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
In this episode, we are honored to have Mark Handlos on to share his story — a farm kid turned medical warrior whose life is rooted in resilience, hope, and an unshakable sense of humor. Mark opens up about what it was like growing up in rural Iowa and then facing a mysterious illness that began at age 15. With no diagnosis and no treatment that worked for more than a decade, he battled episodes that left him unable t...
If the words “hedging,” “options,” or “basis” make your eyes glaze over — this episode is for you.
Today I’m joined by Zach Tindall, a commodity broker with Producers Livestock and a farmer feeder himself, to break down price protection tools in plain English. We talk about the real-world side of managing market risk — not just the theory, but how it actually works when you’ve got cattle on feed and money on the line.
W...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, Aly sits down with farmer and cattle feeder Justin Heiman, a Carroll County native who built his own farming operation from the ground up. Justin shares how he got started with nothing but work ethic, a love for agriculture, and mentors who were willing to show him the ropes.
We talk about the highs and lows of getting into farming on your own, the lessons he’s learned along the w...
This episode is for the dads — the ones who hauled cattle before sunup, made you work when you got in trouble, and taught you how to let things roll off your back like water on a duck.
For this Father’s Day edition of The Rural Dispatch, we’ve pulled clips from past episodes where guests told stories about their dads — the things they said, the lessons they passed down, and the work ethic they demanded. You’ll hear abo...
In this episode, Smoke and I sit down for a real-time check-in — no guest, just us. Following up last week’s episode with Rich Pudenz felt like a tall order, but we wanted to bring it back home and share what’s going on behind the mic.
We talk about what it means to build a life and business together — especially when your past doesn’t look picture-perfect. From marriage and faith to cattle markets, networking, and fin...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, we sit down with Rich Pudenz—a cattle feeder now in his 90s—who shares what it was like growing up in rural America during the Great Depression, feeding cattle alongside his brothers, and watching the livestock industry evolve over the past century.
From early mornings in the feedlot to navigating tough market years, Rich reflects on what went well, what didn’t, and how much has c...
Sit down with us as we talk with Howard Curry, owner of Howard Curry Transport Inc, a brokerage business with deep roots in hauling livestock.
Howard takes us all the way back to 1953, when his dad first got into hauling livestock. Born into the business in 1962, Howard's been a part of the livestock world ever since. At 16 years old, he quit school, moved out and went to work on his own -- building a life throug...
In this episode, we sit down with Paul Radloff and Brittany Fenstemacher from Agar Transportation to talk about what it means to buy "blue sky" in the trucking industry. Paul bought the company with just $300 to his name but a whole lot of ambition to make it work. Brittany, the brains behind the scenes, helped bring structure to the transition and continues to play a vital role in operations.
We also talk op...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, we’re sitting down with James and Megan Holz—farmers, livestock producers, entrepreneurs, and one of the husband-and-wife duos behind Iowa Cover Crop. James and Megan share the story of how they ventured into feeding hogs and the lessons they’ve learned navigating that world, and how it differs from cattle feeding. We dig into the unexpected origin of Iowa Cover Crop — a business...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, we sit down with one of our longtime drivers, Marty Wilken -- a man whose roots in trucking run deep. With well over 40 years behind the wheel, Marty shares his unforgettable stories from the road.
We cover everything from his family's start in trucking, dating back four generations, to his wildest stories from the road -- including the time(s) he got arrested. You'll a...
This episode is for the folks who don’t have time for two-a-days at the gym and green smoothies.
Whether you’re hauling cattle, running a business, raising kids, or all of the above — this conversation with Josh Snyder will give you practical, doable ways to move your body, eat better, and feel stronger.
Josh is the founder of FitNKC, a gym focused on real-life fitness for real people — and the nonprofit BlocLife, which...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, we sit down with Will Epperly, 2022 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion and co-owner of Dunlap Livestock Auction, to talk cattle, markets, and mentorship.
From growing up in his family's sale barn in Virginia to becoming one of the top voices in the industry, Will shares the path that led him to earn the world champion title and co-own one of Iowa’s most respected livestock ...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, we sit down with Denny Kluver, a retired livestock hauler who spent 30+ years driving for Jeff Behrens, the founder of Behrens Trucking. From the very first load to the day he hung up his keys, Denny witnessed firsthand the growth of a family-run business and the evolution of the livestock hauling industry.
We talk about what it was like to be on the road in the early days, the ch...
In this week's episode of The Rural Dispatch, we continue last week's conversation with Smoke and Mark Toms to share more raw, (mostly) unfiltered stories from their younger years. From struggling to pay the bills to building successful businesses, these guys have been through it all, and today they're telling the stories that shaped them.
If you're broke, crashing on a couch, or just need a good l...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, I’m joined Smoke and guest Mark Toms—a man of many talents and endless stories. Mark takes us on a journey through his career, starting with how he got into the trucking industry and the unique challenges of pulling a tanker compared to hauling livestock.
We also dive into his passion for protecting livestock from predators, specifically his experience as an avid coyote hunter. Ma...
This week on The Rural Dispatch, we’re talking all things trucks, trailers, and the cattle industry with Smoke. From EPA regulations to the closure of the American Foods plant in Yankton, SD, there’s a lot shaking up the trucking & livestock worlds right now. Plus, we’re breaking down which brand is really best when it comes to trucks and livestock trailers. And, if you’re frustrated with the cattle market, you’re...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, I sit down with Jeremy Behrens to talk about his journey from hauling livestock with Smoke and their dad, to running his own one-man trucking operation. We dive into what it takes to get started in trucking today, the pros and cons of new technology, and the importance of a driver’s role in the bigger business picture. Jeremy shares his take on FMCSA regulations, ELDs, and the ai...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, I sit down with Smoke and Jeff "Bug" Schroeder, a cattle feeder from western Iowa, to talk about his journey in the industry. We cover everything from feeding in dirt lots and barns to the realities of hedging cattle and what skills every good cattle feeder should have in their back pocket.
Tune in for an honest look at the cattle business, the highs and lows, and what ...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch: Delivering Stories from Rural America, I sit down with my better half, Smoke, to talk about the journey that shaped him and our family’s trucking business. We start with the story behind his name and his deep-rooted ties to trucking and agriculture.
From its beginnings to where we are today, we break down the evolution of our trucking company, the challenges facing the industry ri...
Welcome to the very first episode of The Rural Dispatch! I’m kicking things off with a solo episode to introduce myself, share my background, and explain how I ended up here—running a livestock trucking business, raising two little boys, and launching this podcast.
In this episode, I talk about:
- How I went from a career in finance to managing the backend of our family business
- The challenges and rewards of working in...
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