29. Lesley Kelly on Mental Health, Family Farming, and Building High Heels & Canola Fields

Written By Jonathon Haralson

On this episode of Your Ag Empire, we welcome Lesley Kelly—a farmer, entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and the voice behind High Heels & Canola Fields. Lesley shares her deeply personal story of overcoming anxiety and postpartum depression, how it led to co-founding the Do More Ag Foundation, and why she believes talking openly about mental health is critical in farming communities.

Lesley also discusses her transition into leadership after the loss of her father, the challenges of balancing motherhood, business, and grief, and how she’s shaping the future of agriculture for her children. Plus, we dive into how she built partnerships with major brands like Ford and McDonald’s and why mentorship is now a key part of her mission.

Lesley Kelly

In this Episode We Discuss:

  • The mental health crisis in agriculture and why it’s different for rural communities.

  • How Lesley and her husband navigated debilitating anxiety and postpartum depression.

  • Founding the Do More Ag Foundation to provide real mental health resources for farmers.

  • Building the High Heels & Canola Fields brand and turning advocacy into action.

  • The power of mentorship and helping the next generation of ag influencers.

  • How grief shaped her leadership role on the family farm.

Lesley Kelly

Jonathon Haralson

Jonathon Haralson, a sixth generation farmer by heritage, and he started farming his own operation from scratch in 2009.

Growing up, Jonathon’s family raised cattle, wheat, hay, and grew pecans. He grew up, alongside his brother, watching his Grandfather and Dad work from sun-up to sun-down on the family farm and grow yard. As time passed by, the market volatility became greater and the banking stress became greater, and Jonathon witnessed the fall of his family’s farming operation when he was just a child. He saw his dreams of continuing to build his family’s farming empire disappear as he watched his family’s equity and land auctioned off piece by piece. It’s something Jonathon never wanted to see happen to another family.

By the grace of God, Jonathon now educates farmers and ranchers about commodities, so they can spend more time out in the field and with their families.

https://youragempire.com
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28. From Pharmacy to Farm Finance: Holly Haralson's Journey to Empire Financial Services