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Beef Runner Podcast - Food, Farming and Agriculture Advocacy

Beef Runner Podcast - Food, Farming and Agriculture Advocacy

By Ryan Goodman

Agriculture advocacy, beef, and running. Bridging the gap between consumers and the agriculture community. Hear the stories of farmers, ranchers, and the issues impacting our communities today.
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We Cannot Cook with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 039

Beef Runner Podcast - Food, Farming and Agriculture AdvocacyMar 24, 2020

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26:56
Addressing Vegan Myths with Advocacy | Beef Runner Audio Article

Addressing Vegan Myths with Advocacy | Beef Runner Audio Article

This episode of the Beef Runner podcast is an audio version of the article, "Addressing Vegan Myths with Advocacy" published on November 01, 2021. Visit the original article for links to citations and more information.

If you enjoy this audio article episode of the Beef Runner Podcast, let me know in the comments on the original article. Check out all my episodes and subscribe at anchor.fm/BeefRunner. Follow me on social media as @BeefRunner.

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Nov 01, 202106:35
Disinformation and Agriculture with Cami Ryan | Over A Beer 042

Disinformation and Agriculture with Cami Ryan | Over A Beer 042

On episode 042, Ryan and Carrie sit down for another Over A Beer episode. This week's guest is Cami Ryan, PhD from Bayer (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). Cami recently published a paper (Monetizing disinformation in the attention economy: The case of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)) focusing on disinformation campaigns and their impact on agriculture and science conversations. We discuss the impact these disinformation campaigns have on agriculture advocacy conversations. Cami also shares how agriculture advocates can be stronger communicators, not by sharing the facts, but by focusing on the relationship when it comes to these tough scientific topics.

You can find those episode show notes here.

If you’d like to buy us a beer or support future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s BlogFacebookTwitter and Instagram to connect with her.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Beef Runner podcast. Check out all my episodes and subscribe at anchor.fm/BeefRunner.

Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.

May 20, 202051:33
Meat Scientist Janeal Yancey | Over A Beer 041

Meat Scientist Janeal Yancey | Over A Beer 041

This week on the podcast, Carrie Mess (a.k.a. Dairy Carrie) and I jump on Zoom for a virtual Over A Beer episode with guest, Janeal Yancey, the mom at the meat counter from Arkansas. If you haven’t already, you should subscribe to my podcast (RSS link) to listen to all previous episodes. You can find those episode show notes here.

If you’d like to buy us a beer or support future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.

In episode 041 of the Beef Runner podcast, Carrie Mess and I are joined by Janeal Yancey for another Over A Beer conversation. Janeal is a meat scientist at the University of Arkansas, a mom to two adventurous girls who show sheep, cattle, and (Carrie’s favorite!) goats. And Janeal has been a guest author on the blog before! Read her post here.

Recent conversations have been filled with stories of foods like potatoes or milk being dumped and hogs or poultry being euthanized. Prior to this pandemic, there haven’t been large conversations to spur people to think about getting food to our plates safely, on a huge scale. Maybe that will change in the future.

We hope you take a chance to follow and connect with Janeal online. We are so glad to have her team, advocating for agriculture and as a resource for any of our meat questions! You can find her blogging at MomAtTheMeatCounter.blogspot.com or on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s BlogFacebookTwitter and Instagram to connect with her.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Beef Runner podcast. Check out all my episodes and subscribe at anchor.fm/BeefRunner.

Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.

May 05, 202042:56
Food Connections with Registered Dietitian Nicole Rodriguez | Over A Beer 040

Food Connections with Registered Dietitian Nicole Rodriguez | Over A Beer 040

In the current time of social distancing, there is a lot more than Zoom calls that can bring us all together - and that is food. Carrie and Ryan bring a guest to the Over A Beer podcast series to discuss these food connections. During the course of our conversation, we see how much rural and urban America can have in common when it comes to the food on our tables.
This week on the podcast, Carrie Mess (a.k.a. Dairy Carrie) and I jump on Zoom for a virtual Over A Beer episode with guest, Nicole Rodriguez, Registered Dietitian from New York. If you haven’t already, you should subscribe to my podcast (RSS link) to listen to all previous episodes. You can find those episode show notes here.
If you’d like to buy us a beer or support future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.
For episode 40 of the Beef Runner podcast, Carrie and I sit down with our first guest in the Over A Beer series. Nicole Rodriguez is a mom, wife and Registered Dietitian from just outside New York City. We've all connected on social media as Nicole is very active as an advocate for beef and dairy online.
It is a bit unusual for someone from NYC to be such a strong advocate for agriculture, so we wanted to ask Nicole how she found this journey to connect with agriculture. Turns out people in rural and urban America have quite a bit in common when it comes to enjoying meals with our family and friends. Or even the journey to seek out the truth about where our food comes from and how it fuels us.
Tune in and listen to this episode of the podcast for some great discussions on:

Life in New York during coronavirus and COVID-19
What is a Registered Dietitian?
How does someone from New York find agriculture advocacy?
How do you define plant-based eating? #Science
What role does food play in mental health and well-being for ourselves and our families with young kids?
How do you raise kids in the age of food marketing and food shaming?
What does grocery shopping look like in New York City?
The role of moving and exercise for mental health during social distancing

We hope you take a chance to follow and connect with Nicole online. We are so glad to have her team, advocating for agriculture! You can find her blogging at
EnjoyFoodEnjoyLife.com or on Instagram and Twitter.
Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her.
Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.
Apr 14, 202040:18
We Cannot Cook with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 039

We Cannot Cook with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 039

It's safe to say that things have drastically changed over the past few weeks, but one topic that has definitely risen to the top is access to food. Whether it be families with more time on their hands or searching shelves at the grocery store that have been picked over, we've found ourselves cooking more meals at home. And many people are realizing they may not know how to cook!
This week on the podcast, Carrie Mess (a.k.a. Dairy Carrie) and I sit down for another Over A Beer episode to discuss. If you haven’t already, you should subscribe to my podcast (RSS link) to listen to all previous episodes. You can find those episode show notes here.
If you’d like to buy us a beer or support future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.
One of the positive impacts coming out of this time of a coronavirus pandemic is that families are able to spend more time together – even if they’re being forced to do so through social distancing. This also means they have more time to plan meals around the table. Food is something that has always brought people together – even if we’re having to be more strategic about buying that food via restaurant take out or timing our trips to the grocery store when the shelves are restocked overnight.
This also coincides with the 2020 National Ag Day theme of food bringing people around the table. For this week’s Over A Beer episode, Carrie and I discuss this from the perspective of people not being able to cook today. You can see this through all of the meal prep and delivery options available, but also through the questions people have about recipes and cooking methods. But we bring this full circle to discuss some amazing opportunities those of us in the agriculture community could take to connect with people in our communities and bring them to gather around the table for a good meal, of course, after our time of social distancing has passed.
It’s important to note that Carrie and I did record this podcast episode before coronavirus has had such an impact on our society, but we felt the need to still publish this episode to talk about the topic that all of us can work through to connect with other people.
Let us know your thoughts on the current pandemic and people cooking at home by dropping a comment below or chiming in on Twitter.
If you’d like to buy us a beer or support future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.
Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the Beef Runner podcast. Check out all my episodes and subscribe at
anchor.fm/BeefRunner.
Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.
Mar 24, 202026:56
3 Tips For Advocacy During A Crisis | Beef Runner 038

3 Tips For Advocacy During A Crisis | Beef Runner 038

This week is proving the start of something different for those of us in North America. The coronavirus has spread from Asia and Europe and now most of us in the US find ourselves working from home. Kids are out of school – many of them for the remainder of the Spring semester. Restaurants and bars are either closed or doing only carry out, drive up or delivery service. And of course, every grocery store is out of toilet paper.
Even in our small town of 1,400 outside of Denver, I walked into our Safeway grocery store to find produce, meat and dairy shelves completely empty. I had to time my visit for the next day after they had restocked their shelves to get milk and eggs. And for the foreseeable future, I find myself working from a home office with all travel canceled for the next month. Which I guess means I have more time for my scheduled training runs.
These are uncertain times for many of us. And that also means we have extra time on our hands to spend on social media. You can’t open Facebook or Twitter without seeing posts about the Coronavirus, ideas about its spread and people wondering where we go from here.
Having worked in communications and on issues management teams, there are a few tips I’d like to share with you on today’s podcast that might help you avoid making contributions to the spread of misinformation and hysteria. While we can’t control what others post, share or say, we can control our contributions. So here are three tips that will help you identify whether or not your contributions are positive as you continue joining conversations surrounding food and agriculture during this coronavirus pandemic or any time of crisis in the future.

Verify the accuracy of information before sharing
Don’t make yourself the focus of attention
Be aware of your audience and their concerns

Listen to the podcast episode 038 to hear more of an explanation, examples for each and some advice on how we can positively contribute to these conversations.
How can we better engage in these discussions during stressful times? Let us know what you think by dropping a comment below or chiming in on Twitter.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the Beef Runner podcast. Check out all my episodes and subscribe at
anchor.fm/BeefRunner.
Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.
Mar 18, 202007:42
Farm Accidents with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 037

Farm Accidents with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 037

In 2017, farm accidents resulted in the deaths of 416 farmers and farmworkers. Every day, about 100 agricultural workers suffer a lost-work-time injury. In 2014, an estimated 12,000 youth were injured on farms; 4,000 of these injuries were due to farm work. These statistics from the CDC are sobering. But these events are preventable.
On the podcast this week, Carrie and I share some personal stories. Both of our families have been deeply affected by farm accidents. Our hope is that by sharing our stories, others can take a second to stop, think and look around to prevent these casualties from happening to other families.
This week on the podcast, Carrie Mess (a.k.a. Dairy Carrie) and I sit down for another Over A Beer episode. If you haven’t already, you should subscribe to my podcast (RSS link) to listen to all previous episodes. You can find those episode show notes here.
Thanks to our sponsor (Yes! We finally have sponsors) David Hayden from Kentucky for buying us a beer (and bourbon). If you’d like to buy us a beer or get me to Wisconsin for future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.
As I've tried to write out some notes for this blog, I just can't seem to hit the mark. When Carrie and I sat down to record this episode, it was uncomfortable, but we know sharing these stories is important.
Both of our families have been affected by farm accidents and I think that is one of those things you'd never wish on others. In 2006, I lost my mom to an accident while sorting cattle on our ranch in Arkansas. This was long before I met Carrie and her husband Patrick.
In 2015, Carrie's mother in law lost a leg in an accident with their feed truck. I remember Carrie's call that day when she told me about the events unfolding. Every time I hear of others impacted by these events, my mind goes back to my own personal story.
Farm safety is an important topic for us both. We hope that you'll take the time to listen to our stories and reflect on how you might prevent future farm accidents for those around you.
Let us know if your family or someone you know has been affected by farm accidents by dropping a comment below or chiming in on Twitter. Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.
Mar 10, 202023:37
Misleading Food Labels with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 036

Misleading Food Labels with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 036

Take a look at the labels on food packages near you or in your kitchen. What do you see? These food labels can confusing, leading to misinformation and often guilty feelings that we're not doing the right thing for ourselves and our family.
How do we filter through the marketing to understand what labels have true meaning? How can and should the agriculture community join in to clear the air on these topics? Or did we help contribute to the confusion of food labels?
This week on the podcast, Carrie Mess (a.k.a. Dairy Carrie) and I sit down for another Over A Beer episode to discuss.. You can find those episode show notes here.
Thanks to our sponsors (Yes! We finally have sponsors) Chad Anglin from Kentucky and Markie Hageman from California for buying us a beer. If you’d like to buy us a beer or get me to Wisconsin for future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.
When Carrie and I sat down for this episode of the podcast, there were two label terms that were top of mind for us. Antibiotics and Hormones. Both things that spark emotion in us with the concern of these contaminants being in our food supply. Is it safe to eat? Is there reason for those labels to be there at all when we know there are regulations and inspection procedures in place to ensure food safety?
We've both written about these topics before as restaurant chains have capitalized on labeling trends. But we also recognize the fact that this is marketing. And in some ways, agriculture advocates may have contributed to the hysteria and concern surrounding food labels, including Non-GMO Project, or any number of free-from labeling trends.
We really shouldn't blame consumers for asking questions and being confused. There are so many options in the market today. As Carrie describes, her local grocery store is putting in a new section of coolers to be stocked solely with dairy options.
Be sure to stay tuned as we describe some terms we've used that we now realize could be misinterpreted (cows on drug withdrawls?!?) and offer a few key tactics advocates can use to better engage in these discussions with others. This includes word choice and listening.
Let us know what you think about food labels and confusion in the marketplace by dropping a comment below or chiming in on Twitter. Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.
Mar 03, 202027:51
Joaquin Phoenix with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 035

Joaquin Phoenix with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 035

This year's Hollywood award season is proving desperate for ratings as was shown when the Golden Globes kicked things off by going vegan in January. So we’re tackling it this week on the podcast. Several celebrities spoke up, including Joaquin Phoenix, in post-show interviews. Joaquin didn't cool it off for the Oscars in February. In fact, he heated things up with comments bashing farmers in his acceptance speech.... and agriculture responded fiercely.
Carrie took the opportunity to respond in a timely manner by writing her own letter in response to Joaquin's comments. That letter and a following interview made a splash across the country. So we sat down over a beer to discuss what happened and offer our perspectives on what can be learned for future moments in time when public figures disagree with agriculture in another Over A Beer episode to discuss. You can find episode show notes here.
Thanks to our sponsors (Yes! We finally have sponsors) Kiah Twisselman and Melissa Laurent for buying us a beer. If you'd like to buy us a beer or get me to Wisconsin for future episodes, hit me up on Venmo.
Carrie's letter (Dear Joaquin) had nearly 300,000 views in the first few days following the event. Her interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Stung by Oscar speech, dairy farmers suggest actor Joaquin Phoenix doesn't know what he's talking about) was picked up by the USA Today news wire and spread across the country, reaching audiences far outside of agriculture with a message from a dairy farmer.
Joaquin Phoenix isn't the only public figure to speak out against animal agriculture and to receive backlash from farmers and ranchers. Miss Montana USA did it with vegan posts on Instagram. Even presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg did it with comments about the simplicity of farming.
Agriculture's response to these situations is often swift, harsh and condescending with an invitation to "come visit my farm/ranch to learn what real agriculture looks like!!!" But that rarely, if ever is a good idea when these public figures are known to be completely against our way of life.
How do we respond more productively? How can we better leverage these situations to reach the people we want to hear our stories? Listen in on this episode as Carrie and I discuss.
Let us know what you think about my pursuit of trail and ultrarunning by dropping a comment below or chiming in on Twitter. Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.
Feb 25, 202024:01
10 Miles Past Nowhere - Wyoming Rancher Kacy Atkinson | Beef Runner 034

10 Miles Past Nowhere - Wyoming Rancher Kacy Atkinson | Beef Runner 034

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live more than an hour's drive from town? What is life like in Wyoming where the growing season is only a few short months long, but you have amazing views at high elevation in the mountains? This week, Wyoming rancher, Kacy Atkins joins me to share this a bit of her journey through agriculture advocacy. You can find all podcast episode show notes here.
For episode 034 of the Beef Runner podcast, I sit down with Kacy Atkinson during a visit in Denver. We met several years back as our paths cross in the ranching business and have had the opportunity to work together on several advocacy projects during the past few years.
Kacy grew up on her family's Wyoming ranch, 85 miles from town, where they only receive mail a few times each week. She then went to school and worked in education and extension before returning to the family's operation.
Since really diving into her advocacy from the ranch, Kacy shares her stories from life "10 Miles Past No Where." I think you'll enjoy hearing her perspectives on ranching and how farmers and ranchers might better work to reach urban consumers with our advocacy efforts.
You can find Kacy online and on social media as 10 Miles Past No Where on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
How can we better reach consumers with our stories? Let us know what you think about ranching in Wyoming and advocacy by dropping a comment below or chiming in on Twitter.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the Beef Runner podcast. Check out all my episodes and subscribe at
anchor.fm/BeefRunner.
Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.
Feb 18, 202026:37
Ryan's Running Intervention with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 033

Ryan's Running Intervention with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 033

Carrie has decided she needs to deliver a running intervention to call out – what she sees as – a crazy running addiction. For some reason, she thinks wanting to run 100 miles isn’t normal. And, of course, I disagree and know that my running adventures are completely normal for trail and ultrarunning. So we’re tackling it this week on the podcast.
This week on the podcast, Carrie Mess (a.k.a. Dairy Carrie) and I sit down for another Over A Beer episode to discuss. And if you haven’t already, you should subscribe to my podcast (RSS link) to listen to all 32 previous episodes. You can find those episode show notes here.
My love for running on the trails and in the mountains has been well-documented on Instagram and I've shared several of my running adventures on this blog. And Carrie has followed my adventures from the time I first began a weekly 5k at the beer market in grad school. So it really shouldn't come as a surprise that I've signed up for a 100-mile race in 2020.
But Carrie is concerned and wanted to have an intervention. So for episode 033 of the Beef Runner podcast, we sit down and hash it out. I share my journey from a beer market 5k fun run/walk to climbing mountains and spending (literally) all day on the Continental Divide crawling over boulders.
We’ll let you decide who wins this discussion as Carrie expresses her concern for my sanity and I discuss why I love my crazy running adventures.
Let us know what you think about my pursuit of trail and ultrarunning by dropping a comment below or chiming in on Twitter.
Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.
Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the Beef Runner podcast. Check out all my episodes and subscribe at
anchor.fm/BeefRunner.
Feb 11, 202017:57
Alternative Proteins with Dairy Carrie | Over a Beer 032

Alternative Proteins with Dairy Carrie | Over a Beer 032

Feb 04, 202023:48
Thank A Farmer with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 031

Thank A Farmer with Dairy Carrie | Over A Beer 031

Thank a Farmer. We’ve heard it over the years and I’ve even joined in the movement myself over the past decade by writing a few articles asking for others to thank us – farmers, ranchers and the agriculture community for the food, fiber and fuel that is used every day. But is that really what we should be asking?
This week on the podcast, Carrie Mess (a.k.a. Dairy Carrie) and I sit down for another Over A Beer episode to discuss. You can find all episode show notes here.
Hey, I’m guilty of it. If you search my blog, you’ll find an article as far back as 2009 asking the world to Thank A Farmer “for all of the hard work a small portion of Americans put forth to feed a growing world population.” But as we’ve matured in our advocacy efforts, I’d like to think we can realize there is a much more effective way of communicating that message.
Carrie and I sit down over a beer to discuss how this campaign had every great intention when it began. There are absolutely appropriate times to ask people to Thank a Farmer. A really good example of this is a campaign like Culvers’ Thank You Farmers.
However, this has changed over the years with a bit of a self-seeking tone. Farmers aren’t the only people who work hard. People don’t want to be told they need to be educated.
Carrie and I offer our solutions to raising awareness of those who work in agriculture. This has included the evolution of our own brands to correct course and connect with other people as a person rather than trying to be advocates armed with facts, figures and science to tell people they should support agriculture. We share how we’ve done this and how other advocates can as well.
We share a few examples of people who are connecting are examples of doing this. This includes Cara Harbstreet, a registered dietitian from Kansas City (Instagram and Twitter).
Let us know what you think about Thank A Farmer by chiming in on Twitter.
Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.
Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.
Jan 21, 202024:58
The First Round | Over A Beer 030

The First Round | Over A Beer 030

It's been a few years since Dairy Carrie and I sat down with a pitcher (or a few) of Spotted Cow beer in the back room of the Crawfish Junction bar in Milford, Wisconsin and recorded several episodes for my podcast (formerly known as Agriculture Proud). And, of course, we titled the series Over A Beer, because who doesn't like to sit down with their best friends for great conversations over a beer?!? We covered a ton of topics in the world of agriculture advocacy. You can find those episode show notes here.
I recently made a trip back to Wisconsin for the holidays, so we decided it was about time for another round. Carrie and I caught up on a few topics and over the next four weeks, we'll be sharing those podcast episodes.
In classic Wisconsin style, Carrie made sure my day started with a Rumchata coffee + a breakfast beer before we made it to the bar (hey... it was vacation) so I think you'll enjoy some good, open conversations over a beer.
In today's first round, also known as episode 30 of the Beef Runner podcast, Carrie and I briefly catch up on life events over the past two years.

Carrie and her husband Patrick had a second son, Ben (my godson)
Carrie discusses the challenges of the dairy industry as milk prices have dropped and growing seasons have been difficult
I've moved to Colorado, started a new job, bought a house and cannot stop running

Fun fact: Carrie and I recently realized we joined Twitter (@DairyCarrie and @BeefRunner) on the same day 10 years ago. We didn't know each other then, but she now refers to me as her little brother she never asked for. And I do my best to live up to those expectations.
Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion. Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her.
Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.
Jan 14, 202010:60
Bonus - 2019 NCBA Beef Advocate Panel

Bonus - 2019 NCBA Beef Advocate Panel

I’ve got a special bonus episode for you today from the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. I brought four beef advocates that I work with for a panel during the convention to ask them about their experiences in advocacy.

This segment here is as we wrapped up the panel and I asked them to share their advice from experiences with advocates.

On the panel we have Christie VanOver, a food blogger and grilling master from Las Vegas who is online as Girls Can Grill.

Michaela Gasseling is a rancher from Nebraska who is online as Cowgirl Boots and Running Shoes

David Dial is a food blogger from New York who is online as Spiced Blog

And Terryn Drieling is a rancher from Nebraska who you can find online as Faith, Family & Beef.

I hope you enjoy some of the tips they have to share at the closing of the panel. And let me know your thoughts on this by sending me a message on Twitter as @BeefRunner.

Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up. Hop over to the Beef Runner blog to see more.

Feb 05, 201906:57
Over A Beer 029 - How Not To Advocate

Over A Beer 029 - How Not To Advocate

On Episode 029 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, Ryan Goodman and Carrie Mess continue the Over A Beer series talking about hot topics in agriculture. This week, we’re likely stepping on a few toes and sharing a few tips on how not to advocate.

We should start off by saying we're at the bottom of the final pitcher for this series of Over a Beer.

We're not recording this episode to tell people how they have to advocate. But there is a wrong way to do it and you can mess things up. Carrie would, she married a Mess (her words, Patrick).

Carrie and Ryan share their experiences of being involved for more than a decade, have our work stolen by others and being called bullies by others in the advocacy world. There's room for all of us.  If you're disrespecting anyone in your advocacy in order to promote yourself, you're doing it wrong.

And not to leave it all on a sour note, we give a shout out to several advocates who are doing great work in sharing their stories.

Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her. If you’re interested in helping your business learn more about involving social advocates in your outreach and marketing strategies, or if you’re an advocate looking to get involved, check out GROW Influencer Group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.

Apr 11, 201725:31
Over A Beer 028 - How to Advocate Offline

Over A Beer 028 - How to Advocate Offline

In the world of agriculture advocacy, we often get caught up in the latest social media tools. But, truth is, we can be advocates offline as well. Let’s not forget I started with a dumbphone just a few years ago. And apparently Carrie like to tell people to just EAT IT in song. (At least I think this is what she was trying to sing.)

On Episode 028 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, Ryan Goodman and Carrie Mess continue the Over A Beer series talking about hot topics in agriculture. This week, we’re talking about how you can be an advocate for agriculture offline.

So often Carrie and I will be visiting with attendees of a local meeting, conference or workshop, and receive great supports for our efforts in agriculture advocacy. But it never fails that we hear an undertone to the effect of, “That’s great! But I’m not doing it. Social media is for millennials.” And that is always disappointing. We can all be advocates in our own right and that does not have to include social media.

How to advocate offline

If the internet ceased to exist tomorrow, could you still find a way to advocate for your cause? Sure you can! There are always opportunities surrounding us. A few of the advocacy examples we provide in the podcast include:

  • Saying thank you at the grocery store like Carrie’s father-in-law
  • Be involved in local civic organizations
  • Connect directly to customers
  • Be involved in legislative or policy advocacy efforts
  • Connect via a mutual interest like Ryan’s example of Team Beef running

Sometimes we just have to DO IT. We need to be involved and we shouldn’t be afraid to be ourselves. One of the best ways to advocate is to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and just do it.

Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her. If you’re interested in helping your business learn more about involving social advocates in your outreach and marketing strategies, or if you’re an advocate looking to get involved, check out GROW Influencer Group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

Like what you see here? Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future stories and weekly headlines. Click here to sign up.

Mar 30, 201723:25
Agriculture Proud 027 - Raising Texas Cotton with Jeremy Brown

Agriculture Proud 027 - Raising Texas Cotton with Jeremy Brown

Beyond the fence post also means that I must be involved. There are so many different aspects to agriculture. The more I learn through involvement, the better I can be as a farmer. I believe that it is important to “AgVocate” for agriculture at the local level and beyond. – Jeremy Brown, Beyond the Fence

On episode 027 of the Agriculture Proud podcast, Ryan visits with west Texas farmer, Jeremy Brown during the 2017 Bayer Agvocacy Forum in San Antonio, Texas.

Jeremy is a 4th generation cotton farmer and proud Texas Tech alumnus. On his West Texas farm, he works with his family to raise cotton and grain sorghum.

In this podcast, Jeremy and Ryan discuss how biotechnology is a tool in the belt of farmers as fewer generations come back to the farm, margins become tighter, and input costs rise. And as consumers ask more often to learn more about where their fiber comes from, as a producer, Jeremy belives the need to be an advocate is an important part of doing business.

As a steward of his resources and a business owner, Jeremy needs to do everything to utilize tools in his tool belt, which may often include biotechnology, herbicides, or insecticides. Even with that GM technology, Jeremy still utilizes good management practices to ensure he’s being a good steward of the land and operate his business in a sustainable, profitable and safe manner.

Two examples of biotechnology Jeremy offered where the need to protect against the bollworm in cotton and the sugarcane aphid in grain sorghum. GM technology allows farmers like Jeremy to spray less insecticide and still protect his crop against pests that like to eat the plants.

Why are you Agriculture Proud?

Jeremy says he is proud to be a part of agriculture because it is in his blood. Being able to work the land, improve the land and seeing the rewards of his hard work bring him joy. It’s being able to take something from a small seed and seeing the fruits of labor, growing a fiber and taking pride in his small part to help clothe the world.

You should definitely connect with Jeremy Brown on his Facebook page, Broadview Agriculture Inc. Let him know I sent you and stick around to learn more about farming in West Texas.

As a part of the Bayer blogger program, I am not compensated for sharing this information, but am thankful for Bayer Animal Health helping me contact experts on important topics impacting our cattle and livestock business today. As always, thoughts shared are my own. Learn more about Bayer’s efforts to support agriculture advocacy by joining the AgVocate Facebook group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

Mar 25, 201711:10
Agriculture Proud 026 - Farming In Nebraska with Deb Gangwish

Agriculture Proud 026 - Farming In Nebraska with Deb Gangwish

I must say that I live in my boots. I like all kinds of boots, cowboy boots – fancy and plain, dress boots – tall and short, snow, rain, muck and work boots – yup I like them all. I feel comfortable in my boots, they are part of my everyday life on our family farm. But there are many times every year when I trade the comfort and casualness of my boots for the not so familiar formality of suits. – Deb Gangwish, From Boots to Suits

On episode 026 of the Agriculture Proud podcast, Ryan visits with Nebraska farmer and rancher, Deb Gangwish during the 2017 Bayer Agvocacy Forum in San Antonio, Texas.

Deb and her family raise corn, soybeans, and cattle in central Nebraska on two different locations that are three hours apart. While the distance creates some challenges for the logistics of her own operation, Deb says some of the greater challenges for Nebraska agriculture today include labor, asset utilization and making sure to plug the right people into the right positions to do the job to the best of their ability. Sound familiar for most small business operations?

While the Gangwish operation is a family farm, they’re still a large operation and have learned that advocacy is an important part of conducting business in 2017. Deb advises that an investment in advocacy isn’t always a monetary return. Sometimes that takes the form of reaching out to our customers through the work of organizations like Common Ground, and at other times it includes building business relationships in the community.

For Deb, advocacy is a two-way street, which includes bringing the farm to those who may not have the opportunity for that experience. Working with state and national legislators is an important form of advocacy for farmers and ranchers so that they can hear personal stories to better understand the impacts of policy and legislation.

When we find ourselves in situations where others disagree, Deb has good advice, saying it’s important to take a breath and seek to understand where common ground may exist.

As a part of the Bayer blogger program, I am not compensated for sharing this information, but am thankful for Bayer Animal Health helping me contact experts on important topics impacting our cattle and livestock business today. As always, thoughts shared are my own. Learn more about Bayer’s efforts to support agriculture advocacy by joining the AgVocate Facebook group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Mar 16, 201712:55
Over A Beer 025 - FAQ on Beef Cattle

Over A Beer 025 - FAQ on Beef Cattle

Want an opportunity to do research with Jack Daniels? Have you considered studying cattle nutrition? Well, I didn’t get to drink any JD as part of the work, but we did get to use some of their by-products from distilling as feed for beef cattle.

On Episode 025 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, Ryan Goodman and Carrie Mess continue the Over A Beer series talking about hot topics in agriculture. This week, Carrie turns the table on Ryan to ask several questions about the world of beef cattle.

And Carrie doesn’t start off easy.

We talk about the import of beef from Brazil and concerns that have been expressed surrounding that import and export. And of course, associated with that conversation comes a discussion on Country of Origin Labeling.

Instead of reiterating numbers and resources, I’ll direct you to the blog post for this episode with answers and specific links to questions and topics addressed.

Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her. If you’re interested in helping your business learn more about involving social advocates in your outreach and marketing strategies, or if you’re an advocate looking to get involved, check out GROW Influencer Group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Mar 13, 201726:12
Over A Beer 024 - FAQ on Dairy Cattle

Over A Beer 024 - FAQ on Dairy Cattle

On Episode 024 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, Ryan Goodman and Carrie Mess continue the Over A Beer series talking about hot topics in agriculture. This week’s Ryan quizzes Carrie with frequently asked questions about dairy farming.

Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her. If you’re interested in helping your business learn more about involving social advocates in your outreach and marketing strategies, or if you’re an advocate looking to get involved, check out GROW Influencer Group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Mar 07, 201728:28
Over A Beer 023 - Fighting With Activists

Over A Beer 023 - Fighting With Activists

We’d be lying if we said occasionally getting into a fight with activists isn’t fun and entertaining. But it is also exhausting and can make you look like a fool.

On Episode 023 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, Ryan Goodman and Carrie Mess continue the Over A Beer series talking about hot topics in agriculture. This week’s topic is activists we encounter and how to handle the situation.

Ryan and Carrie both have some experience dealing with hateful comments online. Whether it be writing about controversial topics on CNN or encountering a coordinated vegan attack, these experiences have taught a few lessons about handling the situation.

How do we define activism? Are agriculture advocates activists?

While fighting vegan or animal rights activists online may feel good, that is not agriculture advocacy. Other people can see crazy too, so sometimes it is best to ignore the people on extremes that will never change their point of view. We should spend more time worrying about those in the movable middle who have honest questions.

When you do find yourself being the target of a hateful activist, it is OK to take the high road. It doesn’t make you a smaller person to back away from a conversation or delete hateful comments. And understand everyone isn’t an activist, sometimes people have genuine questions or concerns.

When you do respond…
  • Comment for the benefit of the audience watching.
  • Spend twice as much time sharing your story as you do fighting.
  • Take a look at the profile of who is on the other end of the conversation
  • Ask questions to better understand the other person’s frame of reference
  • Spend twice as much time listening as you do responding
  • Consider what you say from the perspective of those outside of agriculture

Let us know what you think about activism online and how to handle these situations. Or feel free to ask us any questions.

Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her. If you’re interested in helping your business learn more about involving social advocates in your outreach and marketing strategies, or if you’re an advocate looking to get involved, check out GROW Influencer Group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Feb 23, 201720:48
Over A Beer 022 - Beef and Dairy Checkoffs

Over A Beer 022 - Beef and Dairy Checkoffs

Everyone aside from those too young remembers the iconic television commercials with Sam Elliott, a catchy tune and the phrase – Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner. But what happened to those ads? Many ranchers complain because these ads aren’t front and center. Why aren’t our Checkoff programs spending $5 million for a 30 second Super Bowl ad? [Read in as an angry complaint]

In Episode 022 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, Dairy Carrie and Ryan continue their Over A Beer Series, with a conversation about beef and dairy checkoff programs.

I discussed some of the recent news around the Beef Checkoff in an earlier post. For this podcast episode, Carrie and I carry on the conversation and discuss our experience with these programs.

We’ve found that many critics love to complain, but don’t show up to state or national checkoff meetings to express their concerns, reach out to ask their state directors, or even show up to experience Checkoff programs working with consumers.

Checkoff programs aren’t doing the same things they were 40 years ago. Consumers aren’t consuming content or making food purchases the same way they were even 5 years ago. We have to adapt to those changing trends.

What’s the solution? You’ll have to listen to the podcast.

You can learn more about the Beef Checkoff at BeefBoard.org and BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

You can learn more about the Dairy Checkoff at Dairy.org and DairyGood.org.

Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her. If you’re interested in helping your business learn more about involving social advocates in your outreach and marketing strategies, or if you’re an advocate looking to get involved, check out GROW Influencer Group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Statements in this podcast are my own and do not represent my employer, NCBA, or the Beef Checkoff.

Feb 16, 201727:55
Over A Beer 021 – Our Evolution of ‘Agvocacy’

Over A Beer 021 – Our Evolution of ‘Agvocacy’

Agvocacy – a term coined within the agriculture community; commonly used to refer to agriculture advocates.

Whether our start was documenting ranch life in Wyoming or selling lingerie on Twitter, our online advocacy has transformed over the past several years.

Make sure you listened to the first episode of the Over a Beer series!

In Episode 021 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, Dairy Carrie and Ryan continue their Over A Beer Series, with a conversation about the evolution of agvocacy via social media.

Highlights:

  • There have been a number platforms over the years. Some have grown, some have fallen back. One thing for sure is today’s prominent medium for sharing information is video and audio.
  • Your overall body of work matters more than a single post to attract clicks and views.
  • Chipotle and Panera. Subway. Earl’s. While it may be popular to boycott the latest changes in food and ag retail, consider whether you’re writing about a hot topic for people within your own community or to reach outside those circles.
  • Cliques and divisions exist in agriculture advocacy and social media. We shouldn’t deny that – we have our own haters, but that doesn’t mean we have to continue contributing to that trend.
What is the future of agvocacy and where do we have opportunities to improve?

Carrie: People will rise and fall in the agvocacy movements. We’ll see new voices, but we hope that’s for the right reasons. Celebrity status isn’t what agvocacy is meant to be. Much of the change we’ve seen over the past eight years in our efforts can be boiled down to online maturity.

Ryan: If you want to be a leader, be open to different and be willing to listen. Know how to approach others on hot topics and how to facilitate a productive conversation. In-fighting within our own communities is holding agvocacy efforts back and we need to figure out how to address that problem.

Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.

Be sure to hop on over to Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her. If you’re interested in helping your business learn more about involving social advocates in your outreach and marketing strategies, or if you’re an advocate looking to get involved, check out GROW Influencer Group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Feb 07, 201729:00
Over A Beer 020 – Introducing Over A Beer With Dairy Carrie

Over A Beer 020 – Introducing Over A Beer With Dairy Carrie

When good friends get together and sit down and catch up over a beer, you never know what will come of the conversation. This is especially true when Dairy Carrie is involved.

On Episode 20 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, we launch a new series, appropriately titled, Over a Beer. On a recent visit to Wisconsin, Carrie and I sat down to discuss several topics that are on our minds and of great interest in the agriculture and food communities as we enter 2017.

For this episode, we take a moment to introduce ourselves and our roles in the agriculture communities. I hope you’ll take a moment to provide some feedback. You never know what topics we may tackle later on in the series.

Thanks to our sponsors (if we had sponsors) – Spotted Cow Beer from New Glarus Brewing for the hydration and to Crawfish Junction for the location for the discussion.

Be sure to hop on over to Dairy Carrie’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with her. If you’re interested in helping your business learn more about involving social advocates in your outreach and marketing strategies, or if you’re an advocate looking to get involved, check out GROW Influencer Group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at AgricultureProud.com/podcast.

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Jan 31, 201719:28
Agriculture Proud 019 – Raising Bison For Meat in Montana

Agriculture Proud 019 – Raising Bison For Meat in Montana

In Episode 018 of the podcast, I visited with the National Bison Association to learn more about raising bison commercially across the United States. We touched on a fair number of statistics to describe this sector of the agriculture business on a national level.

On Episode 019 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, I follow up with a conversation more specific to Montana and what raising bison looks like from the perspective of a rancher who works with the animals on a daily basis.

Aaron Paulson currently serves as President of the Montana Bison Association and ranches on the Snowcrest Ranch in Southwestern Montana, one of several ranches owned by Turner Enterprises. Much of their bison meat is marketed nationally under the Great Range brand label at several retailers such as Costco.

As discussed in the podcast, many ranchers also make their meat products available locally. A sample of those offering bison meat and products locally in Montana are listed online.

Follow the Montana Bison Association on Facebook, or learn more on their website – MontanaBison.org.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Jan 19, 201717:59
Agriculture Proud 018 – Bison Ranching with National Bison Association

Agriculture Proud 018 – Bison Ranching with National Bison Association

On Episode 018 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast, I visit with Jim Matheson, Assistant Director of the National Bison Association. We discussed bison ranching in the United States, how this may differ from wild bison on public lands or even cattle ranching. We also touched on the growth of bison meat markets and how that meat fills demand for certain consumers.

You can learn more about bison ranching on NBA’s website – BisonCentral.com. The site also shares where you can find bison meat and a few recipes and tips for cooking bison. Be sure to connect with them on Facebook – National Bison Association.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Jan 17, 201712:38
Agriculture Proud 017 - Dave Thomas on Cattle Fly Control

Agriculture Proud 017 - Dave Thomas on Cattle Fly Control

You know that graduate student who gets the lucky draw to help with those “fun” summer projects? Yep, that was my role when I first met today’s podcast guest.

Now, to be honest, the summer project wasn’t too bad. I had the opportunity to help measure the results with a new fly tag project by taking photos of cattle each week for an entire summer. There are definitely worse ways to spend Monday mornings than stalking cows around pastures with camera in tow. Thank goodness there is technology to help count the flies in the pictures or I may have really gone cross-eyed.

On Episode 017 of the Agriculture Proud podcast, I am joined by Dave Thomas. He is the Dairy Insecticide Marketing Manager for Bayer Animal Health, based out of Tennessee. I was able to catch up with Dave on a recent trip to Kansas City when we sat down to talk about everything flies and fly control around cattle. I’ve received numerous reports of this being a particularly bad year for pinkeye in cattle, so it should be a relevant topic for many across the country.

While Dave’s current role focuses on fly control in dairy cattle, he has spent much of his life working around beef cattle, so we’re able to touch on both sides of the conversation.

It’s not all fly tags and pour on. There are many options for fly control and figuring out which is best may often depend on what your situation is – on season, environment or type of animal. It’s often best to use a combination of products instead of sticking with a lone fly control method.

Dave Thomas fills us in on the different types of fly control options out there and what you should look for when trying to choose which type is best for you. If you have any questions on this topic, leave them in the comments section below and we’ll work to get them answered.

To learn more, visit with your local University Extension livestock specialists.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Aug 03, 201620:19
Agriculture Proud 016 - Western Author on Sharing Your Story

Agriculture Proud 016 - Western Author on Sharing Your Story

For years, we’ve talked about sharing your story in the context of agriculture advocacy. Today, while there is an increasing number of agriculture advocates sharing their stories on blogs, that doesn’t mean we’re doing it in the most effective manner to reach the audience we truly would like to reach.

On Episode 016 of the Agriculture Proud podcast, I catch up with a fellow Montanan, Kari Lynn Dell. She’s a rancher and rodeo cowgirl, who happens to be an author. Kari has views of Glacier National Park from her house, doesn’t live far from the Canadian border and doesn’t think it abnormal to see snow most months of the year.

We talk a bit about ranching and rodeo, but quickly moved into some advice Kari can share from her experience as a writer. Agriculture bloggers are often quick to jump on the advocacy train with an agenda to their writing, but Kari proposes use of entertaining storytelling to draw your crowd in. I think she makes a good point a few of us (yes, myself included) could learn from to help reach outside the choir.

Kari uses a great non-agricultural example to describe this point. Check out Jenny Lawson’s book, Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things, and her accompanying blog – thebloggess.

You can find Kari Lynn Dell on her website, Facebook, Twitter and blog. You should also check out her book (released August 2) featuring a rodeo stock contractor and a behind the scenes look at rodeo life. You can find Reckless in Texas and all Kari’s books on Amazon.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at AgricultureProud.com/podcast.

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Jul 27, 201623:24
Agriculture Proud 015 – My Team Beef Story

Agriculture Proud 015 – My Team Beef Story

Episode 15 of the Agriculture Proud podcast brings a brief review of my Team Beef story, how I came to be involved in the program and tips for those who want to join in.

You can find out more about Team Beef programs in your state, by checking with your Beef Council or joining the Team Beef USA page on Facebook. For those of you in Montana, sign up for our awesome Team Beef Montana! And of course, I explain more about what the program is in this week’s podcast.

You should definitely check out my previous posts about Team Beef on the blog. You’ll see quite a few posts about the Montana Running Ranchers. This is a 12-member relay team I’m part of, primarily consisting of ranchers or those of us working with ranchers. Each year we participate in a 200-mile Ragnar Relay, which is a great opportunity to connect with thousands of other runners while sharing a great message about beef and ranching. This year we’re headed to Hawaii, October 14-15. Learn more about this event and how you can sponsor us on the Montana Running Ranchers’ Fundraising site.

In the podcast, I also mentioned the 30-day Protein Challenge as a great opportunity to evaluate what you’re eating and as a guide that helped me get back on track eating enough with balance as I’ve ramped up my mileage. Find more on my experience with the Protein Challenge in a previous post. Here’s a link to the MyFitnessPal app mentioned to track my food each day.

Give this week’s episode a listen and let me know what you think. I’m excited to share a piece of what has made running with Team Beef special. Hopefully, this will be the start of several Team Beef episodes where I can highlight a member in each state. I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Jul 20, 201615:14
Agriculture Proud 014 - Bayer Entomologist on Livestock Pests

Agriculture Proud 014 - Bayer Entomologist on Livestock Pests

I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t really care for my livestock entomology course in college. Fortunately for us, there are people who love the subject and work to study the flies and biting pests that we often find during these long, hot summer days.

On Episode 014 of the Agriculture Proud podcast, I sit down with Dr. Doug Ross, Technical Services Entomologist for Bayer Animal Health. Dr. Ross shares a little about the tools farmers and ranchers have to control these pests and how companies like Bayer work to make sure these products are used properly to ensure safety for our food, animals, humans and the environment.

For most of us, controlling flies around the house can be as simple as using a fly swatter or a quick trip to town for a product to use in the garden. For livestock farmers and ranchers, controlling these flies and pests can be a little more involved because pests can affect animal health, performance and even spread diseases.

As Dr. Ross shared, control for pests in livestock can fall under one of four different categories, or Defense Point: on the animal, facilities where livestock live, the environment outside facilities and treatment through feed.

This last category often refers to Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs), which are mixed into the animal’s feed, passes through to the manure and is then consumed by the insect to impact their growth, ultimately reducing their population. You may have heard of these IGRs as a pest control method. As Washington State University points out, compared with conventional pesticides, insect growth regulators are:

  • More selective
  • Less harmful to the environment
  • More compatible with biological controls
  • Less likely to be lost because of resistance

Several Land Grant Universities have resource pages with information about livestock pests in your area. Below are a few selections.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

 As a part of the Bayer blogger program, I am not compensated for sharing this information, but am thankful for Bayer Animal Health helping me contact experts on important topics impacting our cattle and livestock business today. As always, thoughts shared are my own. Learn more about Bayer’s efforts to support agriculture advocacy by joining the AgVocate Facebook group. 

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Jul 06, 201615:52
Agriculture Proud 013 - Kevin Boon on British Columbia Cattlemen

Agriculture Proud 013 - Kevin Boon on British Columbia Cattlemen

If you’ll recall on last week’s podcast, we visited with a younger rancher from British Columbia (Episode 012) after my trip to the BC Cattlemen’s Association Annual General Meeting in Penticton. This week we’ll continue with conversations from that meeting.

On Episode 013 of the Agriculture Proud podcast, I sit down with Kevin Boon. He’s General Manager of BCCA, based in Kamloops, BC. As I’ve had an opportunity to visit a few of these Canadian Association meetings during the past month, I find there is more in common with U.S. ranching than there are differences. Sure, there are differences in a few government policies and organizational structures, but ranchers are still dealing with many of the same issues.

So, it’s been a great chance to hear from some of these cattlemen and women and get their perspectives on the issues. It was also great to hear how the BCCA is working to ensure younger producers have their voices heard through better representation in the organization’s leadership roles.

It was great to meet Kevin and catch up with him. I hope you’ll take an opportunity to follow the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association online. Find them on Facebook and Twitter. Read more about my trip to BC in an earlier post.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Jun 22, 201625:56
Agriculture Proud 012 – Attorney-Rancher on Succession Planning and Food Trends

Agriculture Proud 012 – Attorney-Rancher on Succession Planning and Food Trends

On Episode 012 of the Agriculture Proud podcast, we’re headed north to British Columbia to discuss a number of topics with attorney and rancher, Ryan Scorgie, from Kamloops, British Columbia. I was able to catch up with Ryan during a recent trip to Penticton for the BC Cattlemen’s Annual General Meeting.

Succession planning is an important topic for many farmers and ranchers across the country as we prepare to pass the business from one generation to the next. Ryan shares his advice on how to start that planning process and where you can find resources for more information, including how the younger generations can be prepared for this planning discussion.

We also discussed Ryan’s role as a rancher in the community as he uses drones on the cattle operation and works with local researchers to evaluate methods for pain management in cattle. Ryan also pays close attention to trending topics on the food scene – grass-finished beef, being able to match our product to needs of consumer, and the need to educating consumers on what it means to be a cattle producer. It was definitely a diverse conversation, covering many topics, but I love the opportunity to share stories from farmers and ranchers, not only in the U.S., but including our neighbors to the north as well.

You can connect with Ryan Scorgie via his law firm’s website, forwardlaw.ca, or shoot him an email at rscorgie@forwardlaw.ca.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Jun 15, 201618:48
Agriculture Proud 011 – Ranch House Designs on Cattle Photography

Agriculture Proud 011 – Ranch House Designs on Cattle Photography

A few weeks ago (Episode 008), we discussed photography skills with Jenn Zeller, South Dakota Cowgirl, in the context of being out on the ranch for advocacy and sharing your story. This week, we take a little different approach to photography skills and turn our attention to capturing those sometimes hard-to-get photos of cattle on the ranch when you want to utilize images for online marketing or advocacy.

I’ve been receiving questions from several ranchers over the past few months as we’ve been selling cattle on AgriClear, so I figured this would be a very fitting topic. Summer is the perfect time to be capturing those photos of cattle with slick hair coats and green landscapes, even before you begin planning for fall or winter marketing.

On this week’s episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast, I’m joined by Rachel Cutrer, founder and CEO of Ranch House Designs. Rachel has strong roots in the ranching and cattle community, being part of the V8 Ranch, a premiere Brahman and Shorthorn breeder located in Texas. Over the years Rachel has taken her love and expertise for marketing to found Ranch House Designs.

During our conversation in this podcast episode, Rachel shares a bit of her expertise and some great tips for improving your use of these tools and capturing those hard to get photos of cattle. She also shares some advice for others who want to become more involved in the marketing end of the cattle business.

If you haven’t yet found Ranch House Designs, I certainly encourage you to find them on social media. They do a lot of work to help cattle producers utilize online tools to promote their businesses and advocacy work. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You should also follow their blog. A special thanks to RHD for including this page as a top agriculture blog to follow!

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Jun 08, 201620:33
Agriculture Proud 010 - Brian Scott on The Farmer's Life and Videos

Agriculture Proud 010 - Brian Scott on The Farmer's Life and Videos

It’s always a great day when farmers gather a great audience on social media when sharing their story. In recent weeks, Brian Scott has seen his audience grow multiple times over when he posted a video of his 6-year-old son operating the tractor during planting season. The video, posted on The Farmer’s Life Facebook page, has more than 5.4 million views to date.

On Episode 10 of the Agriculture Proud podcast, Brian Scott, farmer from Indiana and blogger at TheFarmersLife.com joins us to discuss how he has grown an audience of almost 43,000 on his Facebook page. Brian regularly shares the different activities throughout the changing seasons, often using his drone or gopro camera to capture new perspectives of farming and field work. In the podcast, Brian shares a few tips on how others can utilize these tools to share their life on the farm or ranch.

Brian joined me a few years ago on CNN where he discussed numerous hot topics on the farm. This evolved into one of his most popular posts ever where he explains his cropping agreement with Monsanto and growing GMOs on his family farm. Brian has been a guest on this blog previously, writing the popular Ask A Farmer: Why do farmers leave dying corn in fields?

You can connect with Brian on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and his blog.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Jun 01, 201619:19
Agriculture Proud 009 – Researcher on Montana Beef Cattle Extension

Agriculture Proud 009 – Researcher on Montana Beef Cattle Extension

I’ve always been a big supporter of our Land Grant University extension and research programs. Growing up in 4-H had me acquainted with their efforts from the start. Continuing education in the college of agriculture had a natural integration through my undergraduate years, and my graduate research program allowed me to dive even deeper working closely with a state Beef Cattle Extension Specialist. Today, I still work with these programs by volunteering on the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station State Advisory Council. So, am always excited to catch up with our Extension and Research faculty to help share the stories of their important contributions in the agriculture communities across the country. 

Episode 009 of the Agriculture Proud podcast features guest Dr. Megan Van Emon, Montana Beef Cattle Extension Specialist located in Miles City, Montana. Dr. Van Emon also works on a USDA-ARS research station, Fort Keogh, so she has the opportunity to serve and be involved in a number of great projects working for Montana cattle ranchers.

I recently caught up with Dr. Van Emon to learn more about her story becoming involved in the agriculture community. Like me, she moved West to follow a passion for working with ranchers who are great stewards of our land, raising some amazing cattle.

The Montana State University Beef Extension team does a great job making their research findings available online for users to find and share. You can follow their Facebook page – Montana State University Beef Cattle Extension – to find their updates. They have also set up a website where we can easily access the annual College of Agriculture and Extension Research Report to stay informed about their latest research work.

Be sure to connect with Dr. Van Emon on Twitter (show some love so she’ll tweet a bit more!) and you can find her contact information here. You can definitely tell she has a passion for working with ranchers and helping others learn more about our favorite topic – beef cattle ranching.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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May 25, 201617:27
Agriculture Proud 008 - South Dakota Cowgirl on Advocacy and Photography

Agriculture Proud 008 - South Dakota Cowgirl on Advocacy and Photography

Have you met likely the most popular rancher on Instagram. Jenn Zeller is the guest for Episode 008 of the Agriculture Proud podcast. I always have fun catching up with Jenn, so I am excited to have her on the podcast to share a bit of her story and knowledge. Jenn has been recognized by Instagram for her work in sharing the experiences of ranch life through photography.

In this episode, Jenn shares a few tips for those of us who would like to improve our photography skills and what to avoid when you’re capturing scenes on the farm and ranch. She does a great job of explaining the basics of what to look at for those of us less-advanced with the camera. Also, Jenn has a great story to share in moving from the Dallas area to rural South Dakota. She loves working with horses and cattle and was excited to take her story to Los Angeles with Instagram last year. I think you’ll really enjoy this story.

Be sure to catch up with Jenn online. She can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, as well as writing for her blog (thesouthdakotacowgirl.com) and CavvySavvy.com.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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May 05, 201627:39
Agriculture Proud 007 - World Wildlife Fund on Sustainable Ranching

Agriculture Proud 007 - World Wildlife Fund on Sustainable Ranching

Happy Earth Day this week! I hope you celebrate by sharing more about the work our farmers and ranchers are doing to conserve our environment and be more sustainable in maintaining our open spaces. On Episode 007 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast I feature a conservation group you may have heard about, but may not have connected with the farming and ranching community.

In this week’s episode, I am joined by Jesse Tufte and Nancy Labbe of the World Wildlife Fund. Both of these gals work with WWF’s Sustainable Ranching Initiative, which works “to establish a productive dialogue between conservation interests and the ranching community in the Northern Great Plains; driven by the goal of maintaining grasslands by ensuring that ranching stays viable and sustainable.” I was first introduced to this program while working with the Montana Stockgrowers Association. WWF expressed interest in and continued to work with us to enhance Montana’s Environmental Stewardship Award Program which works to recognize ranchers who do great work in the areas of environmental sustainability, conservation and stewardship work.

While many in the farming and ranching community may not immediately recognize it, we do a great deal of work in these areas. The WWF has been working with ranchers to identify tools and measure their efforts toward greater sustainability. I had a great conversation with Jesse and Nancy and even learned a thing or two. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Be sure to visit their website to learn more – WorldWildlife.org/ranching.

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Apr 20, 201625:43
Agriculture Proud 006 - Bayer Veterinarian on Bovine Respiratory Disease

Agriculture Proud 006 - Bayer Veterinarian on Bovine Respiratory Disease

BRD. Google results tell me this is Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Germany’s official name. But that’s about all I know in German history. BRD in my life actually stands for Bovine Respiratory Disease.

On this week’s episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast, I catch up with Dr. Jim Little, a technical services veterinarian with Bayer Animal Health to discuss more about this disease – BRD, which has more than a $1 billion impact annually on the cattle business.

This disease may commonly affect cattle considered “high-risk” stemming from factors of “commingling with other animals, transportation stress, immune status, nutritional condition, environment conditions, and the skill level of management to diagnose cattle displaying symptoms of BRD” (Richeson, 2008).

BRD does have a major impact on health, efficiency, and performance of stocker and feeder calves. According to research from Snowder et al. (2006), BRD has a large impact on both stocker and feeder calves, with 13% and 17%, respectively, of calves being affected by the disease. Costs of the disease include not only treatment, but also losses in performance and, in some cases, death. You can read more in-depth stats about BRD in a previous post.

Dr. Little shares some background on BRD, as well as some prevention strategies farmers and ranchers can utilize. Bayer has also continued to bring more tools to the table for treatment of the BRD and we’ll touch on a few of those. Links for more information shared in the podcast include:

As a part of the Bayer blogger program, I am not compensated for sharing this information, but am thankful for Bayer Animal Health helping me contact experts on important topics impacting our cattle and livestock business today. As always, thoughts shared are my own. Learn more about Bayer’s efforts to support agriculture advocacy by joining the AgVocate Facebook group.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Apr 06, 201624:45
Agriculture Proud 005 - Sarah Bohnenkamp Millennial Leadership Coach

Agriculture Proud 005 - Sarah Bohnenkamp Millennial Leadership Coach

Episode 005 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast takes us to Colorado for a visit with Sarah Bohnenkamp. Sarah is a leadership coach who works with and helps us work with millennials. I met Sarah a few years back working with the American National CattleWomen’s Beef Ambassador program and we’ve kept in touch over the years. She’s a gal full of energy and some great advice who can help all of us better understand our own leadership skills and work better with those around us – even on farms and ranches.

 Currently, I’m working with Sarah to put on a Leadership Series in conjunction with the Montana Stockgrowers Association as we work with a group of young ranchers throughout the year to be better leaders in their communities and in their careers.

Sarah also helps me address a question submitted by readers. How do we respond to friends and relatives when disagreement arises surrounding controversial topics – such as GMOs, antibiotics in meat, etc.? We want to preserve those relationships, but it’s not always the easiest conversation to address. Sarah gives us some great advice to help with these situations.

You can find Sarah Bohnenkamp online at sarahjos.com or on FacebookTwitter, Instagram and Periscope!

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Mar 23, 201629:51
Agriculture Proud 004 – Montana Ranchers on Working With Youth and Being Involved

Agriculture Proud 004 – Montana Ranchers on Working With Youth and Being Involved

 Episode 004 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast features a discussion with a ranching couple from far northern Montana. Do you remember the fluffy cow craze a few years ago? The subjects of today’s podcast raise this type of cattle and are a great ranch couple to learn from and spend time with!

Butch and Doreen Gillespie raise club calves for youth participating in livestock programs across the country. The Gillespies have been involved in agriculture across the globe and are very involved in their local and state organizations.

This was definitely a fun conversation to have and I learn something every time I sit down with Butch and Doreen. They have a great passion for their role in the agriculture community, are always looking for opportunities to continuing their education and to give back to youth programs.

You can find them on Facebook at Gillespie Show Cattle and at GillespieShowCattle.com. You can also learn more about their local organization, Marias River Livestock Association.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Mar 09, 201620:50
Agriculture Proud 003 – Veterinarian on Antibiotics Use in Livestock

Agriculture Proud 003 – Veterinarian on Antibiotics Use in Livestock

 Episode 003 of the Agriculture Proud Podcast features a discussion on a hot topic for both consumers and agriculture producers today. At the end of 2016, we will see the mandatory implementation of rules that will change how antibiotics are used in livestock. Veterinary Feed Directives (VFDs) are a result of changes to FDA’s Guidances #209 and #213, which were finalized in the summer of 2015. Information about the changes can be found on the FDA’s website.

In this this podcast episode, I pull a file out of the archives from my time with MSGA, and have a conversation with Dr. Bruce Hoffman of Elanco Animal Health. Dr. Hoffman does a good job of addressing the larger context of issues surrounding antibiotics use in livestock today, how this use relates to consumer concerns about food safety, and gives us good tips on how to prepare for pending changes for antibiotics use.

A few important points to pull out of our conversation regarding antibiotics and Veterinary Feed Directives:

  1. VFDs will not be difficult to comply with if we prepare for and become familiar with the requirements.
  2. These changes affect shared class antibiotics.
  3. Livestock producers still have the ability to use antibiotics for the use of control, treatment and prevention of diseases.
  4. These changes will encourage a better working relationship between producers, veterinarians and nutritionists.
  5. Producers should take this as an opportunity to learn more about antibiotic messaging and consumer concerns on the topic.

More information about VFDs can be found in the VFD Central section at Feedstuffs.com. Learn more about the implementation of VFDs here.

You can also learn more about Elanco’s work to address global hunger at EnoughMovement.com. (that address is a correction after the audio was recorded)

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Feb 24, 201618:23
Agriculture Proud 002 - Race King on Ranching in Southwest Montana

Agriculture Proud 002 - Race King on Ranching in Southwest Montana

 This week’s episode of the Agriculture Proud Podcast features a rancher from Dillon, Montana. Race King and his family manage the La Cense Montana ranch, which spans 88,000 acres in southwest Montana. According to their website, “the ranch is located just east of the Continental Divide, on the northwestern edge of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and its highest point (Gallagher Peak) rises 8,477 feet above sea level. La Cense Montana’s headquarters enjoys panoramic views of the Blacktail Mountains from our state-of-the-art facilities. There is a 60,000-square-foot indoor riding arena, two large outdoor arenas, livestock working facilities, and 3,500 irrigated acres of pasture that are 5,300 feet above sea level.”

Race King has been very involved in the ranching business, is a quiet guy, but if you get to know him, he has some great stories to share. I sat down with Race at the recent Winter Grazing Seminar in Missoula to discuss some of the challenges of ranching in a mountainous, dry climate.

A few of the topics discussed in the podcast:

  • Grazing year round in a dry, cold winter climate
  • Ranching on public lands, including working with the Bureau of Land Management
  • Coexisting with wildlife, working to be sustainable and conserve the environment
  • Managing cattle around wildlife and the threat of diseases like Brucellosis
  • A conversation with a vegan at a San Francisco meat counter
  • Listening to consumer concerns and adapting ranch management
  • “Progress is made from the insight of those outside the box”
  • Being a leader in the ranching business through involvement

Learn more about the La Cense Montana ranch on their website. Be sure to check out their Vimeo page for great videos from the ranch. Let me know what you think of Race’s comments or if you have any additional questions for him!

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.

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Feb 10, 201619:39
Agriculture Proud 001 - Janice Person on GMO Conversations

Agriculture Proud 001 - Janice Person on GMO Conversations

 Janice Person is a great friend to many people in the agriculture world. She’s passionate about cotton and loves people. Janice blogs at janiceperson.com (now HundredPercentCotton.com) and you can find her as @JPlovescotton on Twitter, and Instagram. If you haven’t investigated her Cotton 101 series, you’re missing out on some cool knowledge about a neat plant.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit with Janice about a few of the topics she’s not only passionate about, but intimately knows and loves. During her visit to Montana, I asked Janice about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and where we can find resources to learn more about the topics. We also discussed how to handle controversial topics and a bit about sugar beet farming and how GMO technology has been so important to those farmers and their ability to continue doing business.

Janice shared with us two resources to learn more about Genetically Modified Organisms.

  • GMOanswers.com – a great place to find resources and perspectives of experts in the field.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out the show notes for all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast. (this episode originally aired in January 2016)

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Jan 16, 201614:37