Stand for Ag | Join the Conversation with Missouri Farmers Care

Join Ashley and Gary Wheeler on Stand for Ag.

Missouri's soybean farmers selected an innovative and committed servant leader to helm the Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and Foundation for Soy Innovation. Gary Wheeler is a deeply engaged advocate for soybean farmers. His focus on partnerships and the power of forward-thinking has led Missouri's soybean organizations through significant operational and strategic challenges with a track record of success.

Wheeler holds a Master of Business Administration from William Woods University and a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business from Murray State University. He previously served the Missouri agricultural industry in roles with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Corn Merchandising Council. Wheeler also served in the Missouri Army National Guard for over a decade.

Beyond his professional role, Wheeler enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, hunting and reading.

Lorin Fahrmeier from Lexington, MO is a farmHER that works side by side with her husband and two children, on their farm, where they grow close to 20 acres of fresh fruits and vegetables. With a focus on selling their diverse crops direct to customers, they sell their fresh produce and wine at the City Market in Kansas City on Saturdays during warmer months. On an annual basis their family welcomes thousands of visitors to their farm and roadside market for u-pick berry and pumpkin picking, educational experiences and wine tastings. Lorin works diligently to help educate their customers about how their food is grown and more importantly, how to prepare it for their families.

Lorin lives and breathes her passion for food and farming as she works for University of Missouri-Extension as the Missouri Farm to Institution Project Coordinator, a position that allows her to influence Missouri citizens in a new way by connecting Missouri farmers to schools and other institutions to help provide fresh, local foods for students and other customers.

Strubberg grew up in Union, Missouri, with the intention of becoming a physician. Driven by his love for science, animals and the outdoors, he soon discovered his passion lay in a different field. In 1989, Strubberg received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri with a focus area in beef reproduction. Following graduation, he assumed ownership of Hermann Veterinary Clinic, a mixed animal practice in Hermann, Missouri, for nearly 30 years.

The Missouri State Veterinarian directs the Department of Agriculture's Animal Health Division, which is responsible for controlling, testing and eradicating livestock diseases in Missouri. This is accomplished through testing, vaccinations and regulatory programs that involve cattle, swine, horses, poultry, exotic animals, sheep, goats and small animals. The duty of the State Veterinarian is to develop and implement animal health programs that improve and protect the health of Missouri's livestock.

To learn more about the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its programs, visit Agriculture.Mo.Gov.

There are truly so many opportunities for soybean producers in Missouri. Join Ashley and Kyle, as they delve into some neat features of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and where the industry is headed! Kyle Durham and his family farm soybeans and corn in the Missouri River bottoms near Norborne, Mo on the operation that his grandfather started. In 2004, Durham graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. with a degree in general agriculture with an emphasis in Science and Agricultural Journalism, Plant Science and Agriculture Economics. After graduation, he returned to Norborne, Mo and began farming full time. Durham currently serves as Treasurer on the Carroll County Farm Bureau Board and has recently been a part of the Missouri Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Board. He and his wife, Courtney, stay busy with their two sons, Simeon, 13 and Elijah, 10.

Formerly, Esser was the senior legislative assistant for Missouri Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler where she handled the agriculture committee portfolio in addition to trade, energy, environment, education, foreign aid, transportation and infrastructure policy portfolios since 2018.

Other experience in the industry includes a stint with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Grains Council in their Global Strategies department, and extensive involvement with the National FFA Organization and Agriculture Future of America (AFA) organizations.

Esser graduated with a degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Missouri where she was able to work with agriculturalists across her home state.

Jason Jensen has worked for the Missouri Department of Conservation for nearly 30 years. He currently serves as the Community and Private Land Conservation Field Chief and serves as the incident commander feral hog elimination and program supervisor for community conservation.

Travis Guerrant is the State Director for the Missouri/Iowa USDA APHIS Wildlife Services program and serves as an Incident Commander for the Missouri Feral Hog Partnership. He is a Certified Wildlife Biologist through The Wildlife Society, and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor's degree in Fisheries and Wildlife in 2001.

Amy Salveter has been working as a natural resource management/fish & wildlife conservation professional for over 25 years. She is a native of the Missouri Ozarks who was fortunate to grow up on a small farm in southwest Missouri.

Resources:

https://mdc.mo.gov/feral-hog-sighting-damage-report

Reporting Number: (573)522-4115 ext 3296

Did you know that Missouri has the fourth largest horse population in the United States?

In this episode, Missouri Horse Council Board Members, Brenda Wasser and Joe Eddy, talk about the diversity within Missouri's equine industry and the budding opportunities for horse enthusiasts within our state.

Learn more about the Missouri Horse Council and become a member at https://www.missourihorsecouncil.com/.

POET Bioprocessing, located near Laddonia, MO began operations in September of 2006. The state-of-the-art bioethanol production facility consumes approximately 28 million bushels of locally-grown corn to produce 80 million gallons of bioethanol annually. POET Bioprocessing - Laddonia provides a high performance, environmentally-friendly fuel as well as premium, high-quality Dakota Gold brand livestock feed for regional, national and international markets. The plant also produces corn oil, liquefied, renewable CO2 for food and beverage use, and partners with a local utility to generate 15MW of electricity using Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology that supplies the local grid.