Our Two Cents: Part 2 – Chasing Higher Yields Live from Commodity Classic 2026

About this episode

Sean and Andrew discuss high-yield agriculture with NCGA's top growers at Commodity Classic 2026.

Sean and Andrew are back with another episode LIVE from Commodity Classic 2026, and this time, we’re talking with NCGA’s high-yield growers. In this edition of Our Two Cents, we’re exploring how these growers are pushing the limits of modern agriculture and advancing their yields. The crew discusses: ✅ Reasons behind getting involved in yield contests ✅ The risk of over-fertilizing ✅ The balance between seed variety and management practices for influencing yields ✅ How to maximize sunlight capture ✅ Navigating farm management under government regulations ✅ The importance of root zone management Meet the Guests: 🌱 Heath Cutrell farms in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. He is a national and state NCGA yield contest winner, taking home 1st and 2nd place in Virginia and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in North Carolina this year. Follow Heath on X. 🌱 Kevin Kalb is a long-time high-yield grower in southern Indiana. This year, Kevin and his family took home 5 NCGA contest titles and achieved their highest-ever farm yield average of 314 bushels per acre. Follow Kevin on X. 🌱 Josiah Garber is a farmer owner of an ag retail business in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Josiah has…

People in this episode

Hosts: Sean Blomgren, Andrew Penney

Guests: Heath Cutrell, Kevin Kalb, Josiah Garber, Temple Rhodes

Topics covered

• high-yield agriculture
• yield contests
• farm management
• fertilization practices
• crop management
• government regulations
• sunlight capture

Keywords

• agriculture
• yields
• fertilization
• crop management
• government regulations
• sunlight
• yield contests

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NCGA

Places: southeastern Virginia, northeastern North Carolina, southern Indiana, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Madison, Alabama

More episodes of A Penney For Your Thoughts

• The New Revolution in Row Crop Farming with Purdue’s Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti · June 2, 2026 · 1h 15m
• The Wild West of Weeds with Purdue University’s Dr. Tommy Butts · May 19, 2026 · 50 min
• Getting in the Weeds with Purdue University's Dr. Tommy Butts · May 5, 2026 · 48 min
• Unlocking Higher Corn Yields with Purdue University’s Dan Quinn · April 21, 2026 · 1h 9m
• Corn vs. High-Yield Corn with Purdue University’s Dan Quinn · April 7, 2026 · 49 min
• Our Two Cents: Part 1 – Chasing Higher Yields Live from Commodity Classic 2026 · March 17, 2026 · 1h 15m