Most farmers and ranchers know the feeling—you walk into the bank with everything you’ve built and still get treated like a liability. In this episode, Jonathon Haralson shares the story behind EA Capital: a lending model built for the real world of agriculture.

He talks about what it’s like to create a financial system that respects the people who feed this country. From busted bank relationships to why Empire Ag only lends to clients we already serve, this episode breaks down the how, why, and what’s next for EA Capital.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why ag lending is broken—and how we’re fixing it
• Real-world examples of EA Capital in action
• The difference between cash poor and creditworthy
• What producers should know about Fund 1 and what’s ahead

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website

Resources & Links:

• EA Capital
• Book a Discovery Call
• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

Mentioned in this episode:

No fluff. No gimmicks. Just serious strategy for serious ag leaders. We dive into the Empire Ag Elite Mastermind Program—a high-level coaching community for farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness pros who are ready to scale. Click below for details.

Elite Mastermind

This time, it’s Brooke and Carman behind the mic. They’ve helped shape the look, voice, and digital footprint of Empire Ag—and today, they’re walking you through the why behind it all. This episode covers where they believe ag brands should be spending their time online, how to think about content when you’re doing it all yourself, and what makes a brand worth following in 2025. You’ll hear honest thoughts on TikTok shop, LinkedIn’s quiet power, and what happens when a two-person team decides to build something real—and consistent.

If you’ve ever felt behind on content or unsure what’s worth your time online, you’re not alone. And this one’s for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• Where to show up if you’re not selling DTC
• Why websites still matter (especially when the algorithm doesn’t)
• The Empire Ag origin story (yes, Brooke’s been here since the start)
• What it looks like to build community with your clients
• Social media mistakes we’ve learned from—and what we do instead
• Why showing up as yourself is always the best strategy

Want to connect?

Find us at Empire Ag on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. DM us your questions, your wins, and what you’re building. We see it all.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website 

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

Mentioned in this episode:

Farming is a business—and at Empire Financial Services, we treat it like one. Our team helps farmers and ranchers get clarity on their finances, streamline bookkeeping, and build long-term stability. Click below to learn more.

Empire Financial Services

Most folks don’t think about trucking when they picture agriculture, but it’s the backbone that keeps the whole system moving. In this episode, Jonathon talks with Jared Flinn, co-founder of BulkLoads.com, about how his platform has reshaped bulk freight and why small trucking outfits are essential to agriculture’s future.

Jared shares how growing up on a Missouri farm and working in grain logistics led him to launch BulkLoads in a basement, and how it’s evolved into a suite of companies—from factoring to compliance to insurance. He also breaks down the hidden challenges of bulk freight, the razor-thin margins owner-operators face, and why he believes the trucking industry is ripe for innovation.

In this episode, we cover:

• The early days of BulkLoads.com and how Jared spotted a gap in the market
• Why technology and storytelling are critical to building trust in trucking
• The cost-cutting strategies that help small fleets stay profitable
• How better data and transparency can improve life for drivers and shippers alike
• What Jared sees as the next frontier in ag transportation

Share this episode with someone who hauls the weight of their business down America’s roads. Hit follow so you never miss a story from Your Ag Empire.

Connect with Jared:

• Follow on LinkedIn
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Check out his website

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website

Resources & Links:

• Smart Freight Funding
• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

Mentioned in this episode:

Farming is a business—and at Empire Financial Services, we treat it like one. Our team helps farmers and ranchers get clarity on their finances, streamline bookkeeping, and build long-term stability. Click below to learn more.

Empire Financial Services

Today on Your Ag Empire, Jonathon sits down with Sharon Beach—a Texas rancher who built her reputation one handshake at a time. Sharon spent 25 years at Merck, then pivoted into private equity where she helped raise $165 million. Now she’s leading EA Capital, connecting investors to agriculture-backed lending without the corporate fluff.

If you’ve ever wondered how to bet on yourself (and back it up), or you’re curious what it looks like to blend ranch values with Wall Street returns, you’ll want to hear this one.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why trust beats fancy credentials every time
• What Sharon learned moving from the pasture to the private markets
• The difference between looking rich and being wealthy
• How agriculture shaped her approach to deals—and life
• Why she believes direct lending is about to change ag finance for good

If Sharon’s story got you thinking about your next move, send this episode to someone else building their own operation. And tap follow so you catch the next conversation.

Connect with Sharon:

• Learn more about EA Capital
• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Empire Ag
• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

You don’t have to be a fifth-generation farmer to make it in ag. You just have to want it bad enough.

On this episode of Your Ag Empire, we’re sitting down with Gavin Spoor—a first-generation farmer from northeast Missouri who went from renting six acres as a college kid to running a 2,000-acre row crop and specialty popcorn operation.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the business side of farming hits like a firehose
• What he’d actually spend money on if you're just starting out
• Rebuilding old equipment instead of chasing shiny paint
• Building a customer base one social post at a time
• Why not growing up in it might be the advantage

Gavin shares what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how he’s using popcorn and a little storytelling to carve out something of his own. He’s not trying to impress anybody—just trying to build something that lasts.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Connect with Gavin:

• Spoor Farms Popcorn
• TikTok: @ThePopcornFarmer
• Instagram: @gavin_spoor
• Series on AcresTV: Dirt Poor

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

Mentioned in this episode:

Farming is a business—and at Empire Financial Services, we treat it like one. Our team helps farmers and ranchers get clarity on their finances, streamline bookkeeping, and build long-term stability. Click below to learn more.

Empire Financial Services

What happens when you walk away from comfort in pursuit of calling? On this episode of Your Ag Empire, rural entrepreneur Alex Lowery joins Jonathon to talk about her journey from corporate agriculture to building multiple purpose-driven brands in small-town America.

Alex shares the origin stories behind Lowery & Co., Rural Changemakers, Middle of the Field Media, and Sweet Bliss Candy Company—explaining how each venture was born from a mix of grit, passion, and faith. She also opens up about what healthy ambition really looks like, how to navigate the mental load of motherhood and entrepreneurship, and why action brings clarity (even when you're afraid to start).

This conversation is for anyone sitting in that tension between what is and what could be. If you've been feeling the nudge to pivot, this is your sign.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Connect with Alex:

• Instagram: @alexjlowery
• Facebook: Alex Lowery
• LinkedIn: Alex Lowery
• TikTok: @alexjlowery

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website

Resources & Links:

• alexjlowery.com
• RuralChangemakers.com
• MiddleOfTheFieldMedia.com
• SweetBlissCandyCompany.com
• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

Mentioned in this episode:

Farming is a business—and at Empire Financial Services, we treat it like one. Our team helps farmers and ranchers get clarity on their finances, streamline bookkeeping, and build long-term stability. Click below to learn more.

Empire Financial Services

In this episode of Your Ag Empire, we’re sitting down with Haley Davenport—the heart and hands behind Steel Marie Collective. A single mom of two, vintage western entrepreneur, and unapologetic advocate for starting over, Haley brings a refreshingly honest take on rebuilding life after it falls apart.

She talks about what it means to pursue purpose over perfection, the power of creating a home-based business that fits your values, and how pain can lead to clarity. This isn’t about hustle culture or polished Pinterest boards—it’s about honoring your story, working with your hands, and finding peace in the process.

In this episode, we cover:

• Haley’s journey from unraveling to rebuilding
• Creating a business that blends motherhood, faith, and fashion
• The shame that often comes with starting over—and how to let it go
• Why women in their 30s need more real voices and fewer highlight reels
• What it means to be powerful and gentle

Haley reminds us you don’t have to do it all to have it all—you just have to do what matters.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Connect with Haley & Steel Marie Collective:

• Follow on Instagram @steelmariecollective
• Follow on TikTok
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out her website

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website 

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

Mentioned in this episode:

Farming is a business—and at Empire Financial Services, we treat it like one. Our team helps farmers and ranchers get clarity on their finances, streamline bookkeeping, and build long-term stability. Click below to learn more.

Empire Financial Services

Lesley Kelly shares her journey through mental health challenges, founding Do More Ag, and building a personal brand that bridges rural life and advocacy.

On this episode of Your Ag Empire, we welcome Lesley Kelly—a farmer, entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and the voice behind High Heels & Canola Fields. Lesley shares her deeply personal story of overcoming anxiety and postpartum depression, how it led to co-founding the Do More Ag Foundation, and why she believes talking openly about mental health is critical in farming communities.

Lesley also discusses her transition into leadership after the loss of her father, the challenges of balancing motherhood, business, and grief, and how she’s shaping the future of agriculture for her children. Plus, we dive into how she built partnerships with major brands like Ford and McDonald’s and why mentorship is now a key part of her mission.

In this episode, we cover:

• The mental health crisis in agriculture and why it’s different for rural communities.
• How Lesley and her husband navigated debilitating anxiety and postpartum depression.
• Founding the Do More Ag Foundation to provide real mental health resources for farmers.
• Building the High Heels & Canola Fields brand and turning advocacy into action.
• The power of mentorship and helping the next generation of ag influencers.
• How grief shaped her leadership role on the family farm.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Connect with Lesley:

• Follow on Instagram @highheelsandcanolafields
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on X
• Check out her website

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website

Resources & Links:

• Website: Do More Ag Foundation
• 24/7 Peer Support: AgTalk through Do More Ag
• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

In this episode of Your Ag Empire, we're flipping the mic and putting Holly Haralson in the guest chair. Holly is the COO of Empire Ag and the driving force behind Empire Financial Services. Her journey from pharmacist to farm finance expert is anything but ordinary.

We unpack the pivotal moment that shifted her career, how a traumatic experience led her to refocus her life, and the surprising similarities between reading prescriptions and reading profit-and-loss reports. Holly shares the origin story of Farm Assist, its evolution into Empire Financial Services, and what producers are still getting wrong when it comes to managing their books.

In this episode, we cover:

• How trauma led to clarity and a new purpose
• What pharmacists and bookkeepers actually have in common
• The early days of Empire Ag and the hole Holly saw in ag financial services
• What financial strategy looks like when it’s actually working
• How Figured helped build better break-evens for real decision-making
• Why there's power in knowing your numbers year-round, not just at tax time
• The challenge and reward of building a remote financial services team rooted in rural values

Whether you're a farmer trying to get bank-ready or a professional wondering if it's too late to pivot careers, Holly's story proves there's a way forward—and it starts with clean books and a clear head.

Learn more at youragempire.com/financialservices or connect with Holly on Instagram @holly_haralson_.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

Mentioned in this episode:

Farming is a business—and at Empire Financial Services, we treat it like one. Our team helps farmers and ranchers get clarity on their finances, streamline bookkeeping, and build long-term stability. Click below to learn more.

Empire Financial Services

This week on Your Ag Empire, we sit down with Jordan Morris: a first-generation Iowa cattleman, LRP/LGM agent, and dad to five boys. Jordan owns and operates Midwest Feeders LLC and helps producers navigate market risk through StockGuard. He's also the newest member of the Empire Ag team.

In this episode, we unpack Jordan's journey from toy tractors in town to running a multi-site cattle feeding operation. He shares the hard lessons learned from building a business without a head start, how he leverages USDA-backed tools like LRP and LGM to protect his customers, and what it means to be both dad and operator in an industry that doesn’t slow down.

What we cover:

• The challenges and advantages of being a first-gen farmer
• How Jordan scaled Midwest Feeders despite early setbacks
• What makes his custom feeding operation different
• How LRP and LGM can help producers manage market volatility
• Why joining Empire Ag changed the game for his business
• Fatherhood, faith, and keeping perspective through tough seasons

Whether you're feeding cattle, looking for new tools to manage risk, or figuring out how to juggle business and family, Jordan's story will resonate. It's real, honest, and proof that where you start doesn't define where you can go.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Connect with Jordan:

• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Your Ag Empire:

• Follow on Instagram @youragempire
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Follow on TikTok
• Check out our website

Resources & Links:

• LRP & LGM Quotes: youragempire.com/stockguard
• Learn more about the Elite Mastermind and how to become a member
• Protect your livestock investment with Empire Ag’s risk management solutions
• Join The Dirt email subscription 
• Book Jonathon as your next speaker

Mentioned in this episode:

Farming is a business—and at Empire Financial Services, we treat it like one. Our team helps farmers and ranchers get clarity on their finances, streamline bookkeeping, and build long-term stability. Click below to learn more.

Empire Financial Services