Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! As Holy Week approaches and the pre-planting buzz is in the air, Jena and Mary Pat sit down for a candid catch-up on everything happening in their worlds. After opening with a beautiful prayer for the Easter season and the upcoming planting rush, they dive into spring break recaps, health updates, and a powerful discussion about the role of agriculture in the national conversation. From cookie competitions and wildfire relief to Ag Week at the White House, this episode is a perfect blend of real-life moments and thought-provoking conversation.

📌 What We Cover in This Episode:

✅ Pre-Planting & Spring Break Updates
✅ Wildfires in the Sandhills
✅ National Ag Week at the White House
✅ Navigating Social Media Hate
✅ A Deep Dive into the Old Testament
✅ Focusing on the True Meaning of Easter
✅ "Only Grans" - A New Retreat Idea?

💡 Key Takeaways:

✨ Prepare your heart for the season. As both Holy Week and planting season approach, it's a perfect time to focus on what truly matters: your faith, your family, and trusting in God's plan.
✨ Agriculture's story needs to be told. When farmers are given a platform, like at the White House, it's an opportunity to represent the industry and bridge the gap with the non-farming public.
✨ Respect the position, even if you don't agree with the person. Showing respect for our nation's leaders is a principle that transcends politics.
✨ The Old Testament is dense, but its lessons are timeless. The stories of failure, grace, and redemption from thousands of years ago are just as relevant to our lives today.
✨ The greatest joy is found in community and shared wisdom. Whether it's rallying around ranchers during a wildfire or brainstorming a retreat to learn old-fashioned skills, we are better together.

🙌 Join the Conversation!
Have you navigated tricky family business conversations? What's one piece of advice you'd give to another farm family in transition? Share your thoughts and tag us @beyondthecrops_. And don't forget to leave us a message on our new voicemail line! The link is in our show notes.

Leave us a Voice Message!
We love hearing from you and continuing the conversation off the podcast. Click here to leave us a voice note!

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! As planting season quickly approaches, Jena and Mary Pat sit down for a much-needed catch-up on all the exciting things happening in their lives. From big business launches and ambitious new fitness goals to a major vehicle upgrade, this conversation is packed with life updates, practical tips, and a heartfelt reflection on what truly matters.

📌 What We Cover in This Episode:

✅ Weather Whiplash & Planting Prep: A real-time update on the wild pre-planting weather, from 98-degree days and wildfires to snowstorms, and how it's impacting their prep work.
✅ Mary Pat's New Ride: She's officially an SUV mom! Mary Pat shares the details of her new Ford Expedition and they discuss the pros and cons of hands-free driving technology like BlueCruise and Super Cruise.
✅ Half-Marathon Training: They're both embarking on a half-marathon training journey! They discuss their motivations, the Peloton training program they're using, and the hunt for the perfect gravel-running shoes.
✅ BIG LAUNCH! Beef's Best Friend: Jena officially introduces her brand-new, clean-ingredient seasoning, "Beef's Best Friend."
✅ ANOTHER NEW PRODUCT! The Skillet Stick: Jena also launched another genius product from Farm Wife Tallow – the "Skillet Stick," which is cooking tallow in a convenient, no-mess, push-pop style tube.
✅ Business & Life Updates: Mary Pat gives an update on Grounded Journals, sharing her ideas for a future "Farmer/Ranch Kid Memory Book" and the importance of giving yourself grace to let projects evolve at their own pace.
✅ A Heartfelt Reflection: The conversation takes a poignant turn as Mary Pat reflects on recent family losses and the profound realization of what truly matters: being present and available for the people you love.

💡 Key Takeaways:

✨ Setting boundaries is crucial, especially heading into a busy season. Knowing when to say "no" protects your time and energy for what's most important.
✨ Find a need and fill it. Many successful small businesses, like Jena's "Beef's Best Friend," are born from a personal need for a cleaner, better product.
✨ Innovation isn't just for big equipment. Simple, convenient products like the Skillet Stick can make daily life easier and more enjoyable.
✨ It's okay to let ideas simmer. Not every project needs to be on a fast track. Sometimes the best creations come after a season of rest and reflection.
✨ Your most important role is being present for your family. Amidst all the business ventures and farm tasks, the ultimate goal is to be there for the people who need you most.

Links You Need:

Grounded Journals: https://www.groundedjournals.co/

Beef's Best Friend: https://goodlifebeefne.com/

Skillet Stick: https://www.farmwifetallow.com/products/skillet-stick

Farm Wife Tallow: https://www.farmwifetallow.com/collections/skin-cooking

🙌 Join the Conversation!
Have you navigated tricky family business conversations? What's one piece of advice you'd give to another farm family in transition? Share your thoughts and tag us @beyondthecrops_. And don't forget to leave us a message on our new voicemail line! The link is in our show notes.

Leave us a Voice Message!
We love hearing from you and continuing the conversation off the podcast. Click here to leave us a voice note!

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! After a couple of weeks apart, Jena and Mary Pat are catching up on everything they've been up to, and this episode is all about Commodity Classic. With Jena holding down the fort at home, Mary Pat reports back from the massive farm show in San Antonio. From haunted hotels and exciting new ag tech to connecting with listeners and putting a big idea out into the universe, she's sharing all the highlights. Plus, they get into some hilarious travel horror stories and a few real-life running escapades.

📌 What We Cover in This Episode:

✅ Mary Pat Goes to Commodity Classic: A full recap of her trip to the massive farm show in San Antonio, which saw a record attendance of over 12,000 people.
✅ The Coolest Tech on the Trade Show Floor:
* Biologicals: An explosion of new biological fungicides and pesticides from innovative companies.
* Aptera: A fascinating "crunchy" technology that structures irrigation water to mimic rainwater for better soil penetration and efficiency.
✅ Community & Connection: Mary Pat shares how meeting and reconnecting with listeners in person is her favorite part of the show, and the power of putting faces to names.
✅ A Big Idea for Future Shows: Putting it out into the universe! Jena and Mary Pat share their vision for creating a dedicated space or workshop for farm women at future Commodity Classic events to tackle topics like succession and mental health.
✅ An Unexpected Opportunity: Mary Pat recounts a chance encounter with the Fellowship of Christian Farmers that led to a potential opportunity to lead a worship service at a future show.
✅ Travel Horror Stories: Jena shares an absolutely wild story of being stranded by an airline after a previous Commodity Classic, complete with a mad dash through DFW, a rude gate agent, and a middle-of-the-night rescue from her trucker brother.
✅ Running Escapades: They trade stories about their recent running adventures, from Jena's terrifying run-in with a skunk on a gravel road to Mary Pat's run being cut short by a call from the school nurse.

💡 Key Takeaways:

✨ Go to the farm show! Events like Commodity Classic are invaluable for learning about new technology, making connections, and getting a pulse on the future of the industry.
✨ Innovation is happening everywhere. From biologicals to water structuring technology, companies are constantly developing new tools to help farmers be more efficient and sustainable.
✨ The people are the best part. The real value of attending these events is the opportunity to connect with fellow farmers, industry experts, and friends from across the country.
✨ There's a need for more women-focused content in agriculture. Creating intentional spaces for farm women to learn and connect is crucial for the health of our families and businesses.
✨ Advocate for yourself (even at the airport). While it doesn't always work out, don't be afraid to speak up and fight for what's right when you're faced with terrible customer service.

🙌 Join the Conversation!
Have you navigated tricky family business conversations? What's one piece of advice you'd give to another farm family in transition? Share your thoughts and tag us @beyondthecrops_. And don't forget to leave us a message on our new voicemail line! The link is in our show notes.

Leave us a Voice Message!
We love hearing from you and continuing the conversation off the podcast. Click here to leave us a voice note!