“We’ve just had to get our name out there and stop being afraid of saying, ‘We are first generation farmers. I know we’re new but we have some phenomenal products.’ It’s become an education process for us to educate others on, honestly, what little we do know and it’s been a confidence thing. I had to be confident to say, ‘Hey, I raise livestock and I grow some phenomenal products. Would you like to try them?’”  Join us in this inspiring episode of Farming on Purpose and get up and close with...

“But if you actually want your farm to successfully transition and you care about your children and the quality of life they are going to have and the opportunities they are going to have after you are gone, it is your responsibility to understand how that transition will actually play out.”    In this episode, I wanted to talk about a topic that is very important but one that isn’t talked about as much as it should be, transition planning. Before purchasing our family farm, I hadn’t put much...

“It’s a lot easier to start a dog with a clean slate than erase a bunch of bad habits.”  Join us in this stimulating episode of Farming on Purpose and get up and close with Randall Walker, a renowned stock dog expert from Satus Stockdogs. Taking us through his fascinating journey of employing dogs in rotational grazing, Randall presents an eye-opening narrative on how stock dogs can significantly enhance farming efficiency. Perfectly tailored for those considering incorporating stock dogs...

“I wish there were more opportunities for people to see the day-to-day of it, not just the ‘you want to teach about agriculture, you must want to be a teacher’. There’s other options to do that, especially now that I’ve gotten into the world of entrepreneurship…”   This week we are mixing things up a bit! I had the pleasure of being on the Off-Farm Income podcast hosted by Matt Brechwald back in December. We had such a great conversation about many different topics and I wanted to highlight...

“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...

“Stuff that we don’t necessarily think is unique actually is unique. Our lifestyle is unique. There’s not a big percentage of us doing this in the world.”   In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Lance Neilson. Lance owns and operates a cow/calf business and he shared how he and his wife started growing their herd shortly after they graduated college and got married. Having both grown up in agriculture, they knew they wanted to raise their children in the lifestyle as well. Lance...

“Sometimes when things feel like it’s the worst day, it may turn out to be one of the best experiences in your interest.”  In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Nikki Callison of Callison Ranch. Nikki shared about how she got back into agriculture after being a teacher for ten years. Nikki and her husband, Roger started their direct to consumer beef operation and Nikki talked about her family history in the selling of beef business. Nikki also shared her experience raising three...

“One of our favorite quotes of all time is, ‘The answer to America’s food problem is not one or two big answers, it’s many small answers.’ And we couldn’t agree more.”  In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Jesse and Lisa Vivian. Jesse and Lisa shared how they started  Lane’s End Farm + Creamery. The original plan for the creamery was to make cheese but then Covid hit and like many others their plans had to adapt to the new demand of their community. Once their community got a...

“It’s not something that happens overnight, it’s a gradual transition. We started making our own bars of soap, I started making my own tallow, I started doing all these little things gradually that are creating a more holistic home, but it definitely takes time and you appreciate everything you have a whole lot more.”   In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking to Kerissa Payne of Covey Rise Farms. Kerissa shared about her journey building her farm operation with her husband in Ohio and...

“What you feel like in the moments when it is a hard season is real and even in your mind you know in a few years it’s going to be easier but that’s a few years away. I feel like I try to let myself feel those feelings and for me, writing is how I process a lot of that and remembering that it’s ok to feel hard but just know it’s not going to last forever.”  In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking to Stacy Bronec. While not having an ag background, Stacy has taken to farm life and...

“The mindset of I do belong here. I belong here. Never underestimate your roots and where you came from and just try to find your place.”     In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Liz Fiedler of Sunny Mary Meadow Farms. Liz shared how her flower farm got started as a farm stand and the many different ag operations were run on her late husband’s family farm. Liz also opened up with us about losing her husband unexpectedly and her grief journey so far. Liz is more than just a...

“Recognizing the season and what actually is important in that season, I think, is the most important thing you can do.”   In this episode, I wanted to talk about a topic that many followers have asked me about, time management and how to manage all the irons in the fire as a wife, mother, farmer, and business owner. Sometimes it is hard to adjust your expectations to the season you are in, but once you do and set realistic, achievable goals, it will help you stay on track. I use tools like...

“Use veterinarians for our knowledge base. We worked really hard for that degree and it matters.”    In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Lauren Mack. Lauren shared her insight on what it is like moving to rural Kansas and buying a veterinarian practice right after graduation. After having been the new person in a small town, Lauren spoke about some ways she likes to get the community involved in welcoming an applicant or staff member. Being warm and welcoming to new...

“The cattle industry is such a long game. You just have to plan for 10, 20 years in advance all the time.”    In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Meghan Gates. Meghan has a lot on her plate as a mother, rancher, and a business woman. Meghan dove into her background in agriculture as well as how she and her husband started their own cattle operation and selling beef shares. On the side, Meghan also has a western apparel online shop and a soup cookbook! Meghan suggested, if...

“It’s different every day, which I love. That was one of my difficulties with an office job; it was a little bit of monotony and boredom. You’re not going to get bored on a farm.”   In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Gabe Spurgoen from South Baldwin Farms. Gabe shared about his career as an architect and how he didn’t feel fulfilled. What started as a way for Gabe to get away from his office desk by planting some peach trees quickly evolved into Gabe joining his...

“I like animals and I like being a steward of animals and having a pragmatic purpose for having lots of animals.”  In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Matt Brechwald, host of the Off-Farm Income podcast. Matt shared about his childhood and how he first got interested in agriculture. Matt also shared about his journey in the ag industry that eventually led him to start a farm with his wife and host the Off-Farm Income podcast. Matt explained the challenges he sees with the...

“There’s help out there. Like there’s a resource or somebody for you.”   In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dawn Krees. Dawn talked about her podcast Harvesting Her Way, her coaching, and what her clients are wanting to learn more about. Diving deeper into Dawn’s coaching, she explained that it is important to work with your body and as a woman, work with your cycle. Dawn also explained Human Design and how she uses that tool to help her clients understand their...

“I think a lot of farmers would like to not rely on the bank or the government, but unfortunately the system and the path we’re heading down today, we rely too heavily on those practices.”      In this episode, I had the pleasure of catching up with Shane Meenen. Shane and I covered a lot of ground in our chat, from A2 milk to insurance. Shane talked about the rules and regulations around regenerative agriculture. Shane discusses government involvement in agriculture, PPE loans, crop and...

“Probably one of the top three reasons the sheep industry is slowly dwindling is just the amount of work that goes into it is a lot, like you don’t really get paid for that. I wish that was something that, I would still have gotten the sheep anyways, but I wish I would have known that going into it.”    In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Charity Epperson. Charity and I cover quite a few topics in this episode. Charity had the unique childhood experience of growing up on a...

“Financially right now in agriculture, it’s so expensive to get going. I have no idea how first-generation people do it and I have nothing but respect for them and what they go through to get going.”    In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Kendel Hofer. Kendel is the third generation on her family ranch and keeps it going with help from her husband and two boys. Kendel dives into her family history of the ranch and how her father was able to expand it with hard work and help...

“Flexibility pays more than what you can ask for in a salary.”   In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Calli Williams, or you may know her as the Millennial Rancher. Calli shares about her family’s cow/calf operation, how Calli met her husband, Tate, and how they are combining their cattle operation knowledge and making their own cattle operation thrive. Calli said that her involvement in FFA and 4H really shaped her life and who she is today and hopes that her boys want to get...

“I have developed actual relationships with my customers because it is farming. It is such a small world at the end of the day and all of my customers are either friends or family to me at some point in time. Even customers from previous banks, we still talk and we still have that relationship because you’re in farming and I feel like everybody’s the same in the agriculture community. They’re good people and they’re honest people and they want to help everybody. And I think that’s just...

“I learned a lot about who I was and who I was capable of being and that was just an awesome experience.”   In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Camarie Roorda. Camarie and her family have been involved in agriculture and the rodeo industry for years and Camarie shares about her journey in rodeo. Camarie’s experience in rodeo helped spark her two businesses, the Performance Pony Company and RodeoKids. Camarie explains why she finds it important to invest in kids and help...

“I think that it’s important for consumers to know that when you are in a rural area you cannot receive the same products, sometimes at all.”   In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ashley Comeau. Ashley and her husband, Adam, are the current owners of Brant’s Meat Market in rural Kansas. Brant’s Meat Market has been in operation for over 100 years and Ashley talks about the history of the store and the Brant family and the processes they had in place to run the meat...

“That is where when you are starting a new business, you have those challenges. You have to think around the corner. You have to think, ‘I know what I want, now how can I explain it to someone who’s never met me?’”   In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Brad Fourby of Leafy Green Farms. Brad’s farm is unique and innovative. Situated in Southeast Kansas, Brad is able to grow his leafy green vegetables year round using climate-controlled shipping containers. Brad shares how...