Virginia's Young Farmers Podcast

In part two of this episode, we met up with Casey Logan, President & CEO of Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, and Chandler Vaughan, Associate Director in the Virginia Office of Broadband, to discuss rural broadband in Virginia. Join the conversation and the historic work that Virginia is having in connecting our state to broadband. Stay tuned for part two!  Contact Chandler: broadband@dhcd.vir...

In part one of this episode, we met up with Casey Logan, President & CEO of Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, and Chandler Vaughan, Associate Director in the Virginia Office of Broadband, to discuss rural broadband in Virginia. Join the conversation and the historic work that Virginia is having in connecting our state to broadband. Stay tuned for part two!  Contact Chandler: broadband@dhcd.vir...

We sat down to speak with Matt Nuckols, Virginia Farm Bureau Safety Program Coordinator, to hear about the data and tracking of farm safety and accidents. Listen to become more aware and hear safety preventions to keep the family farming. You're the biggest asset to your farm. Also, get the details on state safety contests to promote safety. Contact Matt: Matt. Nuckols@vafb.com Virgnia Farm B...

National FFA Week is celebrated every February to highlight how to organization leads over 1 MILLON FFA members in leadership, community development, and career success through agricultural education. As many of us know, one of the most influential people in your life is a teacher, and for a lot of our ag folks, it is your ag teacher. Join Dustin as he sits down with his ag teacher after all this...

We recovered THE lost episode from spring 2024 where we sit down with two respected Virginia veterinarians, Dr. Amanda Weakley-Scott and Dr. Melinda McCall.  Dr. McCall shares fond memories and crazy stories about being a vet from her book, "Driving Home Naked", which sheds light on being a vet, connecting with farmers, and motherhood. She was a speaker at our Women's Conference off...

Back in 1977 The Clouses started a Christmas Tree Farm all because an FFA chapter planted their "seedling program" trees on their land. Leaving livestock behind, they now run a farm with 20,000+ trees welcoming thousands of customers from communities and cities from all over. Hear from Ryan, 2nd generation farmer, on how he works with his 78-year-old father, is a leader in the Christmas...

Seasons are changing and Morgan felt it was time to hang up the podcast. Meet your new podcast co-host from Halifax, Virginia...Dustin Francis! From a career in law enforcement to a farmer and Community Relations Coordinator for an electric cooperative, Dustin shares with us his farm mistakes, joys, and hopes. He also enlightens us on what it is like to work with your family...or not! Let's g...

This episode started off as a nod to June's dairy month - and where we ended was a theme of finding opportunities to serve the agriculture industry. For Thomas French of French Brothers Dairy, all of the above involves family. Thomas shares the evolution of his family's dairy farm, along with the technology and innovation they've integrated to stay viable over the generations. Recen...

Active and engaged listening is a super power when it comes to having difficult conversations - this is what Ashley and Morgan learned while sitting down with Vance Crowe at the Virginia Farm Bureau Young Farmers Winter Expo. Vance's introduction to agriculture was an interesting one: he is the former Director of Millennial Engagement for Monsanto. His primary role was to address complaints a...

Morgan and Ashley were able to catch up with Jacob Gilley at Virginia Farm Bureau Young Farmer's Winter Expo back in February to chat about land acquisition. As a first generation farmer himself, Jacob shares how relationship building is at the core of any opportunity for land access. He shares not only personal examples of how he and his wife have initiated these relationships, but also prov...

Argh-- tax season! Doc White, professor at Virginia Tech, shares what is the most logical during tax season. He also shares some key successes to personal finance that will aid you in building your agribusiness. Listen closely for common mistakes that happen with young farmers and some deeper dives in ag. finance for those who feel they have it down.  Share your thoughts on our social media at vaf...

It is a question that seems to be the frequent elephant in the room among many farming families: "What does the future of the farm look like and how do I fit into that picture?" While the topic of farm transition sounds overwhelming,  complicated, and downright scary, having a succession plan can help farm businesses smoothly transition ownership and/or responsibilities in a way that kee...

Amanda Radke has always been an advocate for our industry. She travels across the country speaking to agriculturalists, consults cattle families, writes children’s books, hosts the podcast, Heart of Rural America, and so much more. She went down in history as the brave FFA member who led a walk-out during a Carrie Underwood concert at FFA National Convention in response to false messaging around a...

Picture this: it's mid-morning in Southwest Virginia. The light fog is rising. The October foliage is starting to transition to red and orange. It's sale day at Point Pleasant Angus, and the cattle are calling back and forth to each other as they stand on display. This was the backdrop for this episode and it set the tone for this two-part episode with CK6 Consulting. In this first segme...

Ashley and Morgan took over the podcast a year ago and, man, what a year it has been! Join Ashley and Morgan as they take a look back on the past 365 days and reminisce on the lessons learned from our podcast guests. They've used that good advice first hand as both ladies have had a lot of change and growth personally and professionally.  Ashley became a first-time mom, left her full-time job...

Leaving the realtor business, Ty took a leap with his wife Shannon to become owners of a 1930s trout hatchery, Smoke In Chimneys, that is home to thousands of fish all operated from natural springs on the mountain in Craig County. Ty went from reading books from Ebay and Jerry showing them how to turn on the water to being sold out of trout months in advance while growing the business in agritouri...

Jordan Wicks was an unlikely person to become an advocate for the meat industry - but today she's pursuing her PhD after a successful career in meat processing. With no farm background, Jordan shares with us how her interest in the FFA meats judging team took her from her small town in Illinois to opening a processing facility from scratch in Alabama. Life and opportunity brought her to Virgi...

Courtney Henderson never imagined she'd have a career on her family farm. And yet today - at the top of her long, impressive resume - she's proud to call herself a dairy farmer. To celebrate National Dairy Month, Courtney shares with us her passion for agricultural advocacy and the unconventional ways she's brought consumers to her farm. She shares why, despite challenges, she loves...

Morgan sits down for a one-on-one conversation with her dad, Jeff Slaven, on this special episode for some fatherly advice for young farmers. Jeff started making land payments when he was 17 years old. Farming, he says, is not just a love, its a responsibility. The pair reminisce on the life lessons he learned as a young farmer during the '80s farming crisis. At that time he was facing record...

In this episode, Joe Ulmer will tell you that you've got to crawl before you can walk: his early farming lessons were learned painting fence and weed-eating.  This first generation farmer got his start in the produce business by selling pumpkins by way of the honor system with a sour cream container in his front yard. Today, Joe and his wife own and operate a bustling produce market, bakery,...

Farm mommin' ain't easy. The good news is you aren't alone! Tune in as Virginia Farm Bureau Young Farmers leaders, Lindy Fimon and Michelle Fox, give host, Ashley Kuhler, some motherly advice as she welcomes her first baby this spring! And to all you moms and mother-figures out there: have a wonderful Mother's Day!  Share your thoughts on our social media at vafbyoungfarmers or...

Madison Coffey joined us to discuss SWCD programs just in time for Earth Day! She has visited farmers and landowners to learn more about their property needs and has helped them implement cost-share programs, equipment rentals, and how to call and ask for guidance. We also hear from her story about how she is making her path as the youngest sibling of a farm family. Contact Madison directly with y...

Cue the "Jaws" themesong. We interviewed the Shark Farmer! On this episode, we had the change to chat with Rob Sharkey while we were at the Virginia Farm Bureau Young Farmers Winter Expo in Halifax, VA. Rob was the keynote speaker for the event, but before he took the stage, we chatted about what led him to creating a wildly successful multimedia platform where farmers can share their st...

From high schoolers to 35-year-olds, there are different events, opportunities, and contests to participate in. All you need to qualify for the Young Farmer program is an interest in agriculture and a Farm Bureau membership. Listen to see what you can be involved in next as Morgan and Ashley share their personal experiences with the programs and shed light on the benefits of participating.  Share...

What is Legislative Day? How can I become an advocate for the agriculture industry? Where can I learn more about ag policy? How can I grow the confidence to ask questions and learn? We sat down with Stefanie Taillon, Farm Bureau Lobbyist,  and  Matt Fimon, American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Chair, to answer these questions and bring tips to make you an authentic, mountain-moving adv...