Unknotting the Mess: Labor, Immigration, and Hope in the Heartland copertina

Unknotting the Mess: Labor, Immigration, and Hope in the Heartland

Unknotting the Mess: Labor, Immigration, and Hope in the Heartland

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 In this episode, Mary and Leah open with the familiar rhythms of Midwestern life, weather, winter wellness, and the importance of vitamin D, before moving into a deeply honest, timely conversation about immigration, agriculture, and the values shaping our food system. Sparked by recent events in Minnesota and the emotional weight they carry, the discussion explores why so many Americans are feeling frustrated, sad, and divided, and how those feelings connect to broken systems that affect us all. From labor shortages in agriculture to the human cost of immigration policy, Mary and Leah step back from sound bites and headlines to look at the bigger picture. This episode centers on one core idea: together matters. Together in community. Together in responsibility. Together in rebuilding systems that no longer work. Rather than arguing politics, Mary and Leah focus on people, the farmers, families, immigrants, and neighbors whose lives are intertwined with the food we eat and the values we hold. They discuss why cheap food has come at a high cost, why honorable work deserves fair pay, and why fear and misinformation are harming our ability to solve real problems. The conversation also touches on: Labor challenges in agriculture and the role of immigrant workers The cultural shift away from valuing hard, physical work Why “breaking even” isn’t sustainable for farms or communities How broken immigration systems create fear instead of solutions The growing impact of misinformation and AI-generated content Practical ways listeners can show up with grit, grace, and courage Mary and Leah close with hope, grounded in community, young people, and everyday acts of kindness, reminding listeners that change doesn’t start on social media or TV screens, but in how we treat one another. Takeaway We may not have all the answers, but we are capable of better. And it starts with choosing empathy, accountability, and connection, right where we live. Resources & Links Website: gritandgraceintheheartland.com Blog posts and episode player available for every episode 00:00 Mary and I'm Leah and welcome to Grit and Grace in the Heartland. Good morning, Leah. How are you? Good morning, Mary. A beautiful day in the neighborhood. Is it nice in Nebraska right now? It is again, this atypical, droughty, mild January, a 40 % chance of rain tonight. I'm hopeful for that. As odd as that sounds for rain in the middle of January, but we will take it. Yeah. 00:28 Absolutely. It's been so dry and not here in Minnesota, we still have snow on the ground and ice, but I know in Nebraska it's been really dry. Typical Midwesterners, we open up our conversations with discussions of weather and then possibly what we're eating and if we have recently bought anything on sale. I always try to open my podcast and my other podcast and this one with the weather because we're all affected by it. 00:57 100%. And I feel like it joins us all together. It is very bright and shiny here today. There's a light breeze. It was 40 degrees when I got up at 4 a.m. 40 degrees at 4 a.m. On January what 13th? I bought myself one three years ago. I bought myself one of those lights to use in the wintertime because my office is in the basement with no windows. 01:23 And it occurred to me that I haven't even pulled it out and used it one time this winter. That's because I've been able to be outdoors every day this winter for the most part. So that just speaks to what kind of winter it has been. And I put myself on a high quality vitamin D supplement as recommended by my doctor. But I'm a big advocate of those lights if you don't have them and taking time to sit in your south facing windows during the day, especially if you're a very pale midwesterner. But yes, I have not had to use my light at all. 01:52 Yeah, I just started taking vitamin D because I was at, I was below the lowest recommended number in my blood work. And my doctor said that most people who hail from a European descent, especially Northern European descent, sometimes carry a below average level year round, but especially in those darker, longer winter months and checking the vitamin D level is not on your typical panel for your annual 02:22 you sometimes have to ask for it. So while we're not talking necessarily about wellness today, I know it goes back to our conversations last week. Ask for your vitamin D to be checked and talk with your doctor about what level you should look for. Vitamin D levels are directly linked to so many things, one of them being your mental health and wellbeing. So definitely get that vitamin D level checked. 02:48 Oh, for sure. And if you can afford it, if you have good health insurance or if you just happen to have the money to pay for it, ask for every test you can get when they take your blood because they're going to take four vials anyway. They might as well test for everything. And a lot of those tests are becoming ...
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