Shows
Shorts WeatherThe Bob Harris EpisodeBuckle up, pod fans, because this is (probably) the best episode yet! In Emily's return to Shorts Weather, she shares the mic with Bob Harris, Iowa entrepreneur and auto racing legend. As Emily's former employer, Bob is able to dive right in and let the stories start rolling. From humble beginnings of junk yard cars and meat packing jobs to a stint with Joe Gibbs Racing on the NASCAR circuit, Bob has no shortage of tales to tell. And, if you make it to the end of the episode, you'll even get to hear Bob's retelling his and Emily's...2022-11-091h 56Shorts WeatherHead, Heart, Hands, and Hellish Record Keeping: A trip down 4-H memory laneWell, sometimes procrastination gets the best of us.. in this historic solo-hosted episode, Emily pulls out her old 4-H record books and dives into some of her favorite stories from her years with the clover. As the famous Iowa State Fair takes place in Des Moines this week, we walk down our own fair-tastic memory lane. We also deep dive into some of the meaningful takeaways for 4-Hers (besides learning that peppers *aren't* an edible garnish??). Most importantly, Emily shares her dialogue on why county and state fairs are so important to our communities and makes a case for...2022-08-171h 24Shorts WeatherOperation T-Bone and the Beef Industry (with Dale & Duane Sloth)The best way to learn something is from the source, and that's exactly the mission of this episode. In this week's edition of Shorts Weather, I sit down with Audubon County cattlemen and father-son duo Dale and Duane Sloth to discuss the (somewhat) recent history of the beef industry in the midwest. As a follow-up to our last episode covering the Union Stockyards in Omaha, Dale is able to provide some firsthand stories and memories of selling cattle at the yards in the 50's and 60's. Our conversation also lends itself to deep-diving into the background and history of...2022-08-031h 22Shorts WeatherThe Rise and Fall of the Omaha Stockyards (with Ryan Roenfeld)The stories of the late Union Stockyards, lovingly known by many as the Omaha Stockyards, are a cultural icon and marker of years gone by. In this episode, regional historian Ryan Roenfeld gives us the *beef* on the rise and fall of the Omaha Stockyards. We discuss the factors and influences that led to the stockyards’ development and rapid boom. Then, we dissect the demise of the yards and some of the economic and cultural impacts of the stockyards that remain today. As a special bonus, Ryan also shares his insight on some other Omaha historical icons, including the Ol...2022-07-201h 25Shorts WeatherTeacher's *Shortage* Pet (with Tiffany Tomlin)We kick off the month of July with a very special episode tackling a hot button topic with one of the coolest people I know: Tiffany Tomlin! Tiffany is a high school agriculture education instructor and fellow northern Iowa transplant. Today we dive into teacher shortages, especially in rural areas. Just how “bad” is the issue, and what are the factors that have contributed to the lack of trained educators in schools across the midwest? As someone who grew up in a large city *with* a Walmart (#jealous), Tiff also details the challenges and opportunities of living in a rura...2022-07-062h 14Shorts Weather“Kwik” Conversation on Compassion (with John McHugh)Our first Sconnie guest! In this episode I’m joined by John McHugh, Director of Corporate Communications, Leadership Development, and Training at midwestern convenience store chain Kwik Trip. Folks who stan Kwik Trip (or Kwik Star, depending on where you live) will tell you there’s something special about their gas station of choice. John and I dive into some of the elements in Kwik Trip’s culture and values that help make their stores stand out, as well as the story of their brand’s cultural revolution and the role compassion played in those changes. Later in the episode...2022-06-221h 17