Off-farm Income

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS:  It has been five years since I had a real estate professional on the show to discuss buying your first farm and some of the pitfalls to avoid.  I decided that it was high time to do that again and began searching for the right guest to have on the show.  It turned out that the perfect guest lives just a few miles away from me. In this episode I am interviewing Boise's own, Skye Root.  Skye grew up on a farm in Burns, Oregon and has spent a lot of time since then working in agriculture.  Whether it was dealing with water issues in West Texas or acquiring agricultural land for pension funds, Skye has built up a vast amount of professional experience. For the past two years Skye has been working for himself at Root Agricultural Advisory.  He has four pillars of revenue generation in his business, including being an agricultural real estate broker and farm manager.  In this episode he will explain exactly what he does, an

SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS: Today will our second installment talking about pricing and “is profit evil?”  I did that for a reason.  This is a question that has come up several times.  It came up for me in my business.  It has come up with guests that I have interviewed on the show.  And, it is has come up from people who are working in my industry who have since gone out of business. The fact that they went out of business is a hint as to how important this issue is.  By being generous or being nice, rather than pricing their products or services correctly, they are now out of business and not sharing their gifts with the rest of the world.  This is not a sustainable way of doing business. We need to be concerned with sustainability, business sustainability.  If we use entrepreneurship to support our farming or rural lifestyle and the business fails, then we lose the lifestyle.  So, it is important that we price our goods or services in a way that will sustain our business.  Otherwise, all of the positive impac

INTRODUCING SYDNEY BERQUIST! The West is a big, big place.  If you never have driven 100+ miles between towns without seeing a house or any other service, then you don't really understand the scope of the West. When it comes to ranching out here, there is a lot of ground that can support cattle and sheep during the summer but not in the winter.  So, ranchers move large amounts of livestock to this high country for summer time grazing, and they end up with cattle spread across multiple areas and multiple states. Today's guest, Sydney Berquist, is part of a cattle ranching family that runs cattle in this way.  Syndey is growing up with this as her life, and she has developed a love for it.  Her days are taken up by her 40 mile drive to school, attending classes, high school rodeo, FFA, raising her own flock of ewes and working on her families ranch.  She is busy, and she doesn't mind at all. Sydney's love of this life is what is driving her to great accomplishments and big goals.  She has won a state profic

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: I have a new fox killing chickens at my farm....this seems like it will alway be an issue here.  In today's episode I will update you on this, new pigs, waiting on a Covid test and our fair's virtual auction. Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:   Member Of The National Association Of Farm Broadcasters

SHOW NOTES INTRODUCING DAX DELOZIER! Everyone knows that when you are young you are full of energy.  We can all look back and wish that we still had the stamina and energy that we did when we were in high school.  Finding an outlet for that energy is the challenge of both parents and school teachers.  Putting a teenager in the FFA is a great way to come up with many opportunities that can help outlet that energy. Today's guest, Dax Delozier, is the son of an FFA advisor, a farmer and an entrepreneur.  Through his time in the FFA and agriculture he has found outlets for this energy.  Between raising beef cattle with his family, raising pigs on his own and selling show supplies from a trailer that he pulls to shows, Dax is staying very busy. Dax's energy led him to a 3rd place finish in his state's 2020 proficiency awards in beef production.  His roots in beef production runs deep, going all the way back to 1889 when his family homesteaded the land that he lives on today. If all of this was not enough, Dax h

SHOW NOTES Thanks for joining me for another bonus episode about rural crime.  We hope you enjoy it! In our bonus episode on rural crime this week, I don't really touch on rural crime at all.  I wanted to take the time to address this issue of whether or not federal law enforcement can come into a city like Portland, Oregon to protect federal assets from anarchists or go into Chicago to deal with gang and firearm violence. I ended up talking about this for over an hour, so that is all we have this week.  I hope you find it interesting. Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:   Member Of The National Association Of Farm Broadcasters

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS:  I love cattle but will admit that I don't think any type of livestock creates passion in people as much as horses.  There is just something special about the relationship that people have with horses and that horses develop with people.  It is this passion and love for this animal that leads so many people to purchase properties, purchase horses and spend a lot of money on what ends up being a hobby. Horses are an expensive hobby, but what if they could be your full-time job and income source?  There are several people throughout the country who love horses but have looked at having them through the lens of entrepreneurship and found a way to combine their love of being around horses with paying the bills. In today's episode I am going to interview Liz Cornell.  Liz and her husband own provenequine.com where they sell supplements and other products for horses.  In addition to this, Liz has received several certificati

SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS: Today we will be talking about pricing and “is profit evil?”  I did that for a reason.  This is a question that has come up several times.  It came up for me in my business.  It has come up with guests that I have interviewed on the show.  And, it is has come up from people who are working in my industry who have since gone out of business. The fact that they went out of business is a hint as to how important this issue is.  By being generous or being nice, rather than pricing their products or services correctly, they are now out of business and not sharing their gifts with the rest of the world.  This is not a sustainable way of doing business. We need to be concerned with sustainability, business sustainability.  If we use entrepreneurship to support our farming or rural lifestyle and the business fails, then we lose the lifestyle.  So, it is important that we price our goods or services in a way that will sustain our business.  Otherwise, all of the positive impact we could have h

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: SHOW NOTES INTRODUCING ABIGAIL VAN KLAVEREN!  I get to profile a lot of multi-generational farms on the Off-Farm Income Podcast, but today's episode is the first time that I am able to profile a farm that started in Europe and made its way to the United States. Abby Van Klaveren and her family run a commercial nursery called "Generation Growers" in Modesto, California.  They supply plants to different retail outlets and for landscaping companies, etc.  This story did not being in the San Joaquin Valley of California however.  It began among the windmills and low lying areas of Holland, several generations ago. The nursery business has been in Abby's family for generations and it survived a move across an ocean and across a continent.  Today Abby fully intends to continue the tradition in the future. Her dedication to this is demonstrated by her state proficiency win and national finalist ranking in nursery operations. Abby will be heading o

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: We all have projects on our farms that we never seem to get to, or it just seems like to much of a hassle to do.  Frequently, when we have a project that we just cannot seem to get to it is not because we don't have the time for the project itself.  It is because we don't have time to do all the work that needs to be done so we can start the project! I call this friction, and that is what today's episode is about.  What can we do on our farms to remove friction so that when it is time to do a project it doesn't seem like such a daunting task?  And, how can this removal of friction help to make our time on the farm more pleasurable and rewarding? Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:   Member Of The National Association Of Farm Broadcasters

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: SHOW NOTES INTRODUCING BRI LEVISAY!  In every FFA episode of the Off-Farm Income Podcast I have the guest acknowledge their FFA Advisors.  I do this because over the past five years of creating this show and getting to know the inner-workings of the FFA better and better, I have seen how devoted advisors are to their students.  I know that there are many teachers throughout the United States who are devoted to their pupils, but as a group I don't know of any who are more devoted than FFA advisors. In today's episode I get to speak with a very impressive young lady named Bri Levisay.  Bri is well on her way now.  She has served as vice-president of her chapter, she has her own business boarding dogs and she is a state proficiency winner in small animal entrepreneurship. In the development of her business Bri was in the right place at the right time.  A dog boarding business that she was working for was going out of business, and customers sta

SHOW NOTES Thanks for joining me for another bonus episode about rural crime.  We hope you enjoy it! Holster Recommended By Matt: Links To Articles Cited: Rural Crime In The U.S. https://www.kwqc.com/2020/07/11/search-for-missing-10-year-old-breasia-terrell-continues-saturday/ https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/one-dead-in-shooting-in-rural-hanover-ill/ https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/more-vehicles-recovered-in-major-4-wheeler-theft-operation https://www.winknews.com/2020/07/10/investigators-search-for-those-responsible-for-slaughtering-horse-near-immokalee/ Where The 2nd Amendment Does Not Exist https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/canola-theft-murray-busslinger-brooke-patton-ward-toma-1.5651435?fbclid=IwAR0VEo3eT2Cqk8wBGd5jqTKCWliTTEuh1QbgfmWNz7Gs5E76Pf7AanG0OBY https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/police-warning-after-500-dog-4326988 https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/warning-after-spike-in-tractor-gps-thefts-on-farms https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-53

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS:  We should all strive to be good citizens, neighbors and community members.  Today's interview with Anthony Karhoff is a definite reminder of this as shown by the incredible example that he demonstrates. I found Anthony's name, or actually his business name, through an article that I read online.  The article indicated that his small business, Rescue Me Lawncare & Pure Honey, was going to be purchasing the fair projects of 4H and FFA members from his area of Michigan who had their fairs canceled due to the Coronavirus. I appreciated what I had read so much that I wanted to profile Anthony's small business on the show.  However, his willingness to support these 4H and FFA members was just the tip of the iceberg.  During the interview I found out that Anthony also serves his community as a county supervisor, and he is a volunteer firefighter.  I don't know how he finds time for all of it while working night shift and bui

SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS: Audrey Levatino is the author of Woman-Powered Farm: Manual for a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle from Homestead to Field.  This is a book that I was intrigued by when I first heard of it, and I knew that I would want to have Audrey on the show.  I initially got the book so that I could read it prior to interviewing Audrey.  However, it turned out to be much more than work.  I could not put the book down. If you have an interest or passion for farming, this book is for you - man or woman.  Audrey's stories, writing style and coverage of a wide breadth of issues that come with running your own farm will inspire you to either get moving or keep moving.  Audrey covers a multitude of issues.  Everything from what tools to buy to how to protect your small livestock are covered.  She even breaks down income potential by the size of the ground you own or have access to, and the most profitable business possible on that size of ground. Audrey was a great pleasure to speak with, and I continued to be i

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: SHOW NOTES INTRODUCING SAM TOWNSEND!  We talk about this all the time.  If you are not going into agriculture there is still a place for you in the FFA.  But if you come from a non-farming background, do you fit in? In episode #855 I was able to interview a student who had this exact experience and ask him this exact question.  And of course, his answer was what I was expecting.  He absolutely still fit in. Sam Townsend is coming on the show to talk about his unique experience in the FFA, working in landscaping and how that has shaped his outlook on being involved in business going forward.  We will also discuss changing majors in college and how it is alright to not be exactly sure of what you want to do when you first start out in college. Sam will also discuss how the FFA has forever shaped him, and we will talk about achieving proficiency awards at both the state and national levels. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Landscaping HIG

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: Today I am going to revisit an old story and old topic that really was the inspiration for me to start the Off-Farm Income Podcast. On this Tuesday Edition Episode we will be talking about why entrepreneurship is so important to those of us looking to farm.  And we will discuss how this can help us keep our farm dreams from turning into a nightmare of one more thing we have to do during the day before we can have the time we need for ourselves. Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:   Member Of The National Association Of Farm Broadcasters

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: SHOW NOTES INTRODUCING JUAN RAMIREZ!  Way back when I first started profiling FFA students on this show I did an interview with Katie Pinke.  She had written an article called "Cows Not Required, 7 Reasons Why Your Kids Should Participate In The FFA".  This article was definitely one of the reasons that I chose to interview FFA students on the show. During the interview Katie talked about her time in the private sector and how she hired new employees.  She told me that if she saw "FFA" on the resume, those people automatically got an interview because she knew what types of character and values they had been taught.  In the past five years since that interview, I have come to know this to be more true than we ever thought during that interview. In today's episode I am profiling a young man who exemplifies exactly what Katie was talking about, and what I have learned over and over. Juan Ramirez lives in American Falls, which is on the other

SHOW NOTES A "not so quick" bonus episode on rural crime this week.  This is just something that I have been wanting to do and to talk about.  I hope you enjoy this episode as I explore this rarely talked about issue. Links To Articles Cited: https://poststar.com/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/police-vermont-man-faces-66-more-charges-in-farm-related-fraud-case/article_f13d6856-326b-5794-89df-85d7e81d8e6e.html https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/crime/farm-gate-rammed-during-machinery-theft https://www.airdrietoday.com/rocky-view-news/voluntary-civilian-corps-proposed-to-reduce-rural-crime-2535739 https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/05/rural-crime-in-britain-hits-seven-year-high https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/number-targeted-by-violent-theft-has-trebled-in-past-four-years-1.4299182 Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:   Member Of The National Association Of Farm Broadcasters

Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS:  Never before have I seen the business of photography broken down the way today's guest does it.  Everything that I have ever taught on this show is proven by the advice that Todd Klassy has to develop a photography business. Among other things, he discusses: Finding A Niche Relocating To Where The Work Is And Where It Is Sustainable Creating The Product Is Only 10% Of The Work Much, Much More If you have an interest in photography and would love for this to be your full-time source of Off-Farm Income, this is a "can't miss" episode.  What is unique about where you are farming right now?  Or, where could you move that would offer you affordable farm ground and a niche that would set you apart as a photographer? Links To Todd Klassy's Work: https://todd-klassy.pixels.com https://www.toddklassy.com/about Photos In Ag: LINK Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:   Member Of The Natio

SHOW NOTES KEY IDEAS: Clint Locklear is the owner of Predator Control Group.  He also hosts a podcast at trappingradio2.com.  Clint is a master trapper, but he is also a master business owner and developer.  Interestingly, Clint is now expanding into agricultural pursuits in the off season from trapping.  Clint has grown his love of passion, and his early pursuits of a business of trapping into a thriving information and products business. In this episode Clint outlines how he used "stacking" to turn his love of trapping into a six figure trapping, product sales and intellectual property business.  Clint also talks about how he escaped a job (actually a business) that was not fulfilling him and found work that he loves and was passionate about. Also, we illustrate a couple of different ways that a person who wants to farm could use trapping to supplement their farm income, allowing them to live in a rural area and not commute to the city.  From helping other farmers with nuisance animals or predators, to goin