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🎙 Barn & Soul — Episode 33

The Ones Who Stay: Why Some People Don’t Leave Farming, and Why Some Start

Why would anyone choose farming, especially now?

In this episode of Barn & Soul, Kendall takes a grounded, first-hand AND data-informed look at one of the most enduring questions in agriculture: why some people stay in farming despite the odds, why others leave, and why new people continue to begin anyway.

Using the latest U.S. agricultural census data, income reports, and research on farm structure and wellbeing, this episode explores the realities behind romantic ideas of farming and the quieter truths that don’t always make it into the conversation.

This episode isn’t about glorifying hardship or offering easy answers. It’s about seeing farming clearly- as work that is relational, meaningful, demanding, and deeply human.

Whether you farm, hope to someday, or simply care about where food comes from and who produces it, The Ones Who Stay offers context, compassion, and clarity for a system that holds more people together than we often realize.

📚 References & Sources

• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
  2022 Census of Agriculture Highlights: Farms and Farmland (March 2024)
• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
  2022 Census of Agriculture Highlights: New and Beginning Producers (2024)
• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
  2022 Census of Agriculture Highlights: Farm Producers (Average Age Data)
• USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)
  Farm Household Income Estimates (January 27, 2025)
• USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)
  Farm Household Income Forecast (September 3, 2025)
• USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)
  Charts of Note: Direct-to-Consumer and Other Direct Marketing Sales, 2022 Census (March 21, 2024)
• USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)
  Access to Farmland by Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers: Issues and Opportunities (AP-096, 2022)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  Suicide Rates by Industry and Occupation — MMWR (2023)
• CDC / NIOSH
  Farm community mental health and occupational risk research collections
• National Young Farmers Coalition
  2022 survey and reporting on beginning farmer challenges, land access, and priorities

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Why do some animals, places, and species inspire fierce protection… while others quietly disappear?

In this episode of Barn & Soul, Kendall explores the real psychology behind conservation - not just the statistics and extinction charts, but the emotional bonds that actually move people to care, act, and protect. Drawing from conservation psychology, environmental research, and lived experience on a heritage-breed farm, this episode asks a deceptively simple question: why do we save what we love?

From biophilia and nature connectedness to empathy, storytelling, and sense of place, we unpack why facts alone rarely change behavior... and why love, identity, and relationship are doing far more work than we tend to admit. You’ll hear how childhood experiences shape lifelong environmental values, why naming animals changes how people respond to conservation, and how heritage livestock breeds offer a powerful case study in saving what we understand.

This episode blends research-backed insight with farm stories, offering a grounded, human-sized approach to conservation - one that doesn’t rely on guilt or fear, but on connection, memory, and care.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, farmer, animal lover, or someone feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, this episode is a reminder that you don’t have to save everything... you just have to love something enough to protect it.

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Whitburn, J., Linklater, W., & Abrahamse, W. (2019). Meta-analysis of human connection to nature and pro-environmental behaviour. People and Nature.

Kirkey, J. R. (2024). What’s love got to do with it? A biophilia-based approach to conservation. Frontiers in Conservation Science.

Raymond, C. M. et al. (2025). The effect of empathy with nature and humans on conservation behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Chawla, L. (2020). Childhood nature connection and constructive hope. People and Nature.

Oh, R. Y. Y. et al. (2021). Connection to nature predicted by family values, social norms, and experiences. Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Castillo-Huitrón, N. M. et al. (2020). The importance of human emotions for wildlife conservation. Frontiers in Psychology.

Batavia, C. et al. (2021). Emotion as a source of moral understanding in conservation. Conservation Biology.

van Eeden, L. M. et al. (2025). Why do (or don’t) people protect nature? Global Environmental Psychology.

Richardson, M. et al. (2020). Applying pathways to nature connectedness. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education.

The Livestock Conservancy. Conservation Genetics & Heritage Breeds.

Farm Flavor (2024). What Are Heritage Breeds and Why Are They Important?

CFSPH. Heritage Livestock Breeds – Why Are They Important?

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sense of Place Supports Climate and Drought Resilience.

Craig, G. (2023). Fight for the Wild: Emotion and place in conservation. Taylor & Francis.

Fabien Cousteau interview (2017). “People protect what they love…” LUXUO.

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🎙 Barn & Soul Podcast - Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future. Episode 31 - Still Here at 165: Scituate, Stewardship, and the Future of Dalby

Dalby Farm turns 165 years old in 2026.

Founded in 1861, this family farm has weathered generations of change in Scituate, Massachusetts. In this re entry episode, Kendall reflects on what it truly means to still be here, and why endurance is not the same as ease.

This episode zooms out to place Dalby within the longer history of Scituate and the South Shore, then zooms back in to the daily realities of keeping a family farm and an endangered heritage breed mission alive in the modern world. Through real data, lived experience, and honest reflection, Kendall explores how farming has changed since the 19th century, why land pressure and aging producers matter, and what is quietly at risk when small farms disappear.

Rather than romanticizing farm life, this conversation looks directly at responsibility, repetition, and care. It considers how stewardship evolves over time, why rare breeds require active commitment, and how shared responsibility may be the only sustainable path forward for farms like Dalby.

This episode is for anyone who has ever looked at something they love and wondered how much longer they can carry it, and then chose to keep going anyway.

Resources

Dalby Farm. Our Farm and Friends.
https://www.dalbyfarm.com/our-farm-and-friends

United States Department of Agriculture. National Agricultural Statistics Service.
2022 Census of Agriculture Executive Briefing.
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/index.php

United States Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service.
Farms and Land in Farms Summary.
https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-structure-and-organization/

Choices Magazine.
Analysis of the 2022 Census of Agriculture.
https://www.choicesmagazine.org

Mass Audubon. Losing Ground.
2003 and 2020 Editions.
https://www.massaudubon.org/our-work/advocacy/land-protection/losing-ground

The Livestock Conservancy. Conservation Priority List and Breed Definitions.
https://livestockconservancy.org/conservation-priority-list/

Scituate Historical Society.
History of Scituate, Massachusetts.
https://www.scituatehistoricalsociety.org

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🎙 Barn & Soul Podcast - Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future. Episode 30 - Back From the Brink: Species We Thought Were Gone but.. Weren’t?

What if extinction is not always the end of the story?

In this episode of Barn & Soul, Kendall explores some of the most extraordinary conservation rediscoveries of the last century. These are animals and plants once declared extinct that quietly survived in hidden pockets of the world, waiting to be found again.

From a prehistoric fish thought lost for 65 million years, to an insect rescued from a single rock in the Pacific, to species whose survival hinged on one accidental discovery, this episode examines what scientists call “Lazarus species” and why their return matters so deeply.

Grounded in real science and conservation data, this conversation looks at how rediscovered species reshape ecosystems, influence land protection, and challenge the belief that loss is always permanent. Kendall reflects on what these stories teach us about resilience, stewardship, and the responsibility humans carry when life pushes back against the odds.

This episode is a reminder that nature is not passive. She adapts, hides, endures, and sometimes reappears just when we think hope is gone. For farmers, conservationists, and anyone who loves the living world, these stories offer something rare and powerful: cautious, evidence-based optimism.

Resources and Further Reading

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
https://www.iucnredlist.org

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Coelacanth rediscovery and ongoing research.
https://naturalhistory.si.edu

Coelacanth Conservation Council.
Population monitoring and conservation efforts.
https://www.coelacanth.org

Australian Museum and Lord Howe Island Board.
Lord Howe Island stick insect rediscovery and breeding programs.
https://australiamuseum.net.au

https://www.lordhoweisland.info

New Zealand Department of Conservation.
Takahe rediscovery and recovery programs.
https://www.doc.govt.nz

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Black-footed ferret recovery and reintroduction programs.
https://www.fws.gov

Re:wild (formerly Global Wildlife Conservation).
Lost species rediscoveries including the Somali elephant shrew.
https://www.rewild.org

BirdLife International.
Ivory-billed woodpecker assessments and conservation context.
https://www.birdlife.org

National Geographic Society.
Lost Species documentation and field reporting.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com

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🎙 Barn & Soul Podcast - Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future. Episode 29 - Good News, Earth! Environmental Wins You Might Have Missed in 2025

This week on Barn & Soul, we’re doing something rare. Instead of doom and dread, we’re highlighting the real environmental progress that happened this year. These are stories backed by data, not optimism for its own sake. From major renewable energy milestones to wildlife recovery, coral resilience, textile innovation and community farming, this episode brings together some of the most encouraging developments of 2025.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the headlines, this is your reminder that the world is still capable of healing and that conservation work has real impact.

References
Renewable Energy
International Energy Agency. Renewables 2025 Midyear Report.
MIT Energy Initiative. Agrivoltaics research findings 2025.
US Department of Energy. Solar Circularity Initiative.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Solar lifecycle analyses.

Textile Recycling
European Environment Agency. Circular materials and textile recycling update 2025.

Wildlife Corridors
National Park Service and USGS. Wildlife Connectivity Report 2025.
Federal Highway Administration. Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program.
Environment America. Wildlife collision cost savings analyses.
Scioto Analysis. Cost benefit findings for wildlife crossing projects.
The Wildlife Society. Collision reduction data.

Coral and Ocean Health
NOAA Coral Reef Watch. Annual bleaching and recovery summary 2025.
The Ocean Cleanup. 2025 Impact Report.
NOAA Marine Debris Program. Coastal cleanup participation and plastic recovery data.
UNEP Coastal Initiatives. River barrier effectiveness studies.

Urban Agriculture
USDA Urban Agriculture Census Addendum 2025.

Species Recovery
US Fish and Wildlife Service. Recovery Update 2025.
NOAA Fisheries. North Atlantic right whale monitoring.
California Condor Recovery Program. Annual chick survival summary.
USGS Amphibian Research Center. Wetland restoration impacts.

Listen in for the Fast Facts, the full stories, and a closing reflection meant to help you exhale and feel hopeful again.
🔔 Subscribe for more farm life insights, rare breed conservation, and the behind-the-scenes of running a small farm! Remember, all the animals on our farm our PETS! They live out their days as educational ambassadors to our community far & wide! Please follow us here on Youtube!
Find us on Instagram & Facebook @DalbyFarm

Shop our Online Country Store! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/country-store
At least 50% of all shop revenue directly helps fund the care & upkeep of our 160 year old educational family farm and all the endangered breeds who live there.

...Or you can always shop for the animals instead! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/animals-shop

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🎙 Barn & Soul Podcast - Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future.Episode 28 - Heritage Breeds Are Time Machines And We’re Letting Them Disappear

In this episode of Barn & Soul, Kendall dives into the extraordinary and often overlooked world of heritage livestock. These animals are more than old-fashioned breeds or nostalgic farm icons. They are living time capsules carrying centuries of human history, culture, survival strategies, and genetic resilience.

From Arapawa goats to Ossabaw Island hogs to Shetland sheep, Kendall explores why heritage breeds are disappearing from modern agriculture and why their loss would mean more than losing animals. It would mean losing stories. Losing adaptations. Losing solutions we may desperately need in a changing climate.

You will learn how industrial agriculture narrowed the global gene pool, why biodiversity matters for food security, and how small educational farms like Dalby Farm act as tiny but essential preservation sites. This episode is part science, part history, part love letter to the rare and wonderful breeds who shaped the world long before industrial farming existed.

Whether you are a farmer, homesteader, educator, or simply someone who loves animals, this episode will change the way you see heritage livestock. These animals are archives. They are time machines. And the choices we make now will determine whether their stories continue.

Thank you for listening. And as always — take care, and don’t forget to appreciate the rare and wonderful things in life.

Resources

Livestock Conservancy
Breed status reports and conservation priority listings for heritage livestock.
www.livestockconservancy.org

FAO
Global assessments of livestock diversity, agricultural biodiversity, and genetic erosion.
www.fao.org

Our World in Data
Trends in livestock populations, agriculture, and genetic resource loss.
www.ourworldindata.org

USDA National Animal Germplasm Program
Information on genetic diversity, rare breed preservation, and cryo-conservation research.
www.ars.usda.gov

Slow Food International – Ark of Taste
Documentation of heritage breeds and traditional food cultures at risk.
www.slowfood.com

American Sheep Industry Association
Breed histories and genetic value of heritage sheep, including Shetland.
www.sheepusa.org

Rare Breeds Survival Trust (UK)
Annual “Watchlist” reports and data on heritage breed declines and recoveries.
www.rbst.org.uk

University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry
Research on biodiversity, resilient livestock systems, and small-farm conservation models.

Smithsonian Magazine
Articles on domesticated animal history and the cultural value of heritage livestock.

National Geographic
Features on animal domestication, rare breeds, and agricultural biodiversity.

🔔 Subscribe for more farm life insights, rare breed conservation, and the behind-the-scenes of running a small farm! Remember, all the animals on our farm our PETS! They live out their days as educational ambassadors to our community far & wide! Please follow us here on Youtube!
Find us on Instagram & Facebook @DalbyFarm

Shop our Online Country Store! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/country-store
At least 50% of all shop revenue directly helps fund the care & upkeep of our 160 year old educational family farm and all the endangered breeds who live there.

...Or you can always shop for the animals instead! ht

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🎙 Barn & Soul Podcast - Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future. Episode 27- Maybe You Shouldn’t Be a Farmer (and that's okay!)

Farming looks peaceful from the outside… but behind every pretty moment is a reality most people never see. In this deeply human episode, Kendall explores the side of farm life that rarely makes it onto social media: the emotional cost, the physical toll, the relentless responsibility, and the quiet truth that farming is not for everyone. And that’s okay.

Through personal stories from Dalby Farm, reflections on New England winter, and a grounded look at the financial and emotional realities facing small farms today, this episode unpacks what it really means to choose this life. It also honors the truth that loving animals and loving nature does not require becoming a farmer. Supporters, visitors, volunteers, and advocates matter just as much as the people who muck stalls every day.

Whether you farm, dream of farming, or simply care about where your food and animals come from, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a rare moment of honesty in a world that often romanticizes rural life.

References
American Farm Bureau Federation.
Farmer and Rancher Mental Health: Research Findings and Rural Stress Indicators. Washington, DC: AFBF, 2022.

Cornell Cooperative Extension.
“Diversified Farm Income, Stress Management, and Burnout Prevention.”
Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Ithaca, NY.

Farm Aid.
Farmers’ Stress and Financial Vulnerability: Annual Report on Family Farm Wellbeing. Cambridge, MA: Farm Aid Research Division, 2023.

FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Livestock: Challenges and Realities of Global Animal Agriculture. Rome, Italy: FAO Publications.

National Farmers Union.
Barriers for Small and Beginning Farmers: Economic and Structural Challenges. Washington, DC: NFU Policy Research Department, 2021.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Agricultural Safety and Health: Livestock-Related Injuries and Fatalities. Atlanta, GA: CDC/NIOSH, 2023.

National Young Farmers Coalition.
Building a Future with Farmers: Challenges Facing the Next Generation.
Hudson, NY: NYFC, 2022.

Penn State Extension.
“Realistic Expectations for New Farmers: Startup, Labor, and Livestock Care.”
College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University.

UMaine Cooperative Extension.
“Livestock Care and Farm Management in New England Winters.”
Orono, ME: University of Maine Extension Publications.

United States Census of Agriculture.
New and Beginning Farmer Profiles, Economic Realities of Small Farms.
Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 2022.

United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Agricultural Workers: Hours, Injury Incidence, and Occupational Risk.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Program, 2023.

🔔 Subscribe for more farm life insights, rare breed conservation, and the behind-the-scenes of running a small farm! Remember, all the animals on our farm our PETS! They live out their days as educational ambassadors to our community far & wide! Please follow us here on Youtube!
Find us on Instagram & Facebook @DalbyFarm

Shop our Online Country Store! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/country-store
At least 50% of all shop revenue directly helps fund the care & upkeep of our 160 year old educational family farm and

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🎙 Barn & Soul Podcast - Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future. Episode 26: The Quiet Season — What Winter Really Does to a Farm

Winter looks still from the outside, but on a farm it becomes one of the most active and revealing seasons of the entire year. In this cozy, educational episode, we explore the hidden work happening beneath the snow, the biology behind heritage breed resilience, and the realities of farming through a New England winter.

From soil science and freeze–thaw cycles to the way animals adjust their metabolism and coat growth, this episode brings together the ecology, emotion, and daily rhythms of the season that teaches farmers how to slow down, observe, and prepare for the year ahead.

If you have ever wondered what winter truly means on a working farm, or why this season is essential to both land and livestock, this is your fireside listen.

Fast Facts included in this episode:

Soil naturally aerates in winter.

Snow can act as insulation.

Hens lay based on daylight.

Cold lowers parasite pressure.

Many heritage breeds were created specifically for harsh winters.

Cozy, thoughtful, and grounded in real New England realism, this episode invites you to meet winter the way farms do: as a season of purpose, rest, and quiet transformation.

Until next time, take care and appreciate the rare and wonderful things in life.

References

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
USDA Soil Science Division
U.S. Forest Service
The Livestock Conservancy
Poultry Science programs (University of Minnesota, University of Georgia)
NOAA and Northeast Regional Climate Center

🔔 Subscribe for more farm life insights, rare breed conservation, and the behind-the-scenes of running a small farm! Remember, all the animals on our farm our PETS! They live out their days as educational ambassadors to our community far & wide! Please follow us here on Youtube!
Find us on Instagram & Facebook @DalbyFarm

Shop our Online Country Store! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/country-store
At least 50% of all shop revenue directly helps fund the care & upkeep of our 160 year old educational family farm and all the endangered breeds who live there.

...Or you can always shop for the animals instead! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/animals-shop

Support the show