“If we could come together, our community is not going to have to worry about what happens on the coast to not get us the food we need to sustain ourselves. Why do we have to look so far away for food when it’s right here in our backyard?”

In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Laurie Bruce, co-owner of Bruce's Bullseye Farms. Laurie and her husband are first-generation farmers and are working on expanding their farming operation. One way they are expanding is with Laurie’s commercial kitchen. Laurie shared how it started with her making sand plum jam and jelly for friends and family and grew to a commercial kitchen where Laurie makes all kinds of farm-to-table products. Laurie also talked about the value of being able to provide for yourself and your family with products from their farm, especially when remembering the food supply issues during COVID and the current prices of food.

“The state of Alaska hasn’t been very agriculturally-minded. There’s been comments made by some legislators that in the past said that agriculture doesn’t really matter, we get all of it from the lower 48, it’s ok. So we don’t have a lot of infrastructure to support agriculture but we are trying to change that.”

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Hailey Edwards. Hailey shared what it’s like living in Alaska and spoiler alert: it’s not like those Alaskan reality television shows make it seem. Hailey also explained what the Alaskan food system looks like and some of the struggles they face that people in the lower 48 do not. Hailey’s family farm used to be a dairy but they are transitioning to the cattle industry and Hailey talked about why they made the change and how she’s using nontraditional methods in their operation.

“We really need more people outside of the community advocating, but we also need more people to say, ‘ Hey, your job is stressful. I could not do it. I could never do what you do, but I support you.’”

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Meg West. Even though Meg did not grow up in the agriculture industry, it is her passion to advocate for those in agriculture. Meg explains why she loves the western lifestyle and why it is important for her to advocate for mental health resources and accessibility for people in the ag community. Meg started a campaign on social media using #AgLetsTalk to start the conversation about mental health and to help break the stigma that is associated with mental health.

“That is something that I absolutely love about where we’re living and our neighbors is just everybody helping out and you know you always have somebody that you can call.”

In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Lindsey Huseman. Lindsey and her husband, Mark, manage Huseman Ranch with the help of their two kids ages 7 and 9. Lindsey explained what it's like for her to homeschool her kids and be active on the farm. It was quite the shift for Lindsey to go from being a high school Ag teacher to a farm mom homeschooling her kiddos during the pandemic. Lindsey also shared some stories from the farm and how having such a supportive village has impacted her and her family.

“Video is such a powerful tool when it comes to communicating about agriculture with consumers because it’s not a big Hollywood production that’s getting edited. It’s just somebody in their field talking about their cattle. It’s just real and authentic.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Linnea Langusch. Linnea dives into her research she performed while working on her Master’s degree. Linnea shares how COVID-19 made her shift her research and how it affected the beef industry. She then explains what obstacles the beef industry faced during the peak times of COVID-19 and how many farmers and ranchers had to rely on direct to consumer marketing.

“I would say trajectory is a keyword. When you pull back a slingshot or a bow and point it somewhere, it’s going to go wherever you point it. Where you’re aiming is where you’re going.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Ashley Jackson. You might know Ashley as The Boot Babe on Instagram or TikTok. Ashley started The Boot Babe to be more inclusive for all types of women to share the experience of wearing cowboy boots. Ashley also shared how important it is to be involved in your community especially if you want to see change and the importance of being a leader.

“Food impacts everything we do. Food decisions are so complicated, so seeking to better understand those decisions and the importance of those decisions to ourselves and our families is the best way for us to make sure other families get fed.”

In this episode, I continue the conversation about food accessibility and dive a little deeper into it. (If you missed the first part of this conversation, check out episode 23.) For clarity and to make sure we are all on the same page, I define some of the terms I talk about that go along with food accessibility. I also go over a few articles I found that explain different aspects of food security and why they are important. If you are interested in checking out the articles I mention in the episode, click on the links below!

“I feel like we’re able to do what we do because we have evolved over time.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Lydia Hiesterman. Lydia shared a little about her family’s farm operation and the complexities that come with farming with multiple families. Lydia expressed the value of planning and farm succession and shared her personal experience with farm succession. Lydia also gave advice on how to find and select a financial advisor that would work for you and your family’s needs.

“It's not realistic for most of us at this point in time to assume that we can be completely independent of the food system and what it has evolved to be."

In this episode, I talk about a topic that I find very important and has been on my mind for quite some time. Safe and accessible food is a privilege and one I believe everyone should have. In this episode, I explain what quality food is and how it can be different for everyone. I also share my experience with disconnection from food and how it has shaped my thinking about food. I also share my experience with the food shortage that I experienced during peak COVID times and the realization that hit me. I would really love to hear what you think and have to say about food accessibility, so please reach out so we can continue this important and impactful conversation!

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. And if you think about that, that goes along with your lifestyle, your eating, everything.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Cheyenne Glade Wilson, or you might know her as the Native Cowgirl. Cheyenne shared a little about her health journey and how it’s impacted other parts of her life. Cheyenne also talked about how the Native Cowgirl got started and how that platform has been able to share her passion of empowering rural women to women all over.

“The thing about motherhood, and I say this about my business too, cookiecutter solutions don’t work. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for you or for your child. Each child is different and it is like a learning process for each of them because they’re all so different.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Natalie Egger. Natalie discussed how she started her business helping clients get more organized and be more efficient with their time. As a mother of 5, Natalie shared how she uses her business practices in her home life and how everyone could benefit from some optimized practices such as time blocking. If you’re in need of organization or efficiency skills, this is the episode for you!

“Everybody has their role and that’s another thing, know your role; delegate as well. Because when you try to do everything on your own, that’s when it’s going to fall apart. That’s where overwhelm sets in.”

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Kerissa Taylor of 1984 Farms. I recently came across Kerissa and her family’s farm on Instagram and I’m so glad I did! Kerissa shared how she and her husband, Steve, along with their 6 kids, started their farm in Colorado and recently moved everything to Missouri to continue living out their dream life. Kerissa and I also talked about raising our kids on the farm and the ups and downs that come with it. 

“I would say we are more of a farm than a homestead but to me it’s more this is how our grandparents were living and how they were raised and they were pretty self-sufficient and independent people and we just feel like that for us right now is the best thing we can do.” 

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with my friend and neighbor, Jada Sharp. Jada shared with us how her and her family got started on their farm with goats and sheep and how their farm has changed along with her family’s roles. Jada also dove into how a few bars of goat milk soap and bottles of goat milk lotion lead to her starting her business, 14 Hands Ranch.

“There’s so many things to do on the farm. So many jobs and so many places to fit in but, I just didn’t  feel like any of them were where I wanted to be or where I wanted to fit.”

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Brandi Lahey, or as you might know her, The Tipsy Farmer. I had so much fun learning about Brandi’s journey growing hops and all that goes into growing, harvesting, and drying hops. Brandi shared why she started The Tipsy Farmer Mobile Bar and the highs and lows that came with it. 

In this episode, I have the pleasure of sitting down with Jason Medows and discussing a very important topic, mental health in agriculture. Jason touched on why starting his podcast, Ag State of Mind, was important for improving his own mental health and how he balances his many roles to maintain his mental health. Jason also shares how his family’s core values help him manage his expectations on the farm and in life.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Terra Larsen about a topic that is near and dear to my heart, homesteading. Terra shared how and why she and her husband, Trevor, started homesteading. Terra talked about the expansion to their operation and introduced us to some of the stars on their farm, milk cows Helen and Ruth. Terra also opened up to some of her struggles with sharing her homesteading journey online as well as some of her good experiences such as meeting new people and forming new friendships.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Marli Scarborough about a topic I love, efficiency and productivity. First, Marli shared that with the passing of her mother, roles and responsibilities on the ranch had to adjust. Along with her dad and two younger brothers, they are figuring out what works for them in their operation. On the topic of efficiency and productivity, Marli and I both share methods that work for use. I love hearing how others operate day-to-day to see if there is anything I can use for myself or my farm.

In this episode, I wanted to share the importance of making sure you put a value on your time because like the saying, “time is money.” This might be a difficult perspective to view as a farmer or a business owner, but if you think of it as, “how much would I have to pay someone else to do this task?” then it is clearer to see the value of your time doing that task. Then you have to think about, “am I using my time in a way that is cost-effective to my operation?” All of these questions are important to keeping your farm or business on track as well as making sure your time is being spent doing things or investing in things that align with your goals and values.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Terryn Drieling about a topic I enjoy and find fascinating, enneagrams. Terryn briefly explains each type of enneagram's characteristics and their motivations. She then talks about how being self-aware and knowing your enneagram type can translate into other aspects and relationships of your life. While discussing enneagrams, Terryn helped me determine which type I am through a series of questions.

Terryn also shares the personal significance to the phrase “good movement draws good movement” and how it is part of her day-to-day life.

In this episode, I got the chance to chat with DL Lautenbach, a farmer from Washington. DL shares how he got started in the cattle industry as well as some of his practices and the challenges that come with them. In our conversation, DL divulges how he and his family changed from their consumer lifestyle to a more conservative spending lifestyle and the importance of that lifestyle shift for his family.