When Triston Cole met his own representatives as part of his teenage 4-H Capitol Experience, he never pictured becoming an elected official. But after starting his own farm and becoming involved with policy, he changed his mind. When he's not working for his constituents, Triston enjoys hunting, cross country skiing, fishing, and raising adults - not kids.

Triston talks about:

• Their farmstand incident that led to policy-making
• Being surprised by not one, but two bears on his porch
• His past success as a cross country ski racer
• His tenuous first date with his wife
• How as parents they try to support their kids, no matter their interests

www.tristoncole.com

Jeno Rivera is part of Urbandale Farm in Lansing, as well as Director of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program at Michigan State University. She is a former high school ag teacher and professor in the MSU Residential College for Arts and Humanities. She roller skates, forages everywhere, and owns every tool on earth.

Listen as she talks about:

• Sewing, making her own soap, and her farming plans
• How Urbandale Farm started, and where it wants to go
• How she was probably not the best marketer for a vegetarian restaurant
• Food deserts, and how Lansing is making strides
• Her large family – she's cousin #102!

www.lufp.org

www.canr.msu.edu/people/jeno-rivera

Kevin Robson grew up and still works on his family's farm, called Robson's Greenhouse, which started in 1929. He also works for Michigan Farm Bureau Insurance as an Agribusiness Specialist, and he is the Executive Director of the Michigan Blueberry Commission. He loves spending time at his family cottage on Higgins Lake, embracing the positive aspects of the Millennial stereotype, and supporting both his college - and its rival team.

Listen as Kevin talks about:

• Why his grandma was so sad when she saw the cottage for the first time
• His favorite vegetables and meat meal his mom makes
• How he didn't believe the 'if you love your job you'll never work a day in your life' until he lived it
• How he takes full advantage of the Up North experience in all seasons
• What his real friends call him

www.robsonflowers.com

Taylor Truckey is the Farm Engagement Manager at AgVend. She at first thought she wanted to work in another area, but her hobby farm and 4-H background convinced her she wanted to work in agriculture. She is helping pay off her student loans by running her own photography business, and she's planning a big celebratory trip when she reaches her goal next year. She enjoys hiking with her dog, doing her side hustle, and communicating with her community of supporters – online and in real life.

Listen as Taylor talks about:

• Her aggressive use of Instagram and why she deleted Snapchat
• What she sacrifices to get what she wants
• Her love language and her Venmo info
• What kind of people make her want to work in agriculture
• How intimidating a German Shepherd puppy can be

www.truckandcophoto.com

Dede Beck of Uncle John's Cider Mill is running a business that has the goal of giving people of all ages to do something together. She works in accounting, merchandising, hiring, training – you name it, all for the 50,000 visitors that come each fall weekend. She, her husband Mike, and daughter Lauren enjoy skiing in the offseason, bicycling on the road or trails, and racing up sand dunes just for fun.

Dede talks about:

• What the phrase 'cider mill sheik' means
• The best advice she got for the M22 Challenge run, bike, and kayak race
• How funny it is to see a snowboarder on skis
• The very specific questions visitors ask about growing apples
• The basic joy of cider and donuts

www.ujcidermill.com

Elizabeth Taylor is the Ag Relations & Communications Manager at Michigan Sugar. She's in charge of a long list of events and programs, but her most recent exciting project is Cream & Sugar, a gourmet ice cream shop opening in Bay City. She likes being with her family on Lake James, running and lifting heavy weights, and working with farmers.

Elizabeth talks about:

• The Munger Potato Festival and the popularity of Figure-8s
• Bay City sugar beet factory tours - coming up soon
• Her most-favored, longest-used phone apps
• Ice cream flights, custom-made ice cream sandwiches, and favorite flavors
• Just how sweet her family really is, as evidenced by their jobs

www.michigansugar.com www.creamsugarbaycity.com

Adam Dietrich is an apple and cherry farmer in Conklin. After starting as a pre-med major at Michigan State University, it took six months until he decided he wanted to work on his family's farm. He switched over to horticulture, engaged in research, and has now been back on the farm for eight years. When he's not checking on apples or working with Farm Bureau, he kayaks, hikes, and travels internationally.

Adam talks about:

• The kind of fires he has to put out
• His bucket list countries – plus why he can't go back to New Zealand
• How his parents got 100% of their kids to live near them
• What he and his siblings make fun of each other about
• Why he loved his dungeon at college

AgroLiquid President Troy Bancroft discusses AgroExpo - going on Aug 13 & 14 in St Johns - what to expect at the show, his agricultural past, why he thinks farming education is valuable, and what he's personally looking forward to in 2019. theagroexpo.com agroliquid.com

Dru Montri runs Ten Hens Farm in Bath with her husband, Adam. She's also the Director of Government and Stakeholder Relations for Michigan State University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and College of Veterinary Medicine. She enjoys watching her two daughters compete in sports, getting her hands in the dirt, and making horticulture a part of her daily life.

Listen as Dru talks about:

- How a positive attitude about a lost purse helps change perspective

- How she builds relationships with customers

- The amount of energy students bring to campus, even in the crosswalks

- The importance of talking to her family over dinner

- Upcoming whale shark experiences, plus other big milestones

www.tenhensfarm.com

Brian Lesperance of Fenn Valley Vineyards left his career in technology to start a second one at a winery. His wife Gwen, whose family started the business in 1973, their two daughters, and Brian love riding around the farm and enjoying nearby Lake Michigan. Brian skis in the winter, cycles in the summer, and prepares meals – sometimes successfully, sometimes not – year round.

Brian talks about:

• What extreme farming means in the wine industry
• How much you have to train to cycle from Lansing to the Mackinac Bridge
• The class he and Gwen taught where they paired food and wine that DID not go together, just to prove it really makes a difference
• The most disastrous, inedible meal he ever made
• Music night, pizza night, and how his perfect day is pretty much a regular day

www.fennvalley.com