What if the secret to growing more corn wasn't applying more nitrogen, but figuring out what your crop is actually missing? Tyler and Hannah Hunter of Greene County Agronomy join the Farm4Profit crew to share how they've built an independent agricultural retail business while farming approximately 1,200 acres of their own. From a reported 324-bushel corn-on-corn field average to an unexpected 17-bushel response from zinc, this conversation challenges conventional fertilizer thinking and explores how smarter nutrient management can improve farm profitability.
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Tanner, Corey, and David welcome Tyler and Hannah Hunter, the husband-and-wife team behind Greene County Agronomy in Jefferson, Iowa. Tyler grew up in a farming family near Scranton and worked in seed treatment and agricultural retail before launching the business in 2014, with its first full operational year in 2015. Hannah, who grew up in Coon Rapids and studied marketing at Buena Vista University, has become an essential part of the operation, handling everything from business responsibilities to operating a massive grain cart during harvest. Together, they've built a full-service agronomy business offering Pioneer seed, crop protection products, fertilizer, plant nutrition, custom application, and crop management advice. Their investments include a 10,000-ton dry fertilizer facility and a million-gallon heated ammonium thiosulfate storage tank designed to improve purchasing flexibility and product availability.
The conversation quickly moves into high-yield corn production and the importance of balanced plant nutrition. Tyler explains why he believes farmers sometimes focus too heavily on nitrogen and phosphorus while overlooking nutrients such as sulfur, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and calcium. Using in-field tissue testing technology from LeafTech, his team tracks nutrient trends and identifies opportunities for in-season adjustments. On his own continuous-corn acres, Tyler says he has reduced nitrogen use from approximately 1.1–1.2 pounds per bushel toward 0.6 pounds per bushel while maintaining strong yields. He shares an example of a field that averaged 324 bushels per acre of dry corn, emphasizing that the real measurement of success is return on investment rather than yield alone.
A major focus is the Hunters' relationship with AgXplore and their experience testing plant nutrition products. Tyler describes how an early trial with an AgXplore boron product produced results strong enough to make him reconsider his skepticism toward specialty nutritionals. He discusses using GrowPak AI as an in-box planter treatment, along with customized in-furrow nutrition, calcium applications, sulfur programs, and strategically timed foliar micronutrients. One particularly memorable example came when Tyler ran out of zinc during an application and later observed a 17-bushel-per-acre difference in the treated portion of a field. He stresses that such results aren't guaranteed and that nutrient availability, placement, timing, and the crop's limiting factors all influence whether a product pays.
The episode also takes a detailed look at Tyler's corn-on-corn equipment and management system. From in-furrow and 2-by-2 fertilizer placement to T-band applications, residue management, tire inflation, and planter closing systems, he explains why small improvements throughout the season can add up. The group discusses his experience investing in strip-till equipment, only to abandon the approach after inconsistent application performance and disappointing economics. Tyler also shares how he evaluates new products through field trials, why his customers receive priority when application windows get tight, and why honesty and consistency have been central to growing Greene County Agronomy.
Looking toward the 2027 crop, Tyler expects to keep refining variable-rate fertilizer prescriptions, tissue testing, micronutrient programs, and the balance between production costs and yield potential. Hannah adds perspective on the realities of building a family business, learning agriculture firsthand, and keeping a complex operation moving. Naturally, the Farm4Profit crew mixes in plenty of humor about pilot lessons, South African farm labor, giant grain carts, expensive equipment experiments, and a few stories the Hunters apparently aren't allowed to tell.
The central takeaway: Profitable crop production isn't about throwing more inputs at every acre. It's about understanding what each field needs, testing what works, and making every dollar earn its place.