The HIGH GROUND Podcast Interview with Sal and Ryan

Over the past year, Ryan Priest (COO of Premier Companies) and Sal Sama (VP of Agronomy Sales & Marketing) have hosted The HIGH GROUND Podcast. The goal of starting this podcast was to share current events and insights about Premier Companies and to provide updates to our customers about what is going on in the world of agriculture.

Over the 60+ episodes, that goal has stayed consistent, while adding a level of familiarity and camaraderie in Sal’s and Ryan’s unscripted and unfiltered conversations. Now, with over 1.22K subscribers on YouTube alone, this weekly discussion has turned into a place for agricultural professionals to learn through industry trends, real life stories, and realistic approaches to problem solving based on decades of experience.

We sat down with Sal and Ryan to learn a little more about how the podcast came to be, what their favorite experiences have been from the past year, and to learn more about what is in store for the podcast next…

Q: Can you share a little more about where the idea for the HIGH GROUND podcast came from?

R&S: We noticed over recent years that many companies have taken the time to share points of interest about their industry through social media. As a company focused on serving our customers and our communities, we are always looking for better ways to connect to our customers and others in the industry. In addition, it is very important to educate those that may not know as much about the ag industry and how it impacts all of our lives. We both believe there is power in unscripted and natural conversation, so we figured a podcast was a great place to start.

Q: How has the podcast evolved over the past year?

R&S: While many of our listeners enjoy just listening to the audio of the episode through Spotify, Apple Music, etc., we were surprised about the amount of followers that also appreciate the option to add in a visual component as well. Because of this, we started focusing more on the video recording of the podcast in addition to audio, and have made a point to add in visuals to episodes when it makes sense to really round out that experience for our listeners.

Q: What have you learned over the course of recording 60+ episodes?

S: People listen both for entertainment and education. The episodes are all unscripted and unrehearsed, which adds an organic feeling when you’re listening. It is more like you’re just joining in on a conversation than listening in to a presentation.

Q: What has been your favorite episode up to this point?

R: I believe the episode with Dr. Karen Plaut discussing GMO misconceptions was my favorite to this point. It was a great way to add clarity to such a misunderstood subject. Episodes like that one are the reason I wanted to do a podcast from the beginning. I wanted Premier to provide education and entertainment to both our non-farming and farming listeners, through industry experts both inside and outside of Premier.

Q: Why do you think someone should listen to the HIGH GROUND podcast?

S: I think that people who want to hear current events and topics related to the Ag industry would benefit from the topics we discuss. We make a point to share enough information about our company and the industry challenges to provide education and we continue to do it in a way that is entertaining and thought-provoking.

R: To add to that, I really think the podcast’s strong suit is that it offers a wide variety of topics that impact all our listeners, in a concise manner that everyone can understand. We strive to add clarity to topics through our questioning that doesn’t require you to be a farmer or chemical engineer to understand. Whether you buy agriculture/energy products, sell grain, raise livestock, or live within a close proximity to someone who does these things, we want to provide quality information to you.

Q: When looking to the future of your podcast, what are you most excited for?

S: I would say more diversity in the topics, possibly doing a few episodes on-site at some of the locations and incorporating more visuals and videos so that people can see how we do our jobs as a cooperative serving customers across our trade territory.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share about the HIGH GROUND Podcast?

R: My thanks to all those within Premier who have agreed to try this idea out and continue to stick with it. It is certainly nice to be at a restaurant or ballgame and have someone address the latest episode or topic and know that without this format, we may not have reached them.

Join Our Listeners Today!

If this is the first time you’ve heard of the HIGH GROUND Podcast, or if you’re behind on episodes, head over to The HIGH GROUND Podcast Episode Recaps feed on the Premier Companies website to browse through and listen to our episodes today.

If you have questions about the podcast or if you have ideas for future episodes, fill out our short interest form and we’ll be in touch soon!