Off-Farm Income

On tomorrow's Ag Business episode we are going to be discussing create and outside the box ways of creating off-farm income to support your dreams of farming or your farming lifestyle. This interview that I conducted with Stacy Funderburke about agricultural easements outside of Atlanta, Georgia back in 2021 is a perfect lead in to tomorrow's episode. Below are the original show notes. SHOW NOTES There are two fundamental issues that have always plagued me when it comes to farming. First, what do we do about urban sprawl and disappearing farm ground? Second, how can a person expect to start a successful farm and be a full-time farmer with land, input, and equipment costs being so high? So, when I was contacted by The Conservation Fund asking to be on the show and talk about their answers to these questions, I jumped at the chance. The folks at The Conservation Fund are pro-agriculture, and they are particularly fond of locally produced farm goods that follow their model of sustainability. They also abhor disappearing farm ground. So, they are working to increase locally produced goods while slowing urban sprawl. Right now they are doing this in the 30 counties, metro area of Atlanta, Georgia as a pilot project. But the prospects are very good for expansion. In this episode, I speak with Stacy Funderburke, who is heading up the "Working Farms Fund" on behalf of The Conservation Fund in the Atlanta metro area. This program aims to pay farmers the actual market cost for their farms. Once purchased, they place the farms into an agricultural easement so that they will be farmed in perpetuity. And this is when the fun really starts. Once these two things have taken place they match up the particular farm with an experienced farmer, who has been leasing ground or working as an employee and is looking to start their own enterprise. Because the land has been placed in an agricultural easement the price is not driven up by demand from developers. This gives the new farmer a reasonable shot at purchasing the land. To begin the new farmer enters into a lease on the farm ground with an option to buy. The Conservation Fund helps the new farmer with obtaining resources, sharing equipment, and developing markets. In exchange, the City Of Atlanta and its surrounding metro area have another local producer who can bring locally grown food to market in that area. It is a win/win/win situation. You don't need to be from Georgia to participate in this and be selected as one of the new farmers. We will tell you all about this in today's episode. Connect with Stacy Funderburke and The Conservation Fund: Website: conservationfund.org Facebook: facebook.com/theconservationfund Instagram: instagram.com/theconservationfund Email: [email protected] More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

What a wonderful thing an inquisitive mind can be. This is especially true for an FFA student, and it always amazes me how soon this begins to show itself. For today's guest, Meredith Shanks, her inquisitive mind started to show very early, and this was partially because she was able to begin the FFA very early. In Portage, Wisconsin students are able to begin the FFA in the 6th Grade, which is what Meredith did. She said that she was enticed by free donuts and orange juice, but she stayed for the fun with other people who were interested in agriculture. Meredith already had an interest in livestock, specifically cattle, from visiting and working on her grandparent's farm near her home. By the time that Meredith got to her 8th grade year of FFA it was time to start a supervised agricultural experience, and agriscience research just seemed natural. She was actually already doing research with animals. Learn more in today's interview.

Our Tuesday episode this week coincidentally comes out on my 49th's birthday! Talking about my birthday is not really what I want to do, but as I thought about the fact that one year from today I will be turning 50, I had some thoughts. Really what it has come down to is that my vision of what my farm life would look like comes more true each and every season. As we see 100 degree temperatures on our farm, it reminds me of the way that I grew up down in California and the vision that I created for myself back then. Every season of raising livestock we get a little better, and as I reflect on being a year away from the milestone of 50, this seems more and more like something that I could do forever. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

As you all know, I am a big fan of SAE Grants, and I wish that every FFA student would take advantage of this opportunity. So, I don't take it lightly when a student does. In today's "Featured Freshman" episode we are talking with Ella Raatz from Colby, Wisconsin. Ella lives in town, keeps dairy heifers at the farms of people that she shows cattle for and is already an officer of her FFA chapter. In addition to all of this, she has already been awarded $3,000 in SAE grants, and I recorded her episode in February of her freshman year! Ella comes from and FFA family, and she has been showing dairy cattle since she was four years of age through the 4H. She is currently serving as the president of her 4H chapter and secretary of her FFA chapter. She used her first and second SAE grant (one national and one through the State of Wisconsin) to purchase a dairy heifer. The third grant she used to purchase embryos.

Tip Of The Week Know your rights, and also know that law enforcement is trying to do the right thing. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.khon2.com/hawaii-crime/waianae-farm-pleads-for-help-after-special-fencing-was-stolen/ https://www.pahomepage.com/news/state-police-looking-for-monroe-county-tractor-thief/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.fwi.co.uk/machinery/atvs/tracker-firm-sends-hunter-team-to-track-down-stolen-farm-kit https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/07/security-tags-put-on-cheese-butter-and-baby-milk-amid-soaring-costs-16960844/ Africa https://allafrica.com/stories/202207070492.html https://thetowerpost.com/2022/07/07/armed-robbers-steal-musevenis-goats/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/jul/07/4-sisters-plead-guilty-in-fraud-scheme-against/?crime https://ktvo.com/news/local/person-of-interest-in-memphis-stolen-tractor-case-located More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

On today's episode we are profiling a company that has come up with a very unique concept to improve farming and improve lives locally, here in the United States, as well as globally. I will be speaking with Randy Krotz, the CEO of Agwiki, and he will be talking all about the concept and why it is both beneficial to American Farmers while being benevolent to the rest of the world at the same time. My discussion with Randy is not the first time that I have learned about Agwiki. About one year ago I had a great conversation with one of the founders and creators of Agwiki, John LaRose Jr., and learned about how this company came about. While Agwiki is not a sponsor of the Off-Farm Income Podcast, I have been intrigued with the concept ever since. I always enjoy efficient products that accomplish two or more positive things simultaneously, and Agwiki appears to be once such product. Today's interview is not an endorsement or effort to get you to subscribe to or invest in Agwiki. However, I do think that the concept of Agwiki is powerful and its origination is organic. Therefore, it is something that I wanted to share with all of you in the Off-Farm Income audience. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

On tomorrow's ag business episode I am profiling a company using a new concept of social media to improve farming and share farming methods all over the world. I thought replaying a solo episode I did about how to use Linkedin to grow your business would fit in nicely for our re-cap episode. So, I am replaying episode #678 for you today. Below are the original show notes: Who Am I? I recently published a two part episode about building your own podcasting business on my new show, The Microphone Money Podcast. It dawned on me that is a great skill for everyone following the Off-Farm Income Podcast to know. I have talked about using Craigslist to market your business before. Today, we will talk about LinkedIn. Let me first start by admitting that I am not a LinkedIn expert. But I have used it to build a successful business, and I think it can be valuable for you as well. The only reason I am evening willing to talk about this, is that I have found a strategy with Linkedin that has helped me to build my custom podcasting business, and will help me to attract new business. I know how to use it for this one thing. I'm sure that if I was tested on all of the capabilities of this social media platform I would know about 10% of its actual capabilities. So, please keep that in mind as we go through this episode. Who Are You? I assume that you fall into one of the following three categories when it comes to LinkedIn: You've never heard of it or at least do not have an account You have an account, populated with some business contacts and a lot of your friends, and you really don't understand how to use it You have an account, and you know more about how LinkedIn can benefit you in business than I do Those of you in categories 1 and 2, I've got great information for you. Those of you in category 3, stick around, I bet I have something for you that you have not thought of. Category #1 I want to talk to you category 1 people for a moment and tell you what Linkedin is. LinkedIn is a social media platform that has a business purpose. You may or may not be on Facebook already. Or, you possibly avoid Facebook like the plague because this is not the place for you. We will address why you should not avoid Facebook in a future episode. For now, please think of LinkedIn as very similar to Facebook but for business. On LinkedIn you have "connections" instead of friends. Also, your profile is much more at the forefront of what you do. You can also post text, photos, videos and there is a great article writing function. On a platform like Facebook you connect with friends and family as the primary function, and you share anything you want with them. Connecting with strangers is not something that is the primary function of Facebook unless we are talking about a business page or group. But that is a different topic. Think of Facebook as a wedding or high school reunion. You get to see friends and family that you don't get together with that often any longer. You catch up, talk about the kids, talk about your work and maybe share a thought or two about the state of our country or your favorite baseball team. Contrary to Facebook, connecting with strangers is the main function on LinkedIn, but within a certain set of boundaries - business. Think of LinkedIn as a business conference. You are there with a bunch of people in your industry, and you might all be able to serve each other in different ways. People are open to you coming up to them and asking what they do or even sharing what you do. But there is a decorum and a boundary. We are here to create professional relationships, not life-long friendships. Certainly, aspects of what goes on in Facebook and what goes on in LinkedIn bleed over between the two platforms. But there is a level of expectation of professionalism and focus on business when you are on LinkedIn. If you would not say it or do it at an industry convention, you should not do it on LinkedIn. You want to remain professional and focused on the people you are there for. You don't want to go on a rant about whomever is in the Oval Office at the time (unless that is your business). Treat LinkedIn As LinkedIn With all that said, don't treat LinkedIn as Facebook. As a matter of fact, don't even create an account if you are not clear on how you want to use it. I had a LinkedIn account for years that I mis-used. I don't really know what I was thinking. When I first opened it, I think I thought so highly of myself that I assumed that I would be discovered on LinkedIn and whisked off to my dream job. That did not happen, and I ended up using it incorrectly. I had a lot of connections with my friends on my first LinkedIn account. So, when I tried to connect with someone on LinkedIn, if they looked at my connections they would not see any sort of consistency. They would see bartenders, school teachers, pharmaceutical sales people, farmers, etc., etc. Basically, looking at my site showed that I was not serious or professional.

Tessa Camacho is the very first "featured freshman" guest to come on the Off-Farm Income Podcast. And she came highly recommended by a previous guest, Mackenzie Camacho, who happens to be her older sister. You might remember MacKenzie from episode #1195 when she was an American Star Finalist, and when I was lucky enough to meet her in person at the National FFA Convention in 2021. Tessa is part of long family legacy in the FFA. Both her parents were members and regional officers, and both of her older sisters are still involved in the FFA. Seeing that many blue jackets around the house, it was natural for Tessa to follow in those footsteps. In addition to all of that, she has been participating in the 4H for several years showing pigs, and it was a natural transition in the FFA. All of this time in the show arena has already paid dividends as well, as Tessa has been highly recognized for her showmanship skills with pigs.

Today is the first time I've been behind the microphone since 6/21/22 and the first time I've been on the farm since 6/22/22. I've got stories to share! Plus, we are doing something special with FFA interviews for the rest of the summer. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Hi Everyone. Just a quick episode today while I am out celebrating our Declaration Of Independence to say Happy Fourth Of July and thank you for all you do in agriculture! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

I was have not been in or anywhere close to the farm studio all week. Since, I produce the rural crime episodes "fresh", the day before they publish each week, I was not able to produce one for you this week up to the quality standard that I hold myself to. In lieu of a "stale" rural crime episode I decided to share the rural crime prevention tips that I created for Sirius XM Channel 147 with you. I am hoping that you will listen to these as you drive the tractor or get down the road in the pickup and that one of them will give you an idea that helps to prevent crime on your farm! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

I did an episode a few months back titled "it was all because I wanted cattle". Everything that is currently true about my present and future lifestyle can be traced back to this one desire. Today's guest has the same type of story, and oh, where that has taken her. In addition to a love for cattle and a desire to have raising livestock be a part of her life, Eliza Walton has hustle....major hustle. She has been building her cattle herd since she was in high school, and she has moved her herd across the state of Pennsylvania multiple times as her father has made moves. Each time she has done this her herd has been bigger than the previous time, and she has had to find a farm to raise them on. The last time this took place Eliza had just recently finished college. Her father had purchased a feed mill in Coburn, Pennsylvania named "Martin's Feed Mill", and she went to work for him. For the next five years, she learned the business. Then, it was time for her father to move on to the next adventure. However, this time, Eliza would stay when her dad went. Eliza purchased Martin's Feed Mill and began running it with their twelve employees, carving out a niche of delivering feed for free to customers who ordered 500 lbs or more, when her competitors will not deliver under 3,000 lb orders. In addition to the feed mill, Eliza still had the cattle herd to tend. She struck up a business relationship with her business partner in another business, Sinking Creek Meats, and was able to provide the cattle herd while her partner provided the farm. Then, they started direct marketing individual cuts of meat. Today, Eliza is actually owner of or partner in three agricultural businesses. However, she is where she wants to be, she is growing her businesses and she is tending to her cattle. She is also continually opening up new doors that only entrepreneurs tend to see, and she is going places! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tomorrow I am profiling a young lady that has dove into the feed business in a huge way. As a great lead in to that interview, I chose to replay this powerful interview with Sandy Hansen-Wolff about the challenges she faced and the things she overcame in establishing her own feed and see business. The original show notes can be found below. SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS: Our guest today was thrust into the world of agribusiness in a situation that she would have never chosen. However 16 years after this happened she finds herself running a successful feed and seed business, feeling innovative as an entrepreneur and realizes that although she never realized it, she had entrepreneurial tendencies even as a child. Sandy Hansen-Wolff is the owner of AgVenture Feed & Seed. She found herself with this business at the age of 30 after her husband passed away. Sandy did not know a lot about the business when this happened and found herself with the responsibility for making it solvent before selling it could even be considered. However the sale never came as she discovered that running this business was rewarding and fulfilling. Today, Sandy has the business and she is a sought after speaker, coach and entrepreneur. She gets to spread her message of entrepreneurship all over the country and has a very inspirational story to tell. We were lucky enough to have her tell her story on this episode. ADVICE FROM SANDY: MENTORS: Sandy says "go get some mentors" and start learning from other people who have been where you want to go. LOVE: Love of your passion is not enough. Working in your business is fun for every entrepreneur. You need to learn to love working on your business, such as doing the book work, budgets, etc. NEGOTIATE: Do not be afraid to negotiate well and get the price that your products or services are worth. BEST BUSINESS ADVICE SANDY HAS EVER RECEIVED: LISTEN: Listen to others. Do not just dismiss someone as a critic because they are saying something critical about your business. Maybe they know something and you should make a change. PERSONAL HABIT: FITNESS: Sandy wasn't always fit, but she is now. She exercises, watches what she eats and meditates (kind of) every day. She knows that if she does not feel good physically and feel good about herself, she will not be able to lead, innovate and inspire. BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: CONTACT INFORMATION: Email: LINK Website: LINK Facebook Page: LINK Telephone: 320-764-9910 More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

I've done two interviews with students from New Hampshire in the history of the show, and today is #2. What a fascinatingly different way of life then I am used to in the West! Our guest today is a lobster fisherman. Ella Byrne has grown up in the lobster industry with an entrepreneurial father who is a self-taught lobsterman and also has a maple syrup business on land. Ella has been fishing lobster for some time now, and in the interview she tells the story of how a business pivot, caused by Covid, stuck and why she is continuing it. The business that was born out of that pivot is F/V Sugar Daddy Lobsters, and Ella now uses social media and a home tank to tell fresh lobster right from her house. Ella has big dreams, and she is still figuring out the direction that her life is going to take. However, she is positive that it includes coming to the West in the very near future to work on a "dude ranch". She has never been to the West before, but she wants to see the mountains, the farms and the wide open spaces. We are all out here, waiting for her arrival! Until then, you will find Ella on the Atlantic Ocean, setting traps and bringing them back up, providing the most succulent creatures from the sea for the rest of us to enjoy! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Lobster Fishing HIGH SCHOOL: Exeter High School; Exeter, New Hampshire MASCOT: Blue Hawks FFA ADVISOR: Anne Demarco CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ELLA BYRNE: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Exeter High School Website: Ella's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Exeter High School Telephone Number: 603-395-2400 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Have you ever heard of "peecycling"? Apparently it is a thing, and today let's talk about it. With these fertilizer prices, anything is worth considering! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Holden Nuhn first appeared on the Off-Farm Income Podcast back in 2019 when he was a 9th grader on episode #623. This was before Covid, and we had no idea what was coming! Back then I was so impressed with his "could-do" attitude, and how he had found a way to show dairy animals even though he didn't have any of his own. On Today's episode, Holden is back! We are going to be catching up on what he has been doing in the FFA for the past four years. I'll give you a hint - he really got involved with supervised agricultural experiences! And, he is now restoring his third tractor and finding great success with this endeavor. Below are the original show notes from my interview with Holden back in 2019. Show Notes Hosting this show always gives me the opportunity to interview people who find a way to make things happen. Whether it be my adult or student guests, I am always lucky enough to speak with people who have a "can do" attitude. That is really what stood out to me in today's interview with Holden Nuhn. Holden actually started buying and raising dairy feeder calves when he was in the 3rd grade. By the time he was in the 6th grade he decided that he wanted to start showing dairy heifers. However, he did not have the facilities or herd to do that. But, he did not allow that stop him. Holden made a connection with a local dairy farmer and worked out an agreement in which he could lease a heifer to show. They have a great agreement, which he talks about in the show, where they both benefit. It is truly a great example of a situation in which both parties win. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Dairy Production & Tractor Restoration HIGH SCHOOL: Western Reserve High School; Collins, Ohio MASCOT: Rough Riders FFA ADVISOR: Mark Starkey CONTACT INFORMATION FOR HOLDEN NUHN: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Western Reserve High School Website: Holden's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Western Reserve High School Telephone Number: (419) 660.8508 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week Steel, Copper & Fuel are all expensive - guard anything of value right now. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.salina.com/story/news/2022/06/15/salina-grain-elevator-sees-theft-over-30-k-copper-wire/7610694001/ https://www.wbko.com/2022/06/15/ohio-county-sheriffs-office-searching-stolen-vintage-plow/ https://www.14news.com/2022/06/14/mpd-looking-stolen-skid-steer-belonging-pollard-sons-excavating/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40897088.html https://m.farms.com/ag-industry-news/top-prairie-and-national-stories-from-the-first-half-of-2022/ Africa https://saharareporters.com/2022/06/15/police-arrest-87-suspected-boko-haram-terrorists-kidnappers-others-north-east-nigeria https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/eastern/2022-06-13-bandits-kill-herder-steal-over-60-cattle-in-marsabit/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.hawaiipolice.com/6-13-22-police-arrest-and-charge-three-in-agricultural-theft-investigation https://www.outtherecolorado.com/news/trailhead-theft-suspects-face-22-charges-in-colorado-after-arrest-including-multiple-felonies/article_1ed09124-e8e3-11ec-ab63-0fe700ede1e9.html More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Soooo, you want to know what my favorite business that I've ever profiled on the show is do you? Well, I still can't pick, but a brewery where delicious beers, delectable meals and lots of fun are all located has to be in the top three! Today's guests, Trent and Vicki Bushner, are full-time farmers in Yuma County, Colorado. And for the past 25+ years, Trent has just happened to be a hobby brewer. So, a couple of years back when a young man they knew invested in a building on Main Street in Yuma City and was looking for new businesses to fill out the downtown area asked, they said "yes, now is the time to start a brewery". Tumbleweed Brewing & Wine Company was born! The farming heritage in Trent's family goes way back. Trent was too young to remember much but did get to meet his great-grandfather who was 4 years old and living near battlefields in Missouri during the Civil War. That eventually translated to farming in the Eastern Plains of Colorado, first as dry land with irrigation infrastructure eventually being developed to the point that now it is about 50/50. We recorded this interview in April, and at that point Trent and Vicki had only seen .5 inches of measurable precipitation since harvest of 2021. They already had some crop failures this year, and we've got our fingers crossed for them that between the time we recorded the interview and when it airs that they get a lot of rain. Just in case they don't, the next time you drive across the plains, take a different route and wet your whistle in Yuma, Colorado at Tumbleweed Brewing & Wine Company! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tomorrow we are featuring a farm couple who has started a fun and successful brewery in Eastern Colorado. I thought a look back and the opportunities surrounding hop farming would fit right in. Below are the original show notes: SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS: I have three themes that I want to cover this week. All of them have to do with entrepreneurship: Hop Farming Business Opportunities Currently we are planting record acreage of hops in the United States and there is still a shortage for craft beer brewers. People are planting hops in small areas all around the United States to support their craft brewing hobbies or businesses. In order to use and grow the hops certain things need to be done. This creates an opportunity to serve these farmers. This is very similar to the journey that Jonathan Demcak described in episode #12. Here are some of the things they need: Poles High-Tensile Cable Twine Pitching and Drying Equipment Gorst Valley Hops (Supplier) Bine Implement (Supplier) Vertical Farming I read about vertical farming a couple of weeks ago and had to share this with you. People are using hydroponics to turn spare bedrooms and garages into farms! They are suppling restaurants with fresh greens and making money. The article I am linked to here profiles a gentleman named Dan Albert from Seattle, Washington who left his day job just to run his vertical farming business. This proves that anyone can farm. Even if you live in an apartment in the middle of a big city! Loneliness This is a bigger problem than you would think in entrepreneurship. Once you go to work for yourself a sense of isolation can creep in pretty easily. In agriculture many of the tips and tricks to combat this will not work. However, the effects of this can also be countered by being outside, in the sun, working with animals and receiving intrinsic rewards from your efforts. But, this is something that I have experienced, just in missing the hustle and bustle of things going on around me. I have tried to replicate this occasionally by doing some of my computer work at a McDonald's where people are coming and going. Here is an article that discusses some of "loneliness pitfalls" of being and entrepreneur and how to deal with them. Remember that we have to take this "non-agricultural" information and convert back to make sense in our world. Forbes.com More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

I am always happy and honored when a listener reached out and requests to be part of the show. Sometimes it is a fit, and sometimes it is not, but I am always thrilled that they want to be part of what we are doing here. Our guest today is one such listener. Kyleigh Render is a very impressive FFA student. She will be "graduating" from high school in one month, but there is a twist to her story. Kyleigh is homeschooled, so her experience has been a bit different. During Kyleigh's freshman year of high school, she actually did attend school on campus with other students. This was in Michigan. She took an agriculture class that semester, and thus, she was automatically enrolled in the FFA. This stuck. She relished the group and the roles that she could play. Soon, her parents decided to move to be by family just outside of Belgrade, Montana and she went back to homeschooling. However, she took it it upon herself to seek out the Belgrade FFA Chapter and inquire about membership. They were very familiar with having homeschool students in their chapter, and she was welcomed right in. Today, as Kyleigh looks forward to her career after high school, she is very motivated to educate others about and advocate for agriculture. As a result, she started "The Farmer's Story Podcast" this previous February, and she has been telling the stories of how food gets grown and produced in the U.S. ever since. Her long term goal is to interview a farmer from every state in the U.S. Kyleigh wants to build "The Farmer's Story Podcast" into a full-time career, and she is ready to launch! Just as soon as her high school career ends, she will be off to the races! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: The Farmer's Story Podcast HIGH SCHOOL: Homeschooled and part of the Belgrade FFA Chapter; Belgrade, Montana MASCOT: Panthers FFA ADVISOR: Kyle Gavin CONTACT INFORMATION FOR KYLEIGH RENDER: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Belgrade High School website: Kyleigh's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Belgrade High School Telephone Number: 406 388 6862 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

I have been saying for quite sometime that direct marketing grass finished beef at a premium price was the equivalent of selling a luxury item and that when the economy got bad there would be less customers for this type of product. I've also been curious about the entire local food movement that has been growing and thriving for so many years now. I believe that it is a foregone conclusion that the American economy, and really, the world economy, is heading into a recession or is already in one. So, my predictions and quite possibly my business model is about to be tested. A couple of things to consider going into this are: If demand for locally produced or premium agricultural products decreases, can you lower your prices and survive as a business? Will demand for beef in general diminish and be replaced with more chicken and pork consumption? Will the memory of empty grocery shelves during the pandemic be enough motivation for people to continue to support local agriculture in spite of higher prices? Will your off-farm business lose business due to people having less disposable income, such as an agritourism business? If your off-farm business serves farmers, will they start doing the service you provide themselves to save money? More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Rarely does this happen, but today's interview features the daughter of my previous Friday episode guest. Shelby Shuman has just finished her junior year of high school, and she has been conducting auctions since she was twelve years old. Early on in her auction career she knew she wanted to start her own business, but she never really implemented it until her freshman year of high school when she joined the FFA and was required to start a supervised agricultural experience. At that point, Shelby Shuman Auctions was born. Inspired by her father, Scott Shuman (featured in episode 1413), she now travels all over the country conducting auctions. Her niche is benefit auctions, and she has great success finding clients. As Shelby puts it, it is rare to find a female auctioneer, but to find one who is in high school and in the FFA is extremely rare. In addition to her outstanding skill conducting auctions, the uniqueness of her stature makes her a big draw. Shelby has one year of high school left, and then she is off to Liberty University in Virginia to study entrepreneurship. Being a career auctioneer is in the list of possibilities for Shelby, but she has not made up her mind yet. She is going to go explore all of the options that are out there for her and find the correct path. If it leads to auctioneering like her father, then so be it. If it does not, she will always have the skills and experience that beginning an auction career at age 12 can give you! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Auctioneering HIGH SCHOOL: Eaton High School; Eaton, Colorado MASCOT: Indians FFA ADVISOR: Heidi Lanning CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SHELBY SHUMAN: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Eaton High School website: Shelby's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Eaton High School Telephone Number: (970) 454-3374 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week Keep you cell phone with you around the farm: https://wgno.com/technology/man-tracks-apple-watch-to-find-sons-stolen-car/ Rural Crime In The U.S. https://ktvo.com/news/local/man-uses-fake-67500-check-to-steal-tractor-hay-rake-from-outside-memphis https://whky.com/tractor-truck-stolen-from-springs-road/ https://www.turnto23.com/news/crime/kcso-seeks-help-iding-farm-equipment-theft-suspects Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/20214063.tagged-herefordshire-farm-burglar-sentenced-court/ https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/crime/diesel-stolen-from-farm-near-woodbridge-in-suffolk-9036568 Africa https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/agri-news/south-africa/politicising-stock-theft-doesnt-help-sas-farmers/ https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/fuel-tanker-hijacked-driver-assaulted-petrol-stolen-old-airport-road-isipingo-kzn/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.wdhn.com/news/local-news/geneva-co-sheriffs-office-makes-arrest-in-the-theft-of-work-tools/ https://www.kttn.com/missouri-man-sentenced-to-8-years-in-prison-for-stealing-firearms-from-farm-supply-store/ More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Is there any more fundamental business to the world of agriculture than that of auctioneering? I say "no". Auctioneers have been there in good times and in bad times, whenever folks need to sell farms, ranches, equipment or otherwise, for whatever reason. The auctioneer is always there trying to maximize what these folks get for their lifetime of work and for their next chapter. Today's guest, Scott Shuman, has made a life out of doing just this, both in good and bad times. Scott is based in Northern Colorado, and has been involved in agriculture his whole life. During high school and later college, he was doing anything he could to be around the auction industry and auctioneers because he found himself really interested in it, and it made a great job for a student. Eventually, Scott went on to get his master's degree in agricultural education, but there was something about the world of auctions that kept calling him back. So, after a year and a half of teaching, he found himself heading back to the front of the auction and he has not looked back. Today, Scott is a partner in Hall And Hall Auctions, and he travels all over the world helping to sell premier farm and ranch properties. On today's show he is going to talk about the life of an auctioneer, how to get started in that industry and when your too old to start this career (hint: there is no maximum age). In addition to the world of auctioneering, Scott as just released a book: A Million Acres & Counting, and he was pivotal in helping the National FFA to design a supervised agricultural experience to help students start their own auctioneering business during high school. We have all of that an more for you in this great interview! **Scott's daughter, Shelby, is our featured guest in episode #1415. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

On tomorrow's ag business episode we are featuring a gentleman who has made an interesting career out of auctioning farm and ranch real estate. On the following Monday we are featuring his daughter, who is in the FFA and is also an auctioneer. It is a complete look into the world of this interesting and fundamental career. So, for our re-cap episode this week I wanted to take a look back at some of the other auctioneers who I have profiled on the show. Who better than Cotton Booker, who as the 2018 International Junior Auctioneer Champion! The original show notes are below: INTRODUCING COTTON BOOKER! Today I get to introduce you to a humble young man who is having great success. Cotton Booker is the 2018 International Junior Auctioneer Champion, the youngest ever auctioneer at the Barrett Jackson Auction and the Washington State Star winner in agribusiness. Cotton's family is in the auctioneering business, and he has been learning about it his whole life. Cotton has had a lot of success through auctioneering, and he went to a professional auctioneer's school when he was only 13 years old as the youngest student they had there. Today, Cotton works for his families business, and he has also started his own auction company, Booker Auction. He is carrying on the family legacy and trying to help people out in agriculture when it comes time for an estate sale or otherwise. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Auctioneering HIGH SCHOOL: Colfax High School; Colfax, Washington MASCOT: Bulldogs FFA ADVISOR: Michael Heitstuman CONTACT INFORMATION FOR COTTON BOOKER: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Colfax High School website: Cotton's FFA Advisors' Email Addresses: [email protected] Colfax High School's Telephone Number: (509) 397-4368 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

I am starting to think that plant breeders are born, not made. At least every time I interview a young man or woman with this passion it appears that is correct. In today's interview I am speaking with a junior in high school that has already obtained $10,000 in funding to begin an apple orchard on his high school's property. Gabe Olson-Jensen is our featured guest, and look at this list of accomplishments: Started working at a local orchard at age 12 Grafted his first trees at age 12 Obtained land at his school start a 1/4 acre apple orchard in 2020 Applied for and received a $1,000 SAE grant in 2020 Applied for and recieved $9,000 in funding from USDA SARE in 2020 Purchased 200 apple trees and trellising and began the orchard in 2020 Using integrated pest management to sustain and grow the fruit trees Gabe really has an amazing story as so many of these seed breeders do. Today, we will profile it all for you! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Plant Research HIGH SCHOOL: River Falls High School; River Falls, Wisconsin MASCOT: Wildcats FFA ADVISOR: Ryan Pechacek CONTACT INFORMATION FOR GABE OLSON-JENSEN: Click on the picture below to be taken to the River Falls High School website: Gabe's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] River Falls High School Telephone Number: 715-425-1830 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Baxter Black, who I have been a fan of for at least three decades has passed. In 2015 Baxter generously agreed to be a guest on the Off-Farm Income Podcast when we had barely began and had no catalog and no reputation. He provided me with a great, long-form interview as well. The world learned that Baxter was ill and on hospice care back in January of 2022, and in February of 2022 we replayed his interview as tribute. We are doing it again today as we have lost one of good ones. The original show notes are below. KEY IDEAS: ADVICE FROM BAXTER BLACK: WORK FOR FREE: Baxter's advice is to 1,000 shows for free before you figure out what you are worth. HAVE SOMETHING TO WRITE ABOUT: Baxter related a great story about a young man that walked 15 miles to meet him because he wanted to become a cowboy poet. But the boy was not a cowboy, so he did not know anything to write about. Baxter sent him off to get ranch working experience, to learn his subject matter and THEN to start writing. BAXTER BLACK'S PERSONAL HABIT THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO HIS SUCCESS: YOU NEED TO FORM A HABIT: Once Baxter started writing a column, he started a habit of writing everyday. Now on every plane ride, or nightly before bed, he writes. This is how he has produced so much content. BEST BUSINESS ADVICE THAT BAXTER BLACK HAS RECEIVED: GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT: Baxter told me that it was not until he was addressing a group of ranchers in Colorado that one of the took him aside and suggested that he write a column. The message that Baxter received was that he had a message to get out, and he needed to get it to a wider audience. You need to take that step, and find a way to get your message to the people who are looking for it. LINKS: Baxter Black's Website: BaxterBlack.com Baxter Black's Facebook Page Baxter Black's Twitter Feed: @BaxterBlack BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Mr. Black recommends this book which is about entrepreneurship, overcoming obstacles and following your own path. Click on the image to go directly to Baxter Black's webpage where he sells this book: More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

It is so interesting how students answer the elevator question I ask them during my interviews. Mallory Bowers' answer may be the most interesting that I have heard thus far. She told me that "agriculture saves lives", and then she went on to articulate her thoughts on why this is. Everything from people finding their purpose to the basic need for food was included in her explanation. I guess I should not be surprised. Mallory was raised by an FFA advisor, and she has already began the transition process of taking over her families sheep operation. In addition that, she joined the FFA just as soon as the rules would allow her, and she was just recently named the State of Indiana Proficiency Winner in Sheep Production! Mallory will have graduated high school by the time that this interview airs, and she is headed to Lincoln Land College just over the state border to study agriculture, compete in livestock judging and prepare herself for the dual careers of teaching agriculture and running her own sheep operation. As I told her during the interview, she is planning on being busy. She replied with an "Oh, Yeah!". SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Sheep Production HIGH SCHOOL: Tippecanoe Valley High School; Akron, Ohio MASCOT: Vikings FFA ADVISOR: Michael Jones CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MALLORY BOWERS: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Tippecanoe Valley High School Website: Mallory's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Tippecanoe Valley High School Telephone Number: 574-598-2100 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week If somebody pays for $20 worth of gas but is pumping for hours, you might check it out. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.wwnytv.com/2022/06/08/thousands-gallons-thieves-using-modified-trucks-steal-gas-stations-police-say/ https://www.ocala.com/story/news/courts/2022/06/07/prosecutors-ocala-florida-drop-charges-death-600-pound-pig/9999829002/ https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/friend-remembers-gilbert-woman-killed-by-unknown-person-at-home-near-san-tan-village-parkway-and-ray-road/75-90972a32-0521-4913-93f1-adf690d099ac https://www.ky3.com/2022/06/03/catch-a-crook-man-steals-egg-incubator-deceased-willard-mans-home/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/news/stolen-horse-boxes-recovered-by-police-9257998/ https://www.realagriculture.com/2022/06/risk-of-theft-a-key-hold-back-of-expanding-fuel-storage-survey-suggests/ Africa https://dailytrust.com/farmer-bags-1-month-for-concealing-stolen-yams https://lowvelder.co.za/784133/limpopo-saps-arrested-889-for-criminal-activities/ https://www.enca.com/business/zim-deputy-minister-arrested-alleged-fertiliser-theft Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.nj.com/hunterdon/2022/05/man-arrested-71-neglected-cows-horses-pigs-taken-from-his-rescue-farm-officials-say.html https://turnto10.com/news/local/rhode-island-arrested-connection-with-animal-cruelty-investigation-north-kingstown More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

In today's episode I get to learn about a species of livestock that I had never heard of before, the Pacovicuna. A Vicuna is the wild ancestor of the Llama, and they have characteristics in their fiber that just cannot be replicated by Llamas. Jane Lavene and her husband, Arthur, raise the largest herd of Pacovicuna's in the U.S. on their farms in the Denver, Colorado and Salida, Colorado areas. In today's episode Jane teaches us about the Vicuna, the Pacovicuna and the unbelievable process of starting a herd of these animals some 27 years ago. In addition, she discusses her fiber business and goes into great detail about he sophistication of maintaining the genetic integrity of this animal as well as selling the best and most matching fiber possible. Jane will also explain a lot about the fiber, and how it is graded and sorted. In addition to this part of the business Jane talks about the benefit of selling into a luxury market. The fiber and felt from a Vicuna is of such quality that it demands top dollar, and that means that it is used in luxury items. Selling into this market creates a stable demand for Jane. And if all the information about this highly sophisticated, value added business were not enough, Jane also discusses her multiple streams of revenue approach which includes horse boarding, vacation rentals and much, much more. Enjoy this episode! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Today, I am replaying my interview with James Budd of Alpacas Of Montana. This is perfect segue into our ag business interview tomorrow, talking about luxury wool and fleece production. At the time I did this interview with James he had built a worldwide brand with Alpacas Of Montana. He continues to grow and succeed, and it is my pleasure to bring the interview to you again. Below are the original show notes: SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS: Do you like to be warm in winter? Who doesn't? Would you like to farm? Who wouldn't? Our guest today combined these two things and now has 5,000 of his closest friends over on the weekend! James Budd and his wife Sarah are accomplished professionals in their respective fields. About fifteen years ago James decided that he had accomplished enough, and he wanted to try something on his own....anything. He talked with Sarah about raising alpacas after reading an article, and she reminded him of the several reasons that would not be a fit for him. She was right, but then he had two other things happen on the same day telling him he should pursue this business. He tried again and Alpacas Of Montana was born. James and Sarah moved from Colorado to Bozeman, Montana, bought property and of course, alpacas. They began raising these animals and learning about them. Eventually James came up with five different revenue generation models from these animals and started pursuing them all. The revenue model we talk the most about today is the production of products from alpaca fiber - socks, hats, mittens, gloves, etc. Alpacas Of Montana now produces a wide product line that are sold all over the world. James has a passion for business in general and of course, his business. This has led to their latest open house on the farm in Bozeman with over 5,000 people coming to visit. ADVICE FROM JAMES: GET HELP: Nobody has accomplished great success without getting help from others. Don't be afraid to seek your own. SMART: When it comes to your particular product, service or area of expertise be the smartest person in the room. Know the most. NETWORK: The old saying is "it's not what you know, it's who you know". James really believes that the power of your network will be a key to you being successful.....but he still believes that what you know is very important. BEST ADVICE JAMES HAS EVER RECEIVED: "A Little Bit Of A Lot Is A Whole More Than A Lot Of Nothing" - find your market and get a piece of it. Then work on getting a bigger piece. PERSONAL HABIT THAT HELPS JAMES SUCCEED: RE-PRIORITIZATION: James prioritizes his day, everyday. About mid-day he does it again to get the most productivity. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

INTRODUCING LANE COLSTON! There was a very consistent theme running through today's interview with Lane Colston from Western Hills High School FFA.....people. When I asked Lane about why he had joined the FFA, he talked about all the great people he had known who had been FFA members, and he also talked about the great people he has been able to meet by being a member. When we talked about the reigning horse world that he is such a big part, he was talking about being able to meet great people again. I definitely get the feeling that Lane is the type of person that everybody likes, and that is certainly going to treat him well in the future. Lane comes from a family with a horseback tradition. And for him, it didn't really catch until he was 8 years old. Ironically, being from Kentucky (a great horse state) he found his passion for horses in Wyoming. On a family vacation to the Grand Teton Mountains they took a trail ride on horseback, and something clicked for Lane. When they got home he looked around and saw the same horses that had always been there, but now he was determined to spend his time riding them rather than just looking at them. Since that time Lane has become a horse trainer, exhibitor and rider. He competes all over the U.S. on reigning horses, he purchases them green, trains them and then sells them. In addition to this, he is learning the family concrete business and plans on studying business in college so that he can help both businesses grow! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Reigning Horse Training & Sales HIGH SCHOOL: Western Hills High School; Frankfort, Kentucky MASCOT: Wolverines FFA ADVISOR: Jenna Harrod CONTACT INFORMATION FOR LANE COLSTON: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Western Hills High School Ag. Department's website: Lane's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Western Hills High School's Telephone Number: 502-875-8400 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald: b

Today, we take a look at what has been going on, on our farm and with the podcast. We also take a few minutes to discuss the importance of creeds and some of the most well known creeds in agriculture. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

INTRODUCING SAMUEL JIMENEZ! Buckle up to learn something new in this episode. I sure know that I did when I was conducting the interview! Samuel Jimenez has just graduated high school, and he has just been awarded a California State Proficiency Award in Specialty Animal Production Placement. How you ask? By raising thousands of Koi Fish in his families business in Madera, California. Sam's parents have a business called Mad Town Koi Fish, and she sell Koi all over the world. In addition to the production of fish they produce a high quality manure/fertilizer for their business partner's pistachio orchard with the waste of the Koi. Sam has been learning this business inside and out over the years, and now when a buyer is at the farm to purchase fish it is Sam who takes out the nets and catches the fish for sale. During our interview Sam told me about a type of Koi called a "Tancho". This is a very rare and very desirable pattern on the body of the Koi that results with a red circle on its forehead. While Same told me that Koi will sell for $5-$7 per typical fish, a Tancho can sell for up to $25,000! This fish business is very much like other livestock businesses. They even have a breed organization and they compete in shows for the grand champion Koi. I learned a ton in this interview, and you will too! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Koi Fish Production HIGH SCHOOL: Madera South High School; Madera, California MASCOT: Stallions FFA ADVISOR: Tim Deniz CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SAMUEL JIMENEZ: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Madera South High School Ag. Department's website: Sam's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Madera South High School Telephone Number: 559-675-4450 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week Keep a close eye on your copper and diesel. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.bakersfield.com/news/kcso-asks-for-publics-help-to-id-burglary-suspects/article_ac759778-e1f3-11ec-b4a6-479a9fa9db46.html https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/crime/2022/05/31/hobart-man-sentenced-after-admitting-3-counts-arson/9912721002/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/monaghan-gardai-investigate-theft-of-power-washer-from-tractor/ https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/home/824636/tipperary-gardai-investigate-theft-of-scrap-copper-worth-up-to-2-000-from-field.html Africa https://www.modernghana.com/news/1161670/cr-three-caged-over-lynching-of-suspected-plant.html https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/sheep-worth-r14-000-stolen-from-howick-farm-recovered-f7bb8a7b-b3e9-4ed2-8a21-49643e7f5e0c Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://columbuscountynews.com/2022/06/tractor-theft-suspect-a-man-of-many-names/ https://www.crimevoice.com/2022/06/01/rural-crimes/ More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

It is amazing where an agricultural passion can take you. Even though I know that, I am not quite sure I have ever profiled a story quite like today's episode with Daniel Oduntan. Daniel grew up in the city of Ibadan in Nigeria, Africa. Sometime, around the time he was 30 years old, a woman from Denmark put on a workshop about beekeeping that he attended. This was the beginning of what would become a lifelong passion for Daniel that would eventually see him live on three different continents. Daniel's interest in beekeeping was piqued, and he started studying, first obtaining a bachelor's degree in agriculture in Nigeria, soon to be followed by a master's degree in entomology. Not long after this Daniel moved to Germany to study beekeeping in Bavaria. His interest in and passion for bees allowed him to develop a global network of contacts in the beekeeping industry, and that eventually brought him to Pennsylvania for a conference. During this conference he met a family with multiple generations of beekeeping experience which he had been admiring from afar as well as many other contacts. This ultimately led Daniel to decide to base himself in the U.S., and after researching where to live he found Salt Lake City, came across the country and settled down. Today Daniel is operating his own business, Bee-Craft Consult, from Salt Lake City, he has authored two books on beekeeping and he has started a foundation to raise money to educate people worldwide on the art of beekeeping! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

On tomorrow's ag business episode we are talking all about bees with a fascinating entrepreneur who has traveled the world. I thought that a look back at this great interview with Saralynn Smith would be a great idea as she talked to us about the very beginning stages of starting her bee business. Below are the original show notes: SHOW NOTES If You Want To Raise Bees, You Will Need The Right Clothing! Introducing Saralynn Smith! Sara Smith is involved in one of the most ancient of agricultural enterprises, bee keeping. Her story is kind of unique. Instead of developing her bee hives with the purpose of harvesting honey or selling products, she and her father started them to pollinate the plants and flowers in their yard. Soon, they had 3 hives and excess honey! After giving honey away to people in their community, the idea of "3 B's" came up. Sara decided to make the beekeeping her supervised agricultural experience. Now she will be producing lip balm from her honey with all natural ingredients. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Bee Keeping and Product Development HIGH SCHOOL: Dinwiddie High School; Dinwiddie, Virginia MASCOT: Generals FFA ADVISOR: Cindy Blaha & Laurel Bishop CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SARA SMITH: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Dinwiddie High School Website: Sara's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Dinwiddie High School Telephone Number: (804) 469-4280 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

INTRODUCING EMMA ALBERS! I like to say that if you are hitting all of your goals, you aren't setting them high enough. Today's guest understands that completely. Emma Albers set a goal of becoming a national proficiency finalist when she was in the 9th Grade. She just graduated high school a couple of weeks ago, and she is on the cusp of that accomplishment. Emma actually has three very strong supervised agricultural experiences and proficiencies - beef production, grain production and veterinary science. It is the rules that actually held her back. In the State of Kansas, one student can only advance to state proficiencies with a maximum of two projects. Ironically, on Emma's farm she gets the most enjoyment out of working with the cattle. However, her strongest two proficiencies were veterinary science and grain production, so that is what she put forth. Later this month Emma will find out if either of her proficiencies won at the state level. If one of them does, she will be on to compete for that national proficiency award that she decided that she wanted so many years ago! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Beef & Grain Production Entrepreneurship, Veterinary Science Placement HIGH SCHOOL: Doniphan West High School; Highland, Kansas MASCOT: Mustangs FFA ADVISOR: Hannah Adame CONTACT INFORMATION FOR EMMA ALBERS: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Doniphan High School Ag. Department's website: Emma's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Doniphan High School Telephone Number: 785-442-3286 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Today is our farm update episode, and the theme is definitely "never give up". With the odds stacked against it, spring rain fall has really made a big difference in our irrigation season. And, I've got another project that I need the "never give up" attitude for! Plus a success story on a new marketing effort. I hope you enjoy! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Have you ever had the experience of speaking with a person and not being able to match what you are hearing to your preconceived notion about who they would be? That was my exact experience speaking with today's guest, Ben Bugbee. Fortunately for me, I interview a lot of FFA students, and that means that I have this experience frequently. Ben is just finishing his 11th grade year of high school, and when our interview started I had an idea of what an 11th grader should sound like. However, if you did not know that Ben was in high school and heard this interview you would think that he had been running his own business for a couple of decades and had the experience of his peers that are in their 30's! Perhaps this is what led Ben to be named the Minnesota State Star in Agribusiness in 2022. Ben is the owner of Water Ready Rentals in Paynesville, Minnesota, and he also works at his families resort, Bug Bee-Hive Resort, which has been in his family for 102 years. In addition to that, Ben is a regional vice-president in the FFA and concurrently serves as a chapter officer in the Paynesville FFA Chapter. Ben has owned his own business since he was 14 years old, and to hear him speak about the pitfalls of renting out watercraft is like listening to an expert put on a seminar about running a business such as this. Ben is clearly a "non-traditional FFA student", and as he points out, capturing students like himself is exactly why the FFA changed its name decades ago. With that said, Ben knows exactly how his water sports business relates to agriculture and is able to articulate that clearly. Ben believes that with a lot of "blood, sweat and tears" that the FFA helps to teach students, from on or off the farm, the work ethic and tradition that is captured in American Agriculture! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Pontoon Boat Rentals HIGH SCHOOL: Paynesville High School; Paynesville, Minnesota MASCOT: Bulldogs FFA ADVISOR: Natalie Utsch CONTACT INFORMATION FOR BEN BUGBEE: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Paynesville High School website: Ben's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Paynesville High School Telephone Number: 320-243-3410 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week Find the strength to be patient before passing judgment. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://localnews8.com/news/crime-tracker/2022/05/26/new-details-released-about-reported-animal-abuse-and-fire-investigation-at-local-farm/ https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/putnam-county-sheriffs-office-asks-for-help-locating-trailer/77-5a0c6a2d-6733-46f6-bad3-965ec315742d Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/fly-tipping-debate-in-parliament-gains-support-from-mp/ https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/rural-news/rural-machinery-products/techno-crime-hits-ag-sector Africa https://www.news24.com/witness/news/pietermaritzburg/body-of-a-missing-kzn-farmer-found-with-gunshot-wounds-20220526 https://chimpreports.com/40-guns-recovered-as-joint-security-forces-continue-to-pacify-karamoja/ https://chimpreports.com/soroti-sub-county-chief-2-lc-chairpersons-remanded-over-livestock-theft/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/man-arrested-laton-recovery-stolen-135100990.html https://www.thefencepost.com/news/ponca-city-man-arrested-in-larceny-of-domestic-animals-case-in-osage-county/ More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

There are very few things that make me happier than when I can pull a gold nugget out of an interview that I know is going to be helpful to the listeners. That definitely happened in my interview with Kendall Teichmeier today. Kendall works full-time in agriculture. His first exposure was a fifteen year career of managing large hog operations in Nebraska until his body just could not handled the work any longer. After a brief stint of factory work Kendall made his way back to agriculture and started working at a seed cleaning and production facility in Broken Bow, Nebraska, where he still is today. Recently Kendall has started a side hustle, which is exploding with business opportunities. He started a company called "Axe Kickers", which is a mobile axe throwing lane that he can take to corporate events, fairs, festivals and even weddings. He built it so that it can be set up indoors or out, and it just happens to be a lot of fun! Word of mouth about Kendall's business is now spreading like wildfire, and it appears as though he is going to work every single day this fair season between his full-time job and his new business. I couldn't be more excited for him. I also could not be more excited for you, because as Kendall told the story of developing this business he exposed me to a new idea. And if the idea is new for me, I know it is new for almost all of you! In January of this year Kendall took his idea to the Nebraska Association Of Fair Managers annual conference. He purchased space for a small booth and spent his time talking with the managers of all the county fairs in his state about the event that he had created. Each one of these fair managers wants to have a successful fair, and the name of the game for success is people having fun. So, several of these fair managers were very interested in his mobile axe throwing lane and contracted with him to come to their fair. I had never heard of an association like this or the fact that they had an annual convention with an expo hall in which performers, exhibitors, etc. could show off what they had to offer. But as I listened to Kendall it occurred to me that all these different county fairs are a brand new market that many of us have never even considered. And, most of probably had never given any thought to purchasing a booth at one of these conventions and having direct access to decision makers who can hire us! If you have a business, talent or event that could be a part of a fair, you should start researching this right away! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

On today's show we are going back into the archives to look at an off-farm business that generates revenue at fairs and festivals. This is a great tie-in to tomorrow's ag business episode. Mark Hufford has the fascinating business of doing educational displays and talks about the use of oxen in the frontier and colonial times. Below are the original show notes from his first episode with us. SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS: Today we are heading to Indiana to talk with a 6th generation farmer about how he and his wife changed their farming model to something that was more palatable and profitable for them. Mark Hufford of Double M Farms will be joining us and talking all about their direct marketing model for beef as well as pork. It is a bit different than what I do, and quite possibly a bit better. He was also be discussing one of his forms of off-farm income, raising oxen and taking them to exhibits and shows in their region. Mark has a lot of great advice for us in this episode and a great story. He and his wife's pursuits have taken them all over the country to ultimately wind up back in Indiana and trying to figure out a way to make it in farming. Today they are well on their way, and he will share that with us here today. CONTACT INFORMATION AND LINKS: Blog: http://www.thefarmerspitchfork.com Facebook Page: LINK Telephone: 765-268-2104 More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

On this show, I have said that work is not the enemy, the wrong job is the enemy, on multiple occasions. Today's guest, Lila Wantland, probably summed that statement up better than I have ever done in our interview. This is one thing I love about interviewing FFA students. They learn, early on, that work can be fun and it is all just a matter of finding the right work for them. Lila has grown up on her families dairy farm in Missouri, and she had fully embraced that life. She milks cattle every day, and being a 99% family run operation, she has invested herself in every other aspect of the farm from the good to the bad. She is particularly fond of taking care of the bottle calves but dreads when it is time to cull a long serving cow. Her family primarily milks Holstein cattle on their dairy, but over the years she became interested in other breeds of dairy cattle. So, she found herself purchasing her own Guernsey, Jersey and Brown Swiss cows and putting them into the milking herd. Lila finds herself very interested in all the different breeds as well as the different personalities that each of them has. In our interview I asked Lila if she was interested in returning to her families dairy at some point in the future. While she is heading off to get an animal science degree at Oklahoma State University next year, returning to the dairy is not what she sees in her future. I really admired this in her answer, as she has already figured out that even though the family dairy is the basis of her love for livestock and farming, she needs to find the path that she is meant to be on to find satisfaction in her daily work. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Dairy Production HIGH SCHOOL: Niangua High School; Niangua, Missouri MASCOT: Cardinals FFA ADVISOR: Cody Starnes CONTACT INFORMATION FOR LILA WANTLAND: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Niangua High School website: Lila's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] NianguaHigh School Telephone Number: (417)473-6101 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Today is a farm update episode everyone. Here is what I will be talking about: A big strategy change in the way we are raising goats. Less means more Work smarter not harder The inverted bell curve of grass growth on our farm in Idaho I am unable to imagine being short on forage later this summer Some farmer/inventors who were innovating themselves out of an obstacle and found their invention being very desired and successful More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

I've said it before, and I will say it again - I really enjoy interviewing FFA student entrepreneurs because they are not encumbered by fear and other responsibilities that frequently stop adults like myself from exploring business ideas. With this fear being absent, these students go try ideas, and in many cases they discover businesses that work and are replicable by adults. In this way, these high school students are actually the leaders for adults, if adults are willing to look at what they have done and follow the example. My guest today, Ethan Kneisler, is a perfect example of this. Ethan is just finishing up his junior year of high school and lives in a farming community in Kansas. He and his father came up with the idea of him starting a bale wrapping business in their area because they saw problems that they could solve on their own farm with this practice and then saw that others in their community had the same problems. Namely, the need to produce more forage on a small acreage that would allow for the feeding of all the farm's livestock. This led them to experimenting with different forage crops and balage, and it has worked out very well. Ethan is just going into his second season of operating "Jimmy's Custom Wrapping". Through this business he is convincing people in his area of the ability to raise different forage crops and to have them wrapped. There are a lot of positives to this method, and Ethan is making it pay for his customers. In listening to the arguments that Ethan has to overcome when convincing farmers to give this a try, I can hear a lot of reasons that an adult, with more to lose than Ethan, might dismiss this business and not start. However, if an adult is willing to look at the example being set by a high school student like Ethan and trust what they are seeing, they can identify a very viable business idea for the region in which they live! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Custom Bale Wrapping HIGH SCHOOL: Lyndon High School; Lyndon, Kansas MASCOT: Tigers FFA ADVISOR: Tim Kilgore CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ETHAN KNEISLER: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Lyndon High School website: Ethan's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Lyndon High School Telephone Number: 785-828-4413 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week Before you pick fruit off of someone else's tree, you might want to hear this episode. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/video-shows-unusual-traffic-stop-chase-involving-horse-and-buggy/ https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/is-it-legal-to-pick-mangos-off-your-neighbors-tree-14500558 Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-accused-of-breaking-into-sydney-school-and-assaulting-farm-animals/38c4b129-2ea2-4e68-bafc-93b31f5c5efe https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/20148599.burglars-hit-herefordshire-home/ https://www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/news/20146919.secure-property-warning-generator-stolen-llangollen/ Africa https://www.herald.co.zw/vet-department-works-on-cattle-branding-roll-out/ https://issafrica.org/iss-today/rising-insecurity-a-setback-for-the-gambias-transition Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.fresnosheriff.org/media-relations/ag-task-force-detectives-arrest-chemical-thief.html https://santamariatimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lompoc-man-accused-of-drug-charges-stealing-avocados-in-goleta/article_a5861e96-80c8-5dca-8e2b-b7b05559c984.html More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Our guest today is highly educated about the world of agriculture, believes strongly in advocating for ag and knows that we need to reach out to children with the truth about farming and livestock before inaccurate information is told to them so many times that it becomes ingrained. And it is these core beliefs that led Jackie Nix to strike out as a children's author and create her first book, Modern Farms and create her publishing company, Moo Maven Publishing. Jackie really has an amazing story. She grew up around other people's farms but not on her own. This was enough for her to develop a passion for agriculture which led her to Virginia Tech. University to study animal science. She followed this up with a master's degree in agriculture which led her to become an extension agent. After several years in this field she went to work in private industry, selling feed, and then two big disruptions happened in her life. Her father became terminally ill followed by Covid 19. During this time period Jackie focused on family, and that meant leaving the corporate world for a while. This time away from the busy business world gave her extra time to think, and that is when she was inspired to write her first book, Modern Farms. Jackie has a vision of what she wants to produce, and how she wants to educate children about what farming really is. She is so true to her vision that instead of contracting with a publishing company, she started her own. This was all about creative control and making sure that the vision she has in her mind is the same one that gets to the children who read her books! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tomorrow on the show I am featuring an entrepreneur who is helping to teach children about agriculture. This reminded me of the great interview I did with Katie Benson about her efforts to do the same, and I wanted to bring that episode back for you today. Below are the original show notes for this episode. SHOW NOTES Introducing Katie Benson! Katie has a different supervised agricultural experience than we normally profile. However, I had to have her on. She is doing a lot to advocate for agricuture. Katie's SAE is "ag education." She is teaching all the third graders in her school district about agriculture. She has done a number of things including dispelling myths about agriculture and making products, such as butter. Katie has had multiple students tell her that they want to join both 4H and FFA after they are done with one of her lessons. She plans on continuing her education after high school and becoming an agricultural education teacher and FFA advisors. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Agricultural Education HIGH SCHOOL: Staples Motley High School; Staples, Minnesota MASCOT: Cardinals FFA ADVISOR: Kerry Lindgren & Brian Schornack CONTACT INFORMATION FOR KATIE BENSON: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Staples Motley High School Website: Katie's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Staples Motley High School Telephone Number: 218-894-5400 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

I first discovered Sam Martin through an article that mentioned he and his families anhydrous ammonia business, Martin Custom Anhydrous, and that is what led me to invite him to be a guest on the show. However, I wound up getting a lot more than I bargained for with this guest. Sam is a former chapter president, former Iowa State Vice-President and current Iowa State President. He just obtained that lofty title in April of this year. In addition to that, he is operating multiple supervised agricultural experiences including a cattle business, a sweet corn business and of course the family business of custom applying anhydrous ammonia all over Southwest Iowa. Sam and his family are the epitome of the farm families that I strive to profile on this show. They are on farm ground that goes multiple generations deep, and they are always looking for a way to continue the legacy. This is what led to them starting Martin Custom Anhydrous. They took equipment that they already had and used it to serve farmers in their area, filling a need that existed. They took the fact that their farm was smaller than others and turned that into a competitive advantage. When many farmers were burnt out from being in the tractor more than them during they year, from farming more acres, they could step in and inject anhydrous ammonia for the farmers who didn't want to see the inside of a tractor again until spring. It worked out great, and their business has really taken off. At the same time, the business is providing a way for Sam and his siblings to generate additional revenue to support the family farming operation and it creates an opportunity for each of them to return to the farm. At the same time, Sam's mother, Sarah, is teaching agriculture at Shenandoah Community High School and brining in off-farm income in that manner. It is a very interesting story. So much so that the length of my interview with Sam is about twice as long as a normal FFA interview. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Beef Production, Custom Fertilizer Application, Sweet Corn Sales HIGH SCHOOL: Shenandoah Community High School; Shenandoah, Iowa MASCOT: Mustangs FFA ADVISOR: Sarah Martin CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SAM MARTIN: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Shenandoah Community High School website: Sam's FFA Advisor's Email Address: [email protected] Shenandoah Community High School Telephone Number: 712-246-1581 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: "The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.". U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald: