This week we’re in Moville, Iowa (pop. 1,613) with Melissa Nelson of Hungry Canyon, a farm and ranch-related greeting card business that got its start from a valentine Melissa made for her husband when they were dating in college.

This week on the podcast we’re with David Hernandez and Tereasa Surratt of Camp Wandawega in Elkhorn, Wisconsin (pop. 10,084), where they have transformed the camp from a dilapidated property into one of the top 100 hotels in the world.

I recently attended a FarmHer Grow event as a mentor to the high school and college girls in attendance. We had some great conversations about careers and next steps and figuring out what to do with your life. One of the questions I asked each group of girls was, do you want to live rural? Their answers lit a fire in me.

With 2019 drawing to a close, we’re looking back on these great small towns we’ve been able to highlight over this past year. You’ll notice all of these towns have populations less than 5,500 — proof that no town is too small for revival!

This week on the podcast we’re in West Salem, Wisconsin (pop. 5,026) with Cassie Everson of Wanderlust Skulls. Cassie’s sharing about her journey from agronomist to stay-at-home-mom to entrepreneur.

This week on the podcast we’re in DeSoto, Iowa (pop. 1,050) with Jason and Nicole Smith of DreamDirt, a Midwestern-based farmland auction and real estate company where they are forging a new path for farm and machinery sales in the auction industry.

Red Oak Fabrication has been in the Fort family since 1913, and my brother Jacob and I are the fourth generation to continue in the business. Jacob and I were fortunate enough to grow up around the business and knew this is where we would end up.

My wife Traci and I are owners of the Five One 8 and longtime residents of Red Oak, Iowa. Traci is a behavioral health nurse and I manage a manufacturing plant, but music and art have always been a part of our lives.The Five One 8 is an attempt to bring something truly unique to our community.

As we all say, it takes a village to run our theatre. We are celebrating our 10-year anniversary of being completely run by volunteers! We draw people to our theatre from the entire county and beyond — even from other states.

My husband David and I live on a small acreage just outside of Red Oak with our three kids. In 2016 we expanded our garden knowledge and experimented by planting a few pumpkins mounds. We were so excited about the results, we knew we needed to do something that had an impact.

Whether you just want to visit, or you are thinking of thriving here permanently, Red Oak is less than an hour to the Omaha metro. We invite you to visit, but we know you will want to stay, where the heart of Southwest Iowa lives.

We’re in Red Oak, Iowa (pop. 5,415) this week on the podcast with Daric and Jill O’Neal of JMercantile and Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture. We’re talking all things community revitalization and development - including expanding Daric’s architecture company from the city to a small town, and Jill getting to bring her dream of a design and home decor shop to life.

This week on the podcast we’re in Natoma, Kansas (pop. 334) with Adam and Dayna Kocinski of French Press Coffee, whose journey as entrepreneurs came to life when they decided to turn a literal dream that Adam had into reality. Now they’re serving the community more than just coffee — they’re creating a space where they can invest in people, make a space for local artists, and pay it forward.

Rural Revival presents this season’s best gifts - from leather to self care, home goods to apparel - all made in America by rural makers and creators.

This week on the podcast we’re in Lenox, Iowa (pop. 1,407) with Bonnie Ramsey of Ramsey’s Market and Ramsey’s Ace Hardware. Bonnie’s telling us all about how she and her husband Theo have turned a grocery store into an entertainment business, providing a unique, one-of-a-kind experience for their customers.

We’re in Cody, Wyoming (pop. 9,885) this week on the podcast with Maggie Haron of Iron & Pine Design. Today she’s sharing how what started out as a fun way to make some extra cash eventually turned into a dream that wouldn't quit — and a legit, full-time business!

We’re in Brimfield, Illinois (pop. 933) this week on the podcast with Mikaela Endress and Kami Stahl of Kamaela’s Kreamery. Mikaela is a student and Kami is a farmer, and together they have a pop up ice cream shop in a vintage trailer called Little Dipper, and can be found hitting up fun locations across Illinois all summer long.

This week on the podcast we’re in Underwood, Iowa (pop. 917) with sixth generation farmers Kevin and Sara Ross. We’re talking about Kevin and Sara’s important role in connecting with farmers and advocating for agriculture, including Kevin’s new role as President of the National Corn Growers Association.

This week on the podcast we’re in College Grove, Tennessee with Mary Morgan Gentry of Gentry’s Farm and Hatcher Family Dairy. From growing up on the farm in Franklin, Tennessee to working in several shops on Franklin’s historic Main Street, Mary Morgan has had a front row seat to the revival that’s happened here.

We’re celebrating FarmHers everywhere this week on the podcast, and we’re so excited to have founder Marji Guyler-Alaniz with us to share her story and how she has built the FarmHer brand.