Episode 50!! We made it!! The Golden Episode!! Thank you all so much for all of the continued support throughout this year. It's been a blessing! Today we speak with Jerod McDaniel. Jerod is a rancher from the Panhandle of Oklahoma. He is also host of the Ag Uncensored podcast, which is one of the podcasts who helped me find my way to starting my own. Jerod is one of the original players on Ag Twitter. We talk about his journey there and how he grew. We then speak about the world we are living in now and how having a different perspective can improve our outlook. Find Jerod on Twitter @jerodmcdaniel
Going solo today! Today I talk about self care and how it is important to help us live our best lives. Something i don't mention in the episode that I want to include here is an analogy that was told to me by my friend Adrienne DeSutter. We have to treat ourselves as farmers as assets to our operations. We have to make sure we are taken care of so we can best manage our farm. My perception on self care changed after I heard her tell me that. In this episode, I tell a bit about what self care means to me. I then tell how structure and a schedule helped me make time for self care. I tell an example of what a typical day looks like for me and how I am able to fit self care in. Find my episode with Adrienne at https://globalagnetwork.com/ag-state-of-mind-with-jason-medows/podcast/asom-ep-32-adrienne-desutter-sow-hope-grow-hope
1st generation farms present their own unique blessings and challenges. Today's guest Nathan Brown understands this very well. From growing up working on a neighbors farm to today owning and operating his own 1000+ acre operation, Nathan can speak in depth about the experience of a first gen farmer. About 3 years ago, Nathan noticed something among his peers. He noticed that there was an increased amount of stress in the farmers he spoke to. Not being one to let things fester, Nathan began speaking out about stress and mental health in agriculture. To this day, he has started or been a part of several efforts to break the stigma of mental health in ag. Nathan is a great man and a great friend and we are proud to have him featured on the podcast today!
County Fairs are a staple in the culture of many rural communities. Along with so many other events, these fairs look so much different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, friend of the show Caroline Sicht (operator of The Farm Story website and podcast) joins us to speak about the impact county fairs have on our communities. We share a bit about the stress that we, and others in our same shoes, experienced in the lead up to the county fairs. We then share our own stories from the fair to show how they ended up a success. Caroline works so hard to make our Ag youth a priority and we are so proud to have her on the show to help her showcase that. Find Caroline's first episode with us on Episode 23. To find her online, check out https://www.tellyourfarmstory.com/
Really exciting episode today with Beth Killough of the Circle Up Experience. Beth is a lifelong cowgirl who has combined her love of horses with her love of improving people's mental health into a great approach. Beth uses horses to help humans return to their natural state of being by interacting with horses. Horses can help us learn so much about our natural, primitive selves. At the end, Beth and I switch gears a bit to talk about each of our past battles with alcohol. We are both several years sober and we talk about the struggles and joys that this journey has brought each of us. Incredible episode with an incredible woman.
Very special episode today. Dr. Temple Grandin is one of the most influential thinkers in the livestock industry. Her research has revolutionized the way ranchers and food processors handle cattle. We talk to her today about the current state of the livestock industry, How the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some of the flaws in the system, and how we can put in safety valves to ensure a food supply disruption can be avoided in the future. We then shift the focus of the conversation to speak about the mental health of not just ranchers, but also our children in the these trying times. An incredible episode with an incredible woman. Find Temple on-line at http://www.grandin.com/
Tara Haskins, DNP, RN, is a nurse with AgriSafe. She is heading up their Total Farmer Health initiative. We speak today about Tara's background in nursing and how she came to be with AgriSafe. We then talk about the challenges facing ag producers and rural America in regards to mental health. Finally, we discuss Agrisafe's upcoming webinar on Mental Health in Farm and Ranch Country. To register for this webinar go to https://www.agrisafe.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=158&Itemid=1&year=2020&month=07&day=30&title=webinar-mental-health-in-farm-and-ranch-country-how-communities-can-help&uid=b05510d54467d23ccc560480887c2d2d
Kris Miner has had an incredible journey. She has had many roles in working with youth and adults alike using restorative justice, equine therapy, and other methods to ensure their needs are met. We talk about all of this as well as her own experience with her husband's recent suicide and her own health battle. Find Kris online at https://www.circle-space.org/about/about-kris/
Katelyn Duban is the host of the Rural Woman Podcast and founder of WildroseFarmer.com. Katelyn is a great advocate for mental health in agriculture and is always open to talk about it on her podcast and social media. We talk to Katelyn about her journey through podcasting, advocacy, and farming. Katelyn has been a wonderful supporter of this show and we are so excited to finally have her on. Stay tuned to the end of the episode to find out some exciting things coming up for ag mental health!
Great episode this week with Sam Goldberg. Sam is the producer of Silo the Film. Silo centers around a grain entrapment in rural America. However, it does more than bring awareness to farm safety. There are so many aspects of rural America caught in this film: family dynamics, stress on the farm, rural economy, cohesiveness in a rural community, et. al. We talk about Sam's background and how he came to be the driving force behind Silo. We then spend some time discussing the relationships that he formed while making this film and how he was so captivated by the people in Rural America. At the end of the show, we did something different and did a "post interview' with Sam after I had the opportunity to watch the film. I wanted to discuss in greater detail some of the family dynamics captured in the film. So thankful for my connection with Sam and I'm very excited to see where he goes with Silo and other projects. Find Sam and Silo online at https://www.silothefilm.com/