Agribusiness Conversations

This episode takes a step back in time to 1944 when Hickman's Family Farms was in its infancy. Enjoy as Bill Sr. and Gertie Hickman talk about the Farm's humble beginnings, what they are most proud of, and what business advice they would give to up-and-coming agriculturalists. Sharman, their daughter, has fun stories to share about her childhood responsibilities, what she enjoys most about working in the family business, and both her and her mom share the "secret" family recipe! 

While across the world we are experiencing the realities of a pandemic, the upside is that we are forced to slow down and appreciate the little things like meat in our freezers, a home cooked meal, and the health of our families. My guests on the show this week are from the Arizona Beef Council. I have Lauren Scheller Maehling, Executive Director, and Tiffany Selchow, Director of Social Marketing and Consumer Outreach. As you will learn from the conversation, the beef industry has very little waste and your Beef Checkoff dollars are working hard for you, locally and globally! With all that is going on in the world, I hope you enjoy, and learn, and laugh along this us. 

P.S. - Stay distant, stay healthy and pull some of that beef out of your freezer!

This recipe has been fully verified and taste tested by Lauren: 

https://beeflovingtexans.com/recipe/everyday-beef-barbacoa/?fbclid=IwAR1v34fB2V3_nzifTcGHGIhj9rDHhYADHAT8dhj6nG8LUgoHMZxUydiTKvo

Hear beginning farmer and rancher business advice from a successful farmer, rancher, and nursery owner/operator, Sharla Mortimer. Sharla's advice is timeless just like her work ethic and love for her family. If there's one thing I have learned from her, it is to always look for a solution outside the box. You'll understand what I mean, as this advice is very relevant to this episode. Enjoy! 

Today’s podcast is an interview with Jill Wilson. Jill is an insurance agent with Farm Bureau Financial Services who specializes in a product for ranchers made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency - Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance. Jill comes from a ranching background herself and has provided numerous educational seminars on the topic. It’s a great listen for anyone curious about the product and how to use it as a tool for your business. 

Giving back to our communities is something that is a priority for most of us. For the founder of Burning Daylight Consulting, Santana Nez, that means giving back to the Navajo Nation and its sister nations. She uses her experience of growing up on the reservation, her knowledge of agriculture, and her education and network to serve as a communicator, thought leader, and agriculture consultant in her local community and across Arizona. 

Want to take your farm to the next level? Farm Flight is a precision agricultural mapping service. Drones are used to fly over fields, taking thousands of pictures to stitch together. From these pictures, infrared data and GPS information can be extracted forming geographical maps that are more accurate than any satellite system in service today. These ultra-precise maps can be used to locate problem areas in fields, even before problems can be seen by the human eye!

The Center for Rural Leadership (Project CENTRL) is all about cultivating passionate educated leaders who provide a voice for and serve rural communities in Arizona. It is an intensive one-year educational journey that gives selected individuals an exceptional personal and professional leadership development experience! Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity which continues to leave a legacy of leaders in Arizona! 

Consumer perception is everything! But, when was the last time you had a conversation with a consumer to understand their purchasing behavior? Trust me, it had been awhile since I talked to a consumer too! My goal with this conversation was just to listen, understand, and get a better feel for the confusion out there. To help Kellie and other consumers understand food facts vs. fears, please engage in the conversation using the comment section. Please keep your comments scientifically based (i.e. peer reviewed and consensus in the science community) and keep them KIND. By engaging in the conversation, you'll be helping other agriculturalists answer the same food and agriculture based questions! 

It's that time of year again - tax season! Listen today to ensure that you're doing everything you can to protect your business, personal finances, and your family. Understand what records you should be keeping, what you can use as deductions, the credits you might be missing, exemptions your business qualifies for, and the reporting options you have to handle the tumultuous markets that agribusinesses face. 

Have you thought about participating in a conservation program for your farm or ranch through the USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)?  If not, you should! Their programs are voluntary, producers are provided technical assistance, and there are applicable tax incentives (these will be discussed in the next episode). By participating in NRCS programs, you could be improving the environment, your agribusiness model, and your bottom line this year. Who wants to miss out on something that good?