Podcast — Family
Hay Kings: Policy Parity & The 95% Succession with Mike Stefan (Episode 107)
In this episode of the Hay Kings podcast, Jon Paul Driver explores the radical management strategies of the Stefan Hay Company in New York. Operating in a high-moisture environment that requires intensive tiling and a low-debt approach, the Stefans offer a masterclass in modernizing the family farm.
The discussion centers on two critical pillars: farm policy and transition planning. Mike Stefan shares his 95/5 succession model, in which he transferred nearly all LLC ownership to his sons in their early 20s to avoid the stagnation that can occur when the next generation waits too long to build equity. On the policy front, the conversation offers a neutral look at the divide between hay and row crops. They weigh the benefits of a free-market approach against the need for parity, suggesting that improved insurance programs—rather than distorting direct payments—may be the key to a level playing field for the nation’s third-largest crop.
🎙 Hosted by Jon Paul Driver
🤝 Sponsored by Krone — Dedicated to Hay and Forage Producers
🔗 Listen at hay-kings.com
Hay Kings: Intellectual Honesty - Navigating the 2026 Market Reset (S9:E5)
Jon Paul Driver sits down with Scott Courtright of Courtright Enterprises for a brutally honest assessment of the hay export crisis. They move past the surface-level talk to provide the intellectual honesty required to navigate an industry that has effectively wiped out $600 million in equity through inventory write-downs and a historic demand collapse.
Hay Kings: East Coast Dynamics – OCD, Logistics, and Market Maturity with Stefan Hay Company (S9:E4)
Jon Paul Driver sits down with Mike Stefan of the Stephen Hay Company to talk about the "wild west" of the East Coast hay market—from his "OCD" approach to making high-end show cow hay to managing a diverse 4,000-acre operation near Buffalo, NY.
Hay Kings Podcast: Bundling Small Bales (S4:E12)
Bundling small square bales has made a difference in JB Miller's operation. Join the Hay Kings Podcast to hear boots on the ground experience from bundling bales.
Sponsored by Vermeer – your expert in hay and forage equipment
Hay Kings: Mixing It Up
Today we are "mixing" it up by talking about what you might do with your hay after you bale it.
In the latest episode of the Hay Kings Podcast we spoke with Reggie and Jordan Schuler from @VermeerAg to talk about feeding solutions and how they fit into an operation.
Sponsored by Vermeer