Greg Shooks of Central Lake grows cherries, wine grapes, and small grains on his fourth generation farm, where he works with his brother and cousin. The wine grapes are new, because last year they sold their 550 head of cattle and built a winery – Cellar 1914, with a...

Isaiah Wunsch farms cherries and apples on Old Mission Peninsula, and he also owns a cherry and apple packing and marketing business. After graduate school at Michigan State, he worked for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation as their agribusiness specialist....

Cora Okkema is studying Livestock Behavior and Welfare under Dr. Temple Grandin at Colorado State University. Her interests include fresh heifer wellbeing, newborn calf care, and crossbreeding. She was born in the Netherlands and moved to the U.S. in 1999 with her...

Elise Thorp started Trillium Wood Farm with her sister, Allie. They were both vegetarians, but they decided to experiment with raising meat for themselves and friends. Seven years later, they are raising hogs, lambs, chickens and turkeys as their full-time jobs. They...

Caleb Stewart raises hogs, grows cash crops, and buys and sells farm equipment.  After graduating from Michigan State, he started farming with his parents, Carol and Jim.  Three years ago, he and his wife Teresa, along with their two kids, became sole proprietors in...

Mike Klumpp and his wife Jaime own AgMarvels, where they help hemp farmers grow, process, and sell their crop.  They also grow their own hemp, as well as corn, soybeans, and wheat.  Mike and Jaime are entrepreneurs, and the hemp business is just one of many of their...

Jim and Jean Reverman grow and sell Christmas trees from Reverman Farms in Grand Ledge.  They have recently started painting trees – not just green, but purple, pink, and even a patriotic red, white & blue.  When he’s not shearing trees, Jim also works for the...

Mike Mathis is the director of MSU Tollgate Farm and Education Center, which gives 22,000 visitors a year the chance to experience hands-on agriculture.  From milking goats to growing kale, the farm offers a variety of programming and camps for the community.  After...

Jeff VanderWerff farms in Western Michigan, where he and his family grow 2000 acres of corn, soybeans, and apples.  He’s currently transitioning his orchard into an organic operation.  A self-professed salesman at heart, he also started an ag retail business named...

James Weber of Weber Family Dairy milks 130 Jersey cows and raises crops on his Frankenmuth farm.  A graduate of the MSU Ag Tech program and Cal Poly, (California Polytechnic State University), he returned to Michigan in 2015 to reopen his parents’ farm.  He now works...

Hilaree Fraly is a BASF Innovation Specialist, which means she works with farmers to help plan their growing seasons and figure out solutions for their crop problems.  Originally from Montcalm County, she started in FFA, graduated from Michigan State, and began...

Dan Vogler owns Harrietta Hills Trout Farm LLC, the largest private fish farm in Michigan.  For 22 years, he has been on the farm with his parents Jim and Katherine, his wife Susan, and their six children.  He’s president of the Michigan Aquaculture Association, and...

Andy Rozendaal is the farm director at Eighth Day Farm in Holland, MI.  The urban farm, which is right in the middle of a ripped-up parking lot, focuses on taking care of the land as well as people.  The faith-based, non-profit also donates 10% of what they grow to...

Brittney Rooney is an urban farmer in the Brightmoor neighborhood in Detroit.  She, along with her partner Kieran Neal, started the two-acre farm with the long-term goal of growing an agroforestry system.  While their 500 trees are maturing, they are direct marketing...

Alison and Ben Sklarczyk own Sklarczyk Seed Farm LLC, which is one of the only hydroponic seed potato farms in Michigan, the other being a research farm at Michigan State University.  They produce six million mini tubers a year, plus grow 1100 acres of corn, soybeans,...

Jay Parr farms 1300 acres of sugar beets, soybeans, and corn.  He works alongside his dad Jeff in Brown City, where he also lives with his wife Tara and daughters Millie and Hazel.  A graduate of Michigan State University, Jay enjoys going to livestock shows,...

Christie Apple is an agronomy and soil health specialist at Timac Agro USA. She is a self-proclaimed ‘soil nerd’ and loves everything to do with soil health and plant nutrition.  She works with clients, trains farmers and other agronomists, and in her free time, farms...

Ben Randle is general manager at GDW Farms LLC, which is a turkey farm.  After a career as an electrician, Ben took on a new role as a farmer, where he helps raise turkeys from one-day to 20-weeks old.  In Hamilton, he’s the assistant basketball coach and school board...

Lori Hedrick and her husband Jeff own The Wild Pumpkin, where families can visit a petting farm, navigate a 1000-bale maze, go down mega-slides, play in the corn box, eat warm donuts, and of course, get pumpkins.  Outside of the farm, Lori also is a special needs...

Madeline Meyer is a senior at Michigan State University, majoring in animal science and minoring in food processing and technology. She’s from a dairy farm in Ionia, and she grew up being involved in the farm, 4-H, and FFA.  She’s now active in the MSU Dairy Club, MSU...

Sarah Zastrow founded Bay Area Wellness to help people deal with pain, stress, and their mental health.  She and her husband have a crop farm, plus she is from a farm, and she is invested in providing stress management resources to farmers.  She enjoys traveling to...

Sara Reisinger is the event planner and manager at Leaman's Green Applebarn in Freeland.  This year, her family’s farm and agritourism business is celebrating its 130th anniversary. In addition to a corn maze, apple picking, and movie nights, they also host very...

Noelle Nachreiner has the dual role of Executive Director of the Michigan Ag Council and Manager of the Agent Charitable Fund for Farm Bureau Insurance.  Noelle and her husband recently moved from Indiana back to Michigan with their dog, Hank the Tank.  Noelle’s past...

Claire Smith certainly didn’t want to work on her family’s seventh generation farm, but when her parents suggested trying to grow teff, she was intrigued.  Teff is an ancient grain that’s a main ingredient in Teffola, a nutty grain granola they now make, sell, and...

Taylor Truckey is the Farm Engagement Manager at AgVend.  She at first thought she wanted to work in another area, but her hobby farm and 4-H background convinced her she wanted to work in agriculture.  She is helping pay off her student loans by running her own...

Kevin Robson grew up and still works on his family’s farm, called Robson’s Greenhouse, which started in 1929.  He also works for Michigan Farm Bureau Insurance as an Agribusiness Specialist, and he is the Executive Director of the Michigan Blueberry Commission.  He...

Jeno Rivera is part of Urbandale Farm in Lansing, as well as Director of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program at Michigan State University.  She is a former high school ag teacher and professor in the MSU Residential College for Arts and Humanities.  She roller...

When Triston Cole met his own representatives as part of his teenage 4-H Capitol Experience, he never pictured becoming an elected official. But after starting his own farm and becoming involved with policy, he changed his mind. When he’s not working for his...

Dede Beck of Uncle John’s Cider Mill is running a business that has the goal of giving people of all ages to do something together. She works in accounting, merchandising, hiring, training – you name it, all for the 50,000 visitors that come each fall weekend. She,...

Elizabeth Taylor is the Ag Relations & Communications Manager at Michigan Sugar. She’s in charge of a long list of events and programs, but her most recent exciting project is Cream & Sugar, a gourmet ice cream shop opening in Bay City. She likes being with...

Adam Dietrich is an apple and cherry farmer in Conklin. After starting as a pre-med major at Michigan State University, it took six months until he decided he wanted to work on his family’s farm. He switched over to horticulture, engaged in research, and has now been...

AgroLiquid President Troy Bancroft discusses AgroExpo - going on Aug 13 & 14 in St Johns - what to expect at the show, his agricultural past, why he thinks farming education is valuable, and what he's personally looking forward to in...

Dru Montri runs Ten Hens Farm in Bath with her husband, Adam. She’s also the Director of Government and Stakeholder Relations for Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and College of Veterinary Medicine. She enjoys watching her two...

Brian Lesperance of Fenn Valley Vineyards left his career in technology to start a second one at a winery. His wife Gwen, whose family started the business in 1973, their two daughters, and Brian love riding around the farm and enjoying nearby Lake Michigan.  Brian...

Andrew Chae of Fisheye Farms is an urban farmer in Detroit.  He grows a variety of vegetables in a farm-to-chef business that provides for local restaurants.  He’s a skateboarder, enjoys Brazilian music, and loves the first-generation farm he and his family have built...

Matt Stutzman is a soybean, corn, and wheat farmer from Adrian.  When he’s not farming, he’s spending time with his wife Maria and their three young children.  He serves on state and national boards, has traveled all over the world (he even floated in the Dead Sea),...

Mark Daniels and his wife Miranda manage Bonnie Plants in Ithaca, which is a greenhouse operation that grows 175 different vegetable and herb transplants.  Mark enjoys watching his sons play football, spends time chasing escapee goats, and loves going to his cabin in...

Scott Maust is an egg farmer who also races sailboats.  When he’s not on a boat, he’s figuring out how to best take care of chickens in new housing (heated floors!) and working with a team to give them the best nutrition.  Born and raised in Pidgeon, Scott runs Farm...

Sharon Ostrowski and her family run SharKar Farms, (pronounced Share Care), an all-vegetable 10-acre farm in China, Michigan.  Sharon jokes that everything is grown in China, and she makes this a reality by offering “weird” vegetables like a cucumber/watermelon type,...

Mike Noll lives in the southern thumb with his wife Jordan and four children, where he farms with his dad and brother.  Not only do they milk cows, but they raise beef, corn, wheat, soybeans, sugar beets, alfalfa, and dry beans.  He coaches, serves on several boards,...

Darwin Eisenga is a potato farmer with 25 years of experience, and in his spare time, he loves tractor pulling competitions.  He just traveled to Indonesia to visit his daughter, he has a son in college, a son on the farm, and a wife that works alongside him.  His...

Jennifer Wortz and her family raise chickens in Branch County for Miller Poultry.  Their four children are learning the responsibility of taking care of 40,000 animals at once!  Jennifer and her husband travel, go to their kids’ activities, and eat chicken prepared in...

Scott Powell is the nursery manager at Dutchman Tree Farms in Manton.  Just before the dissertation for his PhD, Scott chose to go into business with his wife Laura’s family.  He’s had a great time working with nine family members, an entire crew of workers, and...

Not only was Laurie Isley raised on a farm, married a farmer, and has a farm of her own, but she also loves educating people about them.  After a long career teaching agricultural education and advising for FFA, she moved on to teaching adult education and serving on...

Mat Stutzman of St Joseph County is both a poultry and crop farmer.  He and his wife are raising four young kids while working along many other family members.  He also works in high school sports media, and he does video outreach with his church. Listen as he talks...

Even though she didn’t work on her family’s farm when she was growing up, a love of science and a curiosity about how things worked led Stephanie Kipp home.  She grows potatoes, peas, green beans, corn, and wheat as the fourth generation on her Edmore farm.  She’s...

Luke Marion started MIgardener to give inspiration and information to people gardening.  He and his wife Sindy garden 365 days a year, including growing their indoor coffee and citrus trees.  Together, they have grown into a retail location, an online store, and a...

Vicki Zilke and her husband Tom own two businesses – Zilke Vegetable Farm and Zilke Farm Kitchen in Milan.  At their farm market, Vicki repeatedly heard from customers that they had great intentions on making healthy, tasty dinners for their families, but they had a...

Andrea Boughton of Marshall raises Angus cattle, corn, and soybeans.  She’s the president of Calhoun County Farm Bureau and spends a lot of time educating students about ag.  She also works for the Department of Defense (Northrop Grumman) as an operations lead, crews...

Bryan Heffron of Heffron Farms Market raises cattle and crops and sells direct-to-market, in four retail stores, and online.  His wife Katie also owns a pie fundraising business.  They are the parents of three young children and are entering the sports phase of life,...