Dirt Diaries

Intro: We're welcoming back a familiar face and one of our favorite advocates for agriculture, Krista Soda. As a leader with Nationwide Agribusiness, Krista has spent more than two decades helping build the future of agriculture through talent development, youth engagement, and support for women in the industry. But beyond her impressive career, Krista is known for her infectious positivity, pract...

On this episode, we’re sitting down with author, storyteller, and marketing strategist Caroline George Larson. Caroline shares her remarkable journey from publishing novels with HarperCollins to discovering an unexpected calling in agriculture and ranch life. Going from city life to wide-open spaces in Wyoming, Caroline learned the language and culture of the cattle industry from the ground up, an...

On this episode, I sit down with Dr. Liz Fiedler Mergen—a nurse practitioner, flower farmer, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and host of the Rooted Agritourism podcast. Liz’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and building something beautiful from unimaginable loss. In 2020, Liz found herself facing difficult decisions about family, legacy, and the future of a fifth-generation Minnesota farm....

Today we’re taking a broader look at agriculture — how what happens on farms here at home connects to markets, policies, and decisions being made around the world — with one of the most respected voices in global commodity markets and agricultural strategy My guest today is Emily French, CEO of Global Ag Protein. Emily grew up on a farm in Idaho, giving her a front-row seat to the r...

Today’s episode is going to be a little different... and a whole lot of fun. I am welcoming two guys who I call my coworkers and good friends: Johnny Clark and Zach McCann — the producers, videographers and visionaries behind FarmHER + RanchHER. These guys are normally  behind  the camera, but today I am putting them in the hot seat to share all the dirty details of making the show....

Today I get to sit down with someone who I’ve known for a long time. We’ve worked together, traveled together, learned from each other, and I’ve watched her build a life and a voice that is as bold as it is genuine. Today’s guest is the one and only Brandi Buzzard — cowgirl, rancher, mom, writer, speaker, communications pro, and self-employed powerhouse who someh...

Hey y’all—welcome back to  Dirt Diaries . Today I’m joined by someone who has her boots firmly planted in both the fields and the financials of legacy farming. Jenny Weg is raising her daughters on the same land her family has worked for generations in Ocheyedan, Iowa. She’s also a digital strategist by day, a farmhouse renovator by night, an ag and finance influencer...

Today’s guest is someone who truly does it all—with a whole lot of style. She’s a champion barrel racer, a chart-topping country music artist, fitness influencer and an entrepreneur whose fashion collections —including Shea Baby and Shea Michelle Buckles—have become Western staples. But beyond the arena, the stage, and the studio, Shea Fisher Durfey is also a wife, to World Champion Tie-Down...

Today we’re diving in with a gal who is as sweet as she is inspiring. I had the pleasure of getting to know Katey Jo Evans while filming season 7 of FarmHER, and I couldn’t wait to catch up with her again on the podcast! Katey is a third-generation farmer from Delaware who took a big risk, a little creativity, and a whole lot of faith—and turned it into  The Frozen Farmer , a n...

Today’s guests are a mother-daughter duo whom I’ve not only long admired but also make me miss my own mom and sisters! I’m joined by the incredible women behind  TrailblazHER Co. , Jan and Erin Johnson, who together created  TrailblazHER Magazine , a publication that’s become a lifeline and a love letter to rural women everywhere. What started as a...

Today’s episode is all about two women who are changing the way the world sees agriculture—one podcast, one YouTube show, and one pop-culture headline at a time. Tara Vander Dussen and Natalie Kovarik are the dynamic duo behind Discover Ag , the hit podcast and TV series where they break down food, farming, and Western culture with sharp commentary, plenty of laughs, and a side of unapologetic rea...

Today I’m excited to introduce you to someone who’s helping shape the future of farming from inside one of the most iconic names in agriculture. Taryn Fischels is a Product Marketing Manager for Precision Upgrades at John Deere. Growing up in northeast Iowa, she developed a deep appreciation for farmers and the role they play in feeding the world—and now she channels that passion into making sure...

Today’s guest is someone you may not always see front and center, but I promise you’ve felt the impact of her work in a big way.   Emily Sharkey is the creative force behind the SharkFarmer brand—serving as Executive Producer of SharkFarmer Radio on SiriusXM Rural Radio Channel 147 and Producer of SharkFarmer TV on RFD-TV. She’s the heart and the hustle behind the SharkFarmer operation—and sh...

Today I’ve got not one, but  two  amazing guests (and two girls I always love grabbing a beer with) — Annaliese Wegner and Courtney Feigl, hosts of  Ag’s Most Okayest Farm Girls . Annaliese is a Wisconsin dairy farmer, Courtney is a cattlewoman with a heart for rural storytelling, and together they’ve built a platform where women in ag can lau...

Today’s guest is someone whose work is shaping the future of agriculture in the most powerful way—by investing in our youth. Molly Ball is the President of the National FFA Foundation and Chief Marketing Officer for the National FFA Organization. She’s a proud former FFA member from Vicksburg, Michigan, whose journey has truly come full circle—from wearing the blue jacket herself, to internin...

I was so excited for this conversation, because today’s guest is also one of my favorite episodes on the new TV season of FarmHER + RanchHER. She’s also one of my favorites to follows on social media, sharing her day-to-day life a way that makes you feel like you’re right there in the cab with her.  Alex Templeton is a third-generation farmer and rancher from northwest Missouri who runs cattl...

Today’s guest is someone who has dedicated her voice, her platform, and heart to celebrating women in agriculture. Katelyn Duban is a first-generation grain farmer in southern Alberta, Canada, and the host of The Rural Woman Podcast . After marrying into her husband’s multi-generational farm in 2016, Katelyn traded city life for rural life—learning how to drive tractors, run equipment, and fall in...

Today’s guest is proof that you can be both a powerhouse behind the wheel of a tractor  and a force on social media. Zoe Kent is an eighth-generation grain farmer from Crawford County, Ohio—and at just 26 years old, she took over the family operation. Since then, she’s built not only her farm, but also a wildly popular online presence as the face of “Farm With Zoe.” Zoe gives her followers an...

Today’s guest is a woman who knows what it means to wear a lot of hats—and wear them all really well. Christina Woerner McInnis is the founder and CEO of AgriMarketing Solutions, a full-service agency helping ag brands tell their stories in ways that truly connect. She’s also a fifth-generation farmer, part of the Woerner family legacy in Alabama, and a fierce advocate for the people who grow, rai...

Today I’m talking with someone who has been a champion for agriculture for nearly two decades—she’s also someone I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with in the last few years and has become a good friend of mine — Krista Soda. Krista is a Senior Consultant at Nationwide Agribusiness, where she helps bridge the gap between financial services and the farming community. She’s the...

I am so excited for this episode and so honored to call today’s guest a friend. On top of being incredibly talented, she is smart, gritty, and beautiful inside and out. It’s country sensation Jenna Paulette! I’ve known Jenna for years and have loved watching her grow as an artist, get married, go through life changes, all while staying the same humble and kind cowgirl she’s always been. Jenna is t...

I wanted to put out a BONUS episode this week to make sure you all know about a particularly special event coming up in September:   Women in Agribusiness . It’s an annual summit that brings together women to network, share knowledge and empower each other to be leaders and changemakers in the industry. I’ll be heading to the 2025 summit in September and would love to see you there!  &nb...

Today’s guest is someone I first met at last year’s CattleCon in San Antonio. I got to speak with her on the FarmHER+ RanchHER Making an Impact panel at NCBA, and I now can’t wait to introduce you to intelligent, warm and witty Anna Kobza! Let me tell you, if you think you’ve had a busy year, wait ‘til you hear what Ana’s been up to. Spoiler alert: she planned a wedding, got married, tackled...

Today’s episode is one that really speaks to the heart of why we do this show. I’m so excited to introduce you to Dana DiPrima—an “accidental farmer” turned full-blown ag advocate who’s now leading a nationwide movement to support small and mid-sized farms. Dana’s story starts in New York City, takes a detour through a backyard chicken coop, and lands on a mission to uplift the farm...

Paige Today I’m sitting down with a friend of mine who I greatly admire as someone who brings a whole lot of heart to everything she does. Paige Murray is a RanchHER, author, and mom who’s built a beautiful life out in Texas on a working cattle ranch with her husband—none other than nine-time World Champion cowboy Ty Murray—and their daughter Oakley. Born and raised in South Carolina, Paige has al...