The Vance Crowe Podcast

Being Humbled: A reflection on the new year

In this solo episode, Vance Crowe shares why he is pressing pause on the AgTribes news rundown and shifting the show toward deeper, more human conversations. Over the holidays, a series of experiences brought him back to one theme: being humbled.Crowe talks about the moments that knock people to their knees, how they open a door of understanding between people, and why the richest friendships and stories often come from facing failure, anxiety, and shame—and choosing to look for the light at the end of the tunnel.Key Discussion PointsGetting Unstuck: He discusses a simple practice for the new year: humbling oneself enough to ask, “What is the next small thing I should fix?” rather than seeking grand answers.Show Evolution: He outlines how the podcast will evolve to feature guests revealing the times they were humbled and what they learned, with the goal of connecting more deeply and getting better one step at a time.Communication Training: For those interested in sharpening communication—negotiation, storytelling, conflict navigation, and presenting ideas—Crowe is running his Interest-Based Communicating course (online and in-person in St. Louis).Details can be found at vancecrowe.com.

ATR: How To Ask Better Questions CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EPISODE

In this Christmas special of The Ag Tribes Report, I pause the weekly news breakdown to share a chapter-in-progress from my upcoming book on interest-based communicating—practical ways to create deeper, more meaningful conversations over the holidays and beyond. I tell the story of a second mate who taught me it’s better to be interested than interesting, then walk through how presence turns conversations into a kind of meditation: put the phone away, make eye contact, breathe, and really listen. I cover common pitfalls like fast matching and internal tripping, why mirroring has its place, and simple tools that change everything—body-language feedback, the three-word prompt “tell me more,” and question types that draw people out, like “beautiful questions,” contrast questions, and spotting “tiny choices” in a story. I also explain why “how” beats “why” for uncovering real motivations, and close with a reminder about the law of mutual self-disclosure: don’t ask questions you wouldn’t answer yourself. Whether you’re talking with grandparents, welcoming a new in-law, or trying to better connect with employees and vendors, this episode offers specific, repeatable techniques to help you listen with attention, ask with intention, and discover the kind of shared insight that makes conversations memorable—and relationships stronger.For more on Interest Based Communication: https://www.vancecrowe.com/interest-based-communicationFor a Legacy Interview: https://www.legacyinterviews.com/

ATR: Europe failing and China is Deflating with @nnzp1730

In this week’s Ag Tribes Report on The Vance Crowe Podcast, host Vance Crowe tosses the script and sits down with returning guest “NNZP,” a veteran CEO and global manufacturer who joins anonymously to speak candidly about the world economy. They dig into Europe’s rapid de-industrialization, energy policy missteps, and why cheaper Chinese imports may be a short-term fix with long-term strategic risks. NNZP explains China’s deflationary “involution,” the chasm between commanded capacity and real demand, and how that excess is being exported—pressuring Western industry and defense resilience. They explore supply-chain fragility from chips to pharma inputs, the knock-on effects for agriculture, and why abundant, affordable energy (including nuclear) underpins everything. They also discuss the “debasement trade,” hard assets, and what investors might consider in a world of persistent inflation and policy intervention. NNZP offers a contrarian ag take on when solar can be the highest-and-best use of certain lands, the future of ethanol in an EV world, and why nuclear may arrive first for data centers, not households. Despite near-term turbulence, they end on pragmatic optimism about America’s capacity to adapt once incentives and priorities realign. Resources: Find NNZP on X/Twitter at @nnzp1730for more on Legacy Interviews: https://www.legacyinterviews.com/for more on Vance Speaking: https://www.vancecrowe.com/ To buy Bitcoin and support the show: https://river.com/invite?r=OAB5SKTP

VCP: Farm Management and Rural Appraisal in our chaotic age

In this live episode recorded at an ASFMRA conference, Vance sit down with veteran farm manager and rural appraiser Dennis Raymond of Stalcup Ag Service to bridge two audiences: an in-room crowd steeped in modern agriculture and a wider listenership curious about how farmland is owned, managed, and valued. Dennis shares a career’s worth of perspective—from juggling farm management, appraisals, and sales in northwest Iowa to navigating today’s volatile costs, interest-rate swings, and the “heartstring” realities of legacy properties. We unpack why proposals to tax absentee landowners miss the mark, how to think in ratios like fertilizer cost as a percentage of expected gross, why land markets move with lagged fundamentals (and sometimes jump on interest-rate shocks), and how appraisers handle sentiment, comps, and variability beyond simple CSR points.We also dig into generational transitions, changing lease structures, the talent pipeline for banking and professional services in rural America, and where AI might streamline (but not replace) nuanced human judgment in appraisal and client relationships. Dennis offers guidance for new professionals, argues for people-first skills alongside agronomy and numbers, and looks ahead to a more fractionalized operating landscape with more custom work. We close with advice for the ASFMRA’s next chapter and where listeners can learn more about entering farm management and rural appraisal.Thank you to The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) and Farmers National Company for sponsoring this episode. www.vancecrowe.com/interest-based-communicationwww.legacyinterviews.com

ATR: Secretary Rawlins; Cheerleader or Change Maker? with Elliot Henderson

In this week’s Ag Tribes Report, Vance Crowe is joined by entrepreneur, farmer, and Iowa Corn Growers director Elliot Henderson for a fast-moving breakdown of four big stories shaping agriculture. They react to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins’ media blitz and her tightly messaged take on trade, cattle, and screw worm—praising her talent while questioning how much of it reflects independent ag thinking. They unpack California’s Prop 50 and what partisan redistricting could mean for rural voices in the nation’s top ag state. They also look at the viral Danish claims linking cow deaths to the mandatory Bovear methane-reducing additive and the broader US–EU cultural and monetary incentives behind climate policy. Rounding out the news, they examine NYC’s push for city-run grocery stores, the economic fear driving urban support, and the parallels Elliot sees for ag if subsidies and policy continue to distort markets. Then they run the Bitcoin Land Price Report (with land softening to ~$12.5K/acre in NE Iowa) and debate Bitcoin vs. land as a store of value. In the Peter Thiel Paradox, Elliot challenges ag’s reliance on transfer payments, H-2A tweaks, and policies that wall off opportunity for new entrants—arguing for reform even when beneficiaries resist. For Worthy Adversary, he respects but disputes commentator Damian Mason’s stance on property tax and policy incentives, warning that today’s preferential treatments risk entrenching an aristocracy over working producers. They close with how to get involved in Iowa Corn, an invite to check out Elliot’s Rush Hour Ag podcast, and a reminder to rate and review the show—plus a quick note on why Vance Crowe would trade Bitcoin for land when the numbers make sense.To support the show and buy Bitcoin use the link: https://river.com/invite?r=OAB5SKTP