Vets In Ag Podcast

Oct 23 2024 10 ep. 44 mins 2

Vets In Ag Podcast artwork

We explore the stories and insights from the military veteran and supporter communities who are leading the way for vets in agribusiness, agtech, and agri-preneurship. We swap stories, talk ag, and show how grass-roots nature of the ag community can be a natural fit for the military veteran.

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#63 – James “Jeff” Jeffers (US Army) – F.A.R.M.

Oct 23 2024 42 mins

Our guest on this episode, Jeff Jeffers, could pinpoint the exact moment he knew farming was the career for him following military service. It came after a retreat with the Farmer Veteran Coalition and in the car ride home, Jeff looked over at this soon-to-be co-founder, Steve, and said, “We’re gonna be freakin’ farmers”. James “Jeff” Jeffers is the co-founder of a n

#62 – Elmar Guseyn-Zade (US Army) – Cargill

Aug 19 2024 41 mins

"Every one of these roles throughout my career on the civilian side gave me a certain experience I needed to pursue my journey to run a business.” Growing up in the suburbs outside St. Paul, Elmar knew early on he wanted to serve in the military. The events of 9/11 at the beginning of his college years nearly shook him off his path, but he stayed the course and finished his un

#61 – Ken Smith (USN) – Savory Institute

Jun 14 2024 47 mins

"To me, the question of a changing climate is not a political question. But I became very aware that the people in my generation who right now have both the political and economic authority, don't have the political or economic will to make those changes. So I thought, ok, think globally, but act locally. Is there actually something that I can do?” Our guest this week is Ken S

#60 – Ben Martin (USMC) and Leanne Babcock (USAF) – Dauntless Veteran Foundation

May 19 2024 42 mins

“The wine starts the conversation. It brings people in and sets them up for what we’re really trying to do, which is support our community through agriculture.” This was a beautifully simple explanation by one of our guests describing how a for-profit entity can not only enable a non-profit effort but can also serve as a funnel to drive like-minded individuals towards a co

#59 – Will Foster (British Army) – Ben Burgess and Co.

May 13 2024 46 mins

“Only 7% of all technical information is transmitted through the verbal word. Everything else is done through body language, rhythm speed, volume, intonation, etc.” But what do verbal and non-verbal communication have to do with veterans in agriculture? Our guest this week on the #VetsIn Ag podcast referenced this quote while describing his own transition into the private

#58 – Greg Putnam (US Navy) – Little Belt Cattle Co

Mar 04 2024 41 mins

It sucks to suck Our guest for this week is Greg Putnam, President and Co-Founder at Little Belt Cattle Co, a Montana-based cattle ranch which provides sustainably-raised, 100% Montana beef to the local markets in Bozeman and Big Sky. After spending some time working in the outdoor industry after college, Greg decided it was now or never to join the military. After a success

#57 – Joshua Morris (US Army) – Cold Spring Farm

Feb 08 2024 46 mins

If you can identify the most worthy goal for you personally, why would you do anything else? This is the fourth episode in our multi-part series sponsored by Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), a national non-profit organization mobilizing veterans to feed America and transition from military service to careers in agriculture. This series will showcase unique partnerships between FV

#56 – Liz Riffle (US Navy) – Riffle Farms

Jan 17 2024 43 mins

"I try to live everyday to the fullest" Our guest this week is Liz Riffle, owner/operator at Riffle Farms, the first commercial bison operation in the state of West Virginia authorized to field harvest animals for sale as individual cuts. Liz’s journey from growing up in a small-town in New Hampshire after the fast-paced life of moving around the country with her Navy pilot fa

#55 – Malissa Burgess – Analytic Acquisitions

Dec 19 2023 51 mins

This is the third episode in our multi-part series sponsored by Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), a national non-profit organization mobilizing veterans to feed America and transition from military service to careers in agriculture. This series will showcase unique partnerships between FVC and several organizations offering programs and support for military veterans in agriculture.

#54 – Episode 2 – Sawyer Clark (US Army) – Gold Leaf Farming

Dec 07 2023 39 mins

This is the second installment in our two-part episode with Sawyer Clark from Gold Leaf Farming. In the previous episode, Sawyer and I talked about his early farming experiences in Oregon, his activity duty Army time, and his transition from military service into business school before landing at Gold Leaf. In this episode, Sawyer and I dive into the details about Gold Leaf Far