Welcome to Stockmanship for The Mind. A podcast hosted by The State of Mind Consultancy, primarily aimed at farmers, rural professionals and all countryside folk (although you might also like it if you’re town/city based too!)
I’m sharing a completely new, and radical understanding of the mind, known as the 3 Principles (more on what they are later…) alternatively known as The Inside Out Understanding.
I’m sharing where our experience comes from, I mean, really comes from. It looks like its coming from life, right? Relationships, work, friends, family… Here’s the thing, its coming from inside you. Yes thats right, that feeling you’re having right now, its from inside you.
How does that relate to rural life and farming? Well, it relates to staff, family, your husband/wife/partner, how you handle pressure. It’s just that in farming, our state of mind, and the results of that, are more obvious because there’s a ton of pressure, a million things to do and there’s nowhere to hide.
And the best news… all you have to do is listen! As best you can, listen with nothing on your mind. Don’t take notes, just let it soak in and see what new and fresh thinking occurs to you.
Below is a player with all the episodes.
Stockmanship for the Mind - All Episodes Here:
Listening and 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, a text-based mental health support service, and Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy, 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 President 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.
To find out more about Joe’s work and the work of the CLA:
www.cla.org.uk
To listen to the CLA’s series of podcasts which feature great guests for 15 minutes each:
https://www.cla.org.uk/news/?taxonomy=Podcasts
Also, Joe is running the Swansea half marathon to raise money for the CLA charitable trust - to donate please go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/disadvantaged-children-and-young-people?lid=zljr9cv8ct1u&utm_medium=email&utm_source=product&utm_campaign=t-donation-alert
K.B.O. A new episode of Stockmanship for the Mind
KBO - a new episode of Stockmanship for the Mind in memory of Lionel Hill MBE.
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 on Farms - with 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?
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 do I tackle that difficult conversation?
We all know that difficult topics can make for difficult conversations... and the results can be pretty disastrous. 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 at the end 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?
Help…I feel super stressed!
Feeling under pressure? Does it look like life is throwing ALOT at you? I hear you!
What can we do about this? Nobody wants to feel stressed all the time but sometimes it kind of looks like that's the only real response to a situation. Is there anything we can see about this with fresh eyes?
Feeling under pressure? Does it look like life is throwing ALOT at you? I hear you!
What can we do about this? Nobody wants to feel stressed all the time but sometimes it kind of looks like that's the only real response to a situation. Is there anything we can see about this with fresh eyes?
Being Human - Chat with Jo Blackburn from Shropshire Rural Support
In this episode I chat with Jo Blackburn, the pastoral coordinator from Shropshire Rural Support. We talk about the often bumpy road of rural life and how that affect our headspace.
How Do I Get Into A Better Headspace?
We all know that life feels waaaay better in a good headspace. Do we get a good headspace as a result of life going well, achieving our goals and having less problems to contend with? Maybe.
What if it works the other way around?
Come along to the podcast to hear more.
A Fresh Perspective On An Old Problem - Is It Possible?
We all have issues that go round our head, things that we worry about or ideals that we feel we need to live up to. Sometimes, it feels if we were to let that go, we would be being irresponsible or not doing our best.
When we've seen something a certain way for a long time, it feels crazy to us that there is an entirely new perspective available to us - to us, it just seems 'that's the way it is.'
When we get fresh thinking, it is often quite suprising to us, it always leads us to a new perspective, even on an old problem - but is it really possible?
What On Earth Are The 3 Principles Anyway??
There are basic principles behind life, when we begin to understand them everything makes more sense.
The Three Principles, also known as the Inside-Out Understanding, describe the essential elements behind our human experience. They have always been true—since the dawn of time. Throughout history, wise individuals have understood how people truly work. The rest of us are simply catching up.
These principles were articulated in the 1970s by Sydney Banks. Since then, this understanding has spread worldwide. It is shared with CEOs of major corporations, the US military, prisoners, and individuals facing challenges such as mental illness and addiction—as well as with everyday people who simply want to feel better and live more fulfilling lives.
We live in a world of thought. Our consciousness brings those thoughts to life, making them appear real. When we don’t realise this, we can easily get caught up in the illusion. But as we begin to see through it, clearer thinking and a deeper sense of well-being—often referred to as Mind—are always available to us.
If you’d like to learn more, come along to the podcast!
There are basic principles behind life, when we begin to understand them everything makes more sense.
The Three Principles, also known as the Inside-Out Understanding, describe the essential elements behind our human experience. They have always been true—since the dawn of time. Throughout history, wise folk have understood this stuff. The rest of us are just catching up!
These principles were articulated in the 1970s by Sydney Banks. Since then, this understanding has spread worldwide. It is shared with CEOs of major corporations, the US military, prisoners, and individuals facing challenges such as mental illness and addiction—as well as everyday people who simply want to feel better and live more fulfilling lives.
We live in a world of thought. Our consciousness brings those thoughts to life, making them feel so real to us! When we don’t understand the process, we can easily get so lost in this! But as we begin to see through it, clearer thinking and a deeper sense of well-being—often referred to as Mind—are always available to us.
If you’d like to learn more, come along to the podcast!
What if I’m Neurodiverse? A Conversation with Karen Fisher.
In this podcast I discuss neurodivergence and the nervous system with Karen Fisher, Farm Advisor for the Soil Association and neurodivergence and LGBTQ consultant for the rural industries.
How does it affect our view of life if we are neurodivergent? What if underneath we are all the same? Does it bring extra challenges? A superpower?
Come along to the podcast to hear more!
In this podcast I discuss neurodivergence and the nervous system with Karen Fisher, Farm Advisor for the Soil Association and neurodivergence and LGBTQ consultant for the rural industries.
How does it affect our view of life if we are neurodivergent? What if underneath we are all the same? Does it bring extra challenges? A superpower?
Come along to the podcast to hear more!
Family Relations
Family relations… how are yours right now?
Hopefully, you have wonderful relationships with all your family. Sadly, it’s not always the case.
Why is that?
Family are the people we have the strongest connections to in the whole world right… so why can it be hard to get on? Why do the same old arguments brew again and again?
If you manage a business with your family, why can it be so hard to talk things through and make good decisions?
This episode from Stockmanship for the Mind explores this topic – come along for a new perspective on an age-old problem.
Family relations… how are yours?
Hopefully, you have wonderful relationships with all your family. Sadly, it’s not always the case.
Why is that?
Family are the people we are the closest to in the whole world right… so why can it be hard to get on? Why do the same old arguments brew again and again?
If you manage a business with your family, why can it be so hard to talk things through and make good decisions for the future? Whether that is with siblings, parents, grandparents, partners or children.
This episode from Stockmanship for the Mind explores this topic – come along for a new perspective on an age-old problem.
Is All our Thinking True?
Have you ever noticed that sometimes our thinking is really helpful and other times it’s our own worst enemy? Have you ever been stuck in some negative thinking and it felt horrible? What if the thinking that feels bad is also completely unhelpful? Should we always believe everything we think? What should we do if it seems our thinking might be off track?
Have you ever noticed that sometimes our thinking is really helpful and other times it’s our own worst enemy? Have you ever been stuck in some negative thinking and it felt horrible? What if the thinking that feels bad is also completely unhelpful? Should we always believe everything we think? What should we do if it seems our thinking might be off track? Please click on the play button to listen to the episode.
Does Mood Matter?
Can a mood affect the way we think? Can it affect the decisions we make?
Our moods go up and down all the time, like a rollercoaster, and very often we don't even realise its happening. Could a mood make everything look better... or worse... than it really is?
We all have good days and bad days…right? Are some days better than others for making decisions?
In this episode, we have a look at mood and how it affects our decision making, communication, relationships and our view of life .
Come along to the podcast… lets all ride the rollercoaster of life more smoothly!of life more smoothly
Can a mood affect the way we think? Can it affect the decisions we make?
Our moods go up and down all the time, like a rollercoaster, and very often we don't even realise its happening. Could a mood make everything look better... or worse... than it really is?
We all have good days and bad days…right? Are some days better than others for making decisions?
In this episode, we have a look at mood and how it affects our decision making, communication, relationships and our view of life .
Come along to the podcast… lets all ride the rollercoaster of life more smoothly!
Stockmanship For the Mind Podcast is Now Live!
Welcome to Stockmanship for The Mind a new podcast run by me, Becky Tavernor aimed primarily at farmers, rural professionals and all countryside folk (although you might also like it if you’re town/city based too!)
I’m sharing a completely new and radical understanding of the mind, known as the 3 Principles (more on what they are later…) or alternatively called The Inside Out Understanding.
What if our thoughts can’t always be trusted? And how do we truly tell the difference between helpful and unhelpful thinking?
What if that simple distinction is really all that’s needed to improve our decision making, improve our relationships, enjoy life more and, just do better?
How does that relate to rural life and farming? In every way! Whether it’s managing staff, improving family relations, making better business decisions, dealing with challenges more easily or just feeling better and having more verve… a simple change in understanding is all it takes.
And the best news… all you have to do is listen! As best you can, listen with nothing on your mind. Don’t take notes, just let it soak in and see what new and fresh thinking occurs to you.
Lets go!
Welcome to Stockmanship for The Mind a new podcast run by me, Becky Tavernor aimed primarily at farmers, rural professionals and all countryside folk (although you might also like it if you’re town/city based too!)
I’m sharing a completely new and radical understanding of the mind, known as the 3 Principles (more on what they are later…) or alternatively called The Inside Out Understanding.
What if our thoughts can’t always be trusted? And how do we truly tell the difference between helpful and unhelpful thinking?
What if that simple distinction is really all that’s needed to improve our decision making, improve our relationships, enjoy life more and, just do better?
How does that relate to rural life and farming? In every way! Whether it’s managing staff, improving family relations, making better business decisions, dealing with challenges more easily or just feeling better and having more verve… a simple change in understanding is all it takes.
And the best news… all you have to do is listen! As best you can, listen with nothing on your mind. Don’t take notes, just let it soak in and see what new and fresh thinking occurs to you.
Lets go!