Harvest, Heart, and Handing It Forward with Tracey Clifford (Indiana)

Tracey Clifford didn’t plan on coming back to the farm—until life changed her course. A third-generation farmer from northeast Indiana, Tracey spent years with FSA (county office to state leadership) before returning home in 2021 after a tragic accident. What followed was a humbling, hope-filled rebuild: learning her lane alongside her dad, trusting a tight-knit crew, and discovering that surrender and faith can lift the heaviest loads.In this episode, Tracey shares the shift from spreadsheets to head carts, why harvest is her happy place, and the shop-day memories that stitch a family together—Reese’s in the cab, cooler-room days, and deer-season traditions with her mom. She also walks through forming a family corporation for succession, the calm that comes from knowing your cycles (and letting go of what you can’t control), and the small-town help that shows up when it counts.Most of all, Tracey talks about carrying Josh’s legacy forward through the Josh Clifford Memorial Foundation—scholarships and start-up grants that help young people step into agriculture, from first heifers to greenhouse dreams to judging teams that need gas money. It’s a story about grief turned into good, family turned into team, and a future built one faithful yes at a time.🎙️ Pass the Mic• Ethan’s question to Tracey: “Where do you see genetics going in the future? How much more can we get out of seed than we do right now?”• Tracey’s question for the next guest: “Where do you see agriculture growing most in the next 10–20 years—and where will the next generation need to step up to fill the gaps?”Thanks for listening to Beyond the Bushels, where farm stories go deeper than yield.If you enjoyed today’s episode, be sure to follow and leave a review. Every story helps us celebrate the legacy, leadership, and lessons of American agriculture.Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes clips, episode highlights, and more:FacebookInstagramTikTokYouTubeLinkedInWebsite