Working in Ag

Stefan McDaniel: CFO of Kalmbach Feeds

Join me for this weeks interview with Stefan McDaniel from Kalmbach Feeds. As Chief Financial Officer for Kalmbach, Stefan gives us a great overview of the company, the products they produce, and what their mission is. We focus our conversation on finance and accounting in agriculture and discuss the different types of accounting careers that Kalmbach offers. Through listening to Stefen talk about different opportunities in accounting, it becomes apparent that no matter what your interests are, there is something out there for everyone. 
As a company, Kalmbach does a great job of creating a key mission and set of core values to operate by. Stefan gives some great advice on how we must have clear expectations for our employees, and how providing both positive and negative feedback is essential for any team. 

Logan Scott: Crop Consultant for Nutrien Ag Solutions

Check out this week's episode with Logan Scott, a crop consultant for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Central New York. Logan tells us about the different components of his job, as well as what he is working on throughout various parts of the year. We also discuss the generational gap in ag labor and how we can best recruit young people to work in the industry. Logan provides great insight on how we can best inform people of the jobs available in the industry and some of the challenges they may face in the early stages of their careers. 

Arthur Graves: Lead Agronomist at T&S Crop Service

Check out this interview with Arthur Graves, the lead agronomist for T&S Crop Services out of Western New York. With a history in seed sales and teaching, Arthur talks with us about his experiences in the industry and how they led to his current position. We discuss how it is important to consider what you are good at and interested in when looking for a career. Arthur also provides unique insight into how his experiences as a professor and a coach have helped him in his current career. 
We gain great knowledge and insight into how to uphold a positive reputation within the agriculture industry and some great advice on how important it is to build your network. I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Life Changes

Join me for a quick episode about some recent changes in my life as well as some little changes that are coming to the podcast. We also highlight a few recent episodes that have some great advice for people working in the agriculture industry.

The Importance of Looking at Agriculture as a Business

Join me for this great interview with Mellisa Harrop, who operates Meadow Creek Livestock with her family and works as the markets editor for Lancaster Farming! Mellisa brings a great perspective to the table, as she is not someone who grew up in agriculture, but has been able to become a crucial voice in the industry. She also provides a unique perspective as someone who served in the military and touches on some of the similarities between the military and agriculture lifestyles. 
After learning about her livestock operation and career at Lancaster Farming, we had a great discussion about why it is important to not only share the story of agriculture but also explain to people that the agriculture industry is also a business. Often when sharing the ag story, we talk about our day-to-day farm tasks, and how the animals and crops come first, BUT it is also important that we share with people how at the end of the day we have to make money to continue operating. 

Brenden Winsor of Proactive Feedlot Management Services

Join me for this great interview with Brenden Winsor of Proactive Feedlot Management Services! Brenden has over 30 years of experience in the feedlot industry and gives great insight into the different components of the industry. We discuss some of the day-to-day operations and careers at feedlots, some of the specific challenges faced, and what his business is doing to tackle some of these issues. 
We also dive into the importance of communication and respect within your team, and how it can affect your bottom line. Brenden provided some great advice at the end of this interview that really resonated with me. Most important was finding the right life partner who understands your goals and the sacrifices that have to be made when working in agriculture. Two was to understand that jobs in the ag industry are not 9 to 5, but when you put your heart into it you have the opportunity to learn and be successful every day. And last but not least, you are not going to like every job that you have, but if you work hard you can certainly learn something from every situation that you are in, whether it is good or bad. 
 

Janet Hanehan: Territory Manager for Seedway

In this episode, we talk with Janet Hanehan, a Territory Field Manager for SeedWay, serving Eastern New York and Connecticut. Janet grew up on a dairy farm and has many connections and experiences that allow her to provide great insight for anyone in the ag industry. 
Throughout this interview, we discuss some of the internships Janet completed in college and what led her to her current career. We also dive into the importance of getting involved with organizations outside of your job, and how it can help build connections within your community, and potentially with your customers. 

Who Do You Want to be a Hero To?

Join me for this great interview with Peggy Coffeen from the Uplevel Dairy podcast. Peggy spent her career in the dairy media and publication industry, helping share stories about dairy farms nationwide. Her podcast, Uplevel Dairy, is for dairy farm owners, managers, and advisors who are committed to profitability, sustainability, and excellence. 
In this episode, we discuss some challenges that face owners and managers of dairy farms, especially when their farm is growing or transitioning. We also dive into why low turnover rates are so important in production agriculture, and how you can pinpoint a good career fit for yourself within the industry.
Peggy recently launched a second podcast called Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders, for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers, who are driven and determined to make a difference in the industry. Be sure to check it out wherever you listen to podcasts! 

Applying the Working Genius Model to Agriculture

Join me for this great episode with Kacee Bohle where we discuss how to apply The Working Genius framework within agriculture. Kacee operates a coaching business for people working in agriculture to help them grow both personally and professionally. Through her Agriminds Program, she teaches those in agriculture how to tap into their talents, feel confident in their decisions, and level up in work and life. 
The Working Genius is a model created by Patrick Lencioni, which allows us to have a language behind the parts of work that are most fulfilling to us as individuals. Throughout this conversation, Kacee and I discuss how we can apply this model in the agriculture industry, and how we can utilize this concept to support our employees! 

The Spanish Speaking Labor Force in American Agriculture

Join me for this great conversation with Katie Dotterer of AgvoKate! We discuss the Spanish-speaking labor force in American Agriculture, dive into Katie's business, and learn how she is bridging the gap between English and Spanish speakers in agriculture. With a background in dairy farming and teaching, Katie has combined two things she is passionate about and is working to solve a huge problem that we face in production agriculture here in the United States. Learn about some of the challenges facing our Hispanic labor force and how we can best manage and work on operations that have both Spanish and English speakers. If you want to learn more about Katie's business, check out her website, agvokate.com!