Episode notes
Duane Barg farmed for 28 years -- third generation, bought into the family operation at 19, ran it until the economics of reinvestment made the decision for him. What he did not expect was that the hardest part of starting over would not be leaving the farm. It would be a grammar exam. In this episode, Duane talks about the reality of dairy farming (high asset, near-zero cash flow), what it takes to raise six kids in a working barn, and the slow-burning decision to walk away from the only career he had ever had. Now in his 50s, he is in university, working in a group home for adults with disabilities, and figuring out what comes next -- one uncomfortable step at a time. This is a story about staying curious, choosing vulnerability over comfort, and what it looks like to rebuild from scratch when you have every reason not to.