Episodes
Published 06/30/24
For Information Like Degrees Offered, Annual Costs, Etc., Please Click The Banner Below: The Agricultural College Episode is designed to profile agricultural trade schools, junior colleges, colleges and universities around the U.S.  This episode is an effort to replicate the conversation that prospective students, parents and ag teachers might have with agricultural schools at trade show like the National FFA Convention. Penn State is a very storied and very well known university, but did...
Published 06/30/24
Tip Of The Week Coast To Coast, we need to protect copper wire Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-hay-bales-set-on-fire-kingfisher-garfield-county/61195550 https://www.wymt.com/2024/06/26/police-laurel-county-looking-stolen-atvs/ https://www.wgmd.com/dsp-looking-to-identify-suspects-in-thefts-of-copper-wire-from-farm-irrigation/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cherokee-county-sheriff-s-office-seeks-info-in-tractor-theft/ar-BB1kiflB?ocid=feedsansarticle ...
Published 06/29/24
Ryan Yoder and his family are full-time, first generation farmers in Vermont.  Sitting in a picturesque valley in the west/central part of the state they grow fruit, vegetables, meat chickens and corn.  They turn a lot of what they grow and what their neighbors grow into value added products such as popped popcorn and apple cider vinegar, and they have a number of sales outlets as well as revenue streams. In today's episode Ryan will tell us all about his journey, his philosophy on farming...
Published 06/28/24
How about sub-contracting as a corporate pilot as your form of off-farm income?  Seem impossible?  I would have thought it was unrealistic until I interviewed today's guest, Andrew Ambrose. Andrew owns his own business, Fly Twins LLC, and he farms 750 acres in Southeast Missouri in addition to that.  If that is not enough, he also owns his own excavating company.  As Andrew put it, it would not be uncommon to see him flying a corporate customer across the country in the morning and driving a...
Published 06/27/24
Well, there is at least one more farm update episode to come, and I'll explain that in today's show.  I will also touch on our hot weather, irrigation, our creek, wildfires and what in the world the episode title is all about.  
Published 06/25/24
For Information Like Degrees Offered, Annual Costs, Etc., Please Click The Banner Below: The Agricultural College Episode is designed to profile agricultural trade schools, junior colleges, colleges and universities around the U.S.  This episode is an effort to replicate the conversation that prospective students, parents and ag teachers might have with agricultural schools at trade show like the National FFA Convention. Northwest Oklahoma State University sits in a small town and rural...
Published 06/23/24
Tip Of The Week Be careful what driveway you turn into Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/crime/butte-county-illegal-marijuana-farm/103-221e7bc8-a5ee-466b-9f88-25d6864780a9 https://www.delcotimes.com/2024/06/19/investigators-say-sleighton-farm-school-fire-was-arson-ask-for-publics-help/ https://www.magnoliareporter.com/news_and_business/regional_news/article_c851392c-2e11-11ef-ba57-b79fbac7ef20.html Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above ...
Published 06/22/24
On today's show I am speaking with Peter Dalton.  Peter owns the company, "Hunt Country Wildlife Removal" in Loudoun County, Virginia.  This is a side business that kind of started by accident.  Peter taught himself how to trap, and along the way started trapping for friends and neighbors when they had nuisance animals.  Pretty soon he was doing a lot of trapping, and he finally started charging people for the service. Through word of mouth the business has grown and grown.  Peter is very...
Published 06/20/24
This is our second to last farm update episode, and today is just that....a farm update.  
Published 06/18/24
Obviously, the reason that I started interviewing FFA students was their involvement in entrepreneurship.  The way that the FFA facilitates exposure and learning in entrepreneurship is second to none.  And, as the title of this episode suggests it really is an entrepreneurship incubator. That is very apparent in our interview with today’s guest, Jenna Spangler.  Jenna is a very competitive person, and upon joining the FFA she found that this organization served her competitive spirit very...
Published 06/13/24
Today is all about the "Built Ford Tough Dealer Scholarship".  Special thanks to listener, Joel Nickerson, the general manager of Butler Ford in Ashland, Oregon for reaching out to me with this information. Here is the link to the scholarship sign up form: https://analytics.clickdimensions.com/cn/aunbc/ford2023  
Published 06/11/24
For Information Like Degrees Offered, Annual Costs, Etc., Please Click The Banner Below: The Agricultural College Episode is designed to profile agricultural trade schools, junior colleges, colleges and universities around the U.S.  This episode is an effort to replicate the conversation that prospective students, parents and ag teachers might have with agricultural schools at trade show like the National FFA Convention. Ridgewater College has the most unique and intriguing internship...
Published 06/09/24
Tip Of The Week Advocate for yourself when working with the law enforcement Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.ktul.com/news/local/reward-offered-after-a-tractor-theft-leads-to-destruction-of-200-hay-bales-in-wilburton-oklahoma-tulsa-kokh-investigation-lcso-latimer-county-sheriffs-office-crime-stoppers-arrest https://www.wkow.com/news/crime/dane-county-farmer-s-tip-leads-to-manhunt-arrest-in-randolph-stabbing/article_b4a181f8-2393-11ef-86d2-ff9b27bc7e84.html Across The Pond, Down...
Published 06/08/24
Today's episode highlights how the FFA can put another tool, the tool of entrepreneurship, in a student's arsenal.  Elyce Burzlaff is mid-way through her sophomore year of high school.  Last May a guest speaker came to her school and spoke with the FFA students.  During that discussion, Elyce and her classmates were challenged to come up with an entrepreneurial idea.  This led Elyce down a path of thinking of ways she could create revenue and determining what resources were at her disposal....
Published 06/06/24
What do all these great folks with different passions have in common?  Cambridge, Idaho is the answer and I will explain why in today's show.    
Published 06/05/24
Tip Of The Week Inspect your properties after hosting guests Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/police-burglary-tourists-hidden-cameras/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/reward-increases-after-beloved-horse-statue-stolen-from-yolo-county-stable/ar-BB1nhPfr ...
Published 06/01/24
I have a list of businesses that I like to revisit and get different perspectives from different business owners on.  The business of manure spreading is on that list.  There is a wide range of complexity in this business.   Everywhere that anyone raises livestock there is the need to deal with manure.  If you live in the Northeast you might just be dealing with small farmyards.  A tractor with a bucket and a PTO driven manure spreader might be all the equipment you need for your business. ...
Published 05/30/24
We celebrated Hattie's high school graduation starting last Wednesday with the ceremony on Thursday and party on Saturday.  That has been all encompassing and is the topic of today's Farm Update.  
Published 05/28/24
I don't know if you have noticed, but his show is about non-conformists and people who look at the world a different way.  All of us fit that definition a little bit by the mere fact that we want to farm and only 2% of our population is in that career field.  But what about that person that says "why do I have to do it that way"? Today's guest, Ben Rykerd, is that person.  Ben is now 29 years old.  He describes himself as having a "travel bug" and he has known this since he was a kid.  So,...
Published 05/23/24
Today's Farm Update Episode includes a large announcement about the future of the Off-Farm Income Podcast.  I hope you will all tune in and share this moment with me.
Published 05/21/24
Tip Of The Week Install a driveway alarm Rural Crime In The U.S. https://abc45.com/news/local/thomasville-police-name-suspect-from-april-tractor-theft-truecrime-northcarolina https://www.dailygazette.com/police-thoroughbred-stolen-from-coxsackie-horse-farm/article_681ab881-bafe-5eaf-b793-94726626f9e6.html Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above https://www.clare.fm/news/witnesses-sought-bales-hay-stolen-south-east-clare-farm/ ...
Published 05/18/24
Lynn & Jesse Frey are the owners of Life Root Farm in Stanley, Wisconsin.  These are two people who are definitely listening to and following their inner voices.  Lynn grew up with a mother who was passionate about gardening, and Lynn thought that she would never want to do that.  However, somewhere along the line it clicked and she found herself wanting grow fresh and healthy food for her family.  Jesse grew up on a dairy and was encouraged by his father to go get an education and do...
Published 05/17/24
I am starting to think that plant breeders are born, not made.  At least every time I interview a young man or woman with this passion it appears that is correct.  In today's interview I am speaking with a junior in high school that has already obtained $10,000 in funding to begin an apple orchard on his high school's property.  Gabe Olson-Jensen is our featured guest, and look at this list of accomplishments: Started working at a local orchard at age 12 Grafted his first trees at age 12...
Published 05/17/24
Olivia Vanderwalt is the reporter for the Lee County FFA Chapter, and is just finishing her junior year of high school.  She has a very interesting and unique story.  Part of the story I have heard before.  She grew up in a neighborhood and not on a farm.  So, when she wanted to join the FFA, with no agricultural background, in the 6th Grade her mom wasn't so sure.  So far, there is nothing unusual about this story as parents who aren't familiar with the FFA often wonder why their kids want...
Published 05/15/24