#279 - Live Hot Seat! Don Higgins Faces Tough Questions from Dealers | 2025 RWWP Summit

Published: 2025-06-29
Episode page
Duration: 70 min

In this episode

acquisition

• Real World Products has acquired Green Prairie Seed, part of a broader push toward growth and business-to-business networking opportunities. 0:50

antler-growth

• How can antler growth be improved for bucks that leave the farm all summer and only return September through spring? 31:59

apple-trees

• Terry says Andy Andreas’s depth of knowledge on apple tree science is so advanced he can barely comprehend the opening of Andy’s explanations. 4:03

baiting-permit

• Don jokingly warns that admitting he’d pay for a bait-and-feed permit too loudly might give Governor Pritzker ideas. 14:27 (light moment)

banter

• Is Black Betty really Don’s favorite song to sing and dance to? 15:00

biochar

• What is the difference between humic acid and biochar, and why would someone choose one over the other? 8:30

business-acquisition

• Don says buying kitchen seed was a costly risk he took because he believed in it and, more importantly, in the people around him. 37:01

business-philosophy

• Terry says that while the rest of the industry rushes toward mass retail, their company is focused on growing local businesses instead. 1:14

business-relationships

• Terry says real business relationships aren’t built through logo placement but through gatherings like this dealer event where people network to grow together. 49:44

call-buck

• If a known, marked call buck came by after shedding during late doe season, would you shoot him? 18:26

career-history

• Terry recalls managing NASCAR sponsorships for Penske early in his career, a role that shaped how he thinks about business relationships. 49:21

chasing-assurance

• Terry reminds listeners the Chasing Assurance podcast airs every Wednesday morning. 56:10

chasing-giants-tv

• Terry announces upcoming coyote hunt footage from their friend Brandon Epperson coming soon to Chasing Giants TV. 56:03

community-support

• Terry describes their friend Kenny battling sickness, prompting a fundraiser with the Shipshewana group and a call for the podcast community to pray for him. 39:49

company-origin

• Don recounts that noticing certain soybean varieties resisted pod shatter and were preferred by deer over others led him to set up the meeting with Dwayne that started the seed company. 51:32

dealer-event

• Don notes the dealer crowd came from all over, naming Florida, Delaware, North Dakota, and Canada among the states and country represented. 1:28

dealer-exclusive

• Terry announces the planned dealer training/boot camp will only be offered to Real World dealers, not opened to the wider industry. 6:43

dealer-relationships

• Don describes the company’s relationship with dealers as a genuine partnership rather than a simple business transaction, saying success is shared mutually. 7:48

dealer-training

• Don says they plan a boot-camp-style training day for land managers who hire themselves out to plant food plots, covering herbicides and planting techniques. 5:32

deer-feeding-permit

• If you could get a permit to feed and bait deer, how much would you pay for it? 14:11

ehd

• Will they try EHD Defense, the water treatment product Wes sent them? 10:54

faith

• Don says he has learned not to fight it when God closes a door on something he’s pursuing, whether in hunting land or business. 52:57
• Don’s closing advice is to trust God when he opens doors and when he closes them, and to dream big. 54:25

feed-storage

• Do they use a pesticide to keep mealworms/moths from laying eggs and multiplying in their products? 15:53

fertilizer

• Can fertilizer-humic acid blends turn into hot clay if applied certain ways, and what should dealers know? 17:23

fruit-trees

• What would cause an animal to dig up freshly planted fruit trees treated with Quantum Soil Nutrient at the roots? 43:09

grain-sorghum

• What is the latest date to plant grain sorghum? 12:19

humic-acid

• Have you ever applied humic acid or biochar through your G Series drill, and how does it work? 16:33
• Is it worth applying a half or quarter rate of humic acid or biochar to save on cost? 45:32

hunting-story

• Don recounts an Amish landowner, who lacked equipment access but hired contractors, taking his young daughters hunting through the elaborate scent-tube access system. 28:08

industry-criticism

• Don recalls being criticized recently by an industry group he works with, affiliated with a mineral company, after voicing a skeptical opinion about their product. 13:41

injury

• Terry recounts that listener Grant Nicodemus was seriously injured when a falling tree he was clearing came back on him during TSI work, requiring hospitalization. 40:30

mineral-supplements

• Could an active ingredient in mineral force bucks to take a midday break, like a midday cigarette for smokers? 13:29
• If deer can sense what minerals or vitamins they’re lacking, why isn’t feed separated by nutrient instead of combined? 29:25

miscanthus

• Terry relays that a listener reported it was actually foxes, not raccoons or skunks, digging up Miscanthus rhizomes, based on trail camera footage. 12:02
• Don explains the Miscanthus variety they sell is patent-protected, so while they and buyers are licensed to sell and plant it, no one is licensed to propagate it. 47:52
• Have you seen raccoons or skunks dig up Miscanthus rhizomes, and how do you prevent it? 11:48
• If Miscanthus planted last year fills in gaps in a stand due for its regular three-year burn, will burning hurt the one-year-old growth? 41:02
• What planting rate and row spacing is needed for growing bulk Miscanthus to harvest for chicken litter? 46:09

organic-seed

• What organic plot seed options exist for dealers getting customer requests for organic seed? 24:05

property-consulting

• What is the most challenging property Don ever consulted on, and what did he implement to redesign it? 18:45

public-land

• What are your thoughts on Senator Mike Lee’s public land sale bill? 38:46

real-estate

• Don cites research by partner Brian Kraft of Midwest Land Group showing real estate has appreciated about 7% a year on average over the last forty years. 35:53

risk-taking

• What was the biggest risk Don ever took, both in hunting and in business, to get where he is today? 34:03

stand-access

• What was the most out-of-the-box stand entrance/exit plan you’ve seen or prescribed? 24:42

switchgrass

• What glyphosate rate was used before planting Miscanthus into burned switchgrass, and is it better than mowing? 44:11

timber-harvest

• What are the tree/shrub planting recommendations after a timber harvest? 10:09

trail-cameras

• Terry has his out-of-state trail cameras configured to send an immediate notification whenever a person or vehicle appears in the frame. 22:36
• Are you still using BuckView software by Reconyx to manage trail camera pictures, or have you switched systems? 21:28

water-hole

• Terry relays that Wes Delks created a strategic water hole specifically to funnel deer movement for hunters, featured on Chasing Giants TV. 42:33

water-holes

• Can a 190-acre property with five ponds, three creeks and three springs have too many water holes if two more are added? 41:22

wildlife-orchard

• The team is developing a prepackaged Chasing Giants wildlife orchard kit after meeting with Jay Gingerich to formulate the concept. 2:41

wildlife-orchard-kit

• Don says the wildlife orchard kit will include everything needed except the cage: clover for the plot, fertilizer for the fruit tree, and spiral wrap to protect it. 3:38

Listener questions

Question: What is the difference between humic acid and biochar, and why would someone choose one over the other? 8:30

• Answer: Don explains they’re different products: biochar is made under high heat/low oxygen, applied once at a high rate and lasting hundreds of years, while humic acid needs reapplication every two to three years at a lighter rate. 8:39

Question: What are the tree/shrub planting recommendations after a timber harvest? 10:09

• Answer: Don says it depends on the site; if desirable hardwoods like white oak and walnut existed before, young trees likely remain, but if junk species dominated he plants potted better-species trees to fill gaps. 10:33

Question: Will they try EHD Defense, the water treatment product Wes sent them? 10:54

• Answer: Don is skeptical it will meaningfully reduce EHD outbreaks since it’s impractical to treat every pond, waterhole, and puddle in an area. 11:06

Question: Have you seen raccoons or skunks dig up Miscanthus rhizomes, and how do you prevent it? 11:48

• Answer: Don has seen it happen and jokingly says the only prevention he knows of is a 12 gauge shotgun. 11:55

Question: What is the latest date to plant grain sorghum? 12:19

• Answer: Don recommends planting grain sorghum by early to mid July in the Midwest. 12:29

Question: Could an active ingredient in mineral force bucks to take a midday break, like a midday cigarette for smokers? 13:29

• Answer: Don says he’s very skeptical of the claim and declines to elaborate further. 13:38

Question: If you could get a permit to feed and bait deer, how much would you pay for it? 14:11

• Answer: Don says he’d probably pay $500 on his own property for such a permit. 14:34
• Answer: Don clarifies he means paying for off-season supplemental feed, not in-season baiting, and confirms he’d pay $500. 14:50

Question: Is Black Betty really Don’s favorite song to sing and dance to? 15:00

• Answer: Terry says it’s actually his son-in-law Corey’s favorite, not Don’s. 15:06

Question: Do they use a pesticide to keep mealworms/moths from laying eggs and multiplying in their products? 15:53

• Answer: Don says the pesticide isn’t in the product itself; they fumigate the facility where complete feed is stored to keep pests out. 16:04

Question: Have you ever applied humic acid or biochar through your G Series drill, and how does it work? 16:33

• Answer: Don applies humic acid via the drill with the gate wide open, delivering roughly 200-250 pounds per acre two inches deep rather than on the surface. 16:45

Question: Can fertilizer-humic acid blends turn into hot clay if applied certain ways, and what should dealers know? 17:23

• Answer: Don explains blends with urea draw moisture and turn into a sticky, gummy mess, so bags should be opened and spread immediately, never through a drill. 17:39

Question: If a known, marked call buck came by after shedding during late doe season, would you shoot him? 18:26

• Answer: Don says he probably would, since if you want the buck out of the herd, you shoot him. 18:35

Question: What is the most challenging property Don ever consulted on, and what did he implement to redesign it? 18:45

• Answer: Don says the biggest challenge hasn’t been difficult properties but occasional clients who won’t set aside conflicting internet advice and truly listen. 18:59

Question: Are you still using BuckView software by Reconyx to manage trail camera pictures, or have you switched systems? 21:28

• Answer: Don is still using BuckView since switching would mean losing years of stored trail camera history. 21:43
• Answer: Terry has standardized on Hunt Control, needed to manage roughly 45,000-50,000 trail camera pictures a week during hunting season. 21:58

Question: What organic plot seed options exist for dealers getting customer requests for organic seed? 24:05

• Answer: Don says organic requires certification beyond untreated non-GMO seed, and Green Prairie will offer organic options detailed at the event. 24:22

Question: What was the most out-of-the-box stand entrance/exit plan you’ve seen or prescribed? 24:42

• Answer: Don describes an Ohio hunter’s elaborate scent-control setup: a solar-powered exhaust fan pulled air out of the blind through buried PVC while he crawled in through underground tunnels. 25:49

Question: If deer can sense what minerals or vitamins they’re lacking, why isn’t feed separated by nutrient instead of combined? 29:25

• Answer: Don says separating ingredients isn’t practical since a product like Maximizer mineral has over 20 ingredients, which would require impossibly many separate piles. 29:51
• Answer: Terry adds that mineral is blended into feed because consumption varies deer to deer, so combining it maximizes how much each animal actually gets. 30:13

Question: How can antler growth be improved for bucks that leave the farm all summer and only return September through spring? 31:59

• Answer: Don says he faces the same situation and addresses it by feeding deer nutrient-dense food through winter, since natural sources often lack adequate nutrition then. 32:08

Question: What was the biggest risk Don ever took, both in hunting and in business, to get where he is today? 34:03

• Answer: Don says his hunting success wasn’t about risk but about being more passionate than the average hunter. 34:29
• Answer: Don’s biggest recent business risk was buying another 140 acres of tillable ag ground, which wasn’t cheap and required bank financing. 34:58

Question: What are your thoughts on Senator Mike Lee’s public land sale bill? 38:46

• Answer: Don is firmly opposed, noting public land is often all that hunters have access to. 38:52
• Answer: Don hopes Donald Trump Jr., as a hunter, has enough influence to stop the bill. 39:15

Question: If Miscanthus planted last year fills in gaps in a stand due for its regular three-year burn, will burning hurt the one-year-old growth? 41:02 — asked by Grant

• Answer: Don says it won’t hurt the young Miscanthus and it’s fine to go ahead and burn. 41:18

Question: Can a 190-acre property with five ponds, three creeks and three springs have too many water holes if two more are added? 41:22 — asked by Jason Patten

• Answer: Don says the property already has plenty of water and questions the need for more, suggesting other projects might be a better use of resources. 41:55

Question: What would cause an animal to dig up freshly planted fruit trees treated with Quantum Soil Nutrient at the roots? 43:09

• Answer: Don had the same issue with his own apple trees, suspects groundhogs, and guesses the loosened, amended soil was simply easier to dig. 43:26

Question: What glyphosate rate was used before planting Miscanthus into burned switchgrass, and is it better than mowing? 44:11

• Answer: Don thinks it was about two quarts per acre with a surfactant, sometimes adding clethodim, since one spraying is enough to hold back switchgrass long enough for Miscanthus to establish. 44:20

Question: Is it worth applying a half or quarter rate of humic acid or biochar to save on cost? 45:32

• Answer: Don would rather see the full rate applied on fewer plots each year than a reduced rate spread over more acreage. 45:48

Question: What planting rate and row spacing is needed for growing bulk Miscanthus to harvest for chicken litter? 46:09

• Answer: Don says large poultry operations grow Miscanthus for bedding because of its high tonnage per acre and lower dust compared to other options. 46:27

Prayer Time

Scripture: Proverbs
Theme: trusting God’s guidance over self-reliance
The speaker reflects on personal complacency and spiritual drift, then walks through Proverbs on trusting God rather than one’s own understanding and seeking wise counselors, closing in prayer asking God to give listeners courage to form new habits and deepen their walk with Him. 60:43

This dealer-event episode centered on Real World Products’ acquisition of Green Prairie Seed and its push toward local business growth and dealer partnership rather than mass retail. Don and Terry described plans for a prepackaged Chasing Giants wildlife orchard kit developed with Jay Gingerich, and a boot-camp-style training day for land managers, open only to Real World dealers. Don shared how observing pod-shatter-resistant soybeans deer preferred led him to start the seed company, and called buying kitchen seed a risk he took on the people around him as much as the product. Listener questions covered humic acid versus biochar application, Miscanthus planting and burning, organic plot seed, trail camera systems, and Don’s opposition to Senator Mike Lee’s public land sale bill. Terry relayed Grant Nicodemus’s serious TSI injury and Kenny’s illness, prompting a prayer request, and the episode closed with a prayer on trusting God’s guidance over self-reliance.

Unofficial fan project. AI-synthesized from public episodes; may contain errors.