Built to Last: What Warren’s Hip Replacement Taught Us About Farming, Strength, and Staying in the Game

You probably heard us mention, last year Warren had a full hip replacement.

Not because of one accident. Not because of some sudden, catastrophic injury. But because of years and years of overuse.

Warren was a professional athlete in his teens and 20s—hockey. It was all about pushing through, training harder, ignoring discomfort, and getting the job done. That’s how elite sports work. That’s how a lot of us were raised—to just keep going and deal with the damage later.

But here’s the thing about pushing past your limits:

• You don’t always feel it right away.

• But you will feel it eventually.

And that got me thinking—not just about athletes but about farmers.

Farming is a Contact Sport

Farmers don’t push hard because they want to. They push hard because they have to.

There’s no off-season. No guaranteed paycheque. No walking away from it when your body is screaming for rest. Bills don’t wait. Crops don’t wait. Livestock doesn’t wait.

And most farmers know exactly what it feels like to:

• Ignore that aching knee or back because there’s work to do.

• Keep going on caffeine, stubbornness, and adrenaline.

• Tell themselves “I’ll rest after harvest” (but then winter work hits just as hard).

That’s just how it is, right?

Except… at some point, the body calls in the debt.

Warren’s hip didn’t just suddenly give out. It was years of overuse catching up to him. And that’s what I wonder about when I look at farmers who have spent decades working the land, pushing through, and never really thinking about sustainability—of their own bodies.

We talk about regenerating soil. But what about regenerating ourselves?

Playing the Long Game: What If Strength Was About Longevity?

The lesson from Warren’s hip replacement wasn’t “stop working hard.” That’s not an option—for farmers or athletes. The real question is:

If we have no choice but to push hard… how do we do it in a way that doesn’t break us?

Because resilience isn’t just about toughness. It’s about sustainability. It’s about still being strong and able in 10, 20, 30 years.

Farming is a long game. And the best long-game players know how to stay in it without burning out.

The Resilience Farmers Already Have (And Why It Matters)

Most farmers I know are already doing things that build resilience—they just don’t call it that. But when we don’t name it, we don’t protect it.

Here’s what farmers already do that keeps them in the game:

1. Seasonal Living: Letting the Land (and Ourselves) Cycle

• What farmers already do: Follow the seasons—plant, tend, harvest, and (hopefully) rest.

• Why it matters: The body is seasonal, too. If we run at full intensity year-round, we hit a breaking point.

• How to lean into it: Protect natural slow-down periods. If January is quieter, let it be quieter. Don’t feel guilty for slower days.

2. Micro-Breaks: The Way Farmers Catch Their Breath

• What farmers already do: Pause between tasks—lean against the fence, sit on the tailgate, drink coffee in the morning silence.

• Why it matters: Even tiny pauses reset the nervous system. Taking 60 seconds to breathe deeply or stretch prevents long-term depletion.

• How to lean into it: Use those moments well. Instead of scrolling your phone, exhale, look at the sky, check in with your body.

3. Connection & Co-Regulation: The Power of Talking It Out

• What farmers already do: Call a neighbour, vent about the weather, stop for coffee with other farmers.

• Why it matters: Nervous systems regulate together. Humans need other humans to stay steady.

• How to lean into it: Keep the coffee shop visits. Keep the post-market debriefs. They aren’t just social—they’re essential for long-term resilience.

4. Diversification: Why Farmers and Nervous Systems Need Variety

• What farmers already do: Rotate crops, mix livestock with hay, hedge bets across different income streams.

• Why it matters: The nervous system also needs variety. If all we ever do is work, we burn out.

• How to lean into it: If you can’t slow down, at least mix things up. Switch tasks, take a different route, play music in the barn—small changes keep the brain from getting stuck in stress mode.

5. The Rituals That Keep Us Grounded

• What farmers already do: Morning chores, walking the land, checking fences, feeding animals.

• Why it matters: These are built-in grounding practices. If we lean into them with intention, they keep us steady through uncertainty.

• How to lean into it: Instead of rushing through morning checks, take an extra moment to breathe while watching the sunrise.

Farming for the Long Haul

Warren trained like a short-game athlete. His body had other plans.

But farming isn’t a short game. It’s a lifetime game.

We don’t need more grit. We already have it. What we need is to protect that resilience—so we don’t burn it out before we’re ready to quit.

Because long-term sustainability isn’t just about the land. It’s about the people working it, too.