Jess Settles – Winfield, IA Farmer and College Basketball Legend

03/29/23 • 65 min

With March Madness coming to a head with the NCAA Final Four this week, Machinery Pete talks with Jess Settles – farmer from Winfield, IA and Iowa Hawkeye basketball legend, also TV college basketball analyst on ESPN, Big Ten Network and Fox Sports. Settles talks about growing up on the farm in Winfield, IA, his family’s deep farming roots, his basketball journey that carried him to the University of Iowa and star status in the mid 1990’s. After his playing days ended, Settles transitioned to TV work. Farming and basketball stories and memories flow in this Pete and Jess conversation.

[:35] - Machinery Pete’s intro, equipment market update
[5:33] - Interview with Jess Settles begins
[8:10] - Jess’s early Iowa days, growing up on the farm
[16:26] - Graduation from high school, college basketball career
[25:40] - Battling injuries
[32:02] - Post career days; coaching and TV
[40:18] - Modern basketball
[50:13] - New strategies in farming and basketball
[1:01:30] - Final words from Machinery Pete

Machinery Pete was founded in 1989 and has grown from its humble beginnings to a full-fledged marketplace for farming equipment. Greg Peterson, founder and host, has also released Machinery Pete content across platforms including YouTube with his long-running Machinery Pete TV show.

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[:35] - Machinery Pete’s intro, equipment market update
[5:33] - Interview with Jess Settles begins
[8:10] - Jess’s early Iowa days, growing up on the farm
[16:26] - Graduation from high school, college basketball career
[25:40] - Battling injuries
[32:02] - Post career days; coaching and TV
[40:18] - Modern basketball
[50:13] - New strategies in farming and basketball
[1:01:30] - Final words from Machinery Pete

Previous Episode

Machinery Pete Advice to Young Farmers + News of New Auction Company – Merit Auctions

Machinery Pete looks back over his 33+ year career and pulls together his best tips and advice to young farmers. Pete also talks with Zach Hiner, Jim Huff and John Probasco with the new auction firm Merit Auctions of Fort Madison, IA. Hiner, Huff and Probasco have over 100 years experience in the auction biz. They already have 10 auctions on the books, including a huge Feb. 28, 2023 online sale for Ag Pro, a large John Deere dealer in Ohio, Georgia and the southeast U.S.

[:40] - Machinery Pete’s intro, episode topics
[3:20] - Equipment market update
[6:23] - Recent auction recaps
[11:55] - Advice for young farmers: theory of opposites, eye contact
[29:44] - Buying opportunity in tough market, Rule of 12
[38:25] - Interview with Zach, Jim and John begins
[42:53] - Upcoming sale closing Feb. 28
[51:33] - Market advice from the Zach, Jim and John
[1:06] - Final words from Machinery Pete

Next Episode

Morton Buildings – Repair & Renovation with Jeremiah Fairbanks

Antique tractors aren’t the only thing being restored on the farm today. Machinery Pete talks with Jeremiah Fairbanks, General Manager of Repair & Renovation with Morton Buildings about the company’s storied 120-year history dating back to 1903, how it transitioned a few years to a 100% employee-owned company and specifically about the company’s strong and growing focus on the Repair & Renovation aspect of its business.

[:40] - Machinery Pete’s intro, equipment market update
[4:25] - How a LinkedIn message led to this episode’s conversation
[5:44] - Interview with Jeremiah Fairbanks begins
[8:13] - Repair/renovation process, history of Morton Buildings
[16:43] - Jeremiah’s construction background
[20:13] - Why people renovate and how the process works
[27:18] - Building trends, supply chain challenges
[35:25] - Student opportunities with Morton Buildings
[40:28] - Final words from Machinery Pete