Real Food Real People

Growing up in Guatemala, Enrique Mendoza never expected that he would one day run his own dairy farm here in Washington state. But after working for Everson-area dairy farmer Jerry Van Dellen for several years, Enrique found he loved dairy farming and began working toward owning his own farm. The post Enrique Mendoza | #047 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Host Dillon Honcoop's grandfather produced milk for 45 years and raised a family on a small family dairy near Lynden, Wash. 90-year-old Lawrence Honcoop sits down with his podcaster grandson for a personal reflection on the challenges and triumphs he faced over the years, all the way back to being raised by a single mom with her own small farm just out of the Great Depression. The post Lawrence Ho...

She's a high school teacher and first-generation organic blueberry farmer who, along with her husband, grew her farm from the ground up. Oh, and they distill craft liquor, too. Mariah Butenschoen of Breckenridge Blueberries and Probably Shouldn't Distillery shares about the risks and the hardships they faced on their journey to realize a dream that many said wasn't possible. The post Mariah Butens...

A rare medical condition nearly took the life of organic dairy farmer Corby Groen earlier this year. He shares the amazing story of how doctors raced to figure out what was killing him from the inside, and how his family and the surrounding community was able to keep the farm going while he was hospitalized for months. The post Corby Groen | #044 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Even with a successful career in fashion, entertainment and marketing in LA, Macala Wright wasn't happy or healthy. She explains how she reached her breaking point, turning to farming and real food to heal her body and mind, and ultimately bringing her life full circle. The post Macala Wright | #043 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

She could have gone into a career in marketing, but instead Kristyn Mensonides chose to return to her family's dairy farm. In this week's episode, Kristyn gives us a look inside life as a herd manager working with her family and a team of workers to produce milk for a farmer-owned cooperative. The post Kristyn Mensonides | #042 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Riley Hille is a Ritzville-area family farmer and wheat seed consultant. She says she's proof that you don't have to grow up on a farm to become a farmer. The post Riley Hille | #041 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Despite the nature of her job as an administrator, Viridianna Barajas feels very connected to the food produced at the dairy where she's office manager and HR director. She opens up about her family's heritage of growing and making food. The post Viridianna Barajas | #040 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

She's been around dairy farming her whole life, and managed to find a life partner who shares her passion for raising animals and producing milk. Katie Harris gives us a look inside life on a real Washington dairy, and the rollercoaster ride that it can be. The post Katie Harris | #039 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Although he's just out of college, Blake Carson has been growing food for years alongside his grandpa. Now as he helps other farmers, Blake sees a future with more food grown locally in spite of the challenges. The post Blake Carson | #038 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Vegetable farmer Rosella Mosby grows literally tons of local food just minutes from the heart of Seattle. She shares some big challenges our food system faces to make locally-grown produce more available. The post Rosella Mosby | #037 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

An unexpected path led Kady Porterfield from her family's California ranch here to Washington state. She has a passion for helping the people behind our food, and shares her dream for her future. The post Kady Porterfield | #036 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

A freak incident almost killed Steve Pabody, completely changing his perspective on how he manages his small farm in Ferndale, WA. Hear how he and his wife started Triple Wren Farms with no farming experience, and grew it into a diverse, thriving operation. The post Steve Pabody | #035 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

He grew up in Europe on a small family dairy, but he now runs a large dairy in Eastern Washington. Meet Case VanderMeulen, and hear his story of growth as he demystifies how large dairy farms really work. The post Case VanderMeulen | #034 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Hay farmer Andrew Eddie explains how hay is made in Eastern Washington, and reveals a potential opportunity for this state's huge tech community. The post Andrew Eddie part 2 | #033 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

When Andrew Eddie turned 18, he decided he wanted nothing to do with his family's Moses Lake hay farm. But with a few years away from home and a college degree under his belt, he began to see things differently. The post Andrew Eddie part 1 | #032 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

After cooking in restaurants all over the Seattle area, Bobby Morrison followed his passion and became a butcher. He shares his personal journey as well as insights from his unique perspective behind the scenes in our regional food system. The post Bobby Morrison | #031 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

She's a digital communications expert and consultant, but she also runs a beef ranch in Eastern Washington. In the second half of our conversation with Bridget Coon we hear her dream for changing our food system for the better. The post Bridget Coon part 2 | #030 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

She used to have an office next door to the White House, but Bridget Coon says she's happy to be back in Washington state, growing beef and hay near the tiny locale of Benge, WA. The post Bridget Coon part 1 | #029 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Just because a farm is big doesn't necessarily mean it's not a family farm. Derek Friehe shares the story of his family's roots, and his unconventional path back to farming. The post Derek Friehe | #028 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

When you have wine from Washington, know that there's a lot of science and a lot of work that goes into it. Viticulturist Andrew Schultz explains in detail the secrets to growing great wine grapes, and how he's always challenging the status quo. The post Andrew Schultz part 2 | #027 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

His journey to farming took him to Iraq and back, and now he's changing the way wine grapes are grown in Washington state. Meet Andrew Schultz, US Army veteran and founder of Brothers in Farms near Benton City. The post Andrew Schultz part 1 | #026 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

Although she's an artist and a teacher, Chelsea Putnam only really found herself when she came back to her family's farm. This is her story of renewal and passion for stewarding the land and producing food. The post Chelsea Putnam | #025 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

She didn't grow up around farming, and never expected to run a farm herself. But Krista Stauffer is now a widely-followed farmer and blogger from northeast Washington who is passionate about showing the truth about farming. The post Krista Stauffer | #024 appeared first on Real Food Real People .

In what may be our most emotional episode yet, raspberry farm manager Juan Garcia opens up about his battle with alcoholism and dealing with a deep personal loss, all while growing some of the world's best red raspberries. The post Juan Garcia part 2 | #023 appeared first on Real Food Real People .