Wed, 31 August 2022
It is always a great thrill for me when a student who I have previously interviewed on the show comes back on as an American Star Finalist! That is happening in today's episode with Emma Victery. Emma was first on the show in 2020 when she was the national proficiency winner in beef production placement. She has continued her efforts, and now she is back as an American Star Finalist! Emma's original show notes are below: Having a business model on your farm that is sustainable is challenging. Of course, if you are commodity-based there are so many factors that are outside of the control that you've got to get bigger and push harder. If you are smaller you are almost forced into being niche so that you can increase the size of your profit margins. And then of course, if you only offer one product you can get into really hot water if the price or demand for that product falls. In a perfect world, we would all know what type of farm business we were going to be involved in, in the future, and we could plan out our skill sets accordingly. Of course, there is no such thing as that perfect world. However, the FFA offers a future farmer the best chance of coming as close to this perfect world as anything that I know. This is illustrated very well by today's guest, Emma Victery. Emma has grown up on her family's farm in Oklahoma. She is hoping to take it over at some point in the future. She and her father have been looking at different products they could sell, different markets they could be in, and different ways to grow the business so that it will last for Emma and for future generations. Just recently they began marketing bulls as a compliment to their commercial herd. Looking into the future, Emma sees the sale of embryos and using embryo transfers on their farm as a way to offer other products and to really speed up the rate at which they improve their genetics. Right now, Emma is a senior in high school. But that does not stop her from looking into the future and trying to figure out how she is going to make all of this happen. Emma will start college at Oklahoma State University in the fall of 2021. She is planning on double majoring in animal science and agricultural communications. She wants to go to veterinary school, become a veterinarian, and specialize in reproduction so that she can use those skills for embryo transfers on their farm. This would also give her a great form of off-farm income. Right now she is taking over the marketing responsibilities on their farm, and she plans on using her studies in agricultural communications to strengthen her abilities in this part of the business. All of her efforts have led Emma to be the 2020 National Proficiency Winner in Beef Production Placement. She is looking at applying for several more proficiency awards going forward, and feels like her journey in the FFA has just begun. She has also been accepted to the honors college at Oklahoma State already due to her academic performance. Emma is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the cattle industry, and it is going to be fun to watch! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Beef Production Placement HIGH SCHOOL: Chickasha High School; Chickasha, Oklahoma MASCOT: Fighting Chicks FFA ADVISOR: Emily Schmidt CONTACT INFORMATION FOR EMMA VICTERY: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Chickasha High School Website: Emma's FFA Advisor's Email Address: Eschmidt@chickasha.k12.ok.us Chickasha High School Telephone Number: 405-222-6500 FFA LINKS: Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) 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:
More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1477_Emma_Victery-COMM-12_41-082522.mp3
Category:FFA -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Tue, 30 August 2022
Hi everyone. So often we talk about things you have to do to become or succeed as an entrepreneur on the show. So, in this episode I decided to discuss 10 things you don't have to do as an entrepreneur:
If I hadn't already convinced you that starting your own business was the way to create your off-farm income, maybe this list will push you over the top! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: OFI_1476_Tuesday_Episode_-_82922_5.42_PM.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Mon, 29 August 2022
It is that time of year again, and it is my pleasure to interview the American Star Finalists for this year's National FFA Convention. What a great time of year, and what a fantastic guest to kick off this series of interviews with! I am always fascinated with the way the mind of the finalists in agriscience research work, and with Danae Westra that is very true! Not only has Danae been doing research on her families dairy since her freshman year of high school, but she has been doing research with immediate, practical applications in the family dairy business. In addition to that, Danae has a big personality, and that has show through in the names that she has given each one of her projects:
In this interview with Danae you will hear a repeated theme - getting up at 6am to do research before school started. Whether that was weighing calves, pulling blood samples or collecting urine, she was out there, everyday, getting it done before school even started. This is what is so inspirational about FFA students, and this is why Danae has already been recognized as one of the top four agriscience researchers out of the 850,000+ FFA students in the nation! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Agriscience Research HIGH SCHOOL: Central Valley Christian High School, Visalia, California MASCOT: Cavaliers FFA ADVISOR: Kelsey De Jong CONTACT INFORMATION FOR DANAE WESTRA: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Central Valley Christian High School website:
Danae's FFA Advisor's Email Address: kdejong@cvc.org Central Valley Christian High School Telephone Number: 559-734-9481 FFA LINKS: Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Donate to FFA - FFA students can start small businesses 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:
More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1475-Danaw_Westra-COMM_10_12-082422.mp3
Category:FFA -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Sat, 27 August 2022
Tip Of The Week Have you considered the use of Air Tags? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.farmanddairy.com/news/wooster-man-arrested-in-holmes-co-cattle-thefts/730964.html Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/police-launch-probe-alleged-repeated-27770051 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-62584263 Africa https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/kano-man-jailed-6-months-for-stealing-goat/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys
More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: OFI_1474_Rural_Crime_-_82522_4.48_PM.mp3
Category:rural crime -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Fri, 26 August 2022
On today's episode I have an interview that is going to blow your mind. We all know that farmers are innovative and solve their own problems, but the story you will hear today goes beyond anything I've ever profiled. Doug and Kathy Applegate met while attending community college in the 1970's and started dating right as they were finishing up their education in 1978. 44 years later, in 2022 they are the owners of Praxidyn with 11 full time employees, manufacturing the MIXMATE in what used to be the farrowing barn on their Iowa farm. There is a lot of story to be told about that 44 years sandwiched between today and community college, and in today's episode we get the story. There are some highlights about this interview I want to let you know about before you listen. First, is that this exactly the kind of story that the Off-Farm Income Podcast was designed to profile, but on a much larger and more complex scale than normal. In the interview Doug talks about the fact that they used to raise hogs as a way to diversify their farm income and reliance on corn and soybeans. However, they stopped raising hogs and started a business to accomplish this diversity, and the who reason for the beginning and existence of Praxidyn is to support both of their sons coming home to farm. In addition to that, both of their sons, Brent and Luke, were standouts in the FFA and are pivotal to the innovation, design and manufacturing that is Praxidyn. In 2006 Brent was the Iowa Star winner in agribusiness, and 2010 Luke was a finalist. Clearly, their time in the FFA as well as 4H has had something to do with their development as entrepreneurs and inventors. In addition to that, when the boys were around 9 years old, Doug and Kathy got them started welding and computer programming! What a combination, and after you listen to this interview you will see what it has led to! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1473_Applegate-COMM_20_30-082122.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Thu, 25 August 2022
On today's Re-Cap Episode we are going back into the archives to profile a great entrepreneurial story. This story involves seeing the market place, taking a risk and building custom equipment. What really stood out to me in this interview was that the our guest recognized that through consolidation, many smaller farmers were feeling unvalued and left behind. He found a way to fix this. The original show notes are below: SHOW NOTESToday we get to profile a fascinating agricultural business. Craig Bailey, the owner of Green Mount Grain Roasting, will be Craig is a fascinating entrepreneur. He has a high risk tolerance, and that his what led him to start his poultry farm and to purchase the equipment for grain roasting. In addition to that he is doing row crop farming and raising some livestock. This is a fascinating business that I never knew about until one of our listeners, Josh Gullman, contacted me and suggested it. Craig serves smaller farmers and dairies in his area who don't raise enough grain and soybeans to purchase their own roaster, and who are not big enough to get priority at the stationary roasting businesses. Craig services four states with his equipment, and believes there is room for other people in the U.S. to start this business as well. HOW TO CONTACT CRAIG:Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057550813611&sk=about"> Facebook <a/> <a href="mailto:greenmountgrainroasting@gmail.com" target="_blank"> Email <a/> More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1472-Replay_Of_Episode_900_Craig_Bailey-COMM_20_11-082322.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Wed, 24 August 2022
Our guest today, Maria Sterling, started her supervised agricultural experience out with two business partners. As she describes it, the three of them were partially joking about what to do for their SAE and the idea of them raising chickens for eggs came up. They decided to go for it, and between the three of them they were able to obtain two, $1,000 SAE grants, to fund the project. This was during their sophomore year, but by the end of their junior year, only Maria was still interested in the business. I have definitely experienced the same thing in life. Several people are interested in a project, but when the everyday challenges of the work set in, just one or two people are left standing. In this case it was Maria, but looking back on how it developed, it kind of looks obvious now that she had the passion. When Maria found herself being the sole owner of the business she branded it "Sunny Side Eggs" and started marketing through word of mouth, at her school and on social media. And, she has found herself at times, not able to keep up with the demand for her eggs. Maria just graduated this year, and she is off to the University Of North Carolina at Wilmington, right around the time that her episode is released. She is still deciding what to study but had narrowed it down to either marine biology or environmental science. She says that no matter where this ultimately takes her, you will find her raising chickens, either on a larger basis like now or in a back yard flock. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Egg Production HIGH SCHOOL: Smyrna High School; Smyrna, Deleware MASCOT: Eagles FFA ADVISOR: Kellie Michaud CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MARIA STERLING: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Smyrna High School Ag. Department's website:
Maria's FFA Advisor's Email Address: Kellie.michaud@smyrna.k12.de.us Smyrna High School's Telephone Number: (302) 653-8581 FFA LINKS: Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) 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:
More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1471-Maira_Sterling-COMM_7_52-081322.mp3
Category:FFA -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Tue, 23 August 2022
One lesson I have learned, over and over again, throughout my entrepreneurial journey is that persistence pays off. This latest example happened in the strangest of ways. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: OFI_1470_Tuesday_Episode_-_82222_8.11_PM.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Mon, 22 August 2022
As many of you know I am very lucky in my connection to the FFA. Of course, through this show and by doing interviews for the National FFA, I have the 30,000 foot, nationwide connection to this great organization. However, in my community of Kuna, Idaho I also have the local connection, which for the past three years has included being part of the advisory committee for our FFA chapter of which my daughter is now a member. Part of my duties being on the committee include interviewing students who had applied for scholarships at the end of their senior year of high school. This year one of those interviews was with today's guest, Jadelyn Mecham. Jadelyn's interview was very impressive, and it was the first time that I learned that she had a supervised agricultural experience working with driving horses. I was intrigued by this aspect of horsemanship that I am yet to have profiled on the show. A few weeks later, I was working at the Kuna High School Ag Expo, pulling a hay wagon around filled with elementary school students who had come to learn about agriculture. During a down moment I was able to visit with Jadelyn again and discuss more in depth, her project working with horses. That was plenty for me, and I invited her onto the show. Today, Jadelyn and I will be talking about breeding horses, fixing bad behaviors in horses and how you train a driving horse to get used to the feel of the harness, having a load to pull and having somebody control it from the rear. Jadelyn also introduces me to the horse breed, Gypsy Vanner, which I was unfamiliar with until this interview. I learned a lot in this interview, and I am sure that you will as well! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: DrivingHorse Training HIGH SCHOOL: Kuna High School, Kuna, Idaho MASCOT: Kavemen FFA ADVISOR: Travis Edwards CONTACT INFORMATION FOR JADELYN MECHAM: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Kuna High School Ag. Department's website:
Jadelyn's FFA Advisor's Email Address: Tedwards@kunaschools.org Kuna High School Telephone Number: 208.955.0200 FFA LINKS: Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) 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:
More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1469-Jadelyn_Mecham-COMM_10_10-081122.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Sat, 20 August 2022
Tip Of The Week Anchor your safe to the floor Rural Crime In The U.S. https://darkhorsepressnow.com/hazlehurst-man-wanted-in-copiah-county-atv-theft/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above Africa https://www.businessinsider.co.za/cattle-lockdown-starts-in-south-africa-2022-8 https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2022-08-16-deal-with-bandits-and-assure-us-peace-ruto-told/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/crime/article264610911.html More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: OFI_1468_Rural_Crime_-_81922_6.17_PM.mp3
Category:rural crime -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Fri, 19 August 2022
Why did it take so long for the small, destination winery business to take off. With the benefit of hindsight, it seems like it should have been obvious for decades. No matter how long it took for the American public to realize they loved going to places like this is fine. What matters is that families like that of Maggie Hall, today's guest, have the ability to create sustainable agricultural businesses by giving people what they want. Maggie is the only child of two free spirited and creative lovers of agriculture. Maggie says that to look at them, you wouldn't know how free spirited they are, but her parents have been seeking a way to live and maintain an agricultural lifestyle since before she can remember. For a couple of decades this took the form of a horse farm that included breeding, training, selling and even cart pulling for special events. However, about seven years ago the bottom fell out of the particular horse market they were in, and they made a change to growing grapes and running a destination winery. Today, Maggie is the social media marketing expert for her parents' business, Broken Spoke Winery. On the same farm that used to be primarily devoted to horses they now grow grapes, make wine, host events, provide entertainment and sell locally produced, value added products. Maggie describes their location as the "middle of nowhere" but as it turns out, a lot of people vacation in the area. So, with the assistance of social media, Maggie can target folks in the areas that tend to travel to her part of Maryland and inform them about the events and entertainers that will be appearing at Broken Spoke Winery. In today's interview Maggie will tell us all about the journey, her role and her parent's philosophy on business and agriculture! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1467_Maggie_Hall-COMM_18_46-080922.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Thu, 18 August 2022
On tomorrow's ag business episode we are profiling a very interesting entrepreneur in the wine business. It occurred to me that this would be a great opportunity to return to a very impressive FFA interview I did years ago with Mark Cavellero, who at that time was growing grapes for champagne that he was too young to drink! The original show notes are below: INTRODUCING MARK CAVALLERO! Our guest today is a finalist for the star farmer award at the 2017 National FFA Convention. Mark Cavallero is studying plant science at Reedley Jr. College in Reedley, California. During high school he started farming grapes and almonds on his family's farm in Madera, California. While Mark was farming he started trying a new variety of almonds that did not require him to bring in bees to pollinate. He stated that move has saved him a lot of money in operating costs and it has worked out well. Mark also grows Thompson Seedless Grapes, and the primary use of his grapes is for the production of champagne at a nearby winery. He is looking forward to turning 21 in about 1 month and being able to taste what his grapes finally turn into. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Grape And Almond Farming HIGH SCHOOL: Madera South High School; Madera, California MASCOT: Stallions FFA ADVISOR: Tim Deniz CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MARK CAVALLERO: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Madera South High School Ag. Department's website:
Mark's FFA Advisor's Email Address: timdeniz@maderausd.org Madera South High School Telephone Number: 559-675-4450 FFA LINKS: Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) 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:
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1466-replay_Of_Episode_361_Mark_Cavellero-COMM_6_17073022.mp3
Category:FFA -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Wed, 17 August 2022
Our guest today is from my home state.....well, that is if you are counting the very state that any of my ancestors ever lived in, in America, that is. My ancestors founded two town towns in Connecticut in the 1600's, and whenever I am lucky enough to interview a guest from that great state, I have to brag about that for a moment. Coming back to present day, Amelia Withington, just finished up her 11th grade year of school and will be starting back as a senior very, very soon. During her time in the FFA she has been creating one of my favorite, value added products - goat milk soap. This is such a great product and business for an FFA student who raises goats and is looking to make great money. When you start looking into the benefits of goat milk soap, it almost sells itself. And goats can be kept in a small area but still produce a large amount of milk, or in Amelia's case, raw materials! Operating a business like this, Amelia is able to learn about agriculture production, value adding, marketing and sales. It is a great way for a student to learn about business and industry! Amelia's business is called "Just A Girl And Her Goats Soap And Stuff" and she is selling her products in farmers markets in her area. She has also recently obtained an alpaca, and she plans on harvesting fleece from it for another value added produce, yarn! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Goat Milk Soap Production HIGH SCHOOL: Lyman Memorial High School; Lebanon, Connecticut MASCOT: Bulldogs FFA ADVISOR: Brenda Wildes CONTACT INFORMATION FOR AMELIA WITHINGTON: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Lyman Memorial High School Website:
Amelia's FFA Advisor's Email Address: Brenda.wildes@lebanonct.org Lyman Memorial High School Telephone Number: 860-642-7567 FFA LINKS: Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) 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:
More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1465_Amelia_Withington-COMM_10_29-080422.mp3
Category:FFA -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Tue, 16 August 2022
I am overwhelmed with gratitude today and thrilled to tell you all that I have been selected to receive an Honorary American Degree from the FFA this October at the National Convention. I owe big thanks all around for this honor, starting right her in my hometown of Kuna, Idaho. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: OFI_1464_Tuesday_Episode_-_81522_5.44_PM.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Mon, 15 August 2022
My journey to hosting the Off-Farm Income Podcast all began with me becoming a business owner. That original business was named Idaho Gopher Control, and i used compressed carbon monoxide to exterminate gophers for farmers. Prior to purchasing the equipment and starting the business I did my research, and part of that research included asking some questions to a gentleman named Rod Zehr who lived about 50 miles away from me in Ontario, Oregon. Rod used these machines and had a successful business, and he was kind enough to take the time to meet with me. Today, I am honored to welcome Rod's son, Tanner Zehr, onto the show. Tanner is a senior at Vale High School in Vale, Oregon and at age 18 he has a decade of gopher extermination under his belt already. He has learned a ton about the machinery, the business and about hard work. On today's episode I get the opportunity to reminisce about the gopher business and hear from a young man who has been inspired to entrepreneurship and is about to begin his journey! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Gopher Extermination HIGH SCHOOL: Vale High School; Vale, Oregon MASCOT: Vikings FFA ADVISOR: Anna Chamberlain CONTACT INFORMATION FOR TANNER ZEHR: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Vale High School website:
Tanner's FFA Advisor's Email Address: achamberlain@valesd.org Vale High School Telephone Number: 541.473.3181 FFA LINKS: Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) 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:
More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald: |
Sat, 13 August 2022
Tip Of The Week Don’t forget that this life is about community. Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/goats-allegedly-stolen-from-highland-high-school/ https://tscra.org/crime-watch-calves-missing-near-wills-point/?fbclid=IwAR0OZcwobvKtZ1BXdUkwxesO2hG0tjQsstMmLdf4LMiyLOXLpCQXl5FgMZc Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/dorset/news/police-appeal-man-kicked-head-horse-dorchester/ https://www.southwestfarmer.co.uk/news/20622528.keep-trailer-safe-theft-targetted/ https://www.norfolklive.co.uk/news/norfolk-news/norfolk-farmers-targeted-burglars-cctv-7449476 Africa https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-222258.html https://www.newsday.co.zw/2022/08/rustler-forced-to-eat-raw-goat-meat/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: OFI_1462_Rural_Crime_-_81222_5.54_PM.mp3
Category:rural crime -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Fri, 12 August 2022
Have you ever gone to a wedding in somebody's old barn, loved the venue, had a great time and later asked your spouse, "why don't we do that"? It looks simple doesn't it? Most people don't have land or barns, so, if you have one, the other or both, why wouldn't people just flock to your property and pay you thousands of dollars to have their weddings there? Our guest today, Lea Cahill, has gone through this entire process from first thought to six months worth of bookings and great success. In today's interview she will talk with us about starting this business, the mistakes she has made and she will share some great tips on protecting yourself from liability. If that were not enough she will talk about how to deal with alcohol consumption, liability insurance, what to demand from customers and what to demand from venders. This really is a treasure chest of great information on the realities and pitfalls of this type of business. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1461-Lea_Cahill-COMM_15_19-073122.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Thu, 11 August 2022
On today's re-cap episode we are going back into the archives into one of my trips out to North Carolina to speak at the University Of Mount Olive. While I was there I was lucky enough to visit the Broadslab Distillery and hear a great story of entrepreneurship and full-time farming. I'm happy to bring this interview with Jeremy Norris back to you today. The original show notes are below. SHOW NOTESKEY IDEAS:This show is all about finding a way to stay on the farm full time, or at least as much as possible, through entrepreneurship. Our guest today is the epitome of doing just this. Jeremy Norris has been entrepreneurial for a long time. He built up a couple of good body and paint businesses as well as some investment properties. He could have clearly just held on to the businesses and the rentals with a nice, passive income coming in from all of that. However, his goal to farm his families land was too strong. He ended up selling his investment properties and one of his auto body businesses to purchase the family farm that has been in his family since the 1840's. Jeremy had learned from his grandfather that in order to pay for an expensive piece of farmland you had to get creative with what you are selling. His grandfather did it with a roadside vegetable stand, but then the interstate came in and took the drive by traffic away. So, that option was out for Jeremy. Jeremy decided that he would follow another family tradition, making corn liquor. He now grows his own corn for making the whisky, and he adds a lot of value to the corn with the fermenting. The moonshine brings in customers for what is now a fantastic agri-tourism business. He has found ways to double or triple the revenue off of everything he does with multiple markets and back up markets. It's really a remarkable story ADVICE FROM JEREMY: CARDS: Don't play all of your cards on one hand. Test your ideas before you go "all in" on it. BACKUP: Always have a backup plan, just in case the first idea doesn't go your way. REVENUE: Make sure to create additional revenue streams as soon as you can, so you are not overly reliant on just one source. BEST BUSINESS ADVICE JEREMY HAS RECEIVED: "Stay Conservative, Be Creative & Think Things Through" PERSONAL HABIT THAT HELPS JEREMY SUCCEED: Jeremy will stay at his location until late at night until he is satisfied that everything is put away, tidy and correct for the next day.....every day. CONTACT INFORMATION AND LINKS: Website: LINK Email: LINK LISTEN TO US ON SATELLITE RADIO! WE ARE CONTRIBUTORS TO "FFA TODAY" ON RURAL RADIO SIRIUS XM CHANNEL 147! "FFA Today" airs on Rural Radio Sirius XM Channel 147 Saturdays at 7:30 AM Eastern and Sundays at 6:30 PM Eastern. Please let RURAL RADIO know that you like hearing us on their channel! Here is how to contact them and leave feedback: Email: zacht@rfdtv.com Website: RuralRadio147.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/RURALRADIO147
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1460_Recap_Of_Episode_483_Jeremy_Norris-COMM_39_59-072122.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Wed, 10 August 2022
When you are young, you have energy, and you might as well take advantage of it! That is very true for today's guest, Lane Willard. Lane is between his 9th and 10th Grade years right now, and he has one year of FFA under his belt. And, he has been busy. In addition to working on his families farm, he is playing sports, raising his own livestock, farming his own ground and participating in the FFA. Lane and his family have been farming this ground for three generations now. In the late summer is when Lane really feels the heat. Right at the time that he is getting his pigs and heifers to the fair, football practice begins. So, he has football practice in the heat, farm work after practice and animals to take care of at fair. Luckily his coach, his family and his community support the FFA and everyone understands.
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1459_Lane_Willard-COMM_5_55-032022.mp3
Category:FFA -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Tue, 9 August 2022
I've got nothing but gratitude for you in this episode. We just hit 2 million downloads, and my mind is blown! I've known this was coming for some time, but I don't think it really hit me until I actually saw the number on the screen. What makes this more unbelievable is that we just celebrated hitting our one millionth download in August of 2021. So, it took us 7 years to hit one million and just one year more to hit two million! Thank you all so very much! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: OFI_1458_Tuesday_Episode_-_8822_4.24_PM.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Mon, 8 August 2022
All summer we have been profiling students transitioning from their 9th to their 10th grade years in the FFA. These interviews are a lot of fun to do because if I can ask just the right question I can tap into area of expertise that are already developed in these young students. Our guest today is Hayven Smethurst. She has a lot of involvement in the FFA. She joined because she thought it would help her to advocate for agriculture, and she took action. She did this by recruiting her friends, who are not involved in agriculture, to join the FFA with her. She believes through these efforts she can expose more people to agriculture and help to bring people into this industry to keep it going into the future. So far she has successfully recruited three people to join her chapter who otherwise would not have done that! In addition to her advocacy efforts Hayven loves animals and raises several different species at her home. She also works with dairy cattle on her grandparents dairy, and she shows dairy cattle for a nearby dairy with registered Holsteins. If fitting, training and showing 8 head of Holsteins in a summer were not enough, she also shows horses and keeps 8 of her own. When I started asking Hayven about showing horses and being successful in the arena, her knowledge and expertise really started to shine. She had a lot of great information for any future or current exhibitor who wants to show horses and has goals of improving their performance. Hayven's passion for the equine shone through in the interview so strongly that I titled the episode "how to succeed showing horses"! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Equine & Dairy Production HIGH SCHOOL: Seneca High School; Seneca, Wisconsin MASCOT: Royals FFA ADVISOR: Brigid Leofeoholz CONTACT INFORMATION FOR HAYVEN SMETHURST: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Seneca High School website:
Hayven's FFA Advisor's Email Address: bloeffelholz@seneca.k12.wi.us Seneca High School Telephone Number: 608-737-9177 FFA LINKS: Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) 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:
More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1457_Hayven_Smethurst-COMM_9_39.mp3
Category:FFA -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Sat, 6 August 2022
Tip Of The Week Is there a way to make your livestock stand out if stolen? Rural Crime In The U.S. https://etvnews.com/udaf-issues-warning-rising-number-of-stolen-livestock-and-livestock-killings/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://mydroll.com/rural-crime-wave-forces-farmers-to-paint-their-flocks/ https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/padstow-farmer-angry-been-made-7419195 Africa https://dailytrust.com/woman-65-killed-buried-on-her-farm https://zwnews.com/stock-theft-man-39-juvenile-15-steal-8-herds-of-cattle-from-neighbour/ https://www.gistmania.com/talk/topic,541882.0.html Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://kgab.com/weld-county-father-and-son-busted-for-allegedly-stealing-hay/ https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/crime/two-sought-in-three-burglaries/
Direct download: OFI_1456_Rural_Crime_-_8522_4.09_PM.mp3
Category:rural crime -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Fri, 5 August 2022
I am sure you have heard it said before that farmers take great care of everything: livestock, soil, crops, equipment - except they neglect themselves. This neglect can come in the form of nutrition, exercise and mental well being. In fact, even though farming is associated with very difficult, manual labor, with a lot of the technology that is available today to farmers, it can be a very sedentary job at times. Our guest today, Amanda Nigg, has always been into sports and fitness in one way or another. When she launched her career in the insurance industry in South Dakota she was introduced to her husband who was a fifth generation farmer. Soon, she found herself living a life that was the complete opposite of what she has envisioned.....and loving it! Amanda did not allow living in a very rural part of the country to diminish her passion for fitness and working out, and then a personal catastrophe happened - their newly constructed home burnt to the ground. Shortly after this occurred the entire country shut down due to Covid. Amanda found herself strongly relying on exercise and fitness to manage her mental well being as she and her husband worked their way through this time. This was the inspiration for her to begin Farm Fit Momma, her fitness and mental well being coaching business. Amanda went for it, 100%, and her business has taken off. Now she has been featured on RFDTV, several podcasts and radio. She has a huge network of farmer followers and social media and she has more people applying to be a client of her business than she can serve. We are lucky enough to have her tell her story on today's episode! More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1455-Amanda_Nigg-COM__16_47-073022.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:00am MDT |
Thu, 4 August 2022
On tomorrow's ag business episode I am profiling an entrepreneur who is staying fit on her farm. I thought bringing back this episode with Dolly Denson, "The Fit Stock Show Mom", was the perfect segue into this business interview. Today, Dolly has grown her business even more and is the host of the "Be The Mom Movement Podcast". The original show notes are below. SHOW NOTESKEY IDEAS: Those of us that work in agriculture, and especially those of us that are working towards a future in agriculture are very busy. We are either totally devoted to the farm or business that we now have started, or we have pinpoint focus on how we are going to achieve that dream and are doing everything we can to reach it. Focus and passion are wonderful things, but they can pull you away from a balanced life. In the end, it does not matter if you have accomplished a major dream, if the rest of your life is left neglected and in shambles. The first thing to usually get neglected when we find this focus is ourselves. And the first part of ourselves to get neglected is usually our physical health. There has to be somebody, somewhere who understands us and how difficult it can be to find time to pursue better physical health. Well, let me introduce you Dolly Densen - The Fit Stock Show Mom. Here is someone who comes from our shared experiences and has figured out a system to help all of us find the time and ability to eat well and exercise, even when we are busy and on the go. Dolly is a health and fitness coach who lives in our agricultural world. Specifically, she has children who show animals all over the State of Texas, and she knows what kind of challenges that brings for parents. She has figured out how to tailor a health and fitness plan to the needs of us in agriculture through careful selection of workouts and nutritional programs. Dolly is now a sponsor of the Off-Farm Income Podcast. So, you will hear me singing her praises every week. Autumm and I are participating in her program, but for very different reasons. Autumm is in great shape, and wants to be in even better shape. I am am the typical person who has been so focused on my other projects that I am out of shape.......and I need help! Thanks goodness for Dolly! I hope you enjoy Dolly's passion and enthusiasm in this episode. There is a lot of good information here not just about fitness, but also about how she identified her niche in agriculture and has been able to turn it into a business that she can do from anywhere. Dolly is definitely an Off-Farm Income producer, and you will enjoy her story. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1454_Recap_Of_Episode_222_Dolly_Denton-COMM_19_14-072122.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Wed, 3 August 2022
When I conducted my interview with Carter Ollendick it was right before he and his parliamentary procedure team departed for a competition. Naturally, I asked him about his participation in both the Conduct Of Meetings team as well as the Parli team during the interview, and he had something interesting to say. He told me that he would recommend participation in these teams to incoming FFA students because they teach you to give your own opinion and argument in a given situation, and they force you to learn to how stick to what you believe and back that up. This is just one more of the many life and career skills that students learn in the FFA. Carter comes from a rich tradition of FFA participation in his family, and even though he just finished his 9th grade year of school, he already had four years of experience because he was able to begin in the 6th Grade. It is always interesting interview students who were able to begin in middle school, because they are ahead of the game when they get to high school. Carter has been showing livestock for many years now, starting in the 4H and continuing into the FFA in middle school. At this point he has a lot of experience showing cattle, pigs and sheep. So, last year his parents suggested that he try something new. He agreed, and he grew a pumpkin patch. Then he set up two roadside stands and sold his pumpkins on the honor system. He reports that it went very well.
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1453_Carter_Ollendick-COMM_6_10-031222.mp3
Category:FFA -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Tue, 2 August 2022
There are a lot of horrible stories out there right now about the natural disasters that our fellow humans, and more specifically, our fellow farmers and ranchers, are experiencing. If you are not going through these dramatic hardships, and you have tinges of guilt about "why not me" or "why am I so lucky", you are not dealing with something abnormal. This is probably a very low form of what is known as "survivor's guilt". More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: OFI_1452_Tuesday_Episode_-_8122_3.30_PM.mp3
Category:farming -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
Mon, 1 August 2022
Everyone likes to joke about sibling fights, sibling rivalries, etc. And, of course, there is a little bit of truth in every joke or it just wouldn't be funny. However, many of the students that I get to interview on the show live way out on farms or in very small towns where their siblings might be the only other kids around. And, when they are being brought up in a farming and/or ranching situation together they might not just be siblings but also coworkers. So, when does it make sense to partner up with your sister or brother? Our guest today, Brooklyn Buck, is just one of those students. She is between her 9th and 10th grade year of high school this summer, and her younger sister is between her 6th and 7th grade year of middle school. Brooklyn will be starting her fourth year of FFA, and her sister will be starting her first. With all of that said, they have been partners in a herd of cattle for several years now, and they both love it. So much so that they are keeping all their heifers and trying to grow the size of their herd every year. Brooklyn brings up a lot of positive reasons that partnering with her sister has been beneficial to her. She is also not afraid to admit that they fight and disagree frequently as well. However, the most compelling part of the argument she has might just be calving season. Earlier this year they did the bulk of their calving in February, and this meant getting up multiple times throughout the night, in the cold, to check on heifers. However, with them being partnered they can split those duties, and each of them gets more sleep. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Brooklyn's Heifers HIGH SCHOOL: AHSTW High School; Avoca, Iowa MASCOT: Vikings FFA ADVISOR: Jennifer Sellner CONTACT INFORMATION FOR BROOKLYN BUCK: Click on the picture below to be taken to the AHSTW High School website:
Brooklyn's FFA Advisor's Email Address: jennifer.sellner@ahstwschools.org AHSTW High School Telephone Number: 712-343-6364 FFA LINKS: Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) 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:
More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:
Direct download: Off_Farm_Income--Episode_1451-Brooklyn_Puck-COMM_6_08-030522.mp3
Category:FFA -- posted at: 12:30am MDT |
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