Amanda Radke Spills The Tea

Welcome to the first episode of "The Heart of Rural America,” presented by CK6 Consulting and Real Tuff Livestock. I'm your host, Amanda Radke, and if we haven't met yet, thanks for being here! If you've been following me for a while, maybe it was back in the day when I led a protest at a Carrie Underwood concert, when she was vocally supporting the animal rights extremist organization, the Humane Society of the United States. Or maybe it was when I got my start writing for BEEF Magazine, where I opined on ag policy, beef industry issues, and consumer trends, while also sharing my own story -- getting married, buying land, purchasing cattle, starting a family, and making our way together in the cattle business.Maybe you found me in 2019 when I had that little run-in with Ellen DeGeneres. Perhaps you read my children's books in classrooms or maybe "Levi's Lost Calf" has become your little one's favorite bedtime story. Or quite possibly you found my page when I started writing about my faith, and how I felt Jesus had called us to foster care and adoption during the pandemic.Maybe you love shopping my online western retail boutique -- an accidental business that was created out of necessity when I lost a year's worth of work writing, speaking, and reading my children's books in schools.Or maybe you've stumbled upon this show by random chance, and you're curious about what "The Heart of Rural America" is all about.Whatever brought you to this podcast, thank you for your time. I hope this show adds value to your life by providing inspiration, motivation, and encouragement. On this show, I plan to share the amazing stories of the incredible people I meet in my travels as an agricultural speaker, while also breaking down some of the biggest challenges we face as independent farmers and ranchers. My goal is to Let's hit the dusty trail together. In episode 1, I get real and raw about my career in agriculture and what motivates me to keep fighting for the revival of rural America and the often overlooked people who call small town USA "home."