Madelyn Cary lives on her family’s farm where they grow cash crops and raise cattle. They also recently began running the Elwell Elevator. She’s beginning at Michigan State University in the fall to study agribusiness management with the goal of coming back to work on her farm in a managerial position. She works at Bader & Sons, which is a John Deere dealership, even though she has to put up with a lot of teasing because her family owns Case IH machines. Though her senior year of high school was disappointing due to the COVID-19 panic, she has a positive attitude … and is going to wear her prom dress somewhere, even if it’s just in the living room.

Listen as Madelyn talks about:

• Her love for showing cattle, and where it took her
• Everyone’s roles on her family farm
• Taking adorable baby chicks and lambs into classrooms for lessons
• Why it’s sometimes better eating at home, because Texas Roadhouse rolls are impossible not to overeat
• Why she devoted a Facebook page to agriculture

See her facebook page

Hailey Andres just graduated from University of Michigan-Flint with a degree in graphic design and marketing. When she joined FFA at New Lothrup High School, she became interested in agriculture and shaped her career around it. She now is interning with GreenStone Farm Credit Services, plus she has started her own marketing business called Cultivation Agricultural Marketing LLC. She loves visiting National Parks and is the happiest outdoors. As self-described foodie, she also likes to check out the best places to eat locally and while traveling.

Listen as she talks about:

• The great parts about Flint, including 100K Ideas which helps launch entrepreneurs
• Working with an agricultural museum and farms with her marketing business
• Her new apartment and the dog she’s going to adopt to live with her
• The best places to hike and eat in Michigan
• Why she has chosen agriculture, and what she wants to do with it

www.cultivationagmarketing.com

Michael Ceja, Michigan Ag Council Ambassador, is studying business management at Delta College. His sophomore year of high school he got involved in FFA and got interested in ag advocacy and youth leadership. Last year he won the state collegiate discussion meet for Michigan Farm Bureau, and he plans to continue his involvement. He loves hammocking, listening to podcasts, and being with his friends.

Listen as he talks about:

• His funny misunderstanding about animals
• How his ag mentor has helped along the way
• Why a true crime-comedy works
• What it was like to be in FFA
• Why he’s interested in ag advocacy

Grace Platte is one of our Michigan Ag Council Ambassadors. She’s studying agricultural education at Michigan State University, and she works two jobs – she manages social media for the College of Agricultural & Natural Resources, and she works for MSU Extension - Chronic Wasting Disease. Grace didn’t grow up on a farm, but she became interested in her friend’s pigs and became involved in 4-H and FFA, where she was a state officer. She loves advocating for agriculture in her professional and personal life. She also likes golfing, hanging out with her friends, and visiting the Thumb.

Listen as Grace talks about:

• Her advice on intimidation
• Finding out why farmers love what they do
• Her dog Harper, who is going to live with her in the sorority house
• How a year at MSU will look like with COVID changes
• Relating to people about farming

Facebook: Grace Olivia Platte

Instagram: @graceplatte

Tony Motz farms with his dad, where they grow corn, soybeans, and wheat on 3000 acres in St Johns. He also started Motz Meat, where he raises steers to sell as freezer beef. Tony earned his degree in agribusiness at Michigan State University, and he enjoys finetuning farm practices. For instance, they are taking tissue samples to analyze crop nutrients and improving record keeping by using software that links to a weather station. When he’s not working, he loves going up north or sitting on the back deck of his house with his fiancée, Mackenzie.

Listen as Tony talks about:

• The reward that comes with a dedication to farming and family
• Having a wedding reception in the same shop his parents did 28 years ago
• Why the third day of planting is the best day of the year
• When he knew he shouldn’t buy a dirt bike
• Why networking in college is even more valuable than learning financial ratios

Facebook Page

Kip Siegler is a farming YouTube sensation, with over 14,000 subscribers, 66 videos, and 1.3 million total views in just nine months. He’s a dairy and crop farmer in Imlay City, where he milks 200 cows and raises hay, corn, soybeans, and wheat on 1700 acres. Kip farms with his brothers and parents, has two daughters, and is getting married next year to his fiancée Rochelle. He enjoys seeing his daughters perform in dance, having bonfires at his house, and cruising with his family in their old Ford truck.

Listen as Kip talks about:

• How his time in the military prepared him for owning a business
• His friends buying Siegler swag across the country and world
• How the farm now is a culmination of all the work that’s gone into it
• Why you have 30 chances to perfect growing crops
• How 4-H gave him the funds to buy his first house at age 19

Youtube Channel

Nate Wittkamp of Wittkamp Grain and Vegetable LLC grows asparagus, hemp, pickles, and zucchini on his farm in Oceana County. Nate graduated from Michigan State University and worked as a sales agronomist for Wilbur Ellis. After working for them and farming at the same time, he was approached by investors and asked to grow 200 acres of hemp. Instead of having two full-time jobs, he concentrated only on the farm to develop this commercially-new crop. In his free time, he follows Michigan State sports, bow hunts, and goes to the beach.

Listen as Nate talks about:

• The original gold rush mentality of hemp that has since calmed down
• What it’s like to not have sports due to COVID-19
• Reasons behind hand labor
• The amazing growth of asparagus
• The experiments you can do with crops when no one yet has all the answers

Katelyn farms with her grandparents, parents, brother, and husband on their centennial farm in Washtenaw County. They milk 400 cows and raise crops to feed them. Her main area of interest is taking care of the animals, including health management, making sure milking is going smoothly in the parlor, and raising calves. She’s heavily involved in promotion, 4-H, and Farm Bureau. When she’s not working, she loves to travel and read – currently Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie mysteries.

Listen as Katelyn talks about:

• How they invite everyone in their neighborhood over for a big open house
• Her first time hiking – which was climbing Mount Fuji in Japan
• Taking care of calves in the 95 degree heat
• Her grandpa’s influence on always trying to improve
• Being selected as the 2020 Young Farmer Ag Leader

Jesse Jensen is a beekeeper at Greene’s Honey Farm in Edmore. He’s been a beekeeper for nine years, and when he’s not working the bees, he’s taking care of his own hives at home. He, his wife Lauren, and their son Hoyt also love taking Ranger rides, watching Hoyt play in the sprinkler, and swimming and boating at Higgins Lake.

Listen as Jesse talks about:

• The full-time job of beekeeping, including feeding, treating, and taking care of the bees
• Hunting, snowmobiling, and the best day of the year
• The year timeline of shipping bees around the country
• How taking care of bees is like milking cows – they don’t wait for you to have time for them
• The biggest bee problem right now

Sarah Tomac started selling pumpkins on the side of the road as a child…and her farm now grows 250 different varieties of pumpkins, squash, and gourds. She and her family also raise sweet corn, Indian corn, and soybeans. She loves the history of International Harvester, she’s an author and co-author of many books, and she’s raising three children. What she keeps coming back to is that although farming is a lot of work, she’s having a lot of fun doing it.

She talks about:

• Hand pollinating pumpkins – the why and how
• Using rare seeds they get from a world traveler, including a variety called a cracked egg
• Her favorite description from a 5-year-old farm visitor about her fall decorations
• Her time living in Australia, and why she prefers Michigan
• How sibling rivalry gave her a great start in the business world

Tomacpumpkins.com

Sarahsgranary.com