This Could Get WesternHosted By Lyle Logemann

"When I reach the end of my days, a moment or two from now, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses and land and stocks and bonds. I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me. Nothing else makes much sense." -From the scrapbook of Theodore G. Waldhauser: The Cowboy Mayor of the Cattle Capital of the Southwest.

Welcome back to This Could Get Western! Here are some raw and uncut thoughts regarding some of the best traditions of our national life as Americans and what role we play in sustaining and building our future regarding these values. 

This Could Get Western is back with a long overdue episode where I am visited by Matt Rush who is currently a farmer/rancher/artist/public speaker/ and the Goodest guy you could ever meet. This man's reputation speaks for itself. So sit back relax and hear the perspective of the Zig Ziglar of Levelland Texas! Matt is the author of a new book titled "Stress-Free You", he is also a top-tier public speaker, a 4th generation rancher, and former CEO of New Mexico Farm Bureau. Above all, he is a seasoned advocate of the American Agriculture Industry and I was proud to sit down and chat with the Gooder Guy himself! 

I had the honor and privilege of catching up with Mr. James Palmer. He's a lifelong businessman and cattleman who needs no introduction. Tune in and hear from an individual who has seen and done it all. 

This Could Get Western is back with a brand new episode after a long-overdue break! I caught up with Wade Yoder who is currently attending Oklahoma State University studying Agriculture Communications and Paxton Dahmer who is a recently retired National FFA Officer from the great state of Missouri. We had some spare time at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention in Kansas City Missouri and thought we would record an episode and share our world travels and personal philosophies on life! Tune in and hear a great conversation from some swell young men in the agriculture industry! 

Caught up with Josh Homer several weeks ago at the Northern International Livestock Exhibition in Billings Montana. Josh was one of the lead photographers for the PRCA Rodeo at the 2021 NILE. Josh has been a photographer for more than ten years and is skilled at his craft. Photographers play an essential role in the Rodeo world and are often the unsung heroes in the Agriculture Industry. Without them, we would not be able to capture or showcase what it is we do to provide the world with its basic needs. Josh has photographed the National Finals Rodeo six consecutive times. He is the owner of his own photography and engineering company. A man of many talents, with a daredevil attitude, Josh isn't afraid of much and it takes guts to be a rodeo photographer especially since you are in the middle of the action all the time. Tune in and learn about the world of Rodeo Photograhpy!

Karen Bedonie is a born, bred, and proud American citizen who is very in touch with her Native American roots in New Mexico. She is currently running for Governor of New Mexico. She was gracious enough to meet with me this week and we discussed the various issues that she desires to tackle as Governor. This episode is unvarnished as it gets, so hold on tight and Let Er' Buck!!!  

I tune in this week all the way from Billings Montana where the Northern International Livestock Exhibition is being held and visit with Mr. Bo Wagner who is a Rodeo Production guru and owner of Vintage Five Productions. In this episode, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and excitement of conducting a PRCA and Ranch Rodeo.  At Vintage Five, they specialize in event production and management, promotional strategies, media solutions, cross-promotions, marketing, branding, and public relations. Their commitment to quality is backed by over 20 years of experience in the events and marketing industries. Give this episode a listen and you'll be amazed by the number of people and moving parts that it takes to pull off a rodeo effectively!

Secretary Witte grew up on his family’s ranch on the Rowe Mesa between Moriarty and Las Vegas, New Mexico. He graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business management and a master’s degree in agricultural economics. After college, Jeff worked for New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau as the field representative for the counties in northern New Mexico. He also represented the state’s farmers and ranchers in legislative discussions in Santa Fe. During this time, Jeff worked to bring farmer groups and rancher groups together. The Ag Group, as it’s loosely known, still gathers every year before the legislative session to set policy priorities that will benefit all of agriculture. When the session gets going, the group hosts Ag Fest to showcase to legislators and their staff the diversity of New Mexico agriculture. Jeff was instrumental in making this an annual event. Jeff first came to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), located in Las Cruces, in 1994. He spent the next nine years as the assistant director alongside Secretary/Director Frank DuBois. During that time, Jeff helped create the New Mexico Agricultural Leadership Program, a two-year program that aims to develop effective leaders within the state’s food, agriculture, and natural resource sectors. Jeff was named New Mexico’s fifth permanent Director/Secretary of Agriculture in May 2011 and has held the position since then. This episode focuses on topics related to prominent issues in local, state, and national agriculture issues.

Rebekah McCarty grew up in Reserve, New Mexico where her family contributes to production agriculture through their beef cow/calf operation. Being the fifth generation of her family to work the land, Rebekah believes that a passion for agriculture runs in her blood. In high school, Rebekah became actively involved in the National FFA Organization where she discovered a passion for enabling young leaders in the industry to advance their skills. The desire to make a difference in the lives of agricultural leaders led Rebekah to New Mexico State University where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Community Development in May of 2021. Now, she is pursuing her master’s in Agricultural and Strategic Communications here at NMSU. Rebekah also works for Vivayic as a Learning Designer, a job that allows her to “build others capacity to do good in the world” by enabling leaders in the agriculture industry through sound learning design.

John Townsend is a College Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business at New Mexico State University. He has a B.S. in Agricultural Extension and Education and a M.S. in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business from New Mexico State University, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Townsend is the department's Undergraduate Programs Coordinator. He is responsible for responding to inquiries regarding undergraduate study for our two majors, Agricultural Economics/Agricultural Business (AEAB) and Natural Resource Economic and Policy (NREP) as well as the department's minors in Agricultural Business Management (ABM) and Natural Resource Economics (NRE). Before coming to NMSU, Townsend taught at Oklahoma Panhandle State University for over 18 years where he served as an academic advisor and taught courses for multiple schools within the university. Townsend's fields of interest include: commodity futures and options markets, agricultural marketing and commodity risk management and microcomputer applications and security.

On our first episode of the Agri-talk podcast, I sat down with Anne Hodnett. She is a sophomore at New Mexico State University as an agricultural education student and has served in leadership positions in 4-H and FFA. She os currently the 2021 New Mexico National Officer Candidate and had big ideas for the future of this youth organization. Tune in to hear about Anne's passion for agriculture and the southwest. 

Mackenzie Johnston is a fifth generation rancher from Brewster, NE. She also works as a freelance journalist and reporter. Mackenzie has worked as a journalist for a nationally known livestock publication, Tri-State-State Livestock News and as an associate programming director/sideline reporter for a primetime television series aired on both RFD-TV and the Cowboy Channel.