Karsten Frecker is the owner of Frecker's Saddlery, a lifelong horseman and a lifelong craftsman.  Along with several members of his family, including his wife, brother and sister, Karsten runs their saddle business from Dillon, Montana.  The business was first started by Karsten's father, Kent, several decades ago, and Karsten just recently purchased it from him.

Like any business that looks straight forward on the surface, there are nuances and complexities to it that the owners make look non-existent.  In today's interview with Karsten I spend a lot of time asking about how a person becomes a saddle maker, what Karsten is looking for in an apprentice and how the business works, i.e. producing saddles for sale vs. doing custom orders.

A very interesting part of this discussion is the manner in which people go about learning this trade.  When Karsten brings on an apprentice, he hopes they will be with the company for the long haul so that they can recoup their investment in the apprentice and grow the business.  However, this does not always happen, and some lessons that were learned the hard way have taught Karsten that only he and his brother will commit to doing custom work for customers with special orders.  Therefore, they have over a 3 year waiting list for custom saddles, and they are constantly striking a balance between producing products and fulfilling orders.

Karsten states that the best way to learn to be a saddle maker is work alongside somebody with experience.  However, if somebody wants to learn the trade in order to start their own shop this has to be done in an ethical manner.  Karsten and I talk about this in the interview.

On tomorrow's ag business episode we are profiling a family business with a long legacy of building saddles for the regular market and for custom customers.  This is a business that is so interesting for the folks who want to live in the world of horses.

Of course with saddle ownership comes saddle maintenance, and sometimes it is easier to outsource that work.  So, I thought for today's re-cap episode it would make sense to go back to this interview that I did with Sarah Banowetz talking about her small business bringing old saddles back to life.

Andrea Buhrow is the owner of The Flower Patch, a multi-faceted flower business located in Ashton, Illinois.  Andrea first appeared on the Off-Farm Income Podcast in 2020, right in the middle of lockdowns and quarantines from Covid.  She was just beginning her FFA career and wanted to start her own enterprise, even though she had grown up on her family farm.  She loved flowers, and people were looking for something to do locally because of limitations on travel.  So, she started the Flower Patch as a "u-pick" flower farm where people could come have an experience, be outdoors and safe from transmission and leave with some beautiful flowers.

Ironically, as covid let up, this caused Andrea to pivot in her business.  Most business owners got back to normal when the pandemic waned, but for Andrea that was normal.  So, Andrea started selling bouquet subscriptions, selling at the farmer's market and continued with the u-pick business.  Today, Andrea has just graduated high school and her business is running at full capacity.  So much so, that she has had to cut back on orders for this summer!

On today's farm update show I am going to tell you about getting pushed and pushed and pushed and finally responding......to an annoying goat.  Also, a little message about not giving up and is it really worth it!

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Kacie Wooten is the outgoing Kuna FFA Vice President, a 2023 Salutatorian, the squadron commander of her JROTC Chapter and her JROTC region's Outstanding Cadet of 2022.  That is quite a resume and some very wonderful accomplishments.

Our family has known Kacie since Hattie first joined the Kaveman Kritters 4H Club of which Kacie was also a member.  So, Autumm and I have been able to observe her as she has grown up and have become well acquainted with her family.  From this, there are two character traits that Kacie has that help to explain all of the accolades and accomplishments she already has as a recent high school graduate - service and planning.

Throughout this interview you will hear Kacie talking about the common thread between all of her activities, and that is the ability to serve others.  Surrounding that will be planning and goal setting.  Kacie is a great example of what can be accomplished when these two characteristics are combined.  And, she is not done.  She is heading to Liberty University in just a couple of months with her eyes fixed on becoming a military chaplain, once again giving her the ability to serve others.

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.

Lake Area Technical College is a 2 year, public college, located in Watertown, South Dakota.  There is a strong emphasis on real world, practical application of education at Lake Area Tech.  In this interview I encountered a term that was new to me - Supervised Occupational Experience - this is a program, similar to an internship, designed to get students into the field and working which often leads to their first job out of college.  In today's episode Greg Miller, the Agriculture Department Supervisor, joins me to talk about this highly recommended program.

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week

Be careful with antique farm equipment on display

Rural Crime In The U.S.

https://www.agdaily.com/lifestyle/hay-bale-scams-we-played-along-with-frauds/

https://southsidemessenger.com/lunenburg-sheriffs-department-looking-for-stolen-equipment/

https://kymkemp.com/2023/06/10/antique-hayrake-stolen-from-rio-dell-home/

Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above

https://www.kent.police.uk/news/kent/latest/policing-news/rural-task-force-officers-recover-stolen-goods/

https://www.sheppnews.com.au/news/stolen-tractor-involved-in-slow-speed-police-chase-before-crashing-into-army-base/

Africa

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/farm-business-torched-mob-justice-elandskraal-impopo-2-june-2023/

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/move-to-stop-livestock-theft-cartels-gets-boost-4278280

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

https://tscra.org/uvalde-county-man-arrested-for-felony-theft-of-more-than-650-goats/?fbclid=IwAR0ePebBbto6zAHxhaq4LgLQ2lHM0aMekTo2_O2-gjwL5oUnTdfBS1dD_xk_aem_th_AeHSx0tIF0PqLgh0kFdzb1ROg6Df-Gpa-NnlGZVNtKXrCvVd9iJbL9sHP72c03b_bcE&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

https://www.fox43.com/article/news/crime/mechanicsburg-woman-sentenced-up-12-years-prison-crime-spree/521-af0d18cf-c2f7-45d2-a499-9d926fac7f2a

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Alicia Tomlinson is the owner and creator of One Less Thing, a company that provides teaching materials and curriculum to agriculture teachers all around the U.S.  Alicia and her husband, Brian, run this business full time and have been doing so since 2007.  Both of them were agriculture teachers until they started their family and made this switch.  Alicia was the first one to leave the workplace so that she could be home with their first born.  Eventually, One Less Thing grew so much that Brian left the workplace to partner with Alicia in the business and take some of the workload from her.

I first interviewed Alicia in 2005 after learning about her business online.  Since then I have got to know both she and Brian personally, meeting up with them at the National FFA Convention each year.  Their business continues to grow, and now the son that they started the business in order to be home with has entrepreneurial aspirations of his own and works in their business from time to time.

There are many lessons about starting and succeeding in your own business wrapped into this episode.  Alicia does a great job of illustrating those, and that is why I was excited to have her back on the show!

Alicia Tomlinson has become a friend and mentor over the years since I first interviewed her for the Off-Farm Income Podcast.  On tomorrow's ag business episode she is coming back on the show to update us on her business and what has gone on, over the past 8 years.  So, for today's re-cap episode I wanted to replay her first interview so you can have the complete before and after picture when you hear her tomorrow.  

Sadie Rola has just graduated from Turlock Christian High School, just completed her term as her FFA Chapter's Reporter and just completed her term as a National FFA Style Squad Member.  What is the National FFA Style Squad?  Well, if you don't know, I didn't know either.  However, I certainly do after conducting this interview with Sadie.

Sadie and I have very similar pathways that led us into agriculture, and she is going down a very similar path in the exact same place, that I did at her age.  It is always amazing to me how when a person who has no agricultural background gets introduced to agriculture and its positive aspects, how that can bring them right into the profession.  That is one of the great things about how the FFA is reaching students from neighborhoods more and more.  We are getting more and more young people interested in agriculture.  In today's interview, Sadie will explain exactly how that worked for her.

Autumm, Hattie and I just got back from an epic 9 day camping/road trip to Northern Idaho and across Montana to Red Lodge.  We concluded yesterday by going over the Beartooth Pass and driving all the way across Yellowstone Park.  I've got a lot to talk about in today's farm update episode, including:

• Hattie's State FFA Competition
• The Hiawatha Bicycle Trail
• Priest Lake, Idaho
• Noxon, Montana
• A German Restaurant in Missoula
• Camping at the fairgrounds in Bozeman
• A great wedding in Red Lodge
• The status of the farm when we returned

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Bailey Little is the owner of Queen B Farm, a Keystone State FFA Degree recipient and a brand new high school graduate.  In her business Bailey is raising livestock, moving towards selling freezer beef and making products such as jewelry and tumblers for sale online as well as at rodeos and other craft shows.

Something really stood out in this interview with Bailey - she is not going to college.  She has a good business up and running right now, no debt and a clear idea of what she wants to do with her life.  At this point, except for a tweak here and there, she knows what she needs to know to continue to grow her business and have it be her sole form of income.

Bailey realizes that a time may come where she needs business acumen or some sort of craft methodology that she does not currently possess.  However, since she learned all the skills she needed to do what she is doing now through YouTube, she has all the confidence in the world that she can repeat that process if needed.  If that wont work, she is not opposed to taking a class or two.  But, she is opposed to devoting four years and a bunch of tuition to a degree that won't make one bit of difference in her business and will only hold her back for almost 1/2 a decade.

Purdue University is currently ranked as the #3 agricultural college in the U.S. and the #5 in the entire world!  And, did you know that Purdue University has had a freeze on tuition rates for twelve years?  Factoring in inflation, it is cheaper to go to college at Purdue right now than it was 12 years ago.

On today's show I am joined by Andrea Lutz, the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Recruitment as well as Courtney Rodkey, a recent graduate in Ag Economics who is just starting her agricultural career with Corteva.  There is a lot to get to in this interview as there are a lot of opportunities in agriculture at Purdue University.

Tip Of The Week

Would you consider penning up grazing livestock every night?

Rural Crime In The U.S.

https://www.oneidadispatch.com/2023/06/02/oneida-police-begin-more-foot-patrols-as-part-of-rural-violent-crime-reduction-initiative/

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jun/03/former-pot-worker-jailed-in-seed-theft/

https://www.wcax.com/2023/06/01/police-search-person-responsible-atm-theft-truck-fire/

Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above

https://www.politico.eu/article/farm-machinery-gps-theft-uk-rural-crime-ukraine-russia-war-sanctions/

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/drivers-caught-stolen-vehicles-drug-062852292.html

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/call-out-service-open-to-farmers-to-combat-farm-theft-768002

Africa

https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/27-farmers-groups-benefit-from-136-dairy-goats-in-marakwet/

https://dailynews.co.tz/tz-eyes-to-become-leading-meat-exporter/

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

https://www.wjfw.com/news/purchaser-pleads-guilty-of-taking-trees-from-chequamegon-nicolet-forest/article_ac88c5f8-018e-11ee-abea-830fb5026fb7.html

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/05/31/man-convicted-sentenced-connection-with-theft-death-horse/

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Agriculture is unique in that it creates a passion and devotion in people unrivaled by any other careers that come to mind.  I often quip that only actors, artists and musicians will work a second job just so they can work the first, but farmers will do it too.  So many of them will work a full time job in the city just so they have the opportunity to farm.  That is what this show is all about.  

John Schomburg has this same devotion to farming, but he demonstrates it a little bit differently.  John builds scale models of farm equipment and farming scenes, and he photographs farm equipment to capture its legacy before it is no longer seen on farms.  And, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  

In today's interview John talks about how he got started building models of farming equipment, why he has file cabinets full of old farm equipment catalogs, why he takes photographs if farms and farm equipment all over Wisconsin and how this all came together for him to win the National Farm Toy Show in 2005, 2012 and 2015.  He even takes us on a tour of his studio and expresses his deepest feelings over the realization that his families farming legacy ends with him.  

On tomorrow's ag business episode I am profiling a gentleman who has an unbelievable passion for agriculture, but he is not a farmer.  However, he displays this passion through creating replica farm equipment and even replica farms.  So, for today's re-cap episode I thought this interview with Carol Herden, talking about how she got started sculpting farm animals, was a perfect tie in.

Sage Whetnall has just graduated high school and completed her FFA career in Cardington, Ohio.  Now it is time for her get her education, and she knows where she is going to do that.......under the blue skies of Texas on the back of a horse!

Sage and her family are very involved in the horse business from showing to rescuing to selling to rehabilitating.  As a matter of fact, Sage already is a certified equine massage therapist and wants to start her own business massaging horses in the future.  However, that future has to wait.  It has to wait for Sage to go on an adventure and to learn the real ins and outs of working on horseback.  Where better to learn that, than a cattle ranch in Texas.

Texas Lore means a lot of things to a lot of people, but it is never without cattle.  It is either cattleman who became oilman, or oilman who bought cattle ranches.  Either way, cattle are always involved.  From Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving to Woodrow Call and Augustus McRae, cattle are part of the story.  Where else is there a ranch called "King" that started its very own breed of cattle?

Sage really believes in hands on knowledge and has a passion for horses, Western riding and Western work.  So, to get the experience and knowledge she needs to really understand how a performance or working horse is hurting and how to help it, she needs to see the work itself, up close and personal.  Her plan to get this education is to go to work, and to work in exactly that field.

It is more than an adventure, it is a great way to learn!

Last week we worked all of our goats, and we had some volunteers helping us out who were there for no other reason than they love the idea of farming and want experience.  It got me to thinking about the very first farm that I ever worked on, the one that belonged to my step-grandfather.  That would have never happened on that farm, but I was happy to allow it on my own.  He had a "closed" farm, and mine is "open".  So, let's talk about the pros and cons of an "open" farm on today's show.

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Reagan Winner is a top four finisher for Ohio State Star Farmer in 2023.  She is also a 5th year FFA student, chapter secretary and recent high school graduate.  And underneath all of the titles, awards and the blue jacket is a person with a fiercely independent spirit and a "can-do" attitude.  

Regan has been working on her own, on her families farm in Ohio, since she was 8 years old and started pulling the grain cart.  In the 8th Grade she joined the FFA and realized that she would need a project for her supervised agricultural experience.  So, she rented 12 acres from her father, exchanged her labor in the shop on the farm and at his trucking business, and began farming on her own.  It didn't take long for her to realize that a nearby neighbor had a field that wasn't being used, and that could be productive.  So, she approached him and rented his 34 acres.  

For several years now Reagan has been farming over 40 acres on her own, working in the farm shop and working in her father's trucking business.  She services the fleet including oil changes, greasing the trailer and chassis and inspecting the entire rig to make sure it is road worthy.  Now, Reagan will be taking all those skills and pursuing a degree in ag business and ultimately becoming a certified crop advisor with the goal of starting her own business as a seed consultant.  

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.

Abilene Christian University is in Abilene, Texas, and in my opinion it is in the perfect location for Texas adventure and Texas agriculture.  I have been on campus myself and like the area very much.  ACU has had an agriculture program for some time, but with fluctuations in faculty go fluctuations in programs.  So, today they are highly specialized in animal science but have no agronomy.  ACU is a private, Christ based university, and on today's show Dr. Jim Carpenter joins me to talk all about it.  

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Tip Of The Week

When is being neighborly not enough?

Rural Crime In The U.S.

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/06/04/thieves-steal-dump-calf-from-brookshires-dewberry-farm/

https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/56800/20230605/103-cattle-one-dog-dead-oklahoma-property-woman-arrested-surviving.htm

Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above

https://randfonteinherald.co.za/421458/mapogo-recover-sheep-stolen-in-dennydale-or-at-least-two-arrests-in-stock-theft-incident-in-dennydale/

https://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk/news/23568394.police-warning-powys-dog-owners-sheep-suffer-bites/

Africa

https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/eastern-cape-prison-officer-and-companion-killed-over-alleged-stock-theft-state-bakkie-torched-20230605

https://ke.opera.news/ke/en/society/789529e825b9be331ad9326e0195a4be

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

https://holtvilletribune.com/2023/06/04/sheriffs-deputies-arrest-alleged-thief-recover-stolen-tractor/

https://krocnews.com/two-men-charged-in-20k-rochester-area-storage-burglary/

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

Natalie McFarland is a lifelong agriculturist turned agriculture entrepreneur.  Officially launching McFarland Productions in 2014, she began telling the story of agricultural companies to help them serve others.  Working primarily with business to business customers but frequently with business to consumer customers Natalie has grown her list of services from photography only all the way to being the marketing department for several of her clients.

Natalie and her team a great knack for capturing agriculture and the Western Lifestyle, and every single team member has an agricultural background.  On today's episode with Natalie I really tried to focus on what the keys to marketing to agricultural customers.  If/when you start your small, agricultural business you will be getting involved in marketing, like it or not.  What are some of the ways you can stand out to the customers that you want to serve?  Today, Natalie and I try to answer that question.

On tomorrow's ag business episode I am speaking with a woman who discovered her niche in marketing to a specific agricultural audience.  She and her husband, like so many of us, are trying to carve out their spot in the world of agriculture and are facing the pressures of high land prices and encroaching urban areas.

I talk about this concept a lot on the show, and one of the premier themes I have dealt with over time has been that of existing in agriculture on the rural/urban interface.  I thought this was a great tie in with our guest tomorrow, and wanted to bring back a solo episode that I made about this phenomenon today.

The Vega FFA Chapter has amassed over $1.1 million in scholarships and prizes through Ag Mechanics competitions in the State of Texas over the past 20 years.  Jay Newton is the FFA Advisor and Emily Carlson is the Chapter President of the Vega FFA Chapter, and they join me on today's episode to discuss this incredible accomplishment and journey.

Starting in 2001, Jay Newton began to look at the FFA Experience a different way.  Clearly, livestock projects dominated what students did for SAE projects, but he saw holes in those projects and opportunities for skill development that were being missed.  So, he got the idea to try something radical.  So, the next time he took his chapter to Houston, after the livestock shows were over they stayed an extra day and watched the Ag Mechanics competitions.  Then, on the way back to Vega they discussed putting the chapter's efforts towards ag mechanics rather than livestock.

The students were on board, so Jay took the idea to the school board.  This was the tough sell, but he was ready with a partnership that he had formed that would allow any FFA student to have a livestock project if that was what they wanted to do.  Permission was granted, and the journey began.  20 years later, the small Vega FFA Chapter, has a story to tell and an example to share of achieving great success through Ag Mechanics.

Obviously we've had some unexpected setbacks on our farm recently.  In today's episode I want to address those a bit more, how we handled the emotion of it and why a transition is being made.  Also, I'll give you my review of the Hells Canyon Days Festival in Cambridge, Idaho: Hint - It was awesome...

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

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 interest, she goes "all in".

A fascinating part of this interview with Sydni was her love of writing.  She has started many fiction, writing projects and written the first chapter of a novel.  Then she puts it away and revisits it weeks to months later.  In most of the cases she realizes that, that initial idea was not the one that is going to drive her to write a whole novel.  It is a process, and it is an interesting way to determine which idea will give you enough motivation to carry it all the way through to a completed book.

Sydni's hobby of writing led her to an opportunity to become a freelance writer for an agricultural newspaper, while still in high school.  Today she is using those writing skills to deliver agricultural information to people who need it.  Sydni is very happy with the discovery of a practical application for her love of writing.  She has done the same with plants, and says that her love of plants and horticulture may have actually eclipsed her love of writing!

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 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 State University Of New York at Cobleskill offers as wide of a variety of options for learning in agriculture as I have run across, particularly in animal agriculture.  In today's episode we will be profiling degrees from Animal Science to Dog Training and from Dairy Science to Fermentation.  It is fascinating all the different directions you can go at this "magical" agricultural university in Upstate New York.  

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

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-string-of-thefts/

Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23547232.animal-activists-hand-sandringham-theft/

https://www.wisbechstandard.co.uk/news/23555533.huntingdonshire-four-agricultural-gps-system-thefts-month-may/

https://nation.cymru/news/rural-communities-in-wales-targeted-by-cross-border-criminals/

Africa

https://www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/fight-back-and-well-kill-your-children-former-springbok-hooker-lukas-van-biljon-stabbed-in-farm-robbery-2a42e37c-b5f6-455f-aad1-726fad841494

http://www.times.co.sz/news/140379-mum-son-shot-dead-at-lundzi.html

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

https://www.ketk.com/news/crime-public-safety/32k-worth-of-stolen-hay-livestock-feed-recovered-in-east-texas/

https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2023/05/martinsburg-cattle-theft-resolved-with-guilty-plea/

More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:

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 be a 501(c)3 organization and why that is necessary.  The business of fundraising at the national, state or local level is a big business.  As Sheldon says, money should never be an obstacle that stops an FFA student from taking advantage of the myriad opportunities available to them through the organization.  State FFA Foundations exist to connect chapters and students to donors who want to support youth, agriculture and agricultural education.

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 impressed by the old school manner in which she and her grandfather were growing, harvesting and processing sorghum.  And, she sent me some delicious syrup which we thoroughly enjoyed.  So, in honor of our Kentucky guest tomorrow, I am bringing this interview with Kaitlyn back.