Off-Farm Income

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. Penn State is a very storied and very well known university, but did you know it all started with agriculture?  On today's Ag College Episode we get to delve into that history and see what it has become throughout the entire commonwealth campus system.  Hundreds of opportunities await agriculture students in State College, Pennsylvania and we have four great guests to tell you about all them!

Tip Of The Week Coast To Coast, we need to protect copper wire Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-hay-bales-set-on-fire-kingfisher-garfield-county/61195550 https://www.wymt.com/2024/06/26/police-laurel-county-looking-stolen-atvs/ https://www.wgmd.com/dsp-looking-to-identify-suspects-in-thefts-of-copper-wire-from-farm-irrigation/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cherokee-county-sheriff-s-office-seeks-info-in-tractor-theft/ar-BB1kiflB?ocid=feedsansarticle Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/brazen-burglar-raided-kent-farms-for-£55k-equipment-then-fooled-victims-to-sell-it-on/ar-AA1f5pWH?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1 https://farmersforum.com/cattle-heist-75-black-angus-vanish-from-quebec-farm/ https://www.beefcentral.com/news/repeat-offender-pleads-guilty-to-aggravated-cruelty-to-livestock/ Africa https://www.thezimbabwemail.com/law-crime/former-deputy-minister-arrested-for-alleged-theft-of-farm-equipment/#google_vignette https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/amp/crop/article/2001497825/siaya-farmers-abandon-maize-after-dismal-yields-turn-to-fruit-farming Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/mccordsville-man-allegedly-steals-car-joyrides-tractor-before-being-found-urinating-in-roadway-in-bartholomew-county/ar-BB1nsGXD?ocid=BingNewsVerp&apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1 https://www.missourivalleytimes.com/stories/moorhead-man-arrested-in-pisgah,55572  

Ryan Yoder and his family are full-time, first generation farmers in Vermont.  Sitting in a picturesque valley in the west/central part of the state they grow fruit, vegetables, meat chickens and corn.  They turn a lot of what they grow and what their neighbors grow into value added products such as popped popcorn and apple cider vinegar, and they have a number of sales outlets as well as revenue streams. In today's episode Ryan will tell us all about his journey, his philosophy on farming and how growing up in Nepal influenced his life today!  

How about sub-contracting as a corporate pilot as your form of off-farm income?  Seem impossible?  I would have thought it was unrealistic until I interviewed today's guest, Andrew Ambrose. Andrew owns his own business, Fly Twins LLC, and he farms 750 acres in Southeast Missouri in addition to that.  If that is not enough, he also owns his own excavating company.  As Andrew put it, it would not be uncommon to see him flying a corporate customer across the country in the morning and driving a combine that evening.  This is an interesting way to producing off-farm income.  

Well, there is at least one more farm update episode to come, and I'll explain that in today's show.  I will also touch on our hot weather, irrigation, our creek, wildfires and what in the world the episode title is all about.  

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. Northwest Oklahoma State University sits in a small town and rural county, and it is poised to give you exactly the agricultural education and college experience that you are looking for.  There is something special about going to college in a small community that wraps itself around its university, and I believe that Alva, Oklahoma is one of these places.  If that were not enough, the many activities for students, including "Howdy Week" and "Bahama Breakaway" create bookends to a school year full of opportunity.  If you are looking for the place that you will fit and can complete your degree without debt, this is probably the perfect fit!

Tip Of The Week Be careful what driveway you turn into Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/crime/butte-county-illegal-marijuana-farm/103-221e7bc8-a5ee-466b-9f88-25d6864780a9 https://www.delcotimes.com/2024/06/19/investigators-say-sleighton-farm-school-fire-was-arson-ask-for-publics-help/ https://www.magnoliareporter.com/news_and_business/regional_news/article_c851392c-2e11-11ef-ba57-b79fbac7ef20.html Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/staffordshire/south-staffordshire/2024/06/17/police-hunt-6000-horsebox-stolen-from-lay-by-off-a-road/ https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/was-ramming-escaped-cow-the-only-way-to-keep-public-safe?utm_campaign=Best of Farmers Weekly email 66&utm_content=R ead more&utm_term=https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/was-ramming-escaped-cow-the-only-way-to-keep-public-safe&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Farmers Weekly Africa https://neweralive.na/posts/stock-theft-accused-denies-guilt https://www.citizen.co.za/northern-natal-news/news-headlines/dundee-courier/2024/06/21/dundee-saps-farmers-apprehend-stock-thief/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.ktiv.com/2024/06/20/pocahontas-man-arrested-multiple-charges-livestock-theft/ https://www.kezi.com/news/local/man-charged-in-alleged-theft-of-nearly-100-000-from-lane-county-livestock-association/article_d21aa7b4-2f28-11ef-b695-abef9b7b3a92.html

On today's show I am speaking with Peter Dalton.  Peter owns the company, "Hunt Country Wildlife Removal" in Loudoun County, Virginia.  This is a side business that kind of started by accident.  Peter taught himself how to trap, and along the way started trapping for friends and neighbors when they had nuisance animals.  Pretty soon he was doing a lot of trapping, and he finally started charging people for the service. Through word of mouth the business has grown and grown.  Peter is very busy with this side business these days, and he and his wife are also developing their farmstead.  He has a lot of great advice on equipment to use, how to work in urban areas and what you can do in rural areas.  I learned about a method of trapping foxes and coyotes in the episode that I never heard about, and you will benefit from this as well!

This is our second to last farm update episode, and today is just that....a farm update.  

Obviously, the reason that I started interviewing FFA students was their involvement in entrepreneurship.  The way that the FFA facilitates exposure and learning in entrepreneurship is second to none.  And, as the title of this episode suggests it really is an entrepreneurship incubator. That is very apparent in our interview with today's guest, Jenna Spangler.  Jenna is a very competitive person, and upon joining the FFA she found that this organization served her competitive spirit very well.  Through a myriad of different contests and competitions, she found exactly what she was looking for.  Then the day came that she wanted to go on a mission trip and needed to raise $150 to make this happen.  Jenna decided that she would make ice cream and sell it to people for the fundraiser and actually pre-sold what she needed to raise.  

Today is all about the "Built Ford Tough Dealer Scholarship".  Special thanks to listener, Joel Nickerson, the general manager of Butler Ford in Ashland, Oregon for reaching out to me with this information. Here is the link to the scholarship sign up form: https://analytics.clickdimensions.com/cn/aunbc/ford2023  

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. Ridgewater College has the most unique and intriguing internship program that I have profiled to date.  And, even though there is no student housing, the options for students to house in Willmar are different than any I have heard of before as well.  Aside from this, Ridgewater offers excellent opportunities to learn about agriculture, establish your agricultural career or get you started towards your four year agricultural degree.  

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Today's episode highlights how the FFA can put another tool, the tool of entrepreneurship, in a student's arsenal.  Elyce Burzlaff is mid-way through her sophomore year of high school.  Last May a guest speaker came to her school and spoke with the FFA students.  During that discussion, Elyce and her classmates were challenged to come up with an entrepreneurial idea.  This led Elyce down a path of thinking of ways she could create revenue and determining what resources were at her disposal.  Then she remembered that her mom had some equipment that could be used for making shirts.

What do all these great folks with different passions have in common?  Cambridge, Idaho is the answer and I will explain why in today's show.    

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I have a list of businesses that I like to revisit and get different perspectives from different business owners on.  The business of manure spreading is on that list.  There is a wide range of complexity in this business.   Everywhere that anyone raises livestock there is the need to deal with manure.  If you live in the Northeast you might just be dealing with small farmyards.  A tractor with a bucket and a PTO driven manure spreader might be all the equipment you need for your business. And then there is the Midwest and all of the cattle on feed plus the massive fields of crop ground that are there.  To run a manure spreading business in this region you need big equipment and a lot of it. In today's interview I get to speak with Chadd Schmidt, one of the owners of 4 Bar S Inc.  4 Bar S is a manure spreading and pen cleaning business that Chadd's parents started in the 1980's.  Today they are running top of the line, triple axle, manure spreaders that can haul up to 48 ton.  And they have four of them!

We celebrated Hattie's high school graduation starting last Wednesday with the ceremony on Thursday and party on Saturday.  That has been all encompassing and is the topic of today's Farm Update.  

I don't know if you have noticed, but his show is about non-conformists and people who look at the world a different way.  All of us fit that definition a little bit by the mere fact that we want to farm and only 2% of our population is in that career field.  But what about that person that says "why do I have to do it that way"? Today's guest, Ben Rykerd, is that person.  Ben is now 29 years old.  He describes himself as having a "travel bug" and he has known this since he was a kid.  So, as high school was coming to a close Ben didn't just take the next prescribed step in the journey, he stopped and asked himself what type of life he wanted to have.

Today's Farm Update Episode includes a large announcement about the future of the Off-Farm Income Podcast.  I hope you will all tune in and share this moment with me.

Tip Of The Week Install a driveway alarm Rural Crime In The U.S. https://abc45.com/news/local/thomasville-police-name-suspect-from-april-tractor-theft-truecrime-northcarolina https://www.dailygazette.com/police-thoroughbred-stolen-from-coxsackie-horse-farm/article_681ab881-bafe-5eaf-b793-94726626f9e6.html Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.clare.fm/news/witnesses-sought-bales-hay-stolen-south-east-clare-farm/ https://www.inverelltimes.com.au/story/8621253/bundarra-farmers-battle-40-year-theft-crisis/ https://www.9news.com.au/national/three-charged-after-300-cows-allegedly-stolen/3f915918-78a0-4628-829e-c56602d6cb3e https://www.farmersjournal.ie/news/news/five-lambs-stolen-in-co-kerry-817974 Africa https://www.mmegi.bw/news/five-in-court-for-stock-theft/news https://htxt.co.za/2024/05/how-tech-is-helping-fight-cattle-theft-in-eastern-cape/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/two-men-caught-stealing-75-pounds-of-oranges-from-a-hawaii-farm-cops/ar-AA1gyxTZ?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1 https://www.agdaily.com/livestock/texas-men-guilty-horse-theft/  

Lynn & Jesse Frey are the owners of Life Root Farm in Stanley, Wisconsin.  These are two people who are definitely listening to and following their inner voices.  Lynn grew up with a mother who was passionate about gardening, and Lynn thought that she would never want to do that.  However, somewhere along the line it clicked and she found herself wanting grow fresh and healthy food for her family.  Jesse grew up on a dairy and was encouraged by his father to go get an education and do something different than farming.  He followed that path but eventually felt himself called back to agriculture. Today they are in the midst of transitioning from a CSA based business model to one that is centered around growing and marketing heirloom seeds.  With four children to raise and mentor, they are showing them how rewarding a life on the land that connects with nature can be.

I am starting to think that plant breeders are born, not made.  At least every time I interview a young man or woman with this passion it appears that is correct.  In today's interview I am speaking with a junior in high school that has already obtained $10,000 in funding to begin an apple orchard on his high school's property.  Gabe Olson-Jensen is our featured guest, and look at this list of accomplishments: Started working at a local orchard at age 12 Grafted his first trees at age 12 Obtained land at his school start a 1/4 acre apple orchard in 2020 Applied for and received a $1,000 SAE grant in 2020 Applied for and recieved $9,000 in funding from USDA SARE in 2020 Purchased 200 apple trees and trellising and began the orchard in 2020 Using integrated pest management to sustain and grow the fruit trees Gabe really has an amazing story as so many of these seed breeders do.  Today, we will profile it all for you!

Olivia Vanderwalt is the reporter for the Lee County FFA Chapter, and is just finishing her junior year of high school.  She has a very interesting and unique story.  Part of the story I have heard before.  She grew up in a neighborhood and not on a farm.  So, when she wanted to join the FFA, with no agricultural background, in the 6th Grade her mom wasn't so sure.  So far, there is nothing unusual about this story as parents who aren't familiar with the FFA often wonder why their kids want to get involved in agriculture. However, there is a twist.  Olivia's mom grew up in England, and her dad grew up in South Africa.  Both of them were exploring the world by taking positions in physical therapy when they met in Florida, and this led them to get married, start a family and settle down in Leesburg.  This has to be the most unique origin story in this town! Luckily for the FFA, Olivia's mom consented, and Olivia has been significantly engaged in the FFA since 6th Grade.  She is hoping to become her chapter's president during her senior year, and she has been showing dairy heifers and working on a dairy for her SAE for several years.  She also works at her local zoo and gets to educate people about animals and reptiles, allowing them to touch and handle the animals from time to time.  

Today I have a farm update for you, and a discussion about the many benefits of direct marketing our beef that I never thought about.  This is not the farm business model that I dreamed of in my youth, but it has turned out to be a lucrative and rewarding model that I really enjoy....  

Tip Of The Week You have to lead vehicles when you throw oranges at them Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/05/07/car-hit-by-flying-orange-in-los-gatos/ https://www.klkntv.com/wanted-man-caught-after-asking-for-gas-at-southeast-nebraska-home-authorities-say/ https://www.magnoliastatelive.com/2024/05/06/more-than-200000-worth-of-stolen-agricultural-equipment-recovered-by-mississippi-authorities/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.questmedianetwork.co.uk/news/glossop-chronicle/50000-raised-to-help-farmer-accused-of-killing-burglar/ https://www.radiokerry.ie/news/gardai-appeal-for-information-after-over-e1000-worth-of-livestock-stolen-in-mid-kerry-382760 https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/roughly-70k-worth-of-pistachios-stolen-in-wilmot-second-nut-related-vehicle-theft-in-region-police-1.6735863?cache=khgvxzimi?clipId=373266 https://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/24301173.rural-crime-team-recover-stolen-quads-two-arrested/ Africa https://dailytrust.com/19-year-old-charged-with-burglary/ https://www.algoafm.co.za/local/suspects-arrested-with-stolen-sheep-inside-getaway-vehicle Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.reporterherald.com/2024/04/09/masonville-man-arrested-for-allegedly-killing-livestock/ https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/crime/hammond-man-arrested-for-stealing-168-animals-louisiana-agriculture-forestry/289-f6906725-be47-4ad0-8446-fd7ad766c17f  

Bryan Buerkle grew up on his families farm in Eastern Montana learning many valuable lessons about the struggle that farmers face trying create a sustainable business model in this world.  Working full-time on his families farm was not a viable option when he finished high school, and he had to look for other alternatives.  College and engineering was the path he chose, and it led him all around the world designing and building tractors for John Deere. Today, Bryan is back in Montana and he is devoting himself to helping farmers to create a business model that will see them through.  He and his partners have started Farm Pro, which is an online business designed to help small to medium sized farmers find available revenue that would otherwise be hidden from them.  Farm Pro is currently focused on farmers who have one to a few trucks capable of hauling commodities, and connecting them with farmers and businesses who need those commodities hauled. This is the beginning of this start up business, and it is moving towards a day that it connects farmers who can offer a wide array of services to people who need those services in their surrounding communities and regions.  If you are considering starting your own business as the method of creating your off-farm income, this is an interview that could prove very beneficial to you.  

In agriculture when we hear the word pivot we usually think of 120-400 acres of irrigated ground.  An automated sprinkler system that is self-driven, applying a precise amount of water to a crop or pasture. If you are a small business owner that services agriculture you need to know about another pivot.  This is the catch phrase used by so many in the business “start up” community.  To “pivot” means to change direction in your business to adapt to changing market conditions, new technology or new information and ideas that you can only obtain after you have started your business and got in the game. Those of us in agriculture are pretty practical people.  Most business information is written for those who work in the city, work online and don't get their hands dirty.  The truth is farmers and those who serve farmers have been “pivoting” for years.  We just called it “common sense”.  When things changed it was pretty apparent that we needed to change with them.

Peyton Gay is the sentinel for the Deane Bozeman FFA Chapter, and he is a remarkable young man.  A natural athlete, gifted student and very hard worker Peyton has managed to put together an FFA and high school experience that will be rivaled by few. Peyton has grown up on his grandparent's farm in Northern Florida that they purchased because of their love for animals of all types.  Never having a profit motive, Peyton's grandmother has cared for and rescued multiple different species of wildlife and livestock on the farm since it first began.  This is how Peyton grew up as well, and it led to his supervised agricultural experience raising, incubating and giving away Sebastopol Geese, which are listed as a threatened species. This influence has resulted in Peyton pursuing a career as a veterinarian.  He is also pursuing his dream of playing football for Texas A&M in College Station.  He has been awarded a "walk on scholarship" which means that all of his football activities will be paid for but not his academics.  However, Peyton believes that through his academics and pursuits in the FFA that he will be able to have a full-ride academic scholarship!  It is an amazing story and one that I am really looking forward to seeing develop from an academic as well as an athletic perspective.

On today's show I "accidentally" talked for thirty minutes about how we used real estate to create our current situation.  Basically, as I was starting the farm update show, something caused me to veer onto this tangent, and a half hour later I had given a blue print on how to purchase a farm in your late thirties by investing in real estate starting in your twenties. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:      

Abigail Harrison loves to inspire others, and that is what has driven her to start her own business - Abigail Grace Woodworking.  In a business like this you might think it is the craft, the profit or the marketing that would be the driver.  However, in Abby's case she loves going to different SAE sales, setting up a booth and speaking with other FFA students who see what she has done and want to know how to do it themselves. Abby has the rare ability to really listen to what is right for her.  During her 9th Grade year she had a journalism SAE, and she was creating a website.  However, something didn't feel right about that.  She really thought about what she wanted to do, and it occurred to her that she wanted to work with her hands and have a tangible creation to hold when she was done.  That is how she got started creating products, and that is what has opened the doors for her in her SAE.

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. Chico State University is the agricultural college that I almost went to.  I have told the story on the show before, but in today's interview I finally get to verify!  As it turns out, CSU Chico would have been a fantastic place to study agriculture.  It is in a great part of California, has a great climate and has an outstanding school farm with the opportunity to learn multiple different aspects of livestock, permanent crop and row crop agriculture.  And, it is a very affordable university, especially by California standards. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:     

Tip Of The Week Understanding what motivates thieves can help us stop rural crime Rural Crime In The U.S. https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/hay-donated-to-beaverhead-co-abused-animals-stolen-from-fairgrounds https://wbontv.com/madison-county-sheriffs-office-investigating-tractor-theft/ https://dentonrc.com/news/crime/blotter/denton-man-reports-trainer-refuses-to-return-his-65k-horses/article_2899398a-6ba3-56be-b31c-4b46b75af5fe.html https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/thieves-steal-hive-containing-thousands-of-bees-from-home-in-the-oakland-hills/ar-AA1nWLWy https://www.wlox.com/2024/04/30/pearl-river-county-family-left-with-questions-why-cattle-bulls-were-stolen-their-ranch/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/crime/police-appeal-after-12-cows-and-bulls-stolen-from-farm-near-derbyshire-town-4612562 https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/derbyshire-dog-attack-leaves-farmer-with-2k-in-damages/ Africa https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/rural-crisis-as-livestock-theft-bleeds-farmers-dry/ https://gazettengr.com/23-killed-44-injured-in-violent-clashes-over-cattle-theft/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys http://www.fillmoregazette.com/front-page/farm-watch-collaboration-results-one-arrest-repeat-offender#google_vignette https://ca.style.yahoo.com/news/man-arrested-21-tons-pistachios-164247894.html    

Kasey Neely and her husband, Kyle, live in Eastern Illinois on their 32 acre farm.  There they raise and sell grass fed beef, pastured poultry, eggs and they are considering raising and selling pastured pork.  Kasey is a strong advocate for buying local and supporting your local farmer.  On today's episode we will discuss their journey to becoming farm owners, how not growing up on a farm influences the manner in which you design your farming model and pacing yourself no matter how excited you get about what you could possibly do on your land.

There is a lot of content in today's interview.  I was first drawn to this guest because of a referral by one of our listeners, Dave Lehman, because our guest was selling products to assist people with raising and processing chickens.  However, during the interview I found out a lot more about this guest. Mike Badger has worked in corporate America, and he grew up believing that was the way that life worked.  However, he later decided that it did not have to be that way.  He and his wife decided to farm right then and there.  

Natalie Rider is the third generation of her family in the horse business on the Circle T Ranch in Celina, Ohio.  Her grandfather, who always had a passion for horses, purchased this property in 1995 in the midst of his truck driving career.  Then he started building a horse business. Natalie was first put on horseback when she was 6 months old, and somewhere along the line she developed the same passion.  Today, if she is not at school or sleeping she at her grandparents ranch working in the horse business.  Today she trains client horses, gives riding lessons, feeds and cleans stalls for the boarding business and is coaching an equestrian Special Olympics team of eight competitors.   Natalie knows that she wants to be around horses and her families ranch for her future.  So, she has already identified three universities that she can attend for a bachelor's degree in agriculture that will keep her close to home and working on the ranch!

Our dog brought us a piece of literature about canal breaches last night (literally), and I thought I would discuss this issue on today's Farm Update show.  We will also be discussing: Kidding is over! Selling our bottle kids! First round of irrigation completed already.. Protecting trees from goats More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:    

Hayden Mueller is just finishing his sophomore year of high school and second year of the FFA, and he already has a lot going on.  In addition to farming corn & soybeans with his dad, uncle and brother, he is now leasing his own land to do the same.  In the 8th grade he started his own business in order to make some money, and that has grown into Hayden's Landscaping in which he is providing an array of lawn services to his customers.   It may sound like Hayden is working all the time, but there is another side to his high school experience - music.  Hayden first got introduced to music playing the recorder in elementary school.  Since then, that has grown to him playing guitar, bass guitar and saxophone.  Currently he plays the baritone saxophone in the marching band and pep band at his high school.  

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. On today's episode we are profiling Oklahoma Panhandle State University.  This institution is getting a lot of agriculture started in the right way and onto their future agricultural careers.  OPSU prides itself on being affordable and offering very practical, personalized instruction.  With a student body of just 250, and the team that was assembled for this interview, it is easy to see that they are serious about this commitment.

Tip Of The Week Support your local Sheriff Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.ktsm.com/news/100000-in-cattle-stolen-from-clay-county-ranch-clay-county-sheriffs-office-crime-stoppers/ https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/broome-county/sheriffs-office-needs-your-help-in-a-sanford-burglary-investigation/ https://www.whas11.com/article/news/investigations/focus/copper-wire-lights-out-louisville-kentucky-focus-kentucky-transportation-cabinet-lmpd/417-a05cb9bc-241b-431a-939f-e14584ab762a Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/24261633.powys-livestock-worrying-incident-saw-dog-shot/ https://www.farmersguide.co.uk/rural/rural-crime/two-darlington-men-linked-to-1m-farm-machinery-theft-arrested/ Africa https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/man-found-hanging-dead-after-village-court-convicted-him-of-goat-theft-4595700 https://nairobiwire.com/2024/04/dci-detectives-recover-kes-1-8m-worth-of-stolen-govt-fertiliser-in-kitale.html Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://www.yahoo.com/news/shelby-county-man-charged-livestock-195952643.html https://www.chronline.com/stories/eastern-washington-man-charged-with-stealing-cattle-in-borrowed-honda-to-be-arraigned,336804  

Rick Savoia is the Product Manager for BuyTwoWayRadios.com and the host of The Two Way Radio Show, and he is back for part II of our exploration into GMRS Radio. A few weeks back I did a Tuesday episode about GMRS Radio, why I was using it and my limited knowledge.  Well today, we get to hear from an actual expert, and hopefully correct any mistakes I made in the Tuesday Episode. There is so much information here that I broke this interview into two episodes.  So, today Rick joins me for part 1 of this 2 part series, and we will talk about GMRS and how you can use it for your farming operation as well as for dealing with rural and agricultural crime.  

The technology that is emerging in agriculture is really amazing, and it all points to a future with less rural crime and easier management.  It also brings people into agriculture that may have never believed they would wind up there.  Enter today's guest, David Philpot. You may remember in episode #988 that I interviewed David Smith of Ceres Tag about the rural crime prevention and detection capabilities of this smart ear tag.  As David has been growing his company, he has been speaking to groups about investing with him.  Both David and, well, David, are from Australia, and this is what brought them together.  David Philpot belongs to an investor's group, and during one of their meetings David Smith came to speak with them about investing in Ceres Tag. Not only did David Philpot become an investor, but he realized that a website called Mapipedia, which had been a hobby of his for some time, would be highly useful when paired with Ceres Tag.  So, the two David's began working together and have just completed a mock sheep theft in Australia in which Ceres Tag, coupled with Mapipedia, was able to detect the theft and help law enforcement track down and recover the stolen sheep. On today's episode David Philpot will explain all of the possible uses of Mapipedia in the livestock industry, including better management, bio-security and theft prevention.

Noah Richards is 11 days away from graduating high school and pursing the life he loves, farming.  Noah's parents purchased their own land and had their own dairy infrastructure built after they were married.  They have been dairy farming ever since, and this is how Noah and his sister grew up.  Noah has his sights set on this life as well. After high school graduation he will head to Hawkeye Community College for two years to study agricultural business with the hopes of returning to the farm.  During that two year period, he and his parents will have to assess how this is financially possible.  Is there a way that having Noah on the farm as a full-time employee will increase revenue enough to pay his salary?  This is a problem that many farms and ranches must solve when a child wants to come back. There are no employees on Noah's family dairy.  His sister is now an FFA Advisor, so it is just Noah and his parents taking care of things.  Therefore, there is not an employee position that could be eliminated to make room for Noah.  Expansion?  A new enterprise?  A service business?  What are the options to make this happen?

Today is another farm update episode, and I will be covering: Starting Irrigation Bottle Feeding Lack Of Sleep Grazing Hattie Getting Ready To Graduate

Wyatt DeAth is his chapter's president as was a district reporter, district star winner and state proficiency winner.  All this before he reached his senior year of high school.  This young man can talk farming, and I had a great time talking about it with him in his episode. Wyatt has grown up on his families farm in Eastern Illinois.  He started out driving the grain cart on the farm at a very young age, and when he was home full-time during Covid his dad graduated him to the tractor and the planter.  That was just the beginning.  Soon, he was farming for other operations in the area and using their equipment.  Today, he is leasing 30 acres of his own and growing and selling alfalfa hay. As of right now, farming is what Wyatt is looking forward to in the future.  However, he knows that he is going to get off of the farm for some time first to experience something different, and he realizes that there is a chance that something else might pique his interest. As things stand right now, he will either head to college for a two year degree or hit the road with a harvesting crew when he finishes up in high school.  Either way, and no matter what, he is going to be an asset to agriculture for decades to come.  

For Information Like Degrees Offered, Annual Costs, Etc., Please Click The Banner Below: [caption id="attachment_422192" align="alignleft" width="112"] Jolene Hammock: Outreach & Engagement Coordinator[/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 [caption id="attachment_422194" align="alignright" width="140"] Grant Dutton: Student Ambassador[/caption] might have with agricultural schools at trade show like the National FFA Convention. Today we profile an agricultural college located in a very interesting area of agriculture and American History.  The University of Arkansas at Monticello is right on the crossroads of two different types of agricultural practices as well as two different types of forestry production.  This enables the College Of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources to offer a very wide suite of agricultural experiences and career opportunities to its students. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:    

Tip Of The Week Practice self-sufficiency Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.wbrc.com/2024/04/18/conference-rural-violence-university-alabama-wrapping-up-thursday/ https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/04/18/rural-texas-towns-report-cyberattacks-that-caused-one-water-system-to-overflow/ https://abc7.com/stolen-goats-livestock-ontario-inland-empire-farm/14683692/ Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/8586543/wodonga-man-charged-over-false-hay-baler-theft-report-to-police/ https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/farming/2024/04/19/shropshire-farming-talk-rural-crime-wreaking-havoc-in-community/ Africa https://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/farm-residents-severely-assaulted-in-limpopo-during-robbery-incident-where-money-and-their-property-was-stolen-18621e3b-6ced-4041-81bf-d78be0d35a7b https://www.2oceansvibe.com/2024/04/17/large-scale-maize-theft-is-on-the-rise-in-the-free-state/ Chalk One Up For The Good Guys https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/piedmont-triad/lexington-man-accused-of-stealing-cow-warrants-say/ https://www.wbrz.com/news/west-feliciana-parish-man-arrested-for-theft-of-over-1500-worth-of-livestock/

Rick Savoia is the Product Manager for BuyTwoWayRadios.com and the host of The Two Way Radio Show. A few weeks back I did a Tuesday episode about GMRS Radio, why I was using it and my limited knowledge.  Well today, we get to hear from an actual expert, and hopefully correct any mistakes I made in the Tuesday Episode. There is so much information here that I broke this interview into two episodes.  So, today Rick joins me for part 1 of this 2 part series, and we will talk about GMRS and how you can use it for your farming operation as well as for dealing with rural and agricultural crime.  

A few weeks ago my tip of the week was to use a forensic marking technology, such as Smart Water, to identify your property and to prevent the thefts in the first place.  However, this wasn't actually my tip.  This was a recommendation that a constable in the U.K. had made when he was interviewed about preventing sheep thefts in that country. As I looked into what this technology was, I became very intrigued.  Going down this rabbit hole ultimately led me to Randy Butschillinger, who is our expert guest on today's show.  As you will find out in today's interview, this technology is actually very old and trusted, and it is being used in more places than you might think already.  The applications for this seem endless, and the crime prevention possibilities make me very optimistic!

Abby Neft is the President of a brand new FFA chapter located in Kelliher, Minnesota.  Just 57 miles from the Canadian border, her family has been farming in this very cold area of Minnesota since the 1980's. Abby loves the cattle industry, and she has been building her own herd since she was six years old when her father gave her, her first show heifer.  Since then, she has been retaining her show heifers, having calves and trying to develop genetics that will allow her to produce top notch cattle.  She uses artificial insemination and embryo transfer to do this. With just one year of high school left, Abby's goal is to raise cattle for a living.  If she can do it on the family farm, that is her preference.  However, her sights are set on this happening, either way.  

Today is another farm update episode, and I will be covering: The Farmer's Tax Guide Kidding Update Very Good Farm Help Night Checks The Creek Filling Up More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald: