The Farmer's Greatest Asset Podcast
The Farmer's Greatest Asset podcast is dedicated to supporting and empowering farmers by recognizing that their greatest assets are the knowledge, experience, mind and health. Hosted by husband-and-wife duo Jesse and Dr. Leah, this podcast combines their unique backgrounds to provide valuable insights. Together, they explore topics that help farmers thrive both personally and professionally. Tune in for a blend of practical advice, real conversations, while having a little fun along the way as they talk about all thing's agriculture and family.
The Farmer's Greatest Asset Podcast
Hay Bales and Life Tales: Dad Edition
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Jesse and Leah reflect on the invaluable lessons learned from their fathers that have shaped who they are as farmers and as people. Despite being busy with hay baling during Father's Day weekend, they take time to honor the wisdom that's been passed down through generations on their family farms.
• Hard work as a foundational value that both sets of parents instilled in them
• Finding balance between dedication and burnout when it comes to farm work
• The wisdom of managing fewer acres excellently rather than many acres poorly
• Putting marriage relationships first as a "sacred union" that withstands farm stresses
• Embracing innovation and new technologies on the farm
• Encouragement to dream bigger and think beyond what's familiar
• The importance of quality over quantity in farming decisions
We'd love to hear what you've learned from your father and how it has shaped your life. Send us a note at farmersgreatestasset@gmail.com and please like and share our podcast on all social platforms.
the farmer's greatest asset podcast. We believe the farm's greatest asset is the farmer their knowledge, experience, mind and health. Well, welcome back to the podcast.
Speaker 2I'm jesse and I'm Leah.
Speaker 1Well, we're running a little late on the podcast, so we're trying to get it together for you quickly.
Speaker 2It's been a busy, busy week.
Speaker 1It's been a little bonkers on the old Stephens Meyer homestead Yesterday. We got a lot of small square hay baled, so it was a busy day yesterday. But it's Father's Day weekend this weekend, so we want to talk a little bit about our fathers and some of the things that we have learned from our fathers.
Speaker 2One of the most important things that I learned from my father was One of the most important things that I learned from my father was hard work and determination. I learned it from my mother as well. Both of my parents are hard workers and place incredible value in hard work. But that definitely led me to where I am today, and I was just having a conversation with my one of my aunts last night and I said you know, I really do like to work, I, I, I do like to work.
Speaker 1We do like work.
Speaker 2I do. I especially like, if you would consider gardening work, like I don't know, that there's something else that I really enjoy doing outside as much as gardening, except maybe hiking. I like to hike, but hard work is definitely, uh, the one of the major things that I learned from my father.
Speaker 1Same here. Hard work is always top of the list, especially with farmers. They have instilled hard work in myself as well.
Speaker 2Well, I don't know that they would be farmers if they didn't know how to work hard, because if you don't work hard you're not going to make it Right. But there is also another side of that too. I mean, I could see burnout in my dad as I was growing up from all of that and the stresses of the farm.
Speaker 1Hard work could be a good thing.
Speaker 2And then it can be too much.
Speaker 1Could be too much. It's learning where that line is, and I definitely learned that when I was in medicine, so or don't be out until 10 30 at night trying to pick up hay after bailing all day yeah, I think there was a wise woman in your life that tried to tell you like maybe we didn't have to do all of that last night.
Speaker 2But what does she know?
Speaker 1Just me, and when I bale hay I want to get it picked up, and especially small squares. It was some of the prettiest hay I have ever baled and I wanted to get it picked up and under roof because it's pretty stuff.
Speaker 2Primo was the word you used. Primo.
Speaker 1The comment also come out about how it would make a dairy cow bloat. It's pretty good stuff. Yeah, we tend to cross that line, but that's okay, we'll come come back around. So another thing that I have learned from my dad he would always say that it's better to do the best that you can on less acres rather than spread yourself too thin or have too many acres and just do a subpar job on all those acres, so um that too is a, is a dance, a balance it is for sure, especially as you expand and and grow and getting your team on board Right.
Speaker 1And I believe you have to grow, but sometimes you can outgrow yourself too quick. So, yes, it's learning that dance and how you can manage it all. It takes equipment and manpower.
Speaker 2But on the farm, growing doesn't always mean more acres.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2Diversification is another important tool in the arsenal.
Speaker 1Right, but that was always a good thought for me because I was pretty hungry in trying to expand on the acres, so it made me realize how you need to manage your ground and don't grow too fast on the acres, on the acres.
Speaker 2So another thing I learned from my father was the importance of putting your marriage relationship first. I remember, when I was younger, a conversation that he had that nothing could get between his relationship with my mom. That he had that nothing could get between his relationship with my mom and because he saw it as a sacred union. And I think that that's a beautiful way to think of marriage that you have to have a sacred union and be in covenant with that other person. Otherwise, during the ups and downs of life, things can get really messy and you have to really hold on to somebody.
Speaker 1Right, so you can lean on them. Maybe I'm not going to lie, knowing your dad. I mean that he says that that is amazing and that is great. But I'm not going to lie when you said that the other day.
Speaker 2When I told you the full story.
Speaker 1Right, it was. Shocking it's like wow, okay, it took me. I was taken aback a little bit, but that's good.
Speaker 2Well, there you go. Now you know where my devotion comes from, sweetheart. Yeah, I shouldn't say that my mom's very devoted to my dad, especially as he has not been feeling well over the last few years.
Speaker 1Well, that's what marriage is. It's supposed to be right Sickness and health.
Speaker 2So they say let's just keep it on the health side for a while, babe.
Speaker 1Working on it.
Speaker 2Yeah, can we do that?
Embracing New Farm Technologies
Speaker 1Working on it, working on it. So, um, something else that I kind of learned from my dad in his younger days. He was always willing to try new things or new equipment on the farm, um, and maybe we had a little bit of an in or advantage. So my mom's family started the John Deere dealership in our little town and so that my uncles ran the store and maybe dad knew that they were getting a new piece of equipment in or something, and so we always were trying new things and different things and, um, he was always willing to try them and we adapted a lot of new tillage tools. When drilling your beans became popular, we were one of the first ones to start drilling beans and stuff like that. To this day, I try to keep up to date on all the technology and stay ahead of it, and if something comes out, I'm generally going to adapt it, because for me it's about efficiency and just getting done, using the technology properly and stuff.
Speaker 2You also are an experimenter. I do Like the science comes out. You also are an experimenter, I do Like the science comes out.
Speaker 1I do like to experiment.
Dreaming Bigger and Father's Day Wishes
Speaker 2I like it too, so I think it's good, and we kind of push each other with that yeah, which is good. So the last key thing that I learned from my father was to dream bigger, think bigger. Um, I would never have gone to medical school. If it wasn't well, I guess I shouldn't say I would never have gone to medical school, but my dad definitely put that thought in my head.
Speaker 2Um, I was thinking about nursing and your mom is a nurse, my mom, is a nurse and my dad and my mom both kind of pushed me a little to think outside of just what I knew. So they both were like, well, why don't you just become a doctor? And my mom, what my mom really said was Leah, you like to give orders more than you like to take them. Maybe you should become a doctor.
Speaker 1That's probably she's so right.
Speaker 2Oh shoot, she knew me better than I knew myself at that point, I think.
Speaker 1I believe so.
Speaker 2Oh man, I am really good at giving orders. I am, I am very good.
Speaker 1Maybe that's why you and I butt heads sometimes, because we both like giving orders.
Speaker 2Well, I think that's why we have a lot of head butting in the house. We have five chiefs living in that house.
Speaker 1Oh baby, yes, we do.
Speaker 2They all like to be in charge.
Speaker 1Yeah, but that's a good thing too.
Speaker 2Yes, yes, we are growing leaders. I like that.
Speaker 1So, yeah, this weekend is Father's Day. Go out and enjoy your Father's Day, if you're a father. So, yeah, this week end is father's day. Um, go out and enjoy your father's day, if you're a father, and tell your father's happy father's day and that you love them because, um, everybody's clock is ticking and you need to enjoy every minute you can with your family and your loved ones.
Speaker 1So, these are just a few little quick things that we said. We have learned from our fathers and it has kind of shaped our lives. So we'd love to hear from you guys what has kind of shaped your life and how has your father done that for you. Send us a note at farmersgreatestasset at gmailcom.
Speaker 2And go out and like us and share us on your socials. We're on all the accounts, so if you could spread the word about our podcast, we would greatly appreciate it, and if you can send us a message on what you'd like to hear more about, that would be great too it's a good day have a great day.
