PODCAST
Small towns in rural areas rely on agriculture to keep them going, and these FFA members in Montana want to shine a light on the industry that means so much to them.
Wibaux FFA members and their advisor started the Small Town Big Ideas podcast in January 2021, and it has become a must-listen. Wibaux FFA advisor Ethan Igo originally just wanted a project to help his students learn how to advocate for agriculture in a fun and innovative way. He didn’t think it would grow to what it is today.
Four FFA members — Rylan Maus, Abby Begger, Ashlynn Vanner and Annika Lunde — have since begun managing the podcast. They are responsible for choosing weekly topics and leading the discussions. They’ve had the opportunity to interview state and national FFA officers, as well as educate themselves about agriculture. What’s more, the chapter won first place in the Agricultural Communications Career Leadership Development division at the 2022 Montana FFA State Convention.
TV
FarmHer founder Marji Guyler-Alaniz was watching the Super Bowl in 2013 with friends a few days after leaving her job in corporate agriculture and saw the now-famous “So God Made a Farmer” Ram truck commercial. The commercial was a beautiful representation of agriculture, but something was missing. Where were the women? So, Guyler-Alaniz took to the road, photographing women farmers, or FarmHers, to tell their stories through photos. Two years later, she was still photographing women when she received a call from RFD-TV executives saying they were interested in making a TV show. That’s exactly what they did.
TIKTOK
From treating serious injuries to helping newborn animals into the world, veterinarian Amanda Chang does it all. She was raised in a military family, which meant moving around a lot. That didn’t stop her from having a passion for equines. She graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate of veterinary medicine, and then found full-time work at the Myrtle Beach Equine Clinic, which she now owns. Check out @tiktokanimaldoc for a look inside the daily journeys of a large-animal vet in South Carolina.
