In the first of a two-part series on beginning farming, host Karen Endres sits down with Wisconsin Farm Center Ag Program Specialist Nikki Lennart to unpack what it really means to step into a family farm operation. They dig into the emotional weight of unspoken expectations, like being told "the farm will be yours someday" without anything ever being formalized. They talk candidly about legacy, guilt, and how to know if taking over the farm is truly the right choice. The conversation then shifts to the business side of succession: why beginning farmers need full visibility into the farm's financials, the risks of inheriting debt without a clear financial picture, and why a personal business plan matters even when nothing is changing. Nikki and Karen close with practical guidance for young farmers waiting on unresolved succession plans, and what families risk by putting off these conversations indefinitely. Part 2 will provide guidance to beginning farmers without a family land pathway.

Experiencing a challenge on the farm? Contact the Wisconsin Farm Center! With more than 100 years of collective agriculture experience, the Wisconsin Farm Center team offers free and confidential financial and transition planning services, conflict mediation, veterinary diagnostic analysis, and more. They can be reached at (800) 942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov.

More information on programs and services is available at https://farmcenter.wi.gov.

If you are experiencing increased stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or just need a welcoming ear to talk to, please contact the free and confidential 24/7 Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline at (888) 901-2558 for immediate support. In-person and tele-counseling sessions are also available by request.

Farm transition is an important topic take a listen to this earlier episode to learn some tips no matter where you and your farm are at in the process. Kevin Plante and Mark Schmitz help Wisconsin farmers navigate the process of transferring their farms to the next generation. Kevin works at the Wisconsin Farm Center as Farm Transition Advisor, and in this episode of our podcast, they offer some tips to farmers thinking about transition planning or already in the process. They connected with their colleague, Karen Endres, to discuss transition planning, how the Farm Center works with families, and what to do if the process isn’t moving forward.

Experiencing a challenge on the farm? Contact the Wisconsin Farm Center! With more than a hundred years of collective agriculture experience, the Wisconsin Farm Center team offers free and confidential financial and transition planning services, conflict mediation, veterinary diagnostic analysis, and more. They can be reached at 800-942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov. More information on programs and services is available at https://farmcenter.wi.gov.

If you are experiencing increased stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or just need a welcoming ear to talk to, please contact the free and confidential 24/7 Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline at 888-901-2558 for immediate support. In-person and tele-counseling sessions are also available by request.

Supporting the mental health of farmers and their families takes leadership, a vision, and action. Host Karen Endres from the Wisconsin Farm Center talks to Melissa Ploeckelman Brown, Outreach Specialist for the National Farm Medicine Center and the National Children's Center for Rural Agricultural Health and Safety. From her roots on a family dairy farm to her work spreading lifesaving mental health training like Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) Conversations and Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), Melissa shares how to recognize warning signs, start difficult conversations, and connect struggling farmers to support. She also previews the new Farm, Rescue, Education, Safety, and Health (FRESH) area at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, July 14-16, 2026 in Stratford, Wisconsin. This new area will be a hub for farm safety education, farmer mental health, free health screenings, and hands-on rescue demonstrations.

Experiencing a challenge on the farm? Contact the Wisconsin Farm Center! With more than 100 years of collective agriculture experience, the Wisconsin Farm Center team offers free and confidential financial and transition planning services, conflict mediation, veterinary diagnostic analysis, and more. They can be reached at (800) 942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov.

More information on programs and services is available at https://farmcenter.wi.gov.

If you are experiencing increased stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or just need a welcoming ear to talk to, please contact the free and confidential 24/7 Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline at (888) 901-2558 for immediate support. In-person and tele-counseling sessions are also available by request.

There are usually signs - your neighbor’s fields aren’t getting planted as usual, the equipment is sitting idle more than it should, or you haven’t seen them recently. You want to help but you don’t know how. In the final episode of our four-part series for May is Mental Health Month, host Karen Endres from the Wisconsin Farm Center discusses some tips on how you can help. We are a community, agriculture is hard, and we need each other.

Experiencing a challenge on the farm? Contact the Wisconsin Farm Center. With more than 100 years of collective agriculture experience, the Wisconsin Farm Center team offers free and confidential financial and transition planning services, conflict mediation, veterinary diagnostic analysis, and more. They can be reached at (800) 942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov. More information on programs and services is available at https://farmcenter.wi.gov.

If you are experiencing increased stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or just need a welcoming ear to talk to, please contact the free and confidential 24/7 Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline at (888) 901-2558 for immediate support. In-person and tele-counseling sessions are also available by request.

Time pressure is the number one stressor identified by Wisconsin farmers. The never-ending to do list is real and the weight of it can be overwhelming. In the third episode of our four-part series for May is Mental Health Month, host Karen Endres from the Wisconsin Farm Center discusses some strategies of tackling the to do list without burning out. The never ending to do list is part of farm life but it doesn’t have to steal your peace, your health, or your joy.

Experiencing a challenge on the farm? Contact the Wisconsin Farm Center. With more than 100 years of collective agriculture experience, the Wisconsin Farm Center team offers free and confidential financial and transition planning services, conflict mediation, veterinary diagnostic analysis, and more. They can be reached at (800) 942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov. More information on programs and services is available at https://farmcenter.wi.gov.

If you are experiencing increased stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or just need a welcoming ear to talk to, please contact the free and confidential 24/7 Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline at (888) 901-2558 for immediate support. In-person and tele-counseling sessions are also available by request.

The second episode of our four-part series for May is Mental Health Month focuses on talking to children when you or your farm are going through a hard time. Join host Karen Endres from the Wisconsin Farm Center as she discusses practical ways she has used to talk to her kids about challenging topics and what has worked at different ages. It’s important to protect our kids, but it is equally important to show them how to navigate hard times with honesty, security, love and the knowledge they aren’t alone.

Experiencing a challenge on the farm? Contact the Wisconsin Farm Center! With more than 100 years of collective agriculture experience, the Wisconsin Farm Center team offers free and confidential financial and transition planning services, conflict mediation, veterinary diagnostic analysis, and more. They can be reached at (800) 942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov. More information on programs and services is available at https://farmcenter.wi.gov.

If you are experiencing increased stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or just need a welcoming ear to talk to, please contact the free and confidential 24/7 Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline at (888) 901-2558 for immediate support. In-person and tele-counseling sessions are also available by request.

Spring is a busy time of year for those in agriculture. Taking the time to pause seems counterintuitive but in this first episode of our four-part series for May Is Mental Health Month, host Karen Endres from the Wisconsin Farm Center talks about the importance of taking a pause for your emotional and physical health. “You cannot serve your farm, your family, or your community well if you are running on fumes,” said Endres.

Experiencing a challenge on the farm? Contact the Wisconsin Farm Center. With more than 100 years of collective agriculture experience, the Wisconsin Farm Center team offers free and confidential financial and transition planning services, conflict mediation, veterinary diagnostic analysis, and more. They can be reached at (800) 942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov. More information on programs and services is available at https://farmcenter.wi.gov.

If you are experiencing increased stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or just need a welcoming ear to talk to, please contact the free and confidential 24/7 Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline at (888) 901-2558 for immediate support. In-person and tele-counseling sessions are also available by request.

Supporting the mental health of farmers and their families takes leadership, a vision and action. Host Karen Endres from the Wisconsin Farm Center talks to Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Randy Romanski about how he championed the creation of an innovative farmer mental health program and continues to advocate to farmers about the importance of reaching out and taking care of themselves.

Experiencing a challenge on the farm? Contact the Wisconsin Farm Center! With more than 100 years of collective agriculture experience, the Wisconsin Farm Center team offers free and confidential financial and transition planning services, conflict mediation, veterinary diagnostic analysis, and more. They can be reached at (800) 942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov. More information on programs and services is available at https://farmcenter.wi.gov.

If you are experiencing increased stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or just need a welcoming ear to talk to, please contact the free and confidential 24/7 Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline at (888) 901-2558 for immediate support. In-person and tele-counseling sessions are also available by request.