Off-Farm Income

Our guest today is very good at keeping a secret! At almost the moment that we finished our interview, he ended the call and proposed to his girlfriend! And, I would not be including this in the show notes if she had not said yes. Congratulations to the happy couple! Well, Landon Wenger is certainly laying the foundations for the rest of his life. At age 19 he has been named as a state winner in Ohio for agricultural sales entrepreneurship proficiency. This stemmed from him purchasing his own Christmas Tree farm when was just sixteen years of age! It is called "Wenger's Winter Greens" and he has been steadily planting trees every year so that he has trees to sell every year. I have always been curious about how this business works with the slow return on investment. In today's episode Landon will help to break all of that down for us. He will also talk about his vegetable production business and his time in the FFA.

Today's episode is a "best of" episode. I interviewed FFA students from all over the U.S. last Christmas about the community service projects they were doing, and I wanted to bring it back to you this year.

Starting tomorrow and going through the 6th of January, I am running "best of" episodes. I can do 7 episodes per week, but I need a break! And I am taking one. I hope you enjoy the memories everyone!

Merry Christmas everyone...just a quick check in to say I appreciate you on this most special of holidays!

Christmas is a very special time of year, and it is really where the community service portion of the FFA can shine. On today's episode we are going to profile a chapter, Northwestern FFA from West Salem, Ohio, that shines very bright at this time of year by helping to provide much needed supplies for people all around the world. Joining us today to represent Northwestern FFA is Kade Tegtmeier, the chapter president, and Kate Johnson, a assistant officer. Both of these students have a passion for agriculture that cannot be contained just by the FFA, so they both continue to be involved in the 4H as well. Led by their great FFA Advisors Kade and Kate, along with the rest of their chapter, get to provide service every Christmas while at the same time being reminded of how fortunate we all are here in the U.S.

Tip Of The Week Don't lose money by saving electricity at Christmas Rural Crime In The U.S. https://ruralradio.com/kneb-am/news/cheyenne-co-sheriffs-office-investigating-stolen-truck-and-firearm/ https://www.powelltribune.com/stories/former-officer-convicted-of-stealing-horse-lying-to-forest-service,110407 Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.farmersjournal.ie/news/news/quads-worth-40-000-stolen-in-donegal-797290 https://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/crime/equipment-and-tools-stolen-in-late-night-burglary-of-aylesbury-farm-4445889 Africa https://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/five-years-in-jail-for-limpopo-farm-manager-convicted-of-stealing-and-selling-cattle-evading-court-5039d8c1-8853-4880-958b-2cd68390deda https://www.channelstv.com/2023/12/14/police-rescue-263-kidnap-victims-in-katsina-kill-12-suspected-terrorists-in-six-months/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://news.yahoo.com/isp-pursuit-suspect-found-under-045900054.html https://marketrealist.com/how-did-this-farm-couple-steer-a-9-million-insurance-fraud/ More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Julia McCarthy is a farmer, rancher and freelance writer from Grangeville, Idaho. Several months back I read an article of hers in a publication about agriculture in my state called Ag Proud Idaho. The topic caught my eye and I liked the writing, so I invited Julia to be a guest on the show. Finally, we got the interview done. Freelance writing is one of my favorite forms of off-farm income. It can be done anywhere, and it significantly predates podcasting. In today's episode Julia talks about her path to becoming a freelance writer, some of the hard lessons she has learned and some tips and tricks of the trade. If this is something you are considering for your off-farm income, in any topic area, this episode is a must for you!

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am profiling a freelance, agricultural writer. This is one of my favorite forms of off-farm income. For today's re-cap episode I went back to episode #1233 and an interview I did with Rachel Gabel of the "The Fence Post Magazine". In this interview we talked a lot about how freelance writers can get started and be successful, but we did it from the editor's perspective. I thought this was the perfect tie in for tomorrow's show where we will hear this from a writer's perspective.

Lillie Cagle is a 2023 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Agricultural Education. She is also a Tennessee State Officer and a previous guest on this show. Lillie just appeared on Off-Farm Income in April of 2023 after becoming a state officer. She had a phenomenal SAE and was doing a ton of good for agriculture. In just the span of 6 months from being on the show she found herself on the big stage in Indianapolis receiving an National Proficiency Award for her efforts. I wanted to have her back on the show to tell her congratulations and to hear all about it!

A quick farm update for all of you today, and a sure fire method for keeping any livestock or dogs from going under your fences.

Teak Barhaug is the past president of the Alaska FFA, a current student at the University Of Alaska - Fairbanks and a former resident of Wyoming. When Teak's father transferred to Alaska to finish his career in the National Forest Service it came at a bit of a price. Teak's mother, Kimberly, was a former FFA member, Teak's brother had been involved in the 4h and was progressing into the FFA and Teak had been involved in the 4H and was planning on progressing to the FFA. However, there was no FFA Chapter in Seward, where they would be attending high school. So, Teak and his family took it upon themselves to form an FFA Chapter. This happened with the minimum number of 10 members, and it took off from there. This escalated all the way to Teak serving as the state president of Alaska. During Teak's time in high school he worked in the agri-tourism industry, taking groups of tourists into the wilderness to pan for gold and teaching the how. Today, Teak is studying biology and botany in college and is loving the life he has found in Alaska.

For Information Like Degrees Offered, Annual Costs, Etc., Please Click The Banner Below: The Agricultural College Episode is designed to profile agricultural trade schools, junior colleges, colleges and universities around the U.S. This episode is an effort to replicate the conversation that prospective students, parents and ag teachers might have with agricultural schools at trade show like the National FFA Convention. The University Of Missouri is a large university offering a robust agricultural program, and it also offers a non-resident tuition waiver to students coming from out of state. I am always excited when I profile a college that makes this offer for out of state students, and Mizzou is on that list! On today's interview I am speaking with the Director Of Student Recruitment, Kathleen Matz, as well as student ambassador, Grant Norfleet, who just happens to the newly elected, National FFA Secretary. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week What if you are attacked with pepper spray? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-man-charged-with-using-bear-spray-on-victim-in-nj-robbery/3715884/ https://salinapost.com/posts/8d9358f2-1c94-465a-9ae2-f48418f92e8f https://www.nwestiowa.com/news/info-sought-on-gate-theft-by-sioux-center/article_7cf974e2-93a9-11ee-bd36-2b76307bc7b3.html https://www.wrtv.com/news/wrtv-investigates/attracting-law-students-to-rural-counties-is-key-to-addressing-statewide-attorney-shortage https://kchanews.com/2023/12/06/floyd-county-rural-law-enforcement-rates-going-up/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://chatnewstoday.ca/2023/12/07/property-crime-unit-rounds-up-suspects-who-stole-ram-truck-cowboy-chaps-and-western-gear/ https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/nottinghamshire-farm-suffers-thousands-of-pounds-of-damage-to-crops-from-quads/ Africa https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2023-12-07-two-shot-killed-in-banditry-attack-in-igembe/ https://ewn.co.za/2023/12/06/stop-farm-murders-phala-phala-burglary-has-made-farmers-targets-for-money Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.drovers.com/news/industry/iowa-cattleman-faces-30-years-fraud-theft https://mageenews.com/maltb-investigators-recover-stolen-tractor-in-yazoo-county/ More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Forrest Pritchard is a regenerative and multi-generational farmer from the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia. His families roots on the farm go to the mid-1800's, and today he has transformed the look and production of the farm back to something that might resemble how farmsteads operated in that time. Forrest was not always interested in regenerative, direct to consumer farming. However, after trying to make it as a commodity based farmer, he went looking for larger profit margins, and this is where he landed. It helped that this was a manner of farming that offered him the ability to provide service and food to his surrounding community. He has been at it since the mid 1990's. Forrest is co-author of the outstanding book, "Start Your Farm", that he wrote with Ellen Polishuk. I first found out about this book after seeing a quote from it on a social media post discussing the fact that small farmers still choose the commodity based farming model even though their small acreages could never possibly produce a profit on those low margins due to lack of production capability. This led me to want to know more. The book is full of great advice, and it is the book I would write if I were ever to sit down to actually do it. Thankfully, Ellen and Forrest have done it for me, and I can concentrate on podcasting!

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am speaking with a farmer and author who has written a book about how to start your farm. I thought this interview that I did with Mara Fielder could bring some real life to the interview I am playing tomorrow. On tomorrow's show we will talk about timing and things to take into consideration when beginning. But, in this interview with Mara, we hear it from somebody who was going through it at the time, and it adds a sense of a first hand witness to the situation.

Andrew Pingenot is the Chapter President of the Vinton-Shellsburg FFA Chapter, he is a distributor of high quality animal feeders and he is just a junior in high school. Farming and raising cattle on his families multi-generational farm in Iowa, Andrew has embraced the family tradition. As such, when he was 15 years old, he and his father attended the Iowa Beef Expo in an effort to learn more about the products and ideas out there for their beef business. While at the expo, Andrew picked up a brochure from a company called Best Livestock Equipment because they had a round bale feeder on display that looked to be very high quality. Andrew had been frustrated with the quick deterioration of the round bale feeder on their farm, so he followed up with a phone call days after the expo. One thing led to another, and the manufacturer offered Andrew the opportunity to become a distributor for them in his region of Iowa. Two years later, Andrew has purchased 0ver 10 semi-loads of livestock feeders and has sold them all. As we conducted the interview he was just finishing selling his 11th semi load! This is opened Andrew's eyes to the possibilities of business ownership coupled with a farming enterprise. He is definitely benefiting from this advanced education!

Applying for, receiving and working in an Internship was one of the best things I did while I was in college. And, even though it sounds like everyone does this when you listen to my Ag College Episodes, that is not true. Many college students allow this opportunity to pass them right by. On today's episode I really want to encourage students to get involved in internships during the time they are in post-secondary education, whether that be trade school, community college or a four year university. There are so many reasons that this will benefit you, including: Exposure to industry Determining what career you want Determining what career you do not want Creating a network of industry people Building a resume Learning things and building skills for the future and opportunities that have not even been invented yet

Pepper Elmore is the Chapter Reporter for the Kremlin FFA in Kremlin, Oklahoma. Knowing she wanted to be part of the FFA, when it came to join Pepper chose to go to school at Kremlin-Hillsdale, in spite of the fact that it is 45 minutes from her ranch, because her local school did not offer agriculture. Pepper is well versed in fitting, showing and husbandry of cattle through her families business of raising purebred Simmental Cattle. Pepper is clearly a goal setter and she thinks long term. She has already identified the career that she wants to have after college of becoming a dual purpose chiropractor, working on both people and livestock. She also knows that she wants to run track in college, and she wants that place to be Oklahoma State University. With so many decisions already made, now it is just down to mapping out the path and following along. I think Pepper is in perfect position to make this all happen!

For Information Like Degrees Offered, Annual Costs, Etc., Please Click The Banner Below: The Agricultural College Episode is designed to profile agricultural trade schools, junior colleges, colleges and universities around the U.S. This episode is an effort to replicate the conversation that prospective students, parents and ag teachers might have with agricultural schools at trade show like the National FFA Convention. [caption id="attachment_421413" align="alignright" width="136"] Carragan Fields[/caption] The University Of Tennessee is located in a medium sized city in East Tennessee and has a diverse agriculture program through the Herbert College Of Agriculture offering a diverse array of opportunities to students. The University Of Tennessee participates in the Academic Common Market, giving non-resident students from 12 participating states the opportunity to study there at resident tuition rates. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week Should we throw rural crime prevention to the dogs? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://newschannel9.com/news/offbeat/great-pyrenees-casper-that-killed-8-coyotes-to-protect-sheep-nominated-for-farm-dog-of-the-year-american-farm-bureau-purina-georgia-john-wierwille-ewe-can-do-it-naturally-landscaping-pregnant-mate-daisy-lifeline-animal-project https://drgnews.com/2023/12/07/203349/ https://www.skooknews.com/2023/12/farm-burglarized-near.html Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/rural-crime-rates-on-rise-federated-farmers-survey-finds/XOUQH42ASVB6TE2CYQQRQY4ERY/ https://www.farminguk.com/news/police-warn-kent-farmers-following-unexplained-sheep-deaths_63794.html Africa https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Man-beaten-to-a-pulp-for-allegedly-stealing-a-goat-at-Sombo-1894640 https://www.namibian.com.na/forum-fights-for-no-bail-for-stock-theft-accused/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2023/12/right-to-rescue-could-be-advanced-by-california-felony-conviction/ https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2023/12/07/two-crime-fighting-canines-share-prize-as-californias-top-farm-dog/ More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Will Meadows is a multi-generational cattle rancher from Alabama and a very successful personality in agricultural social media, posting videos on TikTok, Youtube, Facebook and Instagram. He is now generating revenue from his social media channels as well as selling bulls for his families farm through his video efforts. On today's episode we are going to talk about how he has accomplished this in under two years, what his process is, what type of equipment he uses and how he chooses what to talk about. This is a young man who loves to talk about the life he loves in agriculture, and he has turned that into a business using today's social media technology!

On today's re-cap episode I want to explore the idea of building your own agricultural communications business. This is something that can literally be done from anywhere, and my previous guest did exactly that. Tomorrow's ag business interview involves an young man who is an up and coming cattle rancher and who is making his off-farm income through posting about his farm on social media. Developing your skills in this area as you advocate can lead to the skills that would allow you to start a communications business just like our re-cap guest, Lyndsey Murphy.

Vanessa Trotter is a 2023 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Nursery Operations. This all began when she was 8 years old. Her father had just recently purchased his families farm that had been auctioned off when his grandfather passed away 20+ years earlier. After the purchase he approached Vanessa, the eldest of four children, and told her that she would be going to college in 10 years and it was time to start thinking about how to make some money to pay for that. This is when TNT Farms was born with a small pumpkin patch that Vanessa tended. She later sold the pumpkins to customers in her area, and she was hooked. Since that time Vanessa has grown this business. Today she has purchased three greenhouses, started selling products at a local farmers market and selling directly off of her farm. Vanessa is now in college, studying agricultural business, with the hopes of being her own boss in the future. However, she is going to pass TNT Farms to her siblings for multiple reasons. Each of the will have an SAE they can move right into when their time in the FFA comes. Also, it can serve as a revenue source for them to also save for college. What a great family legacy that Vanessa begin with a simple pumpkin patch.

One of the ways that I deal with stress in my life is by writing. I often write things that nobody ever sees, but it helps me when I get my thoughts on out on paper so having an audience for what I have written is not important. Last night I had an experience that really made me give thought to things I have been observing in our society that have been bothering me. It was still on my mind this morning, and I sat down and put it into words. I have attached the text below for you to read if you wish. And, aside from the introduction, today's episode is my reading of this article: I am a consumer. I buy things that I need, and I buy things that I want. Sometimes the two overlap and sometimes they do not. My wife and I recently purchased a new car. Our stage of life enabled us, for the first time, to purchase exactly what we wanted within the boundaries of our self-imposed, upper limits. It took 50 years of life and 25 years of marriage for me to reach this point. Our parameters for this purchase had not changed, but a lifetime of living below our means and building wealth changed the numbers that fit within those parameters. To us, this vehicle is "fancy", as described by my wife. For years she and I have driven what we believed we needed but in very stripped down, utilitarian versions, that reduced the cost of the vehicles. And, more importantly, reduced the burden on our conscience. The first ever, brand new pickup, I purchased was in 2003. I intended to drive it for two decades, and I made it 15 years. The knowledge that I would drive it for so long motivated me to purchase a version that was "stripped down" of electronic amenities that would surely break and require repair before I was ready to part with the vehicle. Even in 2003, purchasing a new vehicle with manually controlled windows, a standard transmission and rubber flooring was not possible to do on the showroom floor. Therefore, in order to get a less expensive and less complicated version of this pickup, I had to special order it and wait for a period of months to receive it. 15 years later, I could hardly remember that waiting period. It was only when wind started whipping into the door seals and the internal, working components of the heating system failed, that I decided to move on from this pickup. The sag of the body, and the inability to defrost my windshield created an imminent need for serious work on the pickup. Looking at all available options, I realized that because of the engine in this vehicle the market for it was very strong in 2018. Therefore, I chose to purchase another "stripped" down pickup, and to sell the other to a private party. Today, I am still driving the second, brand new pickup, and second, stripped down pickup, that I have ever purchased. My wife's new car is a Subaru Outback with a moon roof, heated seats and the enticing "Wilderness Package" that includes a turbo engine, 9 inch lift and off-road capable "X-Mode". She would have been just as happy without the "Wilderness Package". Even though, this is the first time we have ever been able to purchase "exactly what we want", I was still thinking long term. My goal is to purchase her another vehicle in approximately 10 years, but keep this car for myself and my adventures on the rough and rocky dirt roads of Idaho's public lands where we live. Therefore, I had it outfitted as capable as possible from the factory. We will be driving to the mountains soon in search of the perfect Christmas tree. In idaho, with a little initiative, exercise and sweat you can obtain a beautiful tree for the cost of around $15, and you can make it a family outing at the same time. I have been cutting my own Christmas Tree from the National Forest since I was in college, and the thought of purchasing one for upwards of $100 from a lot unsettles me. Of course, our plan is to use the new car to go retrieve this tree, and we will be hauling it back on the roof. Ironically, this led me to more consumption. The "Wilderness Package" does not include cross beams for the luggage rack. So, I had to order them for the car. After studying prices and reading reviews I went with a set that cost approximately $120 and placed the order. The location we would travel to for the tree is about a 320 mile round trip from our home. There are places we could go to that are closer, but after years of hunting Christmas Trees closer to the sprawling metropolis of Boise, we have decided it is worth the drive to go to this area. We could easily drive my stripped down pickup and never need to purchase the cross beams for the top of the car. However, at today's gas prices, we would save approximately $53 by driving the car, which is almost 50% the cost of the cross beams. Assuming that there will be another use for the crossbeams in the future, possibly one that keeps us from driving the pickup, the purchase seems sensible and likely to ultimately save us money. Ironically, my own consumption is what led me to give co

Kendra Downing is a 2023 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Ag Sales - Entrepreneurship. Growing up as the 4th generation on her families farm she, her sister and her parents were sitting on the front porch one day contemplating what enterprise the kids could start to generate revenue. The idea of a pumpkin patch was proposed, and it was decided to purse that endeavor. That was the beginning of the Downing Daughters Pumpkin Patch. Over time, Kendra and her sister have grown this enterprise to include a corn maze, which started out under an acre and is now 5 acres, all designed by hand with no technological assistance. In addition to this, they started purchasing products from other farmers in the area to sell in a farm stand that they operate out of an old barn on their grandmother's property. This all has evolved into a national proficiency award today, but its beginnings were Kendra's FFA Advisor looking at what she was doing and telling her that she was going enter the competition. The rest, as they say, is history. Kendra is now in college, studying everything she can get her hands on in the hopes of one day farming full-time with even more, direct to consumer enterprises to share with her community.

For Information Like Degrees Offered, Annual Costs, Etc., Please Click The Banner Below: [caption id="attachment_421342" align="alignright" width="150"] Wyatt Deemer[/caption][caption id="attachment_421341" align="alignright" width="120"] Morel Jurado[/caption] The Agricultural College Episode is designed to profile agricultural trade schools, junior colleges, colleges and universities around the U.S. This episode is an effort to replicate the conversation that prospective students, parents and ag teachers might have with agricultural schools at trade show like the National FFA Convention. The Nebraska College Of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) is a 2 year college that is part of the University Of Nebraska system. Focusing exclusively on agriculture and veterinary sciences, this college pulls students from all over the U.S. who have found what they are looking for right in Curtis, Nebraska. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week No cameras? Use the snow. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.facebook.com/share/yHRUEctgywjRVnWC/?mibextid=K35XfP https://www.agdaily.com/livestock/charges-dismissed-in-bizarre-bleaching-of-wyoming-cows/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.clarelive.ie/news/home/1358651/theft-from-a-clare-farm-sees-gardai-appeal-for-information.html https://www.farmersguide.co.uk/rural/rural-crime/dozens-of-stolen-gps-units-recovered-as-thieves-jailed/ https://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/23958310.horse-riding-equipment-stolen-stables-emneth/ https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-67566857 Africa https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/animal-theft-failing-govt-projects-says-leaders-4450528 https://farmersreviewafrica.com/saai-to-stop-livestock-thieves-in-their-tracks/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/crime/tcso-deputies-arrest-serial-ag-thief-in-porterville/#:~:text=Through their investigation, detectives identified,trailers from the same victim https://www.agdaily.com/livestock/poultry/s-c-truck-driver-suspected-of-stealing-pilgrims-pride-chicken-delivery/ More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Lexi Wright is the host of the Farming On Purpose Podcast as well as the owner of the agricultural marketing firm, Wright At The Moment. She, her husband and their four children are cattle and row crop farmers in Kansas who are finding their way down the winding path of the ultimate lifestyle business. In today's interview with Lexi we talk a lot about entrepreneurship in agriculture and how she found her pathway. Lexi also puts out a couple of nuggets of valuable information, such as how to make the social media algorithms work on your behalf to connect you with like minded people and to learn information that will help you in your pursuits. I found a lot of cross over with this talented podcaster, farmer and entrepreneur. And, you will too!

Machinery Pete, Greg Peterson, has become a household name on farms throughout the U.S. His passion for tractors and auctions coupled with his vision of a resource for farmers that want to buy and sell used tractors have led him to great heights in agriculture. He was first on the show back in 2015, and I am running his episode again today to tie in with tomorrow's Ag Business Episode in which I will be profiling an up and coming agricultural podcaster who I have no doubt will rise to great heights as well.

Davis Howell is a 2023 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Swine Production - Entrepreneurship. He has been raising and showing pigs for the bulk of his life, starting in the 4H and continuing into the FFA while staying dually enrolled in the 4H. He is also in his senior year of high school and is serving as his chapter's president. The farm that Davis lives on has been producing show pigs for three generations, starting with his grandfather and passing down all the way to he and his brother. Today, Davis and his brother are taking over the business with plans to start selling pigs to other exhibitors in the future. For the moment Davis' goals in the FFA include finishing out his senior year of high school, getting his American Degree after he starts college and pursuing a career in the animal science/ag business field. Davis has been exposed to a lot of career fields in agriculture already through a 4H competition that he talks about in the interview, and it definitely has given him a head start.

For the last time, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We certainly did! On today's farm update show I'll talk about our two new kittens and why we got them. Also, a brief synopsis of what Thanksgiving looked like on our farm. The new census of agriculture will be coming out in 2024, and I bet the average age of farmers goes up. Finally, what is it like to feed and do chores on Thanksgiving? I'll give you my perspective today!

Madilynn Campbell is a 2023 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Equine Science - Entrepreneurship. She raises and trains "halter quarter horses" at her families property near Adair, Oklahoma and has developed a passion for horses and in particular, Quarter Horses. Madilynn has a deep, family history in the horse breeding business, as her grandfather has been doing this for over 40 years. Madilynn has her sights set on following in his footsteps in the horse business. Currently Madilynn is purchase 2-3 weanlings per year, holding them for a year and training them for the halter, lead and trailering during that time. Then, she starts showing them and is able to sell them at a nice profit. In addition to the horse business, Madilynn has identified becoming a veterinarian and having her own, mixed practice in her future. She is currently attending college at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and will eventually transfer to Oklahoma State University. She is focusing on horse judging in addition to her studies right now, and is also considering getting certified as an equine judge so that she can judge professionally.

Tip Of The Week Do you know what is going on in your "neighborhood"? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.yourbasin.com/news/big-spring-pd-looking-for-power-tool-theft-suspect/ https://www.wdbj7.com/2023/11/21/have-you-seen-this-stolen-trailer/ https://www.wibw.com/2023/11/20/3-sent-hospital-after-teen-driver-side-swipes-cattle-trailer-near-salina/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/video-news/gang-used-rural-airbnb-as-hub-to-carry-out-20-burglaries-in-five-days/a45388720.html https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8434070/ewe-what-hundreds-of-sheep-stolen-from-regional-farm/ https://www.airdriecityview.com/local-news/stolen-horses-recovered-near-acme-rcmp-still-seeking-information-7873945 Africa https://diggers.news/opinion/2023/11/23/kudos-to-hh-upnd-for-not-shielding-members-stealing-fertilizer/ https://www.dispatch.ug/2023/11/22/thieves-raid-musevenis-heavily-guarded-farm-stealing-10-prized-cattle/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://qctimes.com/news/state-regional/crime-courts/northwest-iowa-tree-thief-found-guilty-of-51-charges/article_aff0eaf0-c029-53c3-9719-de8fb630d124.html https://wtov9.com/news/nation-world/georgia-mayor-arrested-four-days-after-election-accused-of-vandalizing-chicken-farm-scott-harpold-bowman-atlanta-elbert-county-aubrey-lunsford

Les Schwab Tire Centers is a sponsor of the Off-Farm Income Podcast, and I have been one of their customers for many years. When Autumm and I first moved to Kuna after purchasing our farm, Les Schwab Tire Centers did too. This was well before Kuna started to explode with houses and it became obvious that there was money to be made in our community. This move was about providing service into what was still a small, farming community, and I have always appreciated that. I have spoke about Les Schwab Tire Centers on the show many times over the years, even though their sponsorship just began in 2023. The reason has been Hattie's involvement in 4H and later in the FFA. Every exhibitor livestock auction I have attended at our local county fair has always had a contingent of managers from all the different Les Schwab Tire Centers in our valley present in the stands. They are there in great numbers, they are there all day and they are bidding on every species of livestock. Les Schwab Tire Centers is single handedly responsible for making sure that all of these projects get sold and for raising the average price of these projects. I truly believe that without the contribution of this great company that many of our exhibitors would have a difficult time getting their money back, let along making a profit. However, year after year, species after species, Les Schwab Tire Centers are there to make sure that this does not happen. I am fortunate to have this company that I am such a big fan of as a sponsor, and I am thrilled to feature them on today's episode. Joining me is Chris Baker. He is the Area Manager of all the Southern Idaho Les Schwab Tire Centers, stretching from Oregon to Wyoming. He is also really passionate about this company and what he does. In today's episode we will discuss a lot of specifics of the tire business as well as what Les Schwab Tire Centers provides, how they got there and the philosophy behind that.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you this year. 2023 has been unbelievable. I wanted to revisit George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation with you on this wonderful holiday. I am so thankful and grateful for all of you in this audience, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday with friends and family. "A Day of Thanksgiving" George Washington first mentioned the possibility of a national Thanksgiving Day in a confidential letter to James Madison in August 1789 (just months after taking office), asking for his advice on approaching the Senate for their opinion on "a day of thanksgiving." By the end of September 1789, a resolution had been introduced to the House of Representatives requesting that "a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States, to request that he would recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving." The committee put the resolution before the president and George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving Proclamation within days. George Washington knew the value of a thanksgiving day long before becoming our first president. During the Revolutionary War, he would order special thanksgiving services for his troops after successful battles, as well as publicly endorse efforts by the Continental Congress to proclaim days of thanks, usually in recognition of military victories and alliances.

Matthew Gossett is the 2023 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Fiber and Oil Crop Production. This all began in the 9th grade when he leased his first 12 (dozen) acres from his family and started his own enterprise. This correlated with his beginning in the FFA, and he has been growing his own farming operation ever since. Matthew just graduated from high school last spring, and he is pursuing his CDL so that he can create his off-farm income from driving truck and hauling crops while farming on the side and continuing to grow as a producer. At the same time he continues to learn about agronomy, soils, agribusiness and the fickleness of Mother Nature when you are depending on her or farming in spite of her. Matthew is just beginning his pursuit of a lifetime of production agriculture and sees himself as well as his brother carrying on the family farming legacy as the 5th generation in the future. Until then, he is building his own collection of leased ground, learning by taking his own risks and enjoying the moment of being the first ever National Proficiency winner from his chapter.

Hi everyone...I am having a light week, enjoying the holiday with my family. We hope you are as well, and please enjoy this brief farm update.

Clancey Krahn is a 2023 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Dairy Production Entrepreneurship, but there is a lot more going on with this story. She is also an Oregon State Dairy Princess Ambassador and the National Jersey Queen! And, she is the daughter of two incredible parents! Clancey's story goes way back to when her older sister had been in the 4H for a couple of years and Clancey was just getting ready to start. Their parents, both with dairy backgrounds, decided that they wanted their daughters to grow up like they had. Having no farm, they moved to the small town of Scio, Oregon and purchased 5 acres. Soon, Clancey and her sister were directing the procurement of more and more cattle, and getting ever deeper into dairy cattle showing and the industry as a whole. A few years later Clancey's parents sat them down and said that if they were going to keep buying cattle for their small farm there would have be some profit motive. Royal Riverside Dairy was born. Today, the four of them milk 25 head of cattle, bottle their own milk and make their own flavored milks to sell to over 50 retail establishments as well as in their own farm stand. Their 4H project exploded into a big time, niched business in their local community and it set the family on a pathway into direct marketing and value adding the milk they produce at their home. What a fantastic story!

Tip Of The Week Ever heard of a face social media account? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/a-cargo-plane-returns-to-jfk-airport-after-a-18493722.php https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-charges-against-driver-of-nyc-carriage-horse-ryder/ https://www.ksnt.com/news/reward-increased-to-11000-for-cattle-rustlers-in-wabaunsee-co/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-67425640 https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/23921874.powys-family-left-devastated-midnight-farm-robbery/ Africa https://www.georgeherald.com/News/Article/General/horse-owners-warned-to-be-vigilant-202311160935 https://www.tori.ng/news/253667/police-recover-three-stolen-cows-from-suspected-ca.html Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2023/11/15/jmr-enoch-police-arrest-suspect-after-horse-trailer-owner-spots-stolen-saddle-for-sale-online/ https://www.newportdispatch.com/2023/11/15/east-haven-man-charged-with-possession-of-stolen-tractor-grand-larceny/ More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Jim Griffith and Jim Maples are the creators and hosts of the Revolutionary War Rarities Podcast - the official podcast of the National Society Of The Sons Of The American Revolution. I recently discovered this show and was immediately drawn to it because of my love for Revolutionary War History as well as my membership in the Sons Of The American Revolution. I kept coming back and listening to the podcast because it is so interesting and entertaining. Jim and Jim do a great job coming up with stories, putting together the episodes and then presenting them. They are a really good broadcasting team, and their voices are already synonymous with the American Revolution for me. On today's episode I get to speak with them both, talks about the origins of this show and where it is going. We will even touch on some interesting facts about the Revolutionary War as talk a little bit about agriculture and farming was used as a tactic to defeat the British!

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am thrilled to be profiling a very entertaining, informative and patriotic podcast called Revolutionary War Rarities. Yes, this is one of those opportunities in which I get to use my platform to share information that is personally important to me. So, for today's re-cap episode I am going back to an episode that I originally released on the 4th of July in 2018 talking about how the Revolutionary War impacted farmers. It is just another example of how agrarian our country was at the time of the Revolution as well as another example of the sacrifices our patriot ancestors made for the cause of freedom.

Nash McKenzie is a 2023 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Diversified Horticulture. This all started with shooting sporting clays if you can believe that. Nash did not grow up farming or with an agricultural background, but he did grow up participating in shooting clay competitions through the 4H. As he got to high school he discovered that he could continue this through the FFA, and he joined. While Nash was able to continue shooting clays, he had other responsibilities in the FFA, including developing an SAE. During his 9th Grade year he had started to mow a few lawns in an effort towards satisfying this requirement. And when Covid shut everything else down the following year, he had the time and the inclination to really dive in to the business. That is when "Home Exterior Services" was born and it took off. Today, Nash is just getting ready to wrap up his Associate's Degree in business. He has expanded her services in the business from just lawns to all forms of landscaping, pressure washing and for the second year - Christmas Light hanging.

The other day I noticed that a steer had got through a fence and caused a little damage that could have been fixed really quickly and easily. I meant to get it done right away, but one thing led to another and I did not. Well, all the steers started using that hole, and now I have a major fix to do. What's worse? This is not the first time I've ever had this happen. I knew exactly what was going to occur, but I let it happen anyway! When will I ever learn?

Emilee Munchrath is a 2023 National Proficiency Winner in the category of Diversified Livestock. She started her own herd of cattle and her own flock of sheep about 7 years ago with an agricultural youth loan, and she has been growing both ever since. This has not been by accident! Emilee had her sights set on star and proficiency awards very early, and with the guidance of her mom (also her FFA advisor) she knew that growth would be a feather in her cap pursuing her awards. So, she set out to demonstrate growth, and she certainly has! Emilee will be graduating from Graford High School this spring, and then it is on to Texas Tech State University. It was interesting to hear her story of selecting Texas Tech. She actually had her eyes fixed upon Oklahoma State University. However, she still did a visit at Texas Tech, and she just felt like it was right. She did not ignore the inner voice telling her that was where she belonged, and now she is heading that way in August.

Tip Of The Week Would a big sign that says "NOT A ROAD" work? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.wfmj.com/story/49912599/mercer-man-accused-of-driving-trucks-over-farmland-road-signs-mailboxes https://www.facebook.com/100076447704733/posts/pfbid02BsVk1CaGWn2Ymzw1xpYTvU1Kau9KNiTT9N2Gr1JXqNYaUtuRULYKSgQ7PuvUQ8c7l/?mibextid=cr9u03 https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/reward-offered-for-cattle-rustling-scumbags-in-wabaunsee-co/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/staffordshire/2023/11/09/investigation-launched-after-three-cows-stolen-from-staffordshire-farm/ https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/11/09/man-bites-crocodile-australia-cattle-farmer-survives-attack/ https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/gang-mutilate-kill-calves-amerton-8895411 Africa https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/11/08/troops-neutralise-bandits-arrest-19-suspected-kidnappers-in-plateau https://platformtimes.com.ng/brothers-in-hot-water-ekiti-siblings-face-charges-for-stealing-chicken-worth-n45000/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.wjjm.com/agricultural-crime-unit-adds-three-special-agents/ https://ktvo.com/news/local/northeast-missouri-man-faces-multiple-charges-for-stolen-property-and-drug-possession https://www.brunswicktimes-gazette.com/article_dc7e5412-73fd-11ee-a839-b7d8ae4ba147.html More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Kade Cole and his wife are health conscious individuals, raising and family and working in a health related field. They both also have a family history and legacy of farming and raising cattle. Being health conscious and raising two young children is what initially led them to start trying to make their own balms, tooth powder and soaps. However, it was the combination of these two things that led them to the development of Cattle Driver Apothecary. They strongly believe in the products they are making specifically because of what they can leave out of them. They use their own products and have been receiving rave reviews since they launched their business a few months ago. There is an interesting twist on this story as well. Kade states that in the future they would like to purchase their own land and raise their own cattle. However, he is the sole bread winner and is teaching strength and fitness at a local high school. So, that salary will not get it done. Therefore, they looked at the beginning of Cattle Driver Apothecary and small business as they vessel that will take them to that destination. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am profiling a gentleman making value added products from cattle bi-products. This got me searching for other interviews that were doing the same, and I remembered this interview with Dexter and Kayla Dedora. So, for today's re-cap show I am bringing back this episode about their Longhorn value added business.

Hattie Brechwald is the Boise Valley District President as well as the Kuna FFA Chapter President, and she happens to live in the same house as me! Yes, she is my daughter, and she has been accomplishing a ton in the FFA. We both just got back from the National FFA Convention, and I invited her into the studio today to give us all a member's perspective on the national convention as well as some other FFA topics. We will be covering: Non-Traditional SAE's SAE Grants Taking the long way to Indianapolis Skills learned through parliamentary procedure

Hattie and my recent trip to Indianapolis for the National FFA Convention dominates today's show, but there is still a bit of a farm update in here for you. We will be covering: Congratulations to the American Star Winners Finishing the World Series in a hotel restaurant Ag Colleges at the convention Meeting Laken Troup A great hike in the Owyhee Mountains Low goat prices and a bad year More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Laken Troup is an National Proficiency Finalist in the category of Agricultural Communications. She is also a former Florida State Officer and a second year delegate to the National FFA Convention. With all of her accomplishments you might think she was born on third base, but that could not be further from the truth. Since Laken was in 1st Grade she has seen something, known instantly that she wanted to do a thing and found herself achieving her goals. Of course, she didn't do this all by herself. Her parents and FFA advisors, even a judge at a pig show, have been pivotal in her development. In today's episode she will talk all about this story, her journey and her future goals. Prepare to be inspired!