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The Rural Dispatch
Welcome to The Rural Dispatch, the podcast that delivers honest conversations from the fields, the highways, and the home front.
I'm your host, Aly Behrens - headquartered in rural Iowa, I help run a trucking company that specializes in hauling livestock nationwide.
I was born and raised in small-town-Iowa and I’m passionate about rural communities and the people who help them thrive. Since becoming a mom, I’ve taken a step away from my own career in finance and into a behind the scenes role in our second-generation family business. I’m proud to help continue the legacy of hard work and dedication that built this business. I’m building a life with a multi-faceted business owner who also holds the title of truck driver, cattle feeder and dispatcher, all while we both work together to manage office operations, oversee business development, and bring the next generation along to show them the ropes, just like their grandpa did with their dad.
If you’re anything like us, you wear a lot of hats in your operation. This podcast is for people like you: hardworking men and women in the rural trucking, livestock and business communities who are juggling all the things every day. Whether it’s running loads, managing a herd, staying compliant, or handling the bookkeeping, we know the challenges you face because we’ve lived them.
In our weekly episodes, I’ll bring you a mix of my own experiences as I navigate the ins and outs of these industries, stories with my better half, Smoke about the lessons we’ve learned throughout our time in this business, and interviews with experts who tackle the pain points we all probably face at one time or another. From trucking to livestock production to rural entrepreneurship, this show is here to equip you with the tools, resources and a supportive community to help you thrive.
Whether you’re in the cab of a truck, out checking cattle, or sitting at your kitchen table, we hope you’ll tune in and find value in conversations that speak your language. No matter your role in the industry, there’s something for everyone here.
Buckle up, friends, there's lots to come. If you enjoy an episode, it would mean the world to us if you would share it with a friend. Keep up with us between episodes on our socials, at Behrens and Co., or subscribe to our email list on our website to receive new episodes directly to your inbox every Wednesday. Thanks for being here. We'll talk soon.
Episodes
Got Milk? Heiman Farm Brings Raw Milk to Iowa
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Cows, Chaos, and Rural Summer Stories
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97 Years on the Farm: Maury Eickman on Iowa History, Hogs & Hard Work
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Livestock Trucking Meets Tech: Inside the Beef Hub App with Brandon Roering
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Building a Livestock Hauling Business & Passing the Torch: The Agar Transportation Story

Reno Rundown: Western Video Market Insights & Real-Time Rancher Updates
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Cattle Markets, Cheap Corn and Life Lately
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A Small-Town Startup Story with the Nelsons: From No Shovel to Concrete Business
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Living Forward: A Farm Kid’s Story of Hope, Humor, and Holding On with Mark Handlos

Hedging 101 for Cattle Feeders: Real World Risk Management with Zach Tindall
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From the Ground Up: How Justin Heiman Built a Thriving Cattle Operation from Scratch
Dad Always Said... Lessons from Rural America's Hardest Workers
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Life, Love & Livestock: The Real Side of Rural Business and Marriage
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93 Years in the Cattle Business: Wisdom from a Lifelong Cattleman
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From Hauling Livestock to Car Lots: Howard Curry on Trucking, Business, and the Power of Good People
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From $300 to Owning Agar Transportation: Buying Blue Sky, Dispatching Through Slowdowns, and the Mental Load in Trucking
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Turning Iowa Farmland into Grass & Building a Seed Business from Scratch with James & Megan Holz

Truckin' Through Trouble: Marty Wilken on Lot Lizards, Border Runs and Jail Time
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Small Steps, Big Impact: Josh Snyder on Nutrition, Movement & Community
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Will Epperly: From Rural Roots to World Champion Auctioneer

Old-School Trucking Stories: Denny Kluver on 40+ Years of Hauling Livestock
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From Broke to Business Owners: Smoke Behrens and Mark Toms Unfiltered

Master of Trades: Mark Toms on Trucking, Coyotes, and Hard Work

Trucking Talk: Peterbilt vs. Kenworth, Wilson vs. Eby & the Current Cattle Market

CDLs, ELDs, and Independent Trucking: Real Talk with Jeremy Behrens
