TransFARMation

Episode Description: Lake Benton, Minnesota farmer Bob Worth was a 'young gun' when he began farming 50 years ago until the farm crisis of the 1980s hit, taking its toll. As a result, he went into a severe case of depression. "It was so bad I didn't even care if I got out of bed. Even if harvest was there, I didn't care; it (the crop) could stay there." Bob's wife convinced him to go see a doctor. "I'm glad she did. The doctor put be on some medicine and diagnosed me with severe depression." As a past president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Bob has been vocal about his experience with depression. There are some similarities between the 1980s and the tough farm economy of today. Worth leaves listeners with this piece of advice. "Communication is so important, especially during times of stress." Hear more in the latest TransFARMation podcast.

Episode Description: Due the supply chain headaches, farmers are dealing with shortages of certain crop protection products, fertilizer and farm machinery parts. Farmer and crop consultant Curt Burns, who is based at Stewart, Minnesota, discusses the anxiety faced by growers this spring. When making a visit to his farm clients, Burns says the conversation nearly always turns to the angst and nervousness in production agriculture today. "You talk about this in the shop or the kitchen table and it is more like being a counselor than an agronomy person." Burns has practical advice in this edition of TransFARMation.

Episode Description: Drought is a reality for many farmers and ranchers this year. 90-year-old rancher C. Wayne Vance, who lives at Ray, North Dakota, has been through these conditions before. "In 1961 we were really dry and hardly raised a crop," says Vance. "Then 1962 came along and it did finally rain. There is still hope; it will rain one of these days." To still be ranching at 90, Vance certainly enjoys his job. His advice for young ranchers battling drought conditions is to keep your chin up. "It's been a tough year ever since COVID hit, but you have to keep going." Vance shares his story in the latest TransFARMation podcast.