have. Okay, you just take his Orlando Magic revenue, and then it was a Laker, and then he was somewhere else in between. I don't remember. Was he a Houston?

Miami Heat, probably. So anyway, if you just took the contract from any of those three or four NBA teams that he played for, it would be certainly more than anybody else that's listening to this show's career earnings. Probably. I'm not in any way being insulting. But the desire to keep doing something and refreshing it

Miami Heat, probably. So anyway, if you just took the contract from any of those three or four NBA teams that he played for, it would be certainly more than anybody else that's listening to this show's career earnings. Probably. I'm not in any way being insulting. But the desire to keep doing something and refreshing it

that then keeps it so you can get an icy hot commercial, that then makes it so you can then get in line for this. And then, because of your staying out there and staying sharp and not letting yourself go, you get invited to the meeting where they're talking about pooling investments to do this. So I mean, when you think about that,

that then keeps it so you can get an icy hot commercial, that then makes it so you can then get in line for this. And then, because of your staying out there and staying sharp and not letting yourself go, you get invited to the meeting where they're talking about pooling investments to do this. So I mean, when you think about that,

It'd be a lot easier to do nothing, but, I mean, it's clearly not just about the money at this point. He's probably also in a similar thing where he said, I don't want to be typecast as just the big, dumb guy that couldn't make free throws.

It'd be a lot easier to do nothing, but, I mean, it's clearly not just about the money at this point. He's probably also in a similar thing where he said, I don't want to be typecast as just the big, dumb guy that couldn't make free throws.

So the point is, if you don't put yourself out there in a, and granted, you need to be known and you need to be known as being proficient at something in that regard. So you don't want to be to where you're all over the place and you don't have something. But then, like you say, when you get, typecasts can be a lot of things. I use the showbiz example.

So the point is, if you don't put yourself out there in a, and granted, you need to be known and you need to be known as being proficient at something in that regard. So you don't want to be to where you're all over the place and you don't have something. But then, like you say, when you get, typecasts can be a lot of things. I use the showbiz example.

When you just use the farmer example, it can go to a lot of businesses. If it gets to where they think that you don't have breadth or range, it's the same thing.

When you just use the farmer example, it can go to a lot of businesses. If it gets to where they think that you don't have breadth or range, it's the same thing.

Then remember the final one is always going to funerals. Yeah. We'd like to not quite get there.

Then remember the final one is always going to funerals. Yeah. We'd like to not quite get there.

Probably a private event. There was three. I had three gigs lined up when I quit my job. With an average of probably $600 or $700 of actual gig money. So I had like two grand of revenue lined up when I quit my job. And I remember a lot of people saying, good God, aren't you concerned about this? I said, well, I've got some Purdue money to pay back. I got a loan. I got a car payment.

Probably a private event. There was three. I had three gigs lined up when I quit my job. With an average of probably $600 or $700 of actual gig money. So I had like two grand of revenue lined up when I quit my job. And I remember a lot of people saying, good God, aren't you concerned about this? I said, well, I've got some Purdue money to pay back. I got a loan. I got a car payment.

I said, you know what? I bartended when I was at college. I said, if I can't If my act doesn't sell, I'll just grab a few nights at some tavern and make a little cash that way. So it became a sales thing. It becomes a thing of, again, running a business. You work on the act and you work on the creativity, but you've got to also sit at the desk and make phone calls and then keep a file.

I said, you know what? I bartended when I was at college. I said, if I can't If my act doesn't sell, I'll just grab a few nights at some tavern and make a little cash that way. So it became a sales thing. It becomes a thing of, again, running a business. You work on the act and you work on the creativity, but you've got to also sit at the desk and make phone calls and then keep a file.

So all that stuff that my wife gave me a wonderful compliment when she worked in corporate. She hasn't for 10 years. She works with me. She says, you know, I'm in a sales role, and I said, everything I know about selling, I've learned from you. I didn't get trained. I said, wait a minute. She says, you've got a follow-up file.

So all that stuff that my wife gave me a wonderful compliment when she worked in corporate. She hasn't for 10 years. She works with me. She says, you know, I'm in a sales role, and I said, everything I know about selling, I've learned from you. I didn't get trained. I said, wait a minute. She says, you've got a follow-up file.

You have a prospect file, and you have an actual follow-up file, and you date stuff, and you take notes about it, and then you vary how you reach out to these people. Phone call, then an email, then a postcard, then all this. It really was that way with the Clinton thing way back when, and it's probably the same as anything. It's

You have a prospect file, and you have an actual follow-up file, and you date stuff, and you take notes about it, and then you vary how you reach out to these people. Phone call, then an email, then a postcard, then all this. It really was that way with the Clinton thing way back when, and it's probably the same as anything. It's

managing it as a business, but also making sure that you do the outreach.

managing it as a business, but also making sure that you do the outreach.

Yeah. We've already established that he's deadbeat who's not here. We've already established that. He's working. He's going to love that.

Yeah. We've already established that he's deadbeat who's not here. We've already established that. He's working. He's going to love that.

All right, so I get in trouble because, you know, I'm an ag guy, obviously, and I work in agriculture, and I've got listeners that are. We have listeners that we share, whatever. I mean, obviously, I take the more business side. I have probably a lot more people that work in industry, and you have more people that are actually in the production side. I get in trouble because I say, you know what?

All right, so I get in trouble because, you know, I'm an ag guy, obviously, and I work in agriculture, and I've got listeners that are. We have listeners that we share, whatever. I mean, obviously, I take the more business side. I have probably a lot more people that work in industry, and you have more people that are actually in the production side. I get in trouble because I say, you know what?

why do we have to go through this fire drill every time there's a downturn when we know that USDA policy, since the 80s, has always stepped up and thrown money at ag? And then farm people get very bristly. Well, that doesn't make us whole. You don't understand. You're not a real farmer. You don't understand my expense structure. Yada, yada, blah, blah, blah. I'm not being mean. I'm being honest.

why do we have to go through this fire drill every time there's a downturn when we know that USDA policy, since the 80s, has always stepped up and thrown money at ag? And then farm people get very bristly. Well, that doesn't make us whole. You don't understand. You're not a real farmer. You don't understand my expense structure. Yada, yada, blah, blah, blah. I'm not being mean. I'm being honest.

40 years. And he was on my show. And he says, you know what? USDA policy since the 80s. We haven't allowed people to just have a big washout. There's going to be some prop up. So, yeah, we're in a downturn. But unless history for the last 37 years isn't accurate, there's going to be programs that swing in here. There's going to be consolidation. We're at the FarmCon conference. We just saw this.

40 years. And he was on my show. And he says, you know what? USDA policy since the 80s. We haven't allowed people to just have a big washout. There's going to be some prop up. So, yeah, we're in a downturn. But unless history for the last 37 years isn't accurate, there's going to be programs that swing in here. There's going to be consolidation. We're at the FarmCon conference. We just saw this.

We've got people in here that farm 20,000 acres. They're looking to expand. There's going to be consolidation. We just saw a graph. I think you might have been in the room. It said 89,000 in 2022, so three years ago. 89,000 farms of the 2 million produced 75% of all the dollar value of crops. It's probably down to less than 80,000.

We've got people in here that farm 20,000 acres. They're looking to expand. There's going to be consolidation. We just saw a graph. I think you might have been in the room. It said 89,000 in 2022, so three years ago. 89,000 farms of the 2 million produced 75% of all the dollar value of crops. It's probably down to less than 80,000.

Okay. So that was the projection. Even lower. I think that was the projection for like by 2030. Okay. Either way, we're in that 45 to 75, whatever number. The point is that's going to continue. And the consolidation has been going on since the 1930s. We hit peak farm in 1935 with like 8 million farms. And now we're down to less than 2. And of the 2 million that we have, again, 50,000 of them are

Okay. So that was the projection. Even lower. I think that was the projection for like by 2030. Okay. Either way, we're in that 45 to 75, whatever number. The point is that's going to continue. And the consolidation has been going on since the 1930s. We hit peak farm in 1935 with like 8 million farms. And now we're down to less than 2. And of the 2 million that we have, again, 50,000 of them are

cranking out three-quarters of the stuff. I'm not being mean. I'm being honest. USDA policy still favors small farms. The New York Times won't tell you that because the NPR says, oh, and all these bailouts go to factory farms, whatever that means because it's just a meaningless term they came up with. In general, USDA always puts caps. Yeah.

cranking out three-quarters of the stuff. I'm not being mean. I'm being honest. USDA policy still favors small farms. The New York Times won't tell you that because the NPR says, oh, and all these bailouts go to factory farms, whatever that means because it's just a meaningless term they came up with. In general, USDA always puts caps. Yeah.

It can't take more than a certain amount, so it favors smaller operators. You can be a smaller operator. You can be that person that farms 400 acres, has a job in town. You're probably going to be able to play some USDA policy, get your crop insurance, do all that, make money. What I think the big picture is...

It can't take more than a certain amount, so it favors smaller operators. You can be a smaller operator. You can be that person that farms 400 acres, has a job in town. You're probably going to be able to play some USDA policy, get your crop insurance, do all that, make money. What I think the big picture is...

My big predictions are, Tanner and Corey, that I think we're going to start seeing a shift. And it could be the RFK influencer. It could be the media, social media influence. We've been focused on quantity for 100 years. And by God, we figured it out. We have mountains, literally mountains of corn and soybeans and wheat and name the commodity.

My big predictions are, Tanner and Corey, that I think we're going to start seeing a shift. And it could be the RFK influencer. It could be the media, social media influence. We've been focused on quantity for 100 years. And by God, we figured it out. We have mountains, literally mountains of corn and soybeans and wheat and name the commodity.

I think there's going to be a push to nutrient density and nutrient content where we pay not just 56 pounds for number two yellow corn. It's going to be, what's the protein content in there? Can it be grown regeneratively? What's the carbon associated with that? You know, and that CI score and all those kind of things. There's going to be those attachments to it because why wouldn't there be?

I think there's going to be a push to nutrient density and nutrient content where we pay not just 56 pounds for number two yellow corn. It's going to be, what's the protein content in there? Can it be grown regeneratively? What's the carbon associated with that? You know, and that CI score and all those kind of things. There's going to be those attachments to it because why wouldn't there be?

We've got production mastered. And someone says, yeah, but you're crazy. You sound like one of the organic guys. No, I'll give you a better example. From the Model T 20 years ago with Henry Ford, where it was an affordable black. Remember, it was his old joke. You can have any color Model T you want. Yeah, as long as it's black. As long as it's black. Well, are we still there?

We've got production mastered. And someone says, yeah, but you're crazy. You sound like one of the organic guys. No, I'll give you a better example. From the Model T 20 years ago with Henry Ford, where it was an affordable black. Remember, it was his old joke. You can have any color Model T you want. Yeah, as long as it's black. As long as it's black. Well, are we still there?

No, because we mastered the ability to produce a car, a simple means of transportation. And so now it became a Model T, then another model, then a model that has electric locks and power brakes and air conditioning and now navigational control and all that. So why wouldn't our food do that? And that's where food's going to go.

No, because we mastered the ability to produce a car, a simple means of transportation. And so now it became a Model T, then another model, then a model that has electric locks and power brakes and air conditioning and now navigational control and all that. So why wouldn't our food do that? And that's where food's going to go.

So if you use the Model T to today, we were challenged to make bushels of corn and corn The same time Model Ts were a challenge to make an affordable car. We're not there now. That's where food's going to go, I believe.

So if you use the Model T to today, we were challenged to make bushels of corn and corn The same time Model Ts were a challenge to make an affordable car. We're not there now. That's where food's going to go, I believe.

I believe we're going to get more into nutrient quality, nutrient density, the environmental aspect of it, what's your carbon-associated, carbon intensity score associated with it, regenerative practices, traceability, I think, comes into this space, and nutrition. Rather than lamenting that, if you're a producer, you should look at it as a chance to value add. Get to it.

I believe we're going to get more into nutrient quality, nutrient density, the environmental aspect of it, what's your carbon-associated, carbon intensity score associated with it, regenerative practices, traceability, I think, comes into this space, and nutrition. Rather than lamenting that, if you're a producer, you should look at it as a chance to value add. Get to it.

Look at a chance just like Ford looks at it as a chance to say, we know that everybody doesn't want this. By golly, we can charge a premium and we make more money on the... whatever the ad on it is.

Look at a chance just like Ford looks at it as a chance to say, we know that everybody doesn't want this. By golly, we can charge a premium and we make more money on the... whatever the ad on it is.

So if you use the tractor as an example, Tanner, and you look at the farming, and I know that, again, a lot of times farmers bristle at some of this, Why wouldn't you look at, first off, it's coming. I mean, unless I just am dead wrong, which I don't think I am, this movement's coming, and it's going to be about nutrient density, quality.

So if you use the tractor as an example, Tanner, and you look at the farming, and I know that, again, a lot of times farmers bristle at some of this, Why wouldn't you look at, first off, it's coming. I mean, unless I just am dead wrong, which I don't think I am, this movement's coming, and it's going to be about nutrient density, quality.

You know, the food story is going to evolve into, is it regeneratively raised? Did your llama come out and blessed by a rabbi and poop on the strawberries? I mean, whatever. that story is. If you can make money out of it, what the hell difference does it make? You should do it because the ability to produce a bushel of corn or make a Model T, we've got that mastered long ago.

You know, the food story is going to evolve into, is it regeneratively raised? Did your llama come out and blessed by a rabbi and poop on the strawberries? I mean, whatever. that story is. If you can make money out of it, what the hell difference does it make? You should do it because the ability to produce a bushel of corn or make a Model T, we've got that mastered long ago.

That's where I think things are going. I got another prediction a lot of people don't like to hear, but I don't see any way around it. Eventually, the federal monies are going to get more scrutinized. We're obviously in a very urban and suburban population. We've got less than 17% of the population lives in rural, less than 1% of us farm.

That's where I think things are going. I got another prediction a lot of people don't like to hear, but I don't see any way around it. Eventually, the federal monies are going to get more scrutinized. We're obviously in a very urban and suburban population. We've got less than 17% of the population lives in rural, less than 1% of us farm.

There's going to start to be a little bit of, I believe, more scrutiny on this. And with that scrutiny might start coming the cries of... Water.

There's going to start to be a little bit of, I believe, more scrutiny on this. And with that scrutiny might start coming the cries of... Water.

Put on fat padding, makeup, gray hair, and come in and talk like Bill Clinton. Hey, how you doing? How'd you like to occupy a position on my personal staff? You know, whatever. Innuendo jokes and this kind of thing. Hey, Monica. The thing is, I would get done doing a show, guys, and then people would come up there and post their pictures. That's something we always did.

Put on fat padding, makeup, gray hair, and come in and talk like Bill Clinton. Hey, how you doing? How'd you like to occupy a position on my personal staff? You know, whatever. Innuendo jokes and this kind of thing. Hey, Monica. The thing is, I would get done doing a show, guys, and then people would come up there and post their pictures. That's something we always did.

Why are we growing corn in eastern Colorado and in the panhandle of Texas when they get four inches of annual precipitation when we already have more than enough corn where you're from and where I'm from in Iowa or Illinois or whatever, Indiana, whatever that should be. So I think there's going to be a little more scrutiny. And I actually see a decrease in farmed acres. Marginal land will revert.

Why are we growing corn in eastern Colorado and in the panhandle of Texas when they get four inches of annual precipitation when we already have more than enough corn where you're from and where I'm from in Iowa or Illinois or whatever, Indiana, whatever that should be. So I think there's going to be a little more scrutiny. And I actually see a decrease in farmed acres. Marginal land will revert.

I did a video about that, and boy, people got mad. I think they believed I was insulting their property. I said, if you're highly erodible, rocky, rough, low productivity, or require water in a water-sensitive, depleted area, and I just named several of those places that are, I think that that land reverts to maybe CRP, maybe grazing, hunting-type property. We don't need it.

I did a video about that, and boy, people got mad. I think they believed I was insulting their property. I said, if you're highly erodible, rocky, rough, low productivity, or require water in a water-sensitive, depleted area, and I just named several of those places that are, I think that that land reverts to maybe CRP, maybe grazing, hunting-type property. We don't need it.

Corey, I'm in Alberta doing a gig, and there's cornfields, and I'm talking like getting close to... Edmonton. Yeah. Who the hell thought you should grow corn up there? So they're doing it because the incentive is there, and I think that that incentive is going to start to go away. I mean, we also heard about government programs here. We heard about the chunk of money being tossed at agriculture.

Corey, I'm in Alberta doing a gig, and there's cornfields, and I'm talking like getting close to... Edmonton. Yeah. Who the hell thought you should grow corn up there? So they're doing it because the incentive is there, and I think that that incentive is going to start to go away. I mean, we also heard about government programs here. We heard about the chunk of money being tossed at agriculture.

Well, that just creates more incentive to create surplus for something that we – I just was in a discussion yesterday, and I'm going to be covering this more – I remember the 80s and government cheese, where there was so much dairy product, the government then decided to help the dairy farmers by buying up the surplus milk and then making this really crappy, not good cheese.

Well, that just creates more incentive to create surplus for something that we – I just was in a discussion yesterday, and I'm going to be covering this more – I remember the 80s and government cheese, where there was so much dairy product, the government then decided to help the dairy farmers by buying up the surplus milk and then making this really crappy, not good cheese.

And then they gave it to the schools. And they gave it, if you were poor, welfare, whatever, you gave the cheese. By God, if you... All you had to do is walk down a sidewalk and somebody was going to give you cheese. It was about that bad in the 80s. They had so much of it, they were like storing it in caves.

And then they gave it to the schools. And they gave it, if you were poor, welfare, whatever, you gave the cheese. By God, if you... All you had to do is walk down a sidewalk and somebody was going to give you cheese. It was about that bad in the 80s. They had so much of it, they were like storing it in caves.

Well, I know you, and it seems to me your podcast probably is about the same age as mine. So going before that, I began the Business of Agriculture show. I'm in my eighth year, maybe close to starting my ninth, 380 episodes. And I knew about you guys. You knew about me. And it's a small fraternity. I... I find it interesting that people sometimes get competitive. I keep things generally friendly.

Well, I know you, and it seems to me your podcast probably is about the same age as mine. So going before that, I began the Business of Agriculture show. I'm in my eighth year, maybe close to starting my ninth, 380 episodes. And I knew about you guys. You knew about me. And it's a small fraternity. I... I find it interesting that people sometimes get competitive. I keep things generally friendly.

It's finer with time. Well, it certainly wouldn't have gotten worse because you had government cheese in the 80s. But here's what I'm saying. Are we going to do this with corn? A year from now, we're going to be in a situation where, yeah, we're still paying farmers because we want to keep them in business. But we've got all this corn. Yeah, we're stuffing it in caves.

It's finer with time. Well, it certainly wouldn't have gotten worse because you had government cheese in the 80s. But here's what I'm saying. Are we going to do this with corn? A year from now, we're going to be in a situation where, yeah, we're still paying farmers because we want to keep them in business. But we've got all this corn. Yeah, we're stuffing it in caves.

It's right next to the government cheese. At some point, there's got to be some give.

It's right next to the government cheese. At some point, there's got to be some give.

And also you've got to battle the humidity. You're dealing with more rust and fungus because of the weather conditions.

And also you've got to battle the humidity. You're dealing with more rust and fungus because of the weather conditions.

So imagine since you're in Iowa... Because you have such a propensity to create huge corn and soybean crops, let's say. But then the person that's in a little bit, I don't know, named somewhere that's certainly in Iowa, I don't know, maybe Southern Ohio or something like this. Maybe then they have the ability, closer to a population center, to sell...

So imagine since you're in Iowa... Because you have such a propensity to create huge corn and soybean crops, let's say. But then the person that's in a little bit, I don't know, named somewhere that's certainly in Iowa, I don't know, maybe Southern Ohio or something like this. Maybe then they have the ability, closer to a population center, to sell...

With antigen.

With antigen.

Yeah. But I see that happening for at least the human. Then it's, okay, this is cow corn. This is ethanol corn. Right. This is corn that ends up in Doritos.

Yeah. But I see that happening for at least the human. Then it's, okay, this is cow corn. This is ethanol corn. Right. This is corn that ends up in Doritos.

Yeah. But it's not quite at scale where it could be for as much corn as wheat. Right. In the center of the store kind of stuff, in a bag or in a box. Yeah. You know, the stuff that doesn't go through a pig to become human consumable makes you wonder if that's where we go. And then they say, oh, so we're going to put another 40 cents on that.

Yeah. But it's not quite at scale where it could be for as much corn as wheat. Right. In the center of the store kind of stuff, in a bag or in a box. Yeah. You know, the stuff that doesn't go through a pig to become human consumable makes you wonder if that's where we go. And then they say, oh, so we're going to put another 40 cents on that.

There's another 40 cents on that human corn that Corey's going to grow because there's a place in Waterloo that's now processing non-GMO, not corn for ethanol, and it's going for...

There's another 40 cents on that human corn that Corey's going to grow because there's a place in Waterloo that's now processing non-GMO, not corn for ethanol, and it's going for...

There's a few people that have been real dicks to me in this space, and so I reciprocate accordingly. Well, when you work in agriculture, you've got to realize there's a pretty small sorority out here, man. You keep pissing in the stream, eventually you're going to be one downstream yourself. So I think it's important to not do that. To your audience, my name is Damian Mason.

There's a few people that have been real dicks to me in this space, and so I reciprocate accordingly. Well, when you work in agriculture, you've got to realize there's a pretty small sorority out here, man. You keep pissing in the stream, eventually you're going to be one downstream yourself. So I think it's important to not do that. To your audience, my name is Damian Mason.

I can't read. I don't think so. That thing for Hogan Meyer went very well.

I can't read. I don't think so. That thing for Hogan Meyer went very well.

Anyway, we'll get it. Well, you know what happens in the – And again, maybe you get a little jaded on this. Having done the stage for so long, then people decide that they want to be degrading online. It wasn't you, I'm sure. There's probably someone that wanted to pop off.

Anyway, we'll get it. Well, you know what happens in the – And again, maybe you get a little jaded on this. Having done the stage for so long, then people decide that they want to be degrading online. It wasn't you, I'm sure. There's probably someone that wanted to pop off.

We used to have a thing on Twitter where it was people would go on there and anything I pointed out about industry going on is that I'm stupid and I've never really farmed, which is not true. I was out there from the time I was eight farming. And so... That's where I got real gun shy about.

We used to have a thing on Twitter where it was people would go on there and anything I pointed out about industry going on is that I'm stupid and I've never really farmed, which is not true. I was out there from the time I was eight farming. And so... That's where I got real gun shy about.

Anybody that so much just decided they're going to just pop off, I'm like, all right, first of all, I know who you are, and this thing that I don't know what I'm talking about. So I did go through a while where I did a lot of blocking people.

Anybody that so much just decided they're going to just pop off, I'm like, all right, first of all, I know who you are, and this thing that I don't know what I'm talking about. So I did go through a while where I did a lot of blocking people.

Now, I remember you guys hollering at me about an event. Now, since we're going ahead and we're doing, this is like Festivus. Oh, yeah. The airing of grievances. There we go. There we go. So, you know, and for your young listeners, go back. You have to Google that also, Festivus. A famous Seinfeld episode from the 1990s. I still love watching reruns.

Now, I remember you guys hollering at me about an event. Now, since we're going ahead and we're doing, this is like Festivus. Oh, yeah. The airing of grievances. There we go. There we go. So, you know, and for your young listeners, go back. You have to Google that also, Festivus. A famous Seinfeld episode from the 1990s. I still love watching reruns.

Crazy Frank Costanza because he was tired of the commercialization or the religiosity of traditional holidays. decided to create his own holiday, Festivus, where they put up an aluminum pole and two of the tenants of Festivus were Feats of strength and airing of grievances, which is funny. I was raised in a very conflict-oriented household.

Crazy Frank Costanza because he was tired of the commercialization or the religiosity of traditional holidays. decided to create his own holiday, Festivus, where they put up an aluminum pole and two of the tenants of Festivus were Feats of strength and airing of grievances, which is funny. I was raised in a very conflict-oriented household.

We had airing of grievances, not just on every holiday, but on every day. So since I need to unblock you, you've got to apologize.

We had airing of grievances, not just on every holiday, but on every day. So since I need to unblock you, you've got to apologize.

No, no, no, no.

No, no, no, no.

Really? We stole him? Yeah. You scooped me right out of that. Oh, wow. See, now they're getting a mention, so they're going to say, I'm really glad that we did this right here because we're saying, man, those Farm for Profit guys are helping me sell more on farm accounting.

Really? We stole him? Yeah. You scooped me right out of that. Oh, wow. See, now they're getting a mention, so they're going to say, I'm really glad that we did this right here because we're saying, man, those Farm for Profit guys are helping me sell more on farm accounting.

Certainly with the companies, I would play it nice. Yeah, there's a few individuals in the space that...

Certainly with the companies, I would play it nice. Yeah, there's a few individuals in the space that...

They just decided, I don't know, it's a little bit like I was out here for a long time, so I think I had a target on my back because, you know, I was like, hey, I want to make a name for myself out here as being an ag personality, so I'm going to go ahead and try and harpoon this dude that's in front of me because I've been around a long time, man. That's the thing.

They just decided, I don't know, it's a little bit like I was out here for a long time, so I think I had a target on my back because, you know, I was like, hey, I want to make a name for myself out here as being an ag personality, so I'm going to go ahead and try and harpoon this dude that's in front of me because I've been around a long time, man. That's the thing.

You know, you just start realizing longevity. 31 years. I mean, my 31st year of this. Back in the old days of political comedy, I can start naming clients that are now not even in business. It's like Montgomery Ward or something. Naming old corporate names that we might know from our childhood. Like, oh, yeah, that was a client. They're gone.

You know, you just start realizing longevity. 31 years. I mean, my 31st year of this. Back in the old days of political comedy, I can start naming clients that are now not even in business. It's like Montgomery Ward or something. Naming old corporate names that we might know from our childhood. Like, oh, yeah, that was a client. They're gone.

Some of them might know me from the Business of Agriculture show. Again, it's been out now for 380 episodes, and we release it every Monday, so it's an every weekly show. I speak at agricultural events. That's sort of the— the ship that drove the fleet for a long time. I'm a farm kid from Northeastern Indiana.

Some of them might know me from the Business of Agriculture show. Again, it's been out now for 380 episodes, and we release it every Monday, so it's an every weekly show. I speak at agricultural events. That's sort of the— the ship that drove the fleet for a long time. I'm a farm kid from Northeastern Indiana.

And you know they got absorbed probably. We had the... There's a Parker gravity wagon in my hay loft. The wheels are off it. The running gear is off it. It's up there. It's on blocks. And it was the feed bin when I had cattle. It was there when I bought the property. have a feed truck come in, auger up 5,000 pounds into it, and then use it with buckets. And every time I look at that, we had

And you know they got absorbed probably. We had the... There's a Parker gravity wagon in my hay loft. The wheels are off it. The running gear is off it. It's up there. It's on blocks. And it was the feed bin when I had cattle. It was there when I bought the property. have a feed truck come in, auger up 5,000 pounds into it, and then use it with buckets. And every time I look at that, we had

Two of those Parker-type gravity wagons in the 70s on my farm, I think they were maybe 100-bushel grain cars. So what's a combine's grain hopper? 400-bushel now? Yeah, 400. So you didn't need four of those little boogers just to do one dump. It all seems so quaint and old compared to modern stuff. So it's funny you talk about the Parker thing.

Two of those Parker-type gravity wagons in the 70s on my farm, I think they were maybe 100-bushel grain cars. So what's a combine's grain hopper? 400-bushel now? Yeah, 400. So you didn't need four of those little boogers just to do one dump. It all seems so quaint and old compared to modern stuff. So it's funny you talk about the Parker thing.

I'm going to be a lot of places. I'm here next week. I'm going to Missouri for a group. I'm going to Chris Barron's conference in three weeks down, and he has an executive summit that I'm going to be in February, bumping out a lot. I've also got a new show called The Granary. So if you like farm for profit and you like agricultural stuff, I encourage you to check out my show, The Granary.

I'm going to be a lot of places. I'm here next week. I'm going to Missouri for a group. I'm going to Chris Barron's conference in three weeks down, and he has an executive summit that I'm going to be in February, bumping out a lot. I've also got a new show called The Granary. So if you like farm for profit and you like agricultural stuff, I encourage you to check out my show, The Granary.

It's with my friends from Extreme Ag. It's shot – On my farm, in my on-farm tavern, an old converted granary that we've got the keg box and we've got the table. And we sit there and we talk about real issues affecting agriculture. So that's kind of a cool thing. You can find that on YouTube. Just type in Extreme Ag in the Granary. I'm speaking at conferences.

It's with my friends from Extreme Ag. It's shot – On my farm, in my on-farm tavern, an old converted granary that we've got the keg box and we've got the table. And we sit there and we talk about real issues affecting agriculture. So that's kind of a cool thing. You can find that on YouTube. Just type in Extreme Ag in the Granary. I'm speaking at conferences.

and I've got the granary show, and I've got my business of agriculture show, and then all of a sudden we hit spring. The winter always just flies. I end up then having a few weeks in Arizona with no travel, and then it's time to go back to the farm. So it's the way that always works. Yeah. I appreciate you guys having me on. That's fun.

and I've got the granary show, and I've got my business of agriculture show, and then all of a sudden we hit spring. The winter always just flies. I end up then having a few weeks in Arizona with no travel, and then it's time to go back to the farm. So it's the way that always works. Yeah. I appreciate you guys having me on. That's fun.

I was raised on a basic Midwestern dairy farm of its era who milked 60 cows and farmed some Five or 600 acres of mostly rented ground. Didn't come from a very well-off farming background. My dad actually was raised on other people's farms milking cows as a herdsman's son. So that's the deal. I live in Huntington.

I was raised on a basic Midwestern dairy farm of its era who milked 60 cows and farmed some Five or 600 acres of mostly rented ground. Didn't come from a very well-off farming background. My dad actually was raised on other people's farms milking cows as a herdsman's son. So that's the deal. I live in Huntington.

I think you should. I think cathartic is a word, where it's somewhere between cleansing and also gets your soul feeling better about yourself. Yeah. No, we're all just coming together.

I think you should. I think cathartic is a word, where it's somewhere between cleansing and also gets your soul feeling better about yourself. Yeah. No, we're all just coming together.

Oh, geez.

Oh, geez.

I appreciate this, and I hope your listeners, you know, I mean, I want Ag to have a good year every year. 25 is going to be a little bit of a challenge, but I think there's – I think there's going to be some adjustments made, and there always have been. You know, we've been in this business our whole lives. Adjustments come, adjustments go, and we're still here.

I appreciate this, and I hope your listeners, you know, I mean, I want Ag to have a good year every year. 25 is going to be a little bit of a challenge, but I think there's – I think there's going to be some adjustments made, and there always have been. You know, we've been in this business our whole lives. Adjustments come, adjustments go, and we're still here.

So I think that there's going to be a little bit of – I think it's just going to be a way you think. That's what I guess – you know, if I was going to leave something with an agriculture person, I think it's going to really favor the entrepreneurial-minded agricultural producer. And we even saw some of that about personality types on the farm in this presentation in here at FarmCon.

So I think that there's going to be a little bit of – I think it's just going to be a way you think. That's what I guess – you know, if I was going to leave something with an agriculture person, I think it's going to really favor the entrepreneurial-minded agricultural producer. And we even saw some of that about personality types on the farm in this presentation in here at FarmCon.

So I think it's going to really start to shine through.

So I think it's going to really start to shine through.

I live a couple miles from where I was raised on a farm that I bought almost 20 years ago. My wife and I renovated it. I actually do own the homeland now since my mom died. And I've got about 300 acres that I own in Indiana. I live in Arizona half the year, which I do not like winter, although I travel to winter.

I live a couple miles from where I was raised on a farm that I bought almost 20 years ago. My wife and I renovated it. I actually do own the homeland now since my mom died. And I've got about 300 acres that I own in Indiana. I live in Arizona half the year, which I do not like winter, although I travel to winter.

We're all three looking out the window right now in Kansas City where they had 11 inches of snow and it's still hovering around below 20 right now. So I speak at agricultural meetings. I produce the Business of Agriculture show. And I also work for a group called Extreme Ag. And that's been for about three and a half years now. I produce Cutting the Curve podcast for them.

We're all three looking out the window right now in Kansas City where they had 11 inches of snow and it's still hovering around below 20 right now. So I speak at agricultural meetings. I produce the Business of Agriculture show. And I also work for a group called Extreme Ag. And that's been for about three and a half years now. I produce Cutting the Curve podcast for them.

I show up at events for them like Commodity Classics.

I show up at events for them like Commodity Classics.

field days that they each have we work with corporate entities doing trials etc and educational information for farmers so keep pretty busy i also have a thing called the business of ag success group every other week on a friday me and about two dozen ag professionals get together for a network i bring on sponsor i bring on i'm sorry guests and we talk about issues impacting agriculture so that's kind of what goes on in my life how do you have time to do it all yeah

field days that they each have we work with corporate entities doing trials etc and educational information for farmers so keep pretty busy i also have a thing called the business of ag success group every other week on a friday me and about two dozen ag professionals get together for a network i bring on sponsor i bring on i'm sorry guests and we talk about issues impacting agriculture so that's kind of what goes on in my life how do you have time to do it all yeah

Yeah, you know, you guys produce one of these shows, and there's a lot of people, and we all know this, you've already survived it. It's the old thing about most small businesses fail within five years. I don't think most of them fail. I think they just give up. They say, this is a lot of work, so they just stop.

Yeah, you know, you guys produce one of these shows, and there's a lot of people, and we all know this, you've already survived it. It's the old thing about most small businesses fail within five years. I don't think most of them fail. I think they just give up. They say, this is a lot of work, so they just stop.

Everybody and their sister, you know, when the whole podcasting thing came about, you know, the dude and two of his stoner buddies would sit in the basement and say, dude, we should have our podcast. And they're good for three. Yeah. And then after the sixth one's like, they're just sitting there, and they don't have an outline. They don't have an actual topic.

Everybody and their sister, you know, when the whole podcasting thing came about, you know, the dude and two of his stoner buddies would sit in the basement and say, dude, we should have our podcast. And they're good for three. Yeah. And then after the sixth one's like, they're just sitting there, and they don't have an outline. They don't have an actual topic.

And they'd say, you know, you're really funny, but you're actually kind of smart. Yeah. I'm like, do you realize how damn degrading that is, what you just said?

And they'd say, you know, you're really funny, but you're actually kind of smart. Yeah. I'm like, do you realize how damn degrading that is, what you just said?

They aren't familiar with telling a story. And so they suck. So I treat it like a business. The good thing about a background in show business is I've always treated this as what other people see as humor, entertainment, oh, kind of a lark. I ran it as a business. So when I quit Corporate America in 1994 to be a comedian, which is how I got in to start,

They aren't familiar with telling a story. And so they suck. So I treat it like a business. The good thing about a background in show business is I've always treated this as what other people see as humor, entertainment, oh, kind of a lark. I ran it as a business. So when I quit Corporate America in 1994 to be a comedian, which is how I got in to start,

Purdue Agricultural Economics from the farm, from the farm to Purdue, from Purdue to corporate, not in ag because in 1992 there was no jobs because we're coming out of the bad 80s. I'm a little older than you guys. Then worked in corporate, and then I quit. less than two years into my corporate career to become a political comedian. And everybody thought, oh, that's really cute.

Purdue Agricultural Economics from the farm, from the farm to Purdue, from Purdue to corporate, not in ag because in 1992 there was no jobs because we're coming out of the bad 80s. I'm a little older than you guys. Then worked in corporate, and then I quit. less than two years into my corporate career to become a political comedian. And everybody thought, oh, that's really cute.

That's really neat. 25-year-old kid's going to become a political comedian. You know you won't make it. Oh, hell, nobody really makes it. Oh, you're doing open mic nights. Oh, you're doing $100 gigs. Well, good luck. Call us when you need your job back. That's kind of how it went. And I say, no, fuck you. I'm not going to allow it. I'm going to treat this as a business.

That's really neat. 25-year-old kid's going to become a political comedian. You know you won't make it. Oh, hell, nobody really makes it. Oh, you're doing open mic nights. Oh, you're doing $100 gigs. Well, good luck. Call us when you need your job back. That's kind of how it went. And I say, no, fuck you. I'm not going to allow it. I'm going to treat this as a business.

And so you do $100 gigs until you can do $300 gigs. And you do $300 gigs until you're doing $500 gigs. And then always worked at creating the act and putting the show together. And go back to your room afterward and sit down. It's 930 at night. You're sweating. You just walked off stage. You're in front of a crowd. Everybody was drunk. You hadn't had a drop.

And so you do $100 gigs until you can do $300 gigs. And you do $300 gigs until you're doing $500 gigs. And then always worked at creating the act and putting the show together. And go back to your room afterward and sit down. It's 930 at night. You're sweating. You just walked off stage. You're in front of a crowd. Everybody was drunk. You hadn't had a drop.

You finally have your first beer at 930 at night. You start writing down notes. That bit I did about the Great Wall of China sure works. I've always treated it like a business. I treat this like a business. I treat speaking in front of an agricultural audience, and Corey's been in one of my audiences, as a business. Yeah, it's a show. Yeah, it's funny. Yeah, we want it to be laughing and all that.

You finally have your first beer at 930 at night. You start writing down notes. That bit I did about the Great Wall of China sure works. I've always treated it like a business. I treat this like a business. I treat speaking in front of an agricultural audience, and Corey's been in one of my audiences, as a business. Yeah, it's a show. Yeah, it's funny. Yeah, we want it to be laughing and all that.

They don't need to treat it like a business. They're the audience. Right. I need to treat it like a business. And that's, I think, the important thing, whether it's creating a podcast or an act on a stage. Yeah. First off, running it like a business and also treating it like a product. This is a product. Farm for Profit is a product. Yeah. And it's a product that you want to be consumed. Yeah.

They don't need to treat it like a business. They're the audience. Right. I need to treat it like a business. And that's, I think, the important thing, whether it's creating a podcast or an act on a stage. Yeah. First off, running it like a business and also treating it like a product. This is a product. Farm for Profit is a product. Yeah. And it's a product that you want to be consumed. Yeah.

And you want it to be sponsorable. Mm-hmm. And you want it to have value. And as long as you always look at yourself as a product, he's Corey. He's a farmer. But in this regard, he's a product that teamed up with Tanner. And the other delay.

And you want it to be sponsorable. Mm-hmm. And you want it to have value. And as long as you always look at yourself as a product, he's Corey. He's a farmer. But in this regard, he's a product that teamed up with Tanner. And the other delay.

The being funny was the work. The being funny was going to the gym. the pressure was the money. You know, there's people that, I guess if you're on a trust fund, which I have no idea what that would be like, and you just get a stipend every month from grandpa's trust fund, you can endeavor into whatever you want. There's all kinds of people that endeavor into creative ventures.

The being funny was the work. The being funny was going to the gym. the pressure was the money. You know, there's people that, I guess if you're on a trust fund, which I have no idea what that would be like, and you just get a stipend every month from grandpa's trust fund, you can endeavor into whatever you want. There's all kinds of people that endeavor into creative ventures.

Oh, we all know the rich kid that's in a band. Yeah, well, you've made less money this year in your band than, like, Corey sold a few stray soybeans and whatever. So I looked at it as... The funny part, I was a funny kid growing up. I'm the youngest of a big family. How many? My timing was good. Nine. I'm the ninth. Wow. And so I had to be funny to get attention. I was funny in school.

Oh, we all know the rich kid that's in a band. Yeah, well, you've made less money this year in your band than, like, Corey sold a few stray soybeans and whatever. So I looked at it as... The funny part, I was a funny kid growing up. I'm the youngest of a big family. How many? My timing was good. Nine. I'm the ninth. Wow. And so I had to be funny to get attention. I was funny in school.

And I wasn't worried about the funny. I remember when I started selling the act, doing $100, $200, $300 gigs, and I talked to some agent. He says, look, what's your act? You know, you got these real cheese, you know, like Chicago style. Yeah, so yeah, I'm an agent. And it was before the internet. Yeah, so what's your act? I said, well, I come in and act like Bill Clinton. I say funny stuff.

And I wasn't worried about the funny. I remember when I started selling the act, doing $100, $200, $300 gigs, and I talked to some agent. He says, look, what's your act? You know, you got these real cheese, you know, like Chicago style. Yeah, so yeah, I'm an agent. And it was before the internet. Yeah, so what's your act? I said, well, I come in and act like Bill Clinton. I say funny stuff.

Like, what do you say? I said, I say funny things. And then for like 10 minutes, then I take photos. Like, what? I said... Give me a live audience and I'll show you. I didn't actually have an act written up. When I first started, I came in and said funny things. Then I started working on an outline of creating it. Boom, boom, boom. The pressure was for the revenue.

Like, what do you say? I said, I say funny things. And then for like 10 minutes, then I take photos. Like, what? I said... Give me a live audience and I'll show you. I didn't actually have an act written up. When I first started, I came in and said funny things. Then I started working on an outline of creating it. Boom, boom, boom. The pressure was for the revenue.

The pressure wasn't that I couldn't be funny for five minutes because starting out, nobody expects you to have a 50-minute set. You grow to a 50-minute set, but you start with a five-minute set.

The pressure wasn't that I couldn't be funny for five minutes because starting out, nobody expects you to have a 50-minute set. You grow to a 50-minute set, but you start with a five-minute set.

There you go. And then the headliner's a 50-minute set, 45-minute set, maybe an hour. Yeah, your middle act, and then your setup guy that's the opener, host, whatever. And I didn't do clubs a lot. I decided that I did clubs, but club audiences are stupid. They're not as bright.

There you go. And then the headliner's a 50-minute set, 45-minute set, maybe an hour. Yeah, your middle act, and then your setup guy that's the opener, host, whatever. And I didn't do clubs a lot. I decided that I did clubs, but club audiences are stupid. They're not as bright.

and you get treated poorly, and they don't want to pay. And if you can do a corporate crowd, if you can be clean, if you can be a little bit intelligent, and having a corporate background, I had been in those corporate sales meetings. You've been to these sales meetings. You can be funny and clean and a little bit more intelligent. You can get paid way better.

and you get treated poorly, and they don't want to pay. And if you can do a corporate crowd, if you can be clean, if you can be a little bit intelligent, and having a corporate background, I had been in those corporate sales meetings. You've been to these sales meetings. You can be funny and clean and a little bit more intelligent. You can get paid way better.

And then when you get done, they come up and give you a beer. You work a comedy club. You want a beer and you get done. They charge you for it.

And then when you get done, they come up and give you a beer. You work a comedy club. You want a beer and you get done. They charge you for it.

Maybe. Corey, let's be honest. Have you ever really paid for a book? Yeah, a few.

Maybe. Corey, let's be honest. Have you ever really paid for a book? Yeah, a few.

And you're in the minority if you're a farmer who reads a book. Because I get after my farm friends. I ain't got time to read. It's in my ear. I do the books on tape. Books on tape. That's a big time saver. Yep.

And you're in the minority if you're a farmer who reads a book. Because I get after my farm friends. I ain't got time to read. It's in my ear. I do the books on tape. Books on tape. That's a big time saver. Yep.

After the fourth version of the same song over, I can't imagine how you wouldn't be ready for something different.

After the fourth version of the same song over, I can't imagine how you wouldn't be ready for something different.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So there's a neat thing here. I mean, we don't know each other that well, but I'm very frank about this. The bad part about comedy... I enjoyed my comedy career. You get... Comedy gets probably the least amount of respect. If you said, I pump out portable shithouses, or I'm a comedian, the portable shithouse pumper probably gets more respect than the comedian. And it's, or, oh, you're a comedian?

So there's a neat thing here. I mean, we don't know each other that well, but I'm very frank about this. The bad part about comedy... I enjoyed my comedy career. You get... Comedy gets probably the least amount of respect. If you said, I pump out portable shithouses, or I'm a comedian, the portable shithouse pumper probably gets more respect than the comedian. And it's, or, oh, you're a comedian?

Oh, say something funny. And, you know, do you do this to your, do you do this to the asphalt, I run an asphalt paving company. Yeah, come paint my driveway for free. So that's the tough part about comedy. It's almost, it jades you a little bit because you don't get, it's like, man, this is my job. And it's not just me and like, oh, Damon's kind of got a hard-ass personality.

Oh, say something funny. And, you know, do you do this to your, do you do this to the asphalt, I run an asphalt paving company. Yeah, come paint my driveway for free. So that's the tough part about comedy. It's almost, it jades you a little bit because you don't get, it's like, man, this is my job. And it's not just me and like, oh, Damon's kind of got a hard-ass personality.

Steve Martin talks about it in his book, Born Standing Up. He was at the highest level. And if your listeners are like 25, look up Google Steve Martin. That'd be Rachel. That's true. Steve Martin, very famous, still does acting, planes, trains, automobiles, Saturday Night Live. You can go on and on and on. But he was a stage act before he was all that.

Steve Martin talks about it in his book, Born Standing Up. He was at the highest level. And if your listeners are like 25, look up Google Steve Martin. That'd be Rachel. That's true. Steve Martin, very famous, still does acting, planes, trains, automobiles, Saturday Night Live. You can go on and on and on. But he was a stage act before he was all that.

He started as a kid performing at Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California, which is like a poor man's Disneyland, right? He talks about in his book when he hit the zenith of his success as a stage act in the 70s, how he was offended that they didn't have more respect for what he had created, that the people in the upper deck were drunk and yelling and screaming.

He started as a kid performing at Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California, which is like a poor man's Disneyland, right? He talks about in his book when he hit the zenith of his success as a stage act in the 70s, how he was offended that they didn't have more respect for what he had created, that the people in the upper deck were drunk and yelling and screaming.

It took him a lot to realize, well, they're the customer and they paid, so whatever. But he took it very personally that there was not more respect for his craft and his creation. And I can understand that because comedy doesn't get much respect. So I know this is a long answer to your short question, I was not, like, he talks about, he's like, I knew then that I had to get out of the stage act.

It took him a lot to realize, well, they're the customer and they paid, so whatever. But he took it very personally that there was not more respect for his craft and his creation. And I can understand that because comedy doesn't get much respect. So I know this is a long answer to your short question, I was not, like, he talks about, he's like, I knew then that I had to get out of the stage act.

He's like, at first I was very lonely. You know, you're on stage in front of a thousand people, and then they don't respect, you know, they're screaming and yelling. Yeah, you make a bunch of money. You go back to your room, you're still wound up. And it takes you four hours to calm down and come off that high.

He's like, at first I was very lonely. You know, you're on stage in front of a thousand people, and then they don't respect, you know, they're screaming and yelling. Yeah, you make a bunch of money. You go back to your room, you're still wound up. And it takes you four hours to calm down and come off that high.

And all you're thinking is, didn't actually listen to my, I worked for a year on that bit. And they didn't even listen. So there's a little bit of that. So there's a side where I was not eager to get away from comedy, but to be not known as a comedian. Because when you walk into the sales meeting, oh, you're the comedian. Oh, you're the comedian.

And all you're thinking is, didn't actually listen to my, I worked for a year on that bit. And they didn't even listen. So there's a little bit of that. So there's a side where I was not eager to get away from comedy, but to be not known as a comedian. Because when you walk into the sales meeting, oh, you're the comedian. Oh, you're the comedian.

And then you're always like, okay, what's that mean? Right. What's the expectation for that? And sometimes it's very disrespectful, and I'm not being in any way overly sensitive. I get it. I got paid. So there was that growth. And the other part of it is the growth. Yeah.

And then you're always like, okay, what's that mean? Right. What's the expectation for that? And sometimes it's very disrespectful, and I'm not being in any way overly sensitive. I get it. I got paid. So there was that growth. And the other part of it is the growth. Yeah.

Evolution, you know, you evolve in your career, and I looked at it as, yeah, how about the guy that speaks that is a former comedian and can still be funny? And also, because there's another thing that happens with comedy, People don't think you're smart. My comedy actor was very specialized. I used to dress up as Bill Clinton. I was a Bill Clinton impersonator.

Evolution, you know, you evolve in your career, and I looked at it as, yeah, how about the guy that speaks that is a former comedian and can still be funny? And also, because there's another thing that happens with comedy, People don't think you're smart. My comedy actor was very specialized. I used to dress up as Bill Clinton. I was a Bill Clinton impersonator.

Put on fat padding, makeup, gray hair, and come in and talk like Bill Clinton. Hey, how you doing? How would you like to occupy a position on my personal staff? You know, whatever. Innuendo jokes and this kind of thing.

Put on fat padding, makeup, gray hair, and come in and talk like Bill Clinton. Hey, how you doing? How would you like to occupy a position on my personal staff? You know, whatever. Innuendo jokes and this kind of thing.

The thing is, I would get done doing a show, guys, and then people would come up there and post their pictures. That's something we always did. And they'd say, you know, you're really funny, but you're actually kind of smart. Yeah. Do you realize how damn degrading that is, what you just said?

The thing is, I would get done doing a show, guys, and then people would come up there and post their pictures. That's something we always did. And they'd say, you know, you're really funny, but you're actually kind of smart. Yeah. Do you realize how damn degrading that is, what you just said?

You evolve in your career, and I looked at it as, yeah, how about the guy that speaks that is a former comedian and can still be funny? And also, because there's another thing that happens with comedy, people don't think you're smart. My comedy actor was very smart. I used to dress up as Bill Clinton. I was a Bill Clinton impersonator.

You're funny, but you're actually kind of smart. Yeah. So growth away from that was such that I guess it was maybe a little bit of personal pride and also shelf life. I don't know. Don't you all have that experience where the person is up there and they're still clinging on to what they started their career doing? Oh, yeah. And you have a little bit of...

Somewhere between empathy and then also sympathy and then also now disgust.

Rodgers. Right. Yeah. Rodgers.

And you don't want to be that person that was – Unwilling or worse yet, unable to hang up the cleats. And so I guess I looked at it as growth. Then I became the ag comedy guy. And that's a hell of a change from being a political comedian to being a guy that does ag.

So if I go to Corey's, you know, Hogan Meyer seed sales meeting and I'm funny and I make a couple of points about ag and I'm funny and funny and funny. That's a pretty big, you know.

sea change from doing political comedy which you know there's another thing you talk about growth I knew that political comedy had a shelf life because it was me dressed up as Bill Clinton what people probably didn't realize is I needed to get out of political comedy altogether because look around there's so much of a chasm between this side or that side and there's so much hostility so getting out of comedy was really also I got I talk about in one of my business books you get typecast

You know, you get typecast. And I've used this on stage before to illustrate something. I'm like, put up a picture of Larry the Cable Guy. Yep. Raise your hand if you don't know who this is. And then everybody, you know, nobody raises their hand. I said, pretty funny. Yeah. Name him. Larry the Cable Guy. Yep.

If Larry the Cable Guy comes in here and wants to give you advice on investing, you laugh just at the very thought of it. Yeah. He's completely typecast. Yeah. I was in danger of being typecast as the guy who was Bill Clinton impersonator comedian for So I had to make a pretty big sea change to go and do that.

And then I didn't want to be, oh, he's also now the ag comedy guy because I'm like, I got pretty well one-trick ponied before. I don't want to be one-trick ponied into that. So that's why I started in 2012, made a concerted effort, be like, yeah, I'm funny, but also we're going to make these points about the future of agriculture. What? Yeah. I read the Wall Street every day.

I've read hundreds of business books, and I've got a degree in agricultural economics. We're going to talk about some issues in this industry as well as be funny. That was really me not forcing it on to any clients but selling it, and that's where the growth came because I guess I've been conditioned – trained and now scared of ever looking like you're going to get treated as the one-trick pony.

A little bit. I mean, you know, growing up out on the farm, we didn't like have HBO or anything. I watched Carol Burnett show variety shows where, uh, when the seventies, uh, and I always thought I could do that or Saturday night live or Benny Hill, you know, Benny Hill reruns on the independent channel out of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

And when I'm, you know, 14 years old and you can only watch it during the summer because it came on at 10 o'clock at night and God knows you couldn't stay up until 10 30 during the school year. Um, So, I mean, I always was inspired by that kind of thing. Certainly, I never was taken to a club or saw much in the way of speakers or humorists or anything.

We'd go to ag meetings, but it was like the local equipment dealership to give you a ham sandwich. And they'd play a video about the latest Case IH tractor or something like that. The motivation was creativity and compensation. And I think that's the part that if you're a farm person, you pride yourself on your work ethic.

Maybe some farm people give themselves more credit for work ethic than they really deserve. But I never was afraid of the work. And I was more concerned if I stayed with this corporation, compensation and advance would be more predicated on my ability to politic. Versus my ability to perform. And that obviously is, I'm sure, a very common lament among anybody in corporate.

So the compensation and the creativity was the driving force to quit and do this. Yeah, as far as looking at people... I think there's some really good performers out there, and there's some that aren't.

Obviously, Larry the Cable Guy, the problem is I looked at that, and when he got his rise, when I was already making the adjustment to not be Bill Clinton anymore, and I'm like, and that dude's going to have the same problem as me. Graham with another comma in the earnings, probably. Sure, maybe. Hopefully. I don't know. Yeah.

Talking about Shaquille O'Neal, any of these people, now you can say, oh, he wouldn't have had to do anything. He wouldn't have. Okay, you just take his Orlando Magic revenue, and then it was a Laker, and then he was somewhere else in between. I don't remember. Was he a Houston?

Miami Heat, probably. So anyway, if you just took the contract from any of those three or four NBA teams that he played for, it would be certainly more than anybody else that's listening to this show's career earnings. Probably. I'm not in any way being insulting. But the desire to keep doing something and refreshing it

that then keeps it so you can get an icy hot commercial, that then makes it so you can then get in line for this. And then, because of your staying out there and staying sharp and not letting yourself go, you get invited to the meeting where they're talking about pooling investments to do this. So I mean, when you think about that,

It'd be a lot easier to do nothing, but, I mean, it's clearly not just about the money at this point. He's probably also in a similar thing where he said, I don't want to be typecast as just the big, dumb guy that couldn't make free throws.

So the point is, if you don't put yourself out there in a, and granted, you need to be known and you need to be known as being proficient at something in that regard. So you don't want to be to where you're all over the place and you don't have something. But then, like you say, when you get, typecasts can be a lot of things. I use the showbiz example.

When you just use the farmer example, it can go to a lot of businesses. If it gets to where they think that you don't have breadth or range, it's the same thing.

Then remember the final one is always going to funerals. Yeah. We'd like to not quite get there.

Probably a private event. There was three. I had three gigs lined up when I quit my job. With an average of probably $600 or $700 of actual gig money. So I had like two grand of revenue lined up when I quit my job. And I remember a lot of people saying, good God, aren't you concerned about this? I said, well, I've got some Purdue money to pay back. I got a loan. I got a car payment.

I said, you know what? I bartended when I was at college. I said, if I can't If my act doesn't sell, I'll just grab a few nights at some tavern and make a little cash that way. So it became a sales thing. It becomes a thing of, again, running a business. You work on the act and you work on the creativity, but you've got to also sit at the desk and make phone calls and then keep a file.

So all that stuff that my wife gave me a wonderful compliment when she worked in corporate. She hasn't for 10 years. She works with me. She says, you know, I'm in a sales role, and I said, everything I know about selling, I've learned from you. I didn't get trained. I said, wait a minute. She says, you've got a follow-up file.

You have a prospect file, and you have an actual follow-up file, and you date stuff, and you take notes about it, and then you vary how you reach out to these people. Phone call, then an email, then a postcard, then all this. It really was that way with the Clinton thing way back when, and it's probably the same as anything. It's

managing it as a business, but also making sure that you do the outreach.

Yeah. We've already established that he's deadbeat who's not here. We've already established that. He's working. He's going to love that.

All right, so I get in trouble because, you know, I'm an ag guy, obviously, and I work in agriculture, and I've got listeners that are. We have listeners that we share, whatever. I mean, obviously, I take the more business side. I have probably a lot more people that work in industry, and you have more people that are actually in the production side. I get in trouble because I say, you know what?

why do we have to go through this fire drill every time there's a downturn when we know that USDA policy, since the 80s, has always stepped up and thrown money at ag? And then farm people get very bristly. Well, that doesn't make us whole. You don't understand. You're not a real farmer. You don't understand my expense structure. Yada, yada, blah, blah, blah. I'm not being mean. I'm being honest.

40 years. And he was on my show. And he says, you know what? USDA policy since the 80s. We haven't allowed people to just have a big washout. There's going to be some prop up. So, yeah, we're in a downturn. But unless history for the last 37 years isn't accurate, there's going to be programs that swing in here. There's going to be consolidation. We're at the FarmCon conference. We just saw this.

We've got people in here that farm 20,000 acres. They're looking to expand. There's going to be consolidation. We just saw a graph. I think you might have been in the room. It said 89,000 in 2022, so three years ago. 89,000 farms of the 2 million produced 75% of all the dollar value of crops. It's probably down to less than 80,000.

Okay. So that was the projection. Even lower. I think that was the projection for like by 2030. Okay. Either way, we're in that 45 to 75, whatever number. The point is that's going to continue. And the consolidation has been going on since the 1930s. We hit peak farm in 1935 with like 8 million farms. And now we're down to less than 2. And of the 2 million that we have, again, 50,000 of them are

cranking out three-quarters of the stuff. I'm not being mean. I'm being honest. USDA policy still favors small farms. The New York Times won't tell you that because the NPR says, oh, and all these bailouts go to factory farms, whatever that means because it's just a meaningless term they came up with. In general, USDA always puts caps. Yeah.

It can't take more than a certain amount, so it favors smaller operators. You can be a smaller operator. You can be that person that farms 400 acres, has a job in town. You're probably going to be able to play some USDA policy, get your crop insurance, do all that, make money. What I think the big picture is...

My big predictions are, Tanner and Corey, that I think we're going to start seeing a shift. And it could be the RFK influencer. It could be the media, social media influence. We've been focused on quantity for 100 years. And by God, we figured it out. We have mountains, literally mountains of corn and soybeans and wheat and name the commodity.

I think there's going to be a push to nutrient density and nutrient content where we pay not just 56 pounds for number two yellow corn. It's going to be, what's the protein content in there? Can it be grown regeneratively? What's the carbon associated with that? You know, and that CI score and all those kind of things. There's going to be those attachments to it because why wouldn't there be?

We've got production mastered. And someone says, yeah, but you're crazy. You sound like one of the organic guys. No, I'll give you a better example. From the Model T 20 years ago with Henry Ford, where it was an affordable black. Remember, it was his old joke. You can have any color Model T you want. Yeah, as long as it's black. As long as it's black. Well, are we still there?

No, because we mastered the ability to produce a car, a simple means of transportation. And so now it became a Model T, then another model, then a model that has electric locks and power brakes and air conditioning and now navigational control and all that. So why wouldn't our food do that? And that's where food's going to go.

So if you use the Model T to today, we were challenged to make bushels of corn and corn The same time Model Ts were a challenge to make an affordable car. We're not there now. That's where food's going to go, I believe.

I believe we're going to get more into nutrient quality, nutrient density, the environmental aspect of it, what's your carbon-associated, carbon intensity score associated with it, regenerative practices, traceability, I think, comes into this space, and nutrition. Rather than lamenting that, if you're a producer, you should look at it as a chance to value add. Get to it.

Look at a chance just like Ford looks at it as a chance to say, we know that everybody doesn't want this. By golly, we can charge a premium and we make more money on the... whatever the ad on it is.

So if you use the tractor as an example, Tanner, and you look at the farming, and I know that, again, a lot of times farmers bristle at some of this, Why wouldn't you look at, first off, it's coming. I mean, unless I just am dead wrong, which I don't think I am, this movement's coming, and it's going to be about nutrient density, quality.

You know, the food story is going to evolve into, is it regeneratively raised? Did your llama come out and blessed by a rabbi and poop on the strawberries? I mean, whatever. that story is. If you can make money out of it, what the hell difference does it make? You should do it because the ability to produce a bushel of corn or make a Model T, we've got that mastered long ago.

That's where I think things are going. I got another prediction a lot of people don't like to hear, but I don't see any way around it. Eventually, the federal monies are going to get more scrutinized. We're obviously in a very urban and suburban population. We've got less than 17% of the population lives in rural, less than 1% of us farm.

There's going to start to be a little bit of, I believe, more scrutiny on this. And with that scrutiny might start coming the cries of... Water.

Put on fat padding, makeup, gray hair, and come in and talk like Bill Clinton. Hey, how you doing? How'd you like to occupy a position on my personal staff? You know, whatever. Innuendo jokes and this kind of thing. Hey, Monica. The thing is, I would get done doing a show, guys, and then people would come up there and post their pictures. That's something we always did.

Why are we growing corn in eastern Colorado and in the panhandle of Texas when they get four inches of annual precipitation when we already have more than enough corn where you're from and where I'm from in Iowa or Illinois or whatever, Indiana, whatever that should be. So I think there's going to be a little more scrutiny. And I actually see a decrease in farmed acres. Marginal land will revert.

I did a video about that, and boy, people got mad. I think they believed I was insulting their property. I said, if you're highly erodible, rocky, rough, low productivity, or require water in a water-sensitive, depleted area, and I just named several of those places that are, I think that that land reverts to maybe CRP, maybe grazing, hunting-type property. We don't need it.

Corey, I'm in Alberta doing a gig, and there's cornfields, and I'm talking like getting close to... Edmonton. Yeah. Who the hell thought you should grow corn up there? So they're doing it because the incentive is there, and I think that that incentive is going to start to go away. I mean, we also heard about government programs here. We heard about the chunk of money being tossed at agriculture.

Well, that just creates more incentive to create surplus for something that we – I just was in a discussion yesterday, and I'm going to be covering this more – I remember the 80s and government cheese, where there was so much dairy product, the government then decided to help the dairy farmers by buying up the surplus milk and then making this really crappy, not good cheese.

And then they gave it to the schools. And they gave it, if you were poor, welfare, whatever, you gave the cheese. By God, if you... All you had to do is walk down a sidewalk and somebody was going to give you cheese. It was about that bad in the 80s. They had so much of it, they were like storing it in caves.

Well, I know you, and it seems to me your podcast probably is about the same age as mine. So going before that, I began the Business of Agriculture show. I'm in my eighth year, maybe close to starting my ninth, 380 episodes. And I knew about you guys. You knew about me. And it's a small fraternity. I... I find it interesting that people sometimes get competitive. I keep things generally friendly.

It's finer with time. Well, it certainly wouldn't have gotten worse because you had government cheese in the 80s. But here's what I'm saying. Are we going to do this with corn? A year from now, we're going to be in a situation where, yeah, we're still paying farmers because we want to keep them in business. But we've got all this corn. Yeah, we're stuffing it in caves.

It's right next to the government cheese. At some point, there's got to be some give.

And also you've got to battle the humidity. You're dealing with more rust and fungus because of the weather conditions.

So imagine since you're in Iowa... Because you have such a propensity to create huge corn and soybean crops, let's say. But then the person that's in a little bit, I don't know, named somewhere that's certainly in Iowa, I don't know, maybe Southern Ohio or something like this. Maybe then they have the ability, closer to a population center, to sell...

With antigen.

Yeah. But I see that happening for at least the human. Then it's, okay, this is cow corn. This is ethanol corn. Right. This is corn that ends up in Doritos.

Yeah. But it's not quite at scale where it could be for as much corn as wheat. Right. In the center of the store kind of stuff, in a bag or in a box. Yeah. You know, the stuff that doesn't go through a pig to become human consumable makes you wonder if that's where we go. And then they say, oh, so we're going to put another 40 cents on that.

There's another 40 cents on that human corn that Corey's going to grow because there's a place in Waterloo that's now processing non-GMO, not corn for ethanol, and it's going for...

There's a few people that have been real dicks to me in this space, and so I reciprocate accordingly. Well, when you work in agriculture, you've got to realize there's a pretty small sorority out here, man. You keep pissing in the stream, eventually you're going to be one downstream yourself. So I think it's important to not do that. To your audience, my name is Damian Mason.

I can't read. I don't think so. That thing for Hogan Meyer went very well.

Anyway, we'll get it. Well, you know what happens in the – And again, maybe you get a little jaded on this. Having done the stage for so long, then people decide that they want to be degrading online. It wasn't you, I'm sure. There's probably someone that wanted to pop off.

We used to have a thing on Twitter where it was people would go on there and anything I pointed out about industry going on is that I'm stupid and I've never really farmed, which is not true. I was out there from the time I was eight farming. And so... That's where I got real gun shy about.

Anybody that so much just decided they're going to just pop off, I'm like, all right, first of all, I know who you are, and this thing that I don't know what I'm talking about. So I did go through a while where I did a lot of blocking people.

Now, I remember you guys hollering at me about an event. Now, since we're going ahead and we're doing, this is like Festivus. Oh, yeah. The airing of grievances. There we go. There we go. So, you know, and for your young listeners, go back. You have to Google that also, Festivus. A famous Seinfeld episode from the 1990s. I still love watching reruns.

Crazy Frank Costanza because he was tired of the commercialization or the religiosity of traditional holidays. decided to create his own holiday, Festivus, where they put up an aluminum pole and two of the tenants of Festivus were Feats of strength and airing of grievances, which is funny. I was raised in a very conflict-oriented household.

We had airing of grievances, not just on every holiday, but on every day. So since I need to unblock you, you've got to apologize.

No, no, no, no.

Really? We stole him? Yeah. You scooped me right out of that. Oh, wow. See, now they're getting a mention, so they're going to say, I'm really glad that we did this right here because we're saying, man, those Farm for Profit guys are helping me sell more on farm accounting.

Certainly with the companies, I would play it nice. Yeah, there's a few individuals in the space that...

They just decided, I don't know, it's a little bit like I was out here for a long time, so I think I had a target on my back because, you know, I was like, hey, I want to make a name for myself out here as being an ag personality, so I'm going to go ahead and try and harpoon this dude that's in front of me because I've been around a long time, man. That's the thing.

You know, you just start realizing longevity. 31 years. I mean, my 31st year of this. Back in the old days of political comedy, I can start naming clients that are now not even in business. It's like Montgomery Ward or something. Naming old corporate names that we might know from our childhood. Like, oh, yeah, that was a client. They're gone.

Some of them might know me from the Business of Agriculture show. Again, it's been out now for 380 episodes, and we release it every Monday, so it's an every weekly show. I speak at agricultural events. That's sort of the— the ship that drove the fleet for a long time. I'm a farm kid from Northeastern Indiana.

And you know they got absorbed probably. We had the... There's a Parker gravity wagon in my hay loft. The wheels are off it. The running gear is off it. It's up there. It's on blocks. And it was the feed bin when I had cattle. It was there when I bought the property. have a feed truck come in, auger up 5,000 pounds into it, and then use it with buckets. And every time I look at that, we had

Two of those Parker-type gravity wagons in the 70s on my farm, I think they were maybe 100-bushel grain cars. So what's a combine's grain hopper? 400-bushel now? Yeah, 400. So you didn't need four of those little boogers just to do one dump. It all seems so quaint and old compared to modern stuff. So it's funny you talk about the Parker thing.

I'm going to be a lot of places. I'm here next week. I'm going to Missouri for a group. I'm going to Chris Barron's conference in three weeks down, and he has an executive summit that I'm going to be in February, bumping out a lot. I've also got a new show called The Granary. So if you like farm for profit and you like agricultural stuff, I encourage you to check out my show, The Granary.

It's with my friends from Extreme Ag. It's shot – On my farm, in my on-farm tavern, an old converted granary that we've got the keg box and we've got the table. And we sit there and we talk about real issues affecting agriculture. So that's kind of a cool thing. You can find that on YouTube. Just type in Extreme Ag in the Granary. I'm speaking at conferences.

and I've got the granary show, and I've got my business of agriculture show, and then all of a sudden we hit spring. The winter always just flies. I end up then having a few weeks in Arizona with no travel, and then it's time to go back to the farm. So it's the way that always works. Yeah. I appreciate you guys having me on. That's fun.

I was raised on a basic Midwestern dairy farm of its era who milked 60 cows and farmed some Five or 600 acres of mostly rented ground. Didn't come from a very well-off farming background. My dad actually was raised on other people's farms milking cows as a herdsman's son. So that's the deal. I live in Huntington.

I think you should. I think cathartic is a word, where it's somewhere between cleansing and also gets your soul feeling better about yourself. Yeah. No, we're all just coming together.

Oh, geez.

I appreciate this, and I hope your listeners, you know, I mean, I want Ag to have a good year every year. 25 is going to be a little bit of a challenge, but I think there's – I think there's going to be some adjustments made, and there always have been. You know, we've been in this business our whole lives. Adjustments come, adjustments go, and we're still here.

So I think that there's going to be a little bit of – I think it's just going to be a way you think. That's what I guess – you know, if I was going to leave something with an agriculture person, I think it's going to really favor the entrepreneurial-minded agricultural producer. And we even saw some of that about personality types on the farm in this presentation in here at FarmCon.

So I think it's going to really start to shine through.

I live a couple miles from where I was raised on a farm that I bought almost 20 years ago. My wife and I renovated it. I actually do own the homeland now since my mom died. And I've got about 300 acres that I own in Indiana. I live in Arizona half the year, which I do not like winter, although I travel to winter.

We're all three looking out the window right now in Kansas City where they had 11 inches of snow and it's still hovering around below 20 right now. So I speak at agricultural meetings. I produce the Business of Agriculture show. And I also work for a group called Extreme Ag. And that's been for about three and a half years now. I produce Cutting the Curve podcast for them.

I show up at events for them like Commodity Classics.

field days that they each have we work with corporate entities doing trials etc and educational information for farmers so keep pretty busy i also have a thing called the business of ag success group every other week on a friday me and about two dozen ag professionals get together for a network i bring on sponsor i bring on i'm sorry guests and we talk about issues impacting agriculture so that's kind of what goes on in my life how do you have time to do it all yeah

Yeah, you know, you guys produce one of these shows, and there's a lot of people, and we all know this, you've already survived it. It's the old thing about most small businesses fail within five years. I don't think most of them fail. I think they just give up. They say, this is a lot of work, so they just stop.

Everybody and their sister, you know, when the whole podcasting thing came about, you know, the dude and two of his stoner buddies would sit in the basement and say, dude, we should have our podcast. And they're good for three. Yeah. And then after the sixth one's like, they're just sitting there, and they don't have an outline. They don't have an actual topic.

And they'd say, you know, you're really funny, but you're actually kind of smart. Yeah. I'm like, do you realize how damn degrading that is, what you just said?

They aren't familiar with telling a story. And so they suck. So I treat it like a business. The good thing about a background in show business is I've always treated this as what other people see as humor, entertainment, oh, kind of a lark. I ran it as a business. So when I quit Corporate America in 1994 to be a comedian, which is how I got in to start,

Purdue Agricultural Economics from the farm, from the farm to Purdue, from Purdue to corporate, not in ag because in 1992 there was no jobs because we're coming out of the bad 80s. I'm a little older than you guys. Then worked in corporate, and then I quit. less than two years into my corporate career to become a political comedian. And everybody thought, oh, that's really cute.

That's really neat. 25-year-old kid's going to become a political comedian. You know you won't make it. Oh, hell, nobody really makes it. Oh, you're doing open mic nights. Oh, you're doing $100 gigs. Well, good luck. Call us when you need your job back. That's kind of how it went. And I say, no, fuck you. I'm not going to allow it. I'm going to treat this as a business.

And so you do $100 gigs until you can do $300 gigs. And you do $300 gigs until you're doing $500 gigs. And then always worked at creating the act and putting the show together. And go back to your room afterward and sit down. It's 930 at night. You're sweating. You just walked off stage. You're in front of a crowd. Everybody was drunk. You hadn't had a drop.

You finally have your first beer at 930 at night. You start writing down notes. That bit I did about the Great Wall of China sure works. I've always treated it like a business. I treat this like a business. I treat speaking in front of an agricultural audience, and Corey's been in one of my audiences, as a business. Yeah, it's a show. Yeah, it's funny. Yeah, we want it to be laughing and all that.

They don't need to treat it like a business. They're the audience. Right. I need to treat it like a business. And that's, I think, the important thing, whether it's creating a podcast or an act on a stage. Yeah. First off, running it like a business and also treating it like a product. This is a product. Farm for Profit is a product. Yeah. And it's a product that you want to be consumed. Yeah.

And you want it to be sponsorable. Mm-hmm. And you want it to have value. And as long as you always look at yourself as a product, he's Corey. He's a farmer. But in this regard, he's a product that teamed up with Tanner. And the other delay.

The being funny was the work. The being funny was going to the gym. the pressure was the money. You know, there's people that, I guess if you're on a trust fund, which I have no idea what that would be like, and you just get a stipend every month from grandpa's trust fund, you can endeavor into whatever you want. There's all kinds of people that endeavor into creative ventures.

Oh, we all know the rich kid that's in a band. Yeah, well, you've made less money this year in your band than, like, Corey sold a few stray soybeans and whatever. So I looked at it as... The funny part, I was a funny kid growing up. I'm the youngest of a big family. How many? My timing was good. Nine. I'm the ninth. Wow. And so I had to be funny to get attention. I was funny in school.

And I wasn't worried about the funny. I remember when I started selling the act, doing $100, $200, $300 gigs, and I talked to some agent. He says, look, what's your act? You know, you got these real cheese, you know, like Chicago style. Yeah, so yeah, I'm an agent. And it was before the internet. Yeah, so what's your act? I said, well, I come in and act like Bill Clinton. I say funny stuff.

Like, what do you say? I said, I say funny things. And then for like 10 minutes, then I take photos. Like, what? I said... Give me a live audience and I'll show you. I didn't actually have an act written up. When I first started, I came in and said funny things. Then I started working on an outline of creating it. Boom, boom, boom. The pressure was for the revenue.

The pressure wasn't that I couldn't be funny for five minutes because starting out, nobody expects you to have a 50-minute set. You grow to a 50-minute set, but you start with a five-minute set.

There you go. And then the headliner's a 50-minute set, 45-minute set, maybe an hour. Yeah, your middle act, and then your setup guy that's the opener, host, whatever. And I didn't do clubs a lot. I decided that I did clubs, but club audiences are stupid. They're not as bright.

and you get treated poorly, and they don't want to pay. And if you can do a corporate crowd, if you can be clean, if you can be a little bit intelligent, and having a corporate background, I had been in those corporate sales meetings. You've been to these sales meetings. You can be funny and clean and a little bit more intelligent. You can get paid way better.

And then when you get done, they come up and give you a beer. You work a comedy club. You want a beer and you get done. They charge you for it.

Maybe. Corey, let's be honest. Have you ever really paid for a book? Yeah, a few.

And you're in the minority if you're a farmer who reads a book. Because I get after my farm friends. I ain't got time to read. It's in my ear. I do the books on tape. Books on tape. That's a big time saver. Yep.

After the fourth version of the same song over, I can't imagine how you wouldn't be ready for something different.

Yeah.

So there's a neat thing here. I mean, we don't know each other that well, but I'm very frank about this. The bad part about comedy... I enjoyed my comedy career. You get... Comedy gets probably the least amount of respect. If you said, I pump out portable shithouses, or I'm a comedian, the portable shithouse pumper probably gets more respect than the comedian. And it's, or, oh, you're a comedian?

Oh, say something funny. And, you know, do you do this to your, do you do this to the asphalt, I run an asphalt paving company. Yeah, come paint my driveway for free. So that's the tough part about comedy. It's almost, it jades you a little bit because you don't get, it's like, man, this is my job. And it's not just me and like, oh, Damon's kind of got a hard-ass personality.

Steve Martin talks about it in his book, Born Standing Up. He was at the highest level. And if your listeners are like 25, look up Google Steve Martin. That'd be Rachel. That's true. Steve Martin, very famous, still does acting, planes, trains, automobiles, Saturday Night Live. You can go on and on and on. But he was a stage act before he was all that.

He started as a kid performing at Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California, which is like a poor man's Disneyland, right? He talks about in his book when he hit the zenith of his success as a stage act in the 70s, how he was offended that they didn't have more respect for what he had created, that the people in the upper deck were drunk and yelling and screaming.

It took him a lot to realize, well, they're the customer and they paid, so whatever. But he took it very personally that there was not more respect for his craft and his creation. And I can understand that because comedy doesn't get much respect. So I know this is a long answer to your short question, I was not, like, he talks about, he's like, I knew then that I had to get out of the stage act.

He's like, at first I was very lonely. You know, you're on stage in front of a thousand people, and then they don't respect, you know, they're screaming and yelling. Yeah, you make a bunch of money. You go back to your room, you're still wound up. And it takes you four hours to calm down and come off that high.

And all you're thinking is, didn't actually listen to my, I worked for a year on that bit. And they didn't even listen. So there's a little bit of that. So there's a side where I was not eager to get away from comedy, but to be not known as a comedian. Because when you walk into the sales meeting, oh, you're the comedian. Oh, you're the comedian.

And then you're always like, okay, what's that mean? Right. What's the expectation for that? And sometimes it's very disrespectful, and I'm not being in any way overly sensitive. I get it. I got paid. So there was that growth. And the other part of it is the growth. Yeah.

Evolution, you know, you evolve in your career, and I looked at it as, yeah, how about the guy that speaks that is a former comedian and can still be funny? And also, because there's another thing that happens with comedy, People don't think you're smart. My comedy actor was very specialized. I used to dress up as Bill Clinton. I was a Bill Clinton impersonator.

Put on fat padding, makeup, gray hair, and come in and talk like Bill Clinton. Hey, how you doing? How would you like to occupy a position on my personal staff? You know, whatever. Innuendo jokes and this kind of thing.

The thing is, I would get done doing a show, guys, and then people would come up there and post their pictures. That's something we always did. And they'd say, you know, you're really funny, but you're actually kind of smart. Yeah. Do you realize how damn degrading that is, what you just said?