This week, Caite and Arlene interview Amanda Donlon from Froelich, Iowa, a tiny town tied to tractor inventor John Froelich and its Fall-der-all celebration. Amanda and her husband Lance raise three kids while farming corn and soybeans and running a diesel mechanic/dirt work/tire business, collaborating with nearby in-laws who farm separately but share labor and specialized skills.

Amanda describes shifting from a two-hour daily nursing commute to a work-from-home patient safety job with some travel, and how close family networks support childcare during planting and harvest. She reflects on her farm upbringing, on-farm hog butchering and homemade meats, parenting transitions, kids’ distinct personalities, benefits and challenges of raising children on a farm, and practical farm first-aid preparedness. In “cuss and discuss,” they share humorous family stories, discuss mental health resources and the importance of asking “Are you okay?”, and touch on a host’s adjustment to an 18-year-old leaving home.

We're glad you're joining us for another episode of Barnyard Language. If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend (or two) and be sure to rate and review us wherever you're listening! If you want to help us keep buying coffee and paying our editor, you can make a monthly pledge on Patreon to help us stay on the air.

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If you have a something you'd like to Cuss & Discuss, you can submit it here: speakpipe.com/barnyardlanguage or email us at [email protected].