Some lives reveal how extraordinary they are, the moment you start listening. Mary Eichler of Green Gate Farm in Corvallis has lived one of those lives. Her story sounds like a legend or a movie script,  not because it’s embellished, but because it is rooted in courage and a rare clarity of purpose.

Mary turned eighty years old the day we recorded this. Mary’s life shows how much one person can change the world around them,  and far beyond. As she says, “there’s always a better way… you just have to be willing.” Like the time she and her husband, simply helping a neighbor and trusting what they saw, unwittingly set in motion an international agricultural trade and industry - turning a waste product into a global export, improving environmental outcomes, and helping change Oregon law (more than once). Her story preserves a piece of Oregon history that isn’t captured elsewhere.

This episode honors a woman who has spent her life solving problems others accepted as inevitable, caring for animals others passed by, and spreading seeds of impact everywhere she stepped. I am grateful for everything about Mary. 

This episode was recorded in March of 2026

In today’s episode we’re visiting a small farm tucked into the rolling hills of Yamhill County, where oak trees lean over the road and the landscape opens into sloped pasture and woodland. This is Wee Family Farm (https://www.weefamilyfarm.com/home), a diverse ten‑acre property where animal welfare, ecological diversity, and deep connection with customers guide every decision. Sheep, pigs, laying hens, and broilers have grazed across the south‑facing slopes, 

At the heart of it all is Ann Partridge, a horticulturist‑turned‑shepherd whose journey has taken her from New Zealand to the Pacific Northwest, and finally to this piece of land she now calls home.  Anne named her Farm after her love of the word wee — the name of her creek, the French oui of yes, the “wee” that means little, and the meaning of togetherness. That playful curiosity shapes the way she farms. We talk about her evolving dairy‑sheep breeding project, her experiments with pasture‑based pigs, the rhythms of milking and cheesemaking, and the art of building a flock with both temperament and udders in mind.

We also explore what it means to arrive in a new rural community — through neighbors who become mentors, through shared work and traded skills, through Extension workshops, NRCS projects, and the kind of mutual support that makes small‑scale farming possible.

Join us as we learn how one farmer is shaping a life and a landscape with intention, curiosity, and a whole lot of heart. This episode was recorded in march of 2026

In our first episode of Season 3, we are brought into the fast, physical, deeply skilled world of professional sheep shearing. We sit down with Phoebe Smith, the only woman in Oregon shearing full‑time at a commercial scale. I arrived curious and left humbled, grateful to be invited in.

Shearing is essential to Oregon agriculture, yet often invisible. Phoebe opens that world, sharing what it takes to shear for both fiber and meat producers, what she’s learned from shearing across the U.S. and abroad, and how she found not just a trade, but a calling.

She traces her path into the work, the passion that keeps her on the road, and the realities of a profession that demands athletic strength, technical precision, and grit. It was a joy to learn from her and to place her voice and work within Oregon’s broader farming story. I am in awe of her fierce dedication, for the remarkable skill she brings to this work, all delivered with a humility that makes her even more extraordinary.

In this episode of For the Love of Farming, we sit down with Kelly Huckestein of Spring Up Farm, just 14 miles east of Astoria. After years of working on other farms, Kelly and her partner founded Spring Up Farm in 2016 on marginal land—while raising a child and building community ties. Now, ten years in, Kelly reflects on her identity as a farmer, lessons learned, the courage to pause vegetable production for a year to plan and rest the land, and her vision for the next decade.

Produces: Certified organic vegetables for CSA and local markets.

Starting from scratch, raising a family, and reimagining the future—Kelly Huckestein’s story is one of resilience and renewal.

Join us in Brownsmead, Oregon, where Ed Johnson has farmed tidal floodplains for nearly 50 years. From pole beans grown on repurposed gill nets to U-pick berries and Christmas trees, Ed’s story is a living history of coastal farming. He shares the joys and challenges of raising ten children on the farm, adapting to market shifts, and welcoming neighbors into his fields.

Produces: U-pick berries, pumpkins, Christmas trees, and a flock of breeding ewes.

Fifty years of farming tidal lands, raising a family, and keeping community traditions alive, Ed Johnson’s story is pure coastal resilience.

Nestled in a misty valley of Siletz OR en route to Depot Bay, Sara O’Neill runs a 117-acre regenerative livestock farm. She raises cattle and sheep, manages riparian zones for salmon habitat, and operates a one-woman show selling USDA-certified meats and seasonal produce. Sara shares her journey from academic research to ecological stewardship—and the confidence it takes to farm in a high-rainfall environment.

Produces: Grass-fed beef and lamb, meat shares, and seasonal produce.

Trading archives for pastures—Sara O’Neill’s story is about grit, grace, and regenerative farming on Oregon’s coast.

Ten miles inland from Seal Rock, Rita Ruddiman turned a pandemic layoff into a thriving flower farm and soap-making business. Beaver Creek Blooms reflects her creativity and commitment to sustainability, growing seasonal flowers without chemicals and crafting botanical soaps inspired by the land. Rita shares her story of returning home, building infrastructure by hand, and finding joy in beauty and resilience.

Produces: Seasonal cut flowers and botanical soaps.

From library work to flower farming—Rita Ruddiman’s story blooms with creativity and sustainability.

 In the lush Siletz River Valley, Tim Miller carries on a third-generation cattle operation. After military service and years of off-farm work, Tim returned to raise grass-fed beef entirely on-site using rotational grazing and homegrown hay. His quiet wisdom and deep commitment to land and livestock offer a powerful reflection on heritage and perseverance.

Produces: Grass-fed beef born and raised on the farm. 🎧

“Heritage, resilience, and grass-fed beef—Tim Miller’s story is a testament to coastal farming values. Hear his journey!

In today’s episode, I sit down with Lydia Brennan of Rainbow Acres Community Farm near Cottage Grove, Oregon. After two decades of building farm businesses, integrating goats and horses, and engaging the community—all while navigating unstable land access—Lydia nearly gave up on farming altogether. Then came a surprising opportunity: a sloped, forested property that wasn’t traditional farmland but offered space to nurture the farm vision they’d long held. Despite ongoing setbacks from climate change and unpredictable conditions, Lydia’s love for their animals and passion for socially engaged farming continue to drive them. Their story is one of resilience, vision, and community—a testament to what it means to keep showing up for a dream. This episode was recorded in March of 2025

In this episode, we have the pleasure of sitting downwith orchardist and consultant Ashley Lindsay of Pleasant Valley Cider Apples. In 2015, Ashley and her husband, Brian, started the process of  transforming a 40-acre fallow farm in the Willamette Valley into a thriving orchard, dedicated to sustainably farmed heritage ciderapples and pears. With vision and care, they planted 32 acres of French, English, and American cider apple varieties, Perry pears, red-fleshed apples, and other unique Northwest fruit; at a time when these varieties wereincredibly rare or nonexistent in Oregon.

Today, Pleasant Valley Cider Apples supplies premium-quality, sustainably grown fruit and juice to cideries across the West Coast and beyond. Ashley has been a driving force in bringing heritage cider varieties to Oregon and continues to uplift fellow orchardists by providing nursery stock andinvaluable expertise.

As their business continues to evolve with theever-changing needs of the cider industry, Ashley’s insight and generosity shine through. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to share her journey with you, and for her openness, wisdom, passion, and dedication.