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Farm4Profit Podcast

Most Feeders Don’t Have a Roadmap — Time to Fix That

09 Feb 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What challenges do mid-market cattle producers face?

0.335 - 22.285 Corey Hillebo

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22.565 - 30.055 Corey Hillebo

Offered by FBN Finance and its lending partners. NMLS ID 163-1119. Terms and restrictions apply.

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30.305 - 37.231 David Whitaker

Hey, Corey, remember that time you tried to get me to eat alligator? Yeah, at Buzzard Billy's in Des Moines. Yeah, that's right.

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37.371 - 45.839 Corey Hillebo

That's where it was. It's a great place to go, especially if you're going to be at the Casey Center or the Iowa Events Center or one of these farm shows, trade shows that are hitting up Des Moines, because it's just right across the street.

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45.859 - 54.227 Corey Hillebo

Yeah, we know we've got a lot of listeners that are probably going to one of the farm shows or maybe even, heck, state wrestling, state basketball, all the events that are going on down there, even Whitetail Classic. Great cocktails.

Chapter 2: How did Balance4Ward originate and what is its mission?

54.407 - 60.312 Corey Hillebo

Yeah, I was going to say one of the best burgers. You never miss when you go to Buzzard Billy's. Walk across the street and let them know that Farm for Profits is here.

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60.292 - 87.649 Tanner Winterhof

If you're going to build a business, you really don't do that. You actually grow people and then they grow the business. And I had to quit throwing stuff against the wall and quit making all the decisions myself and had to, I mean, it really rocked my world when I had to figure out how to look at things completely different and let go of all the control and let other people make more mistakes.

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90.667 - 106.009 Todd Drake

Ladies and gentlemen, farmers, ranchers, and distinguished guests, thank you for listening to the Farm for Profit podcast, where we discuss the latest ideas, methods, trends, and techniques available to help your farm achieve higher levels of farm profitability.

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106.109 - 122.71 Todd Drake

For Profit podcast, where we discuss the latest ideas, methods, trends, and techniques available to help your farm achieve higher levels of farm profitability. Remember, if you aren't farming for profit, you won't be farming for long.

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132.927 - 143.968 Corey Hillebo

Welcome back to the podcast. Tanner, Corey, Dave, all sitting here in studio. And I can't remember the last day that we haven't had any wind. It's windy out there. It is not windy out there.

144.469 - 146.773 David Whitaker

Yesterday was like one of the windiest days.

Chapter 3: Why do traditional cattle feeding models fail producers?

146.953 - 165.443 Corey Hillebo

Right. Every day has been windy. Today, there's been no wind. Oh, I suppose. I felt like it was not windy the day before last. Isn't that just kind of the way it goes, though? Because I remember specifically saying the Midwest thing of like, you know, if it was windier, it'd be really cold. But this ain't too bad.

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165.423 - 167.748 David Whitaker

You just got to give the positive on the back.

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167.768 - 171.456 Corey Hillebo

Yeah. It was like, it was pretty dang cold, but like, man, boy, if it was windy, this would suck.

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171.596 - 183.361 David Whitaker

It blew over my new patio set and it had like a nice cover. And I thought I'm going to be the good homeowner and actually put the cover on it, put the ratchet strap on it. Well, she all tipped over now. It just tipped over as a group this time.

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Chapter 4: What is the Cattle Business Systems approach?

183.741 - 204.63 Corey Hillebo

That's yeah. That's true. That's not the way you want to go about it. I didn't think that's the way you were going to go with your story either. We're going to talk cattle today. It's always a popular request from you as listeners. You're sending those requests via connect at Farm for Profit or you're sending them to 515-207-9640. Always appreciate that feedback.

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205.391 - 221.803 Corey Hillebo

We talked about cattle with our new hire, Cody, during his episode right at the beginning of the year. And he's been catching a lot of flack for calving in January. Yeah, when I was scheduling that post, I was like, there's not much here. But I'm like, maybe people do care about when people calve. And apparently they do.

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221.883 - 223.088 David Whitaker

Well, he's got show cattle, though.

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224.603 - 225.324 Corey Hillebo

Well, yeah.

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Chapter 5: What practical value does advisory and coaching add to cattle feeding?

225.564 - 233.917 David Whitaker

They're looking for timing. They're looking for weight. They're looking for size. They're looking for a very specific kind of... We got a text message to the hotline in 4861.

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234.018 - 249.902 Corey Hillebo

It said, hey, Farm for Profit guys. It didn't sound like the way I started it. It's spelled correctly. I want to meet you guys. Where can I do that? I said, oh, yeah? Because, you know, that sounds kind of sketchy to begin with. I almost sent them to your house. Yeah.

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250.237 - 261.672 Corey Hillebo

Well, this week we'll be in Louisville at National Farm Machinery Show, and then we'll be down in San Antonio at Commodity Classic here at the end of the month. So that's a couple places.

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Chapter 6: How does Balance4Ward integrate data, people, and experience?

261.793 - 279.621 Corey Hillebo

We're always at Farm Progress Show, I feel like. Yeah. Throughout several field day harvest days. Yeah, throughout the summer. So, yeah, come check us out. But thanks for sending those messages because we can tell you when you text in like that, we can get right back to you, let you know where we're going to be. Always happy to meet you guys because you're the reason we're here.

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280.222 - 293.784 Corey Hillebo

Excited to have the conversation today. We've talked with Balance Forward in the past, but it's been almost two years. It's been a solid year and a half. Yeah. Yeah. I was going to say, I mean, you asked, have we done this? Our guest asked, have we done Balance Forward? Yeah, we have.

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Chapter 7: What are the evolving services offered by Balance4Ward?

294.085 - 313.412 Corey Hillebo

A couple of years ago. I specifically remember because they have a four and we have a four. Balance Forward. That's right. And excited to introduce Todd Drake here, CEO and founder of Balance Forward. Welcome to Slater. Thanks for having me. It's a little drive, right? Southwest Iowa is where you're from? Sure.

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313.592 - 315.495 Tanner Winterhof

Nottoway, Iowa, down by Corning.

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316.167 - 333.106 Corey Hillebo

We've never had Todd on before. We've talked about Balance Forward and how it can help producers in the cattle sector make some good decisions, get access to some really good quality of products. But I'm excited to hear about what's changed from here on out. But before we do that, tell us a little bit about little Todd.

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Chapter 8: How can young producers successfully enter the cattle industry?

333.246 - 334.108 Corey Hillebo

Did you grow up on a farm?

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334.19 - 355.557 Tanner Winterhof

Little Todd. Yeah. So our family farm is down by Blockton, Iowa, down on the Missouri border. So I grew up actually, my first until I was 11 was three miles south of Blockton on the Missouri border. My tree house was in Missouri and my house was in Iowa. A tree house. And I got to ride a bus an hour and a half each way.

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356.768 - 359.894 Corey Hillebo

Hour and a half each way. So were you the first on and the last off?

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359.914 - 364.202 Tanner Winterhof

That's right. You got to go to Bedford, get off and then get on and go to Conway. Yeah.

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365.224 - 386.631 Corey Hillebo

Wow. I was, the route always changed for me. I only lived a mile and a half outside of town, but I was still some years first on last off. You had to go to everybody else's house. Sure. I could have walked home faster. Yeah. I could not have, but I was the first on, last off a couple of times on the bus route, but it was seven miles to school for me. So that was the, would not have worked.

387.492 - 388.834 Corey Hillebo

Locked in don't look very big.

389.054 - 401.288 Tanner Winterhof

Yeah, it's not. Rose Hill Cemetery is probably where I'm going to land down there someplace. So it might be lonely. Got your lots bought already? No, but I don't think it'll fill up any time soon. They are.

401.926 - 419.293 Corey Hillebo

It's always been a fun conversation about depreciating assets. People that own cemeteries, it never gets higher in value because you slowly sell off little plot by little plot by little plot, and eventually you don't have any plots left. So what's it worth? Have you ever auctioned off a cemetery?

419.543 - 434.346 David Whitaker

No. Well, no, I haven't. I have one for sale right now that borders a cemetery is what I was thinking. Not part of the property. That is a dynamic I've never thought of. The only thing I think is- I felt like towns normally owned it. People own them?

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