Pivot Points

Statewide and National Civic Engagement as a farmer with Jack Hedin and Bill Pluecker

Jack Hedin [https://www.jackhedin.com/] of Featherstone Farm [https://www.featherstonefarm.com/] and Maine State Representative Bill Pluecker [https://legislature.maine.gov/representative-bill-pluecker] of Begin Again Farm [https://beginagainfarm.com/] share how their decades of civic engagement grew directly out of their identities as farmers and their desire to shape the policies that affect rural communities. Both farmers are candid about the real costs of that engagement, whether it's nearly losing a carrot crop while advocating in Washington or scaling a farm down from $120K to $10K in gross sales to make room for legislative work. From practical first steps like calling your rep's agriculture staffer to big wins like Maine's first-in-the-nation ban on sludge application, this episode showcases how farmers can play both the inside and outside game of civic power.

Local Civic Engagement as a farmer with Janaki Fisher-Merritt and Kat Becker

Organic farmers Kat Becker of Cattail Organics [https://cattailorganics.com/] and Janaki Fisher-Merritt of Food Farm [https://foodfarmcsa.com/] share how stepping out of their fields and into civic life — from school boards to food pantries — has made them better farmers and more grounded community members. Both farmers reflect on how structured volunteer commitments create the "hard stops" that farming rarely provides on its own, helping them reclaim balance without sacrificing their drive to contribute. Whether you're feeling the urge to get involved in your community, or simply curious about what civic engagement looks like in rural America, this conversation will leave you rethinking where your skills could make a difference beyond the farm gate. This episode is made possible by the support of the Wisconsin Farmers Union [https://www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com/]

Preview: Farmer Civic Engagement Special

Coming Soon! Farmers share their experiences with civic engagement — from building deeper community connections at the local level to influencing agricultural policy in state and national legislative chambers. Tune in for this special two-episode series of Pivot Points, featuring Janaki Fisher-Merritt, Kat Becker, Jack Hedin, and Bill Pluecker. Hosted by Dan Fillius, with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and Sarah Janes Ugoretz, of Dane County Extension and FairShare CSA Coalition.

Season 1 Wrap Up

Have ideas for future guests? Want to sponsor or support future seasons? Reach out: fillius at iastate.edu or sarah.janesugoretz at wisc.edu In this episode, hosts Dan Fillius and Sarah Janes Ugoretz reflect on the first season of conversations with vegetable farmers about big changes. Key themes include: * Redefining success * Recognizing that change requires courage (and shouldn't be seen as failure) * And challenging the unhealthy cultural expectation that farmers must sacrifice their physical and mental health to be "real" farmers. The hosts emphasize how making strategic pivots can lead to more joy, better work-life balance, and opportunities to pursue other passions.

Jordan Scheibel of Middle Way Farm and Adam Montri of Ten Hens Farm on Focusing on Family and Personal Life

Jordan Scheibel of Middle Way Farm [https://www.middlewayfarm.com/] in Iowa, and Adam Montri of Ten Hens Farm in Michigan, speak about stepping away from full-time farming to prioritize other life goals. Both farmers candidly discuss the mounting challenges—from labor management and financial stress to social isolation—that led them to reassess whether their operations were truly sustainable or worth the personal cost. The conversation explores how giving yourself permission to change course can open up new possibilities, challenging the cultural expectations around what it means to be a "legitimate" farmer and offering hope that scaling back or exiting doesn't mean failure. This episode was sponsored by Practical Farmers of Iowa [https://practicalfarmers.org/]. Practical Farmers of Iowa equips farmers to build resilient farms and communities. PFI's farmer-led programming brings farmer's stories to other farmers so they can learn from each other, which is also what we're trying to do here at Pivot Points.