November 27, 2025 • 13 mins
We share a Thanksgiving reflection on gratitude shaped by farm life, health after injury, and the strength of family. From solid yields to winter’s slower rhythm, we focus on what endures and how giving back turns abundance into action.
• thankful for family, kids who cook, and shared meals
• health after injury, journaling as recovery and clarity
• extended family traditions and the value of showing up
• solid but not record harvest, perspective on regional losses
• giving food and support to others during the holidays
• weather shift to early winter and greenhouse prep
• embracing seasonal rhythms, rest, and creative focus
• plans for more reading, journaling, and mindful goals
• gratitude for the podcast and future projects
• invitation to share what listeners are thankful for
Reach out to us at farmersgreatestasset@gmail.com. Find us on all of the socials and like and share at farmersgreatest asset. And remember, it is a good day to have a great day.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:15):
The Farmer's Greatest Asset Podcast.
We believe the Farm's GreatestAsset is the Farmer.
Their knowledge, experience,mind, and health.
(00:38):
Well, happy Thanksgiving podcastworld.
SPEAKER_00 (00:42):
Happy Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_01 (00:43):
Welcome to the podcast.
I'm Jesse.
SPEAKER_00 (00:45):
And I'm Dr.
Leah.
SPEAKER_01 (00:47):
Well, it is Thanksgiving today as this comes
out.
So here we are.
SPEAKER_00 (00:55):
What are we thankful for?
We're going to talk today aboutsome of the things that we are
thankful for on thisThanksgiving day.
SPEAKER_01 (01:06):
So what have you got?
SPEAKER_00 (01:09):
Well, I've we have lots of things to be thankful
for.
The first that I would say isI'm thankful for my family, you
and the kids.
We are ham and cheese.
SPEAKER_01 (01:26):
More animated movies coming out.
SPEAKER_00 (01:30):
I'm definitely thankful for you all.
As we are working on thispodcast, the girls are inside
baking, and Henry's been smokingmeats for the last couple of
days, and it's been wonderful.
SPEAKER_01 (01:47):
I am thankful that we have kids that can cook.
SPEAKER_00 (01:50):
And not just cook, but they are good cooks.
Like they are better than mostrestaurants.
SPEAKER_01 (02:00):
So it is hard for us to go out to a restaurant
anymore because first of all, wehave American Wagyu beef at
home.
SPEAKER_00 (02:08):
Right.
And then and we get even ourpork and our chicken and usually
eggs from local fresh stuff.
Yeah, we get them from farmerstoo.
So we have good protein sources.
And I also get fish shipped intoo.
So from Alaska.
(02:30):
So we have really good proteinsources.
Thankful for you and the kids.
Like such a big blessing to me.
SPEAKER_01 (02:40):
Well, thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (02:42):
I would say our health may actually be the
first.
I'm definitely thankful we areall healthy.
There are a lot of families thatare struggling through health
issues either personally or arelative is struggling through a
(03:02):
health scare or problem.
I am very thankful that we areall healthy right now.
SPEAKER_01 (03:10):
Yeah.
So that was gonna be the one bigthing that I talked about is
that uh we are healthy.
We are all still in very goodhealth.
Um, and for me in particular, Iwas reading my journal, which is
actually right here in my handthe other day.
So after I got hurt, I startedjournaling everything and I read
(03:33):
it and I walked into the houseand I just said, I love you to
you, and you kind of did adouble take.
Like, where is that coming from?
SPEAKER_00 (03:43):
Because I usually say it first and then you
respond.
SPEAKER_01 (03:49):
Point is is that I guess I don't really remember
what it was like or how I was orhow bad I was.
So reminiscing and rememberingthrough the journal, I I am
thankful that uh I am stillhere, and by the grace of God, I
am still here and that I amhealthy and walking.
SPEAKER_00 (04:14):
And I would say your strength and determination as
well.
SPEAKER_01 (04:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (04:18):
And knowing that you would be healthy.
SPEAKER_01 (04:22):
So also thankful for you and the kids, and that you
were able to care for me and putup with me.
SPEAKER_00 (04:30):
It was definitely a journey for all of us.
We all grew in our own ways.
And uh it's been over two yearsand it's been two and a half
years almost now.
And I I can see uh how it haschanged all of us for the
(04:50):
better.
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
So that being said, um, look for the blessing in
your family and be thankful thatyou still have a family, right?
Actually had a meeting withsomebody this morning and they
met at the shop and commented onthe farm.
I said, Well, this is where myparents live.
(05:11):
And he asked if they were stillaround, and I said, Yeah.
And he said, Well, be thankfulthey're still alive.
He said, I lost my dad a coupleyears ago and wish I could have
him back.
So thankful that all of ourparents are still here with us.
SPEAKER_00 (05:27):
Yeah.
And we have multiple family gettogethers to go to.
You know, I think of people wholive far away from their family
and they don't get to experiencethe holidays with them.
SPEAKER_01 (05:42):
Or don't have a family to go to.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (05:45):
Right.
You know, that's somethingthat's very foreign to us
because we've had such a hugeextended family that when only
50 people get together, it seemslike nobody showed up.
Like, where is everybody?
I think we're going to mom'stomorrow.
And I think there's only I don'teven think there's gonna be 50
people there.
(06:05):
It's gonna, well, I shouldn'tsay that because our family
alone is like 24.
So I'm sure I was thinking therewill be 35, but there will
probably be 50 people there.
And it'll feel like no oneshowed up.
So yeah, we are fortunate thatwe have a lot of extended family
(06:26):
as well.
So, like I I you talk to peoplewho they were an only child and
they have like one cousin ontheir mom's side of the family,
and maybe two or three cousinson their dad's side of the
family.
unknown (06:44):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (06:45):
So when they get together, if all of them show
up, it's like less than me withmy brothers and sisters and my
mom and dad.
Like I can't I can't evenimagine.
SPEAKER_01 (06:57):
We'll talk to some people and they'll talk about
their cousins, and they may meansecond third cousins.
And to us, that's foreignbecause you and I both grew up
in very large families.
SPEAKER_00 (07:07):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (07:08):
So I have second and third cousins.
I have no idea who they are,probably.
SPEAKER_00 (07:14):
But or you just don't really count them because
we have so many first cousins.
SPEAKER_01 (07:17):
First cousins, right?
SPEAKER_00 (07:19):
So yeah, I that would be another thing that I'm
thankful for as well.
Our extended families.
Really, the only like Joe andMandy don't come home.
My brother and sister-in-lawdon't come home for
Thanksgiving, but they come homefor the rest of the holidays.
And Jay out in Seattle,unfortunately, our That's a long
(07:42):
way, so it's hard to come back.
Yeah, it's hard to come home forholidays and spend holidays and
but happy Thanksgiving, guys.
SPEAKER_01 (07:51):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Happy Thanksgiving to everybodyout there.
Um and just look for theblessings every day.
We say that all the time, butmore so now.
Just enjoy your Thanksgivingfeast.
Don't eat too much.
Enjoy a little football.
Three good games on.
SPEAKER_00 (08:13):
I am thankful for our farm.
I'm thankful we get a farm onemore year.
And I'm thankful for theabundance of our yield this year
because I know there are areasin Iowa that really suffered.
And not that it was like thebiggest year we've ever had.
SPEAKER_01 (08:36):
No.
SPEAKER_00 (08:37):
But we still had a good yield.
So I'm very thankful for that.
And I'm thankful that you get togo out and do what you love
every day.
SPEAKER_01 (08:52):
I am too.
We had a a Zoom call withsomebody the other day.
They were working on a project,and you can speak to it as well.
But when we get to do what we doand provide food and good,
healthy, wholesome food forothers, that's that is a good
feeling.
But when you can give tosomebody, especially around the
(09:15):
holidays, I am thankful that weare able to do that.
We have the means to do that.
Um that is a good feeling to beable to do that.
And I'm just thankful that weget to do that and help others.
And that goes back to we get tofarm one more year.
SPEAKER_00 (09:34):
Exciting new ventures.
SPEAKER_01 (09:37):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:38):
Yeah.
I'm I'm thankful for thepodcast.
I think that it has beendefinitely a journey since
March.
And it's nice to put out whatwe're doing, educating, helping
others as much as we possiblycan.
And I'm really excited on what'sgoing to be coming here in the
(10:02):
future.
SPEAKER_01 (10:02):
Big thanks.
SPEAKER_00 (10:04):
Big thanks.
I wanted to say I was thankfulfor the weather until because
it'd been so nice outside untilyou know it changed.
And now it looks like it'sgoing, we are getting winter
early.
And I was really trusting thatwe were gonna have a 50-degree
(10:26):
December.
SPEAKER_01 (10:30):
It's the Midwest, it's going to change.
SPEAKER_00 (10:34):
That's good.
My greenhouse isn't ready to beput away for winter yet.
So just lots of that kind ofthing that I would still like to
get done.
So as soon as I can in March, Ican start putting things in the
ground.
So I'd like to be ready forthat.
You know, Mother Nature, shedoes what she does.
(10:58):
Yeah.
The cycles of nature are in therhythms of nature or how we are
meant to live.
So it isn't a bad thing to restand relax and enjoy the holiday.
And we talked last week, and Ithink that's become really the
number one thing that I want todo over the next six weeks is
(11:23):
enjoy time with my family andjust relax and create.
Those are the two things that Ireally want to focus on through
the end of the year.
What about you, babe?
SPEAKER_01 (11:38):
What do I want to focus on?
SPEAKER_00 (11:40):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (11:41):
Um, kind of like I said last week, more journaling
and reading.
Um, because in the journaling,it kind of helps me turn inward
on myself and work on myself,being a better person in
general.
So like I said, I was readingthrough my journal the other
day, and I need to get back tothat.
SPEAKER_00 (12:04):
Well, I think winter is kind of a magical time for
farmers and farming familiesbecause you know, we still have
livestock, and you have to goout and get that, get the chores
done, but it's not as much pushand grind, at least in the
Midwest.
(12:25):
Um, the really cold days can bebrutal, but that's a lot of push
and grind.
It is a lot of push and grind.
And it's cold and snowy and butit's not like spring and fall
and hay season in the summer andthe push of row crap, sure.
(12:45):
It feels more like there's timeto step back and turn more
inward, like you said, andreflect on truth and what's
important to you and what youwould really like to focus on.
I'm thankful for this time.
Usually I head into theseshorter days and I'm like
(13:05):
dreading the shortness of thedays and dreading winter.
But this year I'm very thankfulfor our seasons and really
trying to become in tune withthem.
SPEAKER_01 (13:20):
You've changed your mindset and you're taking
advantage of the season.
SPEAKER_00 (13:26):
Yeah.
So I think that's those are thethings that I've been I'm really
thankful for.
So we'd love to hear what youall are thankful for.
If you would like, reach out tous at our email at
farmersgreatestasset atgmail.com.
SPEAKER_01 (13:44):
Find us on all of the socials and like and share.
SPEAKER_00 (13:48):
At farmersgreatest asset.
SPEAKER_01 (13:50):
And remember, it is a good day.
SPEAKER_00 (13:54):
To have a great day.
Bye.
The Farmer's Greatest Asset Podcast.
We believe the Farm's GreatestAsset is the Farmer.
Their knowledge, experience,mind, and health.
(00:38):
Well, happy Thanksgiving podcastworld.
SPEAKER_00 (00:42):
Happy Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_01 (00:43):
Welcome to the podcast.
I'm Jesse.
SPEAKER_00 (00:45):
And I'm Dr.
Leah.
SPEAKER_01 (00:47):
Well, it is Thanksgiving today as this comes
out.
So here we are.
SPEAKER_00 (00:55):
What are we thankful for?
We're going to talk today aboutsome of the things that we are
thankful for on thisThanksgiving day.
SPEAKER_01 (01:06):
So what have you got?
SPEAKER_00 (01:09):
Well, I've we have lots of things to be thankful
for.
The first that I would say isI'm thankful for my family, you
and the kids.
We are ham and cheese.
SPEAKER_01 (01:26):
More animated movies coming out.
SPEAKER_00 (01:30):
I'm definitely thankful for you all.
As we are working on thispodcast, the girls are inside
baking, and Henry's been smokingmeats for the last couple of
days, and it's been wonderful.
SPEAKER_01 (01:47):
I am thankful that we have kids that can cook.
SPEAKER_00 (01:50):
And not just cook, but they are good cooks.
Like they are better than mostrestaurants.
SPEAKER_01 (02:00):
So it is hard for us to go out to a restaurant
anymore because first of all, wehave American Wagyu beef at
home.
SPEAKER_00 (02:08):
Right.
And then and we get even ourpork and our chicken and usually
eggs from local fresh stuff.
Yeah, we get them from farmerstoo.
So we have good protein sources.
And I also get fish shipped intoo.
So from Alaska.
(02:30):
So we have really good proteinsources.
Thankful for you and the kids.
Like such a big blessing to me.
SPEAKER_01 (02:40):
Well, thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (02:42):
I would say our health may actually be the
first.
I'm definitely thankful we areall healthy.
There are a lot of families thatare struggling through health
issues either personally or arelative is struggling through a
(03:02):
health scare or problem.
I am very thankful that we areall healthy right now.
SPEAKER_01 (03:10):
Yeah.
So that was gonna be the one bigthing that I talked about is
that uh we are healthy.
We are all still in very goodhealth.
Um, and for me in particular, Iwas reading my journal, which is
actually right here in my handthe other day.
So after I got hurt, I startedjournaling everything and I read
(03:33):
it and I walked into the houseand I just said, I love you to
you, and you kind of did adouble take.
Like, where is that coming from?
SPEAKER_00 (03:43):
Because I usually say it first and then you
respond.
SPEAKER_01 (03:49):
Point is is that I guess I don't really remember
what it was like or how I was orhow bad I was.
So reminiscing and rememberingthrough the journal, I I am
thankful that uh I am stillhere, and by the grace of God, I
am still here and that I amhealthy and walking.
SPEAKER_00 (04:14):
And I would say your strength and determination as
well.
SPEAKER_01 (04:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (04:18):
And knowing that you would be healthy.
SPEAKER_01 (04:22):
So also thankful for you and the kids, and that you
were able to care for me and putup with me.
SPEAKER_00 (04:30):
It was definitely a journey for all of us.
We all grew in our own ways.
And uh it's been over two yearsand it's been two and a half
years almost now.
And I I can see uh how it haschanged all of us for the
(04:50):
better.
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
So that being said, um, look for the blessing in
your family and be thankful thatyou still have a family, right?
Actually had a meeting withsomebody this morning and they
met at the shop and commented onthe farm.
I said, Well, this is where myparents live.
(05:11):
And he asked if they were stillaround, and I said, Yeah.
And he said, Well, be thankfulthey're still alive.
He said, I lost my dad a coupleyears ago and wish I could have
him back.
So thankful that all of ourparents are still here with us.
SPEAKER_00 (05:27):
Yeah.
And we have multiple family gettogethers to go to.
You know, I think of people wholive far away from their family
and they don't get to experiencethe holidays with them.
SPEAKER_01 (05:42):
Or don't have a family to go to.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (05:45):
Right.
You know, that's somethingthat's very foreign to us
because we've had such a hugeextended family that when only
50 people get together, it seemslike nobody showed up.
Like, where is everybody?
I think we're going to mom'stomorrow.
And I think there's only I don'teven think there's gonna be 50
people there.
(06:05):
It's gonna, well, I shouldn'tsay that because our family
alone is like 24.
So I'm sure I was thinking therewill be 35, but there will
probably be 50 people there.
And it'll feel like no oneshowed up.
So yeah, we are fortunate thatwe have a lot of extended family
(06:26):
as well.
So, like I I you talk to peoplewho they were an only child and
they have like one cousin ontheir mom's side of the family,
and maybe two or three cousinson their dad's side of the
family.
unknown (06:44):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (06:45):
So when they get together, if all of them show
up, it's like less than me withmy brothers and sisters and my
mom and dad.
Like I can't I can't evenimagine.
SPEAKER_01 (06:57):
We'll talk to some people and they'll talk about
their cousins, and they may meansecond third cousins.
And to us, that's foreignbecause you and I both grew up
in very large families.
SPEAKER_00 (07:07):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (07:08):
So I have second and third cousins.
I have no idea who they are,probably.
SPEAKER_00 (07:14):
But or you just don't really count them because
we have so many first cousins.
SPEAKER_01 (07:17):
First cousins, right?
SPEAKER_00 (07:19):
So yeah, I that would be another thing that I'm
thankful for as well.
Our extended families.
Really, the only like Joe andMandy don't come home.
My brother and sister-in-lawdon't come home for
Thanksgiving, but they come homefor the rest of the holidays.
And Jay out in Seattle,unfortunately, our That's a long
(07:42):
way, so it's hard to come back.
Yeah, it's hard to come home forholidays and spend holidays and
but happy Thanksgiving, guys.
SPEAKER_01 (07:51):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Happy Thanksgiving to everybodyout there.
Um and just look for theblessings every day.
We say that all the time, butmore so now.
Just enjoy your Thanksgivingfeast.
Don't eat too much.
Enjoy a little football.
Three good games on.
SPEAKER_00 (08:13):
I am thankful for our farm.
I'm thankful we get a farm onemore year.
And I'm thankful for theabundance of our yield this year
because I know there are areasin Iowa that really suffered.
And not that it was like thebiggest year we've ever had.
SPEAKER_01 (08:36):
No.
SPEAKER_00 (08:37):
But we still had a good yield.
So I'm very thankful for that.
And I'm thankful that you get togo out and do what you love
every day.
SPEAKER_01 (08:52):
I am too.
We had a a Zoom call withsomebody the other day.
They were working on a project,and you can speak to it as well.
But when we get to do what we doand provide food and good,
healthy, wholesome food forothers, that's that is a good
feeling.
But when you can give tosomebody, especially around the
(09:15):
holidays, I am thankful that weare able to do that.
We have the means to do that.
Um that is a good feeling to beable to do that.
And I'm just thankful that weget to do that and help others.
And that goes back to we get tofarm one more year.
SPEAKER_00 (09:34):
Exciting new ventures.
SPEAKER_01 (09:37):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:38):
Yeah.
I'm I'm thankful for thepodcast.
I think that it has beendefinitely a journey since
March.
And it's nice to put out whatwe're doing, educating, helping
others as much as we possiblycan.
And I'm really excited on what'sgoing to be coming here in the
(10:02):
future.
SPEAKER_01 (10:02):
Big thanks.
SPEAKER_00 (10:04):
Big thanks.
I wanted to say I was thankfulfor the weather until because
it'd been so nice outside untilyou know it changed.
And now it looks like it'sgoing, we are getting winter
early.
And I was really trusting thatwe were gonna have a 50-degree
(10:26):
December.
SPEAKER_01 (10:30):
It's the Midwest, it's going to change.
SPEAKER_00 (10:34):
That's good.
My greenhouse isn't ready to beput away for winter yet.
So just lots of that kind ofthing that I would still like to
get done.
So as soon as I can in March, Ican start putting things in the
ground.
So I'd like to be ready forthat.
You know, Mother Nature, shedoes what she does.
(10:58):
Yeah.
The cycles of nature are in therhythms of nature or how we are
meant to live.
So it isn't a bad thing to restand relax and enjoy the holiday.
And we talked last week, and Ithink that's become really the
number one thing that I want todo over the next six weeks is
(11:23):
enjoy time with my family andjust relax and create.
Those are the two things that Ireally want to focus on through
the end of the year.
What about you, babe?
SPEAKER_01 (11:38):
What do I want to focus on?
SPEAKER_00 (11:40):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (11:41):
Um, kind of like I said last week, more journaling
and reading.
Um, because in the journaling,it kind of helps me turn inward
on myself and work on myself,being a better person in
general.
So like I said, I was readingthrough my journal the other
day, and I need to get back tothat.
SPEAKER_00 (12:04):
Well, I think winter is kind of a magical time for
farmers and farming familiesbecause you know, we still have
livestock, and you have to goout and get that, get the chores
done, but it's not as much pushand grind, at least in the
Midwest.
(12:25):
Um, the really cold days can bebrutal, but that's a lot of push
and grind.
It is a lot of push and grind.
And it's cold and snowy and butit's not like spring and fall
and hay season in the summer andthe push of row crap, sure.
(12:45):
It feels more like there's timeto step back and turn more
inward, like you said, andreflect on truth and what's
important to you and what youwould really like to focus on.
I'm thankful for this time.
Usually I head into theseshorter days and I'm like
(13:05):
dreading the shortness of thedays and dreading winter.
But this year I'm very thankfulfor our seasons and really
trying to become in tune withthem.
SPEAKER_01 (13:20):
You've changed your mindset and you're taking
advantage of the season.
SPEAKER_00 (13:26):
Yeah.
So I think that's those are thethings that I've been I'm really
thankful for.
So we'd love to hear what youall are thankful for.
If you would like, reach out tous at our email at
farmersgreatestasset atgmail.com.
SPEAKER_01 (13:44):
Find us on all of the socials and like and share.
SPEAKER_00 (13:48):
At farmersgreatest asset.
SPEAKER_01 (13:50):
And remember, it is a good day.
SPEAKER_00 (13:54):
To have a great day.
Bye.
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