
Explore Inspiring Episodes
Farming on Purpose celebrates the stories, challenges,
and innovations shaping agriculture today.
Discover stories of resilience and innovation in agriculture. Each episode brings you insights into topics like entrepreneurship, sustainability, mental health, and family farming. Whether you’re navigating challenges or building a legacy, our conversations with farmers and industry leaders are here to guide and inspire.
#86 Farm Time Machine - What a Beginning Farmer and Farm Wife Wishes She Knew Sooner
“Having a spouse that you are on the same page with when it comes to growing your business makes a huge difference. If you guys are both running in the same direction for your dream, you get so much farther, so much faster versus if only one of you has that dream or if you are going in different directions with that dream.”
As I sit in my hammock on a beautiful day, surrounded by the sounds of our farm, I can't help but reflect on how far we've come. From our humble beginnings seven years ago with a few cows, goats, and chickens, we've grown into a thriving operation with crops, more livestock, and even a dairy cow (my pet project).
#85 Resiliency: The Secret to Success in Farming and Ranching
As I sit here on my farm on August 7, 2024, I can't help but think about the challenges we're facing in agriculture. We've been hearing a lot of tough news lately, and it's got me thinking about how we can stay strong and keep our farms going, even when things look bleak.
First off, let's talk about what's happening. Big companies are laying off workers, cattle markets are down, and grain prices aren't looking great. Here are some of the numbers we're seeing:
Kinze is laying off 193 people from their plant in Williamsburg, Iowa.
John Deere in Moline is cutting 134 jobs in their seeding and cylinder sectors. This is on top of 489 job cuts they made to salaried employees earlier this year.
Agco saw a 6% reduction and reported net sales of $3.2 billion in quarter two this year, which is a 15% drop from the same time last year.
It's enough to make anyone worry. But here's the thing – we've been through tough times before, and we'll get through this too. We never know when the markets will change, but we can rely on a resilient mindset no matter what the economists are predicting.
#84 From Dairy Farm Dreams to Self-Made Farmer: Derek Penrod's Journey
“Buying the farm is probably the best not only personal but financial decision. Best decision for my family. It’s really opened up a quality of life that we wouldn't have had otherwise.”
Growing up on his family's dairy farm in Utah, Derek Penrod always knew he wanted to be a farmer. But with no clear path to take over the family operation, he had to forge his own way. Now, Derek runs a first-generation farm in Idaho, growing alfalfa and raising Scottish Highlander cattle.
In this week’s episode of the Farming on Purpose podcast, Derek shared his inspiring journey of becoming a self-made farmer while balancing family life and a full-time job.