The stuff nobody talks about
But probably should
There's no right place to start.
Pick the one that sounds like your brain today.
Sustainable farming is a lie (I said it!)
You're doing everything right - cover crops, compost, regenerative practices. And you're exhausted and barely breaking even. Here's why 'sustainable farming' as we've defined it is incomplete (and what real sustainability actually requires).
The farm gets everything. You get the scraps.
Your health. Your relationships. Your joy. Your rest. They all get whatever the farm didn't consume first. Which most days is nothing. Here's why the math doesn't work, and what to do about it
You're doing this completely alone. And it's a lot.
There's no one to hand the problem to. The fence breaks and you fix it. The animal is sick and you make the call. You're a solo farmer - and that's a particular kind of hard that doesn't get talked about enough.
How do I take a day off from farming?
I used to think days off were for people with different lives than mine. Not farmers. If you're googling this at 10pm, I see you. Here's how to make rest possible. And how to actually do it.
Farming while caregiving: what nobody tells you about the middle years
You're managing doctor's appointments and harvest schedules. Medications and market prep. Your parents need you and your farm needs you and there's not enough of you to go around. You're not failing. The math just doesn't work.
The spoon theory for farmers: Why your energy is finite (and what to do about it)
Imagine you wake up every day with a limited number of spoons (units of energy). Every task costs spoons. When you're depleted, you might have 5 spoons for a day that demands 20. Here's what to do about it.
Your body is trying to tell you something
The headaches. The insomnia. The pain you've had so long you forgot what normal feels like. Your body is trying to tell you something. Are you listening?
What is farmer burnout (and what to do about it)
Farmer burnout is what happens when you've been running on empty for so long that your body, mind, and spirit start breaking down. Here's what it looks like, why it happens, and a clear path forward.
You are the most important asset on your farm
Without you, there is no farm. Your expertise, your vision, your leadership - none of it can be replaced. So why are you the last thing you take care of?
Why farming feels harder than it used to
When resources get scarce, your brain stops thinking about growth and starts focusing on survival. You're not broken. You're in survival mode. Here's how to recognize it and start climbing back out.
You’re the strong one and you’re exhausted by it
You're the one who holds it together. The one everyone comes to. The one who always figures it out. But who holds space for you? The strong one is exhausted.
What's your minimum baseline? (How to survive when everything feels like too much)
You started playing on hard mode without realizing it. When your capacity is reduced but your expectations haven't adjusted, you need a minimum baseline - the absolute least you can do to keep things running while you recover.