Michigan AF Podcast

Abby owns a greenhouse, helps at her family’s farm and agritourism business, and is a crop insurance agent for River Farms Crop Insurance Agency, Inc. She’s vice president of the Lenawee County Farm Bureau Board, and she’s also on the state Young Farmer Committee. She and her husband Ben just got married during the summer of 2020. They enjoy exploring state and national parks, kayaking, canoeing,...

Kyle Keller owns Keller Farms & Supply, which is a part of agriculture people don’t think about every day. He grows and sources 5,000 acres of wheat straw and hay bales to supply erosion control and manufacturing companies, like making straw blankets. They also supply dairy and equine operations. Kyle began his business in 2014, right after he graduated high school, and continued running it wh...

Olivia and her family own DeVooght Farms and run DeVooght’s General Store in Skandia, where they sell food they produce, as well as products from other local farmers. Their dairy barn roof collapsed in 2019 after 14 feet of snowfall, Olivia had to decide if they wanted to rebuild or quit altogether. They continued to press on, because as Olivia said, “The milk prices aren’t good, but the lifestyle...

Katie Serbinski has spent her entire career communicating the message about making healthy food choices, and she’s raising four children who are her toughest food critics. As Director of Nutrition & Consumer Communications for the Michigan Beef Industry Commission and a registered dietitian, she works with health care professionals and consumers on spreading awareness on resources, recipes, an...

Tera Baker is the applications and marketing manager for Nedap Livestock Management, North America. She’s been working in ag tech for seven years, and her position involves working with technology that helps farmers manage their herds – like with devices that are similar to Fitbits for cows. She and her husband Shawn also farm their own crops, own a precision ag business, and help on her family’s...

Riley Brazo is a 2020 Michigan Farm Bureau Young Farmer Ag Employee Finalist and sweet sixteen discussion meet finalist. He works with Fawn River Farms, where they raise seed corn for Bayer Crop Sciences, commercial corn, and 6,000 hogs. Riley’s favorite time on the farm is seed corn harvest, because he loves the satisfaction of seeing the completion of all their hard work. He and his wife Ashley...

Phil Dougherty is a turkey farmer in Alto. He, his wife Jennifer, and his four kids have been raising heavy toms for three years. Phil worked on dairy farms while he was growing up, and he started his career as an electrician. His wife’s family also has their own turkey farm, so he became interested in the business when he met her, and years later they decided to start their own. Phil spends his t...

Courtney Matthias grew up on a livestock and crop farm, and she wanted a job that combined her love of science, cattle, and people. She went to MSU to become a large animal veterinarian, and she has been with the Sterner Veterinary Clinic for three years. She spends most of her time on dairy farms checking for pregnancy and maintaining care protocols. She, her husband Zac, and her daughter Zoey li...

Paul Pridgeon is a seventh generation farmer on Pridgeon Farms, where he and his family raise hogs and crops. He, his wife Nikki, and their three daughters just moved closer to the farm to secure a 30-second commute to work. Paul went to Central Michigan for his business degree and MSU for his MBA before deciding to farm in Montgomery. He really enjoys working with and laughing with his family, es...

Tye Thompson started selling produce at 14 years old. He continued running his business as he earned his horticulture degree from MSU, and now he has four roadside stands where he sells multiple varieties of fruit and vegetables. Tye isn’t from a farm and didn’t grow up farming, and people telling him he couldn’t own one made him work even harder to make it happen. He spends his free time fixing u...

Matt Munsell owns Munsell’s Poultry Processing in Fowlerville, where he lives with his wife Amanda and daughter Elnora. Along with processing poultry for farmers markets, restaurants, and backyard growers, he and his family grow 1000 acres of crops, plus raise steers and pigs. They run a greenhouse and roadside stand right on the farm. Matt enjoys horseback riding with his wife, being active in Fa...

Deidre Iciek is a comprehensive nutrient management plan consultant, and she and her family also own Iciek Dairy in Gladwin. As a CNMP consultant, she works with farms to make sure their manure management systems are compliant, which includes help with reporting, permitting, and training. Deidre, her husband Walt, and her two sons love traveling domestically and internationally, camping at Higgins...

Afton Blight of Blight Farms took a year off before college and worked at a non-profit in South America. There she learned she liked working outside, enjoyed the seasons of Michigan, and wanted to see the results of her work – namely to watch crops and livestock grow. After graduating in animal science from MSU, she now farms with her family in Albion. She and her husband Branden also own and run...

Markeisha Wesley is graduating with a BS in agribusiness management from Michigan State University. She’s also worked as the assistant manager for the Detroit Kitchen Connect Program, which is an Eastern Market Corporation program that trains and supports food entrepreneurs. Markeisha enjoys traveling to other countries, being in nature, and enjoying outdoor activities with her friends.   Listen a...

Lyndsay Earl is a member representative at Michigan Milk Producers Association, which is a milk co-op. Originally from a dairy farm, Lyndsay graduated in animal science - agribusiness management specialization - from Michigan State University. She enjoys working with dairy farmers to diagnose problems, perform inspections, and do employee trainings. She, her husband Seth, and their daughters enjoy...

Amy Spitznagel owns Idyll Farms, a goat farm and creamery located in Northport, Michigan. Following a career as a teacher, flight attendant, and actress, Amy and her husband Mark decided to embrace the farm-to-table and environmental movement with a pasture-based goat farm. With goat cheese pairing perfectly with wine in the Leelanau region, the rolling hills being good for pasture, and the great...

Caitlin Luck is a senior at Michigan State University majoring in agricultural education. Her family farm in Sand Creek grows corn, soybeans, and wheat. She knew since seventh grade she wanted to go into agricultural education at MSU, and all her activities through 4-H and FFA led to achieving her goal. She begins student teaching next year. She enjoys antiquing with her family, DIY projects, read...

Ben Zaleski, Michigan Ag Council Ambassador, became interested in agriculture by growing up around it in Port Austin and participating in FFA in high school. He’s a junior at Michigan State University, where he’s majoring in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Education, with the ultimate goal of working in community outreach. He likes to hike, run, and be outside, and when he’s forced inside...

Erin Keller recently graduated with her BS in Biosystems Engineering from Michigan State University, and now she’s an engineer at Consumers Energy. She became interested in agriculture through her science classes at MSU, her interest in sustainability, and her experience working at MSU Extension. She loves hiking, writing, reading, and art – her recent painting of Kid Cudi is one of her favorite p...

Jacob Hoskins, who recently graduated from Ferris State University, just started as a program technician for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency in St Johns. After working on farms in high school and enjoying the industry, he knew he ultimately wanted a job in agriculture. He’s looking forward to his work as an ambassador because he wants to be even more involved with the indust...

Lauren recently graduated from Michigan State University with a dual major in agribusiness management and food industry management from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. She’s now working in the appraisal department at GreenStone Farm Credit Services. Originally from Carsonville, Lauren’s family used to have a dairy farm, and now they have a beef and crop farm. She loves working in...

Haili Gusa became interested in agriculture through FFA, where she served as a chapter, regional, and state officer. Her involvement led to showing pigs at the county fair, entering many speaking competitions, and ultimately becoming an ag ambassador due to her love of talking to people about farming. She’s a member of the honors program at Central Michigan University, where she’s majoring in comm...

Emma Grant is a junior at Michigan State University, where she’s double majoring in horticulture and crop and soil science, and minoring in ag business. Her hometown is Suttons Bay, and she’s enjoyed running the farmers market there for the last two years. After working on cherry farms and at the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center, she’s really interested in doing meaningful research...

Madelyn Cary lives on her family’s farm where they grow cash crops and raise cattle. They also recently began running the Elwell Elevator. She’s beginning at Michigan State University in the fall to study agribusiness management with the goal of coming back to work on her farm in a managerial position. She works at Bader & Sons, which is a John Deere dealership, even though she has to put up w...

Hailey Andres just graduated from University of Michigan-Flint with a degree in graphic design and marketing. When she joined FFA at New Lothrup High School, she became interested in agriculture and shaped her career around it. She now is interning with GreenStone Farm Credit Services, plus she has started her own marketing business called Cultivation Agricultural Marketing LLC. She loves visiting...