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Terry Sible grew up on a farm outside Churubusco, Indiana, learning the same lessons many farm kids do: responsibility, patience, and the value of community.

At eighteen, Terry’s life took an unexpected turn. Just five years earlier he had lost his father in a farm accident in the same barn where Terry kept his 4-H livestock. But instead of letting those moments define him, he built a life centered on helping others.

Today Terry works with schools and families helping children with disabilities find success in the classroom. Terry may get around in a wheelchair, but it has never defined who he is. Instead, the patience, resilience, and sense of community he learned growing up on a farm in northwest Allen County continue to shape how he approaches life and the people he works with.

In this conversation we talk about growing up in 4-H and FFA, the farm community that rallied around him after his accident, raising kids, and the role patience and positivity still play in his life today.

Terry also answers the Patio Pondering Five Questions, sharing what agriculture taught him about resilience, community, and why farmers are always trying to do the right thing.

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Leadership in agriculture is often talked about as if it simply appears — the loudest voice in the room or the person willing to take charge.

But real leadership is something different. It can be cultivated, sharpened, and intentionally developed.

In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, I sit down with Jill Zimmerman, President of the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership (KARL) Program, to talk about how leadership actually develops in agriculture and rural communities.

Jill shares how programs like KARL help cultivate leaders across agriculture, rural communities, healthcare, education, and policy — and why leadership today requires collaboration, service, and a willingness to step forward.

Along the way we explore:

• How leadership in agriculture is evolving
• Why raising your hand still matters in rural communities
• The power of networks and relationships in agriculture
• The importance of allowing “a pause in the noise” to sharpen our thinking
• How mentorship and encouragement shape future leaders

Plus Jill answers the Patio Pondering Five Questions, sharing lessons about passion for agriculture, leadership development, and the future of agricultural innovation.

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In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, Jim sits down with Brian McFarland, a longtime leader in the beef packing industry and a cattle producer with experience across multiple parts of the beef supply chain.

Jim and Brian first met years ago in graduate school at Kansas State, but their conversation quickly moves beyond old memories into the realities facing the beef industry today.

They discuss the shrinking U.S. cow herd, rising beef demand, and the economic challenges of rebuilding cattle numbers. Brian shares insights from his years inside packing plants at companies like Tyson, IBP, and JBS, explaining the major advances in food safety that have occurred over the past three decades.

Along the way the conversation wanders—as good agricultural conversations often do—into topics like cooking meat correctly, the rise of meat thermometers, raw milk debates, veterinary shortages, and even long-range rifles and bow hunting.

It’s a wide-ranging discussion that highlights how complex modern agriculture really is—and how much work happens behind the scenes to safely put food on the plate.

Topics include:

• Why the U.S. cow herd may take years to rebuild
• The economics of cattle vs. crop farming
• Beef-on-dairy genetics and how it changed the industry
• The hidden food-safety systems inside modern packing plants
• Why cooking meat properly matters more than people think
• Challenges facing veterinary medicine in agriculture
• Technology shaping agriculture’s future

Plus Brian answers the Patio Pondering Five Questions, sharing lessons about work ethic, innovation, and the future of agriculture.

Brian can be found on LinkedIn at:
linkedin.com/in/thebrianmcfarlane

His cold weather gear company can be found at:
https://shivershield.com/