Arizona Agriculture Connection with Maricopa County Farm Bureau
Arizona Agriculture Connection with Maricopa County Farm Bureau
Podcast Description
Maricopa County Farm Bureau is the voice of agriculture in a community that thrives on the dichotomy of urban and rural agriculture operations. This podcast is a home for farmers, ranchers, food lovers, prospective agriculturalists, and those who are interested in where their food comes from!
Learn more at https://www.maricopacountyfb.org/
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers various themes including agricultural advocacy, market dynamics, and legislative updates. Episodes feature discussions on topics like the importance of export markets for local crops and strategies for debunking agricultural myths, such as Michelle Miller's insights on consumer engagement and Eric Wilkey's analysis of tariffs affecting agriculture.
Maricopa County Farm Bureau is the voice of agriculture in a community that thrives on the dichotomy of urban and rural agriculture operations. This podcast is a home for farmers, ranchers, food lovers, prospective agriculturalists, and those who are interested in where their food comes from!
Learn more at https://www.maricopacountyfb.org/
In this Arizona Agriculture Connection Careers in Ag episode, Nicole interviews Ben Saylor, an Arizona-born dairy nutritionist, about his path from city upbringing with horses and rodeo/4-H/FFA involvement to a PhD and consulting career. Saylor explains how an animal feeding/nutritional biochemistry class shifted his goal from veterinary school to dairy nutrition, leading to a bachelor’s at the University of Arizona and a master’s at Kansas State through mentorship connections, plus internships that helped him enter the industry. He describes dairy nutrition as optimizing cow health and performance, noting dairy cows’ complex, changing nutrient demands and that large Arizona dairies may feed 10–12 rations daily. He outlines day-to-day work (farm visits, sampling, records review, research, and economics projects), discusses market forces like feed and milk prices, and emphasizes networking skills such as conferences, follow-ups, and contacting hiring managers.
- 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
- 00:33 Ben’s Ag Roots
- 01:33 From Vet Dreams to Nutrition
- 04:01 Grad School and PhD Path
- 05:12 What a Dairy Nutritionist Does
- 07:27 Beef vs Dairy Nutrition Demands
- 09:33 How Many Rations on a Dairy
- 10:43 Working With Feed Teams
- 12:12 Choosing Programs and Advisors
- 13:46 Mentors and Kansas State
- 15:18 Internships Into the Industry
- 17:54 Networking and Organizations
- 20:12 Networking That Lasts
- 22:03 Ask Questions Stay Humble
- 22:40 Conference Contacts Strategy
- 25:13 YFNR Convention Connections
- 27:13 Scary Skills That Transfer
- 29:38 Dairy Size And Trust
- 30:43 Consulting With Purpose
- 31:36 Day In Nutritionist Life
- 34:18 Markets Tariffs And Margins
- 36:54 Breaking In Without Background
- 38:03 Final Wrap And Farewell
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.