Cultivated, a podcast delivered by Co-Alliance

For Amanda Egler, the drive to do more with every acre is motivated by a rich family history, and a piece of it rests in her home. A top her mantle is a yield trophy from 1960 that her grandfather won, and she uses that as encouragement to always do more with the resources available. On this podcast farmer Amanda Egler visits with Brandon Lovett, Co-Alliance, on the benefits and competitive advantage of the Harvest Elite yield competition. Interested in learning more about Harvest Elite? Visit: 

Co-Alliance just announced we will be paying 57 million dollars in patronage to eligible farmer-members who did business with our cooperative in 2023. It is also projected that $80 million will be reinvested into our cooperative’s assets to ensure Co-Alliance is prepared to service today’s member owners and the next generation of farm families.  Those are some big numbers and big news. Joining us on Cultivated this month are two Co-Alliance Board members, Tom Tucker and Kim Ames, who talk through this patronage return with us to better understand these Local Decisions, Local Values and Local Return.

It’s National FFA Convention Week! The streets of downtown Indianapolis are flooded with thousands of students getting the experience of a lifetime as they navigate through The Convention Center. Co-Alliance is opening our doors to FFA chapters this week who want to learn more about our farmer-owned cooperative and the work we do on behalf of American Agriculture and Energy. On top of that, we’ve committed to getting kids to convention who may not have the chance otherwise. We’ve sponsored students to attend the National FFA Convention from North White FFA and Tri-High FFA. Our hope is that this trip opens doors for them and continues to fuel that fire to want to learn and do more in the agriculture industry. Co-Alliance's support of the FFA organization has grown tremendously in the last 3 years and much of that growth has to do with the persistence and passion of one of our agronomy employees, Doug Quear. Doug works at our Indian Trails location in Boone County. He was instrumental in getting the Hamilton Heights FFA Chapter off the ground and he still pours many, many hours to the organization.  This month on the podcast, we invite you to learn more about Doug and why he believes so strongly in National Blue & Corn Gold. 

We are in the heart of internship season. The value of an internship is to gain valuable hands-on experience in the field one may – or may not! - want to go into. We have so many internship opportunities available, for various talents and skill sets. Our Mission to LEAD, GROW, GIVE and REMEMBER continues to direct our day-to-day work. We of course want to LEAD with people and technology. That’s why we’re on a mission to find, hire and retain the very best in the field. Three of the best were guests on the September podcast. We visited with three individuals who began their Co-Alliance experience as an intern and now they’re on our team as full-time employees bringing remarkable value to our business. Listen now to hear what Hannah, Kyle & Cassie had to say!

The lights. The competition. The nerves. The food. The exhaustion. The Indiana State Fair, Week Two:Sometimes in the middle of the rush, you just need to sit down for a fulfilling conversation.Recently at the Indiana State Fair we had the remarkable opportunity to sit down with two individuals who have boundless, and very different, responsibilities during the greatest 18 days of summer.Mr. Joe Rule sits on the Indiana State Fair Board, the decision-making body to ensure improvements are made annually to ensure the longevity and enjoyment of the State Fair. He is also a Co-Alliance employee, manager of our Michigantown Agronomy location.Miss Claire Bishop is the 2023 Indiana State Fair Queen and is the ambassador for the 3-week event. Claire is a highly involved 10-year 4-H member, sister, daughter and role model for so many.We invite you to join us as we learn how these two work to make our State Fair, and 4-H, better. 

Caleb Smith is the Director of Sustainability at Co-Alliance and his role, though fairly recently created, is wildly important. Not only to our business but especially critical to the farmer-members we serve. Caleb’s role is to help farmers understand the new technologies, solutions and practices that promote even higher sustainability to ensure the family farm is around for generations to come. We invite you to listen to Cultivated to hear about the passionate work Caleb does.

In late April Co-Alliance partnered with Land O’Lakes to make a massive donation of 40,000 lbs. Of macaroni and cheese to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana. That macaroni and cheese will go on to be distributed to 164 partner agencies in 8 Indiana counties. This donation is part of our Planting The Seeds For Food Security campaign which was created to support food security in our rural communities. This month on the podcast we sat down with Robby Tompkins, Director of Philanthropy for Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana, to learn more about the organization and the work they do to serve thousands. His work entails more than feeding people. He strives to address the root cause of hunger and find ways to alleviate that issue. This was a very enlightening conversation. We invite you to learn more about service in action with Robby Tompkins.  

Co-Alliance was on Purdue's campus recently for Ag Week and while there we couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit with a handful of students on the podcast. The five we interviewed come from diverse backgrounds, unique experiences, and lofty aspirations. But one thing unites them: The drive to do great things for the future of agriculture. 

On this International Women’s Day, we sit down with two of Co-Alliance‘s finest. Emily Thrasher and Elizabeth South both hold leadership positions at our farmer-owned cooperative, but they will both tell you that the number one title they have ever held was that of mother. This month on the podcast we dig into the value these two women bring to the table, the winding roads that have placed them where they are today, and the purposeful  lessons they teach at home. 

It’s National FFA Week! Co-Alliance’s support of the FFA organization is no secret. So many of our employees were once FFA members or now have children or grandchild who is part of the organization....An organization that brings so much to the table. Some of the greatest training and encouragement came to us while wearing that beloved corduroy jacket. We can’t think of better podcast guests to have with us on Cultivated than the Indiana FFA State Officer Team. Today we welcome Tobias, Mary, Jenna, Anthony, Jaden, Gracie and Seth. We invite you to get settled in and listen to our conversation about the moments they knew they wanted to be a State Officer, how this experience has changed the trajectory of their life and the many aspirations this incredible team has.  

When he was about 3 years old, Tom Blackwell decided he wanted to be a farmer. Except, he lived in the city and the extent of his agriculture background was carpet farming in the living room. Tom held on to that dream, and while he doesn’t farm full-time today, he does work as an Associate Grain Merchandiser on Co-Alliance’s grain team. Join us this week on Cultivated as we visit with Tom about his untraditional path to Co-Alliance, the work he does daily to ensure needs are met from time zones away and why the Co-Alliance grain team is one of the best in the market. 

In August of 2022, we lost Director Gregg Alexander. Gregg had a heart for service, rural communities, his family, and agriculture. Prior to his sudden death, Gregg worked with our team to organize a donation to the Kempton Methodist Episcopal Church that would aid community outreach and equip local students with items they need to begin a new school year – free haircuts included! In our December podcast, we sat down with Lissa Litka, pastor at the Kempton Methodist Episcopal Church, to discuss Gregg’s vision and how his legacy lives on in the Kempton area of Tipton County, Indiana.  The family of Gregg Alexander created the  Gregg Alexander Memorial Scholarship Fund. To contribute to the Scholarship Fund, please make checks payable to Co-Alliance Cooperative, Inc. Please write in the memo Attn: Board Scholarship – Gregg Alexander. Mail to Co-Alliance Cooperative, Inc., Board Scholarship Fund – Gregg Alexander, 770 N. High School Road, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46214.

Often, it’s the ones who are raised on the farm that are convinced they’ll never leave. There's something about the land, the heritage, and the promise of a new day with every sunrise over the eastern sky that keeps those boots firmly planted in the place called home.Except for Scott Logue’s boots. They were on the move.Scott Logue, Executive Vice President of Co-Alliance, actually knew at an early age that he did not want to return to make a living on the family farm. And his story really takes off from there. In the heart of National Cooperative Month, we invite you to listen to our latest podcast to hear Scott’s motivating story, gain his insight on winning with risk and learn about his bone with plastic forks.

Like many driven and eager college freshmen, George Madison was ready to take on the world and study animal science to become a better herdsman. Running cattle was the end goal and he was confident in that direction. Until he took an ag business class on the advice of his college advisor, and that single class changed everything. We invite you to join us for this podcast, where we sit down with YieldPro Specialist George Madison who talks about transitioning outside of his comfort zone for a greater reward, work-life balance with a growing family at home, and how he’s transformed communication to his growers to cultivate trust and transparency in the field.

Over the last ten years, three United States Presidents have been in office, approximately 19 million acres of farm ground has been lost to development, and the coronavirus has changed life as we know it.But more important than any of those historical tidbits is the fact that some seriously amazing kids have spent the last 10 years learning how to make the best better through the 4-H organization.Co-Alliance made a commitment to spend a portion of our time at the Indiana State Fair sitting down with 10-year 4-H members and visiting about their experiences over the last decade. What a sincere joy it was to hear from these seventeen and eighteen-year-olds how 4-H has impacted their lives, made them better people and shaped them into the fine young people they are today. You won't want to miss this episode! 

Co-Alliance recently hired Angela Hudgins, Vice President of Human Resources and Talent Management. The struggle to find employees is no stranger to any industry or business, but Co-Alliance doesn’t just want any employee – we want the best ones. We’re building a bench of talent that can take our growing cooperative to the next level for the next generation. Angela is confident we can do this monumental task with the right plan, benefits and efforts to find the right people. Our people.

I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.We couldn’t help but think back to Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” when we sat down to visit with Co-Alliance’s agronomist Jason Roth. To say Jason’s path to becoming an agronomist is unconventional would not be a stretch; in fact, it may be an understatement.At Co-Alliance we talk often about our Why, the mission, and the passions we have individually and as a whole. And while most people cannot articulate their personal Why, Jason can do it well. In fact, his Why is very clearly the guiding light in his life. A transformational trip to Alaska provided great direction for Jason, and to this day he is intentional about how he uses his career as an agronomist to keep that direction moving forward to serve others.Dumpster diving, bighorn sheep, homeschooling, India, and more are all components of Jason Roth’s interesting and uplifting story. We invite you to join us for 30 minutes to learn more about the personal side of our agronomist Jason Roth. And we won’t leave you without education; Jason also offers his agronomic expertise and advice as we march ahead in 2022.

Some daughters inherit their father’s eyes, others get his chin. Kylie Schakel will tell you without hesitation that she inherited her father’s relentless competitive spirit. Her drive to do better, challenge herself, - and win – comes from hours of work in the barn with her dad. The Schakel family has a rich FFA and livestock history, one that crosses generations and many county lines within Indiana.  It’s the week of the Indiana State FFA Convention and this month on the podcast we are excited to have Miss Kylie Schakel, former Indiana FFA State Secretary with us, as well as one of our own Co-Alliance team members, Mr. Chris Schakel, more importantly, known as Kylie’s dad. Chris, too, was an active FFA member, livestock enthusiast, and Indiana farm kid.We wanted to bring the two of them together for this conversation for two reasons: to celebrate the power of FFA this week and always, and to also commemorate Father’s Day and the valued bond between fathers and daughters. Kylie and Chris dive into the experience of raising a State FFA Officer, and letting her go for a year, and how that experience changes the family dynamic. Kylie truly took the bull, er ram, by the horns for her State FFA officership and made it a learning experience of a lifetime. We invite you to listen to this father/daughter banter to learn more about their special bond, the power of agriculture education, and how some of life’s most valuable lessons are learned in a barn.

Mike Bradley learned at a very early age that you’ll get left in the dust if you don’t show up and aspire to outwork everyone else. He didn’t grow up on a farm, but his childhood experiences and one very special man lead him there early in life. Mike is the Sales Manager for Co-Alliance's Energy team, working with our energy sales to ensure that supply is guaranteed for farms, businesses, schools, and construction companies so they stay fueled with premium products.Whether in his career or at home being a devoted husband and active father to three children, you can count on Mike to reflect on his upbringing to do his absolute best for the people who count on him.In this episode, Mike reveals how he overcame the odds thanks to his mentors at home, at the horse track, and on the football field. His motivational story is one that will leave you encouraged to treat others with compassion, hustle, and to never, ever give up on yourself.

The Howard family of Logansport, Indiana exemplifies the verse, To whom much is given much is expected (Luke 12:48). The Howards are contract swine growers for Co-Alliance and while animal husbandry and herd health are at the top of their daily to-do lists, they also ensure giving back to others is a top priority. Through service to their Cass County community, and representing Indiana Pork in a variety of ways, Dave, Tony and Mike of Howard Swine Farm are trailblazers in terms of impact and community support through production agriculture.Their continued efforts to always do the right thing, whether in production practices or raising the fourth generation on the farm, were recently recognized as they were named 2021 Indiana Pork Contract Grower of the Year. The family learned early that diversifying their operation would allow for continuous generations to return to the farm and today their “Why” lies in making sound choices to ensure that succession continues.If you take an interest in creative ways to involve the next generation on the farm and in supporting rural communities to serve the common good, you don’t want to miss this episode.