Gregg Smyth worked at Phillips Orchards and Cider Mill as a hobby until he and Brian Phillips decided to make the family farm their full-time business. Gregg now runs the Gatehouse Market, enjoys the benefits of small-town living, and works as a flight attendant in his free time.

Listen as Gregg talks about:

• The long family history surrounding Phillips Orchards
• Forming relationships with local, talented artisans
• The length of time you have to spend worrying about apples
• Painting and working out as a form of therapy
• The path to selling hard cider as a new item
• Why sitting on patios is always going to be popular

http://www.phillipsorchards.com

Matt Scramlin has had a lot of roles, like a regional rep for Michigan Farm Bureau, a trainer at American Farm Bureau, an auctioneer, a meatcutter, and a sheep farmer, but through all of it he's been one thing – a Farm Bureau junkie. Listen as he talks about his family's long history with the organization, showing and judging sheep around the country, and how his work takes him through the food cycle every day.

He talks about:

• How a sheep breed's cuteness factors into showing, with comparison to Westminster
• How he hit 44 states in one job
• His auctioneering gigs
• How he found out his grandma was big into Farm Bureau when he saw her in a picture with the governor signing legislation
• Movies, poker, and working with his family
• The approaching Super Bowl of sheep farming

scramlinsouthdowns.com

Ben LaCross is a cherry farmer in Leelenau County, the cherry capital of the world. He and his wife Kelsey are competing in Traverse City's half Ironman Triathlon, he's working on solving agricultural issues, they're raising three kids going in different directions, and he's focused on raising a great crop every year.

Ben covers:

• The charming story of how he met his wife, the Cherry Queen, on his cherry farm
• Why pits are really the pits
• Why he chose farming after college from all the other opportunities
• How his son wants to play in the NBA not only because he loves basketball, but because he would get summers off to work on the farm
• Struggles of cherry industry imports right now, and what he's trying to do about it
• Writing, audio books, and how cherries are the perfect fruit

https://leelanaufruit.com/

Natalie Pennington is a "stay at farm" mom of two. She and her family have a farm market called Hearty Harvest, raise sheep, provide agtainment, and host dinners on the farm. She is the youth minister at her church, has gone on missions to Guatemala and Haiti, and is married to a man who joins in the 5-9 lifestyle along with his 9-5 job.

Listen as she talks about:

• The 'What's in my Food' dinner on the farm
• Why going to the grocery store with babies is a nightmare
• What questions people ask her about food, and how great it is for them to see her daughter eating their fresh fruit
• How chores turned from something she had to do into something she was dying to do
• How not owning a tv adds to their farm lifestyle
• Her passion about serving people here and overseas

https://www.facebook.com/Hearty-Harvest-264996623537544/

Kelly Leach is a fourth generation farmer on Avalon Farms in Climax. Her family grows hydroponic lettuce, tomatoes, and vegetables. Listen as she talks about her beloved Michigan State Spartans, new food trailer adventure, coaching cheerleading, and how she will cook a meal for anyone … or give them a kidney.

She talks about:

• Family roles, and how they can read each other's moods
• How great employees, as well as an adorable 11-year-old nephew, make farming enjoyable
• Golfing every month except January and February
• Teenagers, plus the good and bad about being an adult
• Her grandma's special name for the Spartans

http://www.avalonfarmshomegrown.net/

Keely Efaw enjoys advocating for agriculture so much that she's even earned a title - Michigan Miss Agriculture USA. She spends her time earning her associate's degree in agriculture technology and spoiling her dogs, including a one-eyed bird dog. She's looking forward to experiencing the excitement and sadness of her last year of cattle showing.

She shares about her:

• Love of animals and plan to work with them as a career
• Transition from having pets to raising farm animals
• Boyfriend's love of animals, despite allergies and hives
• Inspirational teachers and career center guidance
• Moving from a city to the middle of nowhere

https://www.missagricultureusa.org/

Michael DeRuiter is a tart cherry, apple, and peach farmer in Hart, Michigan. After getting his MBA – even though he originally planned on leaving after an associate's degree – he returned home to farm with his family. He and his high school sweetheart are married, raising a son they adore, and dealing with the alternating stressors and joys that come with a farm.

He talks about:

• Harvesting and the manual labor required, including thinning peaches to make them the right size
• Truly appreciating that his parents made him work on the farm
• Questions he gets on organics and GMOs
• Being outside, camping, golfing, and snowmobiling
• Jokes about fruit farmers not working in the winter
• 2002 and 2012, the two years of total crop loss he's farmed through
• How he's glad when the workweek of 80-100 hours goes back to 46-60 hour weeks
• His son - the best stress reliever
• The relief of the last day of cherries

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Farm/DeRuiter-Farms-Inc-374340520590/

https://video.foxnews.com/v/6014779231001/?fbclid=IwAR1EkkG8Iz2DpLNJPbpRn56W_U2oIVvalLqVQQFmQJgjNlRgAoByokcKj7Q#sp=show-clips

Ed McBroom is both a senator and dairy farmer who hails from Vulcan, in the U.P. Listen as he speaks candidly about playing Rachmaninov, directing the Norway City Band, how farming and family intertwine, and what a perfect day on the farm looks like to him.

He covers:

• How politics, teaching, and farming all come together
• How his wonderful family, colleagues, and staff are helping him through a difficult year
• Robots and footbaths for cows
• The amount of rocks in their soil, and why his Swedish ancestors picked their spot
• How much crop damage one bear can do
• Why people should be a part of their community, and not just online
• Where you might find a spouse that wants to farm

https://www.norwaymi.com/2197/Norway-City-Band

https://www.senatoredmcbroom.com/

Joe Ankley is an ag educator in Huron County. He also dairy farms, grows crops, raises grass fed beef, and leads the North Huron FFA. He's also the 2019 winner of the Michigan Farm Bureau Young Farmer Excellence in Ag Award. How does he have more time than everyone else?

He talks about:

• Purchasing 50 acres to grow soybeans
• The three greenhouses at school, including growing crayfish, shrimp, and 600 hanging baskets
• Kayaking trips around our beautiful state, including Turnip Rock
• Teaching ag lessons in every classroom in their school district, and the passion in students today
• Exploring Michigan and traveling around the world, including Africa, Japan, Europe, and Costa Rica
• Odd jobs on the farm
• Catering, and finding a niche market

Sites mentioned:

https://ankleyfarms.weebly.com/

https://www.facebook.com/northhuronffa/

Amanda Kutchey from Macomb County runs a fruit and vegetable farm with her family, and she's also a crop insurance agent for GreenStone Farm Credit Services. Aside from work, she likes to travel … and visit farms on her trips! Where do you find broccoli in the wild? Ask her husband.

She talks about:

• Wanting to be an engineer before finding out about the existence of agribusiness
• Eating fruits and vegetables right out of their fields, just like the three generations before her
• How customers become like family
• How she can't stand tomatoes, even though people drive miles to buy them from their farm
• How crop insurance helps when Mother Nature decides to wipe everything out
• Being married to someone who isn't from a farm – and broccoli origins
• Touring farms while on vacation, like a pineapple farm in Hawaii
• Snowmobiling, horses, and other fun activities around the country

Sites mentioned in this podcast:

https://www.facebook.com/kutcheyfamilyfarm/