Growing Agriculture's Workforce: Jessie Jarvis on Building Of the West & Leaders of the West

Jessie Jarvis grew up on a cow-calf ranch in southern Idaho, tried to leave agriculture behind to become an anesthesiologist, and ended up building one of the most important platforms in the industry instead.

In this episode of We Live It, Ty deCordova and Wade Leist sit down with Jessie Jarvis — founder of Of the West and host of the Leaders of the West podcast — for one of the most wide-ranging and personal conversations the show has ever recorded.

Jessie walks through her path from an internship at the Idaho Cattle Association and Idaho Beef Council, to communications director for ICA, to seven years at the Boutique Hub under mentor Ashley Alderson, to founding Of the West in 2020 — a job platform built specifically for agriculture and western industries. She makes the case that as the world moves toward feeding and clothing 10 billion people by 2050, agriculture can't afford to keep shrinking its workforce, and that the industry has far more career paths than most people realize. As she puts it: there's no job outside of agriculture you can't also find inside it.

The conversation also covers what makes her podcast, Leaders of the West, stand out (including her favorite guest ever — Pat Fitzgerald, who helped build iTunes Podcasts at Apple before becoming president of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum), practical resume and job-search advice for anyone applying for work in ag, and the personal side of building a business: marrying a childhood friend, raising two very different kids, and running it all from a rural operation an hour from the nearest Costco.

Whether you're a producer trying to hire, a job seeker trying to find your place in agriculture, or a fellow entrepreneur juggling a business and a family, this conversation is full of hard-won perspective on what it takes to build something that lasts.

Topics Covered:

• Jessie Jarvis's path from ranch kid to founder of Of the West
• Why she left agriculture for med school — and came back
• Building Of the West, a job platform for agriculture and western industries
• Agriculture's shrinking workforce and why career awareness matters
• The variety of careers available inside agriculture
• Building the Leaders of the West podcast and her favorite guest, Pat Fitzgerald
• Resume and job-search advice for ag job seekers
• What reps can learn from job seekers about selling yourself
• Marriage, motherhood, and running a business from rural Idaho
• Mentorship from Ashley Alderson and the Boutique Hub

Find Jessie at OftheWest.co, listen to Leaders of the West wherever you get your podcasts, and follow Of the West on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

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• (00:00) - Introduction — Growing Agriculture's Workforce
• (01:45) - Welcome Back to We Live It: Meet Jessie Jarvis of Of the West
• (02:04) - Growing Up on a Cow-Calf Ranch in Southern Idaho
• (02:31) - Leaving Ag for Med School — and Coming Back
• (02:57) - Interning at the Idaho Cattle Association & Beef Council
• (03:21) - Becoming Communications Director for ICA
• (03:50) - Founding Of the West in 2020
• (04:15) - How She Met Her Husband, Justin Jarvis
• (05:14) - Meet Jet & Jackson: Parenting Two Very Different Kids
• (08:00) - Building a Career Nobody Told Her Existed
• (12:27) - Why Agriculture Needs More Career Awareness
• (13:24) - How Marketing & Social Media Have Evolved
• (16:38) - Building the Leaders of the West Podcast
• (19:12) - Favorite Guest: Pat Fitzgerald of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame
• (21:53) - Finding Mentors: Ashley Alderson & the Boutique Hub
• (27:18) - Resume & Job Search Advice for Ag Job Seekers
• (29:32) - What Reps Can Learn from Job Seekers: Selling Yourself
• (34:06) - What's Next for Of the West & Leaders of the West
• (35:27) - League of Their Own Auctioneer Contest & Sponsor Shoutout
• (37:51) - Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Jessie Jarvis

Creators and Guests

Host

Ty deCordova

Ty DeCordova is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of experience in cattle marketing. He spent 20 years at Superior Livestock Auction, including his final years managing the Country Page as well as the block during video auctions. This allowed Ty to develop a deep understanding of the cattle industry's operations and build relationships with cattle buyers on a national level. Ty now oversees all operational aspects of the business, ensuring efficiency and excellence across all areas. Ty comes from a family with a long-standing history in the cattle industry. Growing up in Groesbeck, Texas, he and his brother started their own cattle business during their teenage years, purchasing and selling loads of steers. By the age of 17, Ty was actively involved in buying cattle at sale barns for his father, gaining hands-on experience. This early exposure to the sale-barn environment shaped his lifelong passion and expertise in cattle marketing. Ty continues to run cattle today and is committed to serving the agriculture industry.

Guest

Casey Mabry

Casey comes to Blue Reef following over a decade-long career with Cargill. Casey’s career in the industry started as a cattle buyer in Western Nebraska and Wyoming for six years. Casey then moved to Wichita, KS where he worked in boxed beef pricing with a focus on understanding out front prices and position optimization. Casey then took to cattle procurement as a Strategic Supply Manager where he focused on cattle formula and grid marketing arrangements working with Cargill’s largest suppliers. Casey’s experience in cash and value based marketing of cattle can be a valuable asset to your operation. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from Texas Tech University where he served on the Meats Judging team, and a Masters from Tarleton State University where he coached the Meats Judging team. Casey resides in Brock, TX with his wife Deidrea and daughters Reyse, Avery, and Brooklyn.

Producer

Katy Holdener

Katy Holdener's journey in agricultural communications began on her family's row crop farm in California's Central Valley, where she developed a deep appreciation for the industry. After earning a degree in Agricultural Communications and Economics from Oklahoma State University, Katy has been fortunate to work with respected organizations such as the American Hereford Association, American Angus Association, Superior Livestock Auction and BioZyme, Inc. These experiences have provided her with valuable insights into seedstock and commercial livestock marketing. Katy strives to create effective marketing strategies that support the company and its consignors.

What is We Live It | LiveAg's Livestock Marketing Podcast?

Welcome to the "We Live It" ranch and livestock marketing podcast, where cattle market intelligence meets ranch-ready wisdom. Join hosts Ty deCordova with LiveAg and Casey Mabry with Blue Reef Agri-marketing as they bring you straight-talk market analysis, proven strategies, and insights from industry leaders who understand ranching isn't just a business - it's a way of life.
From livestock market trends to cattle management practices, each episode delivers actionable knowledge to help take your ranching operation to the next level. Whether you're in the saddle or in the truck, tune in for conversations that matter to modern cattlemen. Because we don't just talk about the cattle business...we live it.