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, and just being outside.

Listen as she talks about:

• Why she is the least millennial-millennial
• What day of the year she can finally relax
• How she knew she wanted to marry someone with a farmer mentality
• The mental health issues in agriculture today
• Why she loves watching things grow

FaceBook Page

carpenterfarmsadrian.com/

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!

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 while he graduated from Michigan State in agribusiness management. In his free time he coaches baseball, is a chapter advisor for Alpha Gamma Rho, and enjoys traveling to ag and sports events.

Listen as he talks about:

• The color, length, moisture, and grade requirements in straw
• Why you should take business risks in your 20s
• Working with his family, and his mom’s famous food
• Why July 1 is his Christmas day
• The planning, coordinating, and personal relations that go into running a business

FaceBook Page

Instagram: @kellerfarmssupply

www.kellerfs.com

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!

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 is.” She and her husband Craig just welcomed a new baby, Hazel Anne.

Listen as Olivia talks about:

• How milking robots work, and what interesting behaviors cows have
• How their farm and general store complement each other
• One of the worst days of her life after a month of shoveling
• Her Earth Day baby and the perfect picture
• What you learn when you go from raising 40 chickens to 600

FaceBook Page

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!

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, and research. On the side, she also runs her own business, Mom to Mom Nutrition.

Listen as Katie talks about:

• The health benefits of beef and how to make every bite count
• Why she tries burgers at every restaurant
• Why her career path led her toward working with farmers and communities
• What she likes to do with her kids in metro Detroit
• Why she’s been making a chipotle sloppy joe with crunchy coleslaw topping recipe for a decade

MIBeef.org

Beefitswhatsfordinner.com

MomtoMomNutrition.com

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!

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 farm.

Listen as Tera talks about:

• The transition from ag tech solving problems to preparing for the future
• Her first Disney princess calf
• Why her husband wanted her to win second place in the national Farm Bureau discussion meet
• The way the cows look in the morning with the steam rising from the herd, and why she loves it
• The moment she knew she made the right decision about her career

facebook.com/newviewprecisionag

facebook.com/Tri-Koebel-840463816023495

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!

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 love – in a normal year – going to concerts and attending MSU games, and they always enjoy camping.

Listen as Riley talks about:

• Interesting details on how flaming and detasseling actually work
• What day makes him as excited as Christmas morning
• Why he jokes he married Betty Crocker
• How a video on a blue jacket led to his community involvement
• What new data collection technology he has seen over just a short time

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!

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 time watching his kids play sports, running, and volunteering in his community.

Listen as he talks about:

• Details on how turkey farming works
• Different turkey personality traits
• Challenges in the poultry industry
• The mini-date he and his wife go on each week for Meals with Wheels
• What community organizations mean the most to him

Listener note - Phil wanted to make a correction. During the podcast he said Coccidiostats when he meant Ionophores. Coccidiostats are allowed in No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) production.

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!

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 live in Ionia, where they love making use of the extensive trail system.

Listen as Courtney talks about:

• How her first surgery patient became her best friend
• What farmers do to make sure cows are comfortable – fans, beds, climate
• How being blessed with long arms makes some vet work easier
• What surprises people about her job
• Her latest hobby – cake decorating

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!

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, especially when it’s at his expense.

Listen as Paul talks about:

• The breakdancing ballet dance parties that occur when you live with four beautiful women
• The very real effects of Covid on the supply chain and prices
• Barns of the 80s, 90s, and today
• Why his least favorite crop surrounds his house
• What kind of fitness he’s embracing as a dad
• Why pigs prefer sleeping indoors

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!

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 up his home, spending time with his family, and seeing his fiancée, Holly.

Tye talks about:

• How learning from other people and doing his own work has helped
• The amazing process of grafting trees
• What he loves about having regular customers
• His ultimate business goals
• How this unusual year was actually great for business
• What are the easiest and hardest foods to grow

 Link to Facebook page

Connect with Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Checkout our website at MichiganGrown.org
• Want to be featured as a Michigan AF business? Email us!

Thanks for listening and come back soon to hear about more people, foods and places that are Michigan AF!