Description

Do you know a farm family?  The vast majority of agriculture businesses are family-owned.  Our guest, Jolene Brown, consults with hundreds of farm families each year and shares the stresses and delights of farming.

Jolene Brown is a real "Farmer Brown." From Eastern Iowa, she's an internationally known professional speaker in agriculture. Jolene is a long-time friend of Michele and Eliz, who can attest that Jolene is fun and funny, insightful, and authentic in her presentations.  Her consultations in family business earned her the reputation as the "Dr. Phil of Agriculture." In this episode, she's shares experience, insight, and tools to help make a good family business even better.

Key points:

People in agriculture live in uncertainty all of the time:

• Weather, global markets, government pressures
• Farm families learn to be resilient
• Farmers critical to the economy of rural communities

COVID-19 has added more uncertainty

• Significant economic and mental health impact
• Working 24 hours per day and still being in the red
• Not making a profit on products - Food had been dumped rather than sold
• Trade being questionable

When uncertainty increases, people look for something to control

• Suicides have increased in Ag
• Farmers are handing on to assets and delaying decisions about succession
• Senior generations need to feel financially secure before handing over the reins

Family farm businesses are complicated

• 95 - 98% of all agriculture businesses are family-owned but incorporated to address liability, asset protection, and tax issues
• Farmers are good people who want to do what's right
• Farmers are dedicated to providing safe, abundant, and compensated food to the world
• Farming gives us national security
• Gratitude goes a long way

Three tips to overcome food bullying:

• Know yourself and what you are willing to do
• Have good resources, be a good neighbor and check in with farm families
• Be a student and listen

Links:

Jolene Brown website: jolenebrown.com

Facebook: facebook.com/jolene.brown.cspcpae

Twitter: twitter.com/jolenebrowncsp

Food Bullying with  Michele Payn: http://foodbullying.com

Embrace Your Heart with Eliz Greene: http://www.embraceyourheart.com/

Food Bullying Podcast's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/foodbullyingpodcast