How can I talk about something really hard - and get people to listen?

Listening & Lived Experience with Emma Jones, Dairy Farmer.

Emma Jones is, above all, a Cheshire dairy farmer. Working on her family farm, she experiences first-hand both the rewards and the realities of modern farming, giving her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by rural communities. On this episode we have a lovely chat about how life works, the power of listening and the immense value of all of our lived experience. Alongside her farming work, Emma is a dedicated advocate for mental wellbeing in agriculture. She volunteers with Shout [https://www.themix.org.uk/get-support/text-shout/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], a text-based mental health support service, and Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy [https://www.agchap.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], which provides practical, emotional, and pastoral support to farming families. Through these roles, she helps ensure that people in rural areas have access to the support they need, particularly during difficult times. Emma is especially passionate about the intersection of farming, mental health, and inclusivity. She champions the idea that agriculture should be a place where everyone feels valued, supported, and able to thrive. Through her writing on Facebook and LinkedIn, Emma offers honest, insightful reflections on farming life, rural communities, and wellbeing. Her posts combine practical experience with warmth and authenticity, making them both thought-provoking and relatable. I highly recommend following her work.

Where family meets business - the communication challenge - with Joe Evans, Deputy Chairman of the CLA

On this episode we welcome Joe Evans, Deputy President of the CLA (Country Land and Business Association). We have a great chat about communicating in family business - the highs and lows!  Joe grew up on his family farm in Herefordshire and spent much of the first decade of his career working for HSBC Group in Asia. In 2012 he and his wife Keeley returned 'home' where he took over the day to day running of Whitbourne estate from his father. Working together with one of his farming tenants, Joe runs the home farm as an extensive organic grazing enterprise with significant focus on environmental stewardship schemes. He has been involved with the CLA as chair of the Herefordshire branch and chair of the Environment Committee and is now Deputy President.

KBO - In memory of Lionel Hill

I recently went to the funeral of a truly amazing guy - Lionel Hill. He had everything you could want from life, a lovely wife, great family, a beautiful farm, a string of successful businesses, he even took over from Prince Charles (as he was then) as national president of the Young Farmers Clubs. He had friends all over the country. He was a great bloke, always with a cheeky grin, a joke and laugh and his motto (which I learned at the funeral) was KBO - Keep Buggering On. I think thats a motto we all need to listen to, so often we have times where we can't see the way ahead, we don't know if we can make it. What if we just KBO?

Succession planning for farmers with Roy Jackson & Claire Smith from WR Partners

On this episode of Stockmanship for the Mind I have a great discussion with Claire Smith and Roy Jackson, Rural Partners in WR Partners accountancy firm, which is based in Shropshire, Wales and Cheshire. Claire and Roy are both from farming backgrounds and have a combined experience of almost 40 years of working with farmers and other rural businesses, so they bring a huge wealth of expertise to the table. We cover some of the technical reasons why planning for the handover of a farming business to the next generation is just so important. The updated inheritance tax law has brought this thorny issue to a head for many farmers and it has never been more crucial to plan ahead. Everyone knows this… So why can it be such a difficult discussion to have on farm? Why do so many farmers just want to bury their head in the sand? Partly, the high value of agricultural assets means that there is a lot to play for, but we also take a look at some of the emotional aspects that are almost inevitably tied up with passing on the family farm. Come along to this episode for a fresh look at succession planning with Roy and Claire.

How can I talk about something really hard - and get people to listen?

We all know that difficult topics can make for difficult conversations... how do we make that easier? How do we make sure that we give ourselves the best chance of a productive chat, where everyone feels better and you can actually resolve an issue... or at least make some headway? When's the best time to tackle something tricky? Is it when we feel like our blood is boiling and we can't rest until we sort something (or somebody!) out? Would we train our dog in that state of mind??