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, Aly sits down with Luke Quandt, owner of Quandts Coatings to talk about what it really looks like to bet on yourself. Luke grew up on a farm and started engraving in his spare time out of his house. After years of working on hog barns, he made the leap to go all in on his side hustle, and six years later hasn't looked back.
Luke shares how his passion for quality craftsmanship has turned into a w...
In this episode, Aly and Smoke sit down with Austin and Mady Blair, owners of ABC Beef, to talk about what it really looks like to diversify a family farming operation while raising three young kids. We dig into how they’ve used what they already knew to build multiple income streams, including their direct-to-consumer beef business. They share how the idea started, what it took to get up and running, the struggles th...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, Smoke and Aly sit down to recap 2025 in the livestock trucking business — the good, the bad, and the ugly. From the moments that made the long days worth it to the wrecks that tested us, this conversation dives into what our year behind the scenes really looked like.
We talk about good people vs bad people we came across in the industry and how those relationships shaped our year,...
This week we're talking about the one thing every cattle producer knows they could do better or should do better or would do better if they had the time... but most put off: record keeping. I'm joined by Oaklee Trapp, rancher, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Smarter Cattle, to break down why better data leads to better decisions in today's cattle market.
This week Smoke and Aly sit down with Adam Prokash, a first-generation livestock producer whose path into agriculture looks nothing like the traditional one. Adam walks us through how he bought his first farm and learned to raise veal calves without the benefit of growing up in the industry, and how those early years shaped every decision that came after.
His story spans multiple chapters: the rise and fall of the veal...
In this episode, Aly sits down with Natallia Opalko, founder of Trucking Safety and author of Safety is the New Profit, to break down the systems and simple fixes that help small fleets improve safety, efficiency, and profitability. Natallia shares the most common compliance and safety hurdles she sees, the tools that make compliance less overwhelming, and how better processes can directly strengthen your bottom line....
This week Aly and Smoke dive into a lesson on why winter preparation is important, a conversation about debt strategy and our mindset when financing equipment and managing growth without getting stretched too thin. We also chat about taking calculated risks in business and cattle feeding. Tune in for practical, honest insights for keeping a rural operation moving forward.
Beef Hub App – Built by cattle haulers, for ca...
Hosts Aly and Smoke catch up on Smoke's time back behind the wheel - navigating sale barns, a few frustrations about how trucking has changed, and taking kids along for the ride. They also dig into the business side, from climbing insurance premiums and warranty headaches, to Trump's recent comments on beef prices and what they've really meant for beef producers. Back home, a leaky basement adds to the ...
In this episode I'm joined by the rhinestone cowgirl herself, Olivia Harms. We chat about growing up on a 150-year-old ranch, running one today with her husband in Northern California, and chasing big dreams on the road.
Olivia Harms has created her own “Rhinestone Cowgirl” sound, blending Texas, Bakersfield, and Nashville country. As the daughter of Western Music Hall of Fame member Joni Harms, Olivia debuted on...
This week we’re talking trucking truths — who should buy their own truck, how driver pay really works, and what happens when trucks get ordered but never used. We also touch on getting started feeding cattle. This one is a real, no-filter look at the business side of hauling livestock.
Beef Hub App – Built by cattle haulers, for cattle haulers. Tools to make your job easier out on the road. Use referral code RURAL to ...
This week’s episode is a snapshot of life right now — the kind where life and business blur together in the best and busiest ways. We’re fresh off our wedding weekend, still soaking it in, and juggling everything that comes with it, because you have to make hay while the sun shines and that means they honeymoon can wait.
Smoke and I talk through how things look when he’s on the road and the latest in the fat cattle tra...
This week on The Rural Dispatch, we’re switching gears from hauling livestock to hauling a bar! Join me for a quick solo update on a busy week in trucking, Smoke getting back into cow buying, and the chaos of wedding week prep in our backyard. Plus, hear about our friends at Agar Transportation and PAR Repair driving a custom bar across the country — and how you could score some merch if you spot it on the road!
Beef H...
This week on The Rural Dispatch, Smoke and Aly talk trucking, cattle, and life.
We dig into what a “slow busy season” looks like in livestock trucking, how the cattle market is shaping both hauling and beef availability, and why trucking’s connection to so many industries is both a challenge and a blessing (hello, reefer division revival!).
If you’re curious about cattle markets, livestock hauling, or just enjoy a goo...
On this episode, Aly is joined by Ashley Brincks, ag professional and leader specializing in cattle and conservation. In this episode, Ashley shares how her journey through both personal loss and professional opportunities has shaped her into the industry advocate she is today.
She reflects on the ways resilience and hard work have guided her path, and we talk about the intersection of conservation and cattle productio...
This week Smoke and Aly are diving into a mix of trucking life, ag seasonality, and some good old-fashioned storytelling. We chat about whether the days of handshake deals are behind us, swap stories from Smoke’s time in the truck (including 5 Hour Energy, CB radios, CDs, and stacks of DVDs), and share some ideas for Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
We also break down why fall is the busiest season for ranchers, farmers...
The countdown is on: we're one month out from a wedding and life is a mix of bottle calves, bin dust, broke down trucks and last-minute details. This week is a quick update plus we're asking for your best wedding/marriage advice. Send us your tips and I'll share them on the show!
Beef Hub App – Built by cattle haulers, for cattle haulers. Tools to make your job easier out on the road. Use referral code ...
This week on The Rural Dispatch, Bryan and Rochelle Heiman join Aly and Smoke to share how they came to be Heiman Farm: A Raw Milk Diary in Iowa. With five kids under eight, four (going on six) milk cows, plus pigs, chickens, and turkeys, the Heiman family is living the full farm life while serving their community with fresh raw milk through weekly drop-offs throughout west central Iowa. We talk about how Heiman Farm ...
In this episode of The Rural Dispatch, it’s just Aly + Smoke catching up on life, work, and everything in between. We kick things off the way most summer conversations in the Midwest do, talking about the weather. From there, we shift gears into family life with a recap of our annual trip to Branson, a streak of Behrens bad luck, and business lately.
It’s a mix of cows, chaos, and family updates... just a slice of wha...
This week on The Rural Dispatch, I sit down with Maury Eickman, a 97-year-old lifelong farmer from Templeton, Iowa, to capture nearly a century of farming history and wisdom. Maury shares stories from growing up during the Great Depression, surviving the unforgettable “year from hell” in 1936, and building a life on the farm with his wife, Dottie, while raising seven children. He reflects on the 1980’s farm crisis, ho...
This week I'm joined by Brandon Roering, third generation dispatcher for his family's livestock transportation business, Lambrecht Livestock Trucking, and the creator of Beef Hub — a brand-new app created specifically for the needs in the livestock transportation world.
Join us as we dive into Brandon's journey from growing up in trucking to managing logistics and developing tech, and how he turned his ...
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