Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! In this episode, Jena and Mary Pat cover everything from 4-H projects and half marathon plans to summer hosting chaos—but the heart of this conversation is a major life update Jena shares about her family’s ongoing mold journey.

After receiving a 316-page inspection report, Jena and Levi are facing some incredibly difficult decisions about their home—whether to remediate, rebuild, or start over completely. What began as unexplained health struggles, behavioral symptoms, and chronic inflammation has uncovered a much bigger issue than they ever expected.

Jena opens up about the physical, emotional, and financial toll this process has taken on their family, the surprising symptoms they’ve connected to mold exposure, and how they’re navigating uncertainty while trying to make the best decisions for their family’s future.

📌 What We Cover in This Episode:

✅ How 4-H can be so much more than livestock and a valuable homeschool tool

✅ Half marathon training, summer hosting, and preparing for a full house

✅ What a full mold inspection actually looks like

✅ The reality of toxic mold remediation and the hidden costs involved

✅ How mold can impact physical health, mental health, and behavior

✅ “Mold rage,” chronic inflammation, fatigue, food sensitivities, and nervous system dysregulation

✅ The difficult decision between rebuilding, repairing, or walking away

✅ What it looks like to trust God and seek discernment in overwhelming seasons

💡 Key Takeaways:

✨ Mold can show up in ways you’d never expect—from migraines and skin rashes to emotional regulation and chronic fatigue.

✨ Sometimes the symptoms you normalize for years may actually have a deeper root cause.

✨ Big life decisions rarely come with clear answers, and discernment often takes time.

✨ Home is more than a structure—it holds memories, routines, and security, which makes hard decisions even heavier.

✨ Even in overwhelming seasons, faith and forward movement can coexist.

We love hearing from you and continuing the conversation beyond the podcast. If you’ve dealt with mold, chronic illness, or a season of uncertainty, we’d love to hear your story.

🙌 Join the Conversation!
You can connect with us and share your thoughts by tagging Share your thoughts and tag us @beyondthecrops_. And don't forget to leave us a message on our new voicemail line!

Leave us a Voice Message!
We love hearing from you and continuing the conversation off the podcast. Click here to leave us a voice note!

Thank you to the sponsor of this episode, Fieldview. Both Jena and MP have used Fieldview on their farms for the past several years and it's been an integral data and decision making tool for their operations.

Check them out here

In this episode of Beyond the Crops, Jena and Mary Pat catch up on all things summer — from marathon training and recovery wins to building intentional family bucket lists for the season ahead.

MP shares an encouraging update on her healing journey and Jena celebrates a huge milestone in her half-marathon training with her first pain-free eight-mile run, and together they dive into the realities of race prep, heart rate training, recovery, and learning to trust their bodies.

The conversation shifts into summer mode as they talk through family bucket lists, homeschooling freedom, fishing trips, library adventures, zoos, kayaking, gardening, county fairs, and all the little moments they want to prioritize before the season slips away.

This episode is your reminder that summer doesn’t have to be packed full to be meaningful. Sometimes the best plans are the ones that leave room to breathe.

In this episode, we cover:
• MP's chiropractic update and possible root causes of dizziness
• Jena's pain-free 8-mile training breakthrough
• Half-marathon prep, heart rate training, and running mindset
• Summer bucket list ideas for farm families
• Homeschooling, libraries, and hands-on science fun
• Zoo trips, fishing, kayaking, and family adventure days
• Gardening, preserving sweet corn, and freeze-drying food
• Funny farm-life mishaps with dogs and rendering lard
• Prioritizing date nights and connection in busy seasons
• Why simple summer memories often matter most

🙌 Join the Conversation!
What's on YOUR summer bucket list? Send us a message or connect with us on social media—we love hearing from our listeners! You can connect with us and share your thoughts by tagging @beyondthecrops_. And don't forget to leave us a message on our new voicemail line!

Leave us a Voice Message!
We love hearing from you and continuing the conversation off the podcast. Click here to leave us a voice note!

Thank you to the sponsor of this episode, Fieldview. Both Jena and MP have used Fieldview on their farms for the past several years and it's been an integral data and decision making tool for their operations.

Check them out here

This week on Beyond the Crops, we're catching up on life lately. Jenna shares highlights from her family's trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota, including Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Jewel Cave, and their experience staying at Under Canvas Mount Rushmore. From family road trip tips to underrated vacation destinations, this episode is packed with travel inspiration.

Mary Pat also shares an update on her ongoing health journey, including new therapies she's pursuing, the frustrations of navigating chronic symptoms, and the importance of recognizing progress even when healing isn't linear. The conversation also touches on half marathon training, summer schedules, Vacation Bible School, and the power of setting boundaries that support your season of life.

Whether you're in the tractor, on a run, or tackling chores around the farm, grab a cup of coffee and join us for this honest catch-up conversation.

In This Episode

✅ Mary Pat shares an update on her health journey and current treatment plans

✅ The emotional challenges of navigating long-term health struggles

✅ Why recognizing progress matters, even when you're not fully "healed"

✅ Jenna recaps her family's trip to South Dakota's Black Hills

✅ Highlights from Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Jewel Cave

✅ Why South Dakota might be one of the most underrated family vacation destinations

✅ Vacation Bible School, summer schedules, and setting healthy boundaries

✅ Running goals, half marathon training, and learning to trust your body

💡 Key Takeaways:

✨ "Health is so freaking hard."

✨ "A year ago I couldn't run the way I've been running now."

✨ "Sometimes progress isn't being completely healed—it's recognizing how far you've already come."

✨ "South Dakota is underrated. Let's keep it that way."

🙌 Join the Conversation!
Have you visited the Black Hills? What's your favorite family road trip destination? Send us a message or connect with us on social media—we love hearing from our listeners! You can connect with us and share your thoughts by tagging @beyondthecrops_. And don't forget to leave us a message on our new voicemail line!

Leave us a Voice Message!
We love hearing from you and continuing the conversation off the podcast. Click here to leave us a voice note!

Thank you to the sponsor of this episode, Fieldview. Both Jena and MP have used Fieldview on their farms for the past several years and it's been an integral data and decision making tool for their operations.

Check them out here