Recommended Free Tools
When Jeff Corle’s family closed its Pennsylvania dairy and sold its Guernsey herd in 2022, he turned the grief of watching the cows leave into “Empty Barn.” His story, told in a 2025 Successful Farming profile, follows the loss of a multigenerational farm, the song that helped him express it, and the conversations about farmer mental health that grew from sharing it.
A fourth-generation dairy comes to an end
Corle was the fourth generation of his family to milk cows on their farm in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Mountains. By spring 2022, he said, the operation had become too small to compete. The family shut down the dairy and sold its Guernseys.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Bell Bottom Country | $12.79 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Cold Beer & Country Music | $10.44 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Dangerous: The Double Album | $22.18 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Country Album / Various | $8.71 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Beautifully Broken | $10.97 | Buy on Amazon |
He recalled the truck carrying the cows away as a rupture in more than the daily work of farming: “When that truck pulled out, it literally felt as though something was being ripped out of me.” The closure left him grieving a way of life and wrestling with a question that can accompany the loss of a deeply rooted occupation: “If I’m not a farmer, who am I?”
Turning the loss into “Empty Barn”
Corle described falling into a deep depression after the herd was sold. He reached for his guitar and wrote “Empty Barn” to express what he was feeling. In the profile, songwriting is presented as his personal outlet—not as a clinical treatment or a prescription for others facing depression.
#1 Best Overall
After Corle played the song for a friend, the friend encouraged him to post a video on Facebook. It drew thousands of views within a few days, though the profile gives no exact count. Farmers sent photographs to be included in the video, and Corle said the supportive responses helped him realize he was not alone in experiencing farm loss.
From a song to conversations about mental health
Corle traveled to Nashville to record “Empty Barn,” later recorded an album, and began touring. He now performs what the profile calls “keynote concerts” at farm conferences, corporate events, and educational meetings, combining music with discussion of farmer mental health.
Rank #2
- Your favorite artist, Zach Top, on CD.
- Immerse yourself in the genre of Folk, World, & Country.
- Enjoy the music style of Country on CD.
He has emphasized the value of speaking openly about difficult experiences, describing his own circumstances rather than making a general claim about what others should do: “It’s important for guys who look like me to be able to talk about what they’re going through. If I had kept that inside, it would have killed me.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to read and listen
Lisa Foust Prater’s Successful Farming profile, “Empty Barn: A Dairy Farmer’s Song of Loss and Renewal,” was published July 26, 2025. The profile points readers to Corle’s website for a free download of the song and to Apple Podcasts and Spotify for the “15 Minutes With a Farmer” podcast; their current availability is not established here.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Beautifully Broken is the new studio album from Jelly Roll, featuring the hit single "I Am Not Okay
Rank #4
Rank #3
- Big Loud/Republic Records' Morgan Wallen released his highly anticipated sophomore album, DANGEROUS: THE DOUBLE ALBUM, in January 2021
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
