Podcast — Policy
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: Hay Exports - Reckoning and Renewal (S9:E3)
From Reckoning to Renewal in Hay Exports, this episode digs into the structural reset underway in global forage markets and what it means for growers, exporters, and rural communities.