On this episode of the Legacy of Agriculture, Chris Bair is joined by returning guest Kevin Moe to discuss the relationship between agriculture and banking. Chris and Kevin discuss how ag lending can be a mutually beneficial relationship as well as how some farms operate without financing.

Ever wonder how a shy teenager becomes the person who can run a meeting, lead a team, and shift an 18‑speed without grinding a gear? We sit down with educator and rancher Colby Steeke to trace that journey—from a ranch in southwest North Dakota to a 1,300‑student CTE powerhouse where agriculture education meets real-world opportunity. The story starts with roots: parents who teach ag, sisters who show goats across the Midwest, and mentors like the late Butch Howland who believed travel and exposure could change a student’s life. Then it accelerates—Denver Stock Show meat judging champions, late-night practices, and the kind of high expectations that turn small-town programs into statewide standouts.

We open the doors to the Southwest Area CTE Academy in Dickinson, where seven partner schools share 18+ programs ranging from diesel mechanics and heavy equipment to floriculture, food science, and health pathways. You’ll hear how mobile CDL and heavy equipment simulators give teens safe, high-fidelity reps on 10-, 13-, and 18-speed transmissions, and how a USDA-certified mobile meat processing trailer turns pork loins into chops while teaching food safety, value-add, and entrepreneurship. Colby makes a compelling case for SAEs, scholarships, and travel—from state leadership conferences to national convention—as the engines that build confidence, networks, and career clarity for students who may never step on a farm but will shape the future of food and fiber.

We also tackle the ROI question head-on. Not everyone needs a five-year degree to build a good life. Many agriculture-adjacent careers—welding, CDL, precision ag, HVAC, dental assisting, agronomy tech—start with certificates or two-year programs that pay back fast and meet urgent local needs. Along the way, social media gets reframed as a teaching tool: TikTok Tuesdays, classroom-ready clips, and a national community of ag teachers swapping ideas that work. If only one percent of Americans farm, then ag education is how the other ninety-nine percent learn what feeds and clothes them—and how thousands of students find real, respected careers. Subscribe, share with a parent or student who needs options, and leave a review with the skill you wish school had taught you.

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