Finding Peace in the Chaos of Farming

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Farming demands everything from you—physical toil, mental acuity, and emotional resilience. It tests you in ways most people never experience. Think about it: whether you raise plants or animals, you regularly face the cycle of life and death, sometimes by your own hand, other times by circumstances beyond your control.

The emotional roller coaster of farming can be overwhelming. While there's plenty of advice about taking vacations and days off to manage stress, I want to share something more fundamental: the art of finding balance in your daily routine through what my buddy Troy and I call "Linger Grazing."

 

What is Linger Grazing?

Linger Grazing is about building moments of mindful observation into your daily farming routine. Stop what you’re doing, notice the little things and how they affect the big things. Then use that information to optimize for happiness.

While I'm sharing this technique from a farmer's perspective, you can use these principles with any profession or lifestyle.

 

Four Steps to Mastering Linger Grazing

1. Start with a Written Plan

Before you can appreciate the moment, you need direction. Without a plan to measure your efforts against, you'll find yourself lost in endless toil with unmeasurable outcomes. Take a moment to ask yourself:

  • Why are you working?

  • What are you trying to accomplish?

  • Who benefits from your efforts?

Written plans do not have to be complicated. In fact, it’s often better if they are simple and straightforward. The key is to write it down. “The faintest ink is better than the sharpest memory.”

 

2. Execute with Purpose

As entrepreneurs and farmers, we're doers by nature. When you make a plan, act on it promptly—don't let it gather dust with other unrealized ideas.

If I had to choose, I'd choose a swiftly executed plan over a perfectly designed but unused one any day. You can make the spreadsheet or paper say anything you want. It’s not until you start taking action that you find out how realistic your plan is.

 

3. Practice the Art of Lingering

This is where the magic happens. Find moments throughout your day to:

Observe the Details:

  • After the chores are done, sit on a bucket and notice your surroundings

  • Listen for the rhythm of your farm—the electric fence's pulse, the animals' movements

  • Check critical systems like water access and grazing conditions

  • Notice the little things

Connect the Dots:

  • Consider how small details impact your larger operation

  • Recognize that stressed animals mean reduced productivity

  • Understand how "free" solar-grown forage equals better profit margins

Practice Gratitude:

  • Acknowledge your blessings, both big and small

  • Find joy in nature's symphony—the sound of cattle grazing, pigs grunting contentedly, wind rustling through trees

  • Marvel at simple wonders like morning dew on a spider's web

  • Take photos of the moments you are grateful for so that you may share them with others

  • With gratitude, optimism is sustainable.

 

4. Optimize for Happiness

The ultimate goal of Linger Grazing is creating a more fulfilling farming experience. When you notice the little things and understand their broader impact, you can make adjustments that benefit everyone.

  • Happy animals stay within fences; hungry ones break out

    • Do your animals have enough to eat?

  • Thriving ecosystems start with healthy soils

    • Are you moving your animals and building soils? Or keeping them stationary?

  • Contented farmers make better decisions

    • Are you happy living this life? What would you change for the better?

  • Satisfied customers support sustainable operations

    • Are you serving your customers properly? Are you telling your story?

Like ripples in a pond, small acts of kindness—when done consistently and with purpose—can create waves of lasting change.

 

The Ripple Effect

By incorporating Linger Grazing into your daily routine, you're not just becoming a better farmer—you're cultivating a more balanced, appreciative approach to life. These moments of mindful observation and gratitude help counter the intense challenges of farming while reminding us why we chose this path in the first place.

When you optimize for happiness—in your soil, your animals, your practice, and yourself—you create a positive cycle that benefits everyone connected to your farm. That's the true power of Linger Grazing: transforming necessary observation into opportunities for gratitude and growth.

You may just find that you enjoy it as well.