Dirt Diaries

Welcome to another episode of Dirt Diaries! Today, we're heading to Star Valley, Wyoming, to visit with Amy Rhodes of Salt River Ranch. Nearly nine years ago, Amy and her family traded California life for ranching and have been learning the ropes along the way. Today, Amy helps grow their family business through direct-to-consumer beef sales and value-added products, all while sharing their story...

On this episode of Dirt Diaries, we’re highlighting the power of connection, finding your purpose, and why your story matters. I’m joined by Venessa Joy Wood; the founder of Ag Women Connect. What started from a desire to create a place for women in agriculture to connect and learn from one another has grown into a nationwide movement—and has taken Venessa into some incredible rooms, including Was...

On this episode of Dirt Diaries, we’re digging into the life of a young farmer and agricultural advocate, Saydee Longhurst. From her family’s alfalfa and wheat farm in Southeast Idaho, Saydee uses photography and social media to help consumers better understand where their food comes from. Her passion for agriculture and education shines through in everything she does, and we hope her story inspir...

This week on Dirt Diaries , we're joined by filmmaker, educator, entrepreneur, and storyteller Rupa Mehta. While Rupa didn't grow up in agriculture, she's become one of its most passionate advocates through powerful storytelling that shines a light on the people behind our food system. From founding a fitness studio and nonprofit focused on emotional wellness to producing the award-winning film Si...

This week, I sat down with someone whose journey proves that high performance isn't just about winning—it's about showing up with intention, grit, and purpose. Paige Lawrence Champion's path has been anything but ordinary. From growing up on a small ranch in rural Canada to competing as an Olympic pairs figure skater at the 2014 Winter Games, she's lived at the highest levels of sport. Today, she'...

This week, we sit down with Callie Tice, Brand Director of Cowgirl magazine and someone who's spent the last 16 years helping tell the stories that celebrate Western women, traditions, and the lifestyle so many of us love. From taking a chance on a job she almost didn't apply for to helping grow Cowgirl into one of the most recognizable brands in the Western industry, Callie shares how saying "yes...

On this episode of Dirt Diaries, I sat down with entrepreneur, horsewoman, and generational textile executive Robin Hoffman Haack for a conversation that weaves together family legacy, Western lifestyle, and the art of building something meaningful. Raised on the California coast but deeply rooted in the horse industry, Robin shares how a lifetime of showing cutting horses, growing up in a family...

This week on Dirt Diaries , we're sitting down with someone who's proving that honoring tradition and embracing innovation don't have to be at odds. Martha Santos grew up in a deeply rooted ranching family in Laredo, Texas, where she witnessed firsthand how urbanization, changing landscapes, and evolving industries can shape the future of agriculture. That experience sparked a passion for protecti...

In this episode of Dirt Diaries , we’re sitting down with Jennifer Boka, Senior Livestock Director and Industry Relations Leader for the National Western Stock Show. She reflects on a career that has connected every corner of the agriculture industry, gives insight into the rich traditions that make National Western so special, and tells us how meaningful experiences can connect consumers with the...

This week, we're joined by one of the most connected and creative minds in the Western industry—Jessica Shae Craven. While many know Jessica as the woman behind rodeo superstar Rocker Steiner's brand, her story stretches far beyond the arena. From producing fashion shows and building partnerships in Nashville's music scene to working with major brands across NASCAR, country music, and Western spor...

Today, we’re honored to sit down with one of agriculture's most influential voices, Chief Aubrey Bettencourt, Chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). From growing up on a diversified family farm in California's Central Valley to helping shape conservation policy in Washington, D.C., Aubrey's career has been driven by a passion for protecting natural resources, advocating f...

Today we're sitting down with a woman who has helped shape one of the most recognizable brands in the western industry. Erin DeLong is the Marketing Manager for Durango Boots, where she's spent more than a decade helping grow the brand, building meaningful partnerships, and telling the stories that connect western lifestyles to consumers around the world. From her roots in agriculture and 4-H to l...

We’re sitting down with Sarah Daniels, Product Marketing Manager for John Deere's largest tractors and a proud farm kid from the Iowa-Minnesota border. Sarah shares how growing up on a first-generation family farm shaped her work ethic, passion for agriculture, and understanding of the people who power rural America. From study animal science and agronomy at Iowa State University to building a car...

This week, we're catching up with a familiar face and one of agriculture's biggest champions for women in leadership—Svitlana "Lana" Synkovska, Portfolio Director for Women in Agribusiness. With more than 20 years of experience spanning consulting, communications, international trade and event leadership, Lana has built a career connecting people across the agricultural value chain. Today, she's l...

This week, we're sitting down with Mamie Brown McKee—a Texas native, boutique owner, mother of three, and passionate advocate for western culture and community. Mamie grew up between Texas and Colorado before finding her way back home to Texas, where she now helps lead Tucker Brown, her family's clothing business that has been serving customers for more than four decades. From the heart of Fort Wo...

On this episode, we have Emily Jackson, Vice President of Arcadia Commodity Opportunity, to talk about the business side of the cattle industry and the unique path that led her there. Raised in Canada by a family deeply rooted in the cattle business, Emily originally pursued a career in finance before discovering her passion for cattle feeding, risk management, and commodity markets. From buying c...

Today we’re joined by Lauren Lovelace Murray, Executive Vice President of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo and the first woman to hold the role in the organization's 130-year history. Lauren shares her remarkable journey from a horse-crazy kid growing up in Grapevine, Texas to helping lead one of the most iconic events in agriculture and Western heritage. Along the way, she reflects on the me...

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...