The Millennial Ag Podcast

In this short, yet important episode, Katharine and Valene announce a planned six-week break from the podcast and reflect on what it means to hit pause with intention. After an incredible stretch of episodes, including deep dives into ag labor, tech, education, policy, and more, the hosts share why now is the right time to rest, reset, and prepare for what’s next. With harvest season ramping up, k...

After a summer full of deep dives and serious conversations, Valene and Katharine are lightening things up with a fun, rapid-fire episode of “Would You Rather- Ag Edition.” From moving irrigation pipe to sorting cows in the snow, talking WOTUS with high schoolers to explaining your job on TikTok, Valene and Katharine play through a fun list of ag-inspired scenarios. Along the way, they share funny...

In this episode, Valene and Katharine are joined by longtime friend and ag educator Chaleesa Brocious for a powerful conversation about reimagining ag education through real-world industry connections. Chaleesa shares how a summer internship with Intelligent Dairy Solutions (IDS) gave her the spark to rethink how she prepares students for careers in agriculture. From building personalized dairy re...

This week, Katharine and Valene are joined by a long-overdue guest: Katharine’s husband, Jimmy Lotspeich, an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor with 12 years of experience. Jimmy brings a unique perspective from the front lines of ag education, sharing how he’s seen students’ needs and the industry’s demands evolve over the last decade. The conversation digs into how ag programs and FFA help stud...

This week, we’re diving into the massive new legislation that’s making waves in ag policy and we’ve brought back one of our favorite repeat guests, Tanner Beymer from NCBA, to break it all down. Tanner joins Katharine and Valene to unpack the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed on July 4th, offering insider insights on what it means for agriculture, rural communities, and the cattle industry. From...

This week, Valene flies solo and brings on a familiar and special guest: her husband, John. Together, they give listeners a behind-the-scenes look at life on their farm right now: second cutting hay, Coors barley maturing, cows on public lands, and managing pink eye in the herd. John explains the unique tools they use for treating cattle on desert range, how barley quality is measured, and why cho...

This week, we have part two from the Idaho Cattle Association Summer Roundup with three more inspiring conversations from across the beef world. Valene sits down with past ICA president Jerry Wroten, who shares his fascinating journey from Idaho ranching to managing cattle and ag operations in Tanzania. We hear how climate, cattle breeds, and community differ—and what lessons from East Africa migh...

This week, we’re coming to you straight from the Idaho Cattle Association Convention, where we’re bringing on-the-ground conversations with industry leaders across the beef sector. In this packed episode, Valene interviews three guests: Lynn Bachman and Jared Brackett from the Idaho Beef Council, Cody Hendrix of AgWest Farm Credit, and Rex Hoagland, a packing industry veteran. Together, they paint...

This week, Katharine and Valene are back with a long-overdue market update, diving into the latest trends, pressures, and opportunities facing the beef and dairy sectors. From record-high calf prices and manufacturing expansions to shifting consumer demands and the rise of high-protein convenience foods, the hosts explore how global and domestic factors are shaping protein production across the bo...

Welcome back to the Millennial Ag Podcast! This week, we’re thrilled to introduce a rising star in agriculture, Kaedyn, a California FFA student with big ideas and an even bigger heart for ag literacy. Kaedyn shares her journey through FFA, how she found her voice through public speaking, and why she’s passionate about bridging the gap between agriculture and the general public. From raising goats...

This week, we're diving into a topic we rarely cover: poultry. Dustin Winston from StoneX Group joins Valene to talk about a brand-new egg risk management program, the first of its kind in the poultry industry. Together, they explore how this contract works, why it’s needed now more than ever, and what sets egg markets apart from beef and dairy. From the economic impact of avian influenza to prici...

This week we’re bringing you a special episode featuring Valene presenting at The Utah Society of Professional Engineers Continuing Education Conference. Val was asked to share her expertise and created a timely and insightful discussion around bridging the gap between agriculture and engineering. As an agricultural engineer and co-host of the podcast, Valene takes the audience on a deep dive into...

This week, we’re kicking off June Dairy Month with returning guest, Erica Louder, this time in her new role with the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Erica joins us to share insights from her recent farmer mission trip to Guatemala, where she helped connect American dairy producers with one of Central America’s growing dairy markets. We talk about how U.S. dairy exports are making a difference globally,...

Welcome back. As we wrap up May, we're closing out our Mental Health Series and celebrating May as National Beef Month with a lively, informative episode featuring one of our favorite guests, Dr. Phil Bass. Dr. Bass, meat scientist and professor at the University of Idaho, joins us to talk all things beef, from how carcasses have grown significantly over the last 20 years to the cutting-edge ways...

Welcome back to the Millennial Ag Podcast and our annual May Mental Health Series—where we bring raw, real, and important conversations to the forefront of agriculture. This week, we welcome a familiar voice behind the scenes—Erik Blaser. His wife Megan was a guest in last year’s mental health series, and now it’s Erik’s turn to join us. As a fourth-generation dairy farmer, Erik has lived the dema...

Welcome back to the Millennial Ag podcast and another episode in our May Mental Health Series where we dig deep into the real stories and struggles of emotional wellness in agriculture. This week, we’re joined by Terryn Drieling—formerly known for her platform Faith Family and Beef —who has rebranded and refocused her work around mental health in rural America. Terryn brings her lived experience,...

Welcome back to the Millennial Ag podcast as we continue our annual May Mental Health Series—an honest, raw, and real look into the mental and emotional wellbeing of those living and working in agriculture. This week, we’re doing something different. It’s just us—Val and Katharine—opening up about our personal warning signs when our mental health is slipping. We talk candidly about the quiet red f...

We are back with the first episode of our annual May Mental Health Series, a cornerstone of the Millennial Ag Podcast. Each year, we dedicate the month of May to honest, heartfelt conversations about mental health in agriculture. We’re welcoming back a recurring guest, Dr. Nora Feldpausch, for what might be her fourth appearance (but who’s counting?). Nora is a psychiatrist with deep ties to agric...

In today's episode, Valene and Katharine reflect on their recent episodes of significant agricultural issues, and how this episode is going in a bit of a different direction as they cover the importance of laughter and mental health in agriculture. Both Katharine and Valene share therapeutic laughter techniques. They cover how these techniques can help manage stress and emotional release. You’ll a...

On today's episode, Katharine and Stuart MacLennan discuss their experience at the Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, Nevada. The conference, occurring every two years, brought together industry leaders to discuss various aspects of dairy operations. Stuart highlighted the significant global market opportunity for US dairy, noting the industry needs to increase production by 40% over the...

We’re celebrating the 200th episode of Millennial Ag today! Jessie Jarvis is here to put Katharine and Valene in the hot seat to reflect on their six-year journey in podcasting and discuss crucial ag industry topics.  Today’s discussion focuses on two major topics: artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture and political-economic shifts. Katharine shares her perspective on AI's integration i...

In today's episode, Katharine and Valene discuss their anticipation for the upcoming 200th episode and reflect on the significant topics in agriculture from the different recent guests they've had on Millennial Ag. Biosecurity, the beef market, and labor concerns in the ag industries have all been discussed, yet there's still some burning questions. These questions include wanting to know more abo...

Rick Naerebout from the Idaho Dairymen's Association is back on the podcast to discuss the current state of agricultural labor and immigration policies. Rick explains that there's significant uncertainty in the agricultural workforce regarding potential deportation threats. While the current administration is focusing on targeting individuals involved in criminal activity, there's still fear among...

We welcome Brandon McEndaffer to The Millennial Ag Podcast today. Brandon is a cattle rancher in northeastern Colorado while also working on price and risk management for people across the beef sector. Brandon will discuss the current state of the beef industry and market dynamics. Brandon covers the current beef demand, noting that consumers are paying higher prices than expected given the supply...

In this episode of the Millennial Ag Podcast, Katharine and Valene welcome Dr. Julia Herman, a beef cattle specialist veterinarian with NCBA, to discuss biosecurity in the livestock sector. Dr. Herman leads education development and veterinary outreach for the producer education team.  Dr. Herman shares her expertise on current threats to U.S. agriculture, including avian influenza and foot a...