Season 1, Episode 9
Stories Across the Midwest: Five Farmers on 2025 Harvest and Challenges
These farmers saw it all: from tornado damage and heavy rains to top yields, hail recovery, and stories of how communities rally together at harvest. Max sits down with five growers across the Midwest to capture their real, raw stories from the 2025 growing season.
Join us and Marty, Robbie, Kyle, Tom, and Joe for conversations centered around what this year taught us, how it challenged us, and what farming looks like across state lines in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa. As we turn the microphone over to men out in the fields each day—both Renk growers and dealers—we see that no two farms or seasons are ever the same.
Together, their stories show us just how unpredictable and resilient farming is—and how people are at the center of it all.
What was your expectation going into this past year’s crop growing cycle? What was the reality? Dear Reader, does your story involve severe climate challenges, perhaps an animal “gone wild” or maybe even disease pressure tolerated by your wise seed choice? Let’s take a quick look at what our host, Max Renk, found out when he checked in with five of our farmer-dealers to hear their unique stories.
- Marty Luther
Max spoke with Marty Luther from Gillett, WI, which is northwest of Green Bay. Marty’s seen a lot of growing seasons in his life and shares just how much mother nature influenced his crop outcome this year. In his lifetime, Marty moved about 1 mile from the old house to the new house. Relatable? Find out what happened when his family land was visited by a tornado this summer. You’ll hear not only how his family fared, but also what happened with his crop in the end. - Robbie Uhlenhake
Robbie Uhlenhake, professionally farming for over two decades in Northeast Iowa, has a raccoon story post-harvest that sums up how ag life can turn on a dime. One minute you are on top of the world because despite disease pressure from Southern Rust you pull off one of your top 3 or 4 yields. Then the next minute you find a raccoon shot through the combine at the end of your harvest. - Kyle Kedroske
Kyle Kedroske, a Kewaskum, WI native, just enjoyed his first full solo year as a Renk Seed dealer who sold both corn and beans. Kedroske’s infectious enthusiasm for farming allows him to cultivate relationships. We find out from him just how important those relationships are when you find yourself in a bind at the end of harvest with the finish line in sight. - Tom Smaglinski
Over in Port Hope, MI, Tom Smaglinski is proud to farm with two of his sons and has been a Renk dealer for over three decades. His upbeat story has a punchline about a competitor’s seed in his test plot that even our marketing department could not have scripted!
- Joe Serbus
Joe Serbus is an active member in his ag community and a professional crop adjuster. Find out how his expertise helped shape his decisions after a hailstorm in early June severely damaged both his corn and bean crop. Plus, he recalls a similar event from his childhood and compares yields from then to now.
While their stories are unique to them, we know every farmer has a story or knows one about a neighbor from each growing season. Let’s keep the conversation going! Share your story with us on one of our social media channels: FB, Insta, X or LinkedIn. And, listen to the full episode on whichever streaming platform you prefer.
