There is something very special about being able to interview all of the American Star Award Finalists every year. It is definitely a time of year that is inspirational to me and that gives me the motivation to continue my quest into entrepreneurship. And the only thing that can make that even more special is when one of those finalists has been a guest on the show before.

After 7 years of interviewing FFA students, and increasing the number of FFA students that I interview from 52 to 104 per year, that has been happening more frequently, and that is happening today!

Raegan Klaassen is an American Star Farmer Finalist, and she first appeared on the Off-Farm Income Podcast in February of 2017 on episode #251 when she was just a freshman. I don't think I had enough experience to predict that she would have this level of success way back then, but looking back on what I wrote in the show notes for her episode I should have seen it coming.

As it turned out, our good snow pack from last winter was largely diminished by the dry spring that we had. The ground in the mountains was so dry from lack of rainfall in the spring that when the snow started to run off they absorbed a large percentage of the water that would normally end up in our reservoirs. Therefore, my irrigation water shuts off tomorrow, about 30 days earlier than normal. I am done with irrigation early this year, but it is not a happy surprise. I will have less pasture than normal, which means I will be feeding livestock sooner than normal. With hay at a premium, that causes its own problems.

My problems pale in comparison to those of the production agriculture farmers in our area whose yields are going to be reduced because their crops are going to stop or significantly slow down on growth when the last of their soil moisture disappears. Out here in the West we are going to need a very wet winter followed by a wet spring to get us back to or towards normal and to help us avoid a crisis. We hope you will keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

I try to interview every American Star Finalist, every year at this time. To me, getting to spend 20-30 minutes asking these FFA members about their journeys is what it would be like for other people to get to interview a star athlete for that amount of time. These students have risen to the top of an organization with a lot of talent. When these students are finally named as an American Star Finalist they have overcome the odds and been selected as one of four students in their category out of a total population of students of over 700,000. That puts them in the top .0005% of all FFA students. Those are more difficult odds than making it to the major leagues, NBA, or the NFL!

Today's episode is another example of the talent level that the FFA holds. Our guest, Wyatt Harlan, knew at an early age that other extracurricular activities like sports or drama were not going to be for him. So, he chose the FFA based on his agricultural roots and lifestyle, and he poured himself into it. Six years after joining he had found himself as a Texas State FFA Vice-President, a business owner, and now an American Star Finalist in Agribusiness

It's been 20 years since Autumm and I received a telephone call first thing in the morning telling us that the Twin Towers in New York City were on fire. Different then our normal morning routine, we headed out to the living room and turned the television on to witness the towers falling just a short time later. We were forever changed just as everyone else was on that day.

In today's episode I'd like to spend some time remember that day and discussing it from an agricultural perspective.

Here are links to three stories that I covered in the episode today:

Ohio Man Creates 9/11 Tribute Mural On Farmland

Farmers See 9/11 Impacts Each Day

John Ogonowski

Today is my second time featuring Ally Spears on the Off-Farm Income Podcast. She first appeared on the show in December of 2020 on episode #945. She and her mother co-own a business called Junk & Disorderly, and it supports the farm and farming lifestyle in the Bay Area of California. Ally does not live in California however. She lives in Texas and works for Texas A&M as a program director. She definitely has the entrepreneurial spirit, which is easily recognized by all of the different ventures she finds herself in.

On today's show Ally and I will be talking about her journey in agriculture and entrepreneurship. We will also be discussing some of the issues faced and progress made by women in farming and ranching. These are the kinds of topics that Ally discusses on her podcast, Ag Chicks, and we are lucky to have her first hand with us on the show today!

On tomorrow's episode I am having Ally Spears back on the show to talk about some of her other entrepreneurial endeavors in agriculture. It was a fun interview, talking about ag and life in general. I thought recapping the episode she did with her mother, Robyn, from the National Finals Rodeo in 2020 would be a great choice for this week's re-cap episode to get us ready for Friday's agribusiness show with Ally.

On today's show, we are featuring an American Star Finalist in agricultural placement. These are always great interviews because the students that make it to this level are so dedicated to whomever they are working for, family or otherwise, their talents and work ethic shine through. That is definitely true with Jakob Weinheimer.

Jakob has grown up in Claude, Texas working on his family's farm. In their portion of Texas, they are growing cotton, corn, wheat, and milo. Some of this is done on the irrigated ground and some on dry ground. Each poses its own challenges.

Jakob is a pivotal part of this operation, and he has progressively been given more and more responsibility every growing season as he has got older. Being recognized as an American Star Finalist is not the first recognition that Jakob has received. In 2019 he was a national proficiency winner in grain production, so he has been to the big stage once already. Interestingly he did this with a different chapter at Claude High School. However, since graduation from high, he switched chapters to continue pursuing achievements in the FFA. Jakob's sister is in the FFA through the Pan Handle Chapter, so he switched over to that chapter to make keeping up his record book seamless.

Autumm, Hattie and I spent Labor Day Weekend in San Francisco. In today's episode I'll tell you why you should plan a visit if you've always wanted to go there but the news about the homeless problem has scared you away. Also, my cousin and his family are carrying on a great farming tradition in California, and I'm excited about it!

Every year I am so fortunate to interview the sixteen students who are finalists for American Star Awards. This year we are kicking it off with Grady Johnson. Grady previously appeared on the Off-Farm Income Podcast in episode #482 back in 2018. It is always a significant thrill for me when a student who I have previously profiled comes back onto the show because they are accomplishing so much, like Grady is.

Tip Of The Week

Consider tech like Smart Water CSI to protect your valuable equipment:

https://smartwatercsi.com

Rural Crime In The U.S.

https://www.nbc11news.com/2021/08/28/agriculture-theft-vandalism-grand-junction/

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/the-old-west-crime-of-livestock-rustling-appears-to-be-increasing-in-utah

Across The Pond, Down Under And Up Above

https://www.westerninvestor.com/british-columbia/hay-rustlers-reveal-depth-of-drought-desperation-4271864

https://www.punchline-gloucester.com/articles/aanews/advice-for-rural-communities-following-gps-system-thefts-across-england

https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/crime/vandals-smash-up-farmers-tractors-and-leave-death-threats

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/norfolk-police-team-up-to-target-hare-coursers-8262754