A Penney For Your Thoughts
Welcome to A Penney For Your Thoughts, a podcast brought to you by Sean Blomgren and Andrew Penney, live from central Iowa. A show where we discuss all things agronomy, and high yield management, give you real-time updates on what we’re seeing and hearing about in the field, and gain insight from industry professionals as we bring you relevant and timely information on current agronomic management practices.
Listen on:
Episodes
Episodes
Tuesday Sep 16, 2025
Tuesday Sep 16, 2025
Sean and Andrew are on-site in Champaign, Illinois at the annual Crop Physiology Field Day with Dr. Fred Below, Dr. Connor Sible and more agronomy experts! 🌱
Meet Our Guests
Lance Tarochione, host of Ask an agronomist, gives us insight into the Crop Physiology Field Day and the history of this amazing event!
Dr. Fred Below tells us how the 7 wonders of corn yield have led to the 6 secrets of soybean success.
Dr. Marcos Loman gives us insight on some of our biggest questions: Can we still add yield late in the reproductive soybean stages? How do soybeans respond to nutrient concentration and planting dates?
Ava Isaacs shares that biologicals are the “future of agriculture,” and helps us understand the challenging categories and how to think about incorporating them into our farms!
Sean Evans gives his insight into what’s happening in the western geography, the theme, and key takeaways from the field day, and encourages the audience to attend a future field day!
A Penney for Your Thoughts is hosted by Sean Blomgren, agronomist and owner of Blomgren Seed from Boone, Iowa, and Andrew Penney, plant doctor and Preceon agronomy lead for Bayer Crop Science from Ames, Iowa. We cover all things agronomy and high-yield management, share what we're seeing in the field and bring in trusted voices from the industry to deliver timely, relevant insights that matter to your farm. By combining real-time updates from the field with expert insights from industry professionals, we help you achieve your highest yields yet. It's ag talk that just makes cents.
⭐️ Like what you hear? Leave us a review to help our podcast reach more growers and agronomists like you!
📲 Follow us on social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penneypodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PenneyPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PenneyPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PenneyPodcast
Tuesday Sep 02, 2025
Tuesday Sep 02, 2025
Sean and Andrew are back with Maira Duffeck to discuss how to manage corn stunt disease and protect your yields.
The crew discusses:
✅ Where corn stunt disease has been confirmed in the U.S.
✅ How corn stunt disease is transmitted to fields, and how to manage transmission
✅ The effectiveness of treatments for corn leafhoppers and corn stunt disease
✅ Limitations and questions surrounding corn stunt disease and its treatment
Learn more about managing corn stunt disease: https://extension.okstate.edu/e-pest-alerts/2024/corn-leafhopper-leads-to-corn-stunt-outbreak-across-oklahoma-aug-12-2024.html
Meet the Guest:
🌱 Maira Rodrigues Duffeck is originally from Brazil, where she earned her bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in plant pathology. Her doctoral studies led her to Penn State University, where she spent two years as a visiting scholar studying Fusarium head blight of wheat. She then worked at The Ohio State University as a postdoctoral researcher studying serial pathogens and diseases in corn and wheat before starting her current position as an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University, where she balances her time between extension and research.
Learn more about Maira: https://experts.okstate.edu/mairodr
A Penney for Your Thoughts is hosted by Sean Blomgren, agronomist and owner of Blomgren Seed from Boone, Iowa, and Andrew Penney, plant doctor and Preceon agronomy lead for Bayer Crop Science from Ames, Iowa. We cover all things agronomy and high-yield management, share what we're seeing in the field and bring in trusted voices from the industry to deliver timely, relevant insights that matter to your farm. By combining real-time updates from the field with expert insights from industry professionals, we help you achieve your highest yields yet. It's ag talk that just makes cents.
⭐️ Like what you hear? Leave us a review to help our podcast reach more growers and agronomists like you!
📲 Follow us on social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penneypodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PenneyPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PenneyPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PenneyPodcast
Tuesday Aug 19, 2025
Tuesday Aug 19, 2025
Sean and Andrew sit down with Maira Duffeck from Oklahoma State University to hear her two cents on the latest disease attacking corn fields.
The crew discusses:
✅ How artificial intelligence will transform disease and pest management
✅ The pathogens behind corn stunt disease, and how it’s closer to your fields than you might think
✅ How corn leafhoppers transmit corn stunt disease
✅ Tracking the progression of corn leafhoppers across the U.S. (follow along here → https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/maps/corn-leafhopper)
✅ The potential for overwintering of corn leafhoppers and corn stunt disease pathogens
✅ Symptoms of corn stunt disease and what to do if you notice them in your fields
Learn more about corn stunt disease: https://www.cropscience.bayer.us/articles/bayer/corn-stunt-spiroplasma-disease-and-red-stunt-disease-complex
Meet the Guest:
🌱 Maira Rodrigues Duffeck is originally from Brazil, where she earned her bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in plant pathology. Her doctoral studies led her to Penn State University, where she spent two years as a visiting scholar studying Fusarium head blight of wheat. She then worked at The Ohio State University as a postdoctoral researcher studying serial pathogens and diseases in corn and wheat before starting her current position as an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University, where she balances her time between extension and research.
Learn more about Maira: https://experts.okstate.edu/mairodr
A Penney for Your Thoughts is hosted by Sean Blomgren, agronomist and owner of Blomgren Seed from Boone, Iowa, and Andrew Penney, plant doctor and Preceon agronomy lead for Bayer Crop Science from Ames, Iowa. We cover all things agronomy and high-yield management, share what we're seeing in the field and bring in trusted voices from the industry to deliver timely, relevant insights that matter to your farm. By combining real-time updates from the field with expert insights from industry professionals, we help you achieve your highest yields yet. It's ag talk that just makes cents.
⭐️ Like what you hear? Leave us a review to help our podcast reach more growers and agronomists like you!
📲 Follow us on social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penneypodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PenneyPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PenneyPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PenneyPodcast
Tuesday Aug 05, 2025
Tuesday Aug 05, 2025
Sean and Andrew are back with Matt Darr and Ben Covington from Iowa State University’s On-Site Precision Technology team in ISU’s new Digital Ag Innovation Lab to hear their two cents on how advancing the technology on your farm is simpler than you might expect.
The crew discusses:
✅ Why understanding ag technology is important for every grower
✅ The importance of education for adoption of ag tech
✅ Behind-the-scenes the Digital Ag Innovation Lab’s planter clinic
✅ The science behind downforce and planting depth
✅ How John Deere’s FurrowVision and See and Spray™ technology impacts farmers
✅ Tillage practices and soil compaction
✅ A new approach to planting soybeans
✅ The crop input you don’t want to cut corners on
Learn more about the Digital Ag Innovation Lab: https://www.isudigitalag.org/
Meet the Guests:
🌱 Matt Darr grew up on a grain and livestock farm in eastern Ohio. He attended college at the Ohio State University and the University of Kentucky before moving to Iowa with the goal of growing public/private partnerships. He now works at Iowa State University as a faculty member in their Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering department and director of the ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab.
Learn more about Matt: https://www.isudigitalag.org/people/1/matt-darr
🌱 Ben Covington is originally from Maryland, but he was quickly drawn to the open fields of the “wild, wild West” of Iowa. His time with Iowa State University began in 2007, with the beginning of his pursuit of both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in agricultural systems technology. Ben works as an engineer specializing in row crop production systems for ISU’s Digital Ag Innovation Lab.
Learn more about Ben: https://www.isudigitalag.org/people/1/benjamin-covington
A Penney for Your Thoughts is hosted by Sean Blomgren, agronomist and owner of Blomgren Seed from Boone, Iowa, and Andrew Penney, plant doctor and Preceon agronomy lead for Bayer Crop Science from Ames, Iowa. We cover all things agronomy and high-yield management, share what we're seeing in the field and bring in trusted voices from the industry to deliver timely, relevant insights that matter to your farm. By combining real-time updates from the field with expert insights from industry professionals, we help you achieve your highest yields yet. It's ag talk that just makes cents.
⭐️ Like what you hear? Leave us a review to help our podcast reach more growers and agronomists like you!
📲 Follow us on social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penneypodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PenneyPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PenneyPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PenneyPodcast
Wednesday Jul 23, 2025
Wednesday Jul 23, 2025
Sean and Andrew sit down with Matt Darr and Ryan Huffman from Iowa State University’s On-Site Precision Technology team in ISU’s new Digital Ag Innovation Lab to hear their two cents on the latest ag technology.
The crew discusses:
✅ What Matt and Ryan are excited about in agriculture
✅ The science of precision technology
✅ Understanding the ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab
✅ Planters and row units
✅ Tilling and residue management
✅ John Deere’s Furrow Vision and See & Spray™ technology
✅ Future possibilities in autonomy and what Matt and Ryan want to research next
Learn more about the Digital Ag Innovation Lab: https://www.isudigitalag.org/
Meet the Guests:
🌱 Matt Darr grew up on a grain and livestock farm in eastern Ohio. He attended college at the Ohio State University and the University of Kentucky before moving to Iowa with the goal of growing public/private partnerships. He now works at Iowa State University as a faculty member in their Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering department and director of the ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab.
Learn more about Matt: https://www.isudigitalag.org/people/1/matt-darr
🌱 Ryan Huffman was born and raised in central Iowa, where he continues to live and work today. Driven by a fascination for data, Ryan was led to agronomy, studying how to leverage data and technology to improve agricultural practices. He now works as the digital agronomy research manager for ISU’s Digital Ag Innovation Lab.
Learn more about Ryan: https://www.isudigitalag.org/people/1/ryan-huffman
A Penney for Your Thoughts is hosted by Sean Blomgren, agronomist and owner of Blomgren Seed from Boone, Iowa, and Andrew Penney, plant doctor and Preceon agronomy lead for Bayer Crop Science from Ames, Iowa. We cover all things agronomy and high-yield management, share what we're seeing in the field and bring in trusted voices from the industry to deliver timely, relevant insights that matter to your farm. By combining real-time updates from the field with expert insights from industry professionals, we help you achieve your highest yields yet. It's ag talk that just makes cents.
⭐️ Like what you hear? Leave us a review to help our podcast reach more growers and agronomists like you!
📲 Follow us on social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penneypodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PenneyPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PenneyPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PenneyPodcast
Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
Join us for a fantastic discussion with Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig! We discuss industry advocacy and interacting with local and national governments. We discuss the future of Iowa agriculture, its impact on the national stage, and we even get some great insights into sustainability efforts in production agriculture!
A Penney for Your Thoughts is hosted by Sean Blomgren, agronomist and owner of Blomgren Seed from Boone, Iowa, and Andrew Penney, plant doctor and Preceon agronomy lead for Bayer Crop Science from Ames, Iowa. We cover all things agronomy and high-yield management, share what we're seeing in the field and bring in trusted voices from the industry to deliver timely, relevant insights that matter to your farm. By combining real-time updates from the field with expert insights from industry professionals, we help you achieve your highest yields yet. It's ag talk that just makes cents.
⭐️ Like what you hear? Leave us a review to help our podcast reach more growers and agronomists like you!
📲 Follow us on social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penneypodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PenneyPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PenneyPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PenneyPodcast
Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
Dr. Fred Below and Dr. Connor Sible provide us with practical insights into pushing the yield limits on our farms, offering research-backed suggestions accumulated over 40 years of learning. Tillage practices, fertility timing, fungicide, populations, and more! Join us for a fantastic episode!
A Penney for Your Thoughts is hosted by Sean Blomgren, agronomist and owner of Blomgren Seed from Boone, Iowa, and Andrew Penney, plant doctor and Preceon agronomy lead for Bayer Crop Science from Ames, Iowa. We cover all things agronomy and high-yield management, share what we're seeing in the field and bring in trusted voices from the industry to deliver timely, relevant insights that matter to your farm. By combining real-time updates from the field with expert insights from industry professionals, we help you achieve your highest yields yet. It's ag talk that just makes cents.
⭐️ Like what you hear? Leave us a review to help our podcast reach more growers and agronomists like you!
📲 Follow us on social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penneypodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PenneyPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PenneyPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PenneyPodcast
Tuesday May 20, 2025
Tuesday May 20, 2025
Join us on the campus of The University of Illinois as we discuss the science behind high-yielding corn and soybeans with Dr. Fred Below and Dr. Connor Sible! Amazing insights into crop physiology, nutrient concentration, timing, and 40 years of understanding corn plants!
A Penney for Your Thoughts is hosted by Sean Blomgren, agronomist and owner of Blomgren Seed from Boone, Iowa, and Andrew Penney, plant doctor and Preceon agronomy lead for Bayer Crop Science from Ames, Iowa. We cover all things agronomy and high-yield management, share what we're seeing in the field and bring in trusted voices from the industry to deliver timely, relevant insights that matter to your farm. By combining real-time updates from the field with expert insights from industry professionals, we help you achieve your highest yields yet. It's ag talk that just makes cents.
⭐️ Like what you hear? Leave us a review to help our podcast reach more growers and agronomists like you!
📲 Follow us on social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penneypodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PenneyPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PenneyPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PenneyPodcast