Best Management Practices for Farmers offer Best Marketing Practices for Marketers in 2025
By Amy Miles and Tom Hall
At Rooster, we are rooted in experience—experienced professionals, experienced marketers, and most importantly, experienced in agriculture. And while many of us come from farms, those who don’t have many years working in the ag industry. But we thirst for more—more knowledge and more insights that can keep us deeply rooted and connected to the farm and all those we represent in rural America.
That’s where the Rooster Farm, the company’s corn and soybean farm in East Central Illinois, proves its’ value. The team at Rooster understands what farmers are thinking and feeling each growing season because we experience the same things alongside them in the field—the same high-yield wins and the same economic lows. This year has been another opportunity for learning and growth for our entire team as we wrapped up the 2024 harvest season this fall and look ahead to begin planning for the 2025 growing season. And learnings for our team are worth sharing with fellow marketers and brands looking to connect with farmers in 2025.
Looking Back to Plan Ahead
This harvest season was one for the books with phenomenal yields, perfect weather and few delays—we couldn’t have been happier with the outcome.
But after the excitement of record-high yields fades, the reality of record low grain prices and skyrocketing input/land costs set in. The math shows profitability is beyond reach for us, and most U.S. farmers this year:
Corn input and land costs were about $1,090 per acre in 2024.
On average, a 220-bushel crop produces about $990 in revenue.
This results in a loss of ~$100 per acre.
In down financial times, we know it is critical to get the crop management fundamentals right to make every dollar count. That’s why Rooster is working closely with our on-staff agronomists, as well as other local and regional agronomists to plan for the 2025 growing season with the goal of maximizing yields while saving on input costs wherever possible.
Based on these discussions so far, here are 5 basic agronomic practices we plan to implement on the Rooster Farm in 2025:
Maintain the rotation. It may be tempting to change the cropping rotation to reduce costs. But, without rotation, there is risk for pests (resistant weeds, corn rootworm, SCN, and Sudden Death Syndrome) to creep in.
Soil test and believe the results. If the tests say there are sufficient nutrients to grow a crop we will take the win and not apply additional P and K.
Continue to aggressively maintain a soil pH of 6.5. Applying lime to correct pH adds calcium and magnesium, enhances nutrient availability, and is essential to both soil health and yield maximization.
Use the Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator called MRTN. Midwestern universities have been perfecting a nitrogen rate calculator for years, which we’ll leverage to build our program around. We believe that using a nitrogen loss inhibitor like Anvol is essential for fall and early spring N applications.
Leverage knowledge and expertise of seed professionals. To find the best varieties for our fields, we plan to rely heavily on recommendations from our seed agronomists. This isn’t a year for trialing, we want to choose varieties with proven track records, paired with optimal population and management practices.
Applying On-Farm Learnings to In-Market Campaigns
You may be wondering why we’re talking agronomic best practices when we specialize in marketing and communications. Well, as all farmers are facing the universal challenges associated with production costs, there are lessons to be learned for marketers in the agronomic decisions and BMPs (best management practices) that farmers are making. Based on our list above, here are some of our own BMPs (best marketing practices) to consider applying to your marketing campaigns in 2025 to ensure your communication is resonating with your audience:
Be relevant and relatable. Don’t be tone deaf to the issues farmers are facing. It’s okay to recognize the tough times, call it out in your messaging, and let farmers know you see and understand them better than your competitors.
Promote products/services that provide short term payoff vs. long term investment. Farmers need cash now, not in five years once a specific piece of technology or new production practice starts to pay off. Elevate solutions that provide quick ROI on-farm.
Use tools to prove ROI. If you have tools, resources or promotions that can show real proof of ROI (i.e. a yield calculator on your website or a free trial run offering), now is the time to prove the value to support the purchase.
Elevate your service and support message. In a year where there is no room for trial and error, farmers are relying on experts to guide them to the best, most profitable solutions. Demonstrating strong customer support enhances your sales pitch in times of uncertainty on-farm.
In the end, the best marketing campaigns begin with a deep understanding of the audience. And we know your farmer audience because we are farmers ourselves. The knowledge we grow at the Rooster Farm each season helps us better understand the farmers’ mindset and the factors influencing input decisions. This first-hand experience helps us help you effectively connect with your audience and create real ROI for your brand.