At a time when content creation often prioritizes algorithms on the public, an agricultural podcast discovered that a real community commitment is not only a good ethics – it is an excellent deal. Farm4Profit, co-organized by Tanner Winterhof, has established its remarkable success not through sophisticated marketing tactics or industry connections, but by an unwavering commitment to meet the needs of its agricultural audience.
“We are as good as our audience,” explains Winterhof, articulation of a philosophy that has transformed Farm4Profit of a small podcast into a booming media company with more than 2 million downloads in more than 400 episodes.
What distinguishes this story of growth from the countless other entrepreneurial stories is its basis in a real audience connection. While many content creators continue trends or algorithms, Winterhof’s team has recognized a fundamental truth: real success comes from the resolution of real problems. Their trip offers valuable information to all those who seek to strengthen confidence in an increasingly skeptical digital landscape.
Crisis as catalyst: meet the needs of the community
The central moment of Farm4Profit came during one of the darkest hours of the agricultural community. In August 2020, a devastating storm derecho torn Iowa, leaving a path of destruction 40 miles wide and 180 miles. The farms were decimated, the cultures destroyed and the farmers have been left in front of immense emotional and financial challenges.
While many media have covered the event, Farm4Profit has adopted a different approach. Rather than simply reporting devastation, Winterhof and his team have produced a series of reactive emergency episodes designed to provide practical and practical help to affected farmers. They brought pastors and mental health experts to deal with emotional tolls, harvest insurance experts to explain the coverage options, victim insurance representatives to discuss complaint processes and experts on short-term storage solutions of cereals.
“We realized that we did because we were asked,” said Winterhof, describing the moment that fundamentally moved their approach. “It changed the mentality. It is not trying to try to look like the best banker in the region.
This response to Derecho marked a turning point in the evolution of Farm4Profit. By prioritizing the immediate needs of their community on self-promotion, they have not only provided a precious service, but also cemented their position of confidence resource in times of crisis. The growth of the audience that followed was not only substantial – it was built on an authentic trust basis.
Contents focused on the hearing: let the listeners direct
The Derecho response revealed something powerful to the Farm4Profit team: their listeners often knew better than they were doing the most precious. This achievement has led to a fundamental change in their content strategy, the team actively requesting comments and suggestions of its audience.
“When we started taking listener requests or taking these text comments, the social media connections that said:” Hey, I don’t know what it means. Could you find someone to explain it to us? “And we follow this,” said Winterhof.
This approach quickly generated such an extensive list of potential subjects and guests that the team extended to two episodes per week to keep up with the listener’s demand. The results were undeniable: episodes based on audience suggestions systematically surpassed those generated internally.
A particularly notable example came when the listeners expressed their interest in learning the seeds of the meadows, an alternative culture not commonly discussed in the agricultural landscape dominated by the Midwest and the soy. The team invited an expert to discuss the market potential and culture practices for meadow seeds, presenting its audience to a potentially precious opportunity for diversification.
The episode sparked large discussions on social networks, auditors sharing information, asking follow -up questions and debating the viability of this alternative culture. This organic engagement has demonstrated the power of content truly focused on listeners to generate not only passive consumption but the active participation of the community.
Build a community through charitable initiatives
While meeting immediate needs and producing relevant content, building the audience of Farm4Profit, Winterhof and its team have recognized that the real community extends beyond content consumption in active participation and a shared objective.
In 2021, inspired by a charity initiative organized by Mike Birkhart in Indiana to support the Travis Birkhart Foundation (which helps when the insurance stops for people in need), the FARM4Profit team organized their own fundraising event after having lived “FOMO” (fear of missing) not to attend the original collection.
This started as a simple “loot auction” offering brand goods from various creators of agricultural content quickly evolved into something much larger. Agricultural businesses and individuals have given precious items, including a land plane in Cody Gere and various whiskey and Bourbon products.
“We ended up increasing 41,000 more than 40 large dollars for the Travis Burkhart Foundation,” said Corey Hillebo, co-host of Winterhof. This successful charitable initiative not only benefited from a good cause, but also strengthened the obligations within the community of agricultural content and the wider agricultural public.
Fund collection has illustrated another key overview of FarM4Profit growth: community building occurs most effectively when it is focused on helping others. By concentrating outwards rather than inward, they created an opportunity for significant connection beyond the consumption of typical content.
The power of authentic feedback
Perhaps one of the most surprising elements of the FarM4Profit community creation approach is their openness to criticism – even severe criticism – of their audience. This was radically demonstrated in March 2020, when Corey Hillebo appeared as a guest on the Podcast and then delivered a brutally honest assessment of the show’s format.
“Your content is good, but your delivery is zero,” Hillebo told Winterhof and his original co-host, Dave Whitaker. Hillebo, who had listened to podcasts outside the agricultural space, recognized that the Farm4Profit conference style format lacked the engaging and conversational tone that characterizes the most successful podcasts.
Rather than becoming defensive, Tanner adopted these comments, inviting Hillebo to help create a new, more relaxed format called “Farm for Fun”. This segment, which included less structured conversations on beer, immediately connected to listeners. Downloads have doubled each week, going quickly from 100 to 800 listeners.
This desire to accept and act on public comments – even when it is uncomfortable – has become the cornerstone of the Farm4Profit approach. By creating an environment where listeners really know that their opinions count, they have favored a community that actively participates in the formation of the evolution of the podcast.
From content consumption to collaborative creation
As Farm4Profit has developed, the relationship between the podcast and its audience has gone from a traditional dynamic of the broadcaster to something closer to collaborative creation. Auditors who see their suggestions implemented are more likely to participate in discussions, to share episodes and to recommend the podcast to others.
“Responding to auditor’s suggestions transforms a podcast from a unidirectional program into a truly interactive and community -based experience,” said Winterhof. This approach has built a network of listeners who actively contribute to the evolution of the podcast.
This collaborative approach goes beyond the creation of content to the sharing of expertise. The Farm4Profit team is frequently found to consult roles with their partners and listeners, providing advice on agricultural business challenges even beyond their content as official podcasts.
“We have a lot of partners who are really partners. I mean friends that we have developed this relationship that we are almost in consultation roles,” notes Hillebo, stressing how their community-oriented approach has created value beyond their media products.
The future of the agricultural media centered on the community
For the future, Winterhof and his team focus on expanding their efforts to strengthen the community for new audiences, in particular young people interested in agriculture. They develop a program specifically intended for members of the FFA (future farmers from America) and young adults, aimed at providing resources and advice for those who enter the agricultural industry.
This initiative reflects their understanding that community building is not only to serve the existing public but also to extend the conversation to include new voices and perspectives. By hiring young people at the start of their agricultural career, they hope to create a more connected and favorable industry for the future.
The story of Farm4Profit shows that in an increasingly disconnected digital world, there remains immense value in the real community building. By prioritizing the needs of the public, by adopting comments, by meeting crises and creating collective action opportunities, they have built something much more precious than a successful podcast – they have created a community of confidence which serves both as an information provider and a connection point for the agricultural industry.
“If you only do 50 programs per year, this represents two years of content,” notes Winterhof on their vast list of subjects aforementioned to the public. This backwards of ideas generated by the community is not considered as a burden but as proof of a flourishing and committed audience that will feed their growth for the years to come.
In a media landscape often characterized by ephemeral attention and superficial engagement, the approach centered on the FarM4Profit community offers a refreshing and effective alternative – that based on the simple principle that the authentic service to your audience is the safest path to sustainable success.