Podcasts about CSA

  • 2,301PODCASTS
  • 6,646EPISODES
  • 45mAVG DURATION
  • 3DAILY NEW EPISODES
  • Sep 30, 2026LATEST

POPULARITY

20192020202120222023202420252026

Categories



Best podcasts about CSA

Show all podcasts related to csa

Latest podcast episodes about CSA

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers
380 Can You Actually CREATE More Demand for Your Farm Products?

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2026 53:11


Can You Actually CREATE More Demand for Your Farm Products? Demand for your farm product often feels like it has a ceiling — but what if that ceiling can actually MOVE? This is part 2 of a two-part series all about Market Demand -- an important element in the sales/marketing formula. In the last episode, I talked about the danger of scaling production before you have enough demand to support it. But that raises an important question: What if you check the demand…and there simply isn't enough yet? Are you stuck with the demand you've got? Marketing can't magically make everyone want what you sell. But there ARE things you can deliberately do to make a product more desirable, move a hesitant customer toward buying, and cultivate more demand over time. In this episode, I'm sharing five demand levers you can experiment with on your farm. We'll talk about: Why limiting something about your offer can actually increase demand Some creative ways to generate buzz and energy around a product that isn't moving How to tap into the power of collaborations and social proof to get more of the right eyeballs on your stuff I'll also share some real examples from Shared Legacy Farms, including some weird, fun and unexpected things we did that got our customers talking (and buying). Helpful Links & Resources Ep. 379: Got Demand? The 6 Questions to Ask Before You Grow More Farm Products - This was part 1 of this series all about Market Demand. https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/42872465 What email provider do I use for my email marketing launches? I recommend Kit.com -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

Growing For Market Podcast
Radicchio growing, history and cooking with Lane Selman of the Culinary Breeding Network

Growing For Market Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2026 74:31


Radicchio has long been a favorite with market farmers for its ability to provide something colorful and delicious in the fall and winter. But with its adaptation to very specific regions of Italy, figuring out how to grow the vegetable in North America has been a bit of a puzzle. Luckily, Lane Selman puts that puzzle together for us with her new book Radicchio: A Celebration of the Beloved Italian Vegetable!At almost 400 pages long, the book is fascinating and covers the history of radicchio, the project to find timing and varieties that grow well in North America, and many recipes for how to cook it. Lane and her work with the Culinary Breeding Network has been instrumental in working with Italian seed companies to find and develop varieties that work for growers on this continent. So, listen to this interview and then check out the book! As always, Growing for Market subscribers get 20% off all books when logged in at the website!Connect with guest:The book: Radicchio: A Celebration of the Beloved Italian VegetableWebsite: Culinary Breeding NetworkInstagram: @culinarybreedingnetworkPodcast Sponsors:Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at farmhand.partners/gfmNifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more.If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That's why so many farmers are turning to Burpee's Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee's been doing this for 150 years, and they're still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at Burpee.com/FarmersMarket.For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Play On Podcasts
Titus Andronicus - Episode 2 - Hunt Together

Play On Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2026 32:36


Lucius berates his father for killing his own son, and Titus's brother Marcus implores him to allow them to bury Mutius in the family tomb. Titus grudgingly agrees to it and tells Marcus that he hopes to prosper by Tamora's sudden advancement, since he was the one who brought her to Rome. Assuming that Titus orchestrated her escape with Bassianus, Saturninus publicly rejects Lavinia before leaving to marry Tamora. After the wedding, Saturninus and Bassianus strike an uneasy peace. Bassianus tells Saturninus that Titus had no part in Lavinia's abduction. Tamora also vouches for Titus's innocence, then pulls Saturninus aside and tells him he must pardon Titus or risk the anger of the Roman people. She promises her new husband that she will find a way to get revenge on Titus and his family. Saturninus finally absolves Marcus, Titus and his remaining sons. Tamora reassures Bassianus and Lavinia that they need not fear punishment as long as they behave. As they leave to enjoy the double wedding feast, Titus invites Saturninus to a celebratory hunt the following morning. Outside the palace, Aaron the Moor walks alone during the festivities, ruminating on his love affair with Tamora. He revels in her new status as Empress, looking forward to the power he will wield through her. He comes across Tamora's sons, Demetrius and Chiron, who are fighting each other over who gets dibs on Lavinia. Aaron breaks it up and tells them Lavinia has just married Bassianus. When he sees that the brothers don't care and are determined to take Lavinia for themselves regardless, he encourages them to lure Lavinia away from the hunting party the next day and rape her together.  CREDITS: The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “TITUS ANDRONICUS”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by AMY FREED. All episodes were directed by DANNY SCHEIE. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON.   Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND   This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT.   The cast is as follows:   JAMES CARPTENER                          as    TITUS ANDRONICUS PATRICK KERR                                   as    MARCUS ANDRONICUS CAROLYN (“CARRIE”) KOZLOWSKI  as    TAMORA JORDAN BARBOUR                               as    BASSIANUS, AEMEILIUS and QUINTUS DANNY SCHEIE                                   as    SATURNINUS BRUCE YOUNG                                   as    AARON THE MOOR MARK H. DOLD                                    as    LUCIUS and YOUNG LUCIUS JAMIE ANN ROMERO                             as    LAVINIA and THE NURSE JOMAR TAGATAC                                  as    DEMETRIUS, MUTIUS and OTHERS DEAN LINNARD                                   as    CHIRON, MARTIUS and OTHERS MICHAEL GOODFRIEND                      as    PUBLIUS, ARBUS and OTHERS   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Original Music Composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES).   The Play On Podcast Series “TITUS ANDRONICUS” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers
379 Got Demand? The 6 Questions to Ask Before You Grow More Farm Products

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2026 35:47


What happens when you're really good at growing something… but you don't have enough people to buy it? I learned that lesson the expensive way this summer when we ended up renting a refrigerated semi-trailer to hold thousands of pounds of watermelons we suddenly didn't have a market for. We had successfully grown the crop, but growing it and selling it turned out to be two very different things. In this episode of My Digital Farmer, we're exploring an important piece of the revenue equation that farmers don't always spend enough time thinking about: demand. Before you add another acre, increase your flock, double your flower production, or launch a brand-new farm product, how do you know whether your market can actually absorb what you're planning to produce? We'll talk about how to recognize real evidence of demand, why selling out once doesn't necessarily mean you're ready to double production, and some of the factors that can quietly limit how much your market is willing or able to buy. If growing your farm revenue is one of your goals, this episode will challenge you to look beyond the question, "How much can I produce?" and start asking a much more important question about what happens on the other side of that equation. Because growing more product doesn't automatically create more revenue. Tune in to learn the six questions that will pressure-test the demand for your farm products before you decide to scale. Helpful Links & Resources Episode 314: The Power of a Beta Test in Marketing - my episode all about how to use the "beta test" framework to test demand What email provider do I use for my email marketing launches? I recommend Kit.com -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

Growing For Market Podcast
Growing microgreens and shoots with Corinne Hansch of Lovin' Mama Farm in New York State

Growing For Market Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2026 67:58


When Corinne Hansch moved her farm from California to New York State, she thought they'd only grow microgreens for a while to get cashflow going in the new location. Now over a decade later she's still growing microgreens, and she just wrote a book about how they do it! Listen to this interview to learn why they never stopped, and how easily microgreens can add a steady cashflow to most farms without adding a lot of infrastructure.In this interview we talk about how productive microgreens can be in a small space given the high price per pound, and whether to grow mixes or single varieties. We also discuss choice of flat and planting medium for microgreens vs. shoots. Corinne tells us how she handles everything from germination to growing and harvest, so listen to this interview and then check out the book! As always, Growing for Market subscribers get 20% off all books when logged in at the website!Connect with guest:The book: Microgreens and Shoots: How to Select, Grow, Harvest, and Package Nutrient-Dense Greens for ProfitWebsite: lovinmamafarm.comInstagram: @lovinmamafarmPodcast Sponsors:Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at farmhand.partners/gfmBCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that's tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more.If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That's why so many farmers are turning to Burpee's Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee's been doing this for 150 years, and they're still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at Burpee.com/FarmersMarket.For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Play On Podcasts
Titus Andronicus - Episode 1 - Be Not Gauled

Play On Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2026 31:44


In the wake of the Emperor's death, his two sons–Saturninus (the eldest) and Bassianus (the younger, more popular)--argue over who should rule Rome, as their armed supporters clash in the streets. The Tribune Marcus Andronicus (Titus's brother) intervenes to stop the fight. He announces that the Roman people have chosen his brother, Titus Andronicus, to be the new Emperor because of his legendary military service. Titus enters in triumph with his four surviving sons, the bodies of his dead sons in coffins, and high-profile prisoners of war–including Tamora, Queen of the Goths, and her three sons. Titus refuses the crown due to his old age and instead endorses Saturninus, who becomes the new Emperor. Titus's son, Lucius, demands that the eldest captive Goth prince, Alarbus, be sacrificed to appease the ghosts of Titus's fallen sons. Tamora begs for her son's life, but Titus insists on the brutal religious rite. Alarbus is dismembered and killed. Grieved and enraged, Tamora and her surviving sons swear revenge against Titus and his family. As a reward for his loyalty, Saturninus chooses to marry Titus's daughter, Lavinia. However, Lavinia is already legally betrothed to Saturninus's rival brother, Bassianus. Saturninus abruptly changes course and decides to marry Tamora instead, making her the new Empress of Rome. With the help of Marcus and Titus's sons, Bassianus escapes with Lavinia. Furious at what he views as family treason and disrespect toward the emperor, Titus kills his own son, Mutius, for letting Bassianus and Lavinia get away.  CREDITS: The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “TITUS ANDRONICUS”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by AMY FREED. All episodes were directed by DANNY SCHEIE. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON.   Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND   This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT.   The cast is as follows:   JAMES CARPTENER                          as    TITUS ANDRONICUS PATRICK KERR                                   as    MARCUS ANDRONICUS CAROLYN (“CARRIE”) KOZLOWSKI  as    TAMORA JORDAN BARBOUR                               as    BASSIANUS, AEMEILIUS and QUINTUS DANNY SCHEIE                                   as    SATURNINUS BRUCE YOUNG                                   as    AARON THE MOOR MARK H. DOLD                                    as    LUCIUS and YOUNG LUCIUS JAMIE ANN ROMERO                             as    LAVINIA and THE NURSE JOMAR TAGATAC                                  as    DEMETRIUS, MUTIUS and OTHERS DEAN LINNARD                                   as    CHIRON, MARTIUS and OTHERS MICHAEL GOODFRIEND                      as    PUBLIUS, ARBUS and OTHERS   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Original Music Composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES).   The Play On Podcast Series “TITUS ANDRONICUS” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carrot Cashflow
He Thought Farming Would Be Easier in 5 Years (He Was Wrong)

Carrot Cashflow

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2026 15:14


Back in 2019, Troy and Cindy Dickens quit their jobs, sold their house, paid off every dollar of debt, and started farming half an acre while living in a school bus off-grid. One caterpillar tunnel, 23 CSA members, a good week was $1,000 at the market, and they weren't paying themselves. Seven years later, everything has grown. Click here to learn more about farmer Troy and Tilth and Timber Farm! Watch the video version over on our YT Channel!  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The Ginger's Perspective
The Untold Story of Tabraiz Shamsi: CSA, West Indies and the 2027 World Cup

The Ginger's Perspective

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2026 58:22


Tabraiz Shamsi opens up about being left in the dark by Cricket South Africa after representing the Proteas in the 2024 T20 World Cup final—and why he still dreams of playing for South Africa at the 2027 Cricket World Cup. One of South Africa's most successful T20 bowlers speaks candidly about his current relationship with CSA, his continued love for the Proteas and the uncertainty surrounding his international future. Shamsi also takes us inside his recent experience working with the West Indies coaching team during their series against South Africa. He explains what he contributed to the Caribbean side, how it felt to work against his own country and why the Caribbean has become such a special part of his life and career. We also explore Shamsi's remarkable journey through the sport: from starting out as a fast bowler to becoming the world's No. 1-ranked T20I bowler, playing franchise cricket around the world and helping South Africa reach a historic World Cup final. In this episode: • Being left in the dark by Cricket South Africa • His relationship with CSA and the Proteas • Whether he still believes he can represent South Africa • His dream of playing in the 2027 Cricket World Cup • Working with the West Indies coaching team • Why he loves playing cricket in the Caribbean • Becoming the world's top-ranked T20I bowler • The highs, setbacks and sacrifices behind his journey • Franchise cricket and the changing future of the game • The story behind Shamsi's personality and famous celebrations Subscribe to The Sias du Plessis Show for more honest conversations with leading figures from sport, entertainment and South African culture.

The No-Till Market Garden Podcast
So You Want to Run a CSA Farm…

The No-Till Market Garden Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2026 20:10


Welcome to episode 488 of Growers Daily! Today is a good ol mailbag day. We're gonna cover a fun range of topics from considerations when becoming a CSA-only farm, to low maintenance strategies for building soil health, to organically approved fungicides, what to know.  We are a Non-Profit! 

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers
378 Who Should NOT Buy Your Farm Product? (A Worthy Thought Exercise)

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2026 57:54


We spend a lot of time defining our ideal customer, but here's a question we don't ask nearly enough: Who should NOT buy your product? If you're spending too much time answering questions, overcoming objections, or trying to convince people to buy (only to have them walk away!) you may not have a sales problem. You may have a qualification problem. In this episode, I'm sharing a recent encounter that made me realize how valuable it is to recognize our "no signals" -- the clues that someone simply isn't a good fit for what we're selling. And even better: What if our marketing could communicate those signals for us, so people self-qualify before they ever reach the sale? We'll look at practical ways to build these filters into your website, social media, emails, FAQs, pricing, and other marketing assets, so more of the right people make it to the bottom of your funnel. I'll also challenge you to finish this sentence: "My farm/product is probably NOT a good fit for someone who…" Because clear marketing doesn't just attract. It also repels. Farm Marketing School (FMS) member Bonus: We're workshopping this topic together during our monthly Zoom call this month! We'll identify your "no signals" and brainstorm ways to build them into your marketing. Can't come live? I'll save the replay in the FMS library. Join Farm Marketing School here: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/FMS Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

The Wandering Womb Podcast
New Season 9 Episode 2: Psychiatrists have admitted to pathologising victims of abuse, now what?

The Wandering Womb Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2026 66:50 Transcription Available


Jaimi and Jess digest the news that The Royal College for Psychiatry have released an official apology statement to all victims of CSA - for pathologising them, gaslighting them and even diagnosing them… but what happens next?

MEA$URED with Mick Donaghy
Career Clinic: Is Now the Right Time to Move Overseas?

MEA$URED with Mick Donaghy

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2026 23:36


Career Clinic: Is Now the Right Time to Move Abroad?In the first Career Clinic since the relaunch, Mick tackles the question he gets asked more than any other: is now a good time to make an international move? The short answer — there's never a "perfect" time, so the real question is whether it's the right time for you. From there, Mick breaks down what's actually happening market by market, based on live mandates GEDON is working right now.In this episode:Why timing an international move is like timing the stock market — impossible, and the wrong question to askThe data centre and digital infrastructure boom driving demand across continental Europe — active projects in Portugal, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and IrelandWhy MEP and CSA (civil, structural, architectural) skills from Australia/NZ are in high demand on European data centre campuses right nowIreland's infrastructure boom: the Dublin Metro project, valued around €11bn with a pipeline potentially extending to €20–30bn, and the demand it's creating for rail, signalling and transport talentWhy Australia's market feels sluggish right now — thin margins, a soft pipeline in NSW, Queensland's slower-than-expected Olympics rollout, and where the real heat is (Victoria's data centre market)What Irish and UK candidates get wrong when they assume Australia's market is the same as it was three or four years agoThe Middle East talent squeeze — why an ad for a Sydney relocation role can pull 500+ applicants, and why visa sponsorship (not skill) is often the real bottleneckWhy a "quieter" market like New Zealand can sometimes be an easier place to land your first move than a booming oneThe US opportunity: strong demand for construction talent, a tougher H-1B environment, and the E-3 visa pathway available specifically to Australian citizensWhy exposure to data centres, semiconductor facilities and life sciences projects is the single best career bet for the next decade, and how tradespeople can use it to move into project leadershipGet involved: Send in the question you want tackled next week's Career Clinic.

Growing For Market Podcast
Adding mushrooms to your farm with Kyle Beaver of Ten Mile Mushrooms in Pennsylvania

Growing For Market Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2026 81:41


Many market farms already have the facilities needed to grow culinary and medicinal mushrooms. Kyle Beaver of Ten Mile Mushrooms tells us how farmers can make use of existing infrastructure to add mushroom production for a year-round income stream that can help set your farm apart in the market.We talk about how to get started with mushrooms, and the temperature, humidity, light and airflow requirements for a grow room. Kyle helps us figure out what kinds of structures on farms might be repurposed into mushroom facilities, and how to find markets before growing anything. Mushrooms suffer from long-distance travel and refrigeration, so Kyle tells us how to package local mushrooms to keep quality higher than mushrooms that have been shipped long-distance and everything you need to know to get started with mushrooms.Connect With Guest:Website: tenmilemushrooms.comInstagram: @grow.mush.morePodcast Sponsors:Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That's why so many farmers are turning to Burpee's Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee's been doing this for 150 years, and they're still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at Burpee.com/FarmersMarket.Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at farmhand.partners/gfmBCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that's tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more.For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Play On Podcasts
Introducing....Titus Andronicus

Play On Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2026 3:07


Next Chapter Podcasts presents Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy: a brutal revenge thriller that descends into a savage spiral of betrayal, mutilation and cannibalism, performed by an ensemble of America's most accomplished stage actors in a modern English verse translation by Amy Freed and directed by Danny Scheie. radio play by Catherine Eaton, with original sound design and composition by Lindsay Jones. “REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED COLD.” CREDITS: The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “TITUS ANDRONICUS”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by AMY FREED. All episodes were directed by DANNY SCHEIE. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON.   Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND   This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT.   The cast is as follows:   JAMES CARPTENER                          as    TITUS ANDRONICUS PATRICK KERR                                   as    MARCUS ANDRONICUS CAROLYN (“CARRIE”) KOZLOWSKI  as    TAMORA JORDAN BARBOUR                               as    BASSIANUS, AEMEILIUS and QUINTUS DANNY SCHEIE                                   as    SATURNINUS BRUCE YOUNG                                   as    AARON THE MOOR MARK H. DOLD                                    as    LUCIUS and YOUNG LUCIUS JAMIE ANN ROMERO                             as    LAVINIA and THE NURSE JOMAR TAGATAC                                  as    DEMETRIUS, MUTIUS and OTHERS DEAN LINNARD                                   as    CHIRON, MARTIUS and OTHERS MICHAEL GOODFRIEND                      as    PUBLIUS, ARBUS and OTHERS   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Original Music Composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES).   The Play On Podcast Series “TITUS ANDRONICUS” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Something to Say Podcast
Raised in the Shadow of Violence

The Something to Say Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2026 13:35


EXCLUSIVELY FOR WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAYFor years, conversations around childhood trauma have rightly focused on CSA awareness, but there's another form of abuse that often goes unseen: children witnessing domestic violence inside their own homes.In this video, Luke shares the impact of growing up in an environment shaped by fear, violence, and silence. As a neurodivergent child, he witnessed his mother being beaten by his birth father behind closed doors while the outside world saw nothing unusual. To neighbours, friends, and even professionals, his father appeared calm, respectable, and unsuspecting.Luke also speaks about the deep sense of betrayal he felt from local services that failed to protect his family when help was needed most. The abuse may not have always been directed at him physically, but witnessing it left lasting psychological scars that followed him into adulthood.For decades, Luke buried what he had seen. The anxiety, emotional struggles, and mental health difficulties stayed with him throughout his life, but he never fully spoke about the trauma, until his mid-30s, when he finally began therapy. His therapist became the first person he had ever told the full truth to.This story is a reminder that children do not have to be physically assaulted to be deeply harmed by abuse. Witnessing domestic violence can shape a child's nervous system, self-worth, relationships, and mental health for years to come.If this video resonates with you, or if you grew up around domestic abuse, know that your experiences matter and deserve to be acknowledged.To contact Luke: http://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-appleyard-140284293Join our YouTube or Patreon Memberships for extra content and early access:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SomethingtoSayYouTube membership: https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingtoSayofficialTo follow us on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somethingtosayofficialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/somethingtosayofficial1Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/something-to-say1TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@somethingtosayofficialThis podcast provides a platform for contributors to share their own lived experiences. Unless expressly stated otherwise, Something to Say has not independently verified the factual accuracy of statements made by contributors and does not endorse or adopt any allegations, assertions, opinions or conclusions expressed in this recording. This podcast provides a platform for contributors to share their own lived experiences. Unless expressly stated otherwise, Something to Say has not independently verified the factual accuracy of statements made by contributors and does not endorse or adopt any allegations, assertions, opinions or conclusions expressed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers
377 Practical Ways to Get More Referrals From Your Farm Customers

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2026 54:32


Most farmers will tell you that word-of-mouth is one of their best sources of new customers. But there's a big difference between being grateful for referrals, and intentionally creating more of them. In this episode, we're talking about how to put an engine behind word-of-mouth. I'll share a whole bunch of practical ways farms can make referrals easier, more natural, and more likely to happen—without needing complicated software or some fancy loyalty program. More importantly, I'll show you how to think strategically about who you ask, when you ask, what you give customers to share, and what happens when a referral actually converts. By the end of this episode, you'll be able to look at your own customer journey, spot the places where referral opportunities are hiding, and design a simple referral experiment you can actually test on your farm. If you've already got customers who love what you do, this episode will help you turn some of that goodwill into growth. Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use for my email marketing launches? I recommend Kit.com -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

Growing For Market Podcast
Understanding our weird weather with meteorologist Keith Carson

Growing For Market Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2026 74:52


Back when I first heard about climate change, I thought the weather patterns would stay the same, and it would just be a couple degrees hotter. However, as we're finding out, our changing climate is resulting in more extreme weather as well. This week we talk with Keith Carson, meteorologist and Director of Environmental and Science Communications at Maine Conservation Voters to try and understand if there are any patterns emerging as our weather changes, since being able to anticipate the weather is so valuable for farmers.We talk about why we're having more extreme weather, and how much we can predict the weather in a climate in flux. We also discuss how weather in the East affects weather in the West, and what changing weather patterns are doing to North American regional weather. We unpack some popular terms like El Niño, polar vortex, and what the strong El Niño forecast for this winter means for farmers. So, tune in as we try and make sense of the weather in this week's episode of the Growing for Market Podcast!Connect With Guest:Website: maineconservation.orgInstagram: @maineconservationPodcast Sponsors:Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more.If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That's why so many farmers are turning to Burpee's Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee's been doing this for 150 years, and they're still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at Burpee.com/FarmersMarket.Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at farmhand.partners/gfmBCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that's tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Vital Times: The CSA Podcast
So You Wanna Be a Podcast Host?

Vital Times: The CSA Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2026 11:52


if you have any feedback, please send us a text! Thank you!Welcome back to Vital Times, the podcast of the California Society of Anesthesiologists. The news: CSA is launching its first Podcast Host Contest. We're looking for new voices for this show — and we're looking for it among you.Who's eligible: Anesthesiology residents and fellows at California programs. Medical students at California medical schools with a demonstrated interest in the specialty. Any year. All subspecialty tracks.No podcasting experience required. None. If you've never touched a microphone and you have something to say, we want to hear it. How to enter. Send us:An audio or video file, two to five minutes. Introduce yourself, or talk through a topic you care about. It doesn't need to be polished. We want to hear how you think and how you sound.A written statement, 250 to 500 words. Why hosting interests you. What you'd cover. Who you'd want in the room.Who's judging: selected members of the Communications Committee and staff. We're scoring on communication style, content knowledge, professionalism, enthusiasm, creativity, and alignment with CSA values.Why it matters. This is more than a published episode with your name on it or a line on your CV. It's mentorship — working with us on the craft of interviewing and the discipline of talking well about hard subjects. It's visibility across CSA, and a leadership network most trainees don't see for years. The winner is recognized in the CSA Newsletter, on our website, and at the Annual Meeting.And if you don't win: strong entries may be featured on the CSA website. Either way, you'll have made something that's yours.The bottom line. Sixty to ninety percent of residents already listen to podcasts monthly. Some of the people making them should be you.Submissions open September 9th and close November 9th. Send yours to csa@csahq.org.

The Editor's Cut
In Conversation with Eugene Weis, CCE & Lucas Joseph

The Editor's Cut

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2026 72:03


Today's episode was a panel that took place on June 4th with editor Eugene Weis, CCE & DP Lucas Joseph. They talk about their collaboration on the CCE nominated & CSA winning documentary BAM BAM: THE SISTER NANCY STORY.  This event will be moderated by Monica Guddat.  

Play On Podcasts
Love's Labour's Lost - Episode 1 - All Kinds of Woman

Play On Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2026 30:46


On Labor Day, Play On Podcasts presents the pilot episode from our 11th series "Love's Labour's Lost". Listen to the full series and learn more here. The King of Navarre gathers together with his best friends (Longaville, Dumaine and Berowne) in the library at Howard University where he gets them to agree that they will devote themselves entirely to their studies without dating or indulging in food, drink or sleep for three full years. Berowne protests and reminds the King that the Princess of France is going to arrive soon to plead a case on behalf of her ailing father. The King promises to handle the situation and Berowne agrees to stick with his vow despite his reservations. They decide they'll amuse themselves during their downtime by laughing at the antics of Don Adriano de Armado, a visiting scholar from Spain who is hilariously full of himself. Almost as soon as the King's proclamation is issued, Sir Anthony Dull delivers a letter from Armado accusing Costard, a groundskeeper at Howard, of having an affair with Jaquenetta, a young lady who lives nearby. The King punishes Costard with a week of fasting on bread and water. Meanwhile, Armado confesses privately to his young friend and confidante, a Custodial Assistant named Moth, that he is painfully in love with Jaquenetta and vows to win her affections. The Play On Podcast series, “LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by JOSH WILDER. Each episode was directed by NELSON T. EUSEBIO the THIRD. The cast is as follows: RUSSELL G. JONES as THE KING OF NAVARRE and THE FORESTER MATTHEW ELIJAH WEBB as BEROWNE ASHLEY BRYANT as THE PRINCESS and JAQUENETTA TIFFANY RACHELLE STEWART as ROSALINE TONYA PINKINS as MARIA, HOLOFERNES, and HIEMS SHAWN RANDALL as COSTARD and DUMAINE BRANDON JONES as DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO and LONGAVILLE WALTER COPPAGE as MOTH, BOYET, DULL and MARCADE SARITA COVINGTON as LADY NATHANIEL and KATHARINE Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA, and ADA KARAMANYAN. Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH Episode scripts were adapted and produced by CATHERINE EATON Original Music and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES.  Sound engineering by SADAHARU YAGI.  Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH.  Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio.  Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES). Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND. The Managing Director of Business Operations and Partnerships at Next Chapter Podcasts is SALLYCADE HOLMES. The Play On Podcast Series “THE TEMPEST” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit ncpodcasts.com for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit playonshakespeare.org for more about Play On Shakespeare. Hear more about the Play On Shakespeare Podcast series by subscribing to Play On Premium at ncpodcasts.com, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “We are such stuff as Dreams are made on”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ozark Podcast
Ep. 236 - The Old Ozarks - The Rurnt Day of Major Wolf (S2:E4)

The Ozark Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2026 21:41


Welcome to the Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins... This week, we're talking milk gone bad, mythical giants, and one very "rurnt" 72 hours — a Confederate major's real-life brush with a firing squad that came down to a president's telegram and a matter of hours. We'll start with Blinky Blue John, the Ozarks' own giant of legend, whose curious name traces back to superstitions about witches souring milk, before landing on the region's favorite way to say something's gone completely to pieces: "rurnt." Then it's on to the long sweetenin', the harrowing true story of Major Enoch Wolf of Ford's Battalion, CSA — captured during Price's Raid, hauled to St. Louis's Gratiot Street Prison, and handed a death sentence to "atone" for a Union officer's murder he had nothing to do with. We'll trace the Civil War's grim system of official retaliation, the frantic 72-hour scramble by Masons, society ladies, and telegrams to the White House to save him, Abraham Lincoln's own last-minute reprieve, and the mysterious woman who showed up at the prison claiming to be his wife. It's a true Ozarks story stranger, and closer to the wire, than most fiction. Let's dive into this episode of The Old Ozarks... What is The Old Ozarks? The Old Ozarks is your gateway to the forgotten history of the Ozarks. Hosted by renowned historian Dr. Brooks Blevins (the leading authority on the region's history), this podcast explores the lives, legends, and landscapes that have shaped this unique region. Whether you're a native Ozarker, a new resident, or a curious listener, join us as we share the stories that make the Ozarks special and connect us to our past.

Mindy Diamond on Independence: A Podcast for Financial Advisors Considering Change
Build, Grow & Transact: Making the Leap from Northwestern Mutual to a $20B Enterprise

Mindy Diamond on Independence: A Podcast for Financial Advisors Considering Change

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 57:23


Andy Schwartz CEO, OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners  |  Kevin Spahn Founder, Spahn Financial (now OnePoint BFG) Two former Northwestern Mutual advisors, two very different paths. Andy Schwartz and Kevin Spahn share what it takes to build, grow, merge, and create lasting enterprise value. In Summary What separates a successful advisory practice from an enterprise with the ability to grow well beyond its founders? Andy Schwartz and Kevin Spahn offer two different perspectives on that question. Both spent decades at Northwestern Mutual, but their paths eventually diverged. Andy left to help build what is now OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, an $18B+ firm expected to surpass $20B by year-end. Kevin built one of Northwestern Mutual's top practices before deciding to merge his business into OnePoint and become an equity partner. Louis talks with Andy and Kevin about the decisions behind both journeys: creating a true firm rather than an aggregation of practices, transitioning advisors from 1099 to W-2, using outside capital without relinquishing control, rethinking succession, and determining when equity in a larger enterprise can offer greater opportunity than continuing to build alone. Underlying it all is a factor that's much harder to quantify: trust. The Storyline Andy Schwartz and Kevin Spahn have known each other for roughly 30 years. They met while both were building careers at Northwestern Mutual, where Andy became an important mentor to Kevin as Kevin transitioned from practicing law and estate planning into wealth management. After roughly 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, Andy and his partners left in 2015 with approximately $3B in assets to launch independently. What began as Bleakley Financial eventually became OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, an $18B+ enterprise that Andy expects will surpass $20B by the end of 2026. That kind of growth required more than attracting assets. Andy describes the evolution from a predominantly 1099 structure into a firm where more than 85% of advisors and AUM are now W-2. The shift created a more cohesive enterprise, gave advisors access to equity, and ultimately positioned OnePoint to bring in minority capital from Joe Duran's Rise Growth Partners. Andy makes an important distinction about that relationship: OnePoint is “private equity invested,” not “private equity owned.” The structure gave the firm capital and expertise while allowing its partners to retain control. Kevin faced a different decision. After more than 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, his practice had grown to 18 people and approximately $2B in assets. He was happy at the firm, but his clients had evolved, his business had become increasingly complex, and the internal succession plan he once envisioned carried risks he could no longer ignore. He could have built an independent firm himself. Instead, he chose to merge with OnePoint. The decision wasn't driven by the largest possible check. Kevin saw the opportunity to become an equity partner in a larger enterprise, give his team and clients a more durable future, and leverage infrastructure he didn't want to recreate himself. For both men, the story ultimately comes back to the same principle: The right economics matter, but sustainable partnerships require trust, shared philosophy, and the belief that everyone involved can create more value together than separately. Topics Covered Building an enterprise versus building a practice Northwestern Mutual and the path to independence OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners' growth from ~$3B to $18B+ Organic growth versus M&A Creating a growth-oriented advisor culture Moving from a 1099 model to a predominantly W-2 structure Equity ownership and advisor alignment Minority private equity investment Rise Growth Partners and Joe Duran Internal succession versus an external merger Selling versus merging an advisory business Merging versus teaming versus going it alone Evaluating equity versus cash in a transaction The economics of leaving a captive firm Centralization versus advisor autonomy Trust as a factor in partnerships and transactions > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors How did Andy and Kevin's 30-year relationship ultimately lead to a transaction? (04:11)Kevin explains how Andy helped him transition from attorney and estate planner into wealth management, beginning a professional relationship that would eventually make their partnership possible decades later. Why did Andy leave Northwestern Mutual after roughly 30 years? (08:45)Andy describes wanting greater flexibility, a multi-custodial platform, and more optionality for clients and the business—a decision that ultimately led to the creation of OnePoint BFG. Why did Kevin decide his longtime Northwestern Mutual practice needed something different? (15:49)Kevin explains how his clients, service needs, and business evolved over time, while concerns about his original internal succession plan led him to consider a different path. What has driven OnePoint's growth from approximately $3B to $18B+? (21:41)Andy outlines the firm's emphasis on client experience, advisor experience, organic growth, and carefully selected inorganic growth—and why helping advisors grow is fundamental to the model. Why does Andy say OnePoint is a firm rather than an aggregator? (23:54)The distinction comes down to alignment, shared responsibility, centralized resources, equity, and a partnership structure in which advisors are accountable to one another. How did OnePoint convert a predominantly 1099 advisor base into a W-2 enterprise? (29:26)Andy explains why capital and equity became necessary to build the next stage of the business and why trust was essential to bringing advisors into a more integrated structure. Why did OnePoint choose minority private equity investment? (33:13)Andy shares why Rise Growth Partners offered something previous potential buyers had not: a structure designed to benefit the broader advisor partnership while preserving control. Why did Kevin merge with OnePoint rather than shop his practice broadly? (36:43)For Kevin, maximizing price wasn't the objective. His decision centered on trust in Andy, confidence in OnePoint's infrastructure, and creating a strong future for clients and employees. Why did Kevin choose equity in the larger firm instead of simply cashing out? (40:57)Kevin explains why he believes participating in the future growth of a larger enterprise offers a compelling alternative to relying solely on the future growth of his own practice. How should advisors evaluate the “golden handcuffs” that can make leaving difficult? (46:42)Andy argues that the analysis needs to compare what an advisor gives up with the potential growth, economics, equity, and leverage available on the other side. How much conformity does a true enterprise require? (49:06)Andy explains why OnePoint sits somewhere between complete advisor autonomy and complete centralization, seeking enough consistency to create enterprise value without eliminating entrepreneurial flexibility. What would Andy and Kevin tell their younger selves? (52:06)Kevin emphasizes surrounding yourself with the best people possible, while Andy reflects on having the courage to make a difficult change after a successful 30-year run. Key Takeaways Building enterprise value requires more than asset growth. OnePoint's evolution included changing its ownership structure, integrating advisor practices, creating equity opportunities, and investing in centralized capabilities. Organic growth remains central even in an M&A-driven market. OnePoint targets approximately 10% organic growth and evaluates prospective partners partly on whether they are growth-oriented and whether the firm can meaningfully help them grow. A collection of successful advisors does not automatically make a firm. Andy sees shared ownership, alignment, accountability, infrastructure, and centralized services as critical distinctions between an enterprise and an aggregator. Outside capital does not have to mean giving up control. OnePoint chose a minority investment from Rise Growth Partners that provided capital and strategic support while leaving control with its operating partners. Succession can expose risks that growth may obscure. Kevin began reconsidering his internal succession strategy when he recognized its dependence on his continued production, key employees, and the future economics of an aging client base. The highest purchase price isn't always the most valuable transaction. Kevin prioritized equity participation, infrastructure, continuity for his employees and clients, and confidence in his future partners over broadly shopping his business for the highest bid. Trust can determine whether structural change is possible. From OnePoint's 1099-to-W-2 conversion to Kevin's decision to merge, both guests repeatedly point to established trust as the foundation that allowed significant business decisions to happen. https://youtu.be/jkIoynpZj6Y Quotable Moments “The biggest mistake advisors make is they buy their own bullshit.”— Andy Schwartz “We're not an aggregator, we're a firm.”— Andy Schwartz “The biggest issue is trust. Either they trust you or they don't.”— Andy Schwartz “I wasn't looking to sell my business. I was looking to merge it.”— Kevin Spahn “You have to trust them. You have to see that they provide value. And you need to be on the same page philosophically.”— Kevin Spahn “Associate yourselves with the best people you can… It accelerates your trajectory in ways that you can't do on your own.”— Kevin Spahn FAQs Why did Andy Schwartz leave Northwestern Mutual? After approximately 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, Andy and his partners wanted greater flexibility, the ability to operate on a multi-custodial basis, and more optionality for clients and the business. They left in 2015 with approximately $3B in assets and launched the independent firm that ultimately became OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners. How large is OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners? At the time of the interview, Andy says OnePoint manages more than $18B and expects to exceed $20B by the end of 2026, even without additional organic growth. What has driven OnePoint's growth? Andy points to three priorities: client experience, advisor experience, and growth. The firm targets approximately 10% organic growth while also expanding through acquisitions and partnerships with advisors it believes fit the OnePoint model. Why did OnePoint move advisors from 1099 to W-2? The firm wanted to evolve from a platform supporting individual practices into a more integrated enterprise. That required creating firm-level economics and equity that could be used to attract, retain, and align advisors. Today, Andy says more than 85% of OnePoint's advisors and AUM are W-2. What does “private equity invested, not private equity owned” mean? Rise Growth Partners holds a minority, non-controlling interest in OnePoint. The investment provides capital, expertise, and strategic support while the operating partners retain majority ownership and control of the business. Why did Kevin Spahn leave Northwestern Mutual? Kevin says he remained happy at Northwestern Mutual, but his practice and clients had evolved. His work had shifted increasingly toward investments and complex high-net-worth planning, while he also began identifying risks in his intended internal succession plan. Why did Kevin merge with OnePoint rather than launch his own independent RIA? OnePoint already had the infrastructure, people, and capabilities Kevin would have needed to build himself. The merger allowed him to focus on clients while becoming an equity partner in a larger enterprise he believed could grow faster than his standalone practice. Why didn't Kevin shop his practice to multiple buyers? Kevin says his decision was driven primarily by trust. He had known Andy and other OnePoint partners for decades and believed the firm offered the right future for his clients and employees. His choice ultimately came down to staying at Northwestern Mutual or joining OnePoint. How do Andy and Kevin suggest advisors evaluate a potential partner? Their discussion points to three fundamental considerations: trust, demonstrable value, and philosophical alignment. Economics matter, but both argue that a sustainable partnership depends on confidence in the people and business on the other side of the transaction. After approximately 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, Andy and his partners wanted greater flexibility, the ability to operate on a multi-custodial basis, and more optionality for clients and the business. They left in 2015 with approximately $3B in assets and launched the independent firm that ultimately became OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners. At the time of the interview, Andy says OnePoint manages more than $18B and expects to exceed $20B by the end of 2026, even without additional organic growth. Andy points to three priorities: client experience, advisor experience, and growth. The firm targets approximately 10% organic growth while also expanding through acquisitions and partnerships with advisors it believes fit the OnePoint model. The firm wanted to evolve from a platform supporting individual practices into a more integrated enterprise. That required creating firm-level economics and equity that could be used to attract, retain, and align advisors. Today, Andy says more than 85% of OnePoint's advisors and AUM are W-2. Rise Growth Partners holds a minority, non-controlling interest in OnePoint. The investment provides capital, expertise, and strategic support while the operating partners retain majority ownership and control of the business. Kevin says he remained happy at Northwestern Mutual, but his practice and clients had evolved. His work had shifted increasingly toward investments and complex high-net-worth planning, while he also began identifying risks in his intended internal succession plan. OnePoint already had the infrastructure, people, and capabilities Kevin would have needed to build himself. The merger allowed him to focus on clients while becoming an equity partner in a larger enterprise he believed could grow faster than his standalone practice. Kevin says his decision was driven primarily by trust. He had known Andy and other OnePoint partners for decades and believed the firm offered the right future for his clients and employees. His choice ultimately came down to staying at Northwestern Mutual or joining OnePoint. Their discussion points to three fundamental considerations: trust, demonstrable value, and philosophical alignment. Economics matter, but both argue that a sustainable partnership depends on confidence in the people and business on the other side of the transaction. Related Resources Rise and Reinvent: Joe Duran on Building and Rebuilding World-Class Firms From Insurance Sales to $8B RIA: A Northwestern Mutual Breakaway Story The 4th Annual Advisor Transition Report Andy SchwartzCo-Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Executive Officer Andy Schwartz is the Co-Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Executive Officer of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, where he also serves as a Wealth Management Advisor. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® with more than 40 years of experience, Andy has built his career around helping clients make confident, well-informed financial decisions at every stage of life. He works extensively with physicians and business owners on wealth building, retirement planning, and tax-efficient asset transfer across generations. A 2026 finalist for Wealth Management Awards CEO of the Year (under $25B AUM), Andy brings the same discipline to leading the firm that he brings to client relationships: comprehensive planning, long-term thinking, and an unwavering commitment to independence and integrity. Beyond his client work, Andy is deeply invested in the advisory profession itself. He co-hosts The Advisor’s Compass podcast, offering candid, practical guidance on the business and responsibilities of being an advisor. His mentorship philosophy is straightforward: pass the ladder back down. His industry recognition spans more than a decade, including Top 1,200 Advisor by Barron’s (2018–2024), Top 250 Wealth Advisor and Best-In-State Wealth Advisor by Forbes (2018–2024), Top 400 Financial Advisor by the Financial Times (2018–2020), and Top 100 Independent Advisor (2020–2023). He was named Executive of the Year by NJBIZ in 2019 and was a finalist for the Invest in Others Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 20 years of service with NJ SEEDS. Andy holds a B.S. in Finance and Marketing from Rowan University and is actively involved with Nourish NJ, the Navy SEAL Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, and JSDD. Outside the office, he enjoys golf, reading, and time with his family at the beach.   Kevin SpahnPartner and Wealth Advisor Kevin Spahn is a Partner and Wealth Advisor at OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, bringing more than three decades of experience in comprehensive financial planning to his clients and the firm. Kevin’s path to wealth management is rooted in the law. After earning degrees from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin, he began his career as a practicing attorney before making a deliberate pivot toward financial planning in 1993. He joined Northwestern Mutual, then founded Spahn Financial, building a practice centered on thoughtful, holistic planning for families and business owners. That practice joined OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners in 2025. His approach has remained consistent throughout: help clients build and protect wealth not just for themselves, but for the generations that follow. Kevin works with clients on comprehensive financial plans that account for the full picture, understanding that the impact of good planning extends well beyond an individual portfolio to families, businesses, employees, and the broader community. Kevin is based in the greater Chicago area.   NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… Build, Grow & Transact: Making the Leap from Northwestern Mutual to a $20B Enterprise A conversation between Louis Diamond, Andy Schwartz, CEO of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners and Kevin Spahn, Founder of Spahn Financial (now OnePoint BFG). Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is Build, Grow & Transact: Making the Leap from Northwestern Mutual to a $20B Enterprise. It’s a conversation with Andy Schwartz, CEO of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, and Kevin Spahn, founder of Spahn Financial, now OnePoint BFG. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. Each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education-driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions, and more, inspired us to create our annual Advisor Transition Report. It’s the award-winning data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: There’s a big difference between building a successful practice and building an enterprise. I think Andy Schwartz and Kevin Spahn offer a unique perspective on that distinction from two very different sides. Both spent decades in the Northwestern Mutual system. Andy ultimately left to build what became OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, taking the firm from roughly three billion to nearly 20 billion and transforming just about every aspect of the business along the way. Kevin built one of Northwestern Mutual’s top practices before reaching a different inflection point, deciding what he wanted the next phase of his career and business to look like. Rather than go independent on his own or simply monetize what he had built, he chose to become part of Andy’s growing enterprise. That makes their story particularly relevant for our Build, Grow, and Transact series. Andy can speak to what it takes to build a firm capable of becoming an acquirer, from converting advisors from 1099s to W-2s, to creating equity opportunities, to bringing in outside capital while remaining very deliberate about being private equity-invested rather than private equity-owned. And Kevin brings the seller’s perspective, how you evaluate the economics, the trade-offs, and ultimately the people you’re trusting with the business you spent more than 30 years building. Because whether you’re building, buying, or considering a transaction of any kind, the numbers are only part of the equation. As you hear from both Andy and Kevin, trust may be the most important currency of all. So let’s get to it. Andy and Kevin, thank you so much for both joining us today. Andy Schwartz: Great to see you again, Lewis. Thank you for having us. Louis Diamond: I’ve been excited about this interview for a bunch of reasons. One, our Build, Grow, Transact series has become a real staple of our show and we got lots to talk about there. But also, the friendship, the relationship that you two have had for over 30 years really stood out to me. So before we get into the nuts and bolts, talk about your relationship. How’d you guys meet, and how did your career stay so intertwined together when you’re in different geographies and at different firms, and have each been very successful in your own rights? Andy Schwartz: Sure. Kevin, do you want to start with that? Kevin Spahn: Sure. I started in this career in 1994 and met Andy sometime after that. He was a more advanced financial planner. I was an attorney, and then I transitioned into this business. So when I first joined Northwestern Mutual, which is my first broker dealer, I didn’t really have a background in investments. At the time, a lot of Northwestern Mutual reps were learning the investment business because they maybe originally started with Northwestern Mutual focusing more on insurance planning. My background was more estate planning. At the time, if you think early ’90s, if you did estate planning, insurance often went hand in hand with that. The estate exemption in early 1990s was about $600,000. So if you pass more than $600,000 to your children, there was a 55% tax. One way around it was to put insurance in an irrevocable trust, help cover the tax that way. So it really was a popular common strategy back then, and it’s really what got me into the business. But I quickly realized that I didn’t want my future to be insurance and estate planning. And there was a conflict if you acted as someone’s attorney and sold insurance. So I had to pick one way or the other. I decided long-term it would be better for me to move into the wealth management space. But with that little background in that, I had a lot of work to do. So took a lot of tests, became a certified financial planner. But the person that helped me the most along the way was Andy. We became friends, we sat on committees together. That’s really how we met, I would say. So we worked side by side interacting with our home office and representing the field, bringing issues to the home office that we thought were beneficial to the field. As we did that together, I got to know Andy. And then separately, I learned from him how he built his business and how they would review clients’ portfolios and come up with solutions. So I really credit Andy with helping me more than anyone else to transition from attorney, financial planner doing more estate planning insurance to wealth management. Louis Diamond: Very cool. Hey, I would say, maybe I’m a little biased, that, Kevin, you picked the right path in hanging up the law shingle and coming into wealth management. Kevin Spahn: I tell a lot of people I’m a reformed attorney. Andy Schwartz: Great. Louis Diamond: Exactly. My dad would say the exact same thing. Very common at dinner tables in the Diamond households. Andy Schwartz: I was always grateful that I wasn’t smart enough to be an attorney. Louis Diamond: There we go. Andy Schwartz: That’s where my gratitude lies. Yeah. Louis Diamond: There we go. Andy Schwartz: Some would say he’s too smart. Louis Diamond: There we go. Andy, question for you. I mean, anyone who is at or was at Northwestern Mutual, I mean, you’re like Elvis to them. It’s absolutely crazy the amount of fanfare and brand recognition that you and your brother Scott have. But for those who maybe missed your first podcast appearance with us a number of years ago, or aren’t or weren’t within the Northwestern Mutual system, or haven’t been familiar with Bleakley and now OnePoint BFG, just give us the cliff notes, the origin story, how you got into the business, and how’d you get from here to there? Andy Schwartz: Yeah. So the origin is probably pretty common, probably by accident. Going into my senior year in college, I was working in a restaurant, had a falling out with my boss. I happened to be dating a woman who was living with a general agent with Fidelity Union Life. No one will have ever heard of Fidelity Union Life, but their secret sauce was they sold life insurance to college seniors on a note. So if you can get a $10 money order, because where I went to school, nobody had a checking account, then you could basically get a note signed and they would buy insurance. And then when they graduate, hopefully they’d pay for it. I started selling life insurance my senior year in college. And then my twin brother Scott, who is my partner, and has been for over 40 years, he took an interview with what was the nucleus of our present firm actually. I just went up to Northern New Jersey in May of 1984 because I was an expert. I had been selling life insurance to college kids for six months, so I knew everything you had to know. We met with these guys, and we both ended up joining them. So that was a Northwestern Mutual district agency, and that was 1984. We got licensed right away. I got my CFP in ’86. We always knew that it was going to be about planning. So I think we had the right idea. We were a little ahead of the curve because there weren’t a lot of CFPs in ’86. We got securities license immediately. So before Northwestern had securities license, we got securities license with US Life actually. And then it was really a volume business, a client-building business. We always tried to act as a firm and share resources. We were small, but like a lot of people, we started out selling A shares and B shares and C shares, doing financial planning, selling insurance, and then we made a lot of really good hires along the way. And then after 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, which was a great experience for me, and I have nothing but respect for the institution and certainly the advisors that are there, Kevin certainly was one of them, and I know he feels the same way, but we just wanted to have a little more flexibility. We went independent about 11, almost 12 years ago. We wanted to be able to be multi-custodial. We wanted to have a little bit more optionality for our clients and for ourselves. We left Northwestern at three billion or so in assets, and that was in 2015. It’s in March of 2024, I get introduced to this guy with a crazy accent named Joe Duran. Funny, probably the only person in the industry that had no idea who Joe Duran was me. I’d never heard of Joe Duran. I don’t pay attention. I worry about our firm. I don’t worry about what’s going on outside. So I get introduced to Joe by a mutual friend, and we had an interesting conversation, and it took us probably about four or five months to figure out what we wanted to do. And then in August of ’24, myself and my three partners, we rolled in. And then in ’85, the rest of the firm rolled in. And we can talk a little bit more about that. Today we’re 18-plus billion, growing quite a bit. We’ve been very lucky that we’ve made some very good decisions along the way. We’ve made some bad ones too. But most of the decisions had to do with the people that we hired, the people that we brought on to help us, because I think it’s really important. I always say that the biggest mistake advisors make is they buy their own bullshit, and I try not to, and I realize that I’m smart enough, but I’m certainly not the smartest guy. I’m rarely the smartest guy in the room. So what we try to do is hire lots and lots of really smart people. And we’ve done that. They’ve been loyal to us, we’ve been loyal to them. Yeah, so we’re blessed to have a really great team and lots of good partners. Yeah. Louis Diamond: Yeah, we’ll definitely get into more of the nuts and bolts of the decision to take on capital, partner with Joe Duran’s Rise, but that’s an amazing background. Andy, I have to give you credit because your style, and I think I’m sure there’s business benefits, but it comes from a good place, I’m sure. But the coaching and consulting and just assistance that I’ve heard you provide to so many past and current Northwestern Mutual advisors through sports camps is absolutely incredible. It’s very near and dear to my heart because we always try to lead with education and helping people. So I just wanted to call that out, that your reputation for just providing amazing guidance and coaching to advisors is unparalleled. Andy Schwartz: And it’s been the best part of our journey. We’ve been able to help so many people. We get way too much credit by the way. So everybody gives us way too much credit. But the way I look at it is, I’ve been able to leverage my life because I’ve been able to build a great life for myself and my family, but we’ve been able to leverage that, and that’s where the real gift is. So yeah, it’s been a joyful journey for us. Louis Diamond: Amazing. Kevin, question for you. You walked through your little bit unorthodox background to get into Northwestern. Can you talk about where your personal practice is today? And then I want to ask you about the decision to leave Northwestern and sell and team up with Andy and team. Kevin Spahn: Well, I have to go back to the beginning. What was attractive to me about this business is I went from a career which was confrontational adversarial. I was a trial attorney for six years, and every day I would fight with people over things I didn’t necessarily have a personal interest in and I didn’t really believe in always. But the adversarial confrontational nature wasn’t really my personality, and I would take it too personally. So sometimes I’d go home in a bad mood because I was fighting with somebody taking a deposition. At night, after so many years as a trial attorney, I started going to people’s houses and doing wills and trusts. And that’s where the dynamic of working with a client or a potential client, feeling that you helped them and walking out of the meeting where they would appreciate what you did for them, and you build a relationship and actually all of a sudden have a friend, that dynamic was attractive to me. That’s really what got me to transition into the business. So I think it was really helpful to me at the beginning of this career. As Andy said, we all grew our businesses one client at a time. There’s a lot of doors closed, phones hung up on. There’s many people that don’t want to talk to you. There’s many people that don’t call you back. There’s many people that you think you’re getting somewhere with and you don’t. And that’s difficult for people because people often, young reps take that as personal rejection. I had the benefit of comparing what I was dealing with as a young financial planner to what I had dealt with as an attorney in litigation. I think it just was perspective that I knew I didn’t want to do that anymore. So the negatives to this business didn’t seem that bad to me. I loved the independence. I loved all the relationships that I was building. And that part of it is to this day my favorite part of the business. When you ask about the present, what basically happens is you start out taking anybody and everybody as a potential client or as someone that you would be willing to work with. And then over time you work with more successful people. So where I’m at today is working with pretty successful people, but they’re all the same, meaning we like working with nice people. If people are nice, we work with them. I feel we can help anybody. Over the years, one client at a time. The thing that I probably, if I could go back, would change is I think Andy and I are both good at meeting people and building trust and providing value, so that’s why they work with us. So I think that’s just something we’ve both been able to do. He’s much better than I am at building an organization. So I built an organization basically hiring people, that whenever we got too busy, I hired another person. Drawback in terms of that is, anybody that I interview I think is great, and I think they’d be great to join the organization. I like them all. In spite of that, I’ve also brought in many good people that I love. At this point, my firm has 18 people. We’re a little subset of Andy’s larger firm. I think one of the most attractive things to me about joining Andy’s firm is what Andy mentioned before: the people. As opposed to me having to build this all out myself, going independent, Andy already did that. And he has the infrastructure that would allow me to just merge right into that and not have to go through the pain of figuring all that out, which I don’t even think I’m capable of, to be honest with you. Louis Diamond: You’re probably selling yourself short because the way I understood it, you had one of the top practices within the entire Northwestern Mutual systems, and it’s a firm filled with very successful advisors. For you, Kevin, what was the driving force to leaving NM after all these years? What was bothering you or frustrating you that indicated to you that it was time to do something different? Kevin Spahn: To be honest with you, I was pretty happy at Northwestern Mutual. I love the company and the people. I still have many good friends there that I truly miss. The big thing for me, I don’t know if it was any one thing, to be honest with you, is Andy said there’s optionality, especially on the investment side. I think one of the things that happened to me is, when I first started, I was 31 years old, and most of the potential clients that I would meet and work with, they weren’t what I would call today great investment clients. They didn’t have a lot of money. They had great futures. They might’ve been earning significant income or on the way to earning significant income. So what did they need at that point in their life? They needed planning. They needed protection. They didn’t really need investment management because most of their investments were going into their 401(k). But a lot of those clients that we would take on, and I think that’s the big advantage of Northwestern Mutual, you take on clients that a lot of the investor firms don’t want because they don’t have large investment portfolios. But at some point down the road, all of a sudden you wake up and they do have large investment portfolios. So you bring them in as clients that might buy life insurance from you or disability insurance or something like that. And then you help them, and you give them advice, and you build a relationship with them. Down the road, they make more and more money. They leave jobs, they roll 401(k)s, they have the ability to invest money, stock options, things like that. Next thing you’re doing more comprehensive planning that incorporates investments. As that progresses even further, you work with larger and larger clients, much more significant net worth, more complexity, bigger tax issues. Some of the strategies and opportunities that we now have at this independent RIA are very attractive for these high-net-worth clients. Along the same lines, less of what I do at this point in my career is insurance, mostly because a lot of the people that I meet are older, they already bought insurance, they’re looking more for investment advice as opposed to insurance. So one of the things that most attracted me to Northwest Mutual was their strong insurance products, which helped me for many years. As time went on, I was doing less of that. Louis Diamond: Makes complete sense. So it was a changing of what clients wanted and just the circumstances of your clients where you said, “What got me here when I was 31 was insurance planning, and that’s what my clients needed. But as my practice has evolved, I’ve aged, my clients are older, have more money, the focus shifted from insurance to investments.” And then the distinction was, am I at the best place to run investments in addition to insurance planning, et cetera? It’s a very interesting dynamic. Just the shift in basically your legacy clients was what drove you to consider change. Kevin Spahn: That was a big factor. I think the second big factor was I had my own firm with 18 people. My succession plan was that at some point I would shift ownership of the firm to people that worked with me. So as they owned more of the firm, they would have revenue that was currently at the time being paid to me. In my mind, as it shifted to them, they would buy me out using revenue from the clients that we already had. And I realized that there were some issues with that. In our business, as you get older, in your client’s age, they start taking money out of their portfolios. So everyone understands that in our business, the younger average age client you have makes your book more valuable. I was the biggest driver of new business at my firm, and I started to see that there were some problems with my succession plan. They included, if something happened to me during this succession, that would be a real problem for the people that were buying my business from me if I went that way. If something happened to some of my key people, that would’ve been a problem as well. So it was really attractive to me to… I wasn’t looking to sell my business, I was looking to merge it. So I merged it with Andy’s business. I believe that Andy and what he’s put together and the actual idea of having partners. So I never really had partners, but now I do. Having partners that we’re all on the same page, we all have similar backgrounds, we all bring something different to the table, and we can learn and benefit from working with each other. But also, owning a little piece of a much larger firm was, number one, it put me in a better position in terms of the potential risk of something happening to me or one of my key people. But secondly, I just think it’s more likely to grow at a greater pace than my firm would’ve as I aged from my 60s to my 70s. Louis Diamond: Very interesting. It’s a great realization. I think it’s one that probably every firm owner grapples with at some point, is the romanticism or the ease, some would say, of an internal succession plan. Rewarding those who have helped you build the firm is something I think everyone is interested in. But once that’s put into practice, whether it’s because of capital or sky-high valuations or right people on the bus or risk, et cetera, nowadays oftentimes leads to a firm owner looking at a transaction, whether it’s a merger, a sale, a private equity, capital infusion as a means to solve for succession. So it’s a very interesting way you framed it. Andy, I want to turn it over to you for a little bit. So you mentioned when you launched Bleakley Financial, which was the old name of your firm, out of Northwestern, you’re about three billion. I think I read that you’re about 10 billion or so when Joe Duran and Rise invested you in 2024. You just said you’re at 18 billion now in the middle of 2026. That is absolutely incredible and amazing. Andy Schwartz: We’ll be well over 20 by the end of the year without any additional organic growth. Louis Diamond: That’s absolutely incredible. Andy Schwartz: We’ve got a lot going on right now. Louis Diamond: What’s actually driven that? What’s been the playbook? Andy Schwartz: The three areas that are most important for us, and we had our town hall this morning, and we always talk about the things we focus on as a group, the first and most important is the client experience. I always say to people, if you are their advisor, then that means someone else isn’t. These people, they all deserve to be really well taken care of. They deserve the best service, they deserve the best advice. So that’s something we take really personally. So client experience first. Then we also understand that we don’t just work for clients, we work for our advisors. So I have two jobs. I have, I don’t know, 500 clients I service with my team, and I work for Kevin and 36 other partners and all of our employees. Because again, I recognize that the decision Kevin made… We’re in the middle of a transition out with another advisor, and we pretty much talk to her every day, and I know how hard this is. A transition is so difficult. When you come from a good place, because any of the Northwestern advisor who joins, they’re coming from a good place, it’s not like they have to go anywhere, it’s difficult. So we have the massive responsibility that three or four or five or 10 years from now, that there better be hugs around that this was the best decision ever made or otherwise. That’s the kind of thing that keeps me up at night. So we’ve got to take care of our client experience, we’ve got to take care of our advisor experience. And then obviously, we’ve got to grow the firm so the firm grows organically. So part of this whole idea of serving our advisors is we have to help our advisors grow. I talk to a lot of people on the acquisition side, and if I’m talking to an advisor, it doesn’t matter how big they are, we kind of think of it as a OnePoint way. There’s flexibility in the OnePoint way. But if I can’t help them grow, I don’t want them, because I say it all the time, I’m not the mafia. I’m not here to get a taste. Louis, if you weren’t interested in joining us, if I thought that we could help you grow by doing that, then I want you bad. If I don’t think I can help you grow because we’re so different, or because you’re not going to adapt what we do, or there’s no leverage in it, or you’re already better than we are, I don’t want it. So for us, organic growth, number one, and I think you know the industries well enough, that’s got to be the key. We shoot for 10% organic growth. We’re at a little over 5% so far halfway through the year. So assuming we have the similar second half of the year, we’ll hit our 10. Last year we’re at 7.5%. The second is the inorganic growth. If you truly build a platform, if you truly build a firm that advisors know that they’ll be supported, that they’ll be loved, and you’ll help them grow their businesses, it does make it easier for us. We’re not the highest bidder typically. We can’t. We respect our client’s capital, we respect their equity, so therefore we’re not going to go out there. We’re not an aggregator, we’re a firm. But I think that if we can get that message across, and I think we have, then advisors join us. So that’s been a big part of the growth. And then the market’s helped. Obviously, over the last two years, the market’s been helpful. So that’s how we’ve gone from 10 to 18 and on our way to 22 by year-end. Louis Diamond: This is absolutely incredible. Any advisor or firm owner would say organic growth is important, but just saying it’s important doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. So what are the ways in which you help your advisors or your own practice grow organically? What is it that OnePoint is doing for your advisors? Andy Schwartz: Starting with bringing on growth-oriented advisors. I mean, look, Kevin Spahn and I come from the same place. We learned how to sell. The great thing about coming out of whether they’re broker dealers or out of the different insurance BDs is, these are people that know how to sell. These are people that don’t think that selling is a bad word. A lot of times you go to the wirehouses and they’re not necessarily sales guys. They’re really smart. They think that they’re investment mavens and investment geniuses. I’m not interested in investment geniuses. I’m interested in people that want to take care of their clients, provide everything they can, clients first, do the proper planning, be good advisors, but they’re growth-oriented. So as long as we’re talking with the right advisors. Again, if I’m talking to advisor and they might have a big practice, if they’re not growers, we’re not interested. There’s a sense of responsibility for all the partners because we are a true partnership. It’s not an aggregation. This is a firm. I’m responsible for Kevin. Kevin’s responsible to me. All of our partners are responsible to each other, because if we’re going to do a 10% organic growth target, and if some partner is negative 3%, we don’t put them through the spanking machine, but everybody is very aware of where everybody is and nobody wants to let their partners down. I think either you’re a growth-oriented advisor or you’re a zoo-fed bear. There’s another expression that I got from another Rise Growth Partner or Rise Growth firm. We all kind of communicate and talk to each other. And I was talking about zoo-fed bears, and he said, we call them house cats that think they fight. So they’re house cats, but they have no claws. But I think if you’re careful about who you bring on as partners, and if they are workers, growers, they understand that their job in life is to serve the people. We talk about referrals, we do lots of training to help on referrals. We work on organic growth strategies from the firm, but a lot of it comes from the advisors themselves. Louis Diamond: Makes sense. So it sounds like, to boil it down, it’s being really selective and having a really clear sense of who’s the right fit for your firm. Not that there’s not amazing advisors out there, but just because you’re an amazing advisor, doesn’t mean you’re the right fit to join OnePoint. Andy Schwartz: I think the one big distinction and difference is other than the fact that we are minority-owned with private equity. So we own our business. I mean, I’m the CEO of the firm. I also have the biggest book in the firm. At least for right now, I mean, Kevin was transitioning, so I’m sure next year he’ll be the leading advisor. But I lead the firm, because as far as I’m concerned, you have to lead by example. We are completely aligned. I know exactly what Kevin does every day because I do the same thing. I’m not some attorney or accountant or private equity boss that’s saying, “Oh, I’ve got an idea for growth. We’ll just raise our fees by 5%.” Brilliant. Yeah, we are completely aligned, all of us. I think that makes us a little bit unique, and it really helps us, I think, in our growth trajectory. Louis Diamond: I would agree. The challenge that a lot of advisors-turned-firm-owners or turned-enterprise-builders have is the tug of war between the client work, which either is their ultimate passion and driving force, or it’s something they’re really good at minimum, versus being the owner, the operator, et cetera. I resonate very much, Andy, with the way you handle it. I do the same thing running a company, but also working with advisors. To me, I need to do both in order to do my job well. But that tug of war is tough. So I’m curious, your firm is very large now, you’re a steward of external capital, and you have a $3 billion book yourself. How do you do it? How do you balance the two? Andy Schwartz: Well, fortunately, my kids are grown, so I’m not coaching sports anymore. So I do have a little more time than most. Look, we have a great team. So the idea that I run the firm… I mean, I lead the firm, I don’t run the firm. We have great partners. We have great… Our manager team is fantastic. So I mean, they really run the firm. But this is where my passion is for now. So I don’t mind. Days are typically pretty long. I don’t play golf during the week. Mara and I don’t travel probably as much as we should. Vacations are always a little bit mixed. There’s always room for calls and meetings and whatever. But to me, I mean, I’m grateful to be in this situation. I’m enjoying it. This is such a privilege to be the person that people recognize as the leader of this bunch, of this group. I mean, it is the honor of my life. So I don’t think of it so much as work. It’s my advocation. It does get busy. There are some times where I have to remind myself, “Just enjoy the ride.” I get a little overwhelmed, but I get lots of help and that makes it possible. Louis Diamond: Yep. If you’re not doing the job of the folks that you’re encouraging and leading to do, how do you have fodder to train them, to teach them, to empathize with that? Andy Schwartz: Exactly, you don’t have the credibility. I can ask them to do almost anything because they know I do it myself, and I think that helps. Louis Diamond: Yep. So moving more into the decision to bring on private equity capital, what I thought was probably the most interesting component of your announcement that you took on PE investment was that you completely restructured or reoriented your firm prior to Joe Duran coming in 2024. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Bleakley Financial Group was almost all 1099 contractors. So everyone owned their own books of business, paid Bleakley a fee or an override for certain services. But now, today, over 85% of your advisors and your AUM are W-2 employees, meaning you converted them from 1099 to acquiring them or merging with them. To me, that’s the dream. It’s had to have been very, very, very hard and challenging because there’s so many aggregator firms or platforms that support independent advisors, but the value that they’ve created is fairly minimal relative to one cohesive firm. So can you just talk about that decision, a very big and brave decision to go down the path of acquiring or merging with the practices rather than letting them continue to operate independently? Andy Schwartz: Well, look, we had to… It’s funny because we had been having conversations for years with consultants, and they kept telling us what we had to do. Again, we’re not that smart, so we just kept thinking, “No, we don’t have to do that.” But we were told 10 years earlier that the only way that this thing has any value to the world is you’ve got to have EBITDA for the firm. We talked to all the smart people, we ignored all of them. But what happened was we needed capital and we needed equity in order to bring people on, because people aren’t just joining us just because we can help them grow a bigger business. So the reason we went in the direction we went initially was we just needed capital. We wanted to grow the firm, and the only way we were going to get to is… What’s the old saying? What got us here is not going to get us there. So we needed capital. But we also realized that I had to have something I could sell in the marketplace. And people want equity. So they want cash, but they also want equity, because we’re talking to entrepreneurs. Kevin owned his own firm. He has $2 billion of assets. He wasn’t interested in being someone’s employee, but he was interested in being able to get leverage and be a partner and share equity in a larger firm that had the chance to grow even more. So what the gift that Joe Duran, the Rise folks gave us was that gift of structure and understanding. So that was really helpful, and that’s been a big part of our success. Louis Diamond: Yeah, it’s an amazing journey. Again, I think you could probably write a book or a case study on how that happened. I’m sure there were some downfalls, some people that weren’t all that excited about it, but the results speak for itself. Andy Schwartz: I think people ask all the time because I do get phone calls. People are trying to do this, and they’re struggling. It took us 90 days to basically do it. People say, “I’ve been at this for two years.” And the biggest issue is trust. Either they trust you or they don’t. At the end of the day, I always went to the advisor here, we were a firm for 30-plus years prior, and these guys knew that we always did what we said we were going to do, and we always did. If your people trust you, then you can do it. If your people don’t trust you, it isn’t going to work. Louis Diamond: In other words, your firm added immense value to the advisors as well. Aside from trust, if you weren’t providing a service or services that they found a value that they couldn’t access on their own, it would’ve been 85/15 going the other way for sure. Andy Schwartz: Yeah, 100%. I know it’s not easy, but it wasn’t that hard for us. Louis Diamond: Good. It’s well-earned. So I believe you were Rise Growth Partners’ first investment. Andy Schwartz: We were. Louis Diamond: That’s cool. It’s exciting. You get to be someone’s first, but did it make you uncomfortable that you were the first investment or did you see that as a positive? Andy Schwartz: I actually saw it as a positive. Well, one, because I recognized immediately that Joe Duran and his team were way smarter than we were certainly, and certainly with what we were trying to do. And I figured that it’s almost like the first child. They were so excited to have somebody, and there was so much time and energy, so they just really doted on us. They were really able to help us. Now they’ve got four or five groups that they work with, and obviously we’ve been launched. So the younger babies are getting more time and attention, although we get everything that we need from them. But yeah, that never concerned me. I always thought that would be our advantage. It actually turned out that way. Louis Diamond: Interesting. In thinking through a sale or a minority sale, did you entertain other types of capital, whether it was a family office or a multitude of other private equity sponsors or selling the firm outright? Andy Schwartz: Yeah, we probably had four or five very, very serious conversations. Actually, some got pretty close to the end where we basically just made the decision not to do it. One was a much larger firm, good people. But the problem always was… I was always going to get rich out of the deal because it was going to be 100% sale, but there was really no lift or leverage from the advisors. So the principals, they were willing to pay me a big multiple and my partners a big multiple, and pay these guys basically an average multiple. So we had always told our guys, “Let’s stay together, and someday, this thing, whatever it’s going to turn into be, will benefit everyone.” So with the Duran situation and the deal with Rise did, it gave everybody a chance to benefit from what we were doing. But what was good about all of those false starts was, it taught me a lot because I had… I know you’re involved in this, so you know better than I do, but we’d start conversations, somebody would reach out to me, I would be very specific about what I needed. They would say, “Yep, we can do that.” And then you get to the finish line, and it’s almost like, I started out, I wanted a tomahawk steak and a baked potato, and I ended up getting a two-day-old hamburger with some cold French fries. It’s like, I know I’m not that smart and I know you’re the PE guys, but for God’s sakes, we’re not stupid. So it was funny because in January of ’24, I told my partners, “I don’t want to have any more of these conversations. It was a waste of time and energy. I’m sick of talking to these people. Let’s just put our heads down, and then let’s grow the firm a little bit more, and then we’ll see what the world looks like.” And then I get introduced to Duran. Louis Diamond: Perfect. Makes sense. Yeah, so you were well-educated on the market, the types of buyers, and I always say it’s almost more important to understand what you don’t want more than what you do want. The only way oftentimes to understand what you don’t want is to experience it and touch and feel it and really get into the weeds on it. I like too, Andy, I saw in an article, you said that “we’re private equity invested, we’re not private equity owned,” which is a very cool dynamic. I could imagine why that was important to you to retain majority control. Kevin, I want to bring you back into the conversation. Thank you for being patient here. But I mean, I would imagine you had some real choices. I mean, you could have stayed at Northwestern and been very successful, gone through with your internal succession plan. You could have gone to an independent BD, monetized, figured out succession later. You could have sold the business to a strategic acquirer. You were big enough to take on an investor in some capacity on your own. So options wasn’t your problem. Maybe just walk us through. Did you consider any other pathways? And what were the pros and cons in your mind that led you to doing a transaction with Andy? Kevin Spahn: I’m a little different, I think, than most people in this industry. Even as you grow your business at a certain percentage, none of that stuff has ever really meant anything to me. All I know is I like what I do. So when I came into the business, because I like it, I enjoy it, I spend time doing it, I’ve tried to get better at it. But it comes naturally because it’s something that I don’t look at Monday mornings as, “Oh, no, it’s Monday morning.” I’m excited to go to work. My entire career, once I left law, my business has just grown over the years naturally. But you said something before, Louis, and I think this applies to me. I love to work with the clients. I don’t like what I have to do in terms of running the firm. I never have. It’s never been my cup of tea, but you have to do it if you run a firm. So number one, the thought of all the due diligence that I would have to do to research all the firms out there, I wasn’t really all that interested in doing that. At the end of the day, it comes down to this word trust. I trust Andy. I trust the other partners here too, because I’ve known not just Andy, but I’ve known Scott and many of the other partners for years. So I knew what I was getting myself into. At the end of the day, I knew what they built. I was very comfortable with it, and I was either going to stay at Northwestern Mutual or I was going to come here, but I wasn’t going to go anywhere else. I will say, since I’ve gone, it’s been exactly like I thought. I thought I trusted Andy. And if something happened along the way with the transition, everything that he said has been true, thing that he promised is real. As you deal with more complexities with a bigger book and more and more employees, I knew that I was almost at the breaking point in terms of my own organization and to merge into this organization that, as I said before, he’s already built out. I don’t have to do it. And to benefit from these great people that he has as part of his organization, that’s all been a real blessing for me and my team. So I didn’t shop the marketplace really, but I knew what I was getting into, and it’s worked out clear as I thought it would. Louis Diamond: That’s amazing. I think that’s what most people would covet. But it is a decision in and of itself to not shop the marketplace. I mean, from representing buyers or prospective buyers, I know the pricing leverage or the negotiation leverage and the valuation lift that comes from having an open market, having multiple bids, et cetera. It sounds like that wasn’t the… Obviously you wanted to get fair value for your firm, but for you, it was more, it’s trust, “I’m either going to just stay at Northwestern, which is the devil I know or it’s what I’ve known where I’ve been successful, or I’m going to go to the individual that I trust and forget about all the other noise.” Kevin Spahn: Well, Andy says things, but I know they’re true because I’ve seen him at work. I’ve seen how he’s acted. I’ve seen how he interacts with people. But here’s an example. He cares about the people that are at his firm. He says that, but I know it’s true because I see it. I’m the same. I really care about the people in my firm. So as I think about, well, what about the future of two groups, my clients, but also the people that work in my firm? They’re going to be around long after I am. Well, I don’t want myself to retire someday, get a big check, because there’s all sorts of options to get a check. If I get a check and then my client’s scatter to the wind, and my employees don’t really have a future and they just have to go and find their own way, that wasn’t attractive at all to me. So one of the things that I really appreciate about this opportunity is that there is a plan for both my clients and my employees or the younger team members at formerly Spahn Financial, where I feel very good about the fact that they have a solid, secure future in an industry that they’ve all grown to love without them having to go out and make their own way. Louis Diamond: Makes sense to me. We noted a couple of times in this interview, you talked about equity, partnership, both of you have. So Kevin, for you, what did it mean differently for you to become a partner and get equity in a larger firm rather than, we’ll say, the less risky move of just taking everything in cash? Why was that an important distinction for you? Kevin Spahn: For many years, when I left law and came into this business, I didn’t have any money at the time. I was just starting to make money as a lawyer. It takes a while. I started low. I got trial experience working for the government, so they didn’t pay much. That was three years. Then I was at a firm, and I was just starting to make more money. Then I made this big shift into a career tha

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers
376 What Should I Call This? How to Name Farm Products (So That They Sell)

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 47:41


Could changing one word on a sign or product listing make a product sell better? Last week at our Farmer's Bag Toledo pickup, I noticed something strange happening with two kinds of onions sitting right next to each other. Customers kept choosing one—and passing over the other. Then one of our volunteers made an observation: "I wonder if it's the name." That comment made me think, "Oh I've got to do a podcast about this!" Because as farmers, we often name our products based on what we call them -- i.e. the variety in the seed catalog, the technical name of the cut, or whatever makes sense to us behind the scenes. But your product name isn't just an inventory label. It's marketing copy. In this episode, I'm sharing seven simple tests you can use when naming (or renaming) your farm products—from everyday items in your online store to bigger signature offers and programs. We'll talk about how the right name can help a customer understand what you're selling, recognize why they might want it, remember it, and sometimes even stop in their tracks and ask, "Wait... why do you call it THAT?" If you've ever struggled with what to call something, or you've got a product customers consistently seem to overlook, this episode will give you a new way to look at the words on the sign. Listen in and then choose ONE product on your farm to rename and test this week. Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use for my email marketing launches? I recommend Kit.com -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

Growing For Market Podcast
Answering greenhouse tomato frequently asked questions with Martijn van Stee of Enza Zaden in Holland

Growing For Market Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 66:54


We've been getting a lot of greenhouse tomato questions lately, so we invited Martijn van Stee back to the podcast to find out how they breed varieties to deal with the biggest challenges in greenhouse production. Martijn is the Global Manager for tomato breeding at Enza Zaden (means Enza Seeds), one of the top greenhouse vegetable breeders in the world. We had Martijn on the podcast a couple years ago to talk about tomato rootstocks, so we were really glad to have him back to talk about top varieties this time. We talk about how to find varieties that will work in unheated tunnels vs minimally heated greenhouses vs automated greenhouses, and what traits set these varieties apart. He tells us how they are changing their breeding to deal with increased heat and pest pressure due to climate change. Martijn gives us his answer about whether better tasting varieties tend to be lower yielding, where growers get their information from in Europe and lots more in this week's episode of the Growing for Market Podcast! Connect With Guest: Website: enzazaden.com/us Instagram: @enzazadenamericas Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support: BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that's tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America. Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more. If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That's why so many farmers are turning to Burpee's Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee's been doing this for 150 years, and they're still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at Burpee.com/FarmersMarket. Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at farmhand.partners/gfm For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

FreightCasts
FreightWaves Today | August 31

FreightCasts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 122:49


The freight industry is facing a major wave of regulatory, economic and operational changes. On this episode of FreightWaves Today, Craig and Julie breaks down the latest developments affecting trucking, freight brokers, autonomous trucks, railroads and cross-border freight. The show opens with the FMCSA crackdown on CDL schools, including the shutdown of hundreds of driving schools over concerns involving English-language proficiency, facilities and instructor qualifications. The discussion examines what tougher barriers to entry could mean for trucking safety, capacity and the broader freight market. The hosts also dive into a major Penske liability case, the future of the independent contractor model and the potential impact of new legal precedents on freight brokers and motor carriers. They discuss the latest movement on the FMCSA freight broker transparency rule, which could require brokers to maintain electronic transaction records and provide them to carriers or shippers upon request. The episode also explores California's autonomous truck regulations, including the state's million-mile testing requirement and a legal challenge from the California Teamsters. With autonomous trucking continuing to advance, the conversation looks at the growing battle over technology, regulation and trucking jobs. Joining the show is Dr. David Correll of Telegraph, who discusses his company's latest six-month freight rail outlook. Harrell shares his forecast for rail carload and intermodal volumes, the potential for coal exports, tank car availability, the impact of energy prices and the massive industrial demand being created by AI data center construction. He also explains why the widening price gap between truckload and intermodal transportation could continue shifting freight from trucks to rail. The team then examines the rapid growth of U.S.-Mexico cross-border freight, with Laredo and other border markets seeing significant increases in transportation activity amid nearshoring and changing global trade patterns. Later, Josh Lovan of J.J. Keller joins the show to discuss carrier vetting, freight broker compliance, safety management and the growing legal risks facing brokers after major nuclear verdicts. Loving outlines what companies should be doing now to create a defensible carrier-vetting process, including reviewing CSA and roadside inspection data, documenting carrier-selection decisions and consistently enforcing safety standards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cheers to Freedom Powered by OptSpot
Episode 46: Do This Before Your Promote Your Next Manager

Cheers to Freedom Powered by OptSpot

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 9:39


Most car wash owners think they have a hiring problem. They can't find good people, their crew doesn't care, and they're hiring constantly without anything getting better. But after working with hundreds of car wash locations across North America, I can tell you that most washes don't have an employee problem at all. They have a seating problem — and it usually starts with a promotion the owner made two years ago.In this episode of The Car Wash Growth Playbook, I break down why car wash staffing and car wash management problems are so often misdiagnosed, and what to do about it without firing anybody.We cover:Why rotating every CSA through every job on the property quietly costs you sales and phone number captureThe reason more training won't turn a great loader into a great salespersonWhat actually happens when you promote your best CSA into a manager role (and the second cost nobody counts)How to spot the person on your crew who is already wired to manage, even though their numbers are averageWhy the car wash owner is often the one sitting in the wrong seatWhy small car wash operators can fix this faster than any multi-site chain or corporationI also give you the four questions to ask every employee on your team:What part of this job do you love? If you could do one thing all day, what would it be?What part of it puts a knot in your stomach?What part do you think you're actually good at?What part frustrates you?Ask those one on one and you'll learn more in fifteen minutes than you learned watching that person for a year. Pay attention when the answers don't line up, because the employee who's good at a job that puts a knot in their stomach is the one who quits on you without warning.

FreightWaves NOW
FreightWaves Today | August 31

FreightWaves NOW

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 122:49


The freight industry is facing a major wave of regulatory, economic and operational changes. On this episode of FreightWaves Today, Craig and Julie breaks down the latest developments affecting trucking, freight brokers, autonomous trucks, railroads and cross-border freight. The show opens with the FMCSA crackdown on CDL schools, including the shutdown of hundreds of driving schools over concerns involving English-language proficiency, facilities and instructor qualifications. The discussion examines what tougher barriers to entry could mean for trucking safety, capacity and the broader freight market. The hosts also dive into a major Penske liability case, the future of the independent contractor model and the potential impact of new legal precedents on freight brokers and motor carriers. They discuss the latest movement on the FMCSA freight broker transparency rule, which could require brokers to maintain electronic transaction records and provide them to carriers or shippers upon request. The episode also explores California's autonomous truck regulations, including the state's million-mile testing requirement and a legal challenge from the California Teamsters. With autonomous trucking continuing to advance, the conversation looks at the growing battle over technology, regulation and trucking jobs. Joining the show is Dr. David Correll of Telegraph, who discusses his company's latest six-month freight rail outlook. Harrell shares his forecast for rail carload and intermodal volumes, the potential for coal exports, tank car availability, the impact of energy prices and the massive industrial demand being created by AI data center construction. He also explains why the widening price gap between truckload and intermodal transportation could continue shifting freight from trucks to rail. The team then examines the rapid growth of U.S.-Mexico cross-border freight, with Laredo and other border markets seeing significant increases in transportation activity amid nearshoring and changing global trade patterns. Later, Josh Lovan of J.J. Keller joins the show to discuss carrier vetting, freight broker compliance, safety management and the growing legal risks facing brokers after major nuclear verdicts. Loving outlines what companies should be doing now to create a defensible carrier-vetting process, including reviewing CSA and roadside inspection data, documenting carrier-selection decisions and consistently enforcing safety standards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carrot Cashflow
The Reselling Strategy That Added $30,000 to One Farm

Carrot Cashflow

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2026 14:14


There's a place on the market farming map where most farms go to die. It's not the ones that are too big or too small...it's the ones in the middle. Five acres, ten acres, mixed vegetables, a farmers market plus a couple of restaurants and a CSA. After a decade of interviewing farmers, that pattern shows up so often it's almost predictable. Click here to learn more about Aslan Organics! Watch the video version over on our YT Channel!  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Continuum Audio
Central Sleep Apnea With Dr. Ran R. Liu

Continuum Audio

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2026 19:47


Central sleep apnea is a complex and often underrecognized sleep-related breathing disorder that differs from obstructive sleep apnea by involving reduced respiratory drive rather than upper airway obstruction. In this episode, Dr. Ran Liu reviews the underlying mechanisms of central sleep apnea, including the role of ventilatory control instability, discusses its association with neurologic conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, ALS, and myasthenic disorders, and highlights key considerations for diagnosis and management. Learn how emerging technologies, personalized treatment strategies, and advances in sleep medicine are improving outcomes for patients with this heterogeneous group of disorders. In this episode, Teshamae Monteith, MD, FAAN, speaks with Ran R. Liu, MD, FRCPC, MSc, author of the article "Central Sleep Apnea" in the Continuum® August 2026 Sleep Neurology issue. Dr. Monteith is the associate editor of Continuum® Audio and an associate professor of clinical neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. Dr. Liu is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, and an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada. Additional Resources Read the article: Central Sleep Apnea Subscribe to Continuum®: shop.lww.com/Continuum Earn CME (available only to AAN members): continpub.com/AudioCME Continuum® Aloud (verbatim audio-book style recordings of articles available only to Continuum® subscribers): continpub.com/Aloud More about the American Academy of Neurology: aan.com Social Media facebook.com/continuumcme @ContinuumAAN Host: @headacheMD Guest: @SleepyNeuroDoc  Full episode transcript available here Dr Monteith: You may be familiar with obstructive sleep apnea, but central sleep apnea is often less understood and frequently underdiagnosed. In this podcast, we break down the key clinical pearls to sharpen your diagnostic reasoning, discuss why central sleep apnea matters, and to explore some of the fascinating advances transforming the field. Dr Jones: This is Dr. Lyell Jones, editor-in-chief of Continuum. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio. Be sure to visit the links in the episode notes for information about earning CME, subscribing to the journal, and exclusive access to interviews not featured on the podcast.  Dr Monteith: This is Dr. Teshamae Monteith. Today, I'm interviewing Dr. Richard Liu about his article on central sleep apnea. This article appears in the August 2026 Continuum issue on Neurology of Sleep. Welcome to our podcast. How are you?  Dr Liu: Good. Thank you, Dr. Monteith, for having me today.  Dr Monteith: Please introduce yourself to our audience.  Dr Liu: Hello, everybody. My name is Richard Liu. I am a sleep neurologist. I am working out of Toronto at both Sunnybrook Health Science Center and MedSleep. I did my residency at Queen's for neurology and my sleep medicine fellowship at Harvard University.  Dr Monteith: Great. And what got you interested in sleep?  Dr Liu: Thank you very much for asking. For me, sleep medicine is a field where essentially everything is connected. Certainly, impaired sleep can affect many other conditions, including many neurological conditions. And even within sleep medicine, when somebody has a sleep disorder, often the entire system is connected. So as an example, if you have insomnia and fragmented sleep and periodic limb movements of sleep, certainly these conditions can impact sleep apnea. And certainly, for today's topic of central sleep apnea, this is an extremely complicated disorder where it's a very in-depth integration between neurological and respiratory physiology, among other systems as well.  Dr Monteith: So, I guess you're kind of like the cornerstone, sleep being the cornerstone of neurology. Everyone has to sleep. That's for sure. Great. So why don't we talk about what central sleep apnea is, and how prevalent is it as a collective group of disorders compared to obstructive sleep apnea?  Dr Liu: So, one way to think about central sleep apnea is that this is a heterogeneous group of etiology. But the primary concept here for central sleep apnea is that there's a reduction in respiratory drive. This is in contrast to obstructive sleep apnea, where essentially this is some form of airway obstruction in the presence of relatively intact respiratory drive. And of course, there's mixed apneas where they may contain features of both. But of course, now we know that even obstructive sleep apnea, there's a certain degree of drive dependence somewhat blurring these distinctions. The overall prevalence of central sleep apnea is about five to ten percent of all patients with sleep- disorder breathing. And certainly, it could be higher in some neurological conditions, such as things like stroke, multiple sclerosis, and multisystem atrophy.  Dr Monteith: Great. So certainly, it's out there. Why don't you tell us about the objectives of your article?  Dr Liu: Absolutely. Thank you for asking. I think the main objective of this article is really to highlight that central sleep apnea is a complex syndrome resulting from a large group of heterogeneous etiologies. And of course, again, it could be associated with many neurological conditions. And really here, I want to highlight advancements, both medicine and technology, on both the side of diagnosis of central sleep apnea, as well as the multimodal targeted treatment.  Dr Monteith: And what do you want our listeners to take away from this talk and certainly your article? What are the key essential points?  Dr Liu: Thank you very much for asking. I think that one way of looking at central sleep apnea to etiologically divide this into both hypocapnic and hypercapnic central sleep apnea. And of course, loop gain being a major driver for a hypocapnic central sleep apnea, and that one can actually think about hypocapnic central sleep apnea beyond a phenotypic spectrum with obstructive sleep apnea, with many patients having overlapping features of both obstruction and central component. On the other hand, hypercapnic central sleep apnea, often also known as hyperventilation syndrome, can span etiology from chemoreflex dysfunction to a broad range of neuroanatomical localization, such as central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscle disorders.  Dr Monteith: And what are some of the symptoms of central sleep apnea? Do any of them differ from obstructive sleep apnea?  Dr Liu: Thank you for asking, that's an excellent question. So certainly, central sleep apnea symptoms can overlap with obstructive sleep apnea symptoms. And of course, given the large range of underlying etiology, often the CSA symptoms depend on the underlying etiology. There may be less snoring compared to obstructive sleep apnea patients, especially the hypocapnic CSA patients. Of course, these patients, like OSA, may have frequent awakenings, gasping and choking their sleep, and nocturia, and so on.These patients may have daytime sleepiness, insomnia-like symptoms, or they could be asymptomatic. Interestingly, the hypocarbnic central sleep apnea patients, they're a bit more prone to have the insomnia-like symptoms, whereas the hypercarbnic central sleep apnea patients, they tend to have a bit more of the daytime sleepiness and morning headaches.  Dr Monteith: You spoke about some of the neurological disorders that might be associated with central sleep apnea, like stroke and multiple sclerosis. What about some of the more traditional risk factors associated with obstructive sleep apnea or conditions associated with it, like obesity and hypertension? Or does that just mix the picture?  Dr Liu: There is many overlap between risk factors between obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea, and certainly one of the things that I highlight in this article is really that often it's not just black and white, that this could be a spectrum with overlapping disease between both conditions. So certainly, in our neurological world, stroke is the most common thing that may be associated with central sleep apnea. But overall, cardiovascular issues such as heart failure, atrial fibrillation, these things can also be associated with central sleep apnea. And again, from the neurological perspective, if we were to divide from hypocarbnic versus hypercarbnic central sleep apnea, by thinking about the hypercarbic central sleep apnea, again, this is where we're thinking about hypoventilation syndromes. You know, anything that can cause neuromuscular weakness, this is something that we should have a high alarm for, that potentially there may be a hypoventilation component. So, things like any myasthenic syndromes and ALS.  Dr Monteith: Great. Why don't we also talk about the classification? When was the last time central sleep apnea's classification was updated, and what should we know about the classification?  Dr Liu: The most recent classification for central sleep apnea is written in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, third edition. In this edition, it's classified with six central sleep apnea syndromes. So, these are the CSA with Cheyne-Stoke breathing, CSA due to high altitude periodic breathing, primary CSA, CSA due to medication or substance, CSA due to medical disorder without Cheyne-Stoke breathing, and treatment-emergent central sleep apnea. These classifications more so describe the circumstance of when CSA occurs. A more etiological classification that we can consider would be classifying them by the underlying pathophysiology, which is dividing this from hypercarbnic central sleep apnea versus a hypocarbnic central sleep apnea. Certainly, both set of classification are discussed in this article.  Dr Monteith: Yeah. You discussed at length, the major physiological factors that our audience is just going to have to read. I don't want them to hear this too much while they're driving or on the treadmill, cause its super high level. But why don't we just start with some very basic factors that we need to know about this circuitry?  Dr Liu: Perhaps I can start with this concept of loop gain, which is the most important concept under hypocarbnic central sleep apnea. For any one of my colleagues who's listening to this, they're probably laughing right now cause they think that loop gain is my favorite word. So, loop gain is an engineering term referring to the sensitivity of a feedback loop. So, in the context of sleep medicine, this is an overly sensitive respiratory control to carbon dioxide and oxygen fluctuation. There are three components. The main one is controller gain. This is a chemosensitivity predominant to CO2. The second is plant gain, which is the lung's effectiveness for carbon dioxide excretion. And the last is what's called the mixing gain. This is circuitry delay from the time the signal travels from the pulmonary artery to the peripheral and central chemoreceptors. So conceptually, one may think, let's say something decreases your ventilation, so for example, apnea or hypopnea. With this, as you can imagine, when you stop breathing, your CO2 builds up, and this builds up according to the curve of the plant gain. And of course, this build of CO2 signal takes time to go from your lung to your chemoreceptor. That's your mixing gain. And of course, here it meets the overly sensitive chemoreceptors. This is your controller gain. As a result, this results in amplification of your ventilation to the initial respiratory disturbance. So, you have a overshoot of ventilation. All of a sudden, you're blowing out too much carbon dioxide, then you become hypocarbnic. At one point, if you blow out way too much carbon dioxide, your CO2 goes below what's called a PCO2 apneic threshold. After this, if your CO2's below, you essentially stop breathing. And of course, after that, you can imagine your CO2s are building up again. So, when this loop goes over and over, you generate what's called a chemoreflex-driven respiratory oscillation, where you create a crescendo, decrescendo-like flow pattern, which is underneath what we see in periodic breathing in central sleep apnea.  Dr Monteith: So, without going into too much detail, what is the key way to target restoration of equilibrium? Are there anatomical targets, physiologic targets that we're trying to manipulate here? Dr Liu: Again, thank you very much for that wonderful question. There's certainly many approaches that we could do to improve the stability of the system. Certainly, there are treatments for ventilation, either CPAP or in the case of hypocarbon central sleep apnea, things like adaptive servo ventilation. There is also medications that we can certainly discuss later that can double down the entire system for loop gain. Positional therapy can help for many of these patients. For the appropriate patient, improving their arousal threshold can actually reduce arousal-induced amplification of loop gain. Many of these patients, again, if appropriate, certainly weight loss may be helpful, and these are among many things that we can potentially do to improve the ventilatory stability of these patients.  Dr Monteith: Okay, great. But let's also talk about the general overall approach to diagnosing, and much of it is by history, as you mentioned. There's also sometimes a need, as you say, to differentiate out how much is obstructive. So, what is the thinking process there when you're approaching a patient?  Dr Liu: So perhaps I can start with in terms of the diagnostic modalities that we could use for this. So, the gold standard for diagnosis of central sleep apnea is still our polysonogram. The home sleep apnea test sometimes may be harder to distinguish between obstructive and central events. In addition, on a PSG, you have EEG. This allows you to assess for sleep quality and arousals, as well as the EMGs, which can help you pick up periodic limb movements of sleep. And of course, all of these things themselves can affect the central sleep apnea and can be a potential treatment factor.  Dr Monteith: Before we get into treatment, can you just give us, like, the top five or six drugs or drug classes we need to look for so that, you know, we can discontinue or try something else for our patients that might be complicating their presentation?  Dr Liu: Certainly medications, in some cases, can help central sleep apnea, but other cases can certainly be a precipitant of central sleep apnea. So, one thing to consider would be opioid medication. They can certainly cause very complicated central sleep apnea, something called ataxic breathing, where you have irregularity to the tidal volume and the rate of breathing. Other medications such as Oxybate, baclofen, valproic acid, gabapentin, all of which can certainly contribute to central sleep apnea. And of course, in the stroke world, something that we should always think about is that Tetagelor can also contribute to central sleep apnea. And outside of this, things like muscle relaxants, anesthetic agents can also be a contributor.  Dr Monteith: Great. Now let's get into some of the treatment.  Dr Liu: I like to divide treatment into targeting a hypercarbnic central sleep apnea and a hypocarbonic central sleep apnea. For hypocarbonic central sleep apnea, the first line is CPAP treatment. But for many patients, CPAP therapy is insufficient. There's also adaptive servo ventilation, which is an advanced device designed for hypocarbonic central sleep apnea. For hypercarbic central sleep apnea, again, first line is CPAP treatment, with more advanced devices being a bilevel therapy as well as volume-assured pressure support ventilation. There are also medications that can reduce loop gain, with the most researched one being acetazolamide. We can also reduce arousal thresholds, which could be appropriate for certain patients. And for certain patients, improving arousal threshold can be helpful as, especially in hypocarbic central sleep apnea, that arousals can amplify loop gain. Weight loss can be helpful for both hyper- and hypocarbonic central sleep apnea, and we have great new medication on the market for this. Other therapy can include supplemental oxygen that can be added to PAP devices, as well as phrenic nerve stimulation, positional therapy, as well as carbon dioxide modulation.  Dr Monteith: Excellent. So, it sounds like there's a lot of opportunity to help patients. Now, what are you most excited about in terms of latest development for detection as well as for intervention?  Dr Liu: Thank you very much. I'm actually excited about many things in sleep medicine. Perhaps the thing that I'm most excited about in detection in sleep medicine would be the wearable technologies. So, these technologies may use photoplethysmography to detect peripheral artertonometry. This is where we're measuring the pulsatile arterial volume signals as a surrogate of cardiac and respiratory function. And when paired, that was often desaturation. With these technologies, we can actually detect the staging, autonomic arousals, and HI. So of course, these technologies do not have flow, and they do not have EEG. But they're very powerful technology that allows us to do multi-night testing from home. And of course, understanding both the potential limitation of these technology in the context of patients can be very useful. In terms of treatment-wise, we're learning so much about the underlying contributing drivers of different forms of central sleep apnea. So again, this is highlighted in my article that many of these patients needs multimodal targeted treatment, both between either a PAP device in addition to other things such as medication, oxygen, positional therapy, and so on.  Dr Monteith: Great. So, I mean, I think there's so much to this field. Your article is very extensive. Thank you very much for writing this. I know it may have taken a bit of time, and I appreciate you being on our podcast.  Dr Liu: Thank you very much.  Dr Monteith: Again today, I've been interviewing Dr. Richard Liu about his article on central sleep apnea. This article appears in the August 2026 Continuum issue on Neurology of Sleep. Be sure to check out Continuum Audio episodes from this and other issues. And thank you to our listeners for joining today.  Dr Monteith: This is Dr. Teshamae Monteith, Associate Editor of Continuum Audio. If you've enjoyed this episode, you'll love the journal, which is full of in-depth and clinically relevant information important for neurology practitioners. Use the link in the episode notes to learn more and subscribe. AAN members, you can get CME for listening to this interview by completing the evaluation at continpub.com/audioCME. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio. 

Mongabay Newscast
In Bhutan, the pursuit of happiness extends to the food system

Mongabay Newscast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2026 33:20


Bhutan is a Himalayan kingdom sandwiched between China and India. Forty percent of its 800,000 citizens work in the agriculture sector. The mountainous country is famous for its breathtaking landscapes and its unique policy of "Gross National Happiness," instituted in 1972 by Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth king of Bhutan. My guests on the Newscast this week say this philosophy is the backbone of the nation's food system, and its plan for full food self-sufficiency by 2029. "Our food system isn't just about producing food. It's about sustaining our landscapes, our communities, and our culture," says renowned chef and restaurateur Bleu Tshering Dorji. She owns two restaurants in the nation's capital, Thimpu. She explains the unique challenges farmers she works with face due to climate change and steep mountain terrain. "We are a mountainous landlocked country, and only a small percentage of our land is, I think, actually suitable for agriculture. We don't have the luxury of just expanding farmland. We have to make better use of the land that we sort of already have," she says. "Labor is becoming extremely scarce as young people sort of move away from agriculture, and farmers still have to deal with issues like wildlife conflict, unpredictable weather, and also getting their produce to the market," Bleu says. Sonam Wangchuk is an executive specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock for the government of Bhutan. He also joins the conversation to explain how the government plans to address these challenges through the 13th five-year plan, "Transforming the Agrifood Sector for Economic Growth and Sustainable Development." The plan calls for spending the equivalent of about $180 million through 2029. Much of these funds appear to be directly supporting smallholder farmers, the majority of whom in Bhutan are women. "We have been working to strengthen the capacity of the smallholder farmers, especially through training on climate-smart agriculture, improve production technologies, farm mechanization, post-harvest management, value addition and agribusiness and business development for women and youth," Wangchuk says. "The skills are imparted to improve access to finance, technology and markets and creating an environment of entrepreneurship and to support the farmer groups and cooperatives." Some government measures have received criticism, such as the implementation of a 3,400-kilometer (2,100-mile) fence to deter human-wildlife conflict. A previous study from 2023 on agricultural practices in the nation suggested that, "Bhutan should emphasise women-centred initiatives by enhancing access to assets, raising awareness of climate change mitigation strategies, and developing training programs to promote CSA," or climate-smart agriculture. This appears to be what the plan aims to do. However, not all challenges are easily solved with funding. Previous Mongabay fellow Choki Wangmo highlighted some of these challenges through the story of Pen Zam, a medicinal mushroom gatherer who struggles with a shrinking habitat at extremely high altitudes to attain a fraction of what her family used to gather decades ago, before the current climate impacts of today. Later this month, the inaugural Global Conscious Food Systems Summit will take place in Bhutan. Please take a minute to let us know what you think of our podcast here. Mike DiGirolamo is the host & producer for the Mongabay Newscast based in Sydney. Find him on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Cover Image: A chorten, or Buddhist stupa, at a rice field in Bhutan. Image by thaths via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0). —- Time codes (00:00) Bhutan is transforming its food system (06:45) A challenge ahead (12:53) How 'Gross National Happiness' guides the way (19:04) Supporting farmers amidst climate change (29:36) Moving the global conversation forward

Growing For Market Podcast
Investing in land along with farmers with Martín Lemos of Dirt Capital Partners

Growing For Market Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2026 56:06


Martín Lemos tells us how his background in farming helps him evaluate the impact of projects Dirt Capital Partners is considering funding from the farming side of things. It is their goal to invest in regenerative agriculture projects, for example helping a farmer expand with a bigger farm. He tells us how they do investment for and with farmers, with making farmer ownership the goal. We discuss how farmers may only buy a farm once or twice in their lifetimes, so Dirt Capital Partners brings expertise to that transaction on behalf of farmers. He tells us how he works as a liaison between farmers and investors- not just looking at the financials but also looking at the potential impact of projects and the feasibility on the farming side. If you're interested in trying to finance a farm project, we talk about eligibility criteria, how to get ahold of Dirt Capital Partners and so much more in this episode of the Growing for Market Podcast! Connect With Guest: Website: dirtpartners.com Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support: Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last.  Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more. If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That's why so many farmers are turning to Burpee's Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee's been doing this for 150 years, and they're still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at Burpee.com/FarmersMarket. Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at farmhand.partners/gfm For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Play On Podcasts
Full Play - Troilus and Cressida

Play On Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2026 176:39


***⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete our⁠ listener survey⁠ for a chance to win a $50 gift card!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Next Chapter Podcasts presents the complete Play On Podcast series, Troilus and Cressida, in its entirety. The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “TROILUS AND CRESSIDA”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by LILLIAN GROAG. All episodes were directed by KIM MARTIN COTTON. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON.   Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND   This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT.   The cast is as follows:   BENJAMIN BONENFANT         as    TROILUS AWNI ABDI-BAHRI                       as    CRESSIDA JAMES UDOM                          as    ACHILLES GEOFFREY ALLEN MURPHY    as    AJAX STEVEN RATTAZZI                     as    PANDARUS and MENELAUS DAISUKE TSUJI                           as    THERSITES ANNA SUNDBERG                       as    ALEXANDRA, CASSANDRA and HELEN NOAH KEYISHIAN                       as    AENEAS, MARGARELON and HELENUS ROB NAGLE                                  as    AGAMEMNON LISA WOLPE                                 as    ULYSSES WAYNE T. CARR                          as    HECTOR and CALCHAS EDWARD GERO                           as    NESTOR and PRIAM EDDIE LOPEZ                               as    PATROCLUS and PARIS JOHNNY WU                                 as    DIOMEDES KIM MARTIN COTTON                as    ANDROMOCHE   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH   Original Music Composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES).   The Play On Podcast Series “TROILUS AND CRESSIDA ” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit ⁠NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM⁠ for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit ⁠PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG⁠ for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “The proud man eats himself”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carrot Cashflow
Why Small Market Gardens Thrive - Be Careful Expanding

Carrot Cashflow

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2026 13:56


There's a place on the market farming map where most farms go to die. It's not the ones that are too big or too small...it's the ones in the middle. Five acres, ten acres, mixed vegetables, a farmers market plus a couple of restaurants and a CSA. After a decade of interviewing farmers, that pattern shows up so often it's almost predictable. Watch the video version over on our YT Channel!  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers
375 The Five Transformations Farmers Really Sell

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2026 44:04


What if your customers aren't actually buying your vegetables? In this episode, Corinna shares a personal story from her son's Air Force Basic Training that reinforced a key marketing principle, and it has nothing to do with farming. If you've ever struggled to know what to say in your emails, on your website, or in your social media posts, this episode will help you uncover the deeper reason people choose to buy from your farm. Eventually all business owners realize that customers don't buy products... they buy the life those products help create. You'll learn how to identify the transformation your farm really delivers, why some customer motivations matter more than others, and how this one mindset shift can change every piece of your marketing. If you're ready to stop talking about vegetables and start connecting with what your customers truly want, this episode is for you. Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use for my email marketing? I recommend Kit.com -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe

Growing For Market Podcast
Going to great lengths to protect the garlic seed supply with Warren Ham and Roshan Ghimire of August's Harvest in Ontario

Growing For Market Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2026 56:48


August's Harvest was Canada's first meristem clean seed garlic program providing virus and pathogen clean planting stock to North America. This week, we talk with Warren Ham and Roshan Ghimire of August's Harvest in Ontario about how they started with the meristem clean seed program after it became clear there was a lot of pest and disease in commercially available seed garlic in North America after the 2013 season. This is the same technique that has been used for decades to produce pest and disease-free seed potatoes.  We talk about which garlic pests and diseases to keep an eye out for, and how being vegetatively propagated makes it easier for pests and diseases to catch a ride from generation to generation. We also discuss the feasibility of planting garlic bulbils, and how this could decrease the amount of seed garlic growers would need to save, increasing the amount they could sell. We also talk about phenotypic plasticity in garlic and how it can mean garlic looks different depending on where it's grown, plus growing and lots of other great info in this week's podcast! Connect With Guest: Website: augustsharvest.com Instagram: @augusts.harvest Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support: Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last.  Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more. If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That's why so many farmers are turning to Burpee's Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee's been doing this for 150 years, and they're still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at Burpee.com/FarmersMarket. Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at farmhand.partners/gfm For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Anchored In The Lord
Prayerful Generosity — CSA Appeal

Anchored In The Lord

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2026 8:31


20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (08/16/26). This weekend is our Catholic Services Appeal, which helps our Diocese of Superior serve the people of Northern Wisconsin. Our goals this year are $69,650 for St. Joseph and $17,290 for St. Ann. We made our goals last year, and I'm confident we can do it again. But I want to challenge us to something deeper than simply meeting a number: prayerful generosity. Jesus gives us the perfect example. He was prayerful—continually interceding for us—and He was generous, giving His very life for our salvation. The CSA makes a real difference: it supports our seminarians and future priests, including the formation that led to my own priesthood. It helps provide priests for our parishes, youth and adult faith opportunities, Catholic schools, and the many services that keep our Diocese and parishes going. So please support the CSA. But even more, I challenge you this year to give more than you did last year—and pray as you give. Give to the Church, the CSA, and the charitable causes you care about. Let your generosity become an act of prayer. We made our goal last year; let's make it again—and let's see if we can do it in just two months! I'm confident we can. But most importantly, let's grow in prayerful generosity, because that makes us look more like Jesus.

Play On Podcasts
Troilus and Cressida - Epiosde 7 - The Baking

Play On Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2026 34:38


***⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete our⁠ listener survey⁠ for a chance to win a $50 gift card!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Hector's wife, Andromache, and his sister, Cassandra, beg him not to fight, sharing ominous dreams they've had foretelling his death. His father, King Priam, joins them, begging his son not to go into battle but Hector refuses to break his vows and is joined by his brother Troilus, who is eager for vengeance. Pandarus brings a letter from Cressida which Troilus reads and rips in fury. As the battle begins, Thersites stands on the sidelines mocking everyone in the fray until he is confronted by Hector and crumples at his feet. Troilus fights both Diomedes and Ajax and Hector fights Achilles but spares him in an act of chivalry. Patroclus is killed.  Achilles, heartbroken, gathers his group of mercenary soldiers (the Myrmidons) to hunt for Hector. Thersites mocks Menelaus and Paris as they fight until he's confronted by Margarelon and runs away. Hector sits down to rest after killing a Greek soldier for his armor when Achilles and his Myrmidons arrive and surround him before slaughtering him in cold blood. Troilus, enraged, rallies the retreating Trojans before cursing and rejecting Pandarus, who is left alone to deliver a scathing epilogue. The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “TROILUS AND CRESSIDA”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by LILLIAN GROAG. All episodes were directed by KIM MARTIN COTTON. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON.   Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND   This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT.   The cast is as follows:   BENJAMIN BONENFANT         as    TROILUS AWNI ABDI-BAHRI                       as    CRESSIDA JAMES UDOM                          as    ACHILLES GEOFFREY ALLEN MURPHY    as    AJAX STEVEN RATTAZZI                     as    PANDARUS and MENELAUS DAISUKE TSUJI                           as    THERSITES ANNA SUNDBERG                       as    ALEXANDRA, CASSANDRA and HELEN NOAH KEYISHIAN                       as    AENEAS, MARGARELON and HELENUS ROB NAGLE                                  as    AGAMEMNON LISA WOLPE                                 as    ULYSSES WAYNE T. CARR                          as    HECTOR and CALCHAS EDWARD GERO                           as    NESTOR and PRIAM EDDIE LOPEZ                               as    PATROCLUS and PARIS JOHNNY WU                                 as    DIOMEDES KIM MARTIN COTTON                as    ANDROMOCHE   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH   Original Music Composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES).   The Play On Podcast Series “TROILUS AND CRESSIDA ” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “The proud man eats himself”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surviving Paradise
August 2026 JW Broadcast: Lying to Jehovah's Witnesses About Protecting Families

Surviving Paradise

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2026 75:58


Few things mean more to us than our families. The Governing Body want to give us advice on protecting our families by pointing to Jehovah's example, his 'wife and more... even as they destroy... families by shunning people, settling CSA cases and more.TWITTER: @exjwpodcastINSTAGRAM: survivingparadisepodcast

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: Reviews, Interviews, and Discussion About All the Romance Novels You Love to Read

It's RT Rewind time again! This month, we're going back to July 1992 to check out the new releases reviewed in…the 100th issue of Romantic Times magazine! Yup, the cover is memorable, and so are the book covers.We discuss:Cover models! Who would be the cover model for subgenre specific magazine issues?Nostalgia! Are the tag lines on the cover both references to cigarette ads?Reviews! There are some absolute classics in this issue, including Outlander.Reading slumps! There are so many people in one, including me.Do you like to listen to your favorite podcasts on YouTube? Come hang out with us there, and you'll see the book covers, images, and faces we make at each other.We also mentioned:Hollywood Demons: “Stephen Collins, America's Dad” (HBO) (TW/CW Discussion of CSA, CSAM)A clip of Scaachi Koul and Rob Anderson discussing Stephen Collins from the documentary (Facebook Reel)“Are You Afraid of the 90s?” Rob Anderson's comedy special (YouTube – free)Rob Anderson's website, Heartthrob-Anderson.comWhatcha Reading? July 2026 Part IMusic: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dishing with Stephanie's Dish
Potluck Kitchenware in Ely Minnesota

Dishing with Stephanie's Dish

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2026 26:46


Kelsey Lee, owner of Potluck Kitchenware Store in Ely, Minnesota, shares how her business navigated the challenges of wildfires, the unique culinary traditions of the Northwoods, and the importance of community and learning. Discover her insights on store curation, local culture, and must-have kitchen tools.A few items mentioned in the Podcast available at POTLUCKPierogi Love and The Elements of BakingVisit Ely, Minnesota for fun things to do year-round! Whether you are looking for a place to stay, a delicious meal, a hiking trail, or an immersion experience, we have businesses ready to meet your needs.Original Transcript Follows:Stephanie Hansen (00:01.176)Hello everybody, welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space. And today I'm with Kelsey Lee. She is the owner of Potluck Kitchenware Store. And Potluck is in Ely, Minnesota, which is my second home. And I've been doing a little mini-series to help people get familiar with some of the businesses that have been impacted by the wildfires this summer. The wildfires, as we currently stand, are in a high form of containment.Smoke in the town has been virtually non existent and people are coming back to Ely, but it has been a dramatic turn in what was looking to be a great summer. Welcome to the program, Kelsey.Kelsey Lee (00:41.088)Thank you so much for having me on.Stephanie Hansen (00:44.2)What does it feel like when, you know, you're starting out on your summer and July fourth has just happened and something that you couldn't have predicted as a business owner, like a wildfire comes into town?Kelsey Lee (00:50.389)it feels like such a jolt and especially with wildfire there's a there's this sense of kind of unknown danger known but unknown danger and i this was the first summer of wildfires that were quite close to town during my time of owning the business the last time we had any a wildfire anywhere near potluck or elite largeI was an employee of Potluck. I wasn't the owner. So I was making, I was sort of executing on decisions as opposed to making them myself. So, you know, your first thought is about air quality and evacuation zones and all of that. And then sort of secondarily you wonder if it means the end of the season. And for me this year, that was an especially weighty question because what I've seen over the last couple of years is that our what whatis commonly known as our summer season, actually extends quite far into the fall. I've seen growing sales numbers in September and October over the last couple of years. And so you really don't want to see your season kind of come to a close when really it's like just getting started. But I'm really happy to say that what I've seen is very much to the contrary. This so two weekends ago on what would have been our blueberry art festivalI saw huge numbers of people in town. I had amazing sales. I've talked to other business owners who had a similar experience. So it feels like our kind of recurring visitors and also our seasonal residents have really rallied to support Ely. and I personally am just so grateful for all of the messaging around Ely is open for business, like conditions here are safe, we welcome you, we encourage you to do your Christmas shopping. all of thatfor in my case and the case of many of the retailers I've spoken to has just been incredibly successful.Stephanie Hansen (02:59.584)It's kind of funny because I am a person that does a reverse commute. I my husband lives in Ely in the summer and I usually head there on Saturday in the afternoon and come home on like a Monday or a Tuesday. And the air quality in the Twin Cities has actually been worse than in Ely. So it's it's been a kind of a strange summer.How hard is it? So you have a great selection of cookbooks. You really do a great job of curating. You've got all the cast iron things that one would expect at a kitchen store in the Northwoods, but you've also got beautiful dishware, some small appliances, all the cute funny towels and napkins and cocktail and entertaining things that you might use at the cabin. How do you curate the store?With such a big percentage of folks being summer residents, does it change?Think it's a really interesting challenge. I actually love doing the buying for the store. I do it all myself because my market really exists as like three segments. And over the years of working here and then being an owner-operator, I've really gotten to know those segments by their general characteristics, but also individuals, right? So I'm getting feedback and product requests and things all the time. and so I think of my customer market as being comprised of seasonal residents. So people who come up for the summer, like you you have a s you have a second home, you have a second kitchen, you're hosting, you're cooking, you are really looking for anything you would be looking for at your main home in your kitchen, right? So like I'm I'm stocking a lot of the supplies that series cooks and bakers need on a regular basis. And then my second market are what I would say what I would call are are kind of like pass-through visitors orAre guests of the seasonal residents. So these people, they're looking for souvenirs, they're looking for hostess gifts. For those folks, the size and weight of items is very, very important. People are looking for something to tuck into their luggage, or they're looking for like a last-minute gadget or something to use on a boundary waters trip. So that's maybe the most varied kind of use case scenario in that second group.and then my third segment are my year-round residents. and their needs vary quite a bit as well. they comprise just a huge percentage of my holiday market, which has been great that we've brought in more holiday specific things, both decor, but really mainly all of the specialty holiday baking over the last few years. and the local market has just grown and grown as I've learned what people are making. and what they need in the kitchen around that time of year.Stephanie Hansen (05:55.673)What do you find are people making? Is it different than what you expected? Like are you, you know, is it bunt pans and cast iron or is it sourdough accessories andKelsey Lee (06:09.55)Yeah, huge. I sell huge numbers of Benettons and LOMS and proofing containers and all of that for sourdough. Sourdough is big year-round, I think is really exciting to say. but what I find most exciting is that especially around the holidays, the cultural culinary traditions of this area really come alive. So people are asking for things for lefsa orSandbuckles or I'm sure I didn't say that quite right. or petitsa, of course. and so it's fun to try to as I'm accommodating those requests, learn about which families have which culinary heritage, you know, and over time you sort of learn like, yes, this family, they make leftsa on Black Friday or the Saturday or whatever. So we really have a surprisingrange of not only wants, but really needs, you know, because many people in this area are making all of their bread from scratch. They're making all of their yogurt. They are participating in, you know, a CSA or they're taking like a butchering class at the folk school. And so the needs really vary, which just makes it exciting from a buying standpoint.Stephanie Hansen (07:24.78)I've been going to Ely for 35 years. and I can say that the culinary world there has expanded and changed, with the folk school certainly offering more classes, but also I think during COVID, a whole new type of person moved into Ely, younger folks, more families.I have seen a lot more people coming from either coasts and coming for the water, the nature, and just the lovely changing of the seasons in Ely. Has that changed things for you or made it more interesting?Kelsey Lee (08:03.153)Yes, much more interesting.And over the last year I've really solidified a partnership with the folk school in terms of not only sponsoring all of their nourishment program areas, but just increased communication with them about upcoming cooking classes. and this last spring we collaborated on a pie dough making workshop at one of the like spring women's retreats at YMCA Camp du Nord up here. so I II see the folk school as being really a critical kind of partner for people, for me to grow awareness of my business, but also as far as preserving and sharing the culinary traditions of this area.Stephanie Hansen (08:52.471)The director of the folk school, Lucy, is my daughter's WIDJI sister. They went on a a long camping adventure together and have been friends ever since, you know, when you are in the Arctic for 30 some days with someone, you really form a bond. And it's been fun to watch Lucy and that folk school grow. And also the Duluth folk school is also growing. So just getting that awareness of, you know, that there's a lot of things to do in the North Woods, even if you're not a paddler necessarily.Kelsey Lee (09:23.896)Yes. Yes, absolutely. And I see the folk school as being like, you know, if if you're gonna connect with one touch point for activities and and even community events in the Northwoods, I think the folk school is it. Absolutely. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen (09:38.325)It's interesting too. You know, I'm part of the pickleball club in Ely that's fairly new. There's also the folk school. There are a ton of events that are happening through Ely Connect, which is geared more towards new residents. I really am impressed and excited about the future of Ely just for myself as I spend more time there. And maybe, you know, at some point I'llI don't know, am I ever gonna retire? Probably not, but the ideas in my mind that I could and that there is a place that has such a rich learning path is really kind of fun.Kelsey Lee (10:11.699)Yes. my friends and collaborators at Boundary Waters Connect do a bunch of things. They connect with perspective and new residents. They host the Tuesday group series in town and theyvery accurately characterize Ely as a super curious community. This is a place where people are very skilled. They're sometimes quiet about the skills that they hold. But if you show genuine interest, people are more than happy to share with you the skills that they have acquired on their own, skills they learned through their family. It's a place that is very fertile ground for non-competitive and intergenerational learning, which is really beautiful.Stephanie Hansen (11:03.747)There's also a lot of diverse political beliefs in Ely that seem to exist side by side in a way that I've never seen anywhere else. You have people that have very intense passions about the boundary waters and wanting to prevent mining from going into the boundary waters. And then you also have a very robust community of people that believe that the prosperity of the town historically and potentially in the future is based on mining. And these two things seem to be able to coexist in this really small town of mutual respect and understanding for the most part. it it makes I think Ely so unique in that, you know, you could go and learn how to build a birch bark canoe next to someone that might be completely different than you ideologically.But yet also your neighbor. And I love that that is how this community is fostering growth in learning and growth in how the town is growing. Are you have you experienced that as new people have come in?Kelsey Lee (12:10.818)Yes, absolutely. and I think that comes from it feels a little a little like old-fashioned neighborliness, which can sometimes swing in sort of a gossipy direction when we think about, you know, that small town living. And there's always gonna be an element of that there. But really it comes in my experience, the respect and tolerance comes from a deep understanding that we all need each other.Because of where we live, because of the seasonality of our economy, because our winters and even our summers can be very harsh in certain ways. we have a reliance on our neighbors. And we need those relationships, you know, to look out for not only ourselves but also our community. yeah.Stephanie Hansen (13:00.373)Yeah. I you do get that sense of, you know, like I've been there w in the wintertime when, you know, you get a foot and a half of snow and you need your neighbor to plow you out and you're standing at the end of the driveway as someone comes by with a plow and you're like, Hey, can you help me out? Or your car gets stranded orKelsey Lee (13:17.949)Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And people are more than willing to help. It is this is the first place I have lived with that kind ofthat kind of neighborliness and it is I'll be honest it can be a little foreign and a little like suspicious at first. so a story I like to tell is when my husband and I moved to Ely as we were and I don't know how this came about at all. To this day I have no idea. But I have a lovely neighbor named Alana. She somehow found out not onlythe day that we were arriving, like moving into our house, but also roughly the time that we were arriving. And as we pulled into our garage, she was standing in the yard with the neighbor from the other side and they were there ready to greet us. and if you're moving from a big city or you've never experienced that before, it feels really odd and it feels like people are surveilling you or you're you know whatever. but really it comes from that kind of old fashioned spirit of like we want to welcome you, we want to know who you are, because we want to immediately have this sort of neighborly relationship with you. so that that stories like that prevail all over town.Stephanie Hansen (14:40.599)Yeah, I would agree with that. All right. So since you're the kitchen expert, I have to ask you some kitchenware things. could you tell me three things that you're excited about in the store for cooks?Kelsey Lee (14:55.008)Yes, absolutely. I actually have I have a little cart here of products that I really want to show. so the first and this one is geared a little towards people who like are in a cabin, are on the go, you know, s have are space limited in their house. I'm really proud to say that as of a couple of months ago, Potla Kitchenware is a retailer for Vitamix, which is a fantastic brand, of course.This is their five-speed immersion blender. What I love about this is this will blend ice for you. This will do anything that a normal blender will do. It's not just for soups, it's not just for mashed potatoes. this is a workhorse in the kitchen and it it weighs quite a bit for an immersion blender, but it takes up virtually no room compared to your standard kind of countertop blender. so the the larger point I want to make with this is that.to get the power that you need, you don't always need the appliance with the biggest footprint. Especially when you're when you're looking at a quality brand like Vitamix. So this one I love. Absolutely, yes. And that's part of my something I'm managing always is either somebody is in one of the many houses in Ely with teeny tiny kitchens or they're in a cabin or they're in a travel trailer or whatever. So space is always at a premium for my customers here at the store. Yeah, and in a small space.Stephanie Hansen (16:21.251)Right, so that's a great recommendation. I didn't even know they had an immersion blender.Kelsey Lee (16:24.988)It's fantastic. Yes, yes, yes. another thing that I love is this, which is a really odd. This is an odd looking thing. this is one of many high-functioning, colorful, bizarre looking tools from a company called Dream Farm. They are based in Australia. They are next level when it comes to the functionality of kitchen tools.They all have weird names and they all look really weird, but they're fantastic. So this is their chopping spatula. The flexibility here is wonderful. This is what you want to use to get under eggs, under pancakes. it's designed to sit on the counter like this, so it's never gonna get your counter dirty. simplifies cleanup, and then this offset chopping edge you can use for like chopping ground beef in a skillet as you're cooking.it's designed to give you that kind of cutting edge as well. so this is just one of many just fantastic designs from Dream Farm. so if you're if you're looking for something that's not only like beautiful to look at in the kitchen, but also gonna give you added functionality, Dream Farm is a a brand that I love.Stephanie Hansen (17:41.131)It almost looks too like you could use it as like a what is that thing called when you're making sourdough and you're trying to get in and underneath the bread?Kelsey Lee (17:49.165)yeah yeah like a bench a bench scraper maybe. Yeah yeah it's it's flexible enough but also firm enough. I think you totally could. Yeah, yeah. Just kind of get get your dough started. Yeah, absolutely. yeah. And then you asked about things for cooks. So I am gonna show you this. So this is from Dubouillet, which is a French cookware manufacturer.This is carbon steel, but this is kind of carbon steel meant for the every person. This is lower maintenance carbon steel. carbon steel is very much like cast iron in the sense that you typically have to establish and then maintain a layer of seasoning on carbon steel cookware. This one is from their blue carbon line. This one they heat treat at the factory. so you don't have that seasoning maintenance for this. This you exactly.Stephanie Hansen (18:45.539)People will love that.Kelsey Lee (18:47.007)You use this right away. lower maintenance. And my favorite thing about this line, given where we're located, is this you can use over a campfire. And it's comparatively much lighter than carbon steel pans typically are. So this is great for a canoe trip. You just get one of the larger pans, it's like you cook everything in it, safe to use over a campfire, cleans up super well. So I've been really thrilled to bring inStephanie Hansen (19:06.262)Love it.Kelsey Lee (19:16.094)Not only the standard carbon steel, but also the blue from WA. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen (19:20.941)Okay, I like that and I'm always looking for the best nonstick pans because I do use my cast iron as a nonstick pan, but sometimes when you're doing eggs you want something a little different.Kelsey Lee (19:31.421)Yes, yes, yes. And carbon steel, we're predominantly a cast iron household, simply because cast iron lasts forever and we haven't had a reason to upgrade to carbon steel, but carbon steel is just it's it's a smoothness that like you really don't find with most modern cast iron. it's just a fantastic cooking surface. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen (19:52.601)Okay, since I know you have a cart there, let's do two more. Do you have two more things?Kelsey Lee (19:56.559)Yes, do you want things for cooks or do you want things for the home? Okay, perfect. so let's see. one so one little thing that I want to share as like a shout out to bakers. so this is the Danish dough whisk from King Arthur Baking. It's a triple loop, which some people look for. There's a whole debate out there about how many loops you want in your dough whisk. this one I want to showcase becauseI have been just thrilled that King Arthur is once again offering their their baking products, not their flowers, not their baking mixes, but their actual baking tools. They've recently made those available at wholesale. And that's a big deal because they had a huge wholesale program prior to COVID, and then they suspended wholesale operations during COVID, and it's been several years without.that we haven't been able to obtain these baking tools here at the store. So when I saw that they were available once again, I was just just so so happy. Yes. So King Arthur makes a fantastic cookie scoop and dough whisk and pastry brush and just a lot of those baking essentials. in addition to wonderful, wonderful cookbooks as well. They're a go-to resource there too. yes. So that one I'm happy to showcase. And thenStephanie Hansen (21:14.253)Great.Kelsey Lee (21:18.25)I also want to show the very trendy, but appropriately so. These are geometry towels. these are made from entirely from recycled plastic water bottles. so a very sustainable choice. This is their, I'm gonna show you dimensionally. This is their kitchen towel. It's it's huge. It's 18 by 30. It isStephanie Hansen (21:40.333)Yeah, it's huge.Kelsey Lee (21:44.328)incredibly absorbent of both liquid and dust. I use these here at the store to dust, just incredibly grippy no matter what you're trying to clean up with them. and Geometry continues to partner with artists and designers. So they always have new capsule collections coming out and they are just so design forward. They're light years ahead of all any other textile brand on the market. yes. So I love it. You've given me some things to come in and check out next week.Kelsey Lee (22:15.817)yes, yes, yes, yes. And they they have seasonal collections too, so they make great gifts. and they've recently unveiled table linens as well. table runners, placemats, all of those. Yes, yes.Stephanie Hansen (22:27.188)cute. Okay, before we leave, I'm gonna ask you for two cookbooks that you're excited about because I know you've curated a lot of great cookbooks in the store.Kelsey Lee (22:38.448)Yeah. you'll have to forgive me. I'm gonna turn around a little and just take a look. ooh, yes, so the first one is a very easy choice. This one is called The Elements of Baking by Katerina Sirmelsch. I'm sure I booked that. Apologies. Apologies, apologies. So this gives you for bakers, you know, bakers are likeThat's a very formula and sort of accuracy driven endeavor. And this gives you the formulas and tables that you need to make any recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, or vegan. It is, yes. It is, it's a bit of a tome. I mean it's like it is a thick for sure. But this is just a page of photos of breaking down lumpy versus smooth pancake pattern.Stephanie Hansen (23:20.877)Wow. Okay. That's helpful.Stephanie Hansen (23:27.681)Yeah, it's a resource book.Kelsey Lee (23:36.43)You can see they give you a side-by-side. so if you're somebody who is a trying to accommodate, trying to get away from recipes while accommodating gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, or or vegan eaters in your household or you yourself, I think this is a great resource to build that knowledge base to then be able to adapt any recipe yourself moving forward.Stephanie Hansen (23:58.337)I love it. All right, let's go for one more cookbook and then we'll wrap it up.Kelsey Lee (24:03.287)Perfect. what I want to go for here. So this maybe seems like an odd choice. so it's pierogi love. Getting back to like you know culinary traditions. This one I brought into the store just to kind of round out my hand pie dumpling offering. And just this summer I think I've probably sold almost two dozen copies. People just love there's something about a pierogi.so I love this one because it's not gonna take up a lot of space on your shelf, but you just get such a range of recipes in here. you have a photo for every recipe. and I just love the idea of like putting a ruben in a in a pierobi. You just you know you you take something, something large, something unexpected, put it in one of these, it's just a delight. SoStephanie Hansen (24:58.381)The more diversity I've explored in the kitchen through the television show that I'm working on, I've realized like every culture has a hand pie, every culture has like a flatbread of something. It's it's very interesting when you start to just meet with people and how they all make their specialties from their heritage, but that how they're all sort of linked also.Kelsey Lee (25:06.238)Yes. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I l I love that something as delightful as a flatbread or a hand pie is like truly a thread that unites all of us.Stephanie Hansen (25:32.259)For sure. And that sort of wraps up what we've been talking about, which is community and learning about your neighbors and supporting your neighbors. Kelsey, are you online for people to shop your store?Kelsey Lee (25:45.063)We are online. We're not yet doing sales online. we actually just yesterday launched a a very beta version of our website, so you can find us at potluckkitchenware.com. our hope is to have at least gift card sales online in time for this upcoming holiday season. so you can find us online there. We are also on Facebook and on TikTok.Stephanie Hansen (26:10.677)Okay, we will make sure to follow you. Thanks for spending time with me today. You guys, please visit Ely. You can find a lot of information about Ely businesses at visitealiemn.org. they've got a whole list of all the businesses in town, events and Harvest Moon Festival is coming up in September. That's a big event for the retailers and for folks to come to town in September. I'll be looking forward to that. Kelsey, thanks for your time today.Kelsey Lee (26:37.283)Yes. Thank you so much, Stephanie. It was great to be with.Stephanie Hansen (26:41.197)All right, we'll talk soon. Okay, bye bye.Thanks for reading Stephanie Hansen's @StephaniesDish Newsletter! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: Reviews, Interviews, and Discussion About All the Romance Novels You Love to Read

It's RT Rewind time again! This month, we're going back to July 1992 to check out the new releases reviewed in…the 100th issue of Romantic Times magazine! Yup, the cover is memorable, and so are the book covers.We discuss:Cover models! Who would be the cover model for subgenre specific magazine issues?Nostalgia! Are the tag lines on the cover both references to cigarette ads?Reviews! There are some absolute classics in this issue, including Outlander.Reading slumps! There are so many people in one, including me.Do you like to listen to your favorite podcasts on YouTube? Come hang out with us there, and you'll see the book covers, images, and faces we make at each other.We also mentioned:Hollywood Demons: “Stephen Collins, America's Dad” (HBO) (TW/CW Discussion of CSA, CSAM)A clip of Scaachi Koul and Rob Anderson discussing Stephen Collins from the documentary (Facebook Reel)“Are You Afraid of the 90s?” Rob Anderson's comedy special (YouTube – free)Rob Anderson's website, Heartthrob-Anderson.comWhatcha Reading? July 2026 Part IMusic: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers
374 Behind the Launch: How Farmer's Bag Toledo Went From Idea to Sold Out

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2026 57:48


How do you go from a random idea... to selling out a brand-new food access program in just a few days? In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the complete behind-the-scenes story of launching The Farmer's Bag Toledo. You'll hear how one unexpected meeting planted the seed, how the right partnership changed everything, why we chose to beta test instead of trying to make it perfect, and all the practical work that happened behind the scenes -- from pricing and logistics to technology, funding, naming, messaging, and launch strategy. If you've ever had an idea sitting in your notebook wondering... "Could this actually become something?" ...this episode will show you exactly how we walked one idea all the way into the marketplace. Inside this episode you'll discover: Why one unexpected opportunity made us believe Farmer's Bag Toledo needed to exist. How the right strategic partnership accelerated everything. Why thinking of it as a beta test removed so much pressure. The dozens of decisions every new offer requires before anyone can buy. How we built the offer itself—from pricing and bonuses to messaging and positioning. The technology stack we used to automate the customer experience. The launch sequence that created momentum before the doors even opened. What surprised me most after watching the entire launch unfold. The biggest lesson I'll carry into every future offer I build. Whether you're launching a CSA, opening a farm stand, starting a flower subscription, or creating something completely new, this episode is really about learning how successful offers are designed. Helpful Links & Resources See the sales page for the Farmer's Bag Toledo here. I mentioned it in this episode. Download the Farmer's Bag Toledo Promo Flier. I originally created this as something to pass out to potential customers to explain what it was in a nutshell. In the end, we didn't need to use it that way. Instead I gave it to my media outlets to help explain our pitch. I mention Zapier in this podcast. This is a tool that will connect apps to each other and create automations for you.  What email provider do I use for my email marketing launches? I recommend Kit.com -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

DON'T UNFRIEND ME
10AUG26 CSA Rudderless, Schools Infiltrated, AOC at IHOP, Knowles Wrong, Hunter Loves Woke Reich

DON'T UNFRIEND ME

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2026 152:05 Transcription Available


10AUG26 CSA Rudderless, Schools Infiltrated, AOC at IHOP, Knowles Wrong, Hunter Loves Woke Reich Hosts: Olivia and Matt  The Don't Unfriend Me Show is a live conservative news and political commentary podcast hosted by Matt and Olivia Speer. Every weeknight, we break down the biggest stories in politics, government, culture, immigration, free speech, the economy, and current events with live audience interaction and open phone calls.CSA increasingly resembles a rudderless ship without clear leadership, direction or a coherent mission.We examine how activists, outside organizations and political ideology have gained influence inside American schools.AOC takes an imaginary shift at IHOP as her economic talking points receive the full pancake-house treatment.Matt challenges Mike Knowles and explains why loyalty to conservative personalities should never replace independent thinking.Hunter's embrace of the so-called Woke Reich shows how quickly political outrage can become tribal loyalty.

Growing For Market Podcast
Improving the greenhouse climate with convection tube heating and shade cloth with John Wells of Rimol Greenhouse Systems

Growing For Market Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2026 63:05


There's a type of heater setup that delivers heat right where you need it and can offer some important advantages over forced air heat, but we don't see many of them in the field. We think lack of knowledge about the technogy is the limiting factor, and it turns out there is also some customization involved, so we got ahold of John Wells at Rimol Greenhouse Systems to break it down for us. The tech we're talking about is called convection tube heating, and it has as much to do with how the heat is delivered as the specs of the heater itself.  The big difference from most heaters is that hot air goes into a plenum (like a manifold) that channels the hot air into multiple separate ducts that are attached to big, perforated plastic tubes that distribute the heat evenly through the greenhouse. The tubes typically run down pathways, and in vining crops they have the advantage of heating the air at the base of the plant, where disease tends to start, and rises from there warming the whole plant. In winter greens crops, it means growers can run the tubes under row cover and only heat the area under cover- meaning you only need to heat the fraction of the greenhouse where your crop is. Listen to this episode to learn about the specs needed to run such a system- plus best practices for cooling the greenhouse with shade cloth.  Connect With Guest: Website: rimol.com Instagram: @rimolgreenhouse Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support: Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at farmhand.partners/gfm BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that's tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America. Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last.  Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more. If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That's why so many farmers are turning to Burpee's Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee's been doing this for 150 years, and they're still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at Burpee.com/FarmersMarket. For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Play On Podcasts
Troilus and Cressida - Episode 6 - The Heating

Play On Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2026 24:55


***⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete our⁠ listener survey⁠ for a chance to win a $50 gift card!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Patroclus trades insults with Thersites until Achilles breaks it up with news that he will keep his oath with Queen Hecuba to make peace with the Trojans out of his love for her daughter, Polyxena. Hector, Troilus and the rest of the Trojan leaders arrive in the Greek camp to negotiate a possible truce. Diomedes leaves the gathering and Ulysses and Troilus secretly follow him to Calchas's tent. Diomedes calls for Cressida, who comes out to meet him. Troilus and Ulysses watch as Diomedes flirts with Cressida, with Thersites mocking the whole scene from afar. Cressida tries to figure out a way to keep Diomedes satisfied without breaking her loyalty to Troilus. She offers him the bracelet Troilus gave her then tries to get it back but Diomedes won't let her have it. She finally gives in and agrees to let Diomedes into her tent, bidding a sad farewell to Troilus, who has seen the whole thing from his hiding place. He rages in despair and disbelief as Ulysses tries to get him to leave. The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “TROILUS AND CRESSIDA”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by LILLIAN GROAG. All episodes were directed by KIM MARTIN COTTON. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON.   Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND   This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT.   The cast is as follows:   BENJAMIN BONENFANT         as    TROILUS AWNI ABDI-BAHRI                       as    CRESSIDA JAMES UDOM                          as    ACHILLES GEOFFREY ALLEN MURPHY    as    AJAX STEVEN RATTAZZI                     as    PANDARUS and MENELAUS DAISUKE TSUJI                           as    THERSITES ANNA SUNDBERG                       as    ALEXANDRA, CASSANDRA and HELEN NOAH KEYISHIAN                       as    AENEAS, MARGARELON and HELENUS ROB NAGLE                                  as    AGAMEMNON LISA WOLPE                                 as    ULYSSES WAYNE T. CARR                          as    HECTOR and CALCHAS EDWARD GERO                           as    NESTOR and PRIAM EDDIE LOPEZ                               as    PATROCLUS and PARIS JOHNNY WU                                 as    DIOMEDES KIM MARTIN COTTON                as    ANDROMOCHE   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH   Original Music Composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES).   The Play On Podcast Series “TROILUS AND CRESSIDA ” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “The proud man eats himself”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers
373: The 7 Essential Offers Every Farm Business Needs

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2026 52:06


Imagine asking the first runner in a relay race to carry the baton from the starting line all the way to the finish. No winning team would do that. Yet many farm businesses unknowingly expect one offer to do exactly that. In this episode, I introduce a simple framework that completely changed the way I think about marketing: The Offer Portfolio. Instead of relying on one offer to attract new customers, create first-time buyers, build loyalty, increase order value, and generate referrals, you'll discover the 7 essential offers every farm business should consider -- and the unique role each one plays. Just like a relay team, every offer has one job: run its leg of the race, then pass the baton to the next. In this episode, you'll discover: Why every offer should have one clear job. The 7 essential offers every farm business needs. How each offer pulls a different business growth lever. How to identify the missing "runner" that's holding your business back. By the end of this episode, you'll stop asking, "What should I sell next?" …and start asking, "Which runner is missing from my relay team?" Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use for my email marketing? I recommend Kit.com -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe  

Play On Podcasts
Troilus and Cressida - Episode 5 - The Molding

Play On Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2026 32:58


***⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete our⁠ listener survey⁠ for a chance to win a $50 gift card!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** As dawn breaks, the lovers bid each other a tearful farewell, exchanging love tokens: Troilus gives Cressida a silver bracelet and she gives him a necklace. Diomedes arrives to take Cressida to the Greek camp as Paris, Aeneas and Deiphobus speed off to the battlefield. Meanwhile, Ajax rouses the Grecian nobles in his excitement for the single combat with Hector. They humor him until Cressida arrives. One by one, each of the commanders try to force Cressida to kiss them. She uses her wit and sarcasm to keep them at bay. Ulysses ridicules her as a loose woman until Aeneas arrives to inform them that because Ajax and Hector are cousins, their duel cannot be to the death. The two combatants go at each other but settle for a draw. Hector is invited into the Greek camp to feast. All is well until Achilles arrives and vows to kill Hector in battle the next day. Troilus pulls Ulysses aside and asks him to take him to Calchas's tent so that he can visit Cressida. The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “TROILUS AND CRESSIDA”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by LILLIAN GROAG. All episodes were directed by KIM MARTIN COTTON. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON.   Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND   This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT.   The cast is as follows:   BENJAMIN BONENFANT         as    TROILUS AWNI ABDI-BAHRI                       as    CRESSIDA JAMES UDOM                          as    ACHILLES GEOFFREY ALLEN MURPHY    as    AJAX STEVEN RATTAZZI                     as    PANDARUS and MENELAUS DAISUKE TSUJI                           as    THERSITES ANNA SUNDBERG                       as    ALEXANDRA, CASSANDRA and HELEN NOAH KEYISHIAN                       as    AENEAS, MARGARELON and HELENUS ROB NAGLE                                  as    AGAMEMNON LISA WOLPE                                 as    ULYSSES WAYNE T. CARR                          as    HECTOR and CALCHAS EDWARD GERO                           as    NESTOR and PRIAM EDDIE LOPEZ                               as    PATROCLUS and PARIS JOHNNY WU                                 as    DIOMEDES KIM MARTIN COTTON                as    ANDROMOCHE   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH   Original Music Composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES).   The Play On Podcast Series “TROILUS AND CRESSIDA ” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “The proud man eats himself”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Packernet Podcast: Green Bay Packers
PAD: What's the Real Chance These Draft Picks Start in 2026?

Packernet Podcast: Green Bay Packers

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2026 45:08


Training camp is underway and the Packernet phones are lighting up with some of the most interesting early takes of the summer. From Keisean Nixon's hold-in and whether a mid-round pick could actually make sense, to a detailed breakdown of every 2026 draft pick's realistic chance of starting this season, the callers came ready. We dig deep into the mind-boggling offensive upside now that we know Watson, Kraft, and Reed never shared a single snap last year, why Tucker Kraft's early PUP activation completely changes the math on Micah Parsons' return window, and why rival fans lose their minds every time the Packers pay anybody. Keisean Nixon hold-in, trade value, and why cutting him would be a mistake Realistic starter percentages for CSA, McClellan, Sutton, Burton, and the rest of the draft class The massive offensive ceiling if the weapons finally stay healthy How Kraft's early return shifts the Micah Parsons timeline and raises the odds he's back sooner than expected This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY and visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. Hit that subscribe button, drop a rating and review, and jump into the conversation on socials. More training camp heat is coming. To advertise on this podcast please email: ad-sales@libsyn.com Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast #Packers #GoPackGo #Packernet #NFL

Custom Green Bay Packers Talk Radio Podcast
PAD: What's the Real Chance These Draft Picks Start in 2026?

Custom Green Bay Packers Talk Radio Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2026 45:08


Training camp is underway and the Packernet phones are lighting up with some of the most interesting early takes of the summer. From Keisean Nixon's hold-in and whether a mid-round pick could actually make sense, to a detailed breakdown of every 2026 draft pick's realistic chance of starting this season, the callers came ready. We dig deep into the mind-boggling offensive upside now that we know Watson, Kraft, and Reed never shared a single snap last year, why Tucker Kraft's early PUP activation completely changes the math on Micah Parsons' return window, and why rival fans lose their minds every time the Packers pay anybody. Keisean Nixon hold-in, trade value, and why cutting him would be a mistake Realistic starter percentages for CSA, McClellan, Sutton, Burton, and the rest of the draft class The massive offensive ceiling if the weapons finally stay healthy How Kraft's early return shifts the Micah Parsons timeline and raises the odds he's back sooner than expected This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY and visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. Hit that subscribe button, drop a rating and review, and jump into the conversation on socials. More training camp heat is coming. To advertise on this podcast please email: ad-sales@libsyn.com Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast #Packers #GoPackGo #Packernet #NFL

Mormon Discussions Podcasts – Full Lineup
BYU Professor Arrested Over ai Images

Mormon Discussions Podcasts – Full Lineup

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2026 114:00


On tonight’s show, our lead story is the BYU Adjunct Professor who was recently arrested on charges of using AI to create CSA images. This and much more on tonight’s Mormon Newscast! The post BYU Professor Arrested Over ai Images appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.