Off-Farm Income

On tomorrow's ag business episode we are looking at the concept of farm transition again. It has been several years since I have done this, but it is a topic that we should keep front of mind because it is a valid way to begin farming or ranching. Back in 2017 I interviewed a young man who was a National Proficiency Finalist and a sophomore in college. He was raising his own cattle and working for a neighbor on his ranch, and that neighbor was ready to retire. The neighbor did not have a family member who wanted to farm the ground, and he was transitioning the operation to my guest, Stetson Dittmar. On today's show we will revisit that conversation.

Jay McClure is a 2022 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Forage Production. This is the result of Jay's efforts on his families farm taking over responsibility for hay production under several center pivots. Jay is now a full-time farmer and has chosen this path as his career for the rest of his life. Jay is faced with a unique problem. The family farm has been in the family for over 100 years, and during that time it has grown more and more reliant on irrigation. Jay and his family pump water from the Ogallala Aquifer, which is running out of water. Jay believes that the farm will not run out of water before his father retires, however he does believe that the aquifer will be exhausted before he is ready to retire. So, in addition to the everyday challenges of production agriculture, Jay is faced with what to do when the time comes and how to continue an over 100 year tradition in face of losing a precious resource.

On today's farm update show, let's talk about my goals for 2023, including: Be better at gopher control More frequent pasture rotations Sell sweet corn in a road side stand Start a working dog Become more of a vagabond on Idaho's back roads Graze goats on our canal more Start a couple of pack goats More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Will Sherman is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist in the category of Ag Processing. He has been cutting meat at Mound City Butcher Block in LaCygne, Kansas since he was 14 years of age. At age 18, just months after graduating high school he is already managing the shop. Will takes a lot of satisfaction from cutting meat. He sees it as a way to serve his community by preparing their meat for them, whether it be livestock or wild game. Will is still deciding whether or not college serves his purposes, but he is sure that butchering is part of his future. He wants to eventually own his own shop, whether that means purchasing Mound City Butcher Block or starting from scratch. If he does attend college, his education will be geared towards making him a better business manager and butcher in his chosen profession.

Hattie Brechwald is a chapter sentinel at Kuna High School, has just started her own herd of goats, is a district winner in two welding methods and is my daughter. Traditionally, Autumm, Hattie and I record a year end episode for New Years. However, this year Autumm is sick and is in no shape to be a guest on the show, so it is just Hattie and I. I have been waiting for Hattie to get far enough along in her FFA journey to be a guest on the show, so I can profile her FFA accomplishments for all of you. About three months ago I realized that she had reached that point. Since then, I have been looking for the right time. Well, it turns out that this year's New Years Episode is exactly the right time. I completely caught Hattie off guard with this. She was working this afternoon and then went to visit her grandparents. When she walked in the door, I told her that tonight was the night. So, her interview is totally extemporaneous. We literally recorded it about five minutes after she found that we would be featuring her. I think she knocked it out of the park, and I am proud she did so well with no time to prepare and no advantages just because her dad is the host!

Jana Earp is the Advertising and Partnership Manager at Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in Fort Worth, Texas. The TSCRA began as a conglomerate of ranchers in Texas that banded together to stop cattle rustling in 1880. Since the this group has evolved, officially becoming the TSCRA in 1921. It's mission also evolved and turned from being focused on catching cattle rustlers to helping people succeed not just in raising cattle but in all aspects of agriculture. This episode was originally going to be aired as a rural crime episode. However, it also evolved. The TSCRA does so much to help people from anywhere in the country to succeed in agriculture that this interview felt more like an ag business episode. So today, Jana will introduce the TSCRA to all of you and let you know exactly how this organization can help you succeed in agriculture.

Because of the holidays and the way they fell this year, I am not producing a rural crime episode this week. However, on tomorrow's ag business episode I am doing a show all about the Texas And Southwestern Rural Cattle Association, which I was introduced to through hosting this rural crime episode. So, for today's re-cap episode I thought it made sense to go back and revisit a rural crime interview that I had been able to do. This interview with Debi Metcalf of Net Posse made a lot of sense as there is significant overlap between what her organization does and what the TSCRA does. So, I'm bringing it back for you today.

Ty Steffen is a 2022 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Diversified Crop Production. On his families property and on leased property in his hometown of Newark, Illinois he grows 4 acres of pumpkins, a 1/2 acre of broom corn and gourds as well as a large vegetable garden. Using honor system stands Ty markets his broom corn, gourds and pumpkins as decorative produce every fall. There is an interesting twist to Ty's story. During his 9th Grade year he noticed some city land adjacent to a park that was going unused. Ty actually went to a board meeting for his village and requested to lease that ground to farm on. That lease was approved, and he obtained two acres, right in town to grow his crops. Ty is interested in continuing his business and remaining an entrepreneur after high school and college.

A quick farm update on a "kind of" week off between Christmas and New Years. This one has it all: goats, freezing rain and more.... More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Hanna Schmidt is a junior at Mullhall-Orlando High School and the secretary of her FFA Chapter. She also has a business removing invasive cedar trees from the pastures and fields of the people in her community. In today's episode Hanna explains that the research she has done has indicated that cedar trees rob a lot of soil moisture from the grasslands, and their removal can result in higher carrying capacities for the property owners that she serves.

Doland FFA Avery Miles - Chapter President of the Doland FFA Chapter in Doland, South Dakota Starting this year the Doland FFA Chapter decorated the town's park on Main Street for Christmas. The emphasis is on lights, but there is also a beautifully lit up FFA logo at the front of the display tying the community, Christmas and the local chapter all together. This project began with a $500 grant that was received from the South Dakota FFA Association, and it was quickly matched the Doland FFA Alumi Association. This is Avery's final year at Doland High School, but she believes that this will be come a tradition and will continue to grow in size and scope. Southern Guilford FFA Hannah Barnes - Chapter President of the Southern Guilford FFA Chapter in Greensboro, North Carolina For the past four years the Southern Guilford FFA Chapter has been conducting a toy drive, beginning in mid-November, to collect toys for children in their community that can be given to them as gifts on Christmas Day. The effort is now split into a whole chapter drive and an additional drive involving the just the officer team. The chapter is partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps through their Toys For Tots program, and all of the toys are handed over to them for distribution. In this interview Hannah highlights one of her fellow chapter members that, in spite of the $5 spending limit, donated over $250 worth of toys to the event. The generosity of this student and the entire chapter is very heart warming. Raft River FFA Jessi Knudsen - Vice President of the Raft River FFA Chapter in Malta, Idaho What began with a canned food drive has now grown into a full blown gift giving extravaganza for the community in and around Malta, Idaho. As the Raft River FFA Chapter has continued to give to their community during Christmas anonymous donors from the community have joined in, giving money to the cause so that more can be bought and the joy of the season can be spread to even more people. Sleepy Eye FFA Adam Johnson - Chapter President of the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota The Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter participates in a backpack food program, and this year for Christmas they are putting together "Holiday Boxes" for folks needing some help in their community. They are making "tie blankets" as a chapter and giving those away in addition some food, an ornament and personal care items. Lumberton FFA Kamryn McInnis - Chapter President of the Lumberton FFA Chapter in Lumberton, North Carolina "Share The Warmth" Project - the chapter used the proceeds from their poinsettia sale to purchase coats for kids identified by social services in their county. 52 coats were purchased and donated to children in the area. Ripley FFA Riley Knotts - Chapter Vice-President Of The Ripley FFA Chapter in Ripley, West Virginia Riley and his fellow chapters members are supporting the "Jackson County Hunting Heroes" program by butchering deer for the veterans who have gone out on the hunts and filled their tags. The Ripley FFA Chapter has been participating in this program for quite some time, and their involvement continues to develop. In this interview Riley talks about the veterans and holds in the high regard that they deserve.

Gracee Poorman has overcome a lot in her life, and dealing with the difficult challenges of overcoming obstacles is probably what attracts her to agriculture. She did not grow up in agriculture, but through a series of twists and turns she found herself working in a commercial hog barn. She also found many people skeptical about her ability to put in the work and be successful working in that environment, and that drove her to prove them wrong.....which she did! Today Gracee is married and living and working on the family farm that has been in her husband's family for two centuries. She is what I would describe as a serial entrepreneur. Gracee is running several businesses including photography, pressure washing, agricultural consulting and public speaking. She keeps herself very busy with different streams of revenue as well as working on her families farm. In this episode, we will get a glimpse into what drives her.

Dresen Ferschweiler is a really incredible entrepreneur and has what I call "The Entrepreneur's Attribute. She was first on the show in 2021 talking about how she recognized shortcomings in sheep halters and decided to do something about it, very early on in high school. I have since met her, her family and her fellow chapter members at the National FFA Convention. Dresen is the epitome of an entrepreneur, and she is a great compliment to the guest I have coming on the show tomorrow. So, Dresen's episode was perfect for today's re-cap show.

Blake Moore is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist in the category of Agricultural Mechanics and Repair. Starting on his uncle's farm somewhere around 6th grade Blake quickly found his curiosity piqued when he was in the shop around the tractors, feed trucks and pickups. Soon, he was working on engines and demonstrating aptitude. 6th Grade was also the very first year of his school's middle school FFA chapter. Always seeing his father's blue jacket hanging in the closet, Blake knew he wanted one of those. So, he signed up for the FFA and became very active, only to have his activity level wane just a bit going into his 8th and 9th grade years. However, one of Blake's advisors saw what he was doing mechanically and how much talent he had there, and encouraged him to start filling out paperwork for a regional proficiency award. One thing led to another, and Blake just kept winning! This propelled him all the way to the big stage this year as a National Proficiency Finalist!

Hi everyone. We have a farm update for you today and some more weather talk. Yes, I love the weather and I love interesting weather. We seem to have that in abundance right now, and I talk all about it in today's Tuesday Episode.

Halle Miller is a 2022 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Small Animal Production & Care. She is also a junior at the University Of Akron in Ohio studying marketing and sales. Halle was previously a guest on the Off-Farm Income Podcast in 2021 on episode #1063 as she was preparing to graduate high school. At that point in time she was planning on becoming a nurse, but during that very spring her participation on the sales and marketing team through the FFA lit her fire for this industry, and she is pursuing this at college now. Thanks to a strong work ethic and dual credit classes Halle is already classified as a junior in college, despite this just being her third semester since graduating. During high school she was able to complete 46 college credits that she took with her to Akron. Today she is still operating her dog breeding business, Borders Of Eby Eden with help from her entire family. And of course, her overcoming a dog phobia that began at age 6 remains a large part of her story.

Tip Of The Week Get involved and create a community Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.bainbridgereview.com/news/3-break-in-to-bay-hay-and-feed-on-bi/ https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2022/12/police-shortage-california-rural-departments/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/llama-dead-two-others-injured-7930026 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/herd-14-cows-stolen-anglesey-25747562 https://www.police.sa.gov.au/sa-police-news-assets/murray-mallee-local-service-area/theft-from-rural-properties-murray-mallee#.Y5t4Ki-B2J8 Africa https://www.citizen.co.za/witness/news/stolen-meat-suspect-shot-dead/ https://comarochronicle.co.za/276522/local-farmers-in-awe-amid-alarming-discovery/ https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/minister-asks-security-personnel-to-protect-vanilla-crop-from-thieves-4054556 Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.kimt.com/news/freeborn-county-man-pleads-guilty-to-theft-chase-in-north-iowa/article_d536e794-7be4-11ed-b72a-9b237050cb62.html https://muddyrivernews.com/noteworthy/auburn-ill-man-arrested-after-six-week-investigation-into-theft-from-farm-implement-dealer-in-pike-county/20221212141749/ https://tscra.org/volunteer-fire-departments-receive-funding-from-the-texas-and-southwestern-cattle-raisers-association-disaster-relief-fund/ More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Lance Irving is the program director for the Leopold Conservation Award which is presented to one farmer in each of 25 participating states. The award comes after a farmer has been nominated for the conversation practices on their farm that are both financially sound and environmentally beneficial. The award is facilitated and presented by the Sand County Foundation, which is named after Aldo Leopold's watershed book titled "A Sand County Almanac" which was released in 1949. On today's episode Lance will speak with us about the award, the work of the Sand County Foundation, working for a foundation and his journey that led him into this position. We will also discuss trends that he is seeing in agriculture and the use of conversation practices and the philosophy of the Sand County Foundation on educating people about this way of farming.

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am profiling the Leopold Conservation Award that is given out by the Sand County Foundation each year to one farmer in 25 states. The Sand County Foundation has a significant tie to Wisconsin and, of course, Aldo Leopold. Whenever I think of old time Wisconsin, I immediately thing of Jerry Apps and his great story telling ability. So, on today's re-cap episode I thought it would be great to revisit the second interview I ever did with Jerry.

Arturo Madriz is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist in the category of Agricultural Mechanics and Repair. He is also a senior at Madera South High School in California, and has a big time job in his father's trucking company. Just this year Arturo started going out on his own to repair damaged or broken down semis from the families business. He has driven up to 3 hours to take care of a truck that was broke down on the side of the road. Madera sits right on California State Highway 99, which has more north/south truck traffic than any roadway, including interstates, in the United States. It is narrow and busy with vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed. Arturo had to replace two trailer tires on this roadway this summer. This is dangerous and stressful work. And, he doesn't just switch out wheels. He breaks the bead off of the damaged tire and re-seats a new tire on to the existing wheel. To further help the family business, which his father started years ago after emigrating from Mexico, Arturo is planning on going to a diesel mechanic program after high school. One of the biggest expenses the business has is paying for expert diesel mechanic work, and Arturo plans to learn what he needs so that they can reduce that expense.

The last piece of media I took in last night before bed was the weather report. My favorite meteorologist predicted that the rain we were receiving would turn to snow over night but that little to no accumulation would occur. She did give the caveat that if snow were to stick it would have to be from a very fast and heavy snowfall, which was very unlikely. The first thing I heard this morning was my wife on the telephone receiving a call notifying her that her school district was taking a snow day today because of the heavy snowfall over night and the horrible road conditions! I went outside to feed and found four inches of very wet and heavy snow. And for a weather dork like me, that is a very happy surprise!

Willie Schoonover is a junior at Mulhall-Orlando High School in Orlando, Oklahoma and he is the treasurer in their FFA Chapter. He is also the son of two veterinarians and moving quickly towards that same career pathway. Willie and his younger brother raise goats, cattle, pigs and sheep on their Oklahoma farm, and this is giving them great experience for their futures, as Willie told me that his brother is also interested in veterinary work. Willie currently has his sights set on Oklahoma State University in two years, after he graduates high school. However, he has a dream of doing veterinary work with buffalo in Montana, outside of Yellowstone National Park. Maybe he can be persuaded to seek his bachelor's degree in Bozeman and hang a blue Montana State University flag up as well.

Tip Of The Week Learn what a reactionary gap is and how to maintain one. Rural Crime In The U.S. Are the folks in this audience more susceptible to being defrauded of money? Well.....Perhaps. Anytime that you have a goal that involves a lot of money, and it is difficult or next to impossible to figure out how you will obtain the money needed to reach the goal you become more susceptible to being scammed. Then you see a success story like this one and start thinking that the only way you will find success is by getting WAY OUTSIDE THE BOX like this young man did: https://www.agweb.com/news/business/farmland/young-farmer-makes-history-uses-video-games-and-youtube-buy-18m-land So, in today's episode I want to take a minute to point out a scam that is currently underway. This is not necessarily a specifically rural crime, but if you are trying to find a way to create the capital needed to purchase your farm, you might stumble across these people while you are searching. Of course, they would be more than happy to take your money and disappear, even if you don't live in an urban environment and are not one of their traditional victims. I've said many times that in order to succeed in our entrepreneurial journeys we may need to leave agriculture to obtain something (expertise, training, money, etc.) and then bring it back to agriculture for the lifestyle that we are seeking. But this is not what I meant! https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/bay-area-people-lost-6-8m-to-scammers-this-year-already-as-pig-butchering-rises/ https://www.orangeleader.com/2022/12/07/video-can-you-identify-this-man-who-stole-from-tractor-supply/ https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/wisconsin/articles/2022-12-07/state-files-criminal-charges-against-wisconsin-dairy-farm Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://uk.news.yahoo.com/two-old-lags-caught-secret-060000256.html https://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/23173977.stourbridge-farmer-hit-theft-60-sheep/ https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/25-lambs-stolen-from-cambridgeshire-farms-police-say-some-w-9288281/ https://www.farminguk.com/news/livestock-theft-could-ruin-livelihoods-insurance-expert-warns_61702.html Africa https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/two-suspected-cattle-thieves-lynched-in-kaber-149174 https://neweralive.na/posts/otjozondjupa-omaheke-stock-theft-hotbeds-750-cases-reported-countrywide-in-10-months Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/2-men-arrested-on-possession-of-stolen-property-say-police/article_180bf112-11fa-5d48-89d9-6a4ef502b1ef.html https://www.bctribune.com/news/deputies-recover-stolen-tractor-side-side https://www.wbiw.com/2022/12/07/man-arrested-while-driving-on-the-flat-tire-of-a-stolen-grain-truck/ https://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article269719656.html More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Jenn & Phil Tomkins (Homestead Jenn & Phil) are the creators of "Rent The Chicken", an affiliate business that is helping farmers across the U.S. and Canada to create extra revenue and support their farming lifestyle. They are also helping prospective entrepreneurs to get experience running their own businesses and gain the courage to really go out on their own. Phil & Jenn are based in Western Pennsylvania, but they have affiliates spread far and wide. They are also growing knowledge about agriculture by creating an easy way for non-farmers to get exposure to raising their own chickens and collecting their own eggs. Jenn & Phil first appeared on the Off-Farm Income Podcast in 2015 on episode #30, and today they are back to update us on the growth of their business and how they have sustained their transition to being full-time entrepreneurs.

On tomorrow's ag business episode I am catching up with Jenn and Phil Tompkins of "Rent The Chicken". They first appeared on the show in 2015 on episode #30. Their business is still going strong, and they are both full-time entrepreneurs in agriculture. For today's re-cap episode I wanted to provide you with their very appearance on the show.

Peyton Parks is a junior at Topsail High School in Hampstead, North Carolina. She is also a third year member in the Topsail FFA Chapter and she has an eye for entrepreneurship. Peyton has been riding and caring for horses for several years. She has been pet sitting for neighbors for about three years now, including people with horses, and she finds herself very attracted to entrepreneurship. This has led Peyton to make efforts to grow her business through postings on neighborhood apps that she knows people in her community use. She has found ways to make her self standout on those apps, and she is seeing results in calls for service. In her free time Peyton has her business on her mind, and this has led her to explore many of the different pet sitting apps that already exist. Peyton believes that she can build a better pet sitting app, and she outlines what she believes should be part of the app in this episode.

It is that time of year when we have successfully raised a calf crop to finishing weights and deliver them to the butcher. However, the timing of this trip factoring in the weather and traffic is always an interesting part of our story. And of course, it can be a little bit bitter-sweet to have these livestock that we have known for so long fulfill their life purpose. However, it is ultimately a very good day. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Levi Smuin is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist in the category of Ag Mechanics Repair & Maintenance, and is also from my home state of Idaho! Levi began his journey in the FFA during his sophomore year in high school. About one year prior to that he had started working for Rounds Farms & Trucking in Rigby, Idaho. This has led to a progression of responsibility on the farm and in the trucking business, and it was a natural fit for his placement SAE. During our interview Levi talked about how important writing the narratives on his proficiency applications were. When I asked him more about that he talked about the method he used, which was a peer review type method with his fellow FFA students. He would write something, and then he would have his writing assessed by his classmates. When they finished preparing the narrative his advisors would look it over and possibly make suggestions. Then the process would start over again. I really liked this approach, as you can see that every member in that chapter has a little part in Levi becoming a National Proficiency Finalist!

Tip Of The Week Getting physically involved is a rational choice decision too Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20221121 https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/alleged-edinburg-cattle-thief-wanted-after-missing-court-date-records-show/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/23149371.police-launch-investigation-dog-thefts-herefordshire/ https://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/7994057/bonsai-worth-15k-stolen-from-vic-nursery/ https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/news/fury-in-kerry-after-widow-farmers-herd-hit-by-cattle-rustlers-42182507.html Africa https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/how-to-put-the-cherry-on-top-of-your-production/ https://humanglemedia.com/cameroon-army-sets-up-new-bases-to-face-growing-boko-haram-activity/ https://www.kbc.co.ke/news/local-news/article/33589/police-to-get-more-firepower-ppes-in-counter-banditry-plan Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/27659-30-000-of-chicken-stolen-from-perdue-farms https://www.foxnews.com/us/alabama-tractor-supply-customers-thwart-alleged-shoplifters-open-fire-getaway-cars-tires More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Nick Tsiolis is the founder of Farmer's Keeper, a grain merchandising company in Chicago. Nick and his team provide grain merchandising advice and assistance to farmers of all sizes, and they are especially helpful to those farmers on the bubble who are thinking about marketing some or all of their grain in the futures markets. I like to say that I can podcast about agriculture because I know a little about a lot. However, futures and the marketing of grain has always been a blind spot for me, so I was eager to speak with Nick and to learn more about how this is done.

On tomorrow's show we are getting an education on grain marketing. The first thing I thought of when considering a re-cap episode was this interview with Jake Fanning. He was well ahead of his age when it came to hedging through the commodities market, and today I want to bring this back to you.

Lila Wantland is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist, a former chapter and area officer and a second time guest on the Off-Farm Income Podcast. Lisa first appeared on the show in episode #1393 in May of 2022, and little did either of us know at that point that she would become a National Proficiency Finalist this year. On today's show Lila joins us from her dorm room at Oklahoma State University, where she is studying animal science. I wanted to have her back on the show to congratulate her on the incredible accomplishment.

We did something very different for Thanksgiving this year. We took a trip to Moab, Utah and spent the holiday with friends, rather than family. We then returned to a snowy farm to kick off the Christmas season! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Will Harman is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist in the category of Beef Production. Will farms with his family in Northwest Indiana where they grow corn and soybeans as well as raise cattle. The families cattle herd began with show animals for 4H, but as time went on and Will and his brother Ben were showing less, it turned into a direct marketing beef business. Will's older brother Ben was a guest on the Off-Farm Income Podcast in 2018 in episode #518. Today he is a senior in college, and Will is in his first semester of college. Will is studying agricultural business with a minor in animal science at Purdue. He is looking forward to a future of returning to the family farm, if that is possible. He joked in the interview that if he does that he will have to learn to drive a semi and become a "super trucker". Ben is also interested in becoming a butcher, and he is currently doing everything he can to get exposure to that profession.

Tip Of The Week Horrifically evil and violent crimes exist today, and they have always been with us. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.nydailynews.com/true-crime-justice-story/ny-thanksgiving-eve-murders-20221119-skj6nxxqvndlddaeosnhc2isca-story.html https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/crime/vandals-destroy-irrigation-system-at-jacksonville-farm/77-5d3e0134-60d5-4b83-837f-67d78158702f Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/farm-thefts-what-you-can-do-to-protect-yourself/ https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsbirmingham/poachers-armed-with-air-rifles-arrested-in-village-during-police-sting/ar-AA14k0ku https://www.farminguk.com/news/dog-kills-seven-sheep-and-injures-dozens-in-north-wales-attack_61571.html Africa https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/cattle-farmers-in-nkomazi-fearful-after-30-cattle-are-stolen/ https://newsghana.com.gh/cameroon-deploys-troops-to-secure-border-with-chad-and-car/ https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/82083-mob-lynches-suspected-thieves-burn-vehicle Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.kltv.com/video/2022/11/19/man-survives-being-trapped-grain-bin/ https://www.farminguk.com/news/men-who-raided-13-farms-for-tractor-gps-kits-given-prison-sentence_61552.html More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Pete Curran began his career in agriculture at age 55 after a job loss. He began working in seed sales and started meeting farmers. This lit him on fire about agriculture, farming operations and farmers. Soon, he was doing something unconventional, asking farmers if he could take photographs of them. This led to a collection of photos and ultimately his book, "When I Listened To A Farmer". I discovered Pete through social media, and he sent me a copy of his book. The photographs that he has been able to capture with just an iPhone are fantastic, and he clearly has an eye for telling a story through a lens. The writing style in the book is unique and makes you think. As Pete explains it, this is exactly how he communicates, and it works.

I have a ton of gratitude for all of you, and thank you so much for being in this audience. Happy Thanksgiving! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Justin Duenke is a 2022 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Diversified Agriculture. Growing up farming on a row crop operation, his family decided to add cattle to the farm when he was 9 years old. During a bad drought and seeing very poor corn out in the field, Justin's father made the decision to chop the corn for silage rather than try to sell it, and to feed it to their cattle. The only problem was that they did not have cattle, but they remedied that by purchase approximately 100 bred heifers. Since that time they have stuck with the cattle, partially as a continuing hedge against a situation like this in the future and partially because Justin and his brother found their farming passion came from working with the livestock. Today they raise horses and cattle, grow soybeans and corn and are now experimenting with forage sorghum and rye as cover crops. Justin is currently a sophomore at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri. He is studying agricultural science but which eventually focus on nutrition. Justin wants to have the knowledge that will allow him to bring nutritional expertise back to the farm and to develop rations and methods to better feed their cattle.

Happy Thanksgiving Week to all of you! On today's solo episode, I want to take some time to thank our great sponsors! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Annamarie Stone is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist in the category of diversified livestock production. She is also a Missouri State Officer and three time guest on the Off-Farm Income Podcast. On today's episode Annamarie comes back on the show so I can property congratulate her on being a national proficiency finalist and being a state officer. All of us here at the Off-Farm Income Podcast are very proud of what Annamarie has been doing.

Tip Of The Week The more exotic the animal, the higher the risk? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.ksal.com/flatbed-stolen-with-1-2-of-a-hay-bale/ https://www.webstercountycitizen.com/opinion/article_fb4be72a-653e-11ed-a71f-0ba7e2e22c77.html https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/11/16/some-10000-mink-loose-missing-after-vandalism-rural-farm/ https://www.nola.com/news/northshore/two-accused-of-killing-stealing-deer-in-washington-parish/article_f30ee776-0677-50e4-8820-02f23b7267f4.html https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/have-ewe-seen-this-sheep-illinois-boys-1st-4-h-project-stolen/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-63649938 https://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news/maidenhead/181734/police-recover-more-than-1-million-worth-of-tools-stolen-during-rural-crime.html Africa https://allafrica.com/stories/202211160392.html https://issafrica.org/iss-today/no-silver-bullet-to-stop-cattle-rustling-in-east-africa https://solacebase.com/troops-kill-dreaded-bandit-leader-kachalla-gudau/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.sequimgazette.com/news/coastal-farm-store-burglars-receive-6-and-10-year-sentences/ https://www.sctonline.net/state-slideshows-press-releases/mdac-ag-theft-investigation-stolen-airplane-engine-leads-recovery-6373be1461843 https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/delays-continue-in-case-of-activists-who-removed-chickens-from-local-poultr/?ref=recent More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Ross Cady is a territory manager for Corteva Agriscience in South Central Minnesota. Ross first appeared on the Off-Farm Income Podcast 7.5 years ago in 2015 on episode #27. He was one of the first ever FFA students featured on the show. Since then he completed high school, was an Illinois State Star Finalist, graduated from Iowa State University and found the job that he had always been imagining with Corteva Agriscience. In today's episode Ross and I catch up on 7.5 years of life, we discuss the four internships he did during college and how they helped shape him, and we discuss how he identified the career position he wanted and then reverse engineered the pathway to obtaining that job - which he did!

Ross Cady was first a guest on the Off-Farm Income Podcast in 2017 on Episode #027. He is appearing on the show again on tomorrow's Ag Business Episode, seven years later. He is now a college graduate and has just started his career as a territory sales manager for Pioneer in Southern Minnesota. I could not be more excited for him or proud to feature him on the show again. To give you an accurate before and after picture, we will replay his original episode today.

Evan Mogler is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist in the category of Diversified Agricultural Production. He is also a senior in high school and a fantastic mechanic with plans to develop a myriad of mechanical skills from service to software, exclusively on John Deere Tractors. Currently Evan farms with his family on their 3rd generation farm in Inwood, Iowa. Evan assists the family and 40-50 farm employees with their 4,800 sows and 100,000 annual market hogs, the 6,000 head of cattle they run through their feedlot and the row crop operation that fills the 2.5 million bushels of grain storage they have on the farm. Evan's plan after high school is study for two years, to develop his expertise on John Deere Equipment, which is exclusively what is used on the family farm. He then hopes to go to work for the John Deere Dealership his family does business with as a mechanic until the time is right for him to take over the mechanic role on the farm.

Today I was listening to a radio show, and they were commenting on a TikTok Video in which an individual stated that there is no way to live on less than $25/hour in the U.S. with current cost of living averages. This got me thinking about another topic I have touched on in the past, and that is how lucky those of us with a rural mindset are because we can live so cheaply in so many rural areas. It also got me thinking about the common refrain about college tuition being so high and outrageous student loan debt compared to the reality that I encountered at the National FFA Convention. On today's show I want to cover these thoughts more in depth. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Morayah Cupp is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist in the category of e Services. She is also an Agricultural Education student at Oklahoma State University and the owner of Mo's Mobile Coops, an innovative chicken rental business outside of Imperial, Nebraska. Morayah first appeared on the Off-Farm Income Podcast in 2020 on episode #815. Today she is back to discuss her selection as a National Proficiency Finalist and the experience she just completed at the 95th National FFA Convention.

If you employ people, even seasonally, you should know something about domestic violence. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Hay-I-91-exit-tractor-trailer-Hartford-17558670.php https://www.taftmidwaydriller.com/news/catalytic-converter-theft-prevention-offered-in-taft-saturday/article_6950b198-5f99-11ed-9627-8fe95efb6659.html Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/news/farm-fencing-vandalised-as-trailers-stolen-9283200/ https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/police-probe-launched-after-life-28441134 https://www.facebook.com/groups/756119108133221/permalink/1523888154689642/ Africa https://www.kbc.co.ke/police-net-hundreds-of-stolen-livestock-as-crackdown-on-rustling-intensifies/ https://www.thebharatexpressnews.com/police-ambushed-gang-of-20-who-set-traps-for-officers/ https://mouthpiecengr.com/2022/11/unemployed-man-jailed-9-months-for-stealing-2-goats/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.bgdailynews.com/news/bg-man-pleads-guilty-in-theft-fraud-case/article_09c240ea-8903-598e-aca5-a89a5fdd1b63.html https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/delphos-man-jailed-vehicular-assault-004500960.html https://www.pennlive.com/crime/2022/11/domestic-dispute-led-to-shooting-rampage-that-left-4-dead-in-rural-pa-township-police.html More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

James McMurtry is a songwriter, singer and musician who has been writing incredible lyrics since the 1980's and touring the country entertaining audiences ever since. I have had tickets to see James for months with a show date of October 25th for several months. I reached out to James' business manager and made the request for an interview, and James graciously said "yes". So, during the afternoon prior to the show I sat down with James in his hotel room and learned a lot about music and song writing.

Erik Dylan is a singer and songwriter who has written some of my favorite songs such as "Baseball On The Moon", which he collaborated with Luke Combs on, and "Map Dot Town". He first appeared on the show in episode #471 and was gracious enough to agree to an interview. On tomorrow's show I am featuring another great songwriter and performer. This episode with Erik flows into tomorrow's episode very well, and I am happy to bring some great music back to the Off-Farm Income Podcast.

Cydney Stables is a 2022 National Proficiency Finalist in the category of Agricultural Sales Entrepreneurship. She achieved this by starting a floral business her junior year of high school that she calls "Flowers By Cydney". Cydney states that this was during the Covid Pandemic, and 80% of the reason she started this business was that she wanted to make people feel a bit better during very tough times. Cydney is currently a sophomore at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa where she plays guard on the basketball team and is also a scholarship athlete on the golf team. Cydney played basketball all through high school, which led to her being recruited by Graceland Univeristy, but she did not start golfing until her senior year of high school. However, she picked up the sport so fast that she made it to state that year and Graceland also asked her to play golf for them.