Stop breaking Momma’s heart…deal with your entitlement issues

Stop breaking Momma’s heart…deal with your entitlement issues

As Mother’s Day arrives in this Great Pause of 2021, many of you are caught in the messy middle of family dynamics. Let’s jump in and start dealing with the issue of entitlement on your farm team.  I use the word “deal with entitlement”. It’s that Undiscussabull, the...
Valentine Validation of Farm Women and Beyond

Valentine Validation of Farm Women and Beyond

One of the side effects of being home-bound during the “Great Pause” is that I’ve become very fond of the predictable story arc of Hallmark movies. We have a bit of a game to see if the first kiss is within the last 15 minutes of the show. Farm marriages don’t need to...
Moving off the Farm: 5 Things for Farm Founders to Consider

Moving off the Farm: 5 Things for Farm Founders to Consider

A distraught middle-aged farm woman asks for advice on buying her daughter a farmhouse just down the road. This is a loaded question. When farm founders are considering how long they want to stay on the main farmyard, there can be lots of conflict and frustration. I...
Marriage on the Farm: 10 Tips to Keep the Sparks Alive

Marriage on the Farm: 10 Tips to Keep the Sparks Alive

Let your father know how much he means to you with a unique Father’s Day gift. Order a  copy of Elaine’s book Building Your Farm Legacy or get the audio version here. As the co-author of Farming’s In-Law Factor, I spent a year of Tuesdays researching, interviewing,...
Conflict Resolution: The Daughter-In-Law Barrier

Conflict Resolution: The Daughter-In-Law Barrier

Sometimes a short conversation lights a huge fire of controversy and this blog may create a few sparks. But please read carefully all the way to the end for key insights about conflict resolution in farm families. Conflict Resolution for Farm Families A farm family...