Ask the herd.

    Every woman in agriculture carries wisdom—earned in the barn, the books, the branding pen, and the quiet moments no one else sees. Ask the Herd is your place to bring the questions you’ve been chewing on, whether they’re about calving, business, burnout, boundaries, relationships, or the beautiful chaos of rural life.

    Post your questions here and each month we will answer them in the Branding Pot newsletter, masterclasses and networking events. 

    This community was built so you don’t have to figure everything out alone. Submit your question below, and we’ll gather around it together in the next issue of The Branding Pot newsletter. Some answers will come from me, some from other women in the community, and some from the collective lived experience of rural women who get it.

    You can include your name, or keep your question completely anonymous—whatever feels right for you. No judgment. No silly questions. Just honest conversation, shared wisdom, and the kind of support you can only find when women gather ’round the pot.
    ​
    What’s on your mind? Ask the Herd.

Holler back, herd. 

​These are the questions women in our community are asking right now. Click below to share your wisdom, experience, or advice.
Responses are 100% anonymous. 
We'll share the answers with subscribers. 

Archives

  • Procrastination (I got this response like 50 times!) 
  • Putting my priorities last
  • Over-extending myself 
  • Self doubt/ uncertainty 
  • Underselling myself 
  • Undervaluing ourselves 
  • Workings all the time 
  • Putting up boundaries (or lack thereof) 
  • People please is my name. Overcommitting is my game. 
  • Putting off work emails and office work
  • Yes! It benefits your mental health to work away from the farm (from a teacher who loves it) 
  • Depends. What are your goals? Do you love it? 
  • Yes because mom needs a life outside of momming and running a farm! 
  • What does the off farm job make and how much are you willing to pay hired help? 
  • Depends if you're doing it for benefits or sanity 
  • No, not unless the wife really wants it 
  • Pros of off-farm work: diversified risk, predictable hours, stable income. change of scenery= mental health break, your own IDENTITY
    Cons: less flexibility when you need it, mental load overload, GUILT, less time together, childcare expenses
  • Will the hired man do the tasks up to your standards? Maybe he'll be better. Maybe he won't. 
  • I'm really smart and really good at business tech. I'm proud of the things I've taught myself to do. 
  • Getting through 9 years of drought
  • Balancing a M-F director position, cow herd data management and a DTC beef enterprise!
  • Being part of an amazing team at an women owned company in a male dominated industry 
  • The mother I am 
  • Sticking with my job when shit hits the fan and the shm life looks so good! 
  • How good of a mom I am 
  • That I can do hard things. I figure out most problems on my own. The Queen of Jimmyrigging! 
  • How my 4 girls ages 16-22 can calve out cows better than any local farm boys! 
  • How much I constantly juggle 
  • You don't get to have a manual for anyone but yourself
  • Don't say anything you wouldn't say to an employer 
  • Don't ask me- I'm divorced from my ex's farm family and pursuing my own family's farm 
  • Taking time to spend with just your family- breaks are A-OK for everyone
  • Communication! 
  • Prayers
  • Bury them out in the pasture... 
  • Find a person to vent to that has nothing to do with the family 
  • Boundaries!
  • Succession planning 
  • Move far away from the in-laws 
  • Live an hour away form your in-laws
  • Pick your battles and remember you're all in this together 
  • Monthly or quarterly house cleaner
  • Car detailing at the airport
  • Branding meals
  • Cistern water delivery
  • Garbage pick up
  • Meal prep
  • Kids bake sale items- just buy them
  • Data entry for accounting, herd management, logistics, inventory
  • Bull catalogues
  • Daycare
  • Homeschooling
  • Farm grant applications
  • Click & Collect groceries
  • Lawn cutting/ tree watering
  • Hired hands at calving & seeding
  • Not outsourcing, but just paying the reimbursable volunteer fee instead of going to 26827 required kids activities where there are 234 parents already standing around “volunteering"
  • Take on another project I don't have time for
  • Stress baking
  • Running with a ragey playlist
  • Murder podcasts on repeat
  • Box of Dairymilk chocolate bars on Amazon autoship
  • Tears in the shower
  • A good purge Nothing is safe when mom is power walking with a garbage bag
  • Rage clean
  • Mario Kart- tossing stuff
  • Rage scream + kicking buckets
  • Tears + Homesense buys
  • Leave the farm for hours
  • Ignoring it & going for a pedicure
  • Make your own Excel spreadsheets
  • Quickbooks
  • FCC AgExpert 

Nobody was thrilled with their system. Ladies, I think there is a big business opportunity here for one of you to build *the* farm book keeping system and sell it! 
  • I think if they're sitting glued to the tv or ipad all day but to get some shit done for yourself... the limit does not exist! lol 
  • Depends... A movies is wonderful as it needs concentration. 
  • 30 mins- 6yo, 1 hr-10+ yr old. TV mostly only on weekends, 3 hours max. Lock it all in safe when off. 
  • We make sure to do low stim shows and mostly movies- when you need it, you need it!
  • Road trips= free for all in the vehicle
  • Weekend, movie or bed time show 
  • No screen time on weekdays unless necessary to complete farm tasks 
  • None on weekdays. 1-3 hrs on weekend so I can sleep.
  • Whatever works! 
  • 0-30 mins per day (for 2 & 4 yr old) but tough days are 1-1.5 hrs
  • 3 hrs 
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