In Her Boots Podcasts

In this episode, Lauren talks about a topic near and dear to her hearts: lambs! She shares how she read books and took workshops to prepare. But, eventually she just needed to jump in and learn by doing—something most beginners can relate to. Lauren and her husband, Caleb, own 153 acres in Wheeler, Wis. Their farm centers on a rotationally-grazed 200-ewe flock of sheep, small beef herd, hay, and wooded wild areas. When she isn’t in the fields, Lauren is the Program Director at MOSES, and District 2 Director for Wisconsin Farmers Union.

Today, we dig into how we can support more women farmers to engage in leadership throughout their community. Listen to Lauren Langworthy of Blue Ox Farm as she shares her story of running for District Director seat within the Wisconsin Farmers Union. We discuss the importance of asking women to run for roles like these and why the potentially uncomfortable nature of a contested elections isn’t inherently a bad thing. Lauren and her husband, Caleb, own 153 acres in Wheeler, Wis. Their farm centers on a rotationally-grazed 200-ewe flock of sheep, small beef herd, hay, and wooded wild areas. When she isn’t in the fields, Lauren is the Program Director at MOSES--the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service, and on the executive board of Wisconsin Farmers Union.

Today we sit down with Lauren Langworthy, co-owner of Blue Ox Farm. She shares the story of how she ended up in agriculture and how the concepts of holistic management helped to re-frame the farm from annual vegetables into a grass-fed lamb operation. Learn how trial by fire can help you discover your values and passions. Lauren and her husband, Caleb, own 153 acres in Wheeler, Wis. Their farm centers on a rotationally-grazed 200-ewe flock of sheep, small beef herd, hay, and wooded wild areas. When she isn’t in the fields, Lauren is the Program Director at MOSES, and District 2 Director for Wisconsin Farmers Union.

We wrap up our series with marketing entrepreneur Diahann Lohr who shares her best marketing dos and don’ts for women farmers. Learn about the importance of using your actual farm name frequently in conversations and how an old-school paper business card can still go a long way. Diahann is a marketing professional with a love for healthy food who owns and operates Adunate Word & Design (ah-doo-NAH-tay), which specializes in helping food and agricultural organizations grow their business.

Today we dig deeper into how we women farmers can brand our farm businesses. Marketing entrepreneur Diahann Lohr shares four tips to help you define your own unique brand. Remember to always ask the question: How do you want people to feel when they buy your products? Diahann is a marketing professional with a love for healthy food and owns and operates Adunate Word & Design (ah-doo-NAH-tay), which specializes in helping food and agricultural organizations grow their business.

We continue our conversation with marketing entrepreneur Diahann Lohr as we talk about how simply sharing who you are and telling your authentic story can be the most effective form of marketing, especially for us women farmers. Be yourself, talk about what you are passionate about and sell that garlic along the way. Diahann is a marketing professional with a love for healthy food who owns and operates Adunate Word & Design (ah-doo-NAH-tay), which specializes in helping food and agricultural organizations grow their business.

Today we kick off a special series with marketing entrepreneur Diahann Lohr, an inspiring example of a woman not farming yet still using her skill set to grow organic agriculture. In this episode, Diahann shares her own story and connection to the land and food. Plus, she offers some “Marketing 101” on the importance of strategic communication and how that can really be an advantage for those of us running small farms today. Diahann is a marketing professional with a love for healthy food. She owns and operates Adunate Word & Design (ah-doo-NAH-tay), which specializes in helping food and agricultural organizations grow their business.

If our guest, Bridget Holcomb with the Women, Food and Agriculture Network, could change one thing for women in the sustainable ag community it would be to stop that nagging voice inside our heads that says we are not doing enough. Listen in to hear how lifting the veil on this and embracing our authenticity and vulnerabilities can help us achieve bigger goals. Bridget received a Master’s of Public Affairs with an emphasis on nonprofit management from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has worked in sustainable agriculture advocacy at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. A native of Northern Minnesota, Bridget has focused her work on clean water, soil conservation, and making a sustainable living from the land.

We’re continuing on the women’s leadership front today with Bridget Holcomb, executive director of the Women, Food and Agriculture Network. With a learning model based on empowerment and connections, WFAN and its partners like MOSES support women through social interaction. Bridget received a Master’s of Public Affairs with an emphasis on nonprofit management from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has worked in sustainable agriculture advocacy at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. A native of Northern Minnesota, Bridget has focused her work on clean water, soil conservation, and making a sustainable living from the land.

In today’s episode, Bridget Holcomb shares her journey to her current role leading a nonprofit focused on women in sustainable agriculture. In her case, going to grad school, her commitment to service leadership, and taking advantage of opportunities—and connecting with women along the way—all add up to where she is today. Bridget received a Master’s of Public Affairs with an emphasis on nonprofit management from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has worked in sustainable agriculture advocacy at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. A native of Northern Minnesota, Bridget has focused her work on clean water, soil conservation, and making a sustainable living from the land.

Today we sit down with Bridget Holcomb, head of the Women, Food and Agriculture Network. Bridget shares her journey to her current role running a women-focused nonprofit, and how she took advantage of opportunities along the way. Bridget received a Master’s of Public Affairs with an emphasis on nonprofit management from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has worked in sustainable agriculture advocacy at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. A native of Northern Minnesota, Bridget has focused her work on clean water, soil conservation, and making a sustainable living from the land.

Alison and her husband run their farm while also raising two young boys. She reminds us to keep the fun factor in farming, cobble together a patchwork of childcare support, and enjoy those kids, especially while they are little. A self-taught, first-generation farmer, she launched her farm with her husband, Alex Needham, in 2009. It is a certified organic farm located in a Chicago suburb on land accessed through an innovative land trust.

We are back with Alison Parker of Radical Root Organic Farm talking marketing advice and tips. She recommends starting small and growing ideas based on what you're passionate about. For Alison, that meant switching farmers markets to be closer to many of her CSA members, who were wanting to buy additional produce. It also meant following her passion and growing an herbal medicine business. Alison and her husband, Alex Needham, launched Radical Root Organic Farm in 2009. It is a certified organic family farm located in the Chicago suburbs of Libertyville, Illinois, located on land accessed through an innovative land trust partnership.

Alison Parker of Radical Root Organic landed on an interesting way to get into farming. Today, she shares how she and her husband launched the farm by partnering with a land trust and nonprofit in a long-term rental agreement. This opened up more cash flow and gave them an incredibly strategic location in the heart of the Chicago suburbs.

Today we kick off a series of interviews with farmer Alison Parker of Radical Root Organic Farm. Alison shares her farm start-up story and how, not coming from a farming or even an outdoorsy family, she found her love for growing things through literature. A self-taught, first-generation farmer, she launched her farm with her husband, Alex Needham, in 2009. It is a certified organic farm located in a Chicago suburb on land accessed through an innovative land trust where she is reinventing a 150-year-old farm through organic and permaculture principles.