The Secret to Easy Ag? Focus on What You Can Control
Welcome to the EZ Ag Podcast, where innovative farming meets practical solutions. I’m your host, Matt Long, and today I’m going to lean into a comment I heard last week that honestly made me smile.
A customer told me, “I’ve been listening to your podcast and you make Ag sound so easy.”
And you know what? I do. Because it can be.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “easy” isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind when you’re buried in breakdowns, fighting unpredictable weather, or watching the markets bounce around like a kid on a trampoline. But stay with me, because there’s a truth here that might just change the way you approach your operation.
Let’s talk about the two biggest variables that stress out farmers — weather and market prices. Sound familiar? They’re unpredictable. Uncontrollable. And yet, most of us spend more energy worrying about them than we do planning around the things we can control. But what if you flipped that mindset? Here’s the secret: Agriculture becomes easier when you eliminate the emotions around the things you can’t control, and instead focus your energy on what you can. That’s where the Max Yield System comes in. It’s not magic. It’s not theory. It’s just a smart, proven strategy, and it starts with something most farmers skip: Early Planning.
Long before you plant a single seed, you should already know the goals and potential obstacles for each individual field on your farm. Not just, “hope, this one does better than last year.” I’m talking about a real, tailored plan that uses:
- Historical yield data
- Innovative products
- Proven management practices
- And a clear understanding of your fields — not just “average” ones
The Max Yield System helps you map it all out. It puts you in the driver’s seat, not Mother Nature, or the markets. Because at the end of the day, your number one job is simple: Protect your yield at all costs. And that starts long before planting.
Let me ask you something: What’s the number one variable in your farming operation?
I’ll give you three guesses…It’s not rainfall. It’s not corn prices. It’s YOU. Your decisions. Your mindset. Your ability to stay focused and follow a plan.
The Max Yield System was built to help you do exactly that. By simplifying your approach and focusing on the variables you can control, The Top 5 Factors to Produce a Top Crop. Let’s break down each factor.
Top 5 Factors of the Max Yield System:
- Soil Conditions at Planting Time
- If you plant into poor conditions, you’re already behind. It doesn’t matter what seed you’ve got, soil temperature and moisture are the number one variables in producing a Top Crop.
- Seed Placement
- Depth, spacing, and consistency. Precision here pays dividends. Plant at a speed that allows your planter technology to perform. Consistent depth, spacing, and row closure are all key to producing a Top Crop.
- Seed Quality
- Not all seeds are created equal. You are planting the highest quality Axis Seed – are you protecting it? Is it stored and handled properly? Will your soil conditions and seed placement allow it to perform?
- Right Hybrid, Right Field
- This is big. A rockstar hybrid in the wrong environment is just wasted potential. And 75% of all hybrids never perform to their potential because they’re planted in the wrong field. Follow your Max Yield System Hybrid x Field plan and match the hybrid to the soil type, insect pressure, and disease potential of the field.
- Post-Planting Management
- Don’t go on autopilot after planting. This is where yield is either lost or locked in. Scout. Feed. Protect. Adjust. Schedule a Post Planting Report Card Visit with our team, check net effective plant stands – not just population.
The beauty of this system is once your plan is in place, and your focus is locked in on the Top 5 Factors to Produce a Top Crop, the stress starts to fade. You’re no longer reacting to problems. You’re executing a plan. And that’s when Ag gets easy. Or at least, easier. So yeah when that customer told me, “Matt, you make Ag sound so easy,” I smiled, because I knew what he was really saying. He was starting to see the difference between farming with emotion… and farming with a system. Between hoping… and planning. Between reacting… and protecting yield with purpose. And that’s what we’re here to do. Every episode. Every conversation. Every step of the way.
Thanks for tuning in to The EZ Ag Podcast. If today’s episode hit home with you, do me a favor, give our podcast a like or subscribe, and share it with a friend or neighbor. Until next time remember: Ag is easy… when you tune into the EZ Ag Podcast.
That’s all for today, I’m Matt Long. Grow Your Yield. Grow Your Legacy. Grow Strong with Axis Seed.
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