Contributors

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Host

Aly Behrens

Aly Behrens is a former finance professional turned full-time business partner in their family trucking operation. She helps run J&T Express, Inc., while raising two boys and building a life in small town Iowa. With a passion for storytelling and small business, she creates content that highlights the grit, humor, and realities of working in agriculture. 


On The Rural Dispatch, Aly brings candid conversations about rural business, relationships, and life on the road. Whether she's sharing lessons from running a family operation or swapping stories with industry professionals, she delivers real, unfiltered insights into the people and businesses that keep rural America thriving. 

https://www.behrensandco.com/podcast
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Co-host

Tyler (Smoke) Behrens

Smoke Behrens is a lifelong trucker, cattleman, and business owner with deep roots in the livestock and transportation industries. He grew up in the world of trucking and cattle, learning the ropes from his dad, Jeff Behrens, before taking the wheel himself. Today, he runs J&T Express, Inc., a livestock trucking company that hauls livestock across the country. With years of experience on the road and in the pens, Smoke brings a no-nonsense perspective to rural business, hard work, and the realities of making a living in agriculture. 


On The Rural Dispatch, he joins Aly to share stories from the road, insights on running a family business, and plenty of unfiltered opinions about the industries that keep America moving. 

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Guests

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Brittany Fenstemacher

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Jeremy Behrens

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Josh Snyder

Josh Snyder is a husband and father, CrossFit coach, founder of FitNKC, and the driving force behind Bloc Life, a nonprofit expanding access to fitness for veterans and individuals with disabilities. With a passion for functional movement and practical nutrition, Josh helps people build confidence, strength, and healthier habits - no matter their starting point. 

https://www.fitnkc.com/
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Mark Toms

Mark Toms has a background in diesel mechanics and trucking, pulling tankers and hauling livestock. Mark is an avid coyote hunter and an expert dry wall finisher. 


Follow Mark on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/mark.toms.965
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Marty Wilken

Fourth generation truck driver 

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Rick Machado

Rick began auctioneering over 35 years ago, and today he has become a preeminent and world-class talent in his field. Rick was inspired and influenced by his father, a local fundraising auctioneer, who worked in the livestock transportation business all of his life. His father encouraged him to pursue his unique auctioneering gift from a young age and make it part of his life’s work.

His passion as a cattleman and love for the business has served to cultivate and strengthen his knowledge and expertise in all facets of the industry. Rick successfully runs his own cow-calf, stocker and feeder ventures, as well as owning and operating an acclaimed American Quarter Horse breeding program. 

In addition, Rick has been part of the Western Video Market team since 1991 and serves as the lead auctioneer and cattle representative for the company. Each year Western Video Market promotes and sells over a half a million head of cattle throughout the West.

https://rmlivestock.com/

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Zach Tindall

Zach Tindall is a commodity broker with Producers Livestock and a farmer feeder in Northwest Iowa. He works alongside his dad on their multi-generational farm raising cattle, which gives him a unique perspective when helping producers navigate risk management tools like futures, options, and LRP.