Mat Stutzman of St Joseph County is both a poultry and crop farmer. He and his wife are raising four young kids while working along many other family members. He also works in high school sports media, and he does video outreach with his church.

Listen as he talks about:

• The upcoming solar energy project for their broiler barn
• How farmers are doing the best they can when it comes to community relations
• Why he chose poultry when his dad was thinking dairy
• What it's like having four kids under age six, including a son whose entire life is tractors right now
• The benefits of impatience

Even though she didn't work on her family's farm when she was growing up, a love of science and a curiosity about how things worked led Stephanie Kipp home. She grows potatoes, peas, green beans, corn, and wheat as the fourth generation on her Edmore farm. She's also the chair of the Potato Research Committee, and in her spare time, she and her husband take care of their son and a "hobby" herd of cattle.

She talks about:

• Growing vegetables for Gerber and working with their "I'm a Mom" campaign
• How chip potatoes differ from other kinds – and how to get the burnt kind
• How the late blight of the Irish potato famine is still a terrible disease they deal with every year
• The sheer satisfaction of watching a seed grow into food for other people
• How to make her own ranch dip for a perfect meal

Luke Marion started MIgardener to give inspiration and information to people gardening. He and his wife Sindy garden 365 days a year, including growing their indoor coffee and citrus trees. Together, they have grown into a retail location, an online store, and a strong social media presence. He is passionate about gardening, Michigan, and fresh food – whether he's catching it or growing it.

Listen as Luke tells about:

• The wonder of how basil plants and Facebook brought him and Sindy together
• Why new gardeners shouldn't be afraid of killing plants
• How he is obsessed with golfing and fishing
• His current home setup and future conservatory
• Why the advice to take things slow matters to him

https://migardener.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MIgardener/

Vicki Zilke and her husband Tom own two businesses – Zilke Vegetable Farm and Zilke Farm Kitchen in Milan. At their farm market, Vicki repeatedly heard from customers that they had great intentions on making healthy, tasty dinners for their families, but they had a lot of barriers. So, the Zilkes opened a grab-and-go meal kit store … and are celebrating its year anniversary!

Listen as Vicki talks about:

• Her first career as a nurse practitioner, and Tom's first as a landscaper, and how they apply to their farm now
• The Michigan Good Food Fund, and how their shared values were a good fit for their business expansion
• Why she weeds for fun, and how a hoe is the best tool for angst
• How her mom raised educated, active community members
• Why she told every woman she saw "You were right!" after she became a grandma
• Their agri-tourism, sunflower field, and gift shop plans – plus, several parties!

https://www.zilkefarmkitchen.com/

http://www.zilkevegetablefarm.com/

Andrea Boughton of Marshall raises Angus cattle, corn, and soybeans. She's the president of Calhoun County Farm Bureau and spends a lot of time educating students about ag. She also works for the Department of Defense (Northrop Grumman) as an operations lead, crews for hot air balloons, and recently traveled to the Ukraine and India.

Listen as she talks about:

• How farming is more than just food - like soybeans are used in making Ford car seats
• Where crewing for hot air balloons has taken her
• How a lot of business ownership is asking 'which do you buy first?'
• What drew her to farming in the first place
• What she learned in her overseas programs, and where she's going next

https://www.facebook.com/micalhouncountyfarmbureau/

Bryan Heffron of Heffron Farms Market raises cattle and crops and sells direct-to-market, in four retail stores, and online. His wife Katie also owns a pie fundraising business. They are the parents of three young children and are entering the sports phase of life, also known as the drive-your-kids-everywhere time.

Bryan talks about:

• Sneaking out to hunt and fish … for anything that will bite
• The number one question people ask him about the farm
• How technology changed how they raise cattle and grow crops
• The excitement of the first day of corn harvest
• Seeing their name on restaurant menus

http://heffronfarms.com/

https://www.facebook.com/apieceofthepiecompany/

Chris and his family live in Monroe County and grow corn, soybeans, wheat, plus some organic acres. He also is a sales representative for Actagro. Currently, Chris and his wife Rachelle spend a lot of time gazing adoringly at their 7-month-old daughter Adelaide. As a seventh generation farmer, his family has been farming the same ground since 1831 … which sets them up perfectly for a bicentennial party in 2031!

Chris talks about:

• His chance meeting with his wife Rachelle
• What makes them a winter family in Michigan
• How fun the never-ending process of buying equipment can be
• Why the tech crowd at the Consumer Electronics Show was amazed by farm machinery
• How tissue testing and sap analysis can show exactly what's in a plant – and the excitement around that

www.actagro.com

Scott Ferry is a fourth generation dairy, beef, and crop farmer in Litchfield. He was Sparty in college, and now he brings that same enthusiasm to his farm and family! When he's not working, he's skiing, hiking, or keying his own farm truck.

Listen as Scott talks about:

• The blood, sweat, tears - and dancing - involved in being Sparty
• How he and his wife Ali celebrate the end of each harvest
• His favorite secret (now not-so-secret) gems in the U.P.
• Fulfilling a promise to his Navy pilot friend to visit
• The kamikaze stage of kid skiers
• First time - and cheapest time - dress shopping with his daughter

www.ferry-farms.com

www.facebook.com/FerryFarms

Luke DeHaan is a blueberry farmer in Ottawa County. After he graduated with an engineering degree and worked as a civil engineer for six years, he decided to join his wife and her family on the farm. They now run a processing facility, a farm, a market - and during the winter months, a snowplowing business. 90-hour weeks are the norm during the busy season, but it doesn't matter - all of his kids say they want to be blueberry farmers, too!

Listen as he talks about:

• The positive aspects of brainwashing kids
• How weather rules his life
• His church and Farm Bureau involvement in his spare hours
• Monster truck events with boys
• The first app – and second app – he checks first thing in the morning

eatberrysmart.com

crossroadspropertyservices.com

crossroads-blueberry-farm.business.site

Shelly Hartmann of South Haven is a blueberry farmer at True Blue Farms. She and her husband Dennis, along with their family and like-family team members, run a blueberry farm that covers growing, packaging, retail, u-pick, online, and catalog sales. They have been called the largest blueberry growing operation in the country – plus, they grow cranberries and apples! Shelly serves on several industry boards, likes to go antiquing, and loves vacationing in her own hometown.

Listen as Shelly talks about:

• How blueberries are 100% consumable and the perfect fruit – no peel, pit, core!
• How u-pick helps make memorable experiences with your family
• The journey from 10-acres and different jobs to today
• How a tornado in 2016 ruined their packing facility
• National Blueberry Pie day and their events surrounding that
• What it means to have 'blue blood'

Truebluefarms.com