In this episode of Pods and Ears, Rob Huston sits down with veteran analyst Dale Durchholz to weave a decades-long story of markets, memory, and method. From a farm boy’s beginnings to the bustle of Chicago trading floors, Dale recounts the moments that taught him to read cycles—how they pair with fundamentals, how USDA data is processed, and why simple technical tools often tell the clearest tale.

Listeners leave with a practical playbook: how to spot timing windows, interpret yield signals, manage basis and spreads, and weigh geopolitical shocks, all told through concrete anecdotes and lessons that merchandisers and producers can use tomorrow. It’s a conversation about the craft of market reading and the future of farming in a world driven by better data and smarter models.

In this episode, Rob explains why calculating ROI for data unification in grain elevators should focus not just on cost savings but on revenue growth and strategic advantage. He shares a real-world example showing how unified data uncovers missed production opportunities, outlines the three ROI categories—operational efficiency, revenue growth, and strategic positioning—and breaks down typical investments and conservative returns. Listeners will learn practical timelines, expected payback periods, and why delaying data unification can cost more than the technology itself.

In this episode we break down how fragmented data and a government shutdown leave grain elevators, cooperatives, and processors scrambling for reliable market intelligence.

Rob Huston reviews recent market moves, explains why basis and export trends matter, and shows how unified data platforms like Microsoft Fabric can turn scattered information into real‑time competitive advantage.