Make A Difference Minute: Vets to Cowboys

Make A Difference Minute: Vets to Cowboys

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Jeremy Clark with Vets to Cowboys as he shares how farmers and ranchers can play an important role in helping veterans discover purpose after military service. Jeremy says veterans entering agriculture need more than pamphlets, presentations, or financial assistance. They need experienced farmers and ranchers willing to open their operations, share what they know, and provide opportunities for hands-on learning. It's an approach veterans understand well. During military service, skills are developed through training and repetition until performing a task becomes second nature. Jeremy believes the same principle applies to agriculture. By working alongside experienced farmers and ranchers, veterans can develop practical skills, build confidence, and prepare for success in their own operations. Through Vets to Cowboys, Jeremy hopes to bring generations of agricultural experience together with veterans who are ready to learn, work, and discover a new sense of purpose after service. This MADM is brought to you by Green's Dependable Hardware, proudly supporting stories and the people who make our communities strong. Real stories. Real people. Real impact. News That Unites!™️

From Service to a New Mission: Vets to Cowboys

On this edition of The Mark White Show, I’m talking with Army veteran Jeremy Clark, founder of Vets to Cowboys in Grand Bay, Alabama. After serving his country through multiple deployments, Jeremy found a new mission through agriculture. Alongside his wife, Heather, he is now helping other veterans discover purpose, camaraderie, practical skills, and new opportunities through farming and ranching. During our conversation, Jeremy shares his family’s journey into agriculture, the mentors who helped him along the way, and how Vets to Cowboys is addressing mental health, food security, workforce development, and the declining number of farms in Alabama. He also shares a powerful message for veterans searching for purpose after military service: taking off the uniform doesn't mean your service has to end. I hope you’ll listen and share this inspiring conversation with your family, friends, and neighbors! Real stories. Real people. Real impact. News That Unites!™️

Make A Difference Minute: Bringing Stories to Life

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Ashley Chewning with Alabama FilmWorks as she shares how a career in film is about far more than what happens in front of the camera. As production coordinator for Houdini the Magical Dog, Ashley helps keep everything running behind the scenes. From securing filming locations and coordinating logistics to arranging meals for the cast and crew, finding background actors, and building relationships throughout the community, her work connects people and keeps a production moving forward. Ashley began her journey as a background actor in Alabama and Hawaii before expanding into theater, acting, and eventually production. Today, she says one of the most rewarding parts of filmmaking is the relationships that develop along the way. By the end of a project, the cast and crew have become like family. Her story is a reminder that every successful production depends on people whose work often goes unseen, but whose impact is felt in every scene. Follow Alabama Filmworks on Facebook and Instagram to learn more. This MADM is brought to you by Bama Estate Planning by Attorney Harlan D. Mitchell, proudly supporting stories and the people who make our communities strong. Real stories. Real people. Real impact. News That Unites!™️

Behind The Magic: Bringing Houdini the Magical Dog to Athens, Alabama!

Tonight, we’re taking you behind the scenes of a movie being filmed right here in Athens, Alabama! Tune in as I talk with actor and producer Branscombe Richmond, actor Mark Beltzman, young Alabama actress Gabby Davis and her mom, Megan Davis, actor and stunt performer Bro Richmond, legendary stuntwoman Barbara Anne Klein, veteran Hollywood hair and makeup artist Ramona Fleetwood, production coordinator Ashley Chewning, and director Brian Herzlinger. We’ll hear how Houdini the Magical Dog is doing its part to bring the film to North Alabama, the opportunities filmmaking creates for local communities, what it takes to make a family movie from start to finish, and the stories behind the talented people bringing it to life. Real stories. Real people. Real impact. News That Unites!™️

Make A Difference Minute: A Library Without Limits

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Charlotte Goodman, children’s coordinator at the Leighton Public Library and Civic Center, as she shares how the library is opening young minds to a world of possibilities. For children growing up in a rural community, opportunities to experience different places and cultures can sometimes be limited. That’s why Charlotte and the library created “Leighton’s International Airport,” complete with passports, TSA officers, visits to countries around the world, international food samples, and even a globe for each child who completed the journey. The inspiration behind the experience came in part from Leighton native and former professional basketball player Leon Douglas. Charlotte remembers hearing him share how, as a young boy, he would crawl under the covers with a flashlight and a map, point to places around the world, and dream of someday visiting them. Through books, those faraway places became real to him long before he ever had the opportunity to travel. Charlotte wants the children of Leighton to understand that same powerful lesson. Where you come from doesn’t determine how far you can go, and the books inside a library can open doors to an entire world waiting to be discovered. This MADM is brought to you by Bankston Motor Homes, proudly supporting stories and the people who make our communities strong. Real stories. Real people. Real impact. News That Unites!™️