Tip Of The Week

Nobody, even a judge is above the law!

Rural Crime In The U.S.

https://www.facebook.com/1405668393032001/posts/pfbid028u7vQu4YyvuM1kjxGjokmewm9na8PzAGBeMnbinWtG4TVZYtU4PS36Uv3UWxsxjDl/?d=n

https://www.wvva.com/2022/07/25/higher-drug-use-linked-increase-crime-wyoming-county/

Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above

https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/spike-pembrokeshire-livestock-deaths-due-153224480.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMrBpAUoK7lEAySXwJ9IqryvByz8WDZtO1VMbngP20CuhExF4ae6jI1tF7clW7CgXka4LjmwMBP5ZgHH1v51ZExNYFMWY2d4PW0zd86bBpij5ROI-Hadi9RwXQQYuywEjGrU0zxSgnqE6aYsYmm1aZR3bykm21nfiUvZOq2bqCeE

https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/dairy-news/dairy-opinion/milking-it/thieves-use-air-power

https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/home/869048/gardai-investigate-theft-from-south-kilkenny-farmyard.html

Africa

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/co-antrim-husband-of-wife-murdered-in-south-africa-expresses-betrayal-over-june-sentencing-41870000.html

https://allafrica.com/stories/202207260199.html

https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal/alleged-stock-thief-says-cows-were-for-his-fiancee-but-flees-before-cops-arrive-b35d9dc2-dcce-4024-8ab4-43d7f941b965

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

https://www.beefmagazine.com/beef/5-trending-headlines-beef-world-12

 

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In today's episode we are interviewing a fascinating entrepreneur with a fascinating, value added, agricultural business.  Tina Schooler and her husband farm lavender, and they create a myriad of value added products with the lavender that, until this interview, I did not know were possible to make.  Chief on my list to try is the lavender beer bread.

Where I live in Idaho, there are a few different lavender farms.  As a matter of fact, my wife and daughter, like to frequent one nearby in Kuna.  Even with that I never knew there was a difference in lavender between culinary and non-culinary, as I learned in today's episode.

Tina has considered a lot of different ideas for how to monetize this crop that she and her husband grow, and she has some great ideas, such as teaching people how to make lavender based cocktails.  With all of that there was a business principle that really stood out to me in this episode that I was excited to emphasize and share with all of you.  That was how Tina tested the market before diving in head first.  She took a very slow and cautious approach, even though her nearest competition was over 100 miles away.  And once she determined that a demand existed, and that people would purchase the value added products she had in mind, she then dove in and has set up a great e-commerce and local sales business.

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This great interview with Alaskan, Jennifer Sharrock, is the perfect tie in to tomorrow's Ag Business Interview.  Jennifer is a teacher at heart and teaches people in Alaska how to grow their own food and increase their self-sufficiency.  It is my pleasure to bring this interview back to you today.

The original show notes are below.

SHOW NOTES

What year in school is too soon to start an agricultural business that serves large farmers?  I'm not sure, but, based on today's interview, I know that the answer is not 9th Grade.  Ashton Brusveen has just completed his 9th Grade year of high school, and he has been part of the FFA since 7th Grade.  He has grown up farming on his families land, helping to produce corn, soybeans, rye and wheat.  But when it came time for him to develop a supervised agricultural experience, with his grandfather's help, he decided to start a business providing a service to other farmers.

This business, "Seed Clean", all began with some conversations with older farmers in the area talking about the need for a seed cleaning business.  As the idea was discussed it became apparent to Ashton and his grandfather that there would be a lot of business for a person who started up a business like this.  It just so happened that Ashton's grandfather had an old, Clipper fanning mill, in a shed on the farm.

Ashton and his grandfather cleaned up the old mill, and his grandfather even purchased an old co-op facility that was no longer in use for the logistics of farmers bring seed in.  Then they made an arrangement that Ashton would run the seed cleaning business as his own, splitting the profits with his grandfather until the time that he was completely paid back.

The demand for this business turned out to be even higher than they expected.  Therefore, Ashton is now investing in a larger mill, a Clipper 99 fanning mill, that will give him the ability to serve more customers and clean their seed faster.  In addition to all of this he has got his eye on expanding his services in the future to bagging corn, and he is considering hiring his first employee.

I am very excited to watch and see how this business develops.  This has got national proficiency and possibly even American Star Award written all over it!

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Seed Cleaning

HIGH SCHOOL: Cambria-Friesland High School; Randolph, Wisconsin

MASCOT: Hilltoppers

FFA ADVISOR: Lauren Frances

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ASHTON BRUSVEEN:

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Cambria-Friesland High School website:

Ashton's FFA Advisor's Email Address: francesl@rsdwi.org

Cambria-Friesland High School Telephone Number: (920) 348-5548

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

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I think that every one of us that owns property, raises livestock or grows crops has days that, as hard as you try, you cannot remember why you are doing this.  Some days can be so frustrating that you just cannot remember why it is all worth it.  I am definitely having one of those days today, and I'll share the whole story with you on today's episode.

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  c

It has been a lot of fun to profile this group of FFA students as they begin their journeys in this fantastic organization.  One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is it gives me a chance to capture their level of knowledge, sophistication and responsibility right at the beginning of their journey.  Then, in a few years I can speak with them again and see how they have grown and really become experts in their chosen SAE's.

Today's guest, Olivia Check, really fits this profile very well.  She has grown up around the stock contracting business with her family and BC Bucking Bulls.  During the summer rodeo season she is gone to different rodeos weekly, helping her father with the business when he takes bulls for competition.  While she is there she gets to compete on horseback barrel racing, break away roping and pole bending.  And when her time in the arena is through, it is back to the business.

Olivia is learning a lot, and one of those things has been how to work with such large animals as rodeo bulls.  She described being fearful of the large animals at the beginning but developing a comfort level being around them.  Today, instead of fear she has a deep respect for these gigantic bovines, but she is able to work effectively around them because she has learned her trade.

When looking into the future Olivia sees multiple different career areas in agriculture that interest her.  One of those is running the family business.  Currently she is deferring to her older sister.  If she wants to run the business, Olivia has other areas of agriculture that she wants to explore.  If not, Olivia wants to make sure that the family business continues.

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: BC Bucking Bulls - Rodeo Stock

HIGH SCHOOL: Seneca High School; Seneca, Wisconsin

MASCOT: Royals

FFA ADVISOR: Brigid Leofeoholz

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR OLIVIA CHECK:

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Seneca High School website:

Olivia's FFA Advisor's Email Address:

Seneca High School Telephone Number:

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

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Tip Of The Week

Lions And Teen Driver’s, Oh My

Rural Crime In The U.S.

https://www.deltaplexnews.com/jefferson-county-sheriffs-office-searching-for-stolen-tractor/

https://kgab.com/cheyenne-police-asking-for-publics-help-in-solving-trailer-theft/

Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/20292758.17-year-old-boy-arrested-several-sheep-killed/

https://www.edenmagnet.com.au/story/7825733/crooks-make-more-profit-from-tobacco-crops-than-heroin/?cs=7

https://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/letter/stolen-sheep/

Africa

https://www.chronicle.co.zw/watch-thieves-give-methodist-villagers-sleepless-nights/

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2022-07-17-wildlife-authority-kills-pride-of-lions-after-affected-community-stages-sit-in-over-safety-concerns/

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

https://www.fox19.com/2022/07/21/caught-stealing-man-arrested-with-26-stolen-catalytic-converters/

https://www.kake.com/story/46912127/kansas-feedlot-workers-charged-with-cattle-theft

https://dothaneagle.com/community/jcfloridan/news/local/crime-and-courts/marianna-man-arrested-in-theft-of-tractor-seed-speader/article_cf1154f4-068b-11ed-aca2-bb99d6bae10e.html

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I am a huge fan of wool and wool clothing.  I am also a huge fan of my family heritage and legacy.  But....I am no comparison when it comes to today's guest.  Starting when she was 13 years old, Kelsey Patton, decided that she wanted to knit a sweater.  However, she and her mother did not just go buy her some yarn so she could get started.  Instead, they purchased sheep, a spinning wheel and much of the other necessary equipment so that they could produce their own raw materials and then refine them into a sweater.

That one decision started Kelsey on a journey of entrepreneurship, farming and raising sheep that has been growing and evolving ever since.  Today, Kelsey is the owner of "The Fiber Mill", which is her very own mill that processes the wool of small farmers from all over the nation so that they can sell locally raised, raw materials to their customers who will in turn, create something beautiful with the product.  Kelsey and her mom still maintain a flock of sheep so that they can do the same.

In today's interview Kelsey will talk about the journey and the growth process.  She will also talk about transforming herself from being an artisan to a business owner and the boss of her employees.  Turning a craft that you love into a legitimate business is great, but it also forces you into roles that you didn't necessarily sign up for.  Kelsey talks all about that and more in today's interview.

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On tomorrow's Ag Business Episode I am profiling a very impressive entrepreneur with a passion for wool. I also have a passion for wool, which was reflected in this solo episode from 2019.  Below are the original show notes:

Show Notes

Me and the whole family were back up in the Wood River Valley of Idaho this weekend so that I could elk hunt.  It just so happened that a friend of ours had a condo available that they could not use this weekend. So, the whole family was able to go.

I hunted during the days, and I was able to hang out with Autumm and Hattie in the evenings.  Because of the short days, we actually ended up with quite a bit of time together, so it worked out really well.

For my outdoor clothing I prefer to wear wool to any other fabric, natural or man made.  After this weekend, I really want to solute all those farmers who are producing wool.  On my first evening I got my pickup stuck and was out in the middle of nowhere in a snow storm for quite a while.  I was dressed in wool base layers, socks, pants and a heavy wood sweater.  I was dry and warm, and the wind just did
not have that much impact on me.

The next two days I spent climbing steep slopes in about 2 feet of snow in pursuit of these elusive big game animals.  Between taking every step knee deep into snow and laying prone in the snow several times I never got cold or wet.  The wool clothing did just as advertised, and I could not have been more pleased.  This miracle fabric is an excellent investment!

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Our guest today is well ahead of her time advocating for agriculture and dispelling myths about animal ag as well as the FFA.  After listening to her interview, there will be no question in your mind why she is doing this.

Taylor Russell comes from a rich, Wisconsin, FFA tradition.  Her aunt was the first ever female national officer from Wisconsin, both of her parents were state officers, her two older sisters are in the FFA and her mother is her ag teacher and FFA advisor.  Is that enough?

Hearing all of that, it is no surprise that Taylor got started in the FFA as soon as she was eligible at Shullsburg High School, which for her was in the 7th Grade.  Since then she has developed three businesses.  With the rest of her family she raises sheep and sells lambs every year to exhibitors from the 4H and the FFA for participation in jackpot shows and fairs.  Taylor raises her own steers for exhibition and sale, and she raises chickens and sells eggs to friends and family in her area.

As if this were not enough, she has another supervised agricultural experience in agriscience research that already yielded her a Gold level award at the national level. Taylor has been researching how people in the FFA communicate about the organization using social media.  She has seen a lot of mis-information on social media about cruelty to animals as well as the 4h and FFA being corrupt organizations that indoctrinate students to be cruel to animals.  So, she decided to combat what she knew to be untrue.

It almost seems like farming has taken a back seat for me this summer so far.  Immediately after getting home from a very rare, but very large and fun vacation it was time to start turning over a rental house from which a tenant had moved out.  So, I've been irrigating in the morning, getting work done on the podcast and then heading into Boise to work on one of our streams of revenue.

In today's episode I'll talk about this stream of revenue and a little about our journey using this to build our current lifestyle.  I also came across an interesting article about the unrest in Sri Lanka right now and discuss this.  Surprisingly to me, farming is at the heart of why there are so many protests in Sri Lanka right now.

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Our guest today is not afraid to get started.  She first began raising goats when she was five years old by asking for a pet goat for her birthday.  Her parents said that she could have one only if she took responsibility for it, and she did without hesitation.  Fast forward 8 years, and Kylie Mann found herself in her second year of FFA during the 8th Grade.  Her small chapter needed people to fill officer positions, and despite her young age Kylie volunteered to help out, becoming the chapter's reporter.

That kind of tells the story on Kylie.  She is a go getter, and she doesn't let fear slow her down.  She is a three sport athlete and loves the competition.  Today she has grown her herd of goats to 13 does.  She shows goats, sells goats to other exhibitors and also markets goats through a livestock auction.  Raising registered Nubian goats is just the beginning for Kylie.  She sees her future as being on a farm, raising animals and working as a veterinarian.

Coincidentally, one of Kylie's FFA Advisors, Amelia Hayden, was a previous guest on my show on episode #687 when she was an American Star Finalist.  Between Kylie's fearless attitude and having mentorship like that, there is no telling where this will take her!

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Goat Production

HIGH SCHOOL: Lincoln City High School; Lake City, Minnesota

MASCOT: Tigers

FFA ADVISOR: Nikki Flaaen

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR KYLIE MANN:

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Lincoln City High School website:

Kylie's FFA Advisors' Email Addresses: nbeucler@lake-city.k12.mn.us

Lincoln High School Telephone Number: (651) 345-4553

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

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Tip Of The Week

Clean out the garage and the shop to make room for vehicles.

Rural Crime In The U.S.

https://fox40.com/news/local-news/catalytic-converter-woodland-police-etch/

https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/gas-theft-becoming-an-issue-for-farmers-in-kern-county

https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/pharr-pd-searching-for-stolen-tractor-trailer/

Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above

https://eastdevonnews.co.uk/2022/07/14/rural-crime-east-devon-farm-burglary/

https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/20277002.ram-ewe-killed-vicious-attacks-near-wiltshire-farm/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/missing-toggenburg-goats-queens-county-1.6519309

Africa

https://www.newsday.co.zw/2022/07/wadyajena-fingered-in-farm-inputs-theft/

https://briefly.co.za/cars-tech/131821-cops-catch-taxi-21-stolen-sheep-north-west-baaaad-idea/

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/stolen-cattle-found-returned-to-pulaski-county-farm/article_486b8f79-4e04-5245-84cb-c0eb50193585.html

https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/crime/2022/07/13/kaiser-plea-for-lauren-landavazos-forever-horse-theft/65372256007/

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On today's episode Ryan Conklin, attorney and owner of Wright & Moore Law Co. in Delaware, Ohio, returns to the show to discuss another revenue generating agreement possible on your farm.  Ryan first appeared on the show in episode #1353 where we discussed cell tower leases and what to look for if you were going to put one on your farm.  In today's episode we are going to talking about renewable energy leases, specifically solar energy.

As you will see in the episode there are many pros and cons to entering into one of these agreements.  Also, there are things to look out for that a quality attorney who specializes in this type of agreement can help you navigate through.  We will also discuss what to expect to be paid, different types of solar projects, what an "escalation rate" is, what a solar purchase agreement is, property taxes and much more.

Putting in a solar farm is significantly more invasive than a cell tower, but there might be a situation in which this is the right fit for you.  I hope this helps!

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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: sfunderburke@conservationfund.org

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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.

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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

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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.

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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:

1. You've never heard of it or at least do not have an account
2. 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
3. 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.

So, don't use LinkedIn for that.  Use Facebook for that.  On Facebook, everyone expects you to have an eclectic group of friends from all walks of life.  And, if you have a crazy aunt who attacks your friends for their views when they are posting on your page, that is just what is expected on Facebook.

But remember that Facebook is a wedding, and that crazy aunt is invited.  So, your friends know what to expect.  LinkedIn is a business conference.  Imagine having a conversation at a business conference with someone whom you'd like to work with, and your crazy aunt walks up and attacks them because they are using a plastic straw to drink their iced tea.  Not good.  Business lost.

Tear Down Your Old Site

A little truth here.  When I opened my first LinkedIn account it was basically just a second Facebook account for me.  I connected with all my friends who were also on LinkedIn, did not post any meaningful content and let it sit idle for years, waiting for the magic to happen.

When I started to get serious about my custom podcasting business and I looked at my LinkedIn site, it was embarrassing.  I had done everything that I just told you not to do, and I did not want any potential clients to see it.  So, I closed it down and started over.

Do you need to close yours down?  I think that depends on what you have been doing with it.  But, if there are a large percentage of people that you are connected to that have no business being at your virtual industry convention, I would say yes.  Tear it down!

Starting Over

Let's draw up some rules for when you start up your new site:

Rule #1 - Only request connections with people for legitimate business purposes.  If you run across an old high school friend who is in an industry that has nothing to do with your work, don't connect here.  Make a note and connect on Facebook.

Rule #2 - Turn down requests to connect.  Yes, some people are going to be offended by you not connecting on LinkedIn or refusing to connect.  You have to weigh this.  I have a few people that I have accepted connection requests from on Linkedin that are not in my business circle.  Just a few.  For the rest I have sent them a note stating that I won't be able to connect with them on my LinkedIn page, but would be more than happy to connect on Facebook.  Or, I just ignored this.  You will have to weigh which of these responses is most appropriate for you in a given situation.

Rule #3 - Don't "set it and forget it".  Be active on your page.  As you are publishing podcasts, share them here.  Write articles that are pertinent to your industry and share them.  Keep updating your profile and make sure it is well written, grammatically correct and shows what you want it to show.

I currently have 10 articles posted on my LinkedIn profile.  These are not just posts.  I post on there almost every day when a new episode of one of my shows comes out.  The article function allows you to write and post articles much like you would find in an industry specific magazine.  These get read by people searching on LinkedIn for your topic.  But I believe the greater value is the way these articles position you as an industry expert.

Think of it this way.  Let's say that your industry of choice is field mowers, and your niche is under tractor mowers.  And let's pretend that you have a brick and mortar store called "The Under Tractor Mower Store".  If a potential customer came in, was shopping for a new mower and was considering buying one from you they would have questions.  You, being the expert would answer their questions, and you would even answer some other questions that they did not know they had.

Being able to have this conversation with a potential customer is very valuable because you have the opportunity to show them the value of your product.  When you write articles on Linkedin, this is your way having this conversation with your potential customers.  And when they look at your profile and see your articles, this is their way of walking into your virtual store.

As an example, on my LinkedIn profile I have an article titled "If You Have An Agricultural Message To Share, You Better Have A Podcast".  This is not the most eloquent writing, but it is direct and to the point.  This article is written for the potential customer that visits my virtual store and has an agricultural message to share.  That title is going to catch their eye, and they are going to be intrigued.  When they get done reading the article they are going to have their questions answered, even the questions they did not know they had.

This positions me as an industry expert, and it works!

Rule #4 - Don't send out a lot of connection requests to everyone in your industry on day one.  Be strategic about this and have a reason to connect.  This platform is not about having the biggest number of connections.  It is about having quality connections.  As I talked about last week, there is a strategic way to make connection requests that will get you more bang for your buck.  More on that in a moment.

Rule #5 - Don't include the kitchen sink on your profile.  Think of LinkedIn, all of LinkedIn, as a virtual resume.  The #1 rule of a resume is that you don't want it to be too long with superfluous information on it.  This means that you need to understand who you are targeting with your LinkedIn page and tailor the page to that audience.

Let me give you an example.  I took one career path in college, then I did a complete 180 degree flip with my career after college, and then I came back to the original career path that I had been on in college after about 15 years.

The industry umbrella that my current niche falls under is agriculture.  But my career for 15 years was in policing.  During my time as a police officer I earned a master's degree in criminal justice.  I am proud of this degree, but I do not list it on my LinkedIn profile.  In my opinion it will only serve to confuse my potential clients.  So, I list my bachelor's degree only, which is in agriculture.

This rule applies to your work experience as well.  If you look at my profile, all I list are the podcasts or radio shows that I host or contribute to.  That is because my target market are companies who are going to need someone to host a show for them.  You will want to cater to your target market.

Rule #6 - Beware of what you post.  I read a great post once, and I cannot remember the name of the author.  I wish I could so I could them credit for this.  Before you ever hit "submit" or "post" or "send" or whatever command will make your thoughts public you should step away from the keyboard, do something totally unrelated to your post and then come back to your computer.

Re-read your post and make sure that it says what you want to say.  More importantly, make sure that it does not say anything that would not want to say.  Make sure that in the heat of the moment you did not write something that you would later take back if you could.  You never know who might read this post.  If they are offended by what they see, you may never get a chance to make amends because you might never know they even read it.  They might just choose to not do business with you.

Rule #7 - Don't just accept connections and go on about your day.  Be grateful for the connection, and send a message to your new connection thanking them for connecting.  Make yourself stand out and build rapport.  And, yes.  Some people could care less and they are just trying to get another number, or they are trying to get business by connecting with as many people as possible.  You will smell that out soon enough.

Developing Your Network

When you start reaching out to people in your industry on LinkedIn you have to understand how they will see you.  You must try to see yourself through their eyes.  They are not going to see an energetic start up with a great ideas who is willing to take risks and put themselves out there because they are so passionate about this industry.  They are going to see another entrepreneur with a business idea who wants to connect with them because they work for a company with big budgets.

If your new connection is nice enough to accept your connection request, even though they don't know who you are and don't know anything about your company they are likely just a nice person.  Meaning they are accepting it because they would rather do something positive, say "yes", then something negative, say "no".  But that is probably as far as it is going.  They are not going to look at your profile.

If I am right about this, why send the connection request?  Once they click "accept" and move on, your chance to get them to spend any more time on you or to look at your profile has just passed you by.  If you think there is a benefit to having them show up on your profile as a connection, there probably is not.  There are lots of people, with lots of connections on LinkedIn.  So, this probably does not mean much to the potential customer who looks at your profile.

So, I suggest connecting with people when you can either offer them something, have advice for them or when you want to pitch them an idea.  This will up the odds of them actually looking at your profile.  At this point you are just planting seeds, and there are a lot of things that are outside of your control.  For example, you cannot force them to go through your profile or read your posts.  But they might, especially if you have piqued their interest somehow.  If they read your articles the chances of them becoming more interested in you or your ideas will go way up.

There is another bonus to doing this.  It is the message function.  For now, if you want to send a message to a non-connection, LinkedIn requires you to be a premium member.  This is expensive.  But, there is a loophole.  If you are requesting that somebody be a connection, you can include a message to them for free, explaining your reason for connecting.

This is a great way to be able to contact some high level people and plant a seed.  And if they are intrigued by your idea, they are almost guaranteed to look at your profile.  They would be derelict in their duty if they pursued something with you, spent their scarcest resource (time) on the idea and never took the time to determine if you were legitimate.

So be strategic in how you build your network on Linkedin.  If you have your eye on a connection, say the vice-president of marketing for the "Under Tractor Mower Company", do some research.  Read about this person online.  Find out what he or she said the last time they were interviewed.  Did they mention any pain points?  If they did, can you do a little leg work for them?  Then can you send a message with your connection request stating, "I read that it was a tough decision whether or not to make under tractor mowers or PTO driver mowers.  I found some research from Germany saying that solo farmers prefer under tractor mowers more."

This is a pretty crazy example, but hopefully you get the point.  Even though these people are in the power position you should still find a way to help or give to them rather than just come to them wanting something.  They get a lot of that everyday.  You want to stand out by being different.

Sharing Your Resume

This is really similar to building your network.  But when you are going to be meeting with someone for real, like at a coffee shop or something like that, it is a great idea to connect on LinkedIn just before that meeting.

If they have agreed to meet with you about one specific idea, they would likely want to prep for the meeting before hand.  You can simply send them a connection request a few days prior with a message that says, "I thought I'd connect with you here so you could see my profile prior to our meeting in a couple of days.  Looking forward to the conversation."

You are doing something gracious for them by making it easier for them to prep for the meeting.  But you are also being totally transparent and showing them you have nothing to hide.  And, even though you are meeting to discuss one specific idea, you probably have many different ideas you would like to pitch them.

If they read one of your articles that applies to them, they might see that you offer another service or be intrigued by your expertise enough to ask about it.  They will see you as offering more value, and you do not have to overwhelm them with all sorts of ideas on the day you meet.  You can be casual, let your profile speak for itself and avoid looking desperate.

Get Recommended

LinkedIn has two fabulous features called "Skills & Endorsements" and "Recommendations".  This creates unbelievable opportunities for you.

What if a person, who is respected in the industry, was willing to either endorse you, your business or write you a recommendation?  What if whole world could see it?

LinkedIn makes this possible.

Whether or not you have already connected or you are requesting a connection, I would follow this request up with a telephone call.  And if you cannot get through on the phone I would try a hand written letter requesting a recommendation or endorsement.  This is powerful stuff, and you should strike while the iron is hot.

And don't be shy about offering to recommend them or even doing it proactively.  Just make sure that you have a legitimate experience with them that gives you credibility in the recommendation.  If you recommend someone who you have never met, or never interviewed it is likely to look like pandering.

Timeless Advice

The great news about this advice is that it can change with technology.  So, if LinkedIn develops a bunch of new technology by the time that you read this, you can still use this advice.  My hope is that LinkedIn stays around for a long time, and that you can benefit from my experience doing this for a long time to come.

Best of luck to you with this method.  It is a lot of fun!

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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 <a href="https://www.offincome.com/ofi-1195-perseverance-and-determination-leads-to-an-american-star-nomination-ffa-sae-edition-mackenzie-camacho-minarets-high-school-ffa/">episode #1195</a> 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.  

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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!

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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!

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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!

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