SharkFarmer Podcast

Join us as we explore the life and work of Bryce Chambers, Director of Industry Relations for Dairy West, in Smithfield, Utah. Discover insights into dairy farming, industry challenges, innovative safety solutions like AEDs, and the future of agriculture.

Action items

• Get involved in your local agricultural organizations
• Ask questions about how your checkoff dollars are spent
• Consider investing in farm safety equipment like AEDs

Join us as we explore Arkansas's outdoor skills programs, shooting sports, and the vital role of extension services in youth development. Jesse Boxneck shares insights on outdoor education, firearm safety, and the importance of hands-on learning for the next generation.

key topics

• Outdoor skills programs in Arkansas
• Role of extension services in youth development
• Shooting sports and firearm safety education
• Innovative outdoor competitions and activities
• Impact of 4-H on youth outdoor education

In this compelling interview, Dennis Hutzel shares his extraordinary story of a life-changing accident, miraculous recovery, and the role of faith in overcoming adversity. Discover insights into resilience, faith, and the incredible advances in medical technology that saved his life.

key topics

• Miraculous recovery from severe facial injuries
• The role of faith and spirituality in healing
• Advances in medical technology for face reconstruction

Alec White, a young first-generation farmer from Indiana, shares his inspiring story of a life-changing accident with a sweep auger, his recovery, faith, and lessons learned. This episode offers valuable safety insights and personal resilience strategies for farmers and agricultural workers.

Key Topics

• Farm safety and accident prevention
• Recovery and use of prosthetics in agriculture
• The role of faith and mental health in recovery

Erica Matthews is a dedicated advocate, educator, and entrepreneur based in Pana, Illinois—a small town in Christian County.

She's best known as the founder, owner, and lead instructor of the Autism and Movement Project (AAMP), also referred to as Autism Movement Therapy (AMT). This program uses movement-based therapy to support children and individuals with autism, focusing on brain-body connections, building communication skills, independence, and hope through structured physical activities and sequences.

Her work was inspired by personal experience: she began the project around her connection to a child named Connor (diagnosed with autism at age 2½), whose progress—including developing short sentences and greater independence—became a powerful testament to the approach. She's been providing this specialized therapy in Pana since at least the early 2010s, with media coverage highlighting "magic in movement" and breakthrough moments, like early verbal interactions with students.

More recently, she expanded her impact by opening Brewin' Hope Coffeehouse in Pana, which creates meaningful employment opportunities for teens and young adults (including those with autism), emphasizing their strengths, purpose, and potential in a community setting.

Erica has been featured in local and regional media, including PBS's A Shot of Ag (in a 2026 episode), newspaper stories from outlets like the State Journal-Register, and nonprofit profiles, where she's portrayed as passionate, compassionate, and transformative in her small-town community. She's a Pana native (or long-time resident), holds a sociology background from Millikin University, and is certified in Autism Movement Therapy. Her efforts show a deep commitment to neurodiversity, inclusion, and creating accessible resources where they might otherwise be limited.

Do you know who discovered Pluto?

We get a history lesson from life long farmer Larry Tombaugh on this weeks episode

Live podcasts from the 2026 Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Conference in Des Moines Iowa

We are live at Prudue talking with Troy Fiechter of BioTownAg

Can eating local honey help with allergies?

Listen to Phillip Raines who became a first generation farmer by raising bees