Barn & Soul Podcast: Episode 27- Maybe You Shouldn’t Be a Farmer (and that's okay!)
Description
🎙 Barn & Soul Podcast - Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future. Episode 27- Maybe You Shouldn’t Be a Farmer (and that's okay!)
Farming looks peaceful from the outside… but behind every pretty moment is a reality most people never see. In this deeply human episode, Kendall explores the side of farm life that rarely makes it onto social media: the emotional cost, the physical toll, the relentless responsibility, and the quiet truth that farming is not for everyone. And that’s okay.
Through personal stories from Dalby Farm, reflections on New England winter, and a grounded look at the financial and emotional realities facing small farms today, this episode unpacks what it really means to choose this life. It also honors the truth that loving animals and loving nature does not require becoming a farmer. Supporters, visitors, volunteers, and advocates matter just as much as the people who muck stalls every day.
Whether you farm, dream of farming, or simply care about where your food and animals come from, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a rare moment of honesty in a world that often romanticizes rural life.
References
American Farm Bureau Federation.
Farmer and Rancher Mental Health: Research Findings and Rural Stress Indicators. Washington, DC: AFBF, 2022.
Cornell Cooperative Extension.
“Diversified Farm Income, Stress Management, and Burnout Prevention.”
Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Ithaca, NY.
Farm Aid.
Farmers’ Stress and Financial Vulnerability: Annual Report on Family Farm Wellbeing. Cambridge, MA: Farm Aid Research Division, 2023.
FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Livestock: Challenges and Realities of Global Animal Agriculture. Rome, Italy: FAO Publications.
National Farmers Union.
Barriers for Small and Beginning Farmers: Economic and Structural Challenges. Washington, DC: NFU Policy Research Department, 2021.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Agricultural Safety and Health: Livestock-Related Injuries and Fatalities. Atlanta, GA: CDC/NIOSH, 2023.
National Young Farmers Coalition.
Building a Future with Farmers: Challenges Facing the Next Generation.
Hudson, NY: NYFC, 2022.
Penn State Extension.
“Realistic Expectations for New Farmers: Startup, Labor, and Livestock Care.”
College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University.
UMaine Cooperative Extension.
“Livestock Care and Farm Management in New England Winters.”
Orono, ME: University of Maine Extension Publications.
United States Census of Agriculture.
New and Beginning Farmer Profiles, Economic Realities of Small Farms.
Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 2022.
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Agricultural Workers: Hours, Injury Incidence, and Occupational Risk.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Program, 2023.
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