Farm4Profit

09.18.24

Tanner Winterhof is one of the founding co-hosts of Farm4Profit. With a professional background in banking, Tanner brings a unique perspective to the podcast, combining his expertise in finance with his passion for agriculture. Tanner recently offered us a behind-the-scenes look at Farm4Profit and shared exciting plans for its future.

What is Farm4Profit Media?

Farm4Profit Media is a dynamic company dedicated to advancing agricultural profitability and education. Through their popular Farm4Profit Podcast, they share insights from industry experts and cover a broad range of topics that help farmers maximize their profit margins. Their content focuses on practical, actionable advice, blending entertainment with valuable lessons to support both new and experienced farmers. Not to mention anyone running a business of any size can also benefit from the lessons learned.

The company reaches a significant audience with over 30 million YouTube views, 2.1 million podcast downloads, and a large following on social media. With their twice-weekly podcast episodes, they offer a mix of interviews, discussions on farming technology, and strategies for improving profitability across the agricultural sector. Farm4Profit also collaborates with a wide range of partners, including major agricultural brands like John Deere and Corteva, to create tailored content that resonates with their audience while helping with social media strategy for companies in the agricultural market.

How did it start?

Farm4Profit began as a passion project aimed at providing valuable financial insights to the agricultural community. The podcast, hosted by Tanner Winterhof, Corey Hillebo, and David Whitaker, focuses on sharing practical advice, innovative strategies, and expert interviews to help farmers improve their profitability and sustainability. These hosts bring together diverse backgrounds in farming, business, and financial services, making the podcast a valuable resource for the agricultural community.

The idea behind Farm4Profit stemmed from the recognition that many farmers were not fully leveraging available resources to maximize their profitability. By focusing on "making money in the margins," the podcast aims to help farmers unlock hidden potential in their operations. Their unique blend of personal farming experience and professional expertise has helped Farm4Profit build a loyal audience, offering weekly episodes packed with actionable advice.

We started in David’s basement bedroom recording around a small end table with low-cost equipment and free software.  We then graduated to borrowing office space and renting a boardroom to interview guests all before finally owning our own permanent production studio.

Our first advertisements were made up to demonstrate the effectiveness.  We were then able to use those trials as proof to pitch and sell campaigns to new partners. Through our platform, we have partnered with numerous agricultural brands, offering opportunities for businesses to connect with their audience and grow their visibility within the farming community , but it hasn’t always been that way!

What makes Farm4Profit special?

Farm4Profit stands out as a podcast in the agricultural space due to its distinct focus on profitability and practical financial advice tailored specifically for farmers. While many agricultural podcasts cover a wide range of farming topics, Farm4Profit zeroes in on helping farmers improve their margins and maximize their financial success. This targeted approach makes it particularly valuable for those seeking actionable insights that can directly impact their bottom line.  We also leave politics out of our conversation and leverage the three unique perspectives of the co-hosts to craft great questions during the interview. Lastly, what the listeners or audience members ask for is what we give them!

Here are a few factors that make Farm4Profit unique:

1) Emphasis on Profitability: The podcast consistently emphasizes "making money in the margins," offering strategies and tips that directly affect the financial health of farming operations. This clear focus on profit-driven advice sets it apart from more general agricultural podcasts.

2) Diverse Expertise: Hosted by individuals with deep roots in both farming and business—Tanner Winterhof, Corey Hillebo, and David Whitaker—the podcast blends practical farming knowledge with business acumen. This combination allows them to provide well-rounded insights that cater to both the operational and financial aspects of farming.

3) Engagement with the Audience: Farm4Profit encourages interaction with its audience, incorporating listener feedback and questions into episodes. This creates a more personalized and engaging experience compared to other podcasts that may be more one-directional in content delivery.

4) Variety of Content: While the focus is on profitability, the podcast covers a wide range of topics, including technology, conservation, and industry trends, all with the aim of improving farm income. This variety keeps the content fresh and relevant to a broad audience.

5) Collaborations with Major Brands: Farm4Profit partners with well-known agricultural brands like John Deere, Corteva, Sukup, Steinbauer, and more!

These factors make Farm4Profit a standout in the world of agricultural podcasts, providing valuable, actionable content that is specifically designed to help farmers thrive financially.

What challenges and obstacles have you faced?

Farm4Profit has faced several challenges over the last five years on its journey to becoming a top agricultural podcast. One of the main hurdles was building and growing an audience from scratch. In the crowded world of agricultural content, distinguishing themselves and gaining listeners required significant effort. The team behind the podcast worked tirelessly to produce consistent, high-quality episodes, release them on a regular schedule, and engage actively with their audience. We took the approach of aligning with social media “influencers” to help gain access to their audience and win over their loyalty.  We also did our best to make sure our content was timely and applied to a broad range of farmers.

Another challenge was adapting to the rapid changes in the agricultural industry. As new technologies, market trends, and sustainability practices emerged, Farm4Profit needed to stay ahead of the curve. This required ongoing research, collaboration with industry experts, and a commitment to evolving their content to meet the needs of modern farmers. Not to mention the technology only in Ag but also in podcasting.  We have upgraded equipment yearly and converted to including video especially for YouTube and most recently Spotify.

Lastly, maintaining momentum and relevance in a constantly shifting landscape was crucial. By addressing the evolving concerns and opportunities in agriculture, and by staying connected with their audience, the Farm4Profit team managed to keep their content fresh and impactful. You’d think we would run out of things to talk about with more than 450 episodes, but our network and audience is great to help us come up with the next new conversation!

What's next?

The next chapter for the Farm4Profit team is packed with opportunities and growth. They are continuously working to expand their reach and influence in the agricultural world by staying engaged with their audience and leveraging their growing social media presence. They are also focusing on collaborating with various partners and brands, especially as their podcast continues to gain traction and establish itself as a key resource for the farming community.

A significant aspect of their future plans includes participating in more events and creating additional content that resonates with their audience, ensuring that they remain a top source for practical, profit-focused farming advice. They are also committed to evolving with the changing landscape of agriculture by embracing new trends and technology, which will keep their content fresh and relevant.

We see a large focus on custom content for agriculture companies that may not air on Farm4Profit but help tell their stories to the agricultural community.  We also want to travel and experience agriculture not only across the US but also around the world and share that story too!

Moreover, the team is keen on further solidifying their role as creators in the agricultural space by creating content that highlights innovative farming techniques and success stories. This will continue to inspire and educate their listeners, helping them achieve greater profitability and sustainability in their farming practices.

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