Welcome to Season 3 of the Farm Family Harmony Podcast with Elaine Froese and guests! In this season’s opening episode, Elaine connects with midwestern farm wife and mom from Northern Illinois, Mary Pat Sass. Prepare yourself for some awesome ag insight!
Mary shares how she balances her many roles on the farm with motherhood and marriage, getting clear on what she wanted her life to look like, and how counseling, coaching, date nights, and babysitters have all helped her in creating that life.
“…I learned really quickly [that] boundaries are important. And yes, I want to be involved. But if my boundaries affect the business, then maybe I need to check what I can do and what I can be involved with, for the good of everybody.” – Mary Pat Sass
Elaine Froese Resources & Links
- SPEAKING – book Elaine for your next event
- COACHING – find your Farm Transition Coach
- MEMBERSHIP – become at Farm Family Harmony Member
- RESOURCES – download for FREE
- CONTACT – take the next steps in your transition
About Our Guest
Mary Pat Sass (MP) is a farm wife and mom from Northern Illinois. MP worked in agriculture technology but chose to leave her corporate career to stay home and focus on raising her kids. She didn’t intend to be involved operationally on the family farm but realized quickly it was something she wanted.
Also, an entrepreneur, MP is the founder of a small business called Grounded Journals – prompted journals and memoirs specifically created for farm and ranch families to keep their memories alive.
She shares her farming story on social media and focuses on connecting with other farm women, hoping to inspire them to find the roles that fill their cups.
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Timestamps
[0:01:49] How Mary’s role on the farm evolved, from scouting to motherhood
[0:03:47] Finding flexible ways to stay involved with operations while mothering
[0:04:23] Elaine’s shares a story of her own struggles of parenting while farming
[0:05:11] Childcare strategies and keeping kids safe on the farm
[0:06:05] Drop-in style childcare, and dividing and conquering with Josh (Mary’s husband)
[0:07:35] A new season of life and the importance of boundaries
[0:08:59] How the roles of Mary’s mother and father-in-law have changed
[0:11:24] Impacts of over-committing and getting clear on what Mary wanted her life to look like
[0:12:36] Staying organized, keeping the marriage healthy, and the decision to take Sundays off
[0:15:40] Mutual respect, feeling valued, and asking for what you need
[0:17:08] Getting counseling as personal investment for growth
[0:18:35] Elaine’s big epiphany and how therapy is getting destigmatized
[0:20:26] Date nights, babysitters, and bartering with childcare
[0:22:21] Permission to ask for what you need
[0:22:59] Dealing with burnout, anxiety, and overwhelm
[0:26:28] The biggest challenges women in ag face in finding their place on the farm today
[0:29:34] Realizing they couldn’t do it on their own and how coaching helped
[0:33:29] Connecting with Mary via Instagram and her podcast Beyond The Crops
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