Returningveteranfarmer Podcasts

Sydni Wilson has just finished her junior year of high school and has already become a freelance, agricultural writer. She has a house full of house plants, and she raises meat chickens and does all the of butchering herself, with the help of her father. Talking with Sydni in today's interview there was a recurring theme - when she finds and intere…

For Information Like Degrees Offered, Annual Costs, Etc., Please Click The Banner Below: [caption id="attachment_386296" align="alignright" width="106"] Hannah-Rose Foote: Student Ambassador and 2022 National FFA Officer Candidate[/caption] The Agricultural College Episode is designed to profile agricultural trade schools, junior colleges, colleges…

Tip Of The Week Do you insure your hay and other feed? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/2023/may/30/deputies-arrest-man-in-horse-pasture-after/ https://www.fox19.com/2023/05/31/stolen-cincinnati-school-bus-chased-into-indiana-cornfield-suspect-custody/ https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/cobblestone-farms-dealing-with-stri…

Sheldon McKinney is the Executive Director of the Kentucky FFA Foundation. She is also the president of a group of foundation directors who have come together to collaborate on how to best support the FFA in their individual states. On today's episode Sheldon is joining us to discuss how fundraising works, where the money goes and what it means to …

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am speaking with the executive director of the Kentucky FFA Foundation. We are going to be speaking about supporting state FFA Foundations as well as a new group of FFA Foundation Directors that has been formed called LEADS. Anytime I think of Kentucky FFA, I think of this interview with Kaitlyn Elliot. I was so …

Mylie Rexing is a district and chapter FFA officer and soon to be agriculture student at Purdue University. She has been working her father's butcher shop for several years, throughout high school. During that time an idea occurred to her to make ready to cook meals for people to purchase from the shop that would simplify meal prep for them at home…

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend and took some time to remember those who have made the ultimately sacrifice so we could do exactly that. I have a couple of thoughts that I have been wanting to share with you, and today I will finally get to do it: Hard Work As a value - teaching non-traditional ag students about the world of work they ar…

Olivia Black is a senior in high school, a second year FFA student and the Michigan Star Award Winner in Agribusiness. In Olivia's school district the FFA Chapter is run by the Ionia County Career Center, and high school students are only eligible to attend there starting in the 11th Grade. Olivia has grown up showing cattle and pigs and with a sig…

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 …

Tip Of The Week Are your local legislators addressing the rising issue of livestock theft by activists? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.fox61.com/article/news/crime/wallingford-farm-life-size-mm-stolen-display/520-b63b9869-2f4c-4b54-aa82-dc623daa9b45 https://www.globalvillagespace.com/GVS-US/report-60k-tons-of-ammonium-nitrate-lost-in-shipping-…

Colleen Cummings is the owner of 2 Farm Boys Soap, a goat farmer and a mother who was looking for a way to engage her two sons in agriculture on her small farm in Heber City, Utah. There is a lot of family history on that small farm. Colleen's husband's family started farming that ground in the early 1900's. Since then, the land has been split up, …

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am interviewing an entrepreneur with a goat milk soap business. As you know, the goat milk soap business is one of my favorites to profile. Well, tomorrow's guest discloses that her family got goats first, and then her pragmatic husband said that these goats need to pull their own weight if they are going to stay…

On today's episode I get to do something that I love, and something new that is a lot of fun. I will be profiling a great, Idaho FFA Student named Zane Nichols, and I will be promoting a summer kickoff festival in Cambridge, Idaho called Hells Canyon Days. So, this episode will be a bit different than normal. In the first half of the episode I am s…

Our woes on the farm this year continue. I've known this was coming, but I confirmed it Friday at our veterinarian's office. All of my cows are open. We will be having no calves this year as our bull quit producing viable sperm sometime over a year ago, and I did not catch it because I did not have him semen tested, and I did not have our cows preg…

Dori Stuever is a driven FFA student, a regional officer, a business owner and the feature of a newspaper article about her maple syrup business, County Line Kinds Pure Maple Syrup. Concentrating on marketing through social media, Dori is selling maple syrup throughout the United States, and she is the 6th generation in her family to be in this bus…

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 …

Tip Of The Week Take the time to verify checks, request a cashier’s check or do the transaction at the bank Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.unioncountydailydigital.com/articles/farm-watch-crime-prevention-program-comes-to-union-county/ https://www.wcjb.com/2023/05/13/lcso-deputies-are-searching-portable-sawmill-stolen-work-site/ http://www.colu…

Tom Henson is the owner of T&T Services in Lapeer, Michigan along with his business partner and bowling partner, Tonya. I found Tom and Tonya's ad on Craigslist and was immediately drawn to it because of the ad for wasp removal. It was apparent that Tom was offering a suite of services that anyone in the world of farming would already have much of …

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am interviewing an entrepreneur who drew my attention with an ad about wasp removal. This made me think about the two hives of bees that I lost to wasps several years ago, and of course bee and honey production. So today I am revisiting an interview I did with Alan Mikolich about this very business.…

Taylor Crouch is a sophomore in high school and her FFA chapter's reporter. She is also a three sport athlete and a serial entrepreneur at the age of 15. There is a lot to talk about from this interview with Taylor, but throughout all of the different sports, livestock shows, businesses and ways of connecting with people throughout the U.S. one the…

Well, I've definitely had better years on our small farm here in Kuna. At this point in the year, this has definitely been the worst year we have ever experienced. Last week, on two consecutive mornings, I found kid goats that had been killed by coyotes. On top of that, we have other issues going on that are going to harm our bottom line on the far…

Agustin Luna is a sophomore at J.W. Nixon High School in Laredo, Texas, he is the chapter's reporter and he is responsible for cooking the pork ribs on the barbecue team. That's right, the barbecue team. Until an article popped up on my news feed the other day, I was unaware that there was such a think as a high school barbecue competition. However…

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 …

Tip Of The Week Think before you click Rural Crime In The U.S. https://whnt.com/taking-action/bbb-consumer-alerts/bbb-scam-alert-young-farm-equipment-falls-victim-to-corporate-identity-theft/ https://tscra.org/crime-watch-equipment-stolen-in-garfield-county-oklahoma/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/cri…

Stacy Carr is an Agricultural Consultant and Coach from Johnson City, Tennessee. Hearing her story, it is obvious what it takes to be able to consult young and beginning farmers with no experience in the way that can - decades of work and experience in agriculture. Stacy has a fantastic, exciting and rewarding business, but it is not the type of bu…

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am interviewing a woman with an incredible breadth of knowledge and passion for farming, livestock, gardening and the soil. She has a very unique and successful model of consultation for small farmers and left me realizing how little I actually know. So, for today's re-cap episode I am going back to a 2016 interv…

Seth Ariens is the Indiana State FFA President. Amazingly, he is also the Indiana State Star Farmer. In a great FFA state like Indiana, either one of those accomplishments puts you among the elite to ever have worn the blue jacket in the Hoosier State, but to be selected to both of those coveted positions, on the same night no less, puts you in rar…

On today's farm update I'll be talking about how I think I am overstocked on the farm, and the recycled and new methods I am using to try and take advantage of all the forage on the whole property. Plus more.... More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Brook Cutchin is the secretary of the Deane Bozeman FFA Chapter in Southport, Florida. She is also just 16 years of age and slated to graduate high school one year early later this month. She is heading to college next fall and has been accepted to a programed called "3 & 3", which means in her fourth year of her bachelor's degree she simultaneousl…

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 …

Tip Of The Week Keep an eye on your decorative horses. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.wkyt.com/2023/05/03/police-investigating-multiple-thefts-decorative-horses-ky-town/ https://www.agdaily.com/crops/16k-chemical-theft-might-not-pay-but-reporting-the-thieves-will/ https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/tractor-stolen-off-of-jobsite-in-c…

Caleb Branson and Shelby Redcorn are the owners of a business that is essential to keep production agriculture going in the U.S. and to keep their small community functioning in the Panhandle of Oklahoma where they live. Caleb has been operating cranes since he was a child, and both he and Shelby have been self-employed for their entire lives. Neit…

On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am profiling a husband/wife team that has a unique and fascinating business serving farmers in the panhandle of Oklahoma. That gave me the thought of replaying Jonathan Demcack's interview from 2015 again for you. He started a business called "Droplet Irrigation" here in the Treasure Valley of Idaho, providing se…

Brycen Cole is in the 8th Grade and is a Junior FFA Member at Roby High School in Roby, Texas. Ever since he discovered podcasts, he has wanted to be a guest on one. So, when he heard that I was going to be interviewing one of the high school FFA members at Roby, he proactively asked his advisor to ask me if he could come on the show. I like proact…

I have an exciting announcement in today's farm update. Hattie has been selected as her FFA Chapter's President. This comes on the heels of her being selected as her FFA District's President. So much of what she is accomplishing now has roots in the audience of this show supporting us and helping us grow, and we wanted to say thank you! And, for st…

Matthew Ruff is a farmer from Ohio, a first year student at The Ohio State University and part of a family of agriculturists and innovators. Matthew's parents both grew up on farms and decided that they wanted to farm as well. So, after their marriage in 1997, they started pursuing enterprises that could lead to having their own farm. Ultimately, t…

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 …

Tip Of The Week It’s not hard to get signage or a uniform Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.facebook.com/183151455376856/posts/pfbid02P2tzkAuJQDeJQoAGY6DSGoipdE1MRNegwPWe5bLpn1xEP7KX7AGfpB35ap3iXFihl/?mibextid=cr9u03 https://www.kxxv.com/news/law-enforcement-searches-for-answers-after-burglary-in-madison-county https://q1065.fm/tractor-stolen-fro…

Tyler Schake is the owner of T&T Mobile Washing. Growing up farming, Tyler always took pride in, and got very good at washing the farm equipment. In his mid-20's he came to the realization that he wanted to go out on his own, and working on the family farm was no longer the right fit for him. At about the same time Tyler and his wife had their firs…

On tomorrow's ag business episode I am speaking with an agricultural entrepreneur who has taken "cleaning" to a whole new level. I thought this interview with Sean Westergaard from 2016 about his gutter cleaning business was the perfect lead in.

Adam Johnson is the chapter president of the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. He is also the 2022 Minnesota State Proficiency winner in the category of poultry production and a 2022 National Silver Award winner. During his time in high school Adam has been raising meat chickens during the summer for his supervised agricultural exper…

In today's episode I have a short farm update and some thoughts about why having a horrible job as a teenager is so valuable. I'll even tell you a story from a job I had when I was 14 years old. Plus, and update on the growth of my community. Here is the link to the article that I read: https://www.ktvb.com/mobile/article/news/local/growing-idaho/k…

Lillie Cagle is the newly elected Tennessee FFA State Sentinel, and former East Tennessee Regional FFA President. She is also the chapter president of the Bledsoe County FFA and a senior in high school. Lillie has a very unique story of how she came to be involved in the FFA. From the age of 12 -14 Lillie had some major responsibilities in her fami…

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 …

Tip Of The Week If You Are Armed, Be Responsible And Learn How To Handle Fear - a new tactic for animal right's activists is spreading, and this does not mean that you can just start shooting. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/crime/police-urge-local-farmers-to-be-alert-for-suspicious-activity-on-farms-animals/71-e3b58ab1-a6…

Jerry Stephens is the Northern Plains, Regional Sales Manager of Agoro Carbon, and in today's episode he will be talking to us about getting paid to sequester carbon on your farm. Today's episode is one of those in which I need to give a disclaimer before beginning. Agoro Carbon is not a sponsor of the Off-Farm Income Podcast, and they did not pay …

Tomorrow's ag business episode is featuring a way of creating extra revenue on your farm. This may be a fit for some of you and not a fit for others, but I like to bring these ideas forward for you to do your own research and find out if they would be helpful to you. For our re-cap episode today I went back into the archives and found this intervie…

Casey DeVries is the "Test Plot Chairman" for the Forreston FFA Chapter in Forreston, Illinois. If that is a title you have never heard of before, it was also a new one for me. Casey's family has been farming in the Forreston area since 1948 when his great grandfather purchased farmland there. Today some of their land sits across the road from the …

Forget the past, focus on the future? Is it all or one. Did I invent a metaphor. You will find all of this out and get a detailed farm update on today's episode. Also, what is the "DIY Death Trap"? More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Rylee Terveen is her FFA Chapter's President, a national Bronze Proficiency Award winner and a driven entrepreneur. Growing up in a family of agricultural entrepreneurs, Rylee knows what direction she wants to take for her future career. She will be graduating high school this year, and then it is off to South Dakota State University to study entre…