TALK MIDLAND w/ Logan Richetti
A podcast with a mission to promote small businesses in the Midland, Michigan community. The show is hosted by Logan Richetti, the managing broker of Modern Realty, the largest real estate brokerage in Midland. He has a passion for supporting small business leaders in our area, and this podcast is a spotlight for their stories. Follow along to learn more as we #talkmidland.
TALK MIDLAND w/ Logan Richetti
From Army Colonel to Blueberry Farmer: Why Food Security Matters More Than You Think | #74
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Food security isn’t just about what’s on your table — it’s about national security.
This week on Talk Midland, Logan sits down with Laura Varhola, retired U.S. Army Colonel and co-owner of Russell Blueberry Farm and Nursery in Freeland, to talk about a life that took a 180-degree turn.
After a decorated military career serving in Korea, Africa, Germany, and the Pentagon — including senior defense roles in Ethiopia and Tanzania — Laura and her husband retired from the Army and returned home to take over her family’s 80-acre blueberry farm.
What may seem like a simple agricultural story is anything but.
Laura shares:
- Why food security was a driver of instability in East Africa
- How pandemics and supply chain disruptions changed the way she views local farming
- Why Michigan is one of the most important agricultural states in the country
- The realities of running a multi-generational blueberry farm
- The challenges of labor, imports, and rising input costs
- What most people don’t understand about “organic” vs. imported produce
- And how leadership lessons from the military apply directly to farming
This episode blends leadership, agriculture, national security, and community in a way you don’t hear every day.
It’s a story about service — just in a different uniform.
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Chapters
00:00 – Food Security Is National Security
Why access to food drives stability worldwide
05:30 – From East Lansing to the U.S. Army
ROTC scholarship and beginning military service
12:00 – Leading 400+ Soldiers as a Young Officer
Early leadership lessons in Korea and the 101st Airborne
20:45 – Civil Affairs & Africa Assignments
Working in Ethiopia and Tanzania and the connection between food and instability
32:15 – Returning Home to Freeland
The decision to take over the 80-acre family blueberry farm
41:30 – Michigan’s Agricultural Power
Why Michigan is #2 in crop diversity and #1 in highbush blueberries
50:10 – How Blueberries Actually Grow
Bush vs. tree, 75-year-old plants, and 5–7 year maturity cycles
1:00:25 – The Reality of Running a Farm Today
Labor shortages, imports, fertilizer costs, and invasive species
1:10:40 – Organic vs. Imported Produce
Why words matter in agriculture
1:18:00 – Leadership Lessons That Transfer Anywhere
From military command to managing a farm operation
Keywords
Russell Blueberry Farm, Midland MI, Freeland Michigan, Talk Midland Podcast, Food security, National security and agriculture, Michigan blueberries, Northern highbush blueberries, Michigan farming, Veteran entrepreneur, Women in leadership, Army Colonel, Local food systems, Sustainable agriculture