Andy Holt, the deputy commissioner of agriculture in Tennessee, joins me in this episode to share his journey from a child with no agricultural experience to holding one of the highest agricultural offices in the state of Tennessee. His story is truly impactful, and he shares his advice for others looking to make a difference in the agricultural industry. 

I'm so grateful to Mr. Holt for joining me on the podcast!

Disclaimer: The episode was recorded in February, and there are many issues with the audio quality that I was unable to fix. However, I believe Mr. Holt's story still deserves to be shared as it has the ability to make a profound impact on those who hear it. 

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After a two month posting break, it seemed only fitting that the first episode of 2025 was about reassessing, readjusting, and reseting our operations within agriculture. It is so important to occasionally take a step back and reevaluate our goals and the processes we are using to achieve them to see where we can increase our efficiency. Sometimes, we get so hung up on doing things the same way we always have that we don't see just how much effort we are putting in to an area that might not be worth that effort anymore. That is exactly what today's episode is about.

As we continue into 2025, take the time to see how you are spending your time, effort, and resources, and do not be afraid to change things as you need to. There can be a benefit to yourself and to the agricultural industry as a whole if you do.

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As the agricultural industry is challenged to produce more food, fuel, and fiber for a growing population with less productive land and fewer people involved in product agriculture, we must continue to grow as individuals to meet these challenges as they arrive. One way for us to continue to improve ourselves is to seek opportunities for personal growth. This will ultimately contribute to the success and continuation of our industry.

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The agricultural industry is so reliant on so many things that are outside of our control: the weather, the market, political interactions, and much more. Because of this, things aren't always going to work out exactly as we'd like for them to. So how do we overcome these issues? 

By being flexible. 

We have to be open to change, and we have to be able to find new paths when things don't go exactly to plan. As an industry, we are incredibly resourceful and resilient, but we could all use the reminder sometimes to be flexible.

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In the wake of the natural disasters that have hit the United States recently, I believe that it is important to remember how strong the agriculture industry is. This industry and the individuals within it face trials daily, yet we do not allow them to overtake us. There is no doubt that the recent natural disasters have left our industry and our nation shaken; however, we are capable of rising from these trails and coming out strnger on the other side. We simply must remember to be strong, be kind to one another, and remember that we each have what it takes to be resilient. 


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In this episode, I meet with Gracie Murphy, a former officer in the National FFA Organization. We talk about her background and upbringing in agriculture, how it led to her year as a National FFA officer, and where she sees her future in this industry going. Throughout this episode, we share our thoughts on what we are looking forward to seeing in the agricultural industry and what we would like to see change. 

A little about Gracie:

• Gracie is from Illinois where she currently attends Southern Illinois University.
• She served as the Illinois FFA State Secretary from 2021-2022 before serving as the National FFA Eastern Region Vice President from 2022-2023. 
• One of her greatest passions in life is helping others, and this is so evident throughout the episode. Her kindness and compassion shine through in everything she does, and she is truly a fantastic individual. 

I am so grateful to Gracie for joining us on this episode of America's 2%, so be sure to listen to this episode!

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This episode shares a message that I believe we all need to be reminded of regularly: Comparison is the Thief of Joy. It is so easy to fall into the trap of constantly comparing ourselves to others, whether consciously or not. This episode dives a little into the ways that our comparisons don't always make sense as well as how to combat comparison.

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