Thank You To Farmers

We wanted to create a bonus episode for this season, kind of like a holiday card, thanking all of the farmers and people who work in agriculture in New Hampshire and beyond. So we’ve gathered a bunch of people to share what they are thankful to New Hampshire agriculture for.

Show notes: 

Women in Ag Newsletter signup - https://unhoutreach.tfaforms.net/217751?CID=701G0000001AiKCIA0 

Kendall Kunelius – [e-mail] 

Rebecca Dube – [e-mail] 

Carl Majewski – [e-mail] 

Caroline Beaton – [e-mail] 

Jeremy Delisle – [e-mail] 

Sarah Allen – [e-mail] 

Mary Choate – [e-mail] 

Amber Vinchesi-Vahl – [e-mail] 

Katrina McKay – [e-mail] 

Seth Wilner – [e-mail] 

Amy Loader – [e-mail] 

Creators and Guests

Host

Kendall Kunelius

Kendall joined Extension as an Agriculture Business Management Field Specialist in 2022. She earned a BS in Equine Studies: Industry and Management from UNH and has a diverse background in the agriculture industry including horticulture, forestry, livestock, and agricultural business retail management.

Host

Rebecca Dube

What is Shared Soil?

A podcast by University of New Hampshire Extension dedicated to creating community, honoring challenges, and encouraging personal and professional growth for all women in agriculture. Hosts Kendall Kunelius and Rebecca Dube create a relatable and welcoming space to learn and celebrate, that aligns with UNH Extension's commitment to expanding access, strengthening connections, and enhancing well-being for all.

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The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. UNH, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and New Hampshire counties cooperating. Direct inquiries to [e-mail].

Kendall Kunelius 0:10

Welcome to this special episode of Shared soil, a podcast dedicated to creating community, honoring challenges and encouraging personal and professional growth for all people in agriculture. My name is Kendall Kunelius, and I'm a field specialist in agricultural business management.

Rebecca Dube 0:25

And I'm Rebecca Dube, providing administrative and technology support to Extension. Kendall, can you believe we are at the close of our second season of Shared Soil?

Kendall Kunelius 0:40

I mean, yes, and no. Time goes by so quickly, and yet, at the same time, it feels like it goes by slowly. Every episode we add is fascinating and exciting, and yet I can't believe we've got almost two years of this under our belt, two whole seasons.

Rebecca Dube 0:55

Yes, there's been so much good information. I know I've learned a lot.

Kendall Kunelius 0:59

It makes two of us, yeah, for sure.

Rebecca Dube 1:02

Well, we wanted to create a bonus episode for this season, kind of like a holiday card, thanking all of the farmers and people who work in agriculture in New Hampshire and beyond. So we've gathered a bunch of people to share why they are thankful for New Hampshire agriculture. We'll be back at Season Three with a new batch of topics, as well as farm visits and guests, but we wanted to take a moment to appreciate all that agriculture brings to us and the amazing people that make it happen. So why don't we get started?

Kendall Kunelius 1:43

I'm Kendall Cornelius. I'm the field specialist in agricultural business management in Hillsborough County, and I want to thank our Hillsborough County farmers for inspiring the content for our podcast episodes. Meeting and working with new and seasoned farmers alike is one of the best ways that we find topics in the industry. And when someone asks a great question, I love that we get to research it and find guests to bring on, and everyone gets to learn.

Carl Majewski 2:07

This is Carl Majewski over in Cheshire County. And the thing that I'm thankful for is that farmers keep sticking with it. Farming has never been easy, and through wild swings and weather, broken equipment, cows getting out at two in the morning, you guys keep at it. And you keep at it not because it's easy, but because it's something that you feel like you're called to do. And because of that, you provide us with great food, you take care of the land, you become parts of the community. You make New Hampshire part of the reason why it's such a great place to live. And so for all of that, I want to say for it being a thankless job sometimes, thank you.

Caroline Beaton 3:00

I'm Caroline Beaton. I'm the Beginning Farmer program manager based on campus in Durham, but I work statewide. I really admire how creative farmers in New Hampshire are. They are constantly thinking up unique solutions to challenges that arise, and it inspires me to try to think outside the box in my own work and in my life.

Jeremy Delisle 3:25

I'm Jeremy Delisle. I am a field specialist with UNH extension based in Merrimack County, and I am on our food and ag production team. And so thinking about what I'm thankful for this year working with farmers in Merrimack County, I think I would have to say that one of the things I'm most appreciative for is the collaborative nature that a lot of our farmers in New Hampshire have around doing research on farms, actually opening up their farms for that research to happen there, and to be active participants and partners in that research. And to take that a step further, the same principle applied to how we are able to access their farms for educational programming, like our Twilight Meetings and field visits that others can learn from. And so I think that really, we have this tradition here in New Hampshire, and I hope it keeps going. And I just want to thank all of our farmers for opening their farms to Cooperative Extension to conduct our programming and to partner with them on doing that.

Rebecca Dube 4:33

I'm Rebecca Dube, an administrative assistant working with UNH field specialists in Hillsborough County, and I want to thank farmers for their vision, their tenacity and their innovation in facing the many challenges that nature brings. I also want to thank them for their warmth and hospitality. It's a joy working with you.

Sarah Allen 4:58

My name is Sarah Allen. I am the state dairy specialist here at UNH Extension. And I appreciate how welcoming the New Hampshire dairy farmers are. They welcomed me in when I first started three years ago, and they're always willing to host events and students looking to learn more about the industry.

Mary Choate 5:20

I'm Mary Choate. I'm a food safety field specialist in Grafton County, and I work all over the state. I appreciate New Hampshire farmers I've worked with for their creativity and commitment to producing safe fruits and vegetables. I've been working with farmers participating in the Jumpstart to Produce safety program, and have been impressed by how they have embraced the steps that we discuss on how to improve the quality and the safety of their produce. New Hampshire consumers of local produce are fortunate to have such conscientious farmers growing their food.

Rachel Maccini 6:02

I'm Rachel Maccini. I'm a field specialist in pesticide safety based in Hillsborough County, but working statewide. And what I appreciate most about New Hampshire farmers is their willingness to learn and to adapt, whether it's adopting safer pest management practices or finding new ways to protect pollinators. They're always striving to do better. That dedication to both productivity and safety is something I truly admire.

Rachel Maccini 6:33

My name is Katrina McKay. I'm the livestock production field specialist here at Extension. I want to thank the farmers I work with for their dedication and resilience. Every day they're caring for animals, managing land and solving problems that most people never see. Their passion makes my work meaningful, and I'm grateful to be part of their journey.

Amber Vinchesi-Vahl 6:57

My name is Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, and I am the Extension state specialist for entomology and integrated pest management with the University of New Hampshire. One of the things I appreciate most about New Hampshire farmers is their initiative to try new things. Integrated pest management, or IPM, is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and many of the diversified fruit and vegetable growers that I work with are always trying different ways to manage insect pests that work for their individual operation. These include biological, mechanical and cultural controls. There are a lot of opportunities to implement IPM strategies on smaller, diversified farms in New Hampshire, and it's exciting to be a part of it.

Seth Wilner 7:40

I’m Seth Wilner, I’m based in Sullivan County, yet I’ve been working around the state in farm business management for going on 26 years. I’ve formed many friendships with farmers throughout New Hampshire. At this time of year, where we give thanks and appreciation, I want today to give a shout out of thanks to the many folks who have shared their deep and personal information about their lives, their finances, their struggles, their successes on their farm, and beyond their farms. I’m deeply honored by their trust and confidences, and I am thankful.

Amy Loader 8:13

My name is Amy Loader. I'm an Associate Dean and Director of Cooperative Extension with the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at UNH. And I wanted to let you know what I appreciate most about New Hampshire farmers. When they get started, they know either how to grow crops or raise livestock, but little do they know just how many more skills they're going to have to develop along the way to be successful. New Hampshire farmers have to learn how to manage finances and their business. They have to learn about customer service and marketing and promotion communications, how to use and repair tractors and other equipment, municipal and state and federal law. Basically, they have to evolve into Renaissance people, people who know a lot about many things, some of those things very deeply. And so I just want to thank New Hampshire farmers for everything that they do to feed us and clothe us. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Rebecca Dube 9:09

So have a wonderful holiday season, and we'll be talking to you soon on the next episode of Shared Soil.

Kendall Kunelius 9:22

Shared Soil is a production of University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, an equal opportunity educator and employer. Views expressed on this podcast are not necessarily those of the university, its trustees or its volunteers. Inclusion or exclusion of commercial products in this podcast does not imply endorsement. The University of New Hampshire, US Department of Agriculture and New Hampshire counties cooperate to provide extension programming in the Granite State. Learn [e-mail].

Transcribed by https://otter.ai