“I feel like we’re able to do what we do because we have evolved over time.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Lydia Hiesterman. Lydia shared a little about her family’s farm operation and the complexities that come with farming with multiple families. Lydia expressed the value of planning and farm succession and shared her personal experience with farm succession. Lydia also gave advice on how to find and select a financial advisor that would work for you and your family’s needs.

“It's not realistic for most of us at this point in time to assume that we can be completely independent of the food system and what it has evolved to be."

In this episode, I talk about a topic that I find very important and has been on my mind for quite some time. Safe and accessible food is a privilege and one I believe everyone should have. In this episode, I explain what quality food is and how it can be different for everyone. I also share my experience with disconnection from food and how it has shaped my thinking about food. I also share my experience with the food shortage that I experienced during peak COVID times and the realization that hit me. I would really love to hear what you think and have to say about food accessibility, so please reach out so we can continue this important and impactful conversation!

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. And if you think about that, that goes along with your lifestyle, your eating, everything.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Cheyenne Glade Wilson, or you might know her as the Native Cowgirl. Cheyenne shared a little about her health journey and how it’s impacted other parts of her life. Cheyenne also talked about how the Native Cowgirl got started and how that platform has been able to share her passion of empowering rural women to women all over.

“The thing about motherhood, and I say this about my business too, cookiecutter solutions don’t work. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for you or for your child. Each child is different and it is like a learning process for each of them because they’re all so different.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Natalie Egger. Natalie discussed how she started her business helping clients get more organized and be more efficient with their time. As a mother of 5, Natalie shared how she uses her business practices in her home life and how everyone could benefit from some optimized practices such as time blocking. If you’re in need of organization or efficiency skills, this is the episode for you!

“Everybody has their role and that’s another thing, know your role; delegate as well. Because when you try to do everything on your own, that’s when it’s going to fall apart. That’s where overwhelm sets in.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Kerissa Taylor of 1984 Farms. I recently came across Kerissa and her family’s farm on Instagram and I’m so glad I did! Kerissa shared how she and her husband, Steve, along with their 6 kids, started their farm in Colorado and recently moved everything to Missouri to continue living out their dream life. Kerissa and I also talked about raising our kids on the farm and the ups and downs that come with it. 

“I would say we are more of a farm than a homestead but to me it’s more this is how our grandparents were living and how they were raised and they were pretty self-sufficient and independent people and we just feel like that for us right now is the best thing we can do.” 

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with my friend and neighbor, Jada Sharp. Jada shared with us how her and her family got started on their farm with goats and sheep and how their farm has changed along with her family’s roles. Jada also dove into how a few bars of goat milk soap and bottles of goat milk lotion lead to her starting her business, 14 Hands Ranch.

“There’s so many things to do on the farm. So many jobs and so many places to fit in but, I just didn’t  feel like any of them were where I wanted to be or where I wanted to fit.”

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Brandi Lahey, or as you might know her, The Tipsy Farmer. I had so much fun learning about Brandi’s journey growing hops and all that goes into growing, harvesting, and drying hops. Brandi shared why she started The Tipsy Farmer Mobile Bar and the highs and lows that came with it. 

In this episode, I have the pleasure of sitting down with Jason Medows and discussing a very important topic, mental health in agriculture. Jason touched on why starting his podcast, Ag State of Mind, was important for improving his own mental health and how he balances his many roles to maintain his mental health. Jason also shares how his family’s core values help him manage his expectations on the farm and in life.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Terra Larsen about a topic that is near and dear to my heart, homesteading. Terra shared how and why she and her husband, Trevor, started homesteading. Terra talked about the expansion to their operation and introduced us to some of the stars on their farm, milk cows Helen and Ruth. Terra also opened up to some of her struggles with sharing her homesteading journey online as well as some of her good experiences such as meeting new people and forming new friendships.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Marli Scarborough about a topic I love, efficiency and productivity. First, Marli shared that with the passing of her mother, roles and responsibilities on the ranch had to adjust. Along with her dad and two younger brothers, they are figuring out what works for them in their operation. On the topic of efficiency and productivity, Marli and I both share methods that work for use. I love hearing how others operate day-to-day to see if there is anything I can use for myself or my farm.

In this episode, I wanted to share the importance of making sure you put a value on your time because like the saying, “time is money.” This might be a difficult perspective to view as a farmer or a business owner, but if you think of it as, “how much would I have to pay someone else to do this task?” then it is clearer to see the value of your time doing that task. Then you have to think about, “am I using my time in a way that is cost-effective to my operation?” All of these questions are important to keeping your farm or business on track as well as making sure your time is being spent doing things or investing in things that align with your goals and values.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Terryn Drieling about a topic I enjoy and find fascinating, enneagrams. Terryn briefly explains each type of enneagram's characteristics and their motivations. She then talks about how being self-aware and knowing your enneagram type can translate into other aspects and relationships of your life. While discussing enneagrams, Terryn helped me determine which type I am through a series of questions.

Terryn also shares the personal significance to the phrase “good movement draws good movement” and how it is part of her day-to-day life.

In this episode, I got the chance to chat with DL Lautenbach, a farmer from Washington. DL shares how he got started in the cattle industry as well as some of his practices and the challenges that come with them. In our conversation, DL divulges how he and his family changed from their consumer lifestyle to a more conservative spending lifestyle and the importance of that lifestyle shift for his family.

In this episode, I wanted to share with you a reminder to be more present. I find it is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of the holiday season and focus too much on my to-do list tasks, that I sometimes forget to be present with my family. Spending time with family and making memories is so important, and after losing my grandma this year, you realize time with your family members is not infinite. So take the time to talk with and listen to the people you hold dear.

In this episode, I wanted to talk about my current season of life and it happens to be a waiting season.  For me, I’m not a big fan of waiting. I like to have a plan so this period of wait and see has not been easy. However, I’m coming around to accepting this is where me and my family are at in our farming journey, and I talk about some things I’m doing to help.

If you are also in a waiting season, I hope this episode can give you comfort and perseverance to keep going to get to the other side of the wait!  

“Nothing looks like you think it will in motherhood.”

In this episode, I wanted to talk about motherhood and what being a mother on a farm looks like for me. My motherhood journey was not what I had anticipated and I had a hard time accepting that I couldn’t be as active on the farm as I wanted to be or thought I would be. Once I accepted that in this season of motherhood, my roles on the farm are different but will change one day, I am able to enjoy where I am in this season and find tasks that utilize my strengths.

“Learn to be ok with where you are at in your life.”

Richelle Barrett, a cattle rancher from Montana, joins us this week to talk about navigating ranching with your family and some of the struggles that come with being a cattle rancher. Richelle also speaks on being in the evaluation phase of her ranching journey and how to be ok with where she is, even if it's not what she imagined life would look like.

Creating a pathway to farming

Tod Bunting joins us this week to share about the resources he and his team have developed to support veterans and introduce them to farming as a career. Tod is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Servicemember Agricultural Vocation Education (SAVE) Farm, based in Manhattan, Kansas.

The SAVE Farm exists to provide therapy, as needed, and hands-on teaching to veterans and transitioning service members through experienced professionals. Tod believes that farming or ranching is a natural transition for veterans, because both paths provide a tangible purpose.

Hannah Borg, a 6th-generation farmer from Nebraska, joins us this week to talk about navigating farming with your family and how communication plays a large role in that. Borg is challenging her family to have those hard conversations so they can grow and become a better, more efficient system.

In addition to trying to find the balance in family and work, Hannah is navigating chicken farming. She’s learning to love her new identity as a chicken farmer, and she shared her story and advice for growing to learn something new.

Hannah is a young farmer, recently moving back home to the farm after graduating with an agricultural communications degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. When she’s not taking care of her 60,000 pullets, she can be found taking pictures and sharing her family’s farming story.

This week’s guest, John Sachse, is a Kansas-based mindset coach helping people to discover their full potential through fitness. Fitness is both mental and physical, and John talks us through how establishing a routine can help you make intentional choices for personal growth.

The first steps in creating a growth mindset for yourself are: establishing routines, visualizing goals, and reverse engineering your life. John is passionate about using routines and small goals to help you reach your overarching goal to reach your “why”.

In addition to working as a mindset coach, John is a husband, father, rancher, and Army National Guard officer.