The $1M Farm Diversification Escape: How One Iowa Farm Stays Viable w/Matt Kroul
Barn Talk
Tork and Sawyer Whisler
4.6 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 19 September 2025
⏱️ 110 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to Barn Talk. Today, we’re excited to bring you a conversation that truly celebrates the grit, diversity, and heart of Iowa agriculture. Our guest is Matt Kroul—an Iowa farm kid turned University of Iowa football standout, NFL lineman, and now a passionate advocate for the future of the family farm.
Matt sits down with Tork and Sawyer to share his incredible journey—from growing up surrounded by livestock, sports, and hard work, to the highs and grind of college and professional football, and ultimately, returning home to join the next generation guiding his family’s operation. But this isn’t your typical row crop farm—Kroul Farms is a model of real diversification: from 1200 acres of pastures, row crops, greenhouses, vegetables, and pumpkins, to retail firewood, a CSA program, and direct-to-consumer beef.
We’ll dive into the creative, sometimes chaotic realities of running a truly diversified farm, the challenges and rewards of working with family, and what it means to build a legacy while raising young kids with strong values. Matt speaks candidly about transition planning, the pressures facing small farmers, and the mindset shifts needed to keep agriculture thriving for the next generation. Plus, we’ll get honest about balancing relentless work, family time, and what really keeps a rural community strong.
Whether you’re passionate about AG, family businesses, or just love a good comeback story, this episode is packed with laughs, hard-earned wisdom, and memorable moments. Get ready to meet one of Iowa’s most down-to-earth and forward-thinking farmers—you’ll definitely want to check out everything the Kroul family is doing. Let’s get started!
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00:00 "Authentic Agricultural Storytelling"
09:33 Joining Rex's Team as Free Agent
14:53 "Doyle's Impact on Player Development"
16:19 Football's Mental and Physical Grind
22:30 Streamlining Family Farm Operations
29:55 "Featured on Farms of America"
33:55 "Creative Competitive Restaurant Sourcing"
36:58 Farm Equipment Upgrade Journey
44:50 "Cattle and Pumpkins Enhance Agritourism"
49:14 Egg Price Complaints and Nutritional Value
53:51 "Farm Staff and H2A Program"
01:00:16 Plan Future: Have Tough Conversations
01:06:58 Transition Challenges in Family Farming
01:11:32 Coaching: Balancing Life and Leadership
01:13:56 "Summer Routine Shift"
01:21:45 Competing Land Prices Challenge Farmers
01:25:47 Competitive Spirit and Community Impact
01:32:10 "Mentorship and Family Work Ethic"
01:36:48 Guiding Kids in Peer Pressure
01:42:15 Smartphone Addiction: Modern-Day Drug
01:46:59 "Check Out Matt's Ventures"
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Transcript
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| 0:50.1 | All of the food we eat and much of the clothing we wear comes from plants and animals that are raised on farms. |
| 0:55.8 | Farms are different in type, in size, and even in name. |
| 1:16.3 | Welcome to Barn Talk. What happens at the barn stays in the barn, but not today. |
| 1:20.8 | We're going to let it all out for you guys. Today is going to be a hell of a good guest episode. We got a great farm kid that grew up here in Iowa doing some awesome things on their operation. |
| 1:28.1 | And we're going to get into all the nitty-gritty of stuff that's going on |
| 1:31.5 | and on his operation and more. |
| 1:33.8 | But before we get into it, you guys know the drill. |
| 1:36.4 | If you get any value from the show, all that we ask is that you shared out with the people |
| 1:40.4 | that you know. |
| 1:41.3 | The more that you guys do that, the more that this show can grow. |
| 1:44.5 | It's kind of the ticket to admission to watch or listen to the show. And there's a lot of ways that you can get value. If we made you laugh, if you're related to us on something, if you learned something new, just share it. That's all that we ask. It's the best way we found to grow the podcast. Another thing you can do to help us out here at Barn Talk is leave a review on Spotify or Apple. |
| 2:05.3 | The more that you guys do that, the more credibility it gives to our show so we can have more guests like we're having on today. |
... |
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