Our Farming Fathers

Blake Berglund grew up on a horse operation in southeastern Saskatchewan doing two hours of chores before school and three after, with piano practice fitted around them and his brother and sister covering his mornings when an exam was coming.He is a country artist and writer now, and this conversation reaches him in a farmhouse outside Nashville. It moves between the work that shaped him, the year he lost his father, and what he has built since.What's Inside- The horse operation his family ran through the nineties, and the division of labour between three siblings that made music possible at all- Why he describes manual work as something closer to a spiritual practice than a chore, and what going back to the farm still does for him- Losing his father, and what the family experienced in the room at the end- Why he hopes the grief never fully leaves, and what he thinks it is evidence of- Two years without alcohol, and what changed on the other side of that decision- Building an independent music business rather than chasing radio, and treating songs as assets rather than promotion- The concept record he made about all of it, and how subscribers get it- A live performance of a song written for his mother and sisters- This episode captures the essence of love, loss, and the enduring connection to the farm that shapes the lives of the Berglund family.  Connect with Blake: The Straight & The Narrow Substack: https://blakeberglund.substack.com/Instagram: www.instagram.com/blakeberglundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/blakejohnberglundWebsite: https://blakeberglund.com/ Connect with Growing the FutureWebsite: growingthefuture.caYouTube: Growing the FutureInstagram: @growingthefuturepodcastLinkedIn: Growing the FutureSubscribe to the Growing the Future Podcast wherever you listen, and register for Convergence Conference 2027 at convergence.ag. Register for the Convergence Conference at convergence.ag and stay updated by subscribing to the Growing the Future Podcast at growingthefuturepodcast.ca.