Rural Revival presents this season’s best gifts - from sporting to jewelry, home goods to apparel - all made in America by rural makers and creators. As part of this holiday season, let's #shopsmall and #shoprural and support business owners who are working hard to create amazing products all across rural America. And be sure to check out the other products available from these makers and creators, too, and find something special for everyone on your list!

This week on the podcast we’re sitting down with Randa Starnes of Tennessee River Music Company, a registered Hereford and Angus operation in Fort Payne, Alabama. Randa’s talking about life on their family’s cattle production farm, what it’s like to grow up with a famous dad, and how they unexpectedly grew their operation with a new business venture.

This week on the podcast we’re with Justin Christman of Roadside Que in Fort Payne, Alabama. Justin made the move to Fort Payne from Denver, Colorado, got creative with his passion for BBQ and cooking, and introduced the first food truck to this rural area. The power of word of mouth in a small community helped boost his business, which has now grown into a new brick and mortar restaurant.

Join us on the farm in rural Madison County, Iowa for this week’s podcast interview with Matt and Naomi Hupton, founders of Pammel Park Coffee Company. Matt and Naomi are sharing about chasing a dream and why they chose Winterset, Iowa as their place to relocate and start a family business - and how it all started with roasting coffee in their garage and a roadside stand with their kids.

This week on the podcast we’re talking with farm manager Stephanie Ballantine from Kiron, Iowa (pop. 279). Stephanie unexpectedly found herself widowed and faced with the decision of whether or not to continue the farming operation she and her husband had built together. She made the decision to keep the farm operation going, and she’s sharing about her journey and what she has learned along the way.

Right in the heart of rural northwest Iowa is the community of Holstein - a small town with German roots that has quickly become a fun go-to destination. Holstein has a little bit of everything to offer, and with its prime location at the intersections of Highway 20 and Highway 59, it’s the perfect place for a day trip or weekend getaway in the Iowa countryside!

Starting this business was something I wanted to do for awhile. I had been working with the family business my whole life, which was body work, but the shop fell on hard times and we had to close up shop. All I knew was mainly body work, but we decided to take the gamble and purchase the bar.

The movement of reopening small town movie theatres is a great example of what communities do. People come together to make something happen, for the town, and acting in good faith. Getting the State Theatre renovated and reopened was just one thing that has happened recently in Holstein, Iowa, but is a big part of the energy and revival going on here.

As someone with a passion for cooking who loves coffee and being around family and friends, I have always wanted to start my own business and have talked it about for years. It wasn’t until my kids were off to college and I found myself a single parent with nowhere to grow in the job I had that I finally took the plunge. After being in the corporate world of sales and marketing, I decided it was my time to start a new chapter in my life. I knew I needed a change, and it was scary - and still is at times - but I did it!

This week on the podcast, Emily Vollmar Doxtad of Rooted Boutique in Holstein, Iowa (pop. 1,396) talks about doing the unlikely thing of bringing a modern, contemporary boutique to her rural community. She shares about the journey of her business that started in a snowmobile trailer and how it has grown and changed over the years into a fun brick-and-mortar shop!

We’ve got a fascinating conversation with lawyer, farmer, and mayor James Decker of Stamford, Texas (pop. 3,124) this week on the podcast. James is setting an example we can all learn from when it comes to the revitalization of and commitment to our rural communities - and you’re about to find out why.

Revival can take place in many forms. But in the case of the purchase of the old Hotel Colonia, the first stage of revival for our community was the natural inclination to share how the building connected with each one of us and remembering our past with a smile. Slowly, as the community heard the news of the purchase, we were so blessed to hear story after story of moments that the building had touched people’s lives!

We’re sitting down with Trey and Shandy Pearson of Rowe Point Ranch in Hedley, Texas on this week’s podcast. Rowe Point Ranch is located on the former site of Rowe, Texas, a historic ghost town that is now being transformed into a beautiful West Texas event venue.

In a recent road trip through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, I realized the actual site of Little House on the Prairie in Independence, Kansas was just a mile off of my route and I knew I had to stop. I have to admit, it was a bit of a surreal moment. As I stood in front of the replica of that little log cabin on that windy day and looked at the land where the Ingalls family had settled, I couldn’t help but think of the parallels between their life as pioneers and our new generation of pioneering.

This week on the podcast we’re talking with Shellie Hughes and her dad Bobby Earl Bertram with Old Glory Schoolhouse in Monticello, Kentucky. You’re going to love hearing about all the creative ways they’re repurposing this old schoolhouse - and their fun connection to Magnolia in Waco, Texas. Plus a few fun stories from Bobby to keep us all entertained!

When you think of northern California you probably think of San Francisco, and the wineries of Napa and Sonoma. All are gorgeous, amazing locations! But, what you might not know is that the heart of northern California runs deep within the small rural farming communities north of Sacramento. Think rice farming, Friday night football, and simple small-town living.

This week on the podcast we’re talking with Becky Wilber of Wilber Fertilizer Service in Cherokee, Oklahoma. If you’re thinking about moving back to rural America, this episode is for you. This is a really important discussion where Becky shares openly and honestly about her decision to move back to her hometown and help run the family business, and why she says it was one of the hardest - but best - decisions of her life.

Scott Stebner is a nationally published agricultural photographer and videographer, creating photos and videos of people with grit. Scott’s sharing about some of the amazing projects he’s been involved with, why he has started to focus more on video, and why he’s not afraid to fail.

Stephanie Bradley Fryer is a lawyer and cattle producer from both Stamford, Texas and Chattanooga, Oklahoma - who also happens to be a fifth generation landowner. She’s telling more about how she makes it work splitting her time between two places, and how she’s established her place as a woman in both ag and law.

We've been struggling to drum up support for the library I work for over the past few years. There just hasn't been a lot in the way of funding to go around. But you see, our library is not just the library. It is a safe place for kids to play in, it's a place where people come to catch the town news, it's a community center, a town hall, a place to come for help of any kind. So what happens here affects the entire community.