The Franchise Farmer

A note from a fellow sophisticate- The $280,000 Ransom Note If your ag retailer loves you, you’re probably overpaying them. The first year I took over our family row-crop operation, I sat down with a seed corn bill that made my stomach turn: $280,000 for 1,300 acres. We were planting 100% smart-stacked corn, running corn-on-corn, and blanket applying insecticide on every single acre. The local ag retailer told us it was the only way to protect our yield. I didn't see protection. I saw a ransom note. When you blanket apply and over-stack out of habit, nature builds a tolerance to your laziness. You lose your levers. Worse, you start funding the retailer’s retirement instead of your own family's legacy. So, I split the planter and trusted the dirt over the salesman. I executed a ruthless operational audit: 1. Broke the Chain: We introduced soybeans, moving to a strict 50/50 rotation. 2. Cut the Upgrades: We switched to non-GMO corn, dropping seed costs from $300+ a bag to around $115. 3. Verified the Threat: We stopped blanket applying and actually tested for insect pressure before writing the check for chemical. The Result? Our seed bill plummeted from $280,000 to $75,000. Our APH (Actual Production History) jumped from 175 to over 220 bushels per acre over a few years. The local retailer got so defensive they called a "summit" with the seed company’s regional managers to try and talk me back onto the reservation. They weren't worried about my soil health. They were worried about their bottom line. I was told I would ruin their seed sales business 😂 In a commodity business, your biggest lever is your expense line. If your advisors get uncomfortable when you start asking for the raw math, they aren't your partners. They’re stakeholders in your struggle. Stop buying their loyalty. Start buying from people you can trust !!!

Everyone is trying to claim me for their tribe. There’s no R next to my name, there’s no D next to my name. I’m not part of a political party, because I hate politicians. I’m just Spencer, husband to Heidi, father to Ryker and Gunner, and I’m a pissed off Angeleno who loves my city and is fed up with what corrupt politicians have done to her.