Why Your Most Valuable Asset Is Running on Empty

Most producers can tell you the exact feed ration for their replacement heifers or the precise fuel mixture their equipment requires. They invest thousands of dollars in preventative maintenance for their tractors and combines because they know a breakdown during harvest is a disaster. They spend weeks analyzing soil samples to ensure maximum yield per acre.

Yet, when it comes to the most critical asset on the operation—their own body—many farmers and ranchers are running on fumes.

In a recent episode of the “Your Ag Empire” podcast, host Brooke Taylor sat down with Sheri Glazier, a registered dietitian nutritionist known as the "Dirt Road Dietitian." Glazier lives in Loyal, Oklahoma, 30 miles from the nearest grocery store. She understands that when you are hauling cattle or racing against a storm front, standard wellness advice about meal prepping and eating kale salads just does not apply.

"I do not promote cardboard and bark eating," Glazier quips. "But also the other piece of that too is just the food police... There's a level of perfection that people feel like they have to achieve when we're talking about nutrition, and that is absolutely not my jam."

The High Cost of Operating on "E"

There is a strange disconnect in agriculture. We spend our lives feeding the world, yet often subsist on gas station snacks and energy drinks. Taylor points out the irony during the episode, comparing farmers to elite athletes. An athlete fuels their body for four quarters of high performance. A farmer or rancher is expected to perform for 16 hours a day, often for weeks on end.

Glazier argues that poor nutrition is not just a waistline issue. It is a business risk.

"The amount of dollars and zeros behind some of these decisions these listeners make on a daily basis," Glazier says. "And I'm like, and you're doing it on E? You're surviving, but not thriving. It doesn't have to be that way."

Brain fog, irritability, and the mid-afternoon crash are not just annoyances. When you are making six-figure business decisions or operating heavy machinery, they are liabilities.

Why Traditional Advice Fails Rural America

Registered dietitian Sheri Glazier dismantles the idea that nutrition requires perfection or a Whole Foods down the street.

The problem isn't a lack of desire to be healthy; it is a lack of realistic guidance. Most dietitians operate in clinical settings or urban centers where "stop by the salad bar" is actionable advice. For a producer in rural America, access is a major hurdle.

"Finding that person, ironically, in the world of the digital age can sometimes be fairly difficult," Glazier explains. She notes that rural living presents unique challenges that standard healthcare often overlooks—like the fact that work isn't 9-to-5, it can be seasonal.

"Some of us live two different lives. You have a workday life or a work week life, and you have a non-work week," she says. "Or, how farming and ranching is seasonal. There are different things during different seasons."

Glazier’s approach is radical because it is practical. She advocates for meeting clients where they are, even if "where they are" is a convenience store.

"If you look past those things you usually get, hostess snack cakes and a Dr. Pepper and move on," Glazier says. "We have to be able to see it in a different way. And I can give you permission to find things in a different way to fill the nutritional gap."

Instead of demanding a perfect diet, she teaches strategy. 

The Myth of the "Food Police"

One of the biggest barriers to seeking help is shame. Many producers avoid nutritionists because they expect to be scolded for their food choices.

"The amount of conversation after I get finished, like people feel relieved," Glazier says of her speaking engagements. "That's usually the comment I get the most: 'I was a little bit nervous about coming because I thought you were gonna shame me.'"

Glazier makes it clear: she isn't there to take away your burger. She is there to help you understand how that burger affects your energy levels and blood work. It is about education, not restriction.

"My job is to really get to know you,” Glazier explains. “What is your family history? What things have you encountered? What medications are you on?"

This personalized approach is crucial because no two operations—and no two bodies—are the same. What works for a row crop farmer during planting won't work for a rancher during calving.

Bringing Access to the Dirt Road

Perhaps the most significant development discussed in the episode is the shift toward accessibility. Glazier now offers virtual coaching across 12 states, often covered by major insurance providers.

"If you know someone that's needing a dietitian, we now have the ability to bridge that gap for them without them really having to ultimately just sit there and go, 'I have no idea what to do,'" Glazier says.

The virtual model fits the agricultural lifestyle. You don't have to drive two hours into the city and lose half a day of work. You can hop on a call between checking cattle and meeting a banker.

This flexibility allows for consistent accountability, which is the real secret to long-term health. It isn't about a January 1st resolution that fails by February; it is about building a foundation that survives the chaos of real life.

"The goal is not to restart every January one," Glazier affirms.

A New Definition of Wealth

Empire Ag focuses on building businesses that last, but a legacy requires a living, healthy leader to guide it. Glazier’s message is a reminder that health is a form of wealth that cannot be ignored.

"You're optimal in your operation, whatever job that you are doing," Glazier concludes. "Food should not have to be holding you back. And I really just press the release button for you so you can move forward with confidence."

If you are tired of just surviving the season and are ready to start thriving in it, it might be time to stop treating your body like an afterthought. You wouldn't run your combine without oil. Stop running yourself without proper fuel.

Listen to the full conversation with Sheri Glazier on the latest episode of "Your Ag Empire."