“And it's very important that you're thinking about what's best for the whole family and the whole ranch. Instead of just what's best for you or your individual family.” Meet the three sisters of Giles Ranch who are redefining what a family cattle operation can look like. From balancing motherhood with ranch work to growing a direct-to-consumer bee…

“And at the end of the day, the best thing you can do is, as long as you have good intentions, is to put some piece of your story out there because I promise you somebody will find a connection.” Every farm has a story worth telling, but finding the confidence to share it isn't always easy. In this episode, third-generation cattle woman Ashlynn Jon…

“This is what I describe simple living as, it’s figuring out what you want to focus on and doing more of that while figuring out what you want to focus less on or there’s a distraction and eliminating those things.” Creating a life that aligns with your values is important. That's why I was thrilled to chat with Ryan Mitchell on the Farming on Purp…

“If you trust the process, the process will reward you back.” As a sixth-generation cattle farmer in Southern Minnesota, Haley Ammann-Ekstrom knows a thing or two about juggling responsibilities. She farms alongside her husband and father, manages a cow-calf herd, and has recently ventured into selling beef directly to consumers. But what makes Hal…

“What is so understood to you is not understood to the average person. And I know that sounds really silly as especially multiple generations. Like it's just. It's so ingrained in everything, that outside perspective, like you're missing it. And that's one of the things that I will say as coming in from a total outside perspective, what I didn't kn…

“This idea of how all the different sizes of farms co-exist in agriculture today is one of the biggest problems that we have the opportunity to solve.” I often find myself thinking about the future of agriculture and where family farms fit into the bigger picture. With fewer small farms and more large operations, it's a topic that's close to my hea…

“If you don’t send it out, if you don’t publish it, it doesn’t happen. You can’t learn from it. You have to push “go” to learn from it.” As a farmer's wife, mother, and business owner, I understand the challenges of juggling multiple responsibilities while trying to grow your farm or ranch. Marketing often falls to the bottom of our to-do lists, bu…

“I continuously am impressed with young producers and beginning producers alike of their determination and their resiliency. If they want to be a part of this industry and they want to live in rural America, and they want to find a way to help be on the farm, they have to come up with very innovative things.” As a farmer and podcast host, I'm alway…

“I think that a lot of landowners really want someone who's willing to learn and being very open and wanting to learn, being inquisitive, being curious.” As a farmer or rancher, you know the importance of planning for the future. But when it comes to passing down your farm or ranch to the next generation, it can be a challenging and emotional proce…

“Having a spouse that you are on the same page with when it comes to growing your business makes a huge difference. If you guys are both running in the same direction for your dream, you get so much farther, so much faster versus if only one of you has that dream or if you are going in different directions with that dream.” As I sit in my hammock o…

As I sit here on my farm on August 7, 2024, I can't help but think about the challenges we're facing in agriculture. We've been hearing a lot of tough news lately, and it's got me thinking about how we can stay strong and keep our farms going, even when things look bleak. First off, let's talk about what's happening. Big companies are laying off wo…

“Buying the farm is probably the best not only personal but financial decision. Best decision for my family. It’s really opened up a quality of life that we wouldn't have had otherwise.” Growing up on his family's dairy farm in Utah, Derek Penrod always knew he wanted to be a farmer. But with no clear path to take over the family operation, he had …

“Legacy to me is the culture that you leave for your family so that the next generation has great stories to tell and is grateful for the opportunities they’ve been given. That’s what legacy means to me.” As a farmer or rancher, you know that your work is more than just a job - it's a way of life that's deeply connected to family, legacy, and the l…

“I think we have to figure out what makes sense for ourselves. And for the amount of effort that we're putting in are we going to reach our goals? Are we going to get there realistically on a timeframe that makes sense? And how does that impact other people in our lives? That can be a very challenging conversation to have with yourself, but I think…

“I believe that farming and agriculture give us an incredible sense of purpose because we have a job to do and we show up to do it every day.” In farming, family life and business often mix together. We're not just running farms – we're raising families and shaping futures. Today, I'm sharing my journey of balancing motherhood and running a busines…

“I think we just respect each other’s time and we know we both are trying our hardest and some days are better than others.” Join us in this inspiring episode of Farming on Purpose with Sumiko and Harrison Mills. Sumiko and Harrison share about their background and how they got started on their ranch. They openly talk about the renovations they und…

“Learning to recognize the season you’re in is the first half of this and learning to live in the season you’re in is the second half.” Join us in this midsummer episode of Farming on Purpose. In this solo episode I’m going to share some of The Lazy Genius principles that have helped me over the last few years. This lifestyle shift has helped me in…

“I think it’s about figuring out what you’re doing already and finding a home for what you’re already doing.” While some of the ideas presented in this episode may be different, it's important to recognize that in order for a business to be sustainable, it must also be profitable. This episode presents ideas to consider in food marketing that you m…

“You have to believe in what you’re doing and everyone involved has to believe and agree.” Join us in this powerful episode of Farming on Purpose with Harry Frederick. Harry shares about the journey to start their sheep operation in Kentucky. Sheep were not common in their area when they got started so there were some snags they had to iron out, bu…

“It’s the season of life we’re in right now and we’re making it work.” Join us in this powerful episode of Farming on Purpose with Amanda. Amanda shares about her family’s operation and the cattle operation that her and her husband own and run. Amanda delves into the different avenues she has pursued not only for additional off-the-farm income, but…

“Being authentic has really paid off for us. Not necessarily directly in our business, I don’t know that it’s affected our bottom line, maybe it has,... but people love to see people that they can relate to.” Join us in this enjoyable episode of Farming on Purpose with Macey. Macey shares about owning a cow calf operation with her mom and sister an…

“Anybody who is at all a part of agriculture, at all a part of direct-to-consumer knows that there is a lot of money that goes into this.” Join us in this insightful episode of Farming on Purpose with Amanda. Amanda shares about finding her place on a multigenerational cow calf operation. Amanda opens up about what led her to start selling their be…

“I never saw this coming. I never saw the opportunity to come back full circle and continue that.” Join us in this enjoyable episode of Farming on Purpose with Jess Perez. Jess shares about her family’s history being farmers, how her and her husband moved for his law career, and how Jess found her way back to agriculture. Jess opens up about runnin…

“I just have a passion for putting farm-fresh products on people’s tables.” Join us in this informative episode of Farming on Purpose with Joseph Blakeslee. Taking us behind the scenes of his butcher shop, Bare Bone Butcheing as well as his farm, Blakeslee Acres. Joseph shares about how he knew he wanted to be a farmer from a young age, how he and …

“Sick animals cost you a lot of money so keeping them healthy is the full goal.” Join us in this informative episode of Farming on Purpose and learn more about KSX Performance with Kaitlyn Keller. Taking us behind the scenes of her business, Kaitlyn shares about her love for animals, helping people, and how that translates into her business and how…

“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 an…

“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 v…

“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-openi…

“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 I…

“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 …

“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 grad…

“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…

“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 t…

“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 ple…

“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 f…

“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 hus…

“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 yo…

“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…

“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 cat…

“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 fulfi…

“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 i…

“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 bod…

“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 ab…

“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 …

“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 fro…

“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 cattl…

“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 t…

“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 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 f…

“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. Situat…