Damian Mason

06/07/2026

The nitrate problem in surface / runoff water is real and it is mostly due to Agriculture. We can deny and deflect but that doesn’t change the reality. Zack Smith was on an episode of my show recently explaining the numbers as he does here. Our options as an industry: Get better and change or wait til regulation arrives which will be soon and probably not to our choosing.

06/06/2026

Work took me through America’s 3 biggest population centers this week. Wednesday went to Jersey for Merck, just in view of the Big Apple. Then off to SoCal to speak at a Hudson (crop) Insurance agents meeting. Passed through Chicago twice.

From Atlantic to Pacific and everywhere in between- let me know if you need me at your next event!

06/05/2026

Uh oh! My veggie food isn’t “clean!” The consumers who are zealots about “plant based” food won’t be deterred but for the casual vegan consumer, this is yet another blow to the narrative that plant based is somehow “better” or “better for you.” Stick with animal protein and dairy. Humans are omnivores for a reason!

A New Study Found Hidden Mycotoxins in Oat Milk, Veggie Burgers, and 210 Other Plant-Based Foods | Read more at the link in the comments ⬇️

06/05/2026

Is the Ag industry bad at taking feedback? And, is it hurting their business? Zach Johnson (Millennial Farmer) joins me on the next episode of The Business of Agriculture 👉 DROPS Monday, June 8th ➡️. SUBSCRIBE HERE 👉 www.youtube.com/

06/04/2026

Working at Merck HQ today speaking to a small audience of about 40 international beef and dairy customers — Israel, Mexico, Brazil, Britain, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, New Zealand, Australia, and USA.

Delivered 90 minutes of interactive outlook and discussion. What happens to meat consumption in an aging society? How are beef & dairy holding up against fake alternatives? Will protein’s popularity persist? What threats does the industry face?

I like the change-up of working with a smaller audience. Let me know if you have a need for my services!

06/03/2026

I ask a simple question: are we treating our soil like the most valuable asset in agriculture, or are we treating it like plain old dirt?

06/02/2026

Turns out “just let the robot tractor do it” is not exactly a business plan. 🚜🤖 I dig into the real economics of autonomous farm machinery with Purdue Ag Economist Chad Fiechter on the latest episode of The Business of Agriculture. Are labor savings enough to justify the investment? What’s holding adoption back? And when will the numbers finally work? Watch the full episode here 👉 https://bit.ly/4vlPYLT

Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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06/01/2026

Consumers, voters, and most everyone outside of Ag are going to increasingly ask the question: Why are we depleting an aquifer -- that took thousands of years to create -- to grow corn that is so over-supplied government invents laws requiring us to burn 40% of the annual crop?

Water -- and the true economics of water -- will change Agriculture in America drastically over the next decade. Land use and cropping changes will either be economically driven or imposed by regulation. Same goes for water-intensive livestock operations.

I absolutely love the landscape and the people in areas formerly nurtured by the Ogallala Aquifer but... if I owned farm ground under irrigation there, I'd be a seller not a buyer.

New study shows America’s largest underground water source is depleting fast, raising risks for farming, food supply and price volatility.