On this episode of Your Ag Empire, we’re joined by Lettie Nickell—a fourth-generation Kansas rancher who's turning tradition on its head. From managing feedyards to transforming an old grain bin into a hit Airbnb, Letty is proof that the future of agriculture belongs to those willing to think outside the box.

Lettie shares how she returned to the family operation with one rule: bring value or don’t come back. She walks us through how she built revenue streams like direct-to-consumer beef sales, short-term rentals, a wedding venue, and even a community feed store. Lettie doesn’t shy away from the challenges—family dynamics, shifting mindsets, and figuring out how to make it all work.

Whether you’re looking to bring your own kids back to the farm, add off-farm income, or just feel inspired by what’s possible in ag, this conversation is packed with grit, creativity, and real talk.

If this episode sparked new ideas or made you curious about sleeping in a grain bin—share it with a friend. And hit follow so you don’t miss the next conversation inside Your Ag Empire.

Connect with Lettie:

• Lettie on Instagram
• Lettie on TikTok
• Book the Airbnb
• Learn about the wedding venue

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

After years of veterinary school and only four years in the field, Kari Jo Kelso walked away from her full-time vet career to chase something unexpected—t-shirts. Now the founder of Kelso & Co., Kari Jo has built a thriving apparel business and renovated a historic downtown space to support other rural entrepreneurs. In this episode of Your Ag Empire, we talk about grief, creativity, small-town pride, and what happens when you decide not to wait for retirement to live your life.

Kari Jo Kelso was living the life she thought she wanted—Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, steady job, clear path. But after losing her mom at 52, everything changed.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Kelso & Co. started as a side hustle to cover plane tickets
• Pivoting from a traditional career into full-time entrepreneurship
• Why small towns need more creative spaces
• What grief teaches us about how (and when) to live
• The accidental launch of a corn-themed swimsuit line
• How Kari Jo gives back through purpose-driven designs and event spaces
• Diversifying income in rural America
• Balancing multiple roles: vet, designer, auction helper, small-town dreamer

If you’ve ever felt called to something different, this one’s for you.

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

Connect with Kari:

• Shop Kelso & Co.: shopkelsoandco.com
• Book The Small Towner event space: smalltownermacomb.com

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

In part two, Jonathon and Brandon dig even deeper—breaking down the economic impact of misaligned agronomic advice and the mental toll of farming when the numbers don’t add up.

Brandon shares real-world wins, including how he helped one grower save over $400,000 without sacrificing yield.

In this episode:

• The trap of $35/acre decisions that add no value
• Why soil fertility problems are rarely solved with a jug
• The hard truth about regenerative ag (and who’s actually doing it)
• How ProGro is redefining success—one field at a time
• A wake-up call on the emotional and mental health side of farming

This episode is a gut-check for any grower who’s ever felt the weight of the spreadsheet—and wondered if there’s a better way.

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

Connect with Brandon

• Visit Pro Gro Agronomy’s Website 
• Visit ProGro Consulting’s Website
• Email him at [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:

• 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 part one of this two-part conversation, Jonathon sits down with Brandon Vining, founder of ProGrow Consulting, to talk about what’s broken in traditional ag retail—and why independent agronomy is gaining ground.

Brandon shares how decades in the ag retail trenches taught him exactly what not to do, and what it took to build a business that puts growers first.

In this episode:

• Why the retail model isn’t built for the grower
• The moment Brandon realized he had to walk away
• What independent agronomy actually looks like in the field
• The financial risks most farmers don’t know they’re taking
• How his model puts power—and money—back in the hands of producers

If you’ve ever wondered whether your agronomy advice is serving your farm or someone else’s bottom line, this one’s for you.

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

Connect with Brandon: 

• Visit the Pro Gro Agronomy 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

In this episode of Your Ag Empire, Holly sits down with Emily Reuschel—a nationally recognized speaker, retreat host, and the voice behind the Gather in Growth Podcast. Emily is a former educator turned rural entrepreneur who now helps women rewrite the narrative of success in small-town America.

Together, Holly and Emily explore the power of curiosity, community, and courage—especially for women balancing motherhood, marriage, and the demands of rural life. From confronting burnout to navigating big life pivots, Emily shares the deeply personal and practical lessons that have shaped her journey.

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

Connect with Emily:

• Follow her podcast, Gather in Growth 
• Follow her on Instagram @emilyreuschel
• 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:

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
• 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

On this Father’s Day episode we discuss how important father’s are to the family and what we can do as farmers and ranchers for them. Ultimately we would love our kids to carry on the family business and keep things rolling long after were gone. Which means we need to build up their confidence and trust them to do so when they are younger. How many of us have dealt with a dad or grandad that just can’t seem to let it go? Leaving us sitting there at 30, 40, and maybe even 50 years old with no stake in the business. That control is sometimes very hard to let go, but we should have faith in our children that they can keep things going and even better what is already put in place. Then on the other hand we should support our kids if they want to go a whole new route entirely. Because when it comes down to it, we want them to have passion for whatever they want to pursue and if farming and ranching isn’t it then alright. As father’s we want to love the way God loves us, and teach that love to our children. If we can do that I would say we have done our job well. Happy Father’s Day!

We have a really special episode this week, Jonathon sits down with his son Jack and they talk all things growing up farming and ranching. Jack talks about his favorite things to do while helping his dad and even some of his favorite equipment. Jack gives listeners a little advise from a kids prospective when it comes to growing up in this industry. Jack and Jonathon talk about how there is no pressure to stay in this industry when Jack gets older if his heart isn’t in it. Overall its such a fresh outlook hearing what a 9 year old has to say about the agriculture world, and shows just how important it is to keep our kids involved.

In today’s solo episode Jonathon talks about finding the joy in things. Sometimes life just beats you down and the last thing you can even think about is finding joy in anything you’re doing. We stress about timelines, success, and what other people are thinking about us. We can be our own worst enemy holding ridiculous standards to ourselves that most of the time don’t even matter. Jonathon talks about three points that he wants everyone to remember so hopefully we can bring some joy back into our lives in tough times. First being, stop regretting the past because that’s not going to get you anywhere in your present. Second, stop worrying about your future. This one may sound crazy but a lot of people get so wrapped up in thinking, planning, worrying for their future that they miss out on things in their present. This also spills over into the third point and that is stop worrying and looking for happiness in other people. You have to learn how to be happy on your own and not rely on other people to do it for you. If you can genuinely work on these three things you should be able to have joy in your life.

On today’s solo episode Jonathon discusses making hard decisions in your business. A big one right now in this current market is equipment. We would like to think that we could buy low and and sell high, but that’s not always the case so then we are left to make a hard decision. There are times when we need to think outside the box and come up with innovative ways to do what works best for our operation. It is important to try and keep emotion out of business decisions like these and see what would be the most profitable for you.

Mastering the Market: Jonathon Haralson on Risk Management & Smart Selling Strategies