Agrability uses assistive technology and devices to keep farmers farming as they age, or deal with an injury, long-term illness, or disability. Elaine Palm and the Michigan Sheep Producers came to me to ask if I would interview Sam Wolfe from Michigan State University Extension, who works with Agrability. Sam will be doing a Keynote at the Michigan Sheep Producers' Annual Shepherds Weekend Jan 9-11, 2026 in Lansing, MI.

Topics Covered:

What is agrability?

How can farmers make farming easier as they age?

What can farmers do if they are disabled?

Farming for Veterans

Farming for disabled veterans

What assistive devices and technology can help farmers and ranchers?

How can farmers and ranchers shift their operations if they get injured?

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Agrability 

Michigan Website: https://www.michiganagrability.org/

National Website: https://www.agrability.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichiganAgrAbility

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mi_agrability/

Connect with Michigan Sheep Producers:

Michigan Sheep Producers Association Website: https://misheep.org/

Michigan Sheep Producers Association Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichiganSheep

Christine Stamp aka, Seed Farmer's Wife on Instagram teaches people how to cook for the masses and she is here this week to share with us! If you are looking for tips and tricks to make field meals easier, less stressful and more streamlined then you are in the right place.

15 Ideas for Field Meals

Meatballs

Soups/stews

Hamburgers

Chicken drumsticks

Casserole-Lots of types

Tacos

Bbq beef or pork

Chicken-Mexican style

Hot dogs

Bakes zetti

Baked ham and cheese sandwiches

Baked turkey and swiss

Hot roast beef

Orange Chicken and rice balls

Sesame Chicken and rice balls

15 Tips and tricks to make field meals easier

Throwaway containers and silverware

Cook more than you think

Have desserts ready the night before

Have food done by the time you have to leave for kids sports, aka 3-4pm

Insulated bags!

Send the food with the trucker coming to your grain leg

Print your recipes-put notes in a binder and make notes

Toast all the buns!

Find what works for you and stop comparing

Everything doesn't need to be homemade-boxed or frozen stuff is fine

Create a plan and grocery shop once a week

Stock your freezer with meat before you start harvest or seeding

Ignore the DM's on social media

Find what works for you

Don't put so much pressure on yourself-not everything needs to be handheld

Take Sunday's off!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Seed Farmer's Wife-Chrstine Stamp

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/seedfarmerswife/

Motivation follows action. This is my new mantra, in other words, don't wait until you feel motivated to do stuff, do something and it will help you to get moving.

I just turned 30! MY 20's were an absolutely wild ride and I learned so much about myself that I have completely changed the way I think, feel and act. Shocker I know! I was diagnosed with ADHD and I have learned how to manage it in a way that works for me. This has allowed self-acceptance in a way I didn't think was possible. I learned it all in therapy. . . and on ADHD Tiktok.

3 Things That Help Harness ADHD

1 Know what you need

2 Know how to launch yourself into the land of productivity

3 Set yourself up for success

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Duh, farming involves physical labor, but is it a total body workout? No! The thing about exercise is that if you are really strong in some areas and really weak in other areas it can led to major issues with pain and soreness. It can also increase your likelihood of injury and slow down the healing process.

Today, I have a few questions that can help you to identify what you should do to take care of your body.

Occupation:

Description:

Physical Expectations:

What muscles will be used?

Where will you be sore?

What stretches will help?

What exercises will help strengthen those areas?

What exercises will help you balance those areas?

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Making good decisions that improve your mental health can be difficult when you are in the thick of it. What do you actually do to help yourself feel fewer symptoms of depression or anxiety? 

In today's episode we create a plan for those days when we are feeling depressed, anxious, overstimulated, angry, bored with the monotony of life, annoyance, grief etc. 

Not that doing one of these things can make all of your issues disappear, but they can help you to feel better, lessen the severity of your symptoms and help you to have a better day. This list of activities will improve your mental health and most importantly eliminate the decision fatigue surrounding what to do on the day when your mental health isn't so great. 

Connect with the inspiration for this episode on Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sharon.a.life?lang=en 

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

I'm back from a very long maternity leave. In this episode I talk about grief, losing half my grandparents in the same month and my birth story. 

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Emily Reuschel is a keynote speaker, coach, and farm mom and wife. She teaches rural women how to get intentional, live into their passions and live life on purpose. Her personal growth journey has changed and evolved in different seasons of life.

Emily and I have so much in common. Personal growth and development have changed as jobs, roles, life stages, etc evolve and finding a way to live intentionally, be grateful, and be in touch with emotions makes the difference between drowning in the chaos of life and thriving with purpose. 

What is personal development?

How do farm/ranch/rural women do personal development?

How to feel more content

What does balance mean?

What does peace and contentment feel like?

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Emily Reuschel

Website: https://emilyreuschel.com/

Podcast- Gather in Growth: https://open.spotify.com/show/4kQ6k3C6YmKp6EY58URPH6

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyreuschel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyreuschel/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emilyreuschel

Fair week was the first time I realized what anxiety really felt like in my body. Fortunately, I have an amazing mom who recognized it and helped me to do some deep breathing and bring some perspective to my pre-fair worry. Except that is really an understatement because I was like a bridezilla on steroids, I was a fairzilla for two weeks leading up to the fair.

This episode is all about the things that helped to make our fair week go smoother. I consulted with my mom on this episode because she was the mastermind behind the planning that went into 4-H and the preparing for the fair.

1.      Have a DIY deadline-Anything that doesn't need to be done last minute should be done a week before the fair.

2.      Have a list for things that need to be done last minute i.e. Baking projects, cakes, washing animals, etc.

3.      Pack your camper and do your shopping ahead of time, if you do crafts and things then packing that stuff into the camper saves space in your primary vehicle

4.      Remember that this is about kids learning skills not about winning, one of the most important skills they will learn to how to keep calm when they are under pressure.

5.      Have a plan for food and have plenty of east snacks available.

6.      Have a few ways to lower anxiety available for when the tears inevitably come. For kids a few options can be taking a few deep breathes, taking a walk, dance party, writing a letter to their current self from 5 years into the future.

7.      Keep a flexible routine, this helps to avoid getting hangry, overtired, and exhausted.

8.      Unpack as soon as you get home

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Paige Dulaney and her family farm and ranch in Colorado. She is a mom of three and a busy social media advocate (aka agricultural agvocate). She does a fantastic job and digging into research and facts about our food system, supply chain and agriculture in general. She always keeps her cool and bring the best information to the table.

We also talk about some sanity saving moms hacks and start off the episode with our biggest fear, losing keys in Walmart. We talk about how things might suck for the first few years, but if you can adjust your expectations when trying new things on your farm or ranch, it makes it easier to stay calm and avoid feeling so defeated.

Topics Covered:

Mindset shifts when you try something new

How to choose what to focus on and how to let go of the rest

Seven sanity saving mom hacks

How to have patience with people who don't understand food

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Paige Dulaney

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paigedulaney

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paige.dulaney_/

Mary Pat Sass loves cheese, farming, and journaling. She is a farm wife, entrepreneur and social media influencer. Her what to make for supper video's, mom content and farm lifestyle piece have gone viral because people love her down to earth, funny and real style. 

Mary Pat Sass' Grounded Journals are the perfect prompts to remember the good times, collect memories and share photo's. She created them because she wishes she would have written more down about family, things they have tried on their farm and simple moments with her kids. So, she created these gorgeous journals to help us all do just that. Collect memories, photos and share stories with our future selves and loved ones.

Check out the Grounded Journals here: https://www.groundedjournals.co/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Mary Pat Sass

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marypatsass

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marypat.sass/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marypat.sass

Website: https://www.marypatsass.com/

5 Paradigm Shifts I Learned in Therapy

1.      Set boundaries early and often, say no, and protect your time, space and family

2.      You cannot change other people, changing the way you react to situations in your life is more valuable anyway

3.      The story you tell yourself is the only thing that matters, the "truth" is subjective

4.      Sometimes you just have to talk things out

5.      When your childhood, your adult family dynamics, your financial security and the stability of your families future are all intertwined, it's more difficult. Just acknowledging that fact, and recognizing when things get messy

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Ashley Brazo is in Commercial Real-estate by day and by night she is a mom and farm wife. I met Ashley a few months ago and we talked for a good hour about the challenges of raising kids when your husband is in the field. We hit it off right away. I asked her to come onto the podcast to talk about how to work through feeling lonely and sorry for yourself when the guys are busy. 

Topics covered:

What to do when you feel lonely

What mindset shifts helped

How to make a hobbies, Netflix show's list

What to do when you get invited somewhere and your husband can't go

What to do when you feel sorry for yourself for always being alone

The importance of getting out and doing fun things even if it's just you and the kids

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Pain, soreness, headaches, trouble sleeping, do these things have to coincide with farming? Sometimes pain is from an injury, sometimes it just pops up. What can you do to reduce your pain and get back to work?

What is pain? Pain is a warning sign; your body will tell you to slow down or stop whatever you're continuing to do. This can lead to stress injury or overuse injury. If you continue to do that thing, your body will force you to stop.

1.      Ice

2.      Heat

3.      Gentle range of motion

4.      Stretching

5.      Progressive muscle relaxation

6.      Meditation Body Scan

7.      Massage

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Body Mechanics Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bodymechanicsrehabwell

Did you know that May is Mental Health Month? The American Farm Bureau Federation has a campaign going called Small Gestures, Big Impact.

Week one: Send a text

Week two: Give a card

Week Three: Take a ride

Week four: Deliver a treat

Week five: Make a call

Farm State of Mind: https://www.fb.org/initiative/farm-state-of-mind

National Farmer Mental Health Alliance: https://nfmha.ca/

6 Things to Improve your Mental Health according to Headspace (not a sponsor)

1.      Relax and reduce stress.

2.      Find ways to learn and be creative.

3.      Spend time in nature.

4.      Connect with others.

5.      Look after your physical health.

6.      Try to get enough sleep.

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

On our farm, it feels like spring planting is getting started late. In reality we are not THAT late, nonetheless, I am anxious about it. We have something scheduled every weekend in May, this means I will have to leave the farm and do the activity. This gives me farmer guilt, it's similar to "Mom-guilt" where you feel like you can't be away from your kids or else you are an anxious mess, while simultaneously knowing that you are your best self when you get away. This boils down to a whole lot of anxiety on my part.

If we could get a good inch of rain every Friday night in May, everything would work out perfectly!

Since I don't live in lala land the following list are 5 things I am committing to doing every day so that I can manage my anxiety, my house and the springtime chaos without losing my mind.

5 Daily Practices to Survive Spring Planting Chaos

1.      Do one load of laundry and one load of dishes every day

2.      Take a mindful minute and remember why I love farming

3.      De-escalate a trigger-For me this is that I have to have at least one clean countertop in my kitchen. Another trigger for me is when I don't get my "must do list" done so for me de-escalating a trigger looks like doing the most important things first.

4.      Have a mantra for when things don't go as planned. If it's a change in my plans for the day, I say something like "I am flexible, I can adapt and change" if it's a breakdown or problem I say something like "Ope there it is, good thing we are prepared"

5.      Improve your communication -group texts, morning meetings, etc.

Here are a few episodes that may help if you want to dig deeper into this.

Episodes #22 is about field meal hacks

# 7 is about how to ask for help

# 59 is 13 ways to Cope with Stress and Lower the Stress Response

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#63 ChopLocal-Online Direct to Consumer Meat Sales Made Easy

Katie Olthoff is co-founder of ChopLocal which is an online farmers market platform where farmers can sell their meat products direct to consumer.  They created this online platform during the pandemic to help farmers and consumers who wanted to buy local meat connect. They remove the marketing and technological barriers by making the online portion of sales easy.

Katie is a entrepreneur, Turkey Farmer, Author, and so much more. We talk about motherhood on the farm, how farmers can easily keep their cool when talking to the public, and how you don't have to be a niche farmer to sell your meat products.

Topics Covered:

How to sell Direct to consumer online

How to handle shipping frozen meat

How to create a marketing plan for online meat sales

How can farmers sell products online

How farmers can use ChopLocal to help them with technology and website issues

How using ChopLocal reduces stress

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with ChopLocal

Sell with ChopLocal and Learn More: https://sell.choplocal.com/

Website: https://choplocal.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/choplocalmeat

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choplocal/

#62 How Gratitude Changed My Mom Guilt and 5 Easy Gratitude Habits

This past week, we went to the American Farm Bureau Fusion Conference in Jacksonville Florida. It was so nice to get away but I felt more Mom guilt than normal. This combined with the huge chore of packing for a cross county trip with a baby, sort of plagued the whole vacation and it got me thinking about how we can change mom guilt? While I am not sure we can ever totally get rid of it, I know that gratitude has changed mine is a big way.

Adrienne DeSutter said, "Say Yes to help and no to everything else". So I have begun saying Yes to help, without even thinking about it. It was just an automatic Yes please. Yes please take the baby, yes please prepare a plate for me, yes please get me a drink, yes please to, "do you need anything from the store".

People genuinely want to help others, LET THEM. Then instead of feeling guilty for accepting help, thank them and move on. When we use gratitude, it switches off our fight or flight response in our brain and helps to re-route blood from the survival mode part of our brain, to our "thrive" portion. Part of this is called our frontal lobe where we process information, emotions and logic.

But a daily gratitude practice isn't for everyone so here are 5 easy ways to express gratitude

1.      Instead of saying what's up ask, what's good?

2.      Ask for everyone's "highs and lows" at the dinner table or in the car

3.      Take 5 Exercise

4.      Trade "I'm sorry" for "thank you"

5.      Journal-write it out or talk it out

Sources: https://halo.com/10-amazing-statistics-to-celebrate-national-gratitude-month/#:~:text=In%20a%20study%20of%20800,well%2Dbeing%20by%2010%25

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

#61 Contentment on the Homefront and Actual Seatbelt Wearers with Jordan Waas

Jordan Waas is a farmer in the Laurel highlands of Pennsylvania. They farm row crops in the hills and mountains and raise cattle where it gets too steep. She has four kids, a herd of registered red angus cattle and loves to make soap.

We talk about how important it is to be comfortable at home and be able to actually relax. How God helps us to be more content and happy. He helps us to get through the hard times and move forward during loss and heartache. She teaches me all about raising Cattle and how EPD's (Expected Progeny Differences) are helping farmers strategize to build the heard they want.

I also ask probably the worst question you can ask, "Do you actually wear your seatbelt [In the tractor]"?

Topics Covered:

How to be more comfortable at home

How to be more content

How to cope with a hard calving season after lots of loss

How to manage kids and farming

How to actually relax on vacation

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Jordan Waas

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057313035107

#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 predator. Those stress responses were meant to help people to survive. Those who had the stress responses passed them onto the next generation.

Stress is a good thing, it helps us to get more done, act without thinking, run, fight, push, argue, etc.  In the short-term it helps us to tackle the task at hand, in the long-term it can harm our mental health, our relationships and ultimately our overall wellness. This also can make us angry, anxious and chronically stressed out.

The seven dimensions of wellness are physical, psychological, intellectual, financial, social, spiritual and environmental.

13 Ideas to Cope with Farm Stress

1 Morning routine

2 Gratitude practice

3 Create a helpful Mantra, something to remind yourself "this is what it's all about"

4 Use music as a tool

5 Mindful Minute

6 Get a hobby

7 Get creative

8 Spend time with friends

9 Do a date night

10 Exercise

11 Explore

12 Journal

13 Podcasts as a way to get your mind off of things

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

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Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

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YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 to put together some habits that will help you to manage stress. This episode is full of easy to implement ideas that will help to manage your stress. Some of them will help you face it head on and some will help you to get away from it for a bit.

13 Ideas to Cope with Farm Stress

1 Morning routine

2 Gratitude practice

3 Create a helpful Mantra, something to remind yourself "this is what it's all about"

4 Use music as a tool

5 Mindful Minute

6 Get a hobby

7 Get creative

8 Spend time with friends

9 Do a date night

10 Exercise

11 Explore

12 Journal

13 Podcasts as a way to get your mind off of things

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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.

1. Take a break from as many things as possible
2. Re-evaluate what you are doing. Needs, Wants, Obligations and say no to something
3. Let go of the guilt and shame associated with it

Brene Brown is one of my favorite authors. Her work changed the way I thought about my past, my emotions, my relationships and the way I think about myself. She speaks about guilt and shame and for me, the two overlapped until I heard her quote, "Guilt is, I did something bad, shame is, I am bad".

Just because we are burnt out, overwhelmed, depressed or whatever, doesn't mean we can't move forward. You owe it to yourself to move past the burnout.

Rebekah Lyon's book Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose talks about inputs and outputs. Inputs are rest and restore while the output rhythms are connect and create.

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 the plan, cry, sums things up perfectly. 

Here are a few things I gave myself permission to do.

1. Ask for help-do it early, do it often
2. Overcommunicate
3. Give yourself a pass, give yourself 10 passes, lower your standards
4. Stop to take the picture
5. Eat the cake-stop to enjoy the simple moments of joy; they are all around you just have to slow down enough to enjoy them.

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

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Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 the way.

Topics Covered:

How being new is hard

How to be more vulnerable in your marriage

How to be more clear with your communication

How to manage expectations and needs

How to manage anxiety on the farm

How to communicate better in the midst of anxiety

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

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Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Abbie Raudabaugh

Website: https://www.rookiefarmwife.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rookiefarmwife

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rookiefarmwife/

Having trouble with succession planning? Whether you're the older generation or the younger, you'll learn something in today's episode. 

Elaine Froese CSP is a certified professional speaker, certified coach, and author. She's a go-to expert for farm families who want better communication and conflict resolution to secure a successful farm transition.

As a farmer and mother to the successor of their farm, she understands the culture of agriculture intimately.

Her superpower is helping families find harmony through understanding.

Topics Covered:

How to navigate farming family succession planning

How to communicate more effectively and directly

How to compromise with family farm transitions

Thanks for listening!

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Connect with Sarah Zastrow

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Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Elaine:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmfamilycoach

Email: elaine@elainefroese.com

Website: https://elainefroese.com/

# 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 "this is what it's all about", and it will drag on and fly by all at the same time. Harvest is like a time warp, but here's how to zoom out and keep perspective.

Gaining perspective helps us to re-frame and lower our stress level because it helps us to separate the emotion from the facts. We get stressed when we feel like we cannot meet the demands based on the resources we have. Those resources can be time, money, manpower, knowledge, weather condition, energy, etc.  When we can take a step back and look at the task at hand and use the following ways to gain perspective then we can lower the stress hormones in our body.

5 Ways to keep perspective this fall harvest season

1. Divide short term from long term stress
2. Keep a countdown
3. Remember this is what it's all about-mantra
4. Journal-write a letter to yourself from the future
5. Connect with others off of the farm -social media, rain days, phone calls, going up to another truck when you are waiting in line at the elevator, etc.

Download the Farm Stress Bundle here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 fall harvest and a few discussion points regarding farm safety both on and off the roadways.

Most common on farm accidents

1. Rollover or other vehicle accidents
2. Fire
3. Trauma
4. Falls
5. Mental health emergency

Download the checklist here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

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Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 travels the country to speak to different groups to help promote and advocate for agriculture. The Radke Report is a weekly blog post where she posts about issues in agriculture, politics, and consumer conversations.

Topics Covered:

Why are agriculture accurate children's books are so important

How to talk to different groups about agriculture

How to get ideas about writing children's books

How to use agriculture in a positive way

How ag producers come together against vegan rights activists

How being on the farm or ranch is healing

Why we became foster parents and how that led to adoption

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Amanda Radke

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SpeakerAmandaRadke

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amandaradke/

Website https://amandaradke.com/

#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, waking up every 2 hours and sending my kid to daycare for the first time. . . .all I have to say is season change is hard.

Whether you are canning a million things a day, going back to work or school or heading into fall harvest transitioning from one routine to the next is tough. This includes both actual seasons of the year and season of life.  In this week's episode we talk about the 3 P's of Season Change and how they can help ease these transitions.

1. Prepare-meal prep, look ahead, paying bills ahead, buy in bulk, stock up the freezer, etc.
2. Power Hour -These are all the things you have been putting off, make the phone calls, clean the weird nook and cranny, run the errands, etc. Do the things you have been putting off.
3. Persevere- Find new routines, lean into a busier time, journal out your frustrations and struggles and make sure to give yourself grace every step of the way

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 importance of drawing boundaries to make sure you have quality time with your kids and how to stop feeling like you aren't good enough. Everyone has a place in agriculture and everyone has a story to tell.

Topics Discussed:

What is imposter syndrome?

How to overcome imposter syndrome?

How to make family a priority when you are busy?

How to advocate and talk to elected officials?

How to meet with politicians?

How to get more comfortable with reporters and the media?

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with David Hafner the Farmer Advocate

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmeradvocate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmer_advocate/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farmer_advocate

Website: https://www.farmeradvocate.com/

#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 the entire story. We rarely have all of the facts. And We never know what truly motivates ourselves and others. When we have holes in the story, our brain is designed to fill in those holes to paint a picture. This is a great thing; it helps us draw conclusions when making big decisions. It helps us to remember things, tell stories and even relate to others.

Unfortunately, it also means that when something happens that we don't like, our brain fills in the holes. When someone makes a decision that affects you, your brain fills in the holes so you can understand the whole picture. When a mistake is made and you are trying to understand what happened, your brain fills in the holes and lastly when someone makes you angry, you guessed it. . . your brain fills in the holes.

The thing is, these holes are often not accurate because you are coming at it from a place of anger, judgement and resentment. This is compounded when you live and work with the same people all of the time.

So how do we break out of this cycle of anger, resentment, and repeating the same half accurate story?

Six Pack Exercise:

Step 1. Imagine you picked up a pack of beers and each beer is different. It's like a tester pack from those fancy brewery's. When you are thinking about what happened and why you are angry, disappointed, hurt etc. the first conclusion you jump to is one of those beers.

 Step 2. Make up 5 other stories that correspond to each beer.

1. Think about an outrageous situation, something totally out of the whelm of possibilities
2. Create a story that blames another person
3. Create a story that blames God
4. What is another logical story but probably not reality
5. Give the other person the benefit of the doubt, if they were doing what they thought was best, what would the story be?

Step 3. Which one most likely actually happened?

Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsOKrCVs6WM&t

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 generation.

Farm Succession Planning is a huge puzzle, but it isn't a mystery and you shouldn't do it alone. Heather's new Book: "Protect Your Pack and Your Den: Persevering Through Generational Farm Planning" walks readers through who you need on your team and what steps to take in order to pass the farm onto the next generation. Order Heather's Book Here: https://www.heathervenenga.net/books 

Topics Covered:

Farm Succession Planning

Estate Planning

Financial Planning

Fair vs Equal

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Heather Venenga

Communication starter guide Heather Venenga https://www.heathervenenga.net/subscribe

Website: https://www.heathervenenga.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/962121324515507

#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 than expected

Pacifiers & baby boundaries

Minivans vs. SUV's

My Breast Friend Link: https://www.amazon.com/My-Brest-Friend-Nursing-Comfortable/dp/B00PC3K7OE/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+breast+friend&qid=1660684589&sr=8-1 

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Rita Herford

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GentnerBischerFarms/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grocery_store_farmer

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/grocery_store_farmer

#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 these are the things that have helped me. Every person is different and you should always consult your doctor.

10 Tips to Make Pregnancy on the Farm Easier

1. Process the changes your body is making-journal
2. Listen to your body-I should have stopped lifting before I did
3. Bond with other mama's-study up on what is going to happen
4. Rest when you need to
5. Don't be afraid to outsource help

Practical tips

1. Get a Belly band
2. Snack back-pack
3. Stretch every night
4. Feet up the wall exercise
5. Take a bath before bed

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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-selling books tell her story of overcoming trauma, healing, friendship and life's journey. Her mission is helping women to find hope after trauma, toxic relationships and big change by way of building confidence, resiliency and strength.

Topics covered:

How to find yourself after trauma or major change

Hope after trauma

How to build new skills

How hobbies help our mental health

How creativity helps our healing

How hobbies help us make the best friends

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Sara Ruda's Books:

 https://www.amazon.com/Women-Who-Lead-Timeless-Inspiring-ebook/dp/B09JJVZ956/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3OC9I2HUXC8B3&keywords=sara+ruda&qid=1649363748&s=books&sprefix=sara+ruda%2Cstripbooks%2C231&sr=1-2

https://www.amazon.com/Ambitious-Women-Rise-Overcoming-Obstacles/dp/1105078477/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3OC9I2HUXC8B3&keywords=sara+ruda&qid=1649363772&s=books&sprefix=sara+ruda%2Cstripbooks%2C231&sr=1-1

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Sara Ruda:

Website: https://saramruda.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwesthuntressKS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nebraskahuntress/

This is the story of how I knew I needed to start an anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety and Depression. I also had to switch Primary Care Physicians because my old PCP was not listening to me and seemed very resistant to prescribing any medication for mental health. 

Greif, postpartum and the chaos of raising two toddlers sent me spiraling with both anxiety and depression. I got to a point where managing my mental health felt like a full time job, I did not have the time or the energy to manage my depression. My anxiety was making my ADHD worse, I couldn't get anything done and I knew in my gut that it was time to talk with my doctor about getting on something for my depression.

I was breastfeeding at the time, and I had read that anti-anxiety medication can help with the symptoms of ADHD. I also knew that often-times one medication can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. After talking with my doctor, she recommended Zoloft or Sertraline. I had very few side effects, and after about a week or 10 days, I noticed a difference. After two or three weeks I felt like my old self again. I was laughing and could enjoy my children and my life as it was, instead of drowning everything in toxic positivity and hoping for the best.  

Topics Covered:

Why I wanted to switch primary care physicians

How grief and postpartum contributed to my mental health

How I knew I needed an Anti-Depressant Medication

How I knew I needed an Anti-Anxiety Medication

How to talk with your doctor about mental health

How I got diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety and Depression

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 important things. So if you are needing a boost and looking to get out of a rut (no pun intended) then here is my favorite method that might just work for you.

1. Divide up your to-do list into three sections

Needlemovers

Projects

Maintenance

1. Start your day with 1-3 tasks on your needlemover list

Then complete a few projects

Lastly, leave one hour to power through the maintenance items

1. Give yourself a pat on the back and appreciate a good days work

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

# 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. How you can ease aches and pains, have more energy during the day and sleep better at night. I make these five things apart of my morning and nighttime routine. They are quick, easy and make a huge difference when you are exhausted, stiff, sore and even grouchy.

1. Warm up muscles before going outside and when you get inside warm up from the inside out
2. Stretch- morning and night
3. Massage
4. Gentle range of motion
5. Hot shower before bed

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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.

We talk about what to do when you are having a bad day, how to become more self-aware of your thoughts and inner voice and in turn, what to do if you want to change it.

Topics Covered:

How to become a more positive person

Why is a morning routine so important?

How to find things that serve you at different life stages

Why some affirmations are dumb and how to find the right ones

How personal development is a personal investment

How to pull yourself out of a dark place when you are struggling with anxiety or depression

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Andrea Severtson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thatfitagvocate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatfitagvocate/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatfitagvocate

Website: https://www.thatfitagvocate.com/

#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 worst-case scenario, the best-case scenario, then "in reality, what will actually happen" scenario. When we don't have the answers, our brain fills in the gaps and our protective mechanisms trigger the worst-case scenario to run through our heads. This is survival instinct, but there are few things you can do to take you from living in survival mode and being afraid of what if's of the future, to living in the present day.

First and foremost, turn off the tv and social media storm that constantly repeat how bad things are going to get. Then, turn to your own farm, your own family and your own self. The following questions are a list of things that may help you if you are feeling anxious about life's uncertainty.

1. What is my cost of production for each thing that I sell? Where am I the most profitable? Where am I the least profitable?
2. What happens if things get as bad as they say? Pencil out the numbers
3. Can I still be profitable?
4. What is my backup plan?
5. What is my financial plan for my family? Get an off-farm job, sell some things, grow a larger garden, etc.
6. Where can I trim some fat? What things are least profitable?
7. Who do I need to talk to about this? Family? Banker? Salesmen? CPA? Lawyer?
8. What does this actually look like for me and my family? Don't extrapolate to the entire ag economy.
9. How am I handling this? Emotionally? Mentally, physically and relationally?
10. What is a plan that can help me manage my emotions to get us through? The messy self-care

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 is March 17th. If Greenstone is one of your lenders, but sure to stop into the office on March 17th for their Patronage Day Celebration.

Dave Armstrong is Greenstone's CEO. He grew up around agriculture and even raised chickens during his teenage years. We have a great conversation about agriculture, farm finance and how to be a great company.

Topics Covered:

How to choose an ag lender

What is Patronage Day

Why do some companies give back to their members?

How Greenstone is structured more like a credit union than a bank

Connect with Greenstone Farm Credit at https://www.greenstonefcs.com/

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 digits but sunny and I can feel the difference in my mood already. There is a connection between low levels of vitamin D and seasonal affective disorder. Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D to decrease your likelihood of developing SAD. OR ease your existing symptoms with these 9 ways to get more vitamin D.

One extremely important thing to note is that Vitamin D needs fat in order to be absorbed so be sure to pair either your vitamin supplement or your vitamin D foods with a fat source such as full fat diary or bacon with your orange juice in the morning for breakfast.

Not sure if you are feeling the effects of Season Affective Disorder or if it's actual depression? Learn more and take this quiz here: https://screening.mhanational.org/content/am-i-depressed-or-just-sad/

9 Ways to help SAD-seasonal depression

1. Get enough vitamin D-talk with your doctor to see if you are deficient
2. Get outside as much as you can on sunny days
3. Get a happy light-here's my favorite
4. Eat foods rich in vit D such as fish, fortified foods, full fat diary and orange juice.
5. Exercise
6. Turn your lights on
7. Get out once a week
8. Get creative
9. Remind yourself that this too shall pass, it will warm up, the sun will come out and we can have summer bbq's and pool parties again in a few month

Need more resources? Check out all of our blog posts at https://www.micultivatebalance.com/  

Check out over 100 video's at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 and rancher takes a special kind of person. We talk about the difference between communication when you are working and communication as the foundation of your marriage. We also talk about how to get on the same page and reconnect even if you are tired of spending 24/7 with your spouse.

Topics Covered:

-The Cowboy Matchmaker and Yellowstone Tik Tok

-Raising kids while working with little or no help

-How to identify and dismantle triggers

-How to work cattle without fighting-yes, apparently, it's possible!

-How it's hard it is to work, live, parent, and manage a ranch with the same person

-How to carve out moments for Jesus in the chaos

Trinity Seely: https://trinityseely.com/

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Lydia Kyle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranch_wife_life/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ranchwifelife

#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 jump straight to suicide prevention and awareness so I created several talking points to help people understand that the road between mentally health and contemplating suicide has many stops. There are warning signs and help along the way. This episode will help you to identify them.

It dawned on me that I have not made the stops on this road very clear and I wanted to take this opportunity to do so. This is Part 2 where we discuss how to make phase 2 stick with good habits and phase three which is how to seek professional help.

To listen to part 1 click here: https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/podcast/episode/19bb3fba/36-10-ways-to-get-back-to-you-the-road-between-mentally-healthy-and-mentally-ill

Phase One: Notice the Signs

Phase Two: Dial into what you need

Phase Three: Seek Professional Help

Phase Four: Suicide prevention and awareness

What is the first step when you realize you are headed down the road of mentally unhealthy?

10 Things to help get yourself back to healthy

1. Journal
2. Gratitude practice
3. Exercise
4. Sleep 8 hours per night- read how to here: https://www.micultivatebalance.com/single-post/2020/08/21/how-to-fall-asleep-faster-sleep-better-throughout-the-night-and-wake-up-rested
5. Eat for energy
6. Pay attention to your self-talk-create a mantra to stop negative thoughts
7. Go on a date night
8. Go for a girls night or a guys night
9. Create something-have something to look forward to
10. Pamper yourself -do some self-care. This can be luxury things like massages, facials, manicure, pedicure or a shopping trip or it can be a bath, reading a good book, painting your own nails and other easy at home and inexpensive options

Bonus: Get involved, volunteer for the less fortunate.

Now, these are all fine and good, but if you are really struggling and you find yourself in the thick of it, then how do use these thing to make a difference? And how do you make time and remember to do them when you are either so crazy busy and anxious or so depressed that you don't even care.

You make them a habit.

You can either piggyback old habits with new ones to help you remember or you can set reminders in your phone that help you remember

One of the biggest things that matters at this point is how you talk to yourself. What does your self-talk look like? If you are constantly saying or thinking negative thoughts then that is going to make improving your mental health even more difficult.

The other thing that makes a huge difference is having a rock solid support system. This means regular social interaction, trusted friends who you can talk to, weekly date nights with your spouse or significant other and a good therapist.

How to find a good therapist:

1. Go online to betterhelp.com or www.talkspace.com to get matched with a therapist.

Go to www.psychologytoday.com to find a therapist in your area

1. Tell them upfront what you need from them and what your boundaries are

For example, if hearing certain things will make you shut down or get frustrated then you can tell them that upfront

1. Go with your gut- if after your first or second interaction with them you are not having feelings of hope and that they understand and can objectively listen then switch to someone else
2. They should be asking you lots of questions and listening more than talking
3. Share your goals for therapy and how you want to feel and ask them how they normally help people accomplish them

Barb Smith Suicide Resource and Response Network: https://srrn.net/

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

#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 stay on track.

Not only will the meal templates help you to streamline dinner and mealtime, but it also helps you to have less food waste, take fewer trips to the grocery store, and most importantly stay on budget! Annie only goes to the grocery store once a month!

Topics Covered:

How to meal plan

How to stick to a meal plan when you change your mind or have crazy schedules

How to plan so you can grocery shop less often

How to prepare for a big grocery haul

How to grocery shop less often

Flexible meal plans

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with the Ann (Annie) Sharek

Get the Templates: https://www.etsy.com/shop/annsharek?ref=seller-platform-mcnav&fbclid=IwAR2lOZorJ5VPgqQ99IT2RBavkHl8-FqF4pOmTcBupfmGvXQ9iOg4W7vozJQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annsharek/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annschnaars

#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 jump straight to suicide prevention and awareness so I created several talking points to help people understand that the road between mentally health and contemplating suicide has many stops.

It dawned on me that I have not made the stops on this road very clear and so this episode will be phase one and two of needing to pay attention to your mental health.

Phase One: Notice the Signs

Phase Two: Dial into what you need

Phase Three: Seek Professional Help

Phase Four: Suicide prevention and awareness

What is the first step when you realize you are headed down the road of mentally unhealthy?

10 Things to help get yourself back to healthy

1. Journal
2. Gratitude practice
3. Exercise
4. Sleep 8 hours per night- read how to here: https://www.micultivatebalance.com/single-post/2020/08/21/how-to-fall-asleep-faster-sleep-better-throughout-the-night-and-wake-up-rested
5. Eat for energy
6. Pay attention to your self-talk-create a mantra to stop negative thoughts
7. Go on a date night
8. Go for a girls night or a guys night
9. Create something-have something to look forward to
10. Pamper yourself -do some self-care. This can be luxury things like massages, facials, manicure, pedicure or a shopping trip or it can be a bath, reading a good book, painting your own nails and other easy at home and inexpensive options

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Paper calendar people unite! Jackie Sanford is the queen of the calendar! This week, she teaches us all about how she breaks down her paper calendar starting with the big picture and breaking it down into time blocks to really hammer out her to-do list.

Topics covered:

Scheduling a year at a time

How to do a weekly review

Time blocks

How to stay on the same page with your spouse

How to say no!

This is an excellent conversation that will change the way you structure your schedule!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Jackie Sanford

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanfordfamilybeef

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanfordfamilybeef/

Website: https://www.sanfordfamilybeef.com/

#35 Succession Planning and The New American Dream- Tik Tok Fame

This week on the podcast we have Zoe and Mikey Kent. They are a father daughter duo from Ohio who farm corn and beans. They work extremely well together and that's because of a few tricks of the trade that have helped them to be successful and get on the same page.

We dig into what the older generation wants younger farmers to know. How you can go about hard conversations and how you can start the succession planning conversation. Also, we talk about how that transition can look, and how far good communication take you.

Topics Covered:

How to communicate with other generations

How having lunch together is the best way to get back on the same page

How to start to talk about succession planning

How non-farm siblings need to be on the same page

How taking pride in your equipment and your farm can open doors

How people notice the little things

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with the Zoe Kent

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmwithzoe/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farmwithzoe

#34 3 Ways to Make Habits and New Years Resolutions Stick

There is a corresponding blog post that goes along with this episode. If you are interested in checking it out click here: https://www.micultivatebalance.com/single-post/3-steps-to-make-habits-and-resolutions-stick-this-new-year

Habits aren't hard, remembering to do them is hard.

Change doesn't happen from having one good day, it happens when you up-level your average day. It happens when you create routines and habits that help you to automate things. The key is, consistency and remembering to do the things that get you closer to your goals.

3 Steps to Make Habits Stick

Step 1. Write out your ideal day-include everything you have to do, want to do and the things that get you closer to your goals.

Step 2. Write out 5 habits that could get you there

-For example: Habit #1 Killer Mourning Routine framework:  gratitude, bible, journaling, affirmations, to-do list (Get the free framework printable on www.micultivatebalance.com/tools

-Habit # 2 Morning pick up routine-scan the house for things that need to be picked up

-Habit #3 Workout

-Habit #4 Evening pick up routine-scan the house for things that need to be picked up

-Habit #5 Bedtime stretching and gratitude

Step 3. Set reminders or timers in your phone to make it happen, if it doesn't reflect in your schedule, you will forget!

Make sure you are using phone  as a tool. Using your calendar reminders is the key to making your habits stick.

Dave Ramsey says that he can tell what people value by looking at their bank account and their schedule. Scheduling in everything you do is the best way to remember to do things.

The hardest part of achieving your goals, keeping your resolutions or creating a new habit is consistency! Use these 3 steps to ensure that you have the best year yet.

Last year, I did a goals workshop. I left the commercial in this podcast episode but I am not planning on doing the goals workshop this year. If you want to talk about goals or are interested in future workshops email me and we can chat.

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

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#33 3 Ways to Reflect & Be Grateful This Holiday Season

It's been a long couple of years but there is still so much to be grateful for. Not that we are looking for toxic positivity but after the hardships have been processed and your feeling ready to look upwards this episode will help you to reflect and have more gratitude this holiday season.

BLOG POST: 3 Ways to Work Through and Gain Traction when you are in Crisis Mode: https://www.micultivatebalance.com/single-post/how-to-regain-traction-and-control-during-crisis

3 Ways to Reflect

1. Look at the growth-maybe this looks like the physical growth of your children, your garden, your livestock or maybe it's your personal growth, spiritual growth, growth in your relationships or elsewhere
2. Look at what you have been through, look at what your family has been through, look at what the world has been through
3. Look back and laugh-find a funny moment or two or find something that you got totally wrong. When the pandemic first started, I bet my friends that this would all be over by the first of June. . . 2020! I was a little off on that one! There are things we learned, things we got wrong and things to laugh at, and it's good to look back and remember those as funny.

3 Ways to Be More Grateful

1. Live in the moment, turn off your notifications and put down scrolling for the next week and I dare you. . . see what happens. We need to stop the comparison game. Last year, we hit pause, we simplified, settled in and enjoyed our immediate family and this year we are back at it. . . ask yourself, is that what I want?

1. Enjoy the traditions-Ask yourself, why do we do this? What do I love about this? Then enjoy every second of it.

Some of this may be a little late but whatever your holiday traditions are enjoy the simplicity of it. Enjoy the fact that every year even though the action is the same, so much has changed but we can still get back to a simpler time.

1. Do a brain dump of all the things you are grateful for this year -simply write out as many things as you can for 30 seconds. You can even make this a friendly competition with family or friends.

Lastly, if you sort of enjoy this gratitude thing, start a daily gratitude practice. This tricks your brain in two ways. Watch the how-to video HERE:

Next steps: vision board, goals or resolutions, plans for 2022

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

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Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

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***Trigger Warning for death by suicide, grief and loss

Ashley Kennedy and her husband Eric own a dairy farm outside of Bad Axe, Michigan. With have two young daughters and a whole lot on their plate, they have dealt with some insurmountable loss in the past several years. Ashley and I talk about the importance of having something to look forward to outside of the farm. We talk about balance and hobbies as it relates to healing and self-care.

We also talk about how to move forward with a recent loss this Christmas and Holiday season. Plus, how seeing a professional therapist feels like the best cry ever!

Topics Covered:

-What happens when you lose someone to suicide

-How having "no answers" is so hard

-What happens when you lose someone close to Christmas

-How to maintain routine with young kids while you grieve

-Grief and therapy

-Stages of grief myths

-Why taking medication can be a great tool

-The importance of hobbies and self-care for balance and inner work

We need you!!! Send us your weekly wins or funny things that happened on your farm or with your family at sarahz@micultivatebalance.com

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, post to Facebook or Instagram and tag me! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast to let us know your key takeaways.

Connect with Sarah Zastrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2295514594092240

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwingwrenchesmendingfences/

Website https://www.micultivatebalance.com/

https://www.throwingwrenchesmendingfences.com/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/micultivatebalance/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVcExxS1xgVghkfXQ7e

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMevsHpyW/

Connect with Ashely Kennedy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MessyKennedy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/messykennedy/

Blog: www.messykennedy.com