A Second Helping with Benji Ballmer

Have you ever stood in the middle of 2000 cannabis plants?  It smells pretty good. I only had to travel 5 miles from YB headquarters to get to Jeff Gabric at Honey Bee Acres and his 1-acre plot of hemp.  He is growing over 2000 plants that will be processed for the cannabinoid CBD and CBG. In this conversation, you will hear about… -The Ohio Hemp Farmers Cooperative -Regulations and Requirements -Difference between Hemp and Marijuana -Benefits of CBD -History of Hemp -Farming Specialty Crops -The full process of seed to harvest and how to bring a crop in with so much regulation -USDA research -Why big Pharma is not researching (hint: there’s no money in it!) I have loosely been following the legalization of hemp and marijuana over the last decade and I can tell you this...it’s a beautiful plant that I think has the potential to do a lot of good for a lot of people. ENJOY! Honey Bee Acres Facebook Honey Bee Acres Instagram

I didn’t know I could say “WOW” this many times in one conversation. JBoston grew up in Stuebenville, OH on the eastern edge of the state, about 33 miles from Pittsburgh. The story takes off out of the gate with her mom getting stabbed 27 times right in front of her...WHEN SHE WAS 9! From there we journey through her life... -Doesn't graduate high school -Get’s pregnant -Get’s SHOT! -Shoots a girl -Has a baby -30 days later is in PRISON! -Saves a girls life in prison -Get GED in prison -Encounters GOD in prison -Get’s out -Immediately get’s pregnant AGAIN! -Needs a job to survive and starts dancing as a stripper -Enrolls in the Art Institute of Pittsburgh -Graduates and NOW WHAT?! -Starts Living Proof Chef Services -Moves to Columbus, OH -The Living Proof Experience is happening even in the midst of a pandemic Ya’ll, these bullet points do NOT do this story justice. You are going to be captivated from the get go on this one. To talk with Janese is to be ministered to in a way that only raw honesty and integrity can do. Come with me to hear this story of not only surviving, but thriving as a mother, a chef, and a woman of God, that will no doubt continue to be a world changer.  Also, please book her for your next event!

Kendyl and Andy run a tight ship at 3 Creeks Produce. Being PRACTICAL has enabled them to grow a 7-acre farm from just a dream to a fully functional food economy. When we sat down, it was hot and dry. My wife and I had been given the tour and we let that “wow” factor of what we had seen propel us into this conversation. We talk about these topics in this order: What were the deciding factors in buying their farm? What business model they use? Farm layout and deciding what to grow Challenges to growth as an operation Whether some CAN be done vs. WHETHER it is sustainable as a human to do Work/life balance Farming with machines The business side of growing food Patience Ethical Diet And then kind of turn of topics to a sustainable future: Consumption Asking the hard questions Seeking out local food Human connection/community Learn more about Three Creeks at https://www.threecreeksproduce.com/. Sit back, relax, and enjoy...Here’s One For Ya!

Old Slate Farm sits on the south side of Mount Vernon as you head towards Johnstown. Brad and Katie Carothers have been friends of mine since we moved here. Katie reached out to me when we were first getting Yellowbird off the ground and worked with me a day a week in exchange for a box of food! In January we sat down to talk about How they met How they went from Upper Arlington to Mount Vernon How they built a cut flower business How they built a herd of 40 hair sheep What it means to be a farmer and how to make money doing it Join us for a few minutes to hear some folks that are doing what they love, and loving what they do. Learn more about Old Slate Farm at https://oldslatefarm.com/

The elusive Sarah Ballmer sits down with me to discuss our family dynamics and the relationships between siblings. She is from a family of 6 kids and I was an only child until I was 13 when my brother was born. We talk about who gets the last piece of pizza, if our kids punch each other in the face, and why she is wearing a plastic glove at the time of the recording.  I love hearing her talk but she is a self-proclaimed "bottler" so it is not always easy to get her to open up...maybe this can be a continuing segment where even I get to learn some things I have never known about my partner. Learn more about Yellowbird Foodshed at: https://yellowbirdfs.com/ https://www.instagram.com/yellowbirdfoodshed/ https://www.facebook.com/YellowBirdFS/

Zach Myers sat down with me to talk denim and ended up waxing about society, family, work ethic, food, and his new book “Kids First”. “The only outcome I will accept is success”, is a mantra that he has held since he started working as a young kid trying to find his way in the world. We also talk about how he has grown his selvage denim company “ZACE” to encompass all the things he holds to be true in his life. So sit back, relax, and enjoy...Here’s One For Ya! ​Check out Zace Denim at: https://www.instagram.com/zacebrand/​ https://www.instagram.com/zacemyers/​ https://www.zacedenim.com/​ https://www.facebook.com/ZaceBrand/​ Learn more about Yellowbird Foodshed at: https://yellowbirdfs.com/ https://www.instagram.com/yellowbirdfoodshed/ https://www.facebook.com/YellowBirdFS/

In 2013 Jacob and Elizabeth Coleman moved from Pennsylvania to a 140-acre dairy farm in Fredericktown, OH to cut their teeth at building their own grass-based dairy farm. Jacob sat down with me to talk about… ●     “Carbon Cycles” as it relates to the food choices we are making ●     How in our conventional dairy system the retired cow gets turned into McDonald’s hamburger ●     Herd Share’s ●     “Organic” vs. Pasture-Raised ●     Real-life stories of customers health improvement Jacob teaches us about how carbon works, and how important animals are to the process of getting carbon out of the atmosphere and into our soil. Welcome to “A Second Helping”.  Here is Sweet Grass Dairy! Check out Sweet Grass: https://www.facebook.com/sweetgrassssdairy/​ https://www.facebook.com/sweetgrasscreamery/​ https://www.instagram.com/sweetgrasscreamery/​ https://sweetgrassdairy.grazecart.com/about-our-farm​ Learn more about Yellowbird Foodshed at:  https://yellowbirdfs.com/​ https://www.instagram.com/yellowbirdfoodshed/​ https://www.facebook.com/YellowBirdFS/​

A short intro from my heart. This has been a ton of fun getting these stories recorded and edited. My hope is that they will bring as much joy, curiosity, and inspiration as they brought me.   So sit back, relax, and enjoy...Here's One For Ya!

Go to Europe on a vacation OR spend your hard earned savings on a herd of 14 bison? At age 34 Carrie Starr decided to forgo the trip to Europe and invest her life savings into a herd of bison that are now her livelihood.   14 years later, Carrie has still never been to Europe, but her and her husband continue to thrive on 25 acres of her family's land, as they have grown their herd to 29 head! Come with us for a conversation about how one meal at Ted’s Montana Grille changed the trajectory of this couple's life. Cherokee Valley Bison Ranch is situated just south of Buckeye Lake in Thornville, OH in Perry county.