Rural Revival

On today’s podcast episode we’re with Tia Berens of the Barn at Aspen Acres in Spearfish, South Dakota (pop. 10,494). The Barn at Aspen Acres is a stunning wedding venue that offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Northern Black Hills, minimalist landscaping, clean lines, and modern aesthetic design features. Originally built as a space for Tia and her husband Dan to host their wedding, the ve...

On today’s podcast episode we’re with Katie Cloud-Paulsen of Katie + Company in Anthon, Iowa (pop. 545), where you’ll find painted vintage furniture, candles, a custom fragrance line, and more! It all started out with Katie painting furniture for her dorm room in college, and now she and her husband are restoring a historic downtown building where she’ll operate her shop out of and where they’re r...

This week we’re with Molly Knuth of Molly Knuth Media in Cascade, Iowa. From full time teacher to a stay-at-home-mom to now being a social media boss, Molly is sharing how she built her business and how her personable approach resonated with a small town audience on social media. We talk about current trends she is seeing and the role small business social media can play in building momentum for s...

On this episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re sitting down on the farm for a conversation with Kenzie Ashcroft of Farm Girl — a rural boutique and general store located in the heart of the Oklahoma prairie. After years of operating a main street brick and mortar, Kenzie’s sharing how she has recently transitioned both her brand and her boutique and expanded into the online space. Kenzie is an...

On this episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Kimberly Joosten of Fourth Street Bakery in Lexington, Texas (pop. 1,177). Fourth Street Bakery, which is only open on Fridays, receives rave reviews from everyone who’s been there, from the locals to the tourists. Kimberly is sharing her story of how she became an accidental baker and also part of a carrot cake explosion, selling over half a...

Today we’re with Brett McPherson of Arcadia, Oklahoma (pop. 247). Brett is the interior designer behind Designer’s Brew, where she has been styling incredible spaces since 2004. She’s sharing how her dream of owning her own interior design firm came to life and how she has built and grown her business. We also talk about the value of hard work, following your gut, boundaries, and some of the hard...

On today’s podcast we’re with Jasmin Stidham of Stidham Outfitters in Johnson City, Texas (pop. 1,656). Stidham Outfitters started in 2014 when Jasmin and her husband Seth opened a brick and mortar to sell home goods, gifts and apparel — including Seth’s handmade leather goods. Jasmin shares about the importance of building relationships, their focus on quality, American-made products, and creatin...

On today’s episode we’re with Todd Weber of The Earlham Echo, a weekly newspaper in Earlham, Iowa (pop. 1,450). This publication started out as a group effort involving several community members, and now Todd and his wife Jennifer have taken over ownership. Todd is sharing how the town originally brought in this new newspaper and took a group approach to the editorial process, and even turned a pr...

On today’s podcast we’re with Francesca Catalini, the photographer and storyteller behind the Sierra Winds Instagram account. Francesca has a passion for capturing some of rural America’s remaining treasures before they are forever gone from our landscape. We talk a lot through Rural Revival about the future our towns, but it’s also important that we honor the past, and we’re so glad we have peopl...

We are soooo excited to kick off the podcast for 2021 and could not have picked a better interview to kick off the year! Today we’re talking with artist Amy Smith and fashion designer Cyndi Sarver of Textile Revival in Leipers Fork, Tennessee (pop. 650). Amy and Cyndi are working together to create wearable art through their one-of-a-kind pieces. They’re sharing about their business journey, their...

Today on the podcast we’re with Callie Taylor Dayton of May Tree Farm in Maysville, West Virginia (pop. 2,141). Callie is a tourism pro turned economic developer and has a big heart for small towns and small businesses. She’s sharing about her experiences with May Tree Farm, her family’s mountain grown Christmas tree farm, and also about creating opportunities for her community and why there’s a l...

Today on the podcast we’re with Abby Roleau of The Gateway Farm in Bristol, Vermont (pop. 3,894). Abby’s talking about how she and her husband are building their dream farm from scratch and starting a business with four kids in tow. She shares how they have gradually built and diversified their farm, including the farm fresh meats they raise and sell and how they’re bringing maple and birch syrup...

Today on the podcast we’re with Tammy Pate of Ryegate, Montana (pop. 234), creator of Art of the Cowgirl. Art of the Cowgirl is a gathering to celebrate cowgirls and their contributions to western lifestyle and culture, and to raise funds to support up and coming artists to expand their knowledge and skills. Tammy shares about growing up in the rodeo world and the inspiration behind Art of the Cow...

Today on the podcast we’re with Stacy Bannor of Bannor Toys in Madrid, Iowa (pop. 2,543). Stacy’s sharing how what started as her husband’s creative outlet to support her daycare quickly turned into a popular wooden toy business. From moving their business from their garage to the city and then to a small town, plus expanding their business line to later refining that into a core line, it’s been q...

Today we’re talking with Nevada Miller of Nevada Watt Brand in Frenchglen, Oregon (pop. 12). Nevada creates eclectic silver jewelry that incorporates traditional Western design with cultural elements on her ranch in Oregon. She’s talking with us today about what it was like growing up in an artistic, entrepreneurial family, how she developed her own style, why she shares her craft with others, and...

On today’s podcast we’re with Justine Sindt of East of Omaha, a live music venue in Griswold, Iowa (pop. 1,036). Justine shares about how she and her family are bringing live music to Griswold and how that was inspired by some time spent in Nashville. Plus, we’re talking about her heart for her hometown, and how important it is to save our stages and live music venues from the devastating effects...

On this episode of the podcast, we’re talking with Mindy Crook and Darin Smith of Arch Icon Development Corporation in Woodbine, Iowa (pop. 1,459). Arch Icon specializes in historic renovation and community development projects, and it all started with a Main Street restoration in their hometown. Darin and Mindy share how they, along with Mindy’s husband Dustin, built their business and started a...

Today on the podcast we’re with Ed Roberson, host of the Mountain & Prairie podcast and Conservation Director at Palmer Land Trust in Colorado. We’re talking about Ed’s journey from real estate and the business world into land conservation, the podcast community that he’s built, and the important work of conservation and how to get involved with conservation in your area. We also touch on the...

This week on the podcast we’re with Maartje Murphy of Duchessa Gelato in Carrington, North Dakota (pop. 2,065). Maartje is sharing how she built her business with a premium farm-fresh product, a gelato cart, and a lot of sacrifice and determination. Her gelato is now in demand across the state and the business is expanding into the agritourism space, where they will offer gelato, gouda cheese, and...

This week on the podcast we’re with Lukas Fricke of ChorChek in Ulysses, Nebraska (pop. 171). Lukas is a sixth generation farmer at Union Farms and the inventor of the new ChorChek technology that’s creating a lot of buzz in the ag world. ChorChek streamlines farm operations and data collection, allowing subscribers to keep digital records in a simplified, secure way and giving producers more time...

This week on the podcast we’re with Allison Ryan of Explore Ranches — a web platform of ranch rentals that Allison and her friends Jay and Jesse created that features incredible private properties and experiences and helps people connect to the outdoors. As someone who has always had a passion for the outdoors, Allison is sharing how Explore Ranches is providing a service to both land owners and v...

This week on the podcast we’re with Greg Roskos and Rob Grover of Winghaven Pizza Farm in Galesville, Wisconsin (pop. 1,481). Greg, who grew up always in the kitchen, and Rob, who was looking for a way to bring a new kind of business to his family farm, put their entrepreneurial minds together and created Winghaven Pizza Farm, where you’ll find stone-fired pizzas, local beer and wine, live music —...

This week on the podcast we’re with Shane Riley of J Bar D Canvas and Leather in Oreana, Idaho (pop. 7, or maybe 8). Shane is sharing how he and his wife Amy started their business with $135 and a Facebook post. We’re talking about how they’ve built their business, what it means to have a quality, American-made product, and keeping the cowboy way of life alive. You’ll love the principles that Shan...

This week on the podcast we’re talking with Dan Jurek and Jeff Bajek of True North Basecamp in Crosby, Minnesota (pop. 2,386). Dan and Jeff are friends and, more recently, business partners after they saw an opportunity to create a better camping experience for visitors to the Cuyuna Recreation Area. This increasingly popular destination for mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts, where local aba...

This week on the podcast we’re with Nicolle Fugere of Missouri River Outfitters in Fort Benton, Montana (pop. 1,443). Nicolle’s started as a guide for Missouri River Outfitters when she was 19, has worked for them every summer since, and always dreamed of someday owning the company. That dream came true four years ago and she has created a great life around this very special part of Montana. She’s...