Farming on Purpose

How Veterans are Learning to Start Small at the SAVE Farm with Tod Bunting

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.
 
About our guest: Tod Bunting, SAVE farm - Kansas
Tod Bunting is a retired Major General from the Kansas Army and Air National Guard. He is a founding member, beginning in 2015, of SAVE (Service-member Agricultural Vocation Education). The SAVE farm is a teaching farm and healing center for transitioning veterans – A Pathway to Farming. Tod is also a Director of Heroes Among Us, a 501C3 organization that supports veterans and first responders and their families with emergency financial assistance and specialized events.To learn more about the SAVE farm, find them on Facebook or their website.
 
At a glance:
[10:17]: They believe in what they do
“They believe more in what they do than whether or not they get parades or people coming up and thanking them for that. They want to be part of something meaningful. Farming is meaningful. Serving is meaningful.” 
[19:42] Farming with a team
“Farming is best done by a team. It’s hard for one person to farm, and if you are a couple, and only one of you likes farming, it’s going to be a challenge.” 
[29:30] Innovation is necessary 
“Innovation comes from a lot of people, and not necessarily from the industry. It’s ‘I need to make something practical, affordable, and portable’. And most industries are not in any of that. Farmers are handy as a general rule, and sharing those ideas with each other is fun, it’s rewarding, and it can also help make that profitability better.”
[32:38] Successful farming
“Successful farmers – one, they’re resilient, they build into their plan things that are beyond their control; two, they don’t overspend, they do live within their means.”
 
You may also enjoy…
#18 Kansas Hop Farming and Entrepreneurship with The Tipsy Farmer
#44 Our Farm Transition Story Part 1
#49 Growing a 100 year old Meat Market in Rural Kansas
 
About the Host of Farming on Purpose, Lexi Wright: 
I’m your host, Lexi Wright. I started the Farming on Purpose Podcast from a passion for sharing the stories of agriculture from generations past, preserving the skills and lessons learned along the way, and ensuring the best of that is passed onto those who will continue to lead the way into the future of production agriculture.
I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’ll take a moment to join the conversation with me and other listeners on social media. 
Connect with me on Instagram @wrightatthemoment, Facebook, and TikTok. 

A Look at Identity and Communication on the Family Farm with 6th-Generation Nebraska Farmer Hannah Borg

It’s okay for your identity to change and grow with you
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. 
 
About our guest: Hannah Borg - Nebraska
Hannah is a chicken farmer in Northeast Nebraska, photographer, gardener, and history lover. She loves connecting with others and sharing her family’s story.
You can connect with Hannah on Instagram and Twitter @itshannahborg
 
Episode At a Glance:
[9:35]: Finding your inspiration
“She’s just really the bread and butter of what makes this area so well. She just has such a rich story of farming and family and faithfulness that really inspires me to be who I want to be.”
[17:54] Appreciating working with family
“I get to look out into the field and there’s six Borgs working together in the field. Four trucks, the silage chopper, and my dad packing. Even though it is kind of chaotic and some really hard moments of communication and expectations with each other, to cruise down into the field and look at six family members, those moments definitely make the hard moments worth it. Because I know not everyone gets to be in the field with five other family members.”
[22:45] Having big opinions
“When you’re working with family, it’s a lot easier to share your big opinions. And, we all have opinions. So, just learning to be humble in the way of knowing who is in charge and when.”
[28:18] Maintaining your emotions
“In the moment when there are those big emotions happening, that’s the last thing that helps anything; yelling at each other. Learning to be humbled afterwards and maintaining your emotions has been really helpful.”
[33:47] Building what you believe in
“It is such a gift to know them (my family) and get to work with them so much. Even those hard moments are worth it, because we’re building something that has been built for us that matters to us. And, we’re going to continue to fight for what we believe in. And that’s our farm, our family, and our future generations.” 
[40:25] Growing together 
“There was a lot of growth through that. We had to lean on each other in a way that we hadn’t before. And it gets better over time, and we knew it, so we just had to wade through the muck of the just heavy daily ‘we don’t know what we’re doing.’ And now, a couple years later, we’re in a way better place and I think I can value this place so much more.”
[51:22] Finding a way home
“It’s more so I’m proud to be at home raising chickens. Because, if it wasn’t for these chickens, I wouldn’t be home.”
 
You may also enjoy…
#3 An Individual Approach to Ag and Rural Mental Health
#17 Mental Health is Not a Dirty Word in Agriculture with Jason Medows
#22 The Power of Positive Perspective in Health & Ranch Business with the Native Cowgirl Cheyenne Glade Wilson
 
About the Host of Farming on Purpose, Lexi Wright: 
I’m your host, Lexi Wright. I started the Farming on Purpose Podcast from a passion for sharing the stories of agriculture from generations past, preserving the skills and lessons learned along the way, and ensuring the best of that is passed onto those who will continue to lead the way into the future of production agriculture.
I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’ll take a moment to join the conversation with me and other listeners on social media. 
Connect with me on Instagram @wrightatthemoment, Facebook, and TikTok. 

Tips for Managing your Mindset as a Young Producer

Identify your “why” and let that inform your mindset
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.
About our guest: John Sachse
John is a husband, father, rancher, Army National Guard officer, and mindset coach helping individuals discover their full potential through fitness. He’s looking to connect with individuals who are looking to get to their next level of potential and walk with them along their journey. 
You can connect with John on all social media @coachjohnsachse, or schedule a 1-on-1 coaching call.
 
You may also enjoy…
#4 The Power of Courage in Farm Management Discussions with Elaine Froese
#26 Point Where You Aim with Ashley Jackson
#45 Diversifying the Ranch with Jess at Perigo Hay and Cattle
 
About the Host of Farming on Purpose, Lexi Wright: 
I’m your host, Lexi Wright. I started the Farming on Purpose Podcast from a passion for sharing the stories of agriculture from generations past, preserving the skills and lessons learned along the way, and ensuring the best of that is passed onto those who will continue to lead the way into the future of production agriculture.
I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’ll take a moment to join the conversation with me and other listeners on social media. 
Connect with me on Instagram @wrightatthemoment, Facebook, and TikTok. 

The Power of Courage in Farm Management Discussions with Elaine Froese

Helping farm families communicate and resolve conflict 
If there is one thing Elaine Froese is passionate about, it’s that conflict is not a bad thing. This week’s guest, Elaine Froese, is Canada’s Farm Whisperer. She spends her time coaching farm families through growth and transition, with an emphasis on understanding. 
Elaine grew up as a farm kid, and fell in love with and married a seed farmer over 40 years ago. Together, she and her husband have had their fair share of growth and change on the farm. In this episode, she shared with us her knowledge on how to resolve and overcome challenges, not avoid them.
 
About our guest: Elaine Froese - Canada
Elaine Froese, Canada's Farm Whisperer, is helping farm families in transition find harmony through understanding. Elaine farms a 5,000-acre seed farm in SW Manitoba Canada with her husband, son and daughter in-law, and 3 adorable grandchildren. She's on a mission to get clarity of expectations and certainty of timelines for better communication.You can connect with Elaine on all social media @farmfamilycoach, or through her upcoming speaking events.
 
Links from the Episode
StrenghtsFinder 2.0
Necessary Endings
Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others
The Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
 
You may also enjoy…
#26 Point Where You Aim with Ashley Jackson
#29 Bridging the Gap in Ag Culture with Megan Larson
#50 Building Your Dream on God's Time Through Daily Dedication
 
About the Host of Farming on Purpose, Lexi Wright: 
I’m your host, Lexi Wright. I started the Farming on Purpose Podcast from a passion for sharing the stories of agriculture from generations past, preserving the skills and lessons learned along the way, and ensuring the best of that is passed onto those who will continue to lead the way into the future of production agriculture.
I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’ll take a moment to join the conversation with me and other listeners on social media. 
Connect with me on Instagram @wrightatthemoment, Facebook, and TikTok. 

An Individual Approach to Ag and Rural Mental Health

This is an important topic; one that can’t be summed up with simple numbers and data. Real people face mental health issues everyday. It’s important to remember that they’re people, with lives and families and friends. 
In this episode, I wanted to talk about the reality that mental health issues are very prevalent in all facets of the agriculture industry. Specifically, farming is a very isolating career, which can magnify mental health issues. 
If you, or someone you know, are facing mental health challenges of any kind, I encourage you to talk to someone. You are not alone.
 
Links from the Episode
https://www.fb.org/files/Impacts_of_COVID-19_on_Rural_Mental_Health_1.6.21.pdf
https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/farmer-mental-health
https://nfu.org/2018/11/27/cdc-study-clarifies-data-on-farm-stress/
 
You may also enjoy…
#6 A Look at Identity and Communication on the Family Farm with 6th-Generation Nebraska Farmer Hannah Borg
#17 Mental Health is Not a Dirty Word in Agriculture with Jason Medows
#22 The Power of Positive Perspective in Health & Ranch Business with the Native Cowgirl Cheyenne Glade Wilson
 
About the Host of Farming on Purpose, Lexi Wright: 
I’m your host, Lexi Wright. I started the Farming on Purpose Podcast from a passion for sharing the stories of agriculture from generations past, preserving the skills and lessons learned along the way, and ensuring the best of that is passed onto those who will continue to lead the way into the future of production agriculture.
I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’ll take a moment to join the conversation with me and other listeners on social media. 
Connect with me on Instagram @wrightatthemoment, Facebook, and TikTok. 

Navigating First-Generation Dairy Farming

Tackling a first-generation dairy farm as a family 
Farming is a livelihood rooted in family, no matter where you are. From navigating the barriers to entry to dairy farming to celebrating the successes of a growing business, New Jersey dairy farmer, Sarah Lyness, shared her story on our second episode of the Farming on Purpose podcast.
While Sarah didn’t grow up in a dairy family, or even a farming family,  she’s using those experiences to help educate those outside of the industry. It’s important for her to share with others the life lessons farming has taught her as well. Never forget to appreciate even the smallest things, like the sunset view over the dairy barn.
Sarah and her husband got their start by adding a dairy to his family’s existing farming operation. They now also operate a creamery, run by Dan’s mom. Together, they’re all tackling and overcoming, the unique challenges dairy farming presents.
About our guest: Sarah Lyness, Spring Run Dairy - New Jersey
Sarah Lyness owns and operates Spring Run Dairy and The Creamery at Spring Run Dairy with her husband, Dan. Their new on-farm creamery bottles white and chocolate cream line whole milk, and they feature seasonal flavors, like eggnog throughout the year. 
Their dairy farm prioritizes sustainable land management practices, and high quality animal care is always a priority. They enjoy sharing their dairy farm with the community, and always encourage people to ask questions when they visit the on-farm store.
Sarah also works off the farm as a business attorney and enjoys volunteering with her local dairy promotion council, state Holstein Association, and county fair board.
You can find the Spring Run Dairy on Instagram @springrun.dairy , Facebook, or their website.
 
Episode at a Glance:
[5:52]: New Jersey dairies
“New Jersey is a very interesting environment to farm in, generally. We’re losing dairy farms at a crazy rate. About 4 years ago, we had 55-60 dairy farms, and now I think we’re down to about 35. So, we’re losing dairies, we’re not really adding. I think it’s challenging for people to start dairy farming in New Jersey, because there are just not the resources for something like that. It’s hard to find what you need around here.”
[8:42] The barriers to dairy farming
“It’s hard to find effective ways to use what you have for dairy, because it’s so specialized. I just think that’s the main problem. When you want to dairy farm, there’s so many things that you need. The barns, the parlors, the equipment. It’s all so specialized and that makes it cost prohibitive.”
[12:37] Sharing my story
“I really like sharing my story, because I like to use myself as an example. I didn’t grow up in this world, but I’ve come to love it and appreciate it. I try to use that to share with others that ag is wonderful and farming is great. That’s what I love.”
[18:14] Our ice cream
“We just started working with an ice cream shop. It’s like a mile down the road from us. They are fantastic. They take our milk and make ice cream in their shop, because they know what they’re doing. It’s fun to work with another business, too. So, that’s our newest product.”
[22:14] One step at a time
“It’s been challenging to just sometimes reign it in and remember to just take our time and we will get there. Sometimes we need to move slowly, because not everything can happen at once.”
[27:50] Your legacy of appreciation
“It’s just this feeling of appreciating what you have built for yourself and your family and those small moments. There’s something so satisfying and meaningful about the end of the day, and there’s a beautiful sunset and you’re looking around the property. And, just thinking ‘how lucky am I that I get to be here?’ I just think there’s something so special about this way of life.”
 
You may also enjoy…
#10 When You Have to Wait to Expand the Farm
#50 Building Your Dream on God's Time Through Daily Dedication
#52 Growing a First Generation Operation with Millennial Rancher Calli Williams
 
About the Host of Farming on Purpose, Lexi Wright: 
I’m your host, Lexi Wright. I started the Farming on Purpose Podcast from a passion for sharing the stories of agriculture from generations past, preserving the skills and lessons learned along the way, and ensuring the best of that is passed onto those who will continue to lead the way into the future of production agriculture.
I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’ll take a moment to join the conversation with me and other listeners on social media. 
Connect with me on Instagram @wrightatthemoment, Facebook, and TikTok. 

Collaborating for Progress in Ranching with Cassidy Johnston

Ranchers and Environmentalists are working toward a common goal.
The beef industry is a complex and unknown process for most. On our first episode, guest Cassidy Johnston, breaks down the complexities of ranching beef cattle and how those ranchers are also environmental stewards. 
Because of Cassidy’s lived experience, she is able to work to reduce the gap between the ranch and the table. She builds relationships and forms bold partnerships to answer the age-old question, “Where does my food come from?”
At its core, ranching is a family task. Cassidy learned this first-hand as a first-generation rancher. She and her husband, and their three sons, now operate a cattle ranch in Colorado. Cassidy’s unique journey to ranching has given her the insight to communicate with the average consumer about how and where their food was produced.
About our guest: Cassidy Johnston, Not Your Average Rancher - Colorado
Cassidy Johnston grew up in a suburb of Denver but has now been ranching for over a decade. She serves in the gap between the ranch and the table to build relationships and form bold partnerships to answer the question “Where does my food come from?”
She and her husband Robert have lived and worked on ranches in Montana, Colorado, and New Mexico and have three little boys. Besides being an agriculture advocate and speaker, she is a bull and semen rep, podcaster, book enthusiast, and collector of weird socks.
You can find her on Instagram @casskjohn, LinkedIn, and her website.
 
Episode at a Glance:
[9:19]: If the people hadn’t been so kind
“I kinda fell off the face of the Earth for a summer. It was such a great introduction into this industry. And, if it hadn’t been so welcoming and so open. If people hadn’t been so kind, I don’t know that I would’ve kept up with it.”
[11:04]: We both want the same things
“As an environmental science student, we focused a lot on sustainability and ethics. And, there was also a lot of economics in that major. I grew up outside. If you took a snapshot of my childhood, it would look like a “visit Colorado” ad. I just couldn't understand; if ranchers need wide open spaces, and environmentalists want wide open spaces for plants and animals to thrive, how are they different? If we both want the same things and want to protect wildlife and biodiversity and open spaces and clean water, why does it seem like ranchers and environmentalists are so separate?”
[12:52]: Bridging the gap
“That does carry over a lot into what I do today with advocacy and just trying to bridge this gap between the farm/ranch and the table. It’s a very siloed industry. A lot of people want to know where their food comes from, but it’s actually not that easy to find out the details.”
[19:31]: What the beef industry “should” look like
“We can’t hold so tightly onto our traditions and what the beef industry “should” look like, that it costs us our industry. We’re going to have to loosen that hold. I’m super into tradition. We do old-school big ranching with horseback. But, we don’t need to hold on so tightly to this vision. It’s not even a vision, because a vision implies forward-thinking. This idea of “what ranching is.”; we’re going to lose it. We need to innovate, but innovation doesn’t always come at the cost of tradition.” 
[25:05]: We need to welcome what’s coming
“What if we didn’t believe in Temple Grandin enough to get us a squeeze chute? Or all of the other stuff that comes up that we use today that’s just the regular thing that we call have. It wasn’t that way before. We need to be thinking about what’s coming next. And how we can welcome those people who are creating those things.”
[32:50]: Let people in
“There are people who aren’t in the industry, who are probably never going to ranch, whose brains probably think completely differently than ours. They see problems and solutions differently than we do. If we don’t let them in, then we’ve lost something.”
[48:40]: The tradition of helpfulness
“One thing that I love is the tradition of helpfulness and neighborliness. On a ranch, we are solitary a lot. But, when we do work, when we all come together, there’s a comradery that exists that I didn’t feel as a kid.”
 
You may also enjoy…
#5 Tips for Managing your Mindset as a Young Producer
#29 Bridging the Gap in Ag Culture with Megan Larson
#45 Diversifying the Ranch with Jess at Perigo Hay and Cattle
 
About the Host of Farming on Purpose, Lexi Wright: 
I’m your host, Lexi Wright. I started the Farming on Purpose Podcast from a passion for sharing the stories of agriculture from generations past, preserving the skills and lessons learned along the way, and ensuring the best of that is passed onto those who will continue to lead the way into the future of production agriculture.
I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’ll take a moment to join the conversation with me and other listeners on social media. 
Connect with me on Instagram @wrightatthemoment, Facebook, and TikTok.