Welcome to Season 3 of the Farm Family Harmony Podcast with Elaine Froese and guests! In this season’s opening episode, Elaine connects with midwestern farm wife and mom from Northern Illinois, Mary Pat Sass. Prepare yourself for some awesome ag insight!

Mary shares how she balances her many roles on the farm with motherhood and marriage, getting clear on what she wanted her life to look like, and how counseling, coaching, date nights, and babysitters have all helped her in creating that life.

Access the full show notes for this episode at elainefroese.com.

Discover more about our guest: Mary Pat Sass and @marypat.sass.

Elaine Froese Resources:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• SPEAKING - book Elaine for your next event
• COACHING - find your Farm Transition Coach
• MEMBERSHIP - become a Farm Family Harmony Member
• RESOURCES - download for FREE
• CONTACT - take the next steps in your transition
• BURNING QUESTION? Submit it here for Elaine or her coaches

Timestamps

0:01:49 How Mary’s role on the farm evolved, from scouting to motherhood 0:03:47 Finding flexible ways to stay involved with operations while mothering 0:04:23 Elaine shares a story of her own struggles of parenting while farming 0:05:11 Childcare strategies and keeping kids safe on the farm 0:06:05 Drop-in style childcare, and dividing and conquering with Josh (Mary’s husband) 0:07:35 A new season of life and the importance of boundaries 0:08:59 How the roles of Mary’s mother and father-in-law have changed 0:11:24 Impacts of over-committing and getting clear on what Mary wanted her life to look like 0:12:36 Staying organized, keeping the marriage healthy, and the decision to take Sundays off 0:15:40 Mutual respect, feeling valued, and asking for what you need 0:17:08 Getting counseling as personal investment for growth 0:18:35 Elaine’s big epiphany and how therapy is getting destigmatized  0:20:26 Date nights, babysitters, and bartering with childcare 0:22:21 Permission to ask for what you need 0:22:59 Dealing with burnout, anxiety, and overwhelm 0:26:28 The biggest challenges women in ag face in finding their place on the farm today 0:29:34 Realizing they couldn’t do it on their own and how coaching helped 0:33:29 Connecting with Mary via Instagram and her podcast Beyond The Crops