93
Let’s hear the story of Nebraska, its communities, its number one industry Agriculture, and the people who make it happen. Sponsored by Nebraska's Law Firm® - Rembolt Ludtke.
93
Julie Tucker-Tucker Ranch and Cogent Ideas, Inc.
In this episode, we sit down with Julie Tucker—product of a Nebraska ranch and now co-owner of Cogent Ideas—to explore the deep roots and forward-thinking spirit that define Nebraska. Julie grew up on the Tucker Ranch in Hooker County, a storied Sandhills operation founded in the 1800s and sustained by generations of resilience, innovation, and stewardship.
Julie shares what it was like to be raised in the heart of cattle country, how the Sandhills shaped her, and why she co-founded Cogent Ideas, a creative agency that serves cattle producers and agribusinesses nationwide. We dive into her unique perspective at the intersection of tradition and modern marketing.
Whether you’re a producer, ag professional, or just curious about life in the Sandhills, this conversation offers a compelling look at how one woman is bridging past and present to champion the industry she calls home.
Going to the ranch, and the hills were just gorgeous, lush, beautiful green. To the point you just keep topping hill after hill and think, this has been photoshopped. This can't possibly be real. The peacefulness and the tranquility is uncomparable.
SPEAKER_01:The bride's gone. It's not just a place, but a way of life. It's 93 counties that are home to innovative individuals, caring community, and a spirit that runs deeper than its purple story. It's a story that should be told. Welcome to 93, the podcast.
SPEAKER_02:Welcome to 93, the podcast, where we talk about Nebraska, its communities, its number one industry agriculture, and the people who make it happen. I'm Mark Folson, your host for today's episode, brought to you by Nebraska's law firm, Rimblezki. Hooker County, Nebraska. License plate prefix 93. It's named after Joseph Fighting Joe Hooker, a general for the Union in the Civil War. Among the first permanent settlers in what became Hooker County was the Tucker family. And it is there where they started and continue to own Tucker Ranch. Our guest today is someone who grew up on that historic ranch and has gone on to be wildly successful in marketing agriculture and agribusinesses. Let's go ahead and welcome Julie Tucker, CEO and Vice President of Cogent Ideas Inc. based out of Topeka, Kansas. Julie, welcome to 93 the podcast.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you, Mark. It's a pleasure to be here. And let me just say congratulations on your podcast.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, we're just having fun. Talking to really good people like you. So this is fun. So give give our listeners a little background. Growing up, where'd you grow up and kind of bring us up to where you are today?
SPEAKER_00:I grew up on a ranch approximately 30 miles southwest of Mullen, Nebraska.
SPEAKER_02:Did you go to Mullen High School?
SPEAKER_00:I did. I went to Mullen grade school and high school.
SPEAKER_02:How many students in your class?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I heard your podcast.
SPEAKER_02:From Hannah Keneally.
SPEAKER_00:Hannah Keneally. And I'm proud to say I was there when we had a really big school and I graduated with 16. Oh, wow. Versus her 10.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. That's so when you went when you're living on the ranch, if I'm not mistaken, did you have to maintain two homes given the distance to school? Were there times when you lived in town as well?
SPEAKER_00:Correct. And that was very common there. We had a house in town because if they bussed us, my brother and I would have been on the bus two hours each way, which wouldn't work.
SPEAKER_02:So my mom was a school bus driver, and I know a lot of uh bad things can happen on school bus. So you're better off living in town during those moments.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly.
SPEAKER_02:So you graduated from uh Mullen High School. Then then where'd you go?
SPEAKER_00:Then I went to the University of Nebraska.
SPEAKER_02:Majoring in.
SPEAKER_00:Business administration, emphasis in marketing.
SPEAKER_02:And how did you get into marketing? Did you always have a passion for it?
SPEAKER_00:No, I didn't know. And at that time it was kind of evolving. And ironically, one of my pledge mom in the house was a marketing major. And I started quizzing her about what that was and what she was studying. And it checked all the boxes. And I knew that was the avenue I wanted to go down.
SPEAKER_02:And what did you do after that?
SPEAKER_00:After that, I went to Kansas City and worked for a breed association overseeing their youth program.
SPEAKER_02:Uh cattle?
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:And later went across the street to another breed association who recruited me and it was the Hertford breed where I grew up in and worked for their magazine at that time.
SPEAKER_02:So why are there so many breed associations in the Kansas City, St. Joe, Kansas area? How did that come about historically?
SPEAKER_00:I think primarily because you're in the center of cattle country. Okay. And it's a great geographic location. Um you can get anywhere in the United States very easily with relatively decent travel times. So it was, it was also, you have to keep in mind way back, Kansas City stockyards. So there was, you know, a collecting point, if you will.
SPEAKER_02:I during COVID, I completely nerded out. I there was a documentary on the stockyards that I watched, and it was absolutely amazing and wonderful.
SPEAKER_00:I bet it was.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, just the number of head of cattle that went through Omaha and Kansas City and the other stockyards. It they became sort of little communities within a community because there were so many people uh coming in, working there, performing various jobs and things like that.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. In fact, my first job was down in the stockyards at Kansas City.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Okay. So uh Tucker Ranch, uh, how long has it been around?
SPEAKER_00:It has been there for more than 100 years. It goes clear back to the Homestead Act and the Kincaid Act, and it was founded in the 1800, late 1800s by Chauncey Tucker. And he originally went to Frontier County, Curtis area, and homesteaded there. But when he was ready to expand, there wasn't enough land available. So they were they had started the Kincaid Act, which allowed him 640 acres instead of, I believe it's 160 in the Homestead Act. So he moved up there and they were trying to incentivize people into the sand hills because it wasn't farming.
SPEAKER_02:I mean people were uh just rushing to go live in the sand hills?
SPEAKER_00:You couldn't farm the land.
SPEAKER_02:Right.
SPEAKER_00:So there was no immediate source of revenue. So part of it is you could get 640 acres, but you had to plant five acres of trees.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:So that's where he went to and you know, built a dugout where they lived.
SPEAKER_02:And do you still know where that dugout was?
SPEAKER_00:I know kind of proximity, but I don't know exactly where it is.
SPEAKER_02:So what na so what's what's the nationality or his family history of Tucker? Is that English, Scottish? Um What's Chauncey?
SPEAKER_00:I don't know, to be honest with you. Okay. He originated in Pennsylvania, so I there's some Dutch, I think, back in there.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I'm not, I should know, but I don't.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. So what generation is uh are we at now for the Tucker Ranch?
SPEAKER_00:I am the fifth, and my nephews would be the sixth. Okay.
SPEAKER_02:So uh so Chauncey owns it, Chauncey starts it, uh starts building it, and uh I assume started raising cattle. Did you folks uh raise cattle and do you still raise cattle today?
SPEAKER_00:We do. Um the ranch isn't fully stocked. My brother is overseeing it now, he and his wife, and they're using it as a stalker operation versus a cow calf operation.
SPEAKER_02:And prior to that, what did it be?
SPEAKER_00:It's been cow calf for decades and decades. Both a registered Hereford herd early on, and then it evolved to a commercial herd and was black at the end.
SPEAKER_02:So uh looking through the history of Hooker County, there's a reference to your family and your family's ranch, and they said those may have been the first Herefords to have ever stepped foot in Hooker County or the Sand Hills. Wow.
SPEAKER_00:Probably true. They started with Shorthorn.
SPEAKER_02:Did you ever show cattle?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, I did.
SPEAKER_02:County fair, state fair, we're at. Yes.
SPEAKER_00:All the all the above, some regional shows.
SPEAKER_02:Did you ever do National Western?
SPEAKER_00:Um, I didn't. My brother has. Okay. Yes.
SPEAKER_02:American Royal?
SPEAKER_00:Yes. Okay. We did American Royal.
SPEAKER_02:All Herefords? Yes. Do you miss that?
SPEAKER_00:No.
SPEAKER_02:It's a lot of work. For those who still do it. So um there is, I believe, a cemetery that is fairly historic on Tucker Ranch. What is that cemetery and what's the history behind it?
SPEAKER_00:The church and cemetery is the eclipse. And it goes back to Chauncey when he founded it there. And there was a family going through that had a sick baby. And they went on and left the baby to be cared for, thinking when it got better, they could take it on. But the baby didn't make it. So he ironically, I was told this story by my dad. He got on a horse and rode to Hyannis to try and find the couple to tell them about the baby, but couldn't find him.
SPEAKER_02:So, how far is Hyannis from the ranch?
SPEAKER_00:Um, alone. Yeah, I was gonna say. Yeah, yeah. I laughed when my dad told me. I said, I can't even fathom saddling up and riding to Hyannis for days. So they buried the baby there. And later on, the Episcopal Church came in and wanted to develop a church slash congregation location for everyone in that area that had moved in. So that's how it started. And it's still there. It's absolutely beautiful.
SPEAKER_02:It's do they still have services there, or is it just sort of a they do?
SPEAKER_00:They still have services there. And in fact, my nephew got married there about two years ago.
SPEAKER_02:So describe that church to our listeners because uh visually it's it's hard to do for them to see that. But what's it about how big is it and what's it look like?
SPEAKER_00:It is a an old small country church, no electricity, no heating or air. Sits atop a hill beneath a bigger hill. So it is it is just beautiful where it sits. Um I'm gonna get this wrong, but I'm guessing there's probably 20 pews in it, maybe an old pump organ.
SPEAKER_02:Have you tried to play that?
SPEAKER_00:I used to when I was when I was young, yeah. Yeah. And my mom used to be able to play it, but not in a long, long time.
SPEAKER_02:And who cares for the cemetery now?
SPEAKER_00:You know, my parents did when they were there. And now that they're no longer on the ranch and living in North Platte, my brother and and my sister-in-law, his wife, take care of it.
SPEAKER_02:And so there are folks buried there dating back to right around the founding of the state of Nebraska, probably, right?
SPEAKER_00:Exactly, late 1800s. How did your parents meet? My mother's from Texas, as I mentioned, and she went to TCU her freshman year, transferred to Oklahoma State, her sophomore year. My dad, being from Nebraska, was also attending Oklahoma State, and they met while in school there.
SPEAKER_02:So he drugged this poor Texas girl back to the Nebraska Sand Hills.
SPEAKER_00:You know, she found him.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:So, and she she found her cowboy and decided to go live on a ranch in Nebraska. I don't think she realized at the time quite how remote it was. But if she she is a testament to adapting and learning and sticking to it.
SPEAKER_02:So having met her once, she still has somewhat of a Texas or southern accent, correct?
SPEAKER_00:Correct.
SPEAKER_02:You you do as well, I'll say. You do, just kind of. You can pull it out when you need to. It all works for business, right? So where so uh having driven out actually through your ranch a couple of years ago and I had not been there, it's pretty close to what is now the Dismal River Golf Club, correct?
SPEAKER_00:Correct, and the Sand Hills Golf Club.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:So as the crow flies, it's almost a perfect triangle. And it's about 12 miles between the two golf courses and 12 miles to the ranch.
SPEAKER_02:So I was coming in, I usually come in from the what the from the east from Lincoln, but this time I was actually doing some work out in Alliance. And so I came uh through Apple and its map took me right through your ranch, literally to get to the golf course because there was a sign that said it was Tucker Ranch. Or like, oh my gosh, I'm driving right through it to get to the golf course.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. So you saw a set of scales on the south side of it, yeah, where you saw the sign and the house. And yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Have you ever thought of turning the ranch into a golf course?
SPEAKER_00:I think there's enough golf courses out there. We'll leave some cattle on it.
SPEAKER_02:Probably a little more profitable, at least these days. Yeah um so you uh did not end up going back to the ranch, but you uh started with uh a partner, uh Cogent Ideas Inc. Where's that based out of?
SPEAKER_00:We are in Topeka, Kansas.
SPEAKER_02:What do you do?
SPEAKER_00:We we wear a lot of hats, but our primary focus is a marketing company. We work with people in agribusiness, primarily the cattle business, but some supporting commercial companies as well. We provide a lot of the traditional advertising services, ad development, media, uh, media budget planning, catalog development, those kind of things, websites, digital work, so on and so forth. But there's another layer to it all that is much more complicated, that it's it's hard to articulate, but it comes with our customers that we have long-standing relationships with and that we are a strategic partner with them. And we spend a lot of time discussing goals and needs, and you know, they may find an area they want to focus on more, but don't know how to segue that via marketing avenues. So we know the tools, we have all the tools, and we can we provide a lot of consulting with them. And that's part of the planning. Then we move into media budgets and some of those traditional tools.
SPEAKER_02:So what is your market? Is it mainly Kansas, Nebraska, or do you go well beyond that?
SPEAKER_00:We're well beyond. Um, I looked back and since we formed, we've done work in 40 states. So we're doing work in primarily Kansas, South and Southeast, um, a little bit up here in Nebraska.
SPEAKER_02:Are there some nuances between marketing a cattle and a cattle operation in Virginia or Georgia compared to how it's done in Kansas or Nebraska?
SPEAKER_00:You know, it's an interesting question. We oftentimes when we meet new customers, one of the first things they will comment is, well, we don't do things the same way down here.
SPEAKER_02:And they say it in a southern accent.
SPEAKER_00:Well, it depends on where they're from. Okay. But the reality is there are fundamentals that we, you know, there's a ground level, let me say that, where we start. And no matter how you do production, production may vary depending on grasses and inputs and all those kind of things. But to identify a product and understand who their customer is and what our messaging is, there are a lot of those fundamentals that really don't vary. So we start there. And then, you know, as we do that, we understand their customers, and that's where those nuances start coming in and how we need to target them and what that messaging needs to be.
SPEAKER_02:Putting you on the spot a little bit. Give me an example or two of something creative, innovative that you've tried the last couple of years that maybe is that you know, thinking outside the box, uh, thinking that you had mentioned that you you've done and uh worked with producers on what's something that's sort of unique that's actually worked, and maybe if you know anything that hasn't worked.
SPEAKER_00:Sometimes I think it's as simple as a program you may have tied to to a sale or an event and the subject matter. Um we had one where we brought in two meat scientists from certified Angus Beef and had them fab out two different quality grades of carcass so everyone could see the difference in how they fabbed out and what the end result was and what percentage actually was quality meat versus waste. Um so you you do things to challenge the the thinking a little bit and and educate. A lot of the things we do are to help educate. You know, if we have a an event and a platform where there's a large gathering and we can help educate people about something new or bring in an expert, that's always advantageous.
SPEAKER_02:So uh cattle primarily, do you have you done any other species?
SPEAKER_00:Primarily cattle. We've uh done a little bit in horse, but not much. And we do a little work on the crop side.
SPEAKER_02:So no go no goats? No, no, no. No goats. Okay. That's that's a good thing. Uh so what in within the cattle industry, are there particular breeds that you have more emphasis just by virtue of having a bigger market in?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I think you have to keep in mind that the Angus breed dominates. I mean, the sheer numbers make it so that statistically we're all dealing with Angus. And they have the most tools and the most information. But we also still do some work in the Hereford business. And they're, you know, they're striving for the same things as well. They may take different avenues, call them different things, but there is a lot of technology available. And so everything is primarily Angus because of, like I say, sheer numbers. And that's kind of where our customer base is, and word of mouth works that way through through those circles.
SPEAKER_02:What impact, in in your opinion, had the fact that the Angus Association established the certified Angus beef program, what impact has that had on the Angus breed and the beef cattle industry at large?
SPEAKER_00:I think it's huge. And I think it's very, very significant. I think what it has done, in addition to create a market for the product, it has allowed the those of us at the producer level, at the ground level, to get closer to that consumer and understand that there is someone eating our product and raise that awareness that what we do on a day-to-day basis matters to someone in that restaurant down the street. And it matters to the chef who's having to prepare it, and it matters to that household trying to feed a family of you know, however many. So I think it closes that gap in terms of awareness significantly. And what organizations like certified Angus Beef and you know Hereford has certified Hereford Beef, I think that is good for any of us. It's accountability in the end. It's accountability of our product to maintain quality, to maintain consumer acceptance, and to maintain supply levels as well.
SPEAKER_02:Did growing up on the Tucker Ranch in the heart of the Nebraska Sand Hills have an have an impact on you and the person you are today? And if so, how?
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. I mean, without doubt, A, it gave me a foundation, a knowledge base for what we do today. And obviously the industry has grown and changed a lot, but I've had the opportunity to grow with it and learn, and I'm still learning along the way. So that that base was you can you can't trade it for anything. Um the other thing it it left with me is probably the way I think and process growing up in such isolation, such solitude. I'm very comfortable with that. And my business partner is one who thinks on her feet very, very well. I don't I like to marinate and think about it and listen to what she says and let me get back to you in the morning kind of person. And that comes from my environment. That comes from being able to just retreat to your room and read and we'll deal with it in the morning, you know. So it absolutely has a huge impact.
SPEAKER_02:So that would explain why it took you four months to agree to come on this podcast. We're grateful that you came on. So with respect to the ag industry at large, and if you want to focus on the beef cattle industry, that's fine. What do you what do you see are the biggest opportunities for ag at large or the beef cattle industry?
SPEAKER_00:I think I've always looked at opportunities and challenges as one and the same. And what I've learned through the years. You know, I I I like to cookie cutter and and think, well, we do A, B, and C. We don't do D E and F. And I used to laugh. I'm digressing here, but I'll get back to it. My business partner would go meet with a new customer and come back. And at one point I started saying, what did you sell that we don't do? And I got tired of saying that. And it wasn't fair. And I finally learned that that really is a challenge. It's a challenge for us as a small business to remain nimble, to learn, to grow. And so coming full circle to your question, I think that's important, that those challenges we may face, we look at as opportunities. They're opportunities to improve, to do better, keep striving. And, you know, I kind of look at it from three, kind of a three-legged stool, if you will. I think our youth is an excellent opportunity. I I am so impressed with the young people that I'm meeting that are doing internships and coming out and their knowledge base and their eagerness to learn and be hands-on. It's it's wonderful. Can we keep them challenged? Absolutely. There's a lot to do and a lot to learn. I think technology, because that is that's kind of where my zone is, is another aspect that we have challenges and opportunities. I think it's important because it helps us all do our jobs better and more efficiently. And in an industry where our input costs have to be controlled and managed so tightly, any efficiency we can gain from it is wonderful. The challenge becomes not being drawn to the flashing light and being sucked into the the ooh and the wow of technology. And maybe this goes back to my own personality and temperament, but being sure we we are honest about it and is it really going to be a benefit? You know, we can go by all the whistles and bells and technology, but at the end of the day, is it gonna make us a better producer? Is it going to make our customers have an or is it going to allow our customers to have a better product in the end? And is it gonna make our jobs easier? Or is it just going to be one more tool we have to manage on a daily basis that's cumbersome? And then the third thing for me is is our product. You know, we are sitting at a time where our product quality has just skyrocketed. You know, we were at a point many decades ago where consumer acceptance was at its lowest. That has changed. But ironically, consumer acceptance is at one of its highest points now and also at one of its highest price points, which usually is not the case. So I think our challenge becomes continuing to produce and develop quality product that the consumer enjoys, you know, that we make sure they have a good dining experience with our product and wants to return to the store and pay that premium because they know it's going to be good. So we use all the tools in our pocket now to continue fine-tuning and improving that product and keeping it front of mind in our consumers.
SPEAKER_02:As far as the clients that you have, the companies you work for, in addition to marketing their live cattle, are do any of those have either direct-to-consumer or wholesale beef operations that you assist uh with marketing?
SPEAKER_00:We are not working with any directly, no, but there are some that we have worked with them at other stages in their careers before they got into it and been students of it. I've been watching some of their efforts and I think it's phenomenal. I think it is really closing that conversation and allowing the consumer to to have some peace of mind and learn as well. And I think it's a good way for the consumer to get a consistent product. You know, they find a source that they rely on. And, you know, the pandemic drove us to that, which was an interesting outcome of it. But I'm seeing it more and more.
SPEAKER_02:As bad as that was, there's so many good things that actually came out of it. Just one is old people like me uh being forced to use technology that maybe otherwise we would say, yeah, I'm not I'm not hopping on a Zoom meeting or Teams meeting. It will just do it, you know, we'll we'll drive to Topeka or whoever it may be. And it forced people to sort of adapt. And uh again, direct-to-consumer beef and other products is another one where people uh couldn't get otherwise in that that resulted in a huge increase in the number of operations that were doing that.
SPEAKER_00:We have a client in Ohio that has the last few years started a direct, you know, a meat store. And it's been really interesting to watch their educational process with it and learning shelf life and you know, some side products to make it a meal for their customers and all that timing of buying periods, peaks and valleys and events and holidays, and go through that side, that retail side of it, that educational side of it. And it it was another avenue that really helped them understand their consumer and their customer and able to put their product in front of them in some cases. So it's interesting to watch that evolution.
SPEAKER_02:In my limited experience, most of these direct-to-consumer uh beef companies, uh, the the ones that are really successful, in addition to having a quality product, there's a story behind it. You know, it may be uh, you know, a young couple upstart, it may be a family that uh this is uh you know, families dedicated to this or a long history or a long lineage in that particular uh history. I assume that same branding process telling that story, do you also apply that same concept when you're trying to sell live cattle or market some of these cattle with your sale catalogs and other marketing activities?
SPEAKER_00:I think that's prevalent in our industry. Um and in the case of the meat market, it helps the consumer connect. They feel like they know you a little bit better because now they know something about you. We see it, I mean, I've seen it all my career. And, you know, it's family friend. It's it is a family industry. What I've I've started thinking about lately and processing is it's so important to us. Where does that fit into our messaging of a product to a consumer? Because my beef may come from a and obviously does come from a family-owned operation, so does my flooring, so do my tires. You know, that is a a recurring theme when you live in a smaller community, particularly, but is it time we start messaging more towards our competitive edge and not relying on a common comfort message? And that's hard, that's very challenging because that family component is so important to all of us and it's a foundation of our industry. But I I fear it's not resonating with a consumer anymore because they hear it in so many different avenues. So the challenge becomes how do we how do we relay to our consumers that we are professionals in our industry? You know, on any given day, I get to work with uh industry-leading geneticist, scientist, um, economist, researchers, I mean people at the top of their field. We have some incredible people in our industry. And I'm not sure that is getting conveyed as well either. So I I it it's a challenge, and I I don't know that I have the answer for it by any means, and and it's a huge hill to climb of acceptance. But I I think it's something we need to think about with our industry.
SPEAKER_02:In your three or so decades uh being involved in marketing, agriculture, marketing beef, cattle, and uh related products, um have you noticed? I'll just give away the answers. I think the answer is yes. Uh that there seems to be uh an increase in the number of women who are leading these operations, who are taking an active leadership role, who represent the future of their family's operation or the operation. Have you noticed that uh over the course of time?
SPEAKER_00:What I what I want to convey, they've always been there. They've always had a role, they've always had an important role. But I think women are more comfortable being in front with their role and leading and organizing and than they were before. Yeah. I I I think we've we've gotten comfortable moving out of some traditional roles, which is good. And sometimes it's been by necessity. Um, but the women have always been there. We've just not given them a stage. And and they've, in fairness, we've not taken it until recently. And it's fun to see because in the end, it really doesn't matter. You know, I like seeing good ideas, I like seeing creativity. I love seeing women take the charge and and lead and be innovative. And they've always been able to do it. We're just seeing it more.
SPEAKER_02:So, Julie, something we ask all of our guests. You get one word and only one word, that to you best describes and explains this great place in which you were born and raised, where the ranch, the Tucker Ranch, still exists and still carries your name. What's your one word for Nebraska?
SPEAKER_00:Serenity.
SPEAKER_02:Can you explain?
SPEAKER_00:I can. Um, the word comes to mind when I think of going home and going to the ranch. And you go north of North Platte, start going through the hills, and it's just rolling hill after rolling hill after rolling hill. And you turn on a little George Strait. And up until recently, there wasn't any sell signal. And the the peacefulness and the tranquility is uncomparable. And a couple years ago, I came back for a class reunion and drove from North Platte up to Mullen. And it was a summer when they had had an abundance of rain, and the hills were just gorgeous, lush, beautiful green. To the point you just keep topping hill after hill and think, this has been photoshopped. This can't possibly be real. But it is, and you realize truly how beautiful the hills can be. And so that goes back to childhood and the serenity of it. But the other part of it, of serenity for me, is those hills are where my roots are. And it's it's those those roots are where I met and established some of my longest standing friendships, both in that area in the sand hills and as I went on to college, that are with me today and that I treasure. So it is something, serenity is something I strive for in my everyday life, but I never achieve it as fast as I do when I top those hills going into the sand hills.
SPEAKER_02:Lovely. Perfect. Thank you for doing that. Julie, uh again, so very grateful, and our listeners are as well that you take the time to drive all the way to Lake Nebraska to come in for this. So I'm very grateful for that. Uh, folks, if you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing on Apple Spotify or whatever your favorite podcast app is. And please keep on listening as we release additional episodes of Nebraska. It's great communities. Nebraska's number one industry in agriculture, and the folks who make it happen. Thanks.
SPEAKER_01:This has been 93, the podcast, sponsored by Nebraska's law firm, Rimbolt Lake.
