In this episode of Beyond the Crops, Jena and Mary Pat dive back into the important topic of succession planning with succession expert Ashlee Westerhold. They discuss what to consider when planning for the future of the farm, whether passing it down to the next generation, skipping a generation, or connecting with interested individuals outside of the family.

Join us as we learn more about practical tools for succession planning, valuable advice, and steps to take as you start thinking about the future.

📌 What We Cover in This Episode:

✅ Introduction to Ashlee Westerhold, Director of the Office of Farm and Ranch Transition at Kansas State University.
✅ Ashley’s story of how personal experiences led her to a career in farm succession planning.
✅ What tools the University offers to farm families and students.
✅ A deep dive into the Kansas Landlink program, a matchmaking process for landowners without successors and beginning farmers/ranchers.
✅ Parameters for seekers to share with potential landowners via a 12-page application process.
✅ Best advice for farm families just beginning to think about transition planning, focusing on goals and vision.
✅ The importance of including your spouse in transition planning and the legal implications.
✅ Discuss bringing in an accountant or attorney.

💡 Key Takeaways:

✨ You are always transitioning. Planning should always be ongoing.
✨ Goal setting and vision are essential building blocks to starting the transition process.
✨ It is essential to find an attorney you can trust, who understands agriculture and the emotion that comes with the land and the farm.
✨ Protecting your whole operation is less than what you would pay for a tractor tire.
✨ Succession Estate plans change.
✨ If you're the one carrying the torch, then you should be the one working on this; try to help them through this because it is overwhelming.
✨ Put It In Writing

LINKS

Kansas Land Link Program: https://www.agmanager.info/farm-management/transition-planning/kansas-farm-link
University of Wisconsin: Cultivating Your Farm’s Future

🙌 Join the Conversation!
We’d love to hear from you! What are some takeaways you had about the episode? Share with us on social media and tag us @‌beyondthecrops_.

🎧 Listen Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

#SuccessionPlanning #FarmLife #BeyondTheCropsPodcast

In this episode of Beyond the Crops, we’re tackling something that every farmer, rancher, and family faces—uncertainty. With markets, policies, weather, and world events constantly shifting, it’s easy to feel like everything is out of control. But while we can’t change the outside forces, we can control our mindset, faith, family life, routines, and how we respond to challenges.

Join us as we dive into practical ways to shift our focus, lean into faith, and take charge of the things that truly matter.

📌 What We Cover in This Episode:
✅ The biggest stressors we can’t control—markets, government policies, weather, and information overload.
✅ How to shift our focus to what we can control—faith, family, daily habits, and our mindset.
✅ Practical steps for managing stress, setting boundaries, and protecting our peace.
✅ Encouragement to lead with faith, create a strong home environment, and make intentional choices.

💡 Key Takeaways:
✨ We may not control the chaos of the world, but we can create peace in our homes.
✨ Faith, prayer, and scripture are powerful tools for navigating uncertainty.
✨ Protecting our mindset and setting boundaries with media can make a huge difference.
✨ Small daily choices—like prioritizing family time and gratitude—help us focus on what truly matters.

LINKS

• Mary Pat’s bible that she loves: ESV Everyday Gospel Bible: Connecting Scripture to All of Life (TruTone, Chestnut)
• Podcast episode with Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East + The Home Edit: Home Edit: Clea and Joanna
• The Home Edit baby book: Let's Put That Away! My First Book of Organizing: A Home Edit Board Book for Kids (The Home Edit for Kids)
• The Home Edit Kids book: The Rainbow Cleanup: A Magical Organizing Adventure (The Home Edit for Kids)
• The Home Edit Teen Book: The Home Edit for Teens: How to Edit Your Space, Express Your Style, and Get Things Done!

🙌 Join the Conversation!
We’d love to hear from you! What’s one thing you’re focusing on controlling this week? Share with us on social media and tag us @‌beyondthecrops_.

🎧 Listen Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

#FaithOverFear #FarmLife #BeyondTheCropsPodcast

We’re bringing our husbands back to the podcast for a no-holds-barred conversation about the highs, lows, and lessons of the 2024 farming season. From harvest takeaways to hard-earned wisdom, we’re diving into what worked, what didn’t, and what we’re changing for next year.

We also reflect on the challenges and wins of raising livestock, share our personal and farm goals for 2025, and discuss the outlook for agriculture in the coming years. Plus, hear our thoughts on how potential policy changes could impact family farms.

In This Episode, We Cover:
🌽 Harvest Recap: The biggest lessons learned from 2024
🚜 What’s Changing: What we’ll do differently next year (and what we won’t repeat!)
🐖 Hog Butcher Recap: What we learned from this year’s process
🎯 2025 Goals: One new thing to try on the farm + personal growth goals
📉 Ag Outlook: What’s ahead for farmers in the coming years
🇺🇸 Policy & Agriculture: Thoughts on the new administration’s potential impact on farming

Join us for an honest and lighthearted discussion about life on the farm, learning from experience, and preparing for the future.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow farmer!

We're BACK after a much-needed break, and we're ready to tell you all about it and what's been going on behind the scenes! 

On this episode of Beyond The Crops we're catching you up on ALL the things. recapping holiday stomach bugs, much needed vacations, and our exciting new business ventures, as well as what to expect this year on the podcast! 

Keep track of your family's farm journey through harvest and beyond. Get your own Grounded Journal today.

Check out Jena's new business venture: Farm Wife Tallow here

We’d love to hear your feedback on this episode on our Instagram page @beyondthecrops_.

We’ve enjoyed connecting with so many of you over there. Let us know if you have any questions or things you’d like us to do a deeper dive on. See ya next time

Connect with us outside of the podcast @‌jenaochsner and @‌marypat.sass @‌beyondthecrops_

In the midst of the holiday hustle, it’s easy to get swept up in the busyness and lose sight of what Christmas is truly about. In this episode, we’re pausing to refocus on the heart of the season—our Savior, Jesus Christ. Join us as we share our personal testimonies, dive into the messiness of our faith journeys, and reflect on how God has worked in our lives. Whether your story feels polished or a little untidy like ours, this heartfelt conversation is sure to inspire you to reconnect with the true meaning of Christmas.

Remember we launch new episodes every Tuesday.

Keep track of your family's farm journey through harvest and beyond. Get your own Grounded Journal today.

We’d love to hear your feedback on this episode and our farm safety series on our Instagram page @beyondthecrops_.

We’ve enjoyed connecting with so many of you over there. Let us know if you have any questions or things you’d like us to do a deeper dive on. See ya next time

Connect with us outside of the podcast @‌jenaochsner and @‌marypat.sass @‌beyondthecrops_

Today on Beyond The Crops we are getting all the nitty gritty details of Jena's recent dental surgery and an update on her health journey. We cover everything from what led her down this path, to parasite cleanses, to cost, recovery, and more.
 

Keep track of your family's farm journey through harvest and beyond. Get your own Grounded Journal today.

We’d love to hear your feedback on this episode and our farm safety series on our Instagram page @beyondthecrops_.

We’ve enjoyed connecting with so many of you over there. Let us know if you have any questions or things you’d like us to do a deeper dive on. See ya next time

Connect with us outside of the podcast @‌jenaochsner and @‌marypat.sass @‌beyondthecrops_

Are you ready to transform your holiday season into a time of intention, connection, and joy? In this episode, we’re diving into meaningful gift-giving ideas that go beyond the material, focusing on thoughtful presents that foster connection, support small businesses, and bring joy to both the giver and the receiver. 
From unique local finds to heartfelt handmade creations, we’ll explore how to create a more purposeful holiday experience for your loved ones. Tune in for inspiration to make this season one to truly remember!

🎁 Featured in this episode:

• Intentional gift ideas for parents, grandparents, and kids
• Supporting local and small businesses
• Creating meaningful holiday traditions

Make your holiday gifting purposeful and impactful—one thoughtful present at a time!

Get The Gift Guide Here

Remember we launch new episodes every Tuesday.

Keep track of your family's farm journey through harvest and beyond. Get your own Grounded Journal today.

We’d love to hear your feedback on this episode and our farm safety series on our Instagram page @beyondthecrops_.

We’ve enjoyed connecting with so many of you over there. Let us know if you have any questions or things you’d like us to do a deeper dive on. See ya next time

Connect with us outside of the podcast @‌jenaochsner and @‌marypat.sass @‌beyondthecrops_

Harvest season is wrapping up, and we’re sitting down to share our reflections, wins, and lessons learned from the fields. And of course our favorite field meals of the season—think crockpot ribs, homemade rye bread Rubens, and Friday night steak traditions. 

Plus, we reflect on our recent farm safety series and the importance of keeping these critical conversations going to protect what matters most: our people.

Join us for this casual, heartfelt harvest debrief as we celebrate the season’s hard work and look ahead to what’s next!

Remember we launch new episodes every Tuesday.

Keep track of your family's farm journey through harvest and beyond. Get your own Grounded Journal today.

We’d love to hear your feedback on this episode and our farm safety series on our Instagram page @beyondthecrops_.

We’ve enjoyed connecting with so many of you over there. Let us know if you have any questions or things you’d like us to do a deeper dive on. See ya next time

Connect with us outside of the podcast @‌jenaochsner and @‌marypat.sass @‌beyondthecrops_

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops. Today we want to take a moment to thank each and every one of our guests who came on during our farm safety series.   We've compiled the advice from each of our interviewees to share with you today.

These are quick, hitting, and impactful pieces of advice from those who experienced farm accidents firsthand. Take this episode and listen to it, then share it with your loved ones. We truly believe everyone in our industry should give this episode a listen to be better prepared with practical tips for the  future.

Remember we launch new episodes every Tuesday.

We’d love to hear your feedback on this episode and our farm safety series on our Instagram page @beyondthecrops_.

We’ve enjoyed connecting with so many of you over there. Let us know if you have any questions or things you’d like us to do a deeper dive on. See ya next time

Connect with us outside of the podcast @‌jenaochsner and @‌marypat.sass @‌beyondthecrops_

Join us for a special live episode of Beyond the Crops, recorded at Husker Harvest Days with FP Next podcast hosts Kurt Ahrens and Sarah McNaughton. In this live conversation, we dive into strategies for preparing farms for economic shifts, exploring ways to diversify operations and stay resilient in today’s evolving agricultural landscape.
Our first-ever live audience made this a memorable experience, and we’re excited to share it with you. Tune in for insights, stories, and practical advice to help farm families weather economic challenges with confidence.

Remember we launch new episodes every Tuesday.

We’d love to hear your feedback on this episode and our succession series on our Instagram page @beyondthecrops_.

We’ve enjoyed connecting with so many of you over there. Let us know if you have any questions or things you’d like us to do a deeper dive on. See ya next time

Connect with us outside of the podcast @‌jenaochsner and @‌marypat.sass @‌beyondthecrops_