Send us a text Farm Trails was founded in the 1970’s to connect the public to local farmers, ranchers, producers and purveyors in Sonoma County CA and is still aligned with the same mission and going strong in 2025. Over five decades ago, a group of forward-thinking farmers blazed trails in Sonoma County, creating a map & guide for local agricultur…

Send us a text One of my best trips ever….exploring Costa Rica…with my youngest daughter Abby…for her 18th birthday and High School graduation! This past April, Abby and I embarked on an adventure to Costa Rica….packed with ‘fake’ volcanic eruptions, ash clouds, rainforest hikes, stray dogs, serendipitous moments, magnificent sunsets, a cacao farm …

Send us a text I had the opportunity to interview 2 extremely dedicated and super insipring people who are veterans, farmers, educators, PHd students, and mentors for so many veterans who are considering a career in farming. This is career #2 for both of them. But Why did they pick Farming? With one-third of American farmers over the age of 60, the…

Send us a text On Agri-Tourist Episode #4 we hosted Shelby Watson-Hampton, author of Grace, Grit & Lipstick and co-owner of Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Maryland. I was heading down to South Carolina and my half way point was Maryland. I reached out to Shelby to see if she would be available to connect at her vineyard on a specific evening and, l…

Send us a text On the Agri-Tourist Episode #4 we hosted Shelby Watson-Hampton, author of Grace, Grit & Lipstick and co-owner of Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards. I was heading down to a wedding in SC and my 1st stop was Maryland. I always say that I want to visit and connect in person…and I really do mean it. I reached out to Shelby to see if she would …

Send us a text Shalom Farms is a nonprofit working together to build healthy communities by growing and sharing healthy food. The food they grow is distributed through their network of programs and partnerships in communities where access to healthy food is limited. Shalom Farms is the evolution of the work of the United Methodist Urban Ministries …

Send us a text We did not grow apples at my farm. So during apple season we would purchase apples to have available for our customers. Finding organic apples was impossible so after some research we found Eco Certified apples from Fishkill Farms - a farm that was about a 2 ½ hour drive from us. However, it was worth the trip to stock up on healthie…

Send us a text Molly Comstock is now overseeing Many Forks Farm. Many from the Berkshires know her as the owner of Colfax Farm. Molly’s passion and tenacity for farming and to be a farmer definitely comes through in her story. And her story has a significant focus on the issues surrounding farmers and land access Molly didn’t own her land and had t…

Send us a text My conversation with Jim Sanders, farmer from Wildflower Lane Farm in NC, was far reaching. HIs idea around having food advocacy groups who are purchasing produce from retailers and wholesalers shift those funds to pay local farmers to grow for them, has had a tremendous impact on many non profits in the North Carolina area. Another …

Send us a text Jim Sanders, farmer from Wildflower Lane Farm in NC, had an idea about growing vegetables and finding a distribution partner for those vegetables. In my podcast interview with Jim (podcast episode 54), he told the story about walking into the office of a non profit called TABLE and proposing his idea to the women in the office. What …

Send us a text Jim Sanders, an environmentalist and farmer, is the owner of Wildflower Lane Farm in North Carolina. Jim has some great stories about how he came into farming and his fun and not so fun experiences with trying to build a farming business. All along, Jim knew and was reminded by some friends, that there had to be a better way, a more …

Send us a text So this is my 53rd episode…the 1st episode of Season 2 of the Agri-Tourist Podcast! This episode is Part 2 of my interview with Marisa about coming full circle. I have learned so much during the course of this year…and not just about farming and agriculture… I learned so much about life, about love, about passion and dedication, trus…

Send us a text So this is my 52nd episode…Part 1! One whole year of podcast episodes…and I have to say that I learned so much during the course of this year…and not just about farming and agriculture. I learned so much about life, about love, about passion and dedication, trusting the journey, making every day count, and about taking that leap of f…

Send us a text When I became aware of The Farmer Veteran Coalition, I just had to learn more. The Mission of Farmer Veteran Coalition is Mobilizing Veterans to Feed America. They are cultivating a new generation of farmers and food leaders, and developing viable employment and meaningful careers for veterans. They believe that veterans possess the …

Send us a text Meg and Laura founded Full Well Farm located in Adams, MA in 2018. Meg was brought up on the farmland they are now farming on. When chatting with Meg about their background, there seemed to be an initial resistance to farming and becoming a farmer. However, the pull to being outside every March was too hard to resist. And the pull to…

Send us a text The USDA defines food security as having "access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members" and very low food insecurity is classified as " where one or more household members experience reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns at times during the year because of limited money or other…

Send us a text She is a passionate farm entrepreneur from Maryland…driven to preserve her farmland and build a thriving Farmyard business. Renee Wilson was born to a teacher and dairy farmer, she was a 4H member and then earned an education in TV production and marketing during college…but her heart and passion was in agriculture. She returned to h…

Send us a text Kristen Tool and I have something very important in common….we want to connect ALL people to real, healthy, nutritious food….sometimes that food is harvested right from the farm and other times it is made into nutritious soups. Caring for and stewarding land has been a lifelong dream of Kristen’s. She and her husband Chris have been …

Send us a text Craft Beer and Cider….both wins for the agritourism industry. And it’s actually less about the alcohol and more about the sense of community and connection that it brings. Dr. Alison Feeney is a Professor in the Geography and Earth Science Department at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. She blends work with pleasure as she tra…

Send us a text Have you ever heard of the New River Gorge or the Gauley River? Well, if you’ve ever been into the white water rafting scene, you have heard one of these West Virginia rivers and probably rafted it! The New River Gorge is amazing in the spring, but there is nothing that compares to the fall dam releases of the Gauley River, entering …

Send us a text Did you know that there are about 1.8 million tea growers around the world? The leading tea-producing countries include Argentina, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan. The U.S. trails behind the 6 million tons of global tea production, producing only about 90 to 100 tons a year. And there are about 80 to 90 tea farms spread ac…

Send us a text I’ve taken leaps of faith in the past, but nothing like Giany Guedjo, the Executive Director at Carolina Human Reinvestment. Giany was an accountant at an orphanage in Benin, West Africa. But Giany wanted more for himself and his expanding family. He entered an immigration lottery to come to the US….and he was selected. And that’s wh…

Send us a text They believe that great craft chocolate is “true to the bean,” – that the flavors apparent in the bar reflect the flavors hidden in the cacao bean. Like coffee beans and wine grapes, different cacao beans have different flavors. Discovering those flavors is one of the joys Tom & Monica feel when making (and eating) single-origin craf…

Send us a text As I speak to farmers from around the US and beyond, I am always interested in where they are garnering support from. Farmers enter into farming from all different backgrounds. Some need help securing land, some need financial support, some need marketing and accounting support, and some need help with farming skills. And we would as…

Send us a text Ever wonder how to creatively bridge art and agriculture together…Donna Neuwirth and Jay Salinas have mastered this creative bridge.. And they not only have mastered integrating art and agriculture, they have also set the stage for lifelong connections to form, way beyond their company’s many inspiring projects. After many years work…

Send us a text When I was a kid I did not like history class, or as we called it, social studies. For me, it felt like the classes were about memorizing textbook material and dates. I was not lucky enough to have teachers that made it more exciting to learn about history and its importance, relevance, and connection to the now. However, as an adult…

Send us a text The farmer - Jamie. And the chef- Madison. A few years ago, they were both in Rome, Italy, independently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Food Studies and Policies for Sustainable Production and Consumption. During their time in Italy and while hiking through olive trees in Tuscany, they became friends and contrived this farm plan that …

Send us a text I had the pleasure of speaking with a mother daughter team…well actually, in real life, they are a mother daughter father team, but dad likes to stay behind the scenes. Thea Hall is the Owner, Vintner, and Farm Caretaker of Broken Spoke, a boutique winery and vineyard on Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a unique focus on animals and com…

Send us a text Today we are speaking with Margaret Moulton, Executive Director at Berkshire Grown. Berkshire Grown, based in Great Barrington, MA, works toward an equitable and resilient local food system by supporting and promoting farmers, connecting people to local food, and building community partnerships around local food security. Margaret an…

Send us a text I had a very inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Richard Andres, owner of Tantre Farm in Michigan. Richard is a farmer, a philosopher, and former carpenter. Well I say former carpenter but I am sure his carpentry skills come in super handy on the farm. Those are one set of skills I wish I had more of. So when I say my c…

Send us a text Today I am chatting with Tracy Mitchell Griggs from AgVenturesUS. Tracy is the ultimate connector when it comes to everything agritourism. Growing up in south Jersey, Tracy developed a love of farmers veggies from local farmers markets. She also spent a lot of time on the eastern shore of Maryland where she enjoyed Chesapeake Bay Sai…

Send us a text I am so excited for you to hear from my very dear friend and fellow entrepreneur, Waldo Cabrera. Waldo is an Emmy-Winning, Emmy-Nominated, and extremely talented video producer. I have known Waldo for many years. We have collaborated on many work projects, I have conducted many interviews for a TV show he produced, and we have had ma…

Send us a text It’s not every day we see an agriculture professional turned banker! Today we will meet one! Many of us bank at some of the large banking institutions with branding we are very familiar with. If not one of the large banks, some bank with credit unions or invest in local and regional banking institutions. But do you think about how yo…

Send us a text “It is never too late to take the first step toward our dreams, no matter how big or impractical - or seemingly outrageous.” This is a quote from Jane Lee Rankin from her compelling memoir called Farm Family. This is a book about the adventure that created Apple Hill Farm in North Carolina. It’s all about how a solo mom with a broken…

Send us a text There is nothing like the taste of a real, authentic New England maple syrup. This one is not located in Vermont - it’s located right in the Berkshires! And I even had the chance to spend a few hours touring and tasting my way through this amazing farm. Justamere Tree Farm is located in the town of Worthington MA. The land was purcha…

Send us a text Today we are chatting with Donna Del Rey, owner of Relish Culinary Adventures. Relish Culinary Adventures (love the name!) is a culinary program that brings together talented chefs and fabulous cuisine at a variety of captivating rural locations including farms and orchards, to create one-of-a-kind authentic cooking classes, culinary…

Send us a text I have been doing a lot of local traveling, really digging into the northeast US where my agriculture focus seems to be currently taking me. I visited a bean festival at a farm in Sheffield, Massachusetts (MA), located in the southern part of the Berkshires. The Berkshires or Berkshire County is located in Western Massachusetts, with…

Send us a text We left New York and it was 27 degrees Fahrenheit and mild. We arrived in Grenada a little over four hours later and it was 78 degrees, partly sunny and fairly humid. Earl, our driver, was awaiting our arrival. He drove us in his car to the ‘countryside’ on the north west side of Grenada. The roads were thin and very windy with spect…

Send us a text Brian Sullivan, Gayle Okumura Sullivan and son Patrick Sullivan purchased Dry Creek Peach in 2000 and are approaching 25 years with the farm. Dry Creek Peach, located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, California is surrounded by wine country. They are the last remaining fruit farm in the valley with 100…

Send us a text Steve and Sandy are the inspiring founders of East Tennessee Homestead Alliance. Sandy reached out to me about the podcast a few months ago. We ended up speaking on the phone about homesteading and what it really is all about. Many people, including myself who is close to farming and all about sustainability, have this impression of …

Send us a text Rachael Callahan is currently California’s Statewide Agritourism Coordinator focused on the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program through UC Davis. Originally from Delaware, Rachael stumbled into sustainable agriculture from her graduate studies and has focused on local and regional food systems. She spent time in Be…

Send us a text Before she turned 10 years old, she already knew all about zucchini, white eggplant, garlic scapes, heirloom tomatoes, how to tell basil vs. mint vs. oregano, when to plant garlic, and what to pair lavender honey with. My daughter Anna just turned 20-years old in September 2024 and is pursuing a college major in Economics and minor i…

Send us a text Laurelee Blanchard, Founder and President of Leilani Farm Sanctuary, and author of “Finding Paradise”, left a lucrative career at a Commercial Real Estate Firm to devote her life to animal protection and humane education. In 1999, she cashed out her life savings and moved from Orange County, California, to Hawaii to the island of Mau…

Send us a text Apple picking season probably generates fun memories for many people; it does for me. Apple picking definitely embodies agritourism. And Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont is an eco-certified heirloom apple oasis. The farm is rich in history - it was settled in 1791 and the orchards were planted in 1911 and now bear over 130 varieties…

Send us a text This is our WWOOF Part 2 podcast with Pattie Baker. Pattie is the author of "Round America with a Duck" where she traveled across America right before her 60th birthday via bike, buses, trains and WWOOFing! If you want to learn more about WWOOFING catch Episode 19 from last week. Pattie’s Book moved me. Her adventure was full of lots…

Send us a text When I was visiting Crayfish Bay Organics, an organic cacao farm on the island of Grenada, there was an open air cabin filled with ‘WWOOFers. I had no clue what that term WWOOFer meant at the time. WWOOF stands for WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Basically a WWOOFer is a person who is working/volunteering on an organic farm…

Send us a text I have always had an interest in growing herbs and learning more about the medicinal qualities of different herbs and plants. This topic fascinates me. I know the power of mint and ginger in solving digestive issues and I know that there are so many other natural remedies. So, I was really looking forward to my interview with Linda S…

Send us a text I had the pleasure of interviewing Suzie Spahr, the Executive Director of NAFDMA - The North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association. NAFDMA was founded in 1986 and is a membership based non profit trade association solely focused on advancing the farm direct marketing and agritourism industries. NAFDMA is made up of entreprene…

Send us a text We are headed to Tassie today….that’s Tasmania for those who are not familiar. And we are chatting with Tim Parsons. Tim and his wife Jane are 6th generation Tasmanian Farmers who own Curringa Farm, Tassie's favorite farmstay with national award winning cottages, farm tours, and group bbq meals. Curringa Farm is a 750-acre farm focus…

Send us a text We all know that things happen for reasons. And many times, those reasons do not reveal themselves until years later. Kim & Chuck Goodling moved their family from Vermont to Pennsylvania, in order to eventually make their way back to Vermont and find their current historic farm property, Grand View Farm, in Washington, VT. Grand View…