The Spokesman Speaks: Ag Insights for Your Farm and Family
Since 1934, The Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman has been Iowa’s leading agriculture news source, and today it has the largest readership of any ag newspaper in Iowa. While The Spokesman newspaper is available exclusively to Iowa Farm Bureau members, The Spokesman Speaks podcast is available publicly, providing the ag news and farmer education that matter most.
Episodes
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In Episode 104 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast, we talk with Amie Merz (an account manager ...
Welcome to Episode 103 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast, which features three guests. Central Iowa farm couple Eric and Deb Finch explain how they got into the meat goat business (almost by accident) nearly 20 years ago, and they share their advice for other farmers who are exploring that niche market. And Adam Koppes of Iowa Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa program shares the unique services that Farm Bureau offers rural entrepreneur...
Welcome to Episode 102 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, longtime water quality expert Shawn Richmond (who has 25 years of experience across academia, government, and the private sector) shares the results of Iowa farmers' conservation efforts (past and present). And motivational speaker Matt Booth shares his advice for effective goal setting.
Welcome to Episode 101 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. Spring is a time for new farm projects and taking stock of things. The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers helps livestock farmers enhance neighbor relations, site new livestock facilities, implement best management practices (like planting trees and windbreaks), and interpret more than 250 pages of rules and regulations. In this episode, Brian Waddingham (Executive Director o...
Welcome to Episode 100 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Dr. Dennis Todey (Director of the USDA's Midwest Climate Hub) provides a planting/growing season forecast. And Brent Johnson joins us to discuss his first four months as Iowa Farm Bureau president, along with a couple of topics that he knows well: precision agriculture technology and conservation.
Welcome to Episode 99 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Janis Hochstetler (a food safety and labeling coordinator for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Meat and Poultry Inspection Bureau) shares the first steps livestock farmers should take if they're interested in marketing directly to consumers. Then you'll hear from two young ag entrepreneurs who launched their own successful direc...
Welcome to Episode 98 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Cedar County row-crop farmer Noah Coppess shares his tips for building strong relationships with landowners. And Brian Waddingham (Executive Director of the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers) shares some tangible reasons for livestock farmers to plant trees, along with trends he's seeing in Iowa's livestock industry.
Resources mentioned in this ep...
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Welcome to Episode 95 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, we talk with American Farm Bureau economist Shelby Myers about private sector carbon credit markets. We also speak with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley about the outlook for international ag trade.
Resource mentioned in this episode:
Welcome to Episode 94 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Iowa Farm Bureau State Policy Advisor Kevin Kuhle discusses Farm Bureau's priorities for the 2022 Iowa Legislative Session. And Andrew McCrea shares his tips for revitalizing your rural community. McCrea is an Oscar-winning broadcaster, author, farmer and community leader who has studied successful small towns across America.
Welcome to Episode 93 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, we introduce you to the new president of Iowa Farm Bureau: Brent Johnson of Calhoun County. We also welcome on Sam Kieffer (Vice President of Public Affairs for the American Farm Bureau) to talk about some of Farm Bureau's national policy priorities in 2022.
Welcome to Episode 92 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Greg Peterson (better known as Machinery Pete) discusses the wild market for used farm equipment, and Dr. Wendong Zhang (an economist at Iowa State University) shares his read on the current trade relationship between the U.S. and China.
Resource mentioned in this episode
Welcome to Episode 91 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast, which is also Part 3 of our special 3-part podcast series with three farmers who are receiving Iowa Farm Bureau’s 2021 Young Farmer Leadership Award: Michael McEnany of Story County, Megan Kregel of Clayton County, and Cordt Holub of Tama County.
Part 1 (released December 6) features Michael McEnany.
Part 2 (released December 7) features Megan Kregel.
Part 3 (released Decembe...
Welcome to Episode 90 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast, which is also Part 2 of our special 3-part podcast series with three farmers who are receiving Iowa Farm Bureau’s 2021 Young Farmer Leadership Award: Michael McEnany of Story County, Megan Kregel of Clayton County, and Cordt Holub of Tama County.
Part 1 (released December 6) features Michael McEnany.
Part 2 (released December 7) features Megan Kregel.
Part 3 (to be released D...
Welcome to Episode 89 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast, which is also Part 1 of our special 3-part podcast series with three farmers who are receiving Iowa Farm Bureau’s 2021 Young Farmer Leadership Award: Michael McEnany of Story County, Megan Kregel of Clayton County, and Cordt Holub of Tama County.
Part 1 (released December 6) features Michael McEnany.
Part 2 (to be released December 7) features Megan Kregel.
Part 3 (to be rele...
Welcome to Episode 88 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Dr. Wendong Zhang (an Iowa State University economics professor) shares the factors driving rising farmland practices in Iowa, Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill reflects on Farm Bureau's work (as Hill wraps up his final term as president), and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig introduces a new grant program for farmers who are looking to diversify...
Welcome to Episode 87 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. This episode digs into agriculture’s current supply chain disruptions, with Iowa State economist Dr. Bobby Martens (an expert in supply chain management). The episode also features an interview with Ed Kordick (Iowa Farm Bureau’s Farmer Education Program Manager) about a new series of webinars to help farmers elevate their grain marketing abilities.
Resources mentioned in this ...
Welcome to Episode 86 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. This episode features tips for managing your farm’s income taxes in 2021, from Kristine Tidgren (Director of the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation at Iowa State University). It also includes a conversation with Dustin Petty of BASE, about a service that helps farmers manage their health care expenses in a way that helps them save on their taxes.
Resources mentioned in th...
Welcome to Episode 85 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. This episode features a peek inside Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with Dr. Daniel Robison (dean of the college).
Resource mentioned in this episode:
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