Growing Farms Podcast

To wrap up a season of taking a deep dive into the heads of two farmers Troy and I take an episode to have a mental health check in. How are we doing, how do we cope with stress, and if the coping isn’t working what to do about it.

This Spring has been particularly challenging for me personally. I’m still doing all the things that I love, there’s just a lot of them happening all at once at the moment. It is in times like these where I have to stop for a minute, take a deep breath, remember that it is all just part of the process, and then usually I just get back to work.

It can feel like the to do list gets longer before it gets shorter, that at times the world is out to get you, or things aren’t going your way. It is ok to want to quit, but what defines us as people is how we react to being in these situations. Work toward a better life, hang in there, and tomorrow will be brighter.

Think of the reason you do what you do. Whether you are farming or thinking about starting a farm, why are you doing this? The key to keeping a business going, and creating a lasting lifestyle is to find what drives you, and let it keep driving you forward.

I would love to publish the podcast episode or YouTube video where I have the magic bullet to making farms financially viable and “successful” but I do not think a magic bullet exists. It takes a stupid amount of hard work and determination.

When the going gets tough you are going to have to define and hang onto your single motivating purpose. Your kids, the earth, millions of dollars, fame, posterity, free beer, whatever… Find it, take a picture, keep it in your wallet, and look at it every day.

I am personally driven by a desire to provide for my family, combat climate change, be a part of an amazing farm brewery, support a community of honest hard-working people, and maintain my friendships with amazing people like Troy. Do I always succeed at all of that? Oh goodness no, I’m human. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep trying to be the best me I can be for all of those people.

Find what motivates you and hang onto it. You’re going to need it. Owning and operating a farm or homestead is one of the most rewarding things you can do with your limited time on this earth, make the most of every day and remember why you toil.

Who are “they” exactly?

They told us it can’t be done. They told us you cannot make money farming. They told us you can’t raise sheep without a heavy parasite load. They said you can’t have 0% mortality in the brooder. They said that you have to farm this way or that.

I’m not saying that educated people are nonsense. That would be a gross misinterpretation of my point. What I am saying, is that there is an inherent flaw in the human to human interpretation of the scientific method in that variables are often isolated and taken out of context. Sure you can get more grass by adding nitrogen, but is that what you farm needs? And are there other ways to add nitrogen into your soil without paying a chemical company?

Today Troy and I discuss what makes an expert. They’re not always right, and they’re not always wrong. They are merely presenting facts based on their research that you as the professional farmer have to take and adapt to your goals, your farm, and your systems.

It all goes back to continually asking the question, “why?”

There is a lot to farming that will keep you awake at night. Is the brooder closed, are all the birds in, are the predators out, is the greenhouse warm enough, did you remember to check this or that?

Then there’s all the life stuff that keeps you up at night. On today’s episode of the Growing Farms Podcast Troy and I cover three areas of concern that are universal to most people.

What’s happening today?

What happens tomorrow?

What about the day after tomorrow, or years after tomorrow?

Through the years I have had the good fortune to live many different lives. I lived in New York City and worked along side celebrities, I lived homeless on a bicycle and traveled the country, and now I life in the “quiet corner” of Connecticut and I am very connected with my community. These experiences have allowed me to rub shoulders with people in all walks of life.

Rich or poor, happy or sad, old or young, everyone has worries, joys, concerns, reasons to celebrate, and reasons to mourn. Not one person that I have ever met has every single thing in their life figured out. There’s always something that needs work, something that they struggle with. That is a unifier in my eyes. Something that puts us all on an equal playing field.

No matter what good or bad fortune life brings you I hope that you find the balance that works best for you, and don’t ever worry about what the “other guy” thinks.

It is common when you live and work in agriculture that people are going to give you all kinds of unwanted advice. Because farming is approachable everyone thinks they have the answer. One of my favorite sayings goes something like “Don’t let anyone should all over you.”

With all that advice and information floating around how do you tell what is good and what is not? With a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips, what’s the best advice? That is what Troy and I tried to capture with today’s farm podcast episode. The best piece of advice we have ever gotten.

I’ll leave you today with a quote:

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

It’s a cliche as this point that “farming is hard”. Yeah, we know. Anyone that has tried to work the land knows full well how ruthless Mother Nature can be and how unforgiving the farm can seem at times.

What gives me hope for the future is that the current generation of farmers getting into agriculture are bringing with them tools of all kinds. Drones, software, new planting innovations, and the knowledge sharing tool that is the internet. We now have the opportunity to farm in ways that have never been done before.

One of those new tools that we are bringing to the farming world is the gift of gab. We like to talk, so let’s talk. I cannot stress enough the critical role that community plays when it comes to running a small farm. Your family, your friends, your customers all play a part in keeping both you and your business healthy.

In today’s episode of the Growing Farms Podcast we discuss purging. How to positively release your negative emotions so that you maintain balance in your head and in your heart.

Farm Marketing Solutions strives to inspire and educate the next generation of farmers. When that next generation writes in and asks where to start, the answer may not always be what you expect.

There is no great equation for finding peace and joy out of your day to day. In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast John & Troy share stories of their experience and how they have achieved some semblance of balance and how they strive for improvement.

John & Troy discuss why people get into farming, why they got into agriculture, and what will keep you motivated when the going gets tough.

John Suscovich & Troy Bishopp bring experience, levity, humility, and perspective to the broad topics found in agriculture.