By Katharine Lotspeich & Valene Cauhorn
5
3434 ratings
The podcast currently has 186 episodes available.
In today’s episode, we are discussing corporate cowgirls and the importance of community for dairy women. We know that finding a supportive community to network and have important discussions with can be challenging within the dairy business as many dairy women live in rural areas. That’s why our guest, Bec Pfeffer and the Dairy Girl Network, are working to fill the evolving needs of women in the industry. Bec is sharing her experience and insight on the importance of networking for community and career advancement, how Dairy Girl Network is working to improve inclusiveness for women and young families in the industry, what you can expect to see from DGN at the World Dairy Expo, and the importance of embracing early career experiences for new corporate cowgirls.
Bec Pfeffer has always revolved her life around the ag industry. Helping on family farms, 4-H, FFA, Holstein Association… you name it. Her enthusiasm grew as she studied at the Pennsylvania State University, where she graduated with a degree in agribusiness management and a minor in international agriculture. While there, she participated in the Dairy Science Club, Alpha Zeta co-ed fraternity, THON Dance Marathon and the dairy Judging team. Through connections made at school and internships she has found opportunities to work at Cargill as a U.S. Dairy Marketing Specialist, Bader Rutter as a Senior Account Executive and then Account Supervisor for the Zoetis dairy and cattle accounts, Zinpro as their Global Content Marketing Manager, and most recently at Maola Local Dairies, owned by MDVA, as a Brand Manager.
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This week it is just us, Valene and Katharine, sharing our thoughts as we reflect back on our conversation with Barons author, Austin Frerick. The two of us still have questions after our interview with Austin and we are diving into those questions today. If you have not listened to episode 174 and episode 175, we highly encourage you to do so before tuning into this episode.
We are committed to having tough conversations and addressing hard topics and realized we had a lot to think about after our interview with Austin. In this episode, we are discussing problems and possible solutions for the current system, the role of Check Offs in agriculture, the importance of having a safe space for hard conversations within the ag industry, food security and sustainability, and how farmers must adapt to market demands.
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We are back with part two of our two-part episode with Austin Frerick. Today, we are continuing our candid conversation on systemic issues within the agriculture industry and how these issues impact small farmers and consumers. Together, we are discussing the monopoly of markets, the illusion of choices for consumers, the impact of agricultural policies, social media’s role in the food narrative, and the importance of community and sustainability in agriculture.
Austin Frerick is an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy. He worked at the Open Markets Institute, the U.S. Department of Treasury, and the Congressional Research Service before becoming a Fellow at Yale University. He is a 7th generation Iowan and 1st generation college graduate, with degrees from Grinnell College and the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
If you haven’t listened to part one, be sure to go listen to the eye-opening insights Austin shared in episode 174.
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Today is part one of a two-part episode; we are discussing systemic issues in the agriculture industry and how robber barons are impacting the ag industry as a whole. We are joined by a very special guest, Austin Frerick, who tackles some important and little-discussed issues within the food and agriculture industry. Austin is an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy and recently published his debut book, Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry. Together, we have a candid conversation and take a clear-eyed look into the lack of transparency in USDA checkoff programs, the struggle of smaller farms, the disparity in food prices, and the USDA's alignment with corporate interests over supporting small farms.
Join us next week as we continue this conversation with part 2.
Austin Frerick is an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy. He worked at the Open Markets Institute, the U.S. Department of Treasury, and the Congressional Research Service before becoming a Fellow at Yale University. He is a 7th generation Iowan and 1st generation college graduate, with degrees from Grinnell College and the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
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Check out The Milkweed dairy publication, mentioned at the beginning of the episode
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Today, we are covering the challenges of finding balance within the agriculture lifestyle. We often hear about work-life balance and self-care, but prioritizing these things within a farming family can be difficult. That’s where our guest, Megan Blaser, comes in! Megan is a certified Health, Life, and Transformational Coach and she is joining us today to share some insight on the importance of evaluating what truly matters to you and how to actually make these things a priority in your day-to-day life. We also dive into the importance of having difficult conversations and dreaming about the future, how anchors can help you achieve your goals, and how to find opportunities for joy so you can feel more fulfilled.
Megan Blaser is a devoted farmer's wife, a mom of two energetic boys, and a Student Success Coach at a community college. Alongside these roles, she’s the founder of Blaser Life Enhancement. With a rich background as a 4-H Extension Agent, a Masters in Adult Education and Training, and multiple certifications in health and life coaching, Megan brings a unique blend of expertise to the table. She's channeling her experience back into agriculture, addressing the vital need for coaching services to help farmers, their families, and spouses manage the demands of a challenging lifestyle.
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This week, we host a guest very near and dear to our hearts. Katharine's dad John joins the podcast for what else? Politics. Katharine and John have ongoing conversations about politics, their observations, disagreements, and how their experiences are coloring what they're thinking. Despite the fact that John wishes Katharine would have a "more honorable hobby, like truck driving" (his words), it's a shared topic of interest, and often, of mutual disgust. John gives us his thoughts on what some of the policies floated by the presidential candidates could mean for agriculture (think 100% tariffs and price controls on groceries) as well as sharing his experiences over the years and how they are coloring his current thinking on how he's going to vote. We talk a lot about ag labor, how foreign powers might retaliate or respond to huge increases on tariffs, and what we can do as individuals in our own communities to try and get the best outcomes for our shared interest in the agricultural industry.
Tune in for a well-informed and well-rounded guest who isn't afraid to laugh a little and consider situations and scenarios from perspectives that differ from his own, no matter if they're a little uncomfortable.
And Dad - we really are sorry about your grill brush.
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Love, Katharine and Val
We welcome Stuart MacLennan to the podcast this week. Stuart is CEO of Peacock Technology, and one of the most passionate and forward-thinking advocates for the adoption of advanced technology to drive agriculture headlong into sustainable, long-term success. Stuart touches on all the current pain points in agriculture - scarcity and rising costs of labor, soaring input costs, the pressure from outside forces and more. Stuart believes that precision technology should return a 3:1 payback for any farm, no matter its size. He also champions the dignity of labor, making sure that employees are engaged in their work, and driving home the point that technology provides opportunities for those people to develop their skill set and reach levels of satisfaction that further guarantees an operation's success. The idea of sustainability isn't something that Stuart simply gives lip-service to. He's thought long and hard (and continues to) about how to merge technology and the human element to coalesce the need for profitability, economic success, and environmental stewardship into a sturdy foundation. You won't want to miss this episode, that provides plenty of food for thought long after the conversation ends.
As always, like, subscribe, share and review!
www.millennialag.com
[email protected]
Instagram: @millennialag
Facebook: Millennial Ag
Twitter: @millennialag
Don't forget to review us! It really does help our ratings, and we really appreciate your feedback.
Love, Katharine and Val
This week is a shorter episode, with just the two of us sharing some thoughts. Unless you've been living under a rock on Pluto, chances are you've seen at least some of the Olympics these last couple weeks. We've been impressed by the athletic accomplishments of the women competitors, but more than that, we've been completely blown away by the trails they're blazing in mental health, competing as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, ensuring spaces for privacy with their little ones, and most of all, supporting each other despite cultural differences and competition outcomes. What women are doing in Paris for and with other women is nothing short of astounding. Cultural, racial, competitive differences are shoved to the side, not to be considered, in favor of women cheering each other on, smiling, hugging, clapping each other on the back as each wins and loses with grace. We compare this revolution of support and boundless positivity to our day to day lives in the agriculture industry. We talk about what we hope agriculture will adopt in behavior and attitudes as the Olympic torch flickers out and we resume business as usual. Focusing on the good and forging new paths for women and humanity as a whole is our hope for ourselves, and this industry we love.
As always, like, subscribe, share and review!
www.millennialag.com
[email protected]
Instagram: @millennialag
Facebook: Millennial Ag
Twitter: @millennialag
Don't forget to review us! It really does help our ratings, and we really appreciate your feedback.
Love, Katharine and Val
We're delighted to welcome back Val's brother Cole, who joins us this week to discuss ag markets as they currently stand. It's been awhile since we've done a market update, and a lot has changed since then. Cole gives us a great overview of where the beef and dairy markets are at, as well as corn and soybeans. These tend to be the big players and the ones with the most movement most often. We also discuss how former President Trump's proposed extreme tariff policies could potentially harm American agriculture, and get a few minutes discussing what world markets are doing too. This is a really good and informative episode, right on time to get a view of how things are, and how the upcoming US presidential election could get things a little riled up. Tune in!
As always, like, subscribe, share and review!
www.millennialag.com
[email protected]
Instagram: @millennialag
Facebook: Millennial Ag
Twitter: @millennialag
Don't forget to review us! It really does help our ratings, and we really appreciate your feedback.
Love, Katharine and Val
This week, we're delighted to welcome Idaho's Lieutenant Governor, Scott Bedke. A farmer and rancher in the southwest corner of Idaho, and with his water source encompassing the three corners of Idaho, Utah, and Nevada, Lt. Governor Bedke is the water nerd we've been waiting for. We've briefly covered water issues in the western US before, but with those issues hitting closer and closer to home for us, we wanted a little closer look. Idaho has been making water news lately as senior and junior water rights have come into contention with previously-set guidelines. The lieutenant governor gives us a broad overview of the issue, and then dives into the solutions and options in place to try and get to an ending that ultimately benefits everyone. While the water issue itself is fascinating, what we really loved about this episode is Bedke's determination to find an amicable, workable, long-lasting solution for all stakeholders involved. It's not often you hear someone with such a clear-eyed view of both sides, and takes into account everyone's perspectives. It's even less often that you hear someone so positive and determined about a good outcome. This conversation is an excellent addition to our lineup, following on the heels of our Episode 150, Whiskey's for Drinkin' Water's for Fightin' from spring 2023. Tune in!
As always, like, subscribe, share and review!
www.millennialag.com
[email protected]
Instagram: @millennialag
Facebook: Millennial Ag
Twitter: @millennialag
Don't forget to review us! It really does help our ratings, and we really appreciate your feedback.
Love, Katharine and Val
The podcast currently has 186 episodes available.
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