Throwing Wrenches Mending Fences Podcast

#60 What is Stress, The Lesson All College Freshman Get Day One Stress is a reaction that our body produces when we think we cannot meet the demands based on the amount of resources we have available. Those resources are things like time, money, man power, sunlight or nice weather, tools, knowledge, etc.  In caveman times stress was a good thing it helped people to fight, run, outsmart the predato...

#59 13 Ways to Cope with Farm Stress Now is the time to put together good stress relief habits. We tend to put things off. We say things like, after harvest, after Christmas, after taxes, after planting, after spraying, after hay is off, and then harvest rolls around again. Whether you are listening to this episode when it first comes out or anytime throughout the year, right now is a great time t...

#58 I was Burnt out-Here's Three Things That Helps Burn out is something millions of people face every year. It can cause anxiety and depression and unfortunately it doesn't just go away. I was burnt out, as you could probably tell from my last episode and here are three things that helped. Take a break from as many things as possible Re-evaluate what you are doing. Needs, Wants, Obligations and s...

#57 Survival Mode-You Have Permission to do These 5 Things I am on survival mode right now. If I am lucky my daughter will sleep for one two hour stretch per night, other than that, she is up every 15-60minutes. It's funny what your brain does to you during these hours of sleep deprivation. The tik tok audio that says make the plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away...

#56 New Vulnerability and Same Old Anxiety with Tales From a Rookie Farm Wife Abbie Raudabaugh is a farmer, mom and blogger at Tales from a Rookie Farm Wife. She writes about her experiences with vulnerability, humor and a want to encourage others. Today, we talk about the importance of good communication, being honest and upfront with your needs and expectations and how to laugh at yourself along...

# 55 5 Ways to Gain Perspective This Fall Harvest Season Fall harvest is extremely stressful. Whether you are the one operating the combine, cooking meals or anything in between there are hills and valleys to climb. We also tend to get lost in the weeds because there is no much to the day-to-day grind. In this weeks' episode, we talk about how to gain perspective and simultaneously remember that "...

#54 National Farm Safety Week Checklist and Discussion Last week I was teaching a group of farm kits and Ag Tech Students First Aid and CPR. We got into some great discussions about emergency situations and scenarios. This combined with the fact that this is National Farm Safety week (shouldn't every week be National Farm Safety Week?) inspired me to put together both a checklist for this upcoming...

#53 A is for Amanda, B is for Beef, C is for Children's Books with Amanda Radke Amanda Radke is a children's book author, beef producer, foster parent and multi-pationate entrepreneur. Her publishing company works with different ag organizations to help tell their story. From beef to peanuts she likes to tell the story of the farmer to help children understand their food comes from. She also trave...

#52 Prepare, Power Hour and Persevere Through Season Change   Going back to work was a shitshow. I had 17 Weeks off. It was glorious. However, going back was rough to say the least. I didn't have the right tools, the right keys, the right classrooms and no matter what I did each day it became more and more evident that I was losing my marbles. Stack that on top of the 4 month sleep regression, wak...

#51 Bacon Seeds, Imposter Syndrome and Political Advocacy David Hafner is a farmer, advocate and activist for farmers. On social media he is the Farmer Advocate. He shares farmers stories with the public and with elected officials to make sure that agriculture remains a priority both during the election and afterward when the big decisions are being made. We talk about mental health, the importanc...

#50 The Salty Six Pack-The Blame Game to Re-Frame Being Angry We have all been angry before. Sometimes we are angry about one thing, or at another person and sometimes it's just the straw that broke the camels back. The question is, how do you stop being angry? How do you break free of the negative thinking? How do you reframe the story that you are telling yourself? The fact is, we rarely know th...

#49 Succession Plans, Finances and How to Leave a Legacy with Heather Venenga Heather Venenga is launching a book. . . .tomorrow!!!! If you are listening to this when it first comes out (Aug 17th, 2022)! She is a financial planner and farm wife who works with farmers, lawyers and CPA's on a "Dream Team" to help farm families and decision makers create a plan to pass the farm onto the next generati...

#48 I'm Back! Mom Stuff, Minivans and My Kid Will Never- Fails I am back from Maternity Leave! This week our great friend Rita Herford interviews me! We talk about my birth story, how my birth plan was a joke and how we used to say "my kid will never" then upon having children immediately changed our minds. Topics Covered: What common phrases are mom's tired of hearing How motherhood is different...

#47 10 Tips to Make Pregnancy Easier & My Maternity Leave Update I am currently 37 weeks pregnant and so this will likely by my last episode before maternity leave. I plan on taking a summer break and coming back to podcasting in August with a new season featuring stories of our older farmer friends. Stay tuned! I would like to start out by saying that I have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and the...

#46 Building Confidence in Agriculture, Hunting & Life with the Midwest Huntress Sara Ruda Sara Ruda is a rancher, confidence coach, author and all around bad-ass. She teaches women to build their confidence after trauma by getting in touch with nature, slowing down and learning new skills by getting lost in nature. She is an international best-selling author and sought-after speaker. Sara's best-...

#45 The Secret to Prioritize, Focus and Get More Accomplished Some days we spin our wheels, waste time, get distracted and feel defeated because we have nothing to show for a 12 or 14 hour day. Other days we kick ass, get things done, prioritize and can really make a huge dent in our to-do list. What gives? The days that we feel more accomplished are the days that we get done the big things, the i...

# 44 Stiff, Sore, Tired & No Sleep, 5 Ways to Fix These Common Problems Springtime work never ends. It also is accompanied by exhaustion, aches, and lots of muscles stiffness and soreness. When we work in cold, damp weather, our bodies take the brunt of it and we can feel everything twinge, ache, pain and after a while it really takes a toll. Today we will talk about what you can do to feel better...

#43 Staying Fit on the Farm & How it Effects Mental Health with That Fit Agvocate Andrea Severtson is a beef cattle producer from Minnesota. We dig into some practical ways to begin personal development and how that correlate to our mental health. We also talk about how to find time for self-care, exercise and "me time" when it's calving season, planting or things are super crazy for any reason. W...

#42 Fuel and Fertilizer are the Price of Gold, 10 Questions to Ask Yourself in Uncertain Times When life gets overwhelming, prices are sky high and we are on the verge of war, sometimes the best things to do is reflect. In todays' episode we will talk about 10 questions that you can ask yourself to help get through these uncertain times. Sometimes it is best to think of things in terms of the wors...

#41 Great Companies Give Back- Greenstone Farm Credit's Dave Armstrong Farm Finance is a huge stressor for the majority of farmers. Loans, lines of credit and tracking finances is complicated, difficult and overwhelming to say the least! Here in Michigan, we have an ag lender called Greenstone Farm Credit. Each year, they give money back to their members for Patronage Day. This year Patronage Day...

#40 Seasonal Depression Anyone? 9 Ways to Get More Vitamin D 20-40% of people living in similar latitudes as Michigan experience SAD or seasonal affective disorder. You know on the first warm day of spring how you feel energized, happy, and even have a little pep in your step? That is because we can see and feel the sun for the first time this year. The day I am recording this, it is sunny, single...

#39  Strong Marriages, Good Communication & Yellowstone with Ranch Wife Life Lydia Kyle and her husband manage a ranch in the mountains of the American Southwest, where the Cowboy way of life lives and breathes. She is tiktok and Instagram famous and works to introduce ranch life to people interested in seeing what the cowboy way of life is all about. Lydia and I talk about how marrying a farmer a...

#38 Part 2 A Most Ridiculous Poop Metaphor & 4 Ways to Find a Great Therapist A few weeks ago, I competed in a competition where we brainstormed some ideas to help farmers and ranchers with their farm stress and mental health issues. If you have ever seen a discussion meet either in American Farm Bureau or FFA then you know exactly how these competitions go. My fear is that the conversation would...

#37 Save Money, Grocery Shop Less and Meal Plan Like a Pro with Ann Sharek Ann (Annie) Sharek and her husband farm in Pennsylvania and she is a super organized person. . . and I am jealous! Annie has the most beautiful and inspiring meal planning, cooking and grocery shopping templates. These templates are so helpful. They have dinner ideas, with the recipe and the grocery list that helps you to s...

#36 10 Ways to Get Back to You-The Road Between Mentally Healthy and Mentally Ill Last week, I competed in a competition where we brainstormed some ideas to help farmers and ranchers with their farm stress and mental health issues. If you have ever seen a discussion meet either in American Farm Bureau or FFA then  you know exactly how these competitions go. My fear is that the conversation would j...