AgGrad Podcast

063 AGL: Riley Pagett

Promoting Agriculture on Capitol Hill Riley Pagett’s position has been newly created with the signing in of the 2018 Farm Bill. Formerly working for the National FFA office, Riley is now the Chief of Staff for the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement for the United States Department of Agriculture on Capitol Hill. Covering a broad spectrum of topics, Riley shares how law school, always saying “yes,” and working hard has allowed him to find success in promoting and sharing the story o...

Jonathan Hua, THRIVE Accelerator Manager at SVG Ventures

A member of the agriculture industry for only two years, Jonathan Hua started and failed two businesses before going back to business school with a focus on Capitalist Venture. There he realized he wanted to be an investor in the Silicon Valley but, unsure of how to get his foot in the door, he took a position for a non-profit consultation program. There they tasked him with the project of building an ag tech conference and, in doing so, he became the master of event management and event net...

062 AGL: Jonathan Hua

A member of the agriculture industry for only two years, Jonathan Hua started and failed two businesses before going back to business school with a focus on Capitalist Venture. There he realized he wanted to be an investor in the Silicon Valley but, unsure of how to get his foot in the door, he took a position for a non-profit consultation program. There they tasked him with the project of building an ag tech conference and, in doing so, he became the master of event management and event netw...

Jessica Kueffer, Recruitment & Employee Development Manager at MFA, Inc.

Throughout internships and explored career paths, Jessica Kueffer wasn’t sure what exactly set her passions on fire when it came to a career. A common denominator was facilitation of trainings and mentorships, which led to a career recommendation by her mentor to a position that was not only her dream job, but one that she didn’t even know existed prior to the recommendation. As the recruitment and employee development manager for MFA Incorporated, an agricultural cooperative in her home sta...

061 AGL: Jessica Kueffer

Throughout internships and explored career paths, Jessica Kueffer wasn’t sure what exactly set her passions on fire when it came to a career. A common denominator was facilitation of trainings and mentorships, which led to a career recommendation by her mentor to a position that was not only her dream job, but one that she didn’t even know existed prior to the recommendation. As the recruitment and employee development manager for MFA Incorporated, an agricultural cooperative in her home stat...

Levi Hall, General Manager at Beach Cooperative Grain Company

Levi Hall spends his time understanding the different challenges of not only the grain industry, but also of running a business across state lines. As the General Manager of Beach Cooperative Grain Company, Levi finds himself split over the state lines of Montana and North Dakota, while also being close to the southern border of Canada. As a young manager, his role includes a variety of tasks, as well as managing multiple employees and cooperative members. Read the full article at www.aggrad...

060 AGL: Levi Hall

Levi Hall spends his time understanding the different challenges of not only the grain industry, but also of running a business across state lines. As the General Manager of Beach Cooperative Grain Company, Levi finds himself split over the state lines of Montana and North Dakota, while also being close to the southern border of Canada. As a young manager, his role includes a variety of tasks, as well as managing multiple employees and cooperative members. Read the full article at www.aggrad....

Finding Meaning in Your Work with Reagan Pugh of Assemble

TEDX and SXSW speaker Reagan Pugh joins us today to share his insight on corporate culture, motivation and identity. In 2016, he was a cofounder of Assemble, a consulting firm in Austin, Texas. Reagan explains generational gaps in finding your own personal identity and how the modern-day relationship with work has led to it consuming our identity. Unfortunately, this is often detrimental, leads to burn out and fosters and environment of stress and fear rather than pride and accomplishment. ...

059 AGL: Reagan Pugh

Steven Brockshus, Founder & CEO at Farmland Finder

When faced with the challenging decision of whether or not to take a semester of student teaching as a part of his agricultural education degree, Steven Brockshus found himself deciding to instead focus on his agricultural start up. Constant journaling and notetaking throughout his childhood and in traveling the country as a national FFA officer, he found that there was a strong need for assistance and data in buying, selling, and valuing ag real estate - a void he thought he could fill with...

058 AGL: Steven Brockshus

When faced with the challenging decision of whether or not to take a semester of student teaching as a part of his agricultural education degree, Steven Brockshus found himself deciding to instead focus on his agricultural start up. Constant journaling and notetaking throughout his childhood and in traveling the country as a national FFA officer, he found that there was a strong need for assistance and data in buying, selling, and valuing ag real estate - a void he thought he could fill with ...

Allyson Jones-Brimmer, Director of Industry Relations at Animal Agriculture Alliance

Imagine getting to work at the forefront of strategy in combating those groups set against the animal agriculture industry - utilizing marketing, communications, speaking engagements, political legislation, industry specific groups and more to ensure that those on farms and ranches can continue raising their animals. Welcome to the world of Allyson Jones-Brimmer - an FFA alumni whose love of animals has led her to her position as the Director of Industry Relations for the Animal Agriculture ...

057 AGL: Allyson Jones-Brimmer

Imagine getting to work at the forefront of strategy in combating those groups set against the animal agriculture industry - utilizing marketing, communications, speaking engagements, political legislation, industry specific groups and more to ensure that those on farms and ranches can continue raising their animals. Welcome to the world of Allyson Jones-Brimmer - an FFA alumni whose love of animals has led her to her position as the Director of Industry Relations for the Animal Agriculture A...

Mackenzie Dierks, Sustainable Ag Consultant at K-Coe Isom

In a world where sustainable agriculture must be at the forefront of marketing, production, and business for farmers and ranchers, it takes individuals like Mackenzie Dierks to help them document, manage, strategize and protect their business. Mackenzie is a Senior Associate at K Coe Isom, an agriculture business advising firm historically focused on accounting and tax, whose mission also includes the sustainability of businesses. Read the full article at aggrad.com.

056 AGL: Mackenzie Dierks

In a world where sustainable agriculture must be at the forefront of marketing, production, and business for farmers and ranchers, it takes individuals like Mackenzie Dierks to help them document, manage, strategize and protect their business. Mackenzie is a Senior Associate at K Coe Isom, an agriculture business advising firm historically focused on accounting and tax, whose mission also includes the sustainability of businesses. Read the full article at aggrad.com.

John Farmer, Chief of Staff at Clara Foods

Everyday there are fires that have to be put out, but these are the tasks John Farmer tackles as Chief of Staff at Clara Foods. A strong interest and passion in biosecurity and food security, John has been involved with a variety of careers that have moved him further and further into the unique world of sustainable and alternative agriculture. Using strains of yeast to reproduce animal proteins of interest and selling them worldwide to a variety of companies, it’s no surprise that this may ...

055 AGL: John Farmer

Everyday there are fires that have to be put out, but these are the tasks John Farmer tackles as Chief of Staff at Clara Foods. A strong interest and passion in biosecurity and food security, John has been involved with a variety of careers that have moved him further and further into the unique world of sustainable and alternative agriculture. Using strains of yeast to reproduce animal proteins of interest and selling them worldwide to a variety of companies, it’s no surprise that this may b...

Caleb Wright, COO at Versant Strategies

Despite his friends thinking that all he does is go for coffee, lunches and dinners, Caleb Wright’s active role in social networking is actually a part of his job in public policy at both the state and federal level of the Pennsylvania Legislature. As Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Versant Strategies, Caleb wears multiple hats of social networking, analytical policy reading, strategic consulting, and organizing operating systems for business. One thing is for sure, though, he definitely l...

054 AGL: Caleb Wright

Despite his friends thinking that all he does is go for coffee, lunches and dinners, Caleb Wright’s active role in social networking is actually a part of his job in public policy at both the state and federal level of the Pennsylvania Legislature. As Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Versant Strategies, Caleb wears multiple hats of social networking, analytical policy reading, strategic consulting, and organizing operating systems for business. One thing is for sure, though, he definitely lo...

Ethan Smith, Farm and Ranch Manager at Farmers National Company

Ethan Smith grew up with production agriculture in his blood and, through involvement with groups like 4-H, FFA, scholarship applications and internships in college, he discovered an interest in farm and ranch management. Ethan now fulfills this role in a diverse and broad ranging “territory” from the southern tip of Texas up through New Mexico and over to the panhandle of Oklahoma. A native Nebraskan, he gets to be the liaison between landowners and tenants on a variety of farm and ranch la...

053 AGL: Ethan Smith

Ethan Smith grew up with production agriculture in his blood and, through involvement with groups like 4-H, FFA, scholarship applications and internships in college, he discovered an interest in farm and ranch management. Ethan now fulfills this role in a diverse and broad ranging “territory” from the southern tip of Texas up through New Mexico and over to the panhandle of Oklahoma. A native Nebraskan, he gets to be the liaison between landowners and tenants on a variety of farm and ranch lan...

Lucas Fuess, Director of Market Intelligence at HighGround Dairy

Some careers have slow downs - times where an employee can be on autopilot and work without much cognitive thinking. This is not the case for Lucas Fuess, the Director of Market Intelligence for HighGround Dairy of Chicago, Illinois. Lucas’ day-to-day job includes crunching numbers, reading reports, analyzing data, and synthesizing all of that information into a direct market opinion on the dairy industry that is, in turn, shared with customers in an articulated report. Whether or not you as...

052 AGL: Lucas Fuess

Some careers have slow downs - times where an employee can be on autopilot and work without much cognitive thinking. This is not the case for Lucas Fuess, the Director of Market Intelligence for HighGround Dairy of Chicago, Illinois. Lucas’ day-to-day job includes crunching numbers, reading reports, analyzing data, and synthesizing all of that information into a direct market opinion on the dairy industry that is, in turn, shared with customers in an articulated report. Whether or not you asp...

Seth Pratt, Rancher & Account Executive at DecisionNext

It may come as a surprise that as a Senior Business Analyst for The Context Network, Seth Pratt isn’t found in an office building crunching numbers day in and day out; he will be found working in his home office in the beautiful ranch lands of southeastern Idaho. When he’s not working on advanced agriculture analysis, Seth is hard at work as a fifth-generation cattle rancher. His knowledge and skills of sustainability and economics, while also being able to stay connected to his work virtual...

051 AGL: Seth Pratt

It may come as a surprise that as a Senior Business Analyst for The Context Network, Seth Pratt isn’t found in an office building crunching numbers day in and day out; he will be found working in his home office in the beautiful ranch lands of southeastern Idaho. When he’s not working on advanced agriculture analysis, Seth is hard at work as a fifth-generation cattle rancher. His knowledge and skills of sustainability and economics, while also being able to stay connected to his work virtuall...

Meg Becker, Sr Marketing Communications Specialist at Cargill Animal Nutrition

“I love everything that has to do with words,” says Meg Becker and she most definitely does! As the Marketing Specialist at Cargill Animal Nutrition, Meg wears multiple hats that all focus on working with their team on marketing initiatives. This can include anything from internal newsletters, assisting the sales team with marketing material, and communication through the rest of the company. More than manage all of these responsibilities and team members, Meg also works in two offices; he...

050 AGL: Meg Becker

“I love everything that has to do with words,” says Meg Becker and she most definitely does! As the Marketing Specialist at Cargill Animal Nutrition, Meg wears multiple hats that all focus on working with their team on marketing initiatives. This can include anything from internal newsletters, assisting the sales team with marketing material, and communication through the rest of the company. More than manage all of these responsibilities and team members, Meg also works in two offices; her ...

Karoline Rose, CEO at KRose Marketing

Karoline Rose took the bold leap of entrepreneurship straight from college graduation in the spring of 2015. Within six months she had made the daring venture to hire her first employee and, since that time, she has used her gut to help her make decisions in hiring five more employees and six contract workers. KRose shares tips for buying, selling and marketing cattle with KRose Cattle Company as well as marketing courses for small businesses with KRose Marketing! Read the full article at ag...

049 AGL: Karoline Rose

Karoline Rose took the bold leap of entrepreneurship straight from college graduation in the spring of 2015. Within six months she had made the daring venture to hire her first employee and, since that time, she has used her gut to help her make decisions in hiring five more employees and six contract workers. KRose shares tips for buying, selling and marketing cattle with KRose Cattle Company as well as marketing courses for small businesses with KRose Marketing! Read the full article at agg...

Bharath Sudarsan, Director of Artificial Intelligence at SomaDetect

Expectations Study hard. Get good grades. Get a good job. Work nine-to-five for the rest of your life. Coming from a conservative, middle-class family in India, Bharath Sudharsan never considered a career world outside of the standard that he grew up in. Then he came to North America and all of that changed. “There were so many entrepreneurial activities!” Bharath exclaims, still almost in disbelief. “Mental barriers are harder to surmount than any physical barrier… [there was an...

048 AGL Bharath Sudarsan

Expectations Study hard. Get good grades. Get a good job. Work nine-to-five for the rest of your life. Coming from a conservative, middle-class family in India, Bharath Sudharsan never considered a career world outside of the standard that he grew up in. Then he came to North America and all of that changed. “There were so many entrepreneurial activities!” Bharath exclaims, still almost in disbelief. “Mental barriers are harder to surmount than any physical barrier… [there was an expecta...

Andrew Lauver, Industry Relations Manager at Syngenta

    Never Eat Lunch Alone Andrew Lauver’s grandfather always said, “never eat lunch alone.” A captivating thought that Andrew saw epitomized in a John F. Kennedy story of a tour of NASA, where he asked the janitor, “What do you do?” The janitor’s response? “Send rocket ships to space.”   It’s the age old statement that is sometimes forgotten in the modern activities of today; every person, from the janitor to the CEO, matters in the mission of the company. An Iowan farmer, Andrew h...

047 AGL: Andrew Lauver

  Never Eat Lunch Alone Andrew Lauver’s grandfather always said, “never eat lunch alone.” A captivating thought that Andrew saw epitomized in a John F. Kennedy story of a tour of NASA, where he asked the janitor, “What do you do?” The janitor’s response? “Send rocket ships to space.” (https://youtube.com/aggrad) It’s the age old statement that is sometimes forgotten in the modern activities of today; every person, from the janitor to the CEO, matters in the mission of the company. An Iowa...

046 AGL Winning a New Pickup for Discussing Ag Issues

Jackie Mundt comes from a long line of national champions. They train, practice, live and breath the passion and the lifestyle that results in the amazing opportunity to bring home a National Championship. However, Jackie’s National Championship is more than just a sporting event, it’s the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet, and, instead of a ring or a medal, she came home with a brand new pick-up truck! (https://www.fb.org/programs/young-farmers-and-ranchers/compet...

045 AGL Working at BASF with Elizabeth Galbreath

It may seem like a small thing, but investing in relationships in any opportunity can prove beneficial in the building of your career trajectory and professional goals. First connected with AgGrad in 2016 by taking over the Snapchat for National Ag Day, Elizabeth Galbreath has been able to capitalize on seemingly normal encounters to improve her skill set and career path. A part of the Agriculture Sales and Marketing Professional Development program at BASF, it's been a wild ride for Elizabet...

044 AGL Using Time Management with Kirby Green

As a formal agriculture teacher from Kentucky, it’s no surprise that while Kirby Green no longer works in the classroom, she is continuously working every day to maximize the productivity and knowledge of herself and others. A former district sales manager for Monsanto, Kirby fulfills the same position now at Bayer Crop Science in Indiana, but how did she move from being a teacher to a district sales manager? She managed her time efficiently while also finding ways to continue to grow. Build...

043 AGL Millennial, Meat Eater, Mom

Taking Risks & Balancing Careers Brittany Bailey’s title of “Millennial, Meat Eater, Mom” on LinkedIn accurately groups the many facets that make up the day-to-day for this mom of two, Meatingplace blogger, and newly named Food Safety Marketing Manager for Zoetis. By following her number one career advice of “not being afraid to take a risk,” Brittany has navigated continued education and multiple careers while continuing to build her skill set and resume along the way.   From Pre-Pharmacy...

042 AGL: Becoming a Specialist

Have you ever wondered about a career in sales but found that the position could be intimidating both the vast amount of knowledge required as well as the time it takes to build a clientele? This is how Kristin Anderson felt when she took the position as an AgriEdge Specialist with Syngenta (https://www.syngenta.com). Syngenta is focused on helping farmers produce more yield on less ground, all while remaining sustainable and great stewards of the land. These are reasons that Kristin enjoys ...

041 AGL College Aggies Online Webinar Part 2 - Business Communication and Professional Development Resources

Learn the essentials of business communication and some professional agribusiness resources! This is from a webinar put on for College Aggies Online. Learn more about their program at https://www.animalagalliance.org/connect/#collegeaggies.  Visit AgGrad.com for more information about careers in agriculture. 

AGL 040: College Aggies Online Webinar Part 1 - Choosing Yourself and Finding Your Career Path in Agriculture

This is a recording from a webinar for College Aggies Online. Learn more about that program at https://www.animalagalliance.org/connect/#collegeaggies.    This episode discusses what it means to choose yourself, how to discover your career path in agriculture, and how to leverage communication skills to land your job.    For more information about careers in agriculture, visit http://www.AgGrad.com! (www.AgGrad.com!)     

AGL 039: Balancing Relationships & Dual Careers

"Lucky", "fortunate" and "blessed" are three words that Brandon and Kaitlyn Boerner use to describe their life in the past year. It hasn’t always been easy for the newlyweds, as they struggled to maintain dual careers they are passionate about and a strong relationship.  Balancing a relationship where both individuals have careers can be challenging, but it is also rewarding when you do it right. The Boerner's are here to share some of those successes with those new to the workforce, working...

AGL 038: Opportunities in Insurance with Tracy Cotton

The alphabet soup behind her name on LinkedIn may be confusing, but Tracy Cotton is the kind of personable and fun loving individual that helps make the complicated and daunting world of insurance not so bad. A passion for helping people, agritourism, and being herself in the fast-paced world of insurance, she’s more than happy to share a little insight on what it takes to work into the ever-growing world of todays insurance industry.  Tracy Cotton, CIC CISR, or Certified Insurance Counselor...

AGL 037: Working for U.S. Fish and Wildlife with Damon Taylor

As an avid outdoor enthusiast, Damon Taylor has always known that he wanted to have a career in “something outdoors.” Researching degrees in high school opened up the option for him to do just that and he graduated in 2010 with a Bachelors in Science in Natural Resource Ecology and Management with an emphasis in Wildlife Ecology. He has not only enjoyed his time in his career, but has also achieved his goal position working as the Deputy Refuge Manager for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services in...

AGL 036: Taking A Chance on New Careers with Lexi Marek

In focusing on your future career, don’t be tunnel-visioned; understand what your passion and goals are in order to find success in places you may not have considered before! Lexi Marek is a sixth generation farmer from Iowa, whose future dream job hadn’t even been invented when she graduated from high school. “I don’t exactly know my career path but I know I want to stay in agriculture, I want to work with people, and I want to connect my passions with others,” was the goal written over and...

AGL 035: Starting a Side Hustle with Kelly Stanze

Managing a side hustle while working a day job is not for the faint of heart. Workaholic and passionate Search Engine Optimization specialist Kelly Stanze has loads of advice to help you not only start your side hustle, but effectively manage it. Learn more about agriculture jobs: https://goo.gl/2d84jC. If you’ve ever felt as if something is lacking from your day job, than a side hustle may be the perfect solution to your problem, but how do you start? Kelly Stanze is a search strategist for...

AGL 034: Becoming a Lifelong Learner with Kiah Twisselman

Making a habit of lifelong learning is something that extrovert and ranching enthusiast Kiah Twisselman takes seriously. Avoid falling into the mundane and continue to grow everyday in order to build your professional and personal networks. Learn more about agriculture jobs: https://goo.gl/2d84jC. Learning doesn’t stop once you graduate from college; in fact, it’s just the beginning! According to Kiah Twisselman, Director of Consumer Affairs at the Kentucky Beef Council (https://www.kybeef.c...

AGL 033: Finding Your Place in Modern Agriculture with Karl Binns

What sparked your love for agriculture? Maybe you had the joy of growing up on a farm or you got inspired by joining a 4-H club as a kid. Or maybe, like Karl Binns, you stumbled into it. In his interview with AgGrad Live, Karl discusses his journey in the agriculture industry and what he’s learned about making a difference. Don’t assume that the agriculture industry can’t use an engineering major or someone with an accounting degree. In fact, he points out that the industry is desperate for ...

AGL 032: Starting a Business in Ag with Marlene Eick

Ever felt uncertain about what you want to do? Well, today in her interview with AgGrad Live, Marlene Eick has news for you: wherever you are, you’re not stuck! And she wants to help you stop feeling stuck too by sharing three of her best tips for success: patience, action steps, and savvy budgeting. Learn more about career goals in agriculture: (https://aggrad.com/5-ways-you-are-overthinking-your-career-search/) It’s hard to imagine it, looking at her now, but Marlene—a successful life-coa...

AGL 031: Tips for Landing a Job in Agriculture with Hannah Miller

Hannah Morgan Miller is the Senior Strategic Planner and agricultural expert for Barefoot Proximity (https://www.barefootproximity.com/). Hannah has weathered the storm of transitioning from recent graduate to seasoned professional. Here she shares her tips and tricks for facilitating and speeding up the process. Learn more about agriculture jobs: https://goo.gl/2d84jC (https://goo.gl/2d84jC). For more career advice and to support Hannah Morgan Miller, follow her on social media @Hannahmomil...

AGL 030: Establishing Yourself Quickly in a New Ag Career with Stephen McBride

Insurance might not be something you’re super passionate about—and maybe not something you’ve ever associated with agriculture—but no matter what your passions are, being successful in your future career is important to everybody. It certainly is to Stephen McBride, and that’s why he’s here to share what he’s learned about agriculture, career advice, and insurance with the AgGrad community. If you’d like to learn more about a career in insurance or just get career tips, you can connect with ...