Agribusiness Conversations

Join myself and John Farris, CEO and Founder, of LandFund Partners to discuss his business model and how LandFund acquires, manages and improves row crop farmland properties in the lower Mississippi River Valley. John's business and managers have deep roots, local relationships and care deeply about the stewardship of the land they invest in. LandFund currently manages over 30,000 acres across its pooled investment vehicles and Direct Investment Accounts. It's an exciting time for LandFund, and I hope Agribusiness Conversations listeners can take part in their investment opportunities!

Farm Flight is a Tucson startup business that saw a need for on demand aerial agriculture mapping services. Farm Flight has been on the podcast before to discuss the advancements in drone technology when it comes to agriculture, its applications, and what the future for drone technology and machine learning software might look like for the industry. Since the first recording on Agribusiness Conversations, Farm Flight has made huge strides in their business. For farmers nationwide this means that they now have access to on demand aerial mapping services with consistent data and prices!

Telecommunications - improving productivity, increasing market access, and expanding marketing options for rural producers. What would our lives and businesses look like without telephones, internet, and the amazing advancements of the communications industry? I don't know! But, I do know this! Without advancements, telecommuting would not be an option, online/direct market sales would not exist, GPS guided tractors would have serious limitations, and social media platforms and marketing would be gone... what a world right? Dive into the latest episode of Agribusiness Conversations with Valley Telecom Cooperative’s CEO, Steve Metts, to understand just how interconnected and evolved the telecommunications industry is and how it impacts us all! 

I have been fascinated by bees since I was a kid. I think it is safe to say most of us were and so was AZ Queen Bee founder Audra Waddle. Audra's expertise is bee rescue and removal. But, she also has some of the most unique honey products I have ever tasted. Join me as I discuss with her how she got started, what she has learned, how her products ended up on grocery store shelves, and what advice she would give to new bee keepers!

What does leadership look like during a pandemic? I dive into that with Sarah Bohnenkamp! We touch base on the challenges we are all facing in our personal lives and professional lives, how to engage in healthy and fruitful conversations with consumers, stepping up online, and why empathy is critical at all times (not just during a crisis). Sarah comes to the Agribusiness Conversations' lineup with executive level leadership in both the banking and agriculture industries. 

What is Copper Star Beef? Well, in short, it's Arizona beef raised by Arizona ranchers harvested for Arizona consumers. However, to give you more information, Copper Star Beef is a voluntary quality standards program focused on genetics for efficiency and marbling, optimal livestock health, and low stress management coupled with Beef Quality Assurance practices to produce a great local product. Join myself and Matt Herrington, the visionary behind Copper Star Beef, to learn more about how you can participate, how it can help your bottom line, and why Matt started working on this in the first place. 

Save Arizona Business was created by Bryan Azeka and a small team of entrepreneurial educators and digital experts located in Chandler, Arizona. They realized immediately that the livelihoods of their local fellow business owners were at stake due to the pandemic and still are at stake as businesses large and small are facing a "new normal".  We are witnessing the largest need for businesses to move online in the internet’s history and Byran and his team of experts wanted to use their unique skill-sets to help. Learn how they can help you and your business today!

It is safe to say we are living in unprecedented times, and that means unusual stressors. Many families are trying to figure out how to home school or go online for school, how to go to the grocery store safely, and how to connect with family virtually. And farm and ranch families are trying to figure out labor issues, supply chain issues, and watching an unpredictable economy and commodities market unfold before their eyes. It’s time like these that I seek the wisdom of my friend, Sherry Saylor - a guidance counselor, a farmer, and a calming voice of reason and friendship.

Join me as I interview, Seth Joel and Charlie Holland,  professional photographers and the creators of the  project, Ranch Raised Kids. They were inspired by the amazing children that they met on ranches in Arizona and the project has expanded to California. The kids photographed are proud to represent the ranching lifestyle. They take Seth and Charlie along with them to do the work that they do every day. Seth's photographs show the reality, not the myth, of contemporary ranching. 

This episode takes a step back in time to 1944 when Hickman's Family Farms was in its infancy. Enjoy as Bill Sr. and Gertie Hickman talk about the Farm's humble beginnings, what they are most proud of, and what business advice they would give to up-and-coming agriculturalists. Sharman, their daughter, has fun stories to share about her childhood responsibilities, what she enjoys most about working in the family business, and both her and her mom share the "secret" family recipe! 

While across the world we are experiencing the realities of a pandemic, the upside is that we are forced to slow down and appreciate the little things like meat in our freezers, a home cooked meal, and the health of our families. My guests on the show this week are from the Arizona Beef Council. I have Lauren Scheller Maehling, Executive Director, and Tiffany Selchow, Director of Social Marketing and Consumer Outreach. As you will learn from the conversation, the beef industry has very little waste and your Beef Checkoff dollars are working hard for you, locally and globally! With all that is going on in the world, I hope you enjoy, and learn, and laugh along this us. P.S. - Stay distant, stay healthy and pull some of that beef out of your freezer!This recipe has been fully verified and taste tested by Lauren: https://beeflovingtexans.com/recipe/everyday-beef-barbacoa/?fbclid=IwAR1v34fB2V3_nzifTcGHGIhj9rDHhYADHAT8dhj6nG8LUgoHMZxUydiTKvo

Hear beginning farmer and rancher business advice from a successful farmer, rancher, and nursery owner/operator, Sharla Mortimer. Sharla's advice is timeless just like her work ethic and love for her family. If there's one thing I have learned from her, it is to always look for a solution outside the box. You'll understand what I mean, as this advice is very relevant to this episode. Enjoy! 

Today’s podcast is an interview with Jill Wilson. Jill is an insurance agent with Farm Bureau Financial Services who specializes in a product for ranchers made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency - Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance. Jill comes from a ranching background herself and has provided numerous educational seminars on the topic. It’s a great listen for anyone curious about the product and how to use it as a tool for your business. 

Giving back to our communities is something that is a priority for most of us. For the founder of Burning Daylight Consulting, Santana Nez, that means giving back to the Navajo Nation and its sister nations. She uses her experience of growing up on the reservation, her knowledge of agriculture, and her education and network to serve as a communicator, thought leader, and agriculture consultant in her local community and across Arizona. 

Want to take your farm to the next level? Farm Flight is a precision agricultural mapping service. Drones are used to fly over fields, taking thousands of pictures to stitch together. From these pictures, infrared data and GPS information can be extracted forming geographical maps that are more accurate than any satellite system in service today. These ultra-precise maps can be used to locate problem areas in fields, even before problems can be seen by the human eye!

The Center for Rural Leadership (Project CENTRL) is all about cultivating passionate educated leaders who provide a voice for and serve rural communities in Arizona. It is an intensive one-year educational journey that gives selected individuals an exceptional personal and professional leadership development experience! Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity which continues to leave a legacy of leaders in Arizona! 

Consumer perception is everything! But, when was the last time you had a conversation with a consumer to understand their purchasing behavior? Trust me, it had been awhile since I talked to a consumer too! My goal with this conversation was just to listen, understand, and get a better feel for the confusion out there. To help Kellie and other consumers understand food facts vs. fears, please engage in the conversation using the comment section. Please keep your comments scientifically based (i.e. peer reviewed and consensus in the science community) and keep them KIND. By engaging in the conversation, you'll be helping other agriculturalists answer the same food and agriculture based questions! 

It's that time of year again - tax season! Listen today to ensure that you're doing everything you can to protect your business, personal finances, and your family. Understand what records you should be keeping, what you can use as deductions, the credits you might be missing, exemptions your business qualifies for, and the reporting options you have to handle the tumultuous markets that agribusinesses face. 

Have you thought about participating in a conservation program for your farm or ranch through the USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)?  If not, you should! Their programs are voluntary, producers are provided technical assistance, and there are applicable tax incentives (these will be discussed in the next episode). By participating in NRCS programs, you could be improving the environment, your agribusiness model, and your bottom line this year. Who wants to miss out on something that good? 

Learn how being involved in your local Conservation District can help you implement conservation practices on your farm or ranch and how working with the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts can help you communicate and coordinate with land management agencies for projects. 

Have you ventured into agritourism to diversify your farm or ranch? Maybe you have thought about it but are scared to take the jump. There are more resources available than you might think. Learn how Ag in the Classroom can help you and your business!