The Breakdown with INFB

Hosted by Indiana Farm Bureau

Business Education

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

For more than 100 years, Indiana Farm Bureau has protected and enhanced the future of agriculture and our communities. To continue that legacy and communicate more with our members, we’ve created The Breakdown with INFB, a podcast that will feature prominent leaders in the ag industry, newsmakers and even some average folks with interesting stories to tell.

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44 recent

June 3, 202627 min

43. State and Federal Policy Updates - June 2026

Advocating for agriculture is a pillar of Indiana Farm Bureau membership, and our staff is constantly on the move making sure local, state and federal policies are beneficial and not burdensome to farmers and rural communities. On this episode, we're talking to two of our policy experts to give us a rundown of what to expect in the coming months and how members can get involved. Brantley Seifers is the director of national affairs for Indiana Farm Bureau and Ryan Hoff is the senior director of government affairs.

May 6, 202626 min

42. Dan Hardesty - Indiana Rural Health Association

On this episode, we’re diving into some of the challenges Indiana’s rural communities face and how we might address those challenges in the future.Rural counties represent 70% of Indiana's land and 64 of its 92 counties, yet they account for just 29% of the state's population. These communities often experience lower income levels, limited access to healthcare services, and worse health outcomes compared to their urban counterparts.To dig deeper into some of these critical issues, we talk to Dan Hardesty who serves as the Senior Director of Government Affairs for the Indiana Rural Health Association.

April 1, 202622 min

41. Diversifying Your Farm Operation

Diversification on the farm these days is almost essential to withstand the ebbs and flows of the various commodity and input markets. This episode features two farm families who have found some success in building onto the business of their family farm - Suzanne and Lauren Flanders with Simply From Scratch, and Katie Pennington with Brock Farms.

March 4, 202624 min

40. INFB Celebrates International Year of the Woman Farmer

In 2026, the world celebrates the International Year of the Woman Farmer – a United Nations initiative recognizing the vital role women play in agriculture and agribusiness. To celebrate, Indiana Farm Bureau is highlighting the important work of female members across the state, as well as welcoming three new district education and outreach coordinators to the INFB Women’s Leadership Committee, which educates the public through programs and events that promote a positive image of agriculture.Featured in this episode is INFB 2nd Vice President Janis Highley, Joy Tracey (District 2), Kathleen Allbaugh (District 4) and Tracy Morgan (District 5).Visit our website for more information on the WLC here: https://www.infarmbureau.org/get-involved/women's-leadership-committee

February 4, 202612 min

39. Mary Pat Sass - Innovate and Grow Speaker

A conversation with Mary Pat Sass, a farm wife, mom and ag advocate from northern Illinois. With a background in agricultural technology, she transitioned from a corporate ag career to life on her family’s farm, where she discovered the power of storytelling in modern agriculture. Through social media, MP has built a large and engaged audience by sharing honest, everyday moments from farm life and rural motherhood. She uses her platform to advocate for agriculture, bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, and encourage others in agriculture to confidently share their own stories online. You can find her at @marypat.sass on Instagram.

January 7, 202620 min

38. 2026 Legislative Priorities

This week we kicked off an eventful season in the Indiana Farm Bureau world with the continuation of the 2026 Indiana General Assembly. Engaging in policy is a foundation of Farm Bureau membership, and there is no shortage of issues on the docket this year that could impact agriculture.For this episode, we brought two of our policy experts and INFB leaders to the podcast to give us a rundown of what to expect in the coming months and how members can get involved. Randy Kron is the president of Indiana Farm Bureau who also farms in southern Indiana, and Katie Nelson is the executive director of public policy for INFB.

December 3, 202516 min

37. Damon West - Indiana Ag Gathering keynote speaker

This interview provides a sneak peak into of some of the topics that will be discussed at the Indiana Ag Gathering, formerly known as State Convention, to be held Dec. 12-13, 2025, at the French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana.Damon West, best-selling author, philanthropist and college professor, talks about his personal story of overcoming extreme adversity. West shows that no matter what the obstacles are in your life, you, too, can overcome them by choosing to be like the coffee bean and change your pot of boiling water into a pot of coffee.Visit https://infb.org/events for more information.

November 5, 202522 min

36. Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance

A conversation with Ben Wicker and Hans Schmitz from the Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance (IANA). They talk about what their organization does and how Farm Bureau members can use their assistance to fine-tune nutrient management practices, maximizing productivity while protecting Indiana’s resources.Visit keepitmidwest.com for more information.

October 1, 202522 min

35. Collegiate Farm Bureau students talk future of ag

A discussion with representatives from Indiana's three Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters: Jayden Simpson from Purdue University, Tara de Jong from Huntington University, and Emma Buening from Vincennes University.These three students talk about issues they care about in agriculture, where they see the industry going and how to get involved at the college level.Visit the INFB website for more information.

September 3, 202515 min

34. Youth Engagement in Agriculture

The Indiana State Fair is over, but Indiana Farm Bureau is celebrating a successful showing at the annual weeks-long event and quality time spent with the youth involved in agriculture. Annie Romine, INFB's youth engagement coordinator, shares more about her work with youth and collegiate level Farm Bureau activities and how more young people can get involved in agriculture.Want to learn more? Visit infb.org or contact Annie at AFiesbeck-Romine@infb.org.