The HIGH GROUND


The Latest Episode Recaps.

December 18, 2025
EP 216: Propane Safety, Keep Full Program, & Power Tools
We’re all about propane today!  Special guest Brennan Gilbert and most edited guest, Bill Houze join hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama in the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Bill and Brennan will share about their current roles with Premier and how they’ve worked to help Premier Energy maintain standards through the company growth.
November 18, 2025
EP 212: CountryMark Pipeline, ISO Technology, & Upcoming Projects
Special and returning guest Matt Smorch joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Matt is the President and CEO of CountryMark Cooperative and joins us to discuss the quality of CountryMark diesel and fuel and what sets them apart from other suppliers in the area.
November 18, 2025
EP 211: Temple & Temple Excavating, Roadwork Cycles, & Irrational Fears
Is there more roadwork happening or does it just feel that way?  Special guest Josh Haley joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Josh is the CEO at Temple & Temple Excavating and Paving in Salem, Indiana.
November 4, 2025
EP 209: Insecticide Resistance, Alfalfa Weevils, & Procrastination
Brand new guest, Erika Rodbell, PhD, joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Dr. Rodbell is the Forage Research Agronomist at Forage Genetics International, and she’s here to discuss the dreaded alfalfa weevil.  
October 17, 2025
EP 207: United Producers, Preconditioned Calves, & Indispensable Tools
Special and returning guest Ryan Batt has taken Jeff and Sal out of the podcast room for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. In addition to learning how and why a single cow can lose that much weight overnight, you’ll learn how the animals are stored prior to going to the sale ring and what it takes to run a busy market day.
October 1, 2025
EP 204: Taranis, AI in Agriculture, & Funny Dive Sights
How can you identify a tar spot from 90 feet above a field?  With Taranis! On today's episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies, Brad and Cory will share how Taranis is able to utilize their drones to scout their fields and why it offers more information to a grower than just seeing the crop from a four wheeler.  You’ll also learn about the history of Taranis, how they hire their drone pilots, and get a glimpse into where AI could be utilized more in the agriculture industry.
September 11, 2025
EP 202: Herbicide Strategies, Red Crown Rot, & Crop Damage Stories
What have we learned from the 2025 answer plots? While Jeff is probably off doing his hair, host Sal Sama is joined in the podcast room by the fan favorite, Glenn Longabaugh. Glenn is famous for being the Technical Agronomist for Premier Companies, and he’s also an amateur investigator for crop damage caused by animals.
August 27, 2025
EP 200: Celebrating 200 Episodes, Premier Ag Changes, & Recent Reads
There’s something exciting about this episode!  It’s number 200!  To help us celebrate, special guest Harold Cooper joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama in the podcast room.  As you may remember from previous episodes, Harold is the CEO of Premier Companies who’s been with the podcast from the very beginning and with the company for about 25 years.
August 27, 2025
EP 199: Ag Account Management, Career Growth, & Phone Wallpapers
Whether or not you’ve had a background in government, if you’re considering a role in agriculture account management, this episode is one you’ll not want to miss! Isaac Murdock, featured employee, joins host Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett in the podcast room for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.