Morgan and Ashley were able to catch up with Jacob Gilley at Virginia Farm Bureau Young Farmer's Winter Expo back in February to chat about land acquisition. As a first generation farmer himself, Jacob shares how relationship building is at the core of any opportunity for land access. He shares not only personal examples of how he and his wife have initiated these relationships, but also provides resources through his off-farm job at American Farmland Trust. Share your thoughts on our social media at vafbyoungfarmers or email us at vayoungfarmerspodcast@gmail.com ..read more

Argh-- tax season! Doc White, professor at Virginia Tech, shares what is the most logical during tax season. He also shares some key successes to personal finance that will aid you in building your agribusiness. Listen closely for common mistakes that happen with young farmers and some deeper dives in ag. finance for those who feel they have it down.  Share your thoughts on our social media at vafbyoungfarmers or email us at vayoungfarmerspodcast@gmail.com ..read more

It is a question that seems to be the frequent elephant in the room among many farming families: "What does the future of the farm look like and how do I fit into that picture?" While the topic of farm transition sounds overwhelming,  complicated, and downright scary, having a succession plan can help farm businesses smoothly transition ownership and/or responsibilities in a way that keeps the agriculture industry - and the families that operate it - viable. Morgan caught up with Dick Wittman, from Wittman Consulting, and Rachel Henley, with Virginia Cooperative Extension, to talk throu ..read more

Amanda Radke has always been an advocate for our industry. She travels across the country speaking to agriculturalists, consults cattle families, writes children’s books, hosts the podcast, Heart of Rural America, and so much more. She went down in history as the brave FFA member who led a walk-out during a Carrie Underwood concert at FFA National Convention due to false message around animal agriculture, all while winning a national public speaking contest.  In this podcast, Amanda gives advice on how advocate while being authentic and holding your family close. You need to listen if you ..read more

Picture this: it's mid-morning in Southwest Virginia. The light fog is rising. The October foliage is starting to transition to red and orange. It's sale day at Point Pleasant Angus, and the cattle are calling back and forth to each other as they stand on display. This was the backdrop for this episode and it set the tone for this two-part episode with CK6 Consulting. In this first segment, we get to know Chris Earl. Fueled by his faith and love for family, Chris and his wife, Krista, started CK6 Consulting in 2008 to provide a marketing resource for those in the beef business, based on his ..read more

Ashley and Morgan took over the podcast a year ago and, man, what a year it has been! Join Ashley and Morgan as they take a look back on the past 365 days and reminisce on the lessons learned from our podcast guests. They've used that good advice first hand as both ladies have had a lot of change and growth personally and professionally.  Ashley became a first-time mom, left her full-time job and can now officially call herself a farmer! Morgan shares her journey of starting over, rebuilding her business plan, and the progress she's made with Mercy Mill Farm. Tune in to get to know your ..read more

Leaving the realtor business, Ty took a leap with his wife Shannon to become owners of a 1930s trout hatchery, Smoke In Chimneys, that is home to thousands of fish all operated from natural springs on the mountain in Craig County. Ty went from reading books from Ebay and Jerry showing them how to turn on the water to being sold out of trout months in advance while growing the business in agritourism and value added products. You don't want to miss all these truth bombs that will leave you inspired. Click play and turn your speakers up for business advice, life advice, and a story on how over ..read more

Jordan Wicks was an unlikely person to become an advocate for the meat industry - but today she's pursuing her PhD after a successful career in meat processing. With no farm background, Jordan shares with us how her interest in the FFA meats judging team took her from her small town in Illinois to opening a processing facility from scratch in Alabama. Life and opportunity brought her to Virginia Tech eight years ago where she's made a lasting impact - not just with lab research, but by also mentoring students with no meat industry experience to career success. Jordan talks about useful resea ..read more

Morgan sits down for a one-on-one conversation with her dad, Jeff Slaven, on this special episode for some fatherly advice for young farmers. Jeff started making land payments when he was 17 years old. Farming, he says, is not just a love, its a responsibility. The pair reminisce on the life lessons he learned as a young farmer during the '80s farming crisis. At that time he was facing record high interest rates, balancing an off the farm job, managing risk versus reward, growing a business while growing a family... sound familiar to all you young farmers out there? Jeff also shares his "pay ..read more

In this episode, Joe Ulmer will tell you that you've got to crawl before you can walk: his early farming lessons were learned painting fence and weed-eating.  This first generation farmer got his start in the produce business by selling pumpkins by way of the honor system with a sour cream container in his front yard. Today, Joe and his wife own and operate a bustling produce market, bakery, and deli - a prime agritourism destination in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. This episode will remind you that dreams really do come true - you just gotta work for them ..read more