The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture

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I can’t resist a great conversation about chocolate and cacao farming. I had the pleasure of interviewing someone I met at the beginning of her cacao journey, a real powerhouse and innovator at the time whom I met on my first chocolate trip to Belize - the one with the howler monkeys and the jungle cabana!  

Emily Stone came on the cacao scene in Belize in 2010, made a tremendous impact to the lives and livelihood of cacao farmers in Belize and 15 years later is now running a much larger, global, certified B, Public Benefit Corporation. Her company, Uncommon Cacao, is a specialty cacao trader, sourcing from 10,000+ smallholder producers across 15+ countries and supplies cacao to hundreds of chocolate makers globally.

Across Uncommon Cacao’s businesses, the company has pioneered a new cacao economy that pays farmers more and is grounded in real partnerships that deliver improved stability and success for all. Uncommon Cacao works with all kinds of cacao buyers and chocolate makers as a problem solver and innovation partner. They promise to provide reliable quality cacao products accompanied by Transparent Trade data and stories from their cacao sourcing relationships, and drive transformative supply chain solutions for cacao producers and chocolate makers.

We rarely get a chance to see someone at the beginning of their journey and then get to reconnect with them 15 years later…. and get to talk about the extraordinary impact of those 15 years, wtih much more to come in the future.  Emily’s story is impactful. Her drive is contagious.  And her desire for transparency, equity and justice is admirable and will hopefully inspire the next set of Emily Stones to step up and tackle the many needs that exist in today’s world.  Thank you Emily for all you do,..and continue to do to help farmers! 

Uncommon Cacao

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Farm Trails was founded in the 1970’s to connect the public to local farmers, ranchers, producers and purveyors in Sonoma County CA and is still aligned with the same mission and going strong in 2025. 

Over five decades ago, a group of forward-thinking farmers blazed trails in Sonoma County, creating a map & guide for local agriculture, inviting the public to meet their farmers and learn more about the origins of their food. These pioneers also produced the Gravenstein Apple Fair to celebrate the heirloom apple and Sonoma County’s rural traditions. This was back in 1973, before the advent of Farmers’ Markets, CSAs, and campaigns to shop locally. Over the years, their  “North Star” has remained the same: Farms Forever in Sonoma County!

Carmen Snyder is the Executive Director of Farm Trails.  She made her way from the Carolinas to California many years ago and consistently reflects on the mission of Farm Trails. A recent trip overseas required her to be very creative in trying to identify ‘farm to table’ cuisine.  Upon her return she realized that what Farm Trails offers is a way to access the best of the food and food events of Sonoma County - something that is not as easily identified when traveling in different areas of the US and abroad.  

Join Carmen and I as we explore the impact of Farm Trails which I consider a significant marketing opportunity for Sonoma County farmers.  Also, learn about how the Gravenstein Apple has helped Farm Trails thrive and how Farm Trails has kept the Gravenstein at the forefront of the Sonoma County community. 

Farm Trails

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.  

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One of my best trips ever….exploring Costa Rica…with my youngest daughter Abby…for her 18th birthday and High School graduation!  This past April, Abby and I embarked on an adventure to Costa Rica….packed with ‘fake’ volcanic eruptions, ash clouds, rainforest hikes, stray dogs, serendipitous moments, magnificent sunsets, a cacao farm tour, chocolate and coffee tasting, delicious, clean, local meals, howler monkeys, the Pacific ocean, waterfalls, and so much more…. Taking it all in was not enough!  I needed to debrief on this amazing agritourism adventure with my youngest on the podcast!  I wanted to capture these moments forever on audio. Join Abby and I as we banter about our first-time adventures together in Costa Rica!  Enjoy my conversation with Abby! 

La Leona Waterfall
Arenal Volcano National Park
Don Juan Chocolate & Coffee Tour
ATV Tours 

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.  

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I had the opportunity to interview 2 extremely dedicated and super insipring people who are veterans, farmers, educators, PHd students, and mentors for so many veterans who are considering a career in farming.  This is career #2 for both of them. But Why did they pick Farming?

With one-third of American farmers over the age of 60, there is a critical shortage of individuals entering the agriculture industry. At the same time, there is a  record number of veterans experiencing  unemployment, PTSD, suicide, and other challenges that naturally follow almost two decades of sustained war.​

Matthew and Kara Rutter, discuss their journey into farming post-military and why they are on a mission to increase the number of farmers while helping their fellow veterans. 

Matt & Kara have created a few business models all focused on helping veterans get into farming and successfully stay in farming including Project Victory Gardens, Farms of the Brave, Farmer’s Bootcamp which is like a mini shark tank experience for wannabe farmers, Rutter’s ranch which is their own for profit farm business, and there are also projects that have been born out of their PHD pursuits in agriculture. 

Matt & Kara are connected to Jeanette Lombardo from  Farmer’s Veteran Coalition, the Global Agritorusim NEtwork and Will Culler from Clemson U who coordinates  the ag and art tours in South Carolina.  Join me as we learn more about how Matt & Kara are motivating our veterans to pursue all sorts of careers in farming.
Farms of the Brave
Rutters Ranch
Project Victory Gardens
Farmer Bootcamp
Farmers Veteran Coalition
South Carolina's Ag & Art Tour 

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.  

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On Agri-Tourist Episode #4 we hosted Shelby Watson-Hampton, author of Grace, Grit & Lipstick and co-owner of Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Maryland.  I was heading down to South Carolina and my half way point was Maryland.  I reached out to Shelby to see if she would be available to connect at her vineyard on a specific evening and, lucky for me, she was available, and so were 10 other local farm women and entrepreneurs.  Shelby created an evening of wine, charcuterie, book discussion, connection and mini podcast interviews. 

Part II of our visit to Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards begins with my interview with Jennifer Harris who manifested her way from a farm in Washington State to Washington DC. Jennifer has always asked, “what is behavior change and how does communications play a role in that? “ Hence, her career has been in Communications within the government sector focused on agriculture and the environment. 

Next I interviewed Sydney Garner who grew up on a 3500 acre, generational,  conventional family grain farm that grew corn, soybeans and wheat. These products are not direct to consumer products and get a bad rap at times.  Sydney taught us about how her farm works to ensure that their farming and production doesn't  impact the local Bays. 

Caroline Trossbach was born and raised on a 4th generation Maryland farm. She is an Agricultural development specialist supporting farm businesses in her county. We had a great discussion about the evolution of farmers markets and ultimately why farmers are turning more to agritourism. 

Lastly, I interviewed Shari Bryant. Shari’s love for horses started when she was a young girl.  Shari built a career in accounting, but she knew her life would involve horses. She launched FoxFire Farm where they do horseback trail riding paired with wine tasting at the next door vineyard…this is such a creative agritourism venture.  

Shelby’s Book - Grace Grit & Lipstick
Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards
Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission
FoxFire Farm

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.  

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On the Agri-Tourist Episode #4 we hosted Shelby Watson-Hampton, author of Grace, Grit & Lipstick and co-owner of Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards.  I was heading down to a wedding in SC and my 1st stop was Maryland. I always say that I want to visit and connect in person…and I really do mean it.  I reached out to Shelby to see if she would be available to meet at her vineyard.  She was available, and so were 10 other local farm women and entrepreneurs.  Shelby created an evening of wine, charcuterie, book discussion, connection and mini podcast interviews.  Next is a series of mini podcast interviews with some inspirational farm women.  

• First up is Susan Watson White, co-owner of Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards and Shelby’s Aunt!  During Shelby’s interview, we spoke a lot about her Aunt and the leadership role she took on at the farm when her father/Shelby’s grandfather suddenly passed away.  
• Next up is Tasha Dickerson.  She is new to Shelby’s farm group but not new to growing.  Many will relate to her story, her desire to get into farming, and her practical thinking about how she needs to approach this passion and journey.
• Next you will meet with Mika Palmer who grew up in farming and now is part of her husband’s hay and straw business.  We sometimes just say that someone grows hay…but we don’t  stop to think about what that really means...it’s a lot more intricate than we make it out to be.
• Amy Crone is the next interview.  Among the many things that Amy does, she is helping to feed Americans!  The need for what she is doing and the impact of what she is doing is extraordinary!  

Enjoy my conversations with each of these amazing women and check out next week's episode for Part II of my visit to Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards! 

Shelby’s Book - Grace Grit & Lipstick
The Farmed Life
Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards
Palmer Farms LLC
Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission
Hops Scratch Farm
Marketlink.org
The Farmers Food Assistance Bureau

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.  

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Shalom Farms is a nonprofit working together to build healthy communities by growing and sharing healthy food. The food they grow is distributed through their network of programs and partnerships in communities where access to healthy food is limited.

Shalom Farms is the evolution of the work of the United Methodist Urban Ministries of Richmond (UMUMR) which has a long history of social service work in Richmond VA. In 2009 UMUMR started a pilot project growing food on just half an acre at Westview. As the impact of the project quickly became clear, the organization decided to focus exclusively on food access work and eventually changed its name to Shalom Farms.

In 2016, they relocated their primary growing site  to a larger, more accessible 12 acre farm in only 20 minutes west of Richmond. And they have since added a second five-acre site in Richmond’s Northside. This expansion has allowed them to evolve from distributing just a few thousand pounds of produce a year to local food banks, to a comprehensive range of food access programs and strategies that serve over 10,000 community members annually.

What makes Shalom Farms so unique is their focus on Providing meaningful access to healthy food which is at the heart of everything they do.  So What does "meaningful access" mean?

• Fresh produce is always affordable for individuals of all income levels.
• Fresh produce is available, easy to find and easy to get to with convenient and consistent hours of operation.
• Fresh produce options reflect what community members are familiar with and wish to feed their families.
• Consumers have access to the tools, information, and recipes needed to enjoy fresh produce.

If any of these components are missing, then access is limited and it is not considered meaningful access. 

I had the pleasure of speaking with Änna Ibrahim, Executive Director of Shalom Farms.  Anna’s diversity of career knowledge, experience, and exposure to food access and equity issues, led her to this unique role as the ED of Shalom Farms.  It was like the job was crafted just for her.  And her husband intuitively knew that as soon as he saw the job post!  Enjoy my inspiring conversation with Anna.

Shalom Farms

Improving Health by Embedding Produce Prescriptions (PRx) into Healthcare Practice

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We did not grow apples at my farm.  So during apple season we would purchase apples to have available for our customers.  Finding organic apples was impossible so after some research we found Eco Certified apples from Fishkill Farms - a farm that was about a 2 ½ hour drive from us.  However, it was worth the trip to stock up on healthier, more sustainably grown apples. At the time I read about the Eco Certification and it sounded in line with our values.  But I have to say that I didn’t fully understand why I couldn’t find organic apples, similar to the certification that we find in the grocery stores.

During a podcast interview with the manager and orchardist from Scott Farm  in Vermont, the Eco Certification came up again…they were an eco certified apple farm.  And that was when I learned that apples east of the state of Washington pretty much can’t successfully be certified and grown organically.  Why can’t they?  Well we explore these reasons  in my interview with Michael Rozyne, Founder of Red Tomato, the organization that oversees the Eco Certifiication program for apples and peaches.  

Funny thing is that the Eco Certification is actually tied to Meryl Streep. And… you will have to listen to the podcast to learn more about that intriguing story. 

Turns out that Red Tomato is not just focused on their Eco Certification program but they are also a food distributor, marketing and education powerhouse, and have recently launched an innovative supply chain project to address food access and affordability.  

Join Michael and I as we explore how Red Tomato came to be and has evolved to support the changing times.  Enjoy my conversation with Michael!  

Red Tomato
Scott Farm/Orchard, Vermont - Podcast Episode

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Molly Comstock is now overseeing Many Forks Farm. Many from the Berkshires know her as the owner of Colfax Farm.  Molly’s passion and tenacity for farming and to be a farmer definitely comes through in her story. And her story has a significant focus on the issues surrounding farmers and land access 

Molly didn’t own her land and had to move her farmland and business a few times.  And, for a farmer who invests in their soil and farm infrastructure  and invests in  building a presence and feeding their local community , it’s not easy to find new land and just start over.

Land access and the ability to find a property that provides security to a farmer has become one of the most significant barriers to entry for farmers and wannabe farmers in America.  

Molly’s story is very interesting and takes you on her journey around finding land, land that she can actually feel secure on and build a long term business on, land that she knows will remain farmland well beyond her… 

My conversation with Molly is an important one as it is a real story,..and it serves up the complexities around leasing vs. owning farmland..and offers alternatives and opportunities for farmers today. Join me in exploring Molly’s story. 

Many Forks Farm

Colfax Farm

Berkshire Natural Resources Council

Berkshire Community Land Trust

Green Acres Summer Camps

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My conversation with Jim Sanders, farmer from Wildflower Lane Farm in NC, was far reaching.  HIs idea around having food advocacy groups who are purchasing produce from retailers and wholesalers shift those funds to pay local farmers to grow for them, has had a tremendous impact on many non profits in the North Carolina area. 

Another one of the non profit organizations that Jim’s idea has reached is called PORCH.  PORCH fights food insecurity by creating sustainable hunger relief programs at the local level. Started in 2010 in Chapel Hill, NC, PORCH has grown into a repeatable model of monthly neighborhood food drives and fresh produce distribution supplying food pantries, schools, and community programs across the country. PORCH’s volunteer network of 50 chapters in 12 states, has contributed more than $12 million dollars in hunger relief.

Porch’s flagship program called PORCH for Pantries consists of running monthly neighborhood food drives to supply non-perishable goods to local food pantries and families in need.  Porch has now  introduced PORCH Fresh which supplements the non-perishable goods with milk, eggs, meat, fruits and vegetables, and uses local farms like Jim’s to support this need. 

I had the pleasure of speaking with Nora Dicker, the Program Manager for PORCH Hillsborough and learning more about how they are connecting and collaborating to impact food security.  Enjoy my conversation with Nora!  And, again, I just want to thank Jim Sanders - as his idea around shifting funds to local farmers to supply local veggies and fruits has had such far reaching impacts… and I am hopeful that these interviews further impact that reach…. 

Porch Communities
Porch Hillsborough

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.  

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