Beyond The Crops

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! In this deeply personal and highly-requested episode, Jena and Mary Pat get vulnerable about health. With Jena on the mend from a severe illness during the peak of harvest, the stage is set for a raw conversation about navigating health challenges during the busiest seasons. Mary Pat takes the lead, opening up in detail for the fir...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Harvest is officially underway, and your hosts Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass are diving into the beautiful chaos of the season. This episode is a classic catch-up, blending real-time harvest updates with life-at-home adventures, listener voicemails, and some heartfelt encouragement for navigating heavy times with grace. 📌 What We...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life. In this somber but hopeful episode, Jena and Mary Pat set aside their planned topic to speak from the heart about what’s been weighing on them. Opening with a heartfelt prayer, they dive into a candid conversation about navigating a world heavy with tragedy, the spiritual battles we all face, and the unwavering hope found in the Go...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life. In this heartfelt and candid episode, Jena and Mary Pat take a moment to pause and reflect. Jena opens with a powerful prayer for a world heavy with tragedy, setting the stage for a conversation about finding hope, controlling what we can, and the immense value of community. Then, they dive into a full recap of their inspiring and...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Fresh off a whirlwind month of travel, your hosts Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass are here to recap their adventures at two major farm shows. From the incredible culture and cutting-edge research at Beck's Technology Days to the hustle and bustle of the Farm Progress Show, they're sharing the behind-the-scenes stories, coo...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, as they sit down with Lori Reese, the Director of Commercial Sustainability at Pivot Bio. This conversation is a fascinating deep dive into the future of farming, from cutting-edge microbial nitrogen products to the often-confusing world of carbon credits. Lori, who comes from a seve...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! In this episode, your hosts Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass are tackling a topic on every parent's mind: heading back to school. With a fantastic listener question, they dive into prepping advice, lunch ideas, and strategies for managing the morning chaos. Coming from two different perspectives this year—Mary Pat sending her ki...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops! In this episode, Jena and Mary Pat are joined by Dena Malsom, Chief Marketing Officer at the National Peanut Board, for a fascinating conversation that busts myths, shares surprising facts, and explores the story of this humble but mighty crop. 📌 What We Cover in This Episode: ✅ Meet Dena Malsom & her journey from corporate marketing to the National Peanut B...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops! Summer is in full swing, and for Jena and Mary Pat, it's been... dense. In this candid catch-up, they share the highs, lows, and hilarious chaos of a summer packed with family, travel, and unexpected health deep dives. 📌 What We Cover in This Episode: ✅ Catching up on a "dense but good" summer filled with intentional family time. ✅ Navigating gri...

In this deeply personal and reflective episode, Jena and Mary Pat share a conversation sparked by recent life events that have them thinking about legacy, the passage of time, and the ever-present challenge of managing screen time in a hyper-connected world. After the loss of both of her grandmothers just eight days apart, Jena shares the poignant realization that it often takes a funeral to bring...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Did you know a staggering 80% of farmers don't plan to fully retire, creating huge risks for the farm and family. In this crucial succession episode, we're tackling the tough questions about what happens when you can no longer work. Mary Pat and Jena are joined by ag economist Jessica Groskopf, to debunk financial myths a...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, as they "think outside the box" with special guest and agronomist, Faith Pearson. In this eye-opening conversation, Faith Pierson (aka "The Crunchy Agronomist") challenges conventional wisdom and draws fascinating parallels between holistic human health and the he...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! In this special episode, Mary Pat takes the host chair and brings on her husband, Josh, for a fun and lighthearted Q&A session. They pulled questions directly from listeners on Instagram, covering everything from this season's crop updates and farm dynamics to raising kids on the farm and keeping a marriage strong. 📌 What...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, as they dive into a conversation that’s close to the heart of every farm family: prioritizing family time amidst the never-ending demands of the farm. With their different living situations—Jena on the farm and Mary Pat off—they offer unique perspectives on a universal challenge. The...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! In this powerful episode, hosts Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass are welcoming back a trusted expert in farm family dynamics, Elaine Froese. Elaine is a certified farm family coach, author, and speaker who specializes in helping families have the hard conversations necessary for a successful farm transition. This time, they're m...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, for an intentional conversation about a topic every farmer knows intimately: the weather. But this isn't just another weather report. They're diving into how weather impacts not just our operations, but also our hearts and emotions, and how we can cultivate a mindset of res...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! In this unique and enlightening episode, Jena is joined by a very special guest: her brother, Joe! Joe is a Navy veteran who served as a nuclear operator on an aircraft carrier and now works in civilian nuclear power. He's here to demystify nuclear energy, address common concerns, and explain why it's a crucial, safe, and...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, as they take a candid look back at their very different journeys into becoming farm wives. From big city dreams to growing up on a dairy farm, they share their unique perspectives, the lessons learned over nearly a decade (for Jena, a 10-year anniversary is just days away!), and hear...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, for a candid and inspiring conversation about making big, intentional changes to remove chaos and prioritize what truly matters. Jena drops some significant news about shifts on their farm and in their family life, leading to a heartfelt discussion about choosing your hard, trusting...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, as they officially kick off summer! With the kids now out of school, they dive into the joys and challenges of shifting family rhythms, managing kids at home, and finding ways to embrace the beautiful chaos of summer. 📌 What We Cover in This Episode: ✅ Summer Has Begun! ✅ The Four...

 Planting season is over! - Or is it?!?! In this candid and relatable episode, Jena and MP are keeping it real about feeling a bit under the weather, the shift in seasonal rhythms, and some interesting health and parenting nuggets they've been exploring. 📌 What We Cover in This Episode: ✅ Planting Season Wrap-Up (Mostly!) ✅ Not Feeling Their Best ✅ Mary Pat's Dizzy Spell Journey ✅ J...

This episode of Beyond the Crops is brought to you by Climate FieldView.   Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, as they sit down with Tom Verseman, Digital Enablement Marketing Lead for Climate FieldView. They dive deep into the world of digital agriculture, how FieldView has evolved, and the practical ways it's he...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, as they celebrate a huge milestone – the 100th episode of the podcast! It's also (nearly) their two-year anniversary, and they're taking a trip down memory lane, reflecting on the journey, thanking their amazing listeners, and looking ahead. 📌 What We Cover in This Episode...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, for a heartfelt chat recorded in a rare "sliver of time" just before Easter, as the planting season looms large. This episode blends reflections on faith, the renewal of spring, and the very real hustle (and occasional hilarious chaos) of life on the farm right now. 📌 What...

Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! Join your hosts, Jena Ochsner and Mary Pat Sass, as they bring in a special guest – MP's husband Josh and brother in law, Ryan Sass.  With planting season just around the corner, they're diving deep into the process, benefits, and challenges of treating their own soybean seed right on the farm.  📌 What We Cover in This E...