In today's episode, Kendall and Jess tackle one of the heaviest questions they've received: how do you show up on social media when the world feels like it's on fire?

With wildfires, natural disasters, tragic events, and constant crisis news flooding everyone's feeds, they're diving into the real struggle of how to navigate being a business owner when everything around you feels overwhelming.

From Jessica's personal experience going completely dark after a local tragedy involving first responders to the challenge of knowing when to pause, when to post, and when to stay silent, they share honest perspectives on managing business content during hard times.

They talk about:

• Why sometimes the best thing you can do is add nothing to the noise
• The difference between performative posting and genuine response
• How to handle pre-scheduled content when emergencies happen
• Why "prayers and posts" don't actually help those affected
• The challenge of balancing business needs with sensitivity during tragedies
• When to go completely offline for your mental health
• How your local vs. distant connection to events should affect your response
• Why it's not your story to tell (and when to step back)
• The reality that you can't please everyone no matter what you do
• Practical tips for navigating content during crisis without being tone-deaf

Whether you've struggled with knowing what to say during national tragedies, felt guilty for posting regular content during hard times, or wondered if you should acknowledge every crisis, this episode gives you permission to trust your gut and do what feels right for your business and community.

Reminder: You don't have to show up for everything. Sometimes the most respectful thing you can do is give people space to grieve without adding your voice to the mix.

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website

*IF APPLICABLE* Some of the links mentioned are affiliate links, which helps to support this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Resources & Links:

• Anonymous Questions Submission 
• Guest Spot on the Podcast
• The Workhorse Collective Group Coaching

In today's episode, we're digging into your questions and serving up some good old-fashioned straight talk, with a side of strategy and a whole lot of honesty. We love these Q&A episodes because they let us get right to the heart of what you're dealing with in your rural businesses. No fluff, no filters. Just real conversations, straight from the inbox.

We kick things off with a big one: marketing beef nationwide when you have limited time, four kids under 12, and a whole lot on your plate. From why going hyper-local can actually make your life easier to how Kendall uses pop-up freezers and mailers to bring in customers, we talk through what works (and what doesn't) when you're not a fan of social media.

From there, we dive into a few more listener-submitted questions about everything from the logistics of transitioning away from in-person sales to what to do when your mother-in-law just won’t stop offering unsolicited advice about your farm store (we had thoughts!).

This one goes a little long, but we cover a lot of ground, and we hope it gives you some practical ideas and the encouragement to trust your gut in building a business that actually works for your life.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• Why marketing nationwide is so dang hard without time or social media
• Smart alternatives to in-person selling like pop-up freezers and mailers
• What to do when your family doesn't support your pricing or vision
• Whether value-added products (like cheese or honey) are worth it
• Real talk on starting and growing an email list
• The power of boundaries, especially when working with family
• How Kendall transitioned from market sales to online (and what she learned)

Want your question answered in a future straight talk episode? Hit the link below and submit it anonymously!

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website

Resources & Links:

• Anonymous Questions Submission 
• Join The Workshop Waitlist
• Episode 24
• Episode 18

Six Small Fixes That Make a Big Business Impact (Yes, Right Now)

In today’s episode, we’re hitting pause on the big ideas and zooming in on six very doable things you can take action on this week to clean up your business presence and boost your customer experience—especially if you’re selling through social media. Jessica and Kendall are in full-on checklist mode (don’t worry, it’s in the show notes) and delivering that honest, slightly salty, always encouraging energy we all need mid-year.

What we dive into:

• The power of being findable: Jessica shares her late-night rage-clicking rabbit hole trying to locate a dreamy-sounding flower farm (spoiler: it was in the wrong state). We talk about how missing location info in your bio could be costing you sales—and how to fix it in five minutes.
• Simplify the buying process: If your followers can’t figure out how or where to buy from you in under three clicks, they’re out. We talk direct links, pinned posts, smart homepage design, and real talk about reading comprehension and attention spans in 2025.
• Do a content cleanup: Outdated dates, dead links, last year’s info—oh my. We’ve all been there. We walk through how to quickly audit your website and socials so you’re not accidentally sending customers to 2023.
• Face your numbers: Kendall gets real about what it took to stop avoiding her financial data—and how understanding her metrics saved her business. If you’ve been dodging spreadsheets or feeling embarrassed about not “getting” your numbers, this one’s for you.
• Audit your time: Whether you’re a Kendall-style calendar spreadsheet-er or more of a “that event was a waste” gut-checker like Jessica, we talk about how to find what’s draining your time without delivering results.
• Promote. Your. Stuff.: When’s the last time you talked about your actual product on social media? If your feed is all cute kids and summer fun, it might be time to bring your business front and center again—especially before those fall markets roll around.
• We hope you take this list, carve out an hour, and knock out these six mini audits in your business. You’ll be amazed what a difference these small fixes can make—especially when they’re done before the holiday hustle kicks in.

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website

Episode Links:

• Owning Your Online Presence
• Join the Workshop Waitlist

From a 4-Hour Field Pop-Up to a $2M Economic Powerhouse: Jess’s Business Journey

Ever wonder how a failed pumpkin patch and some wedding gigs turned into one of the most impactful rural events in the region? In today’s episode, we (finally!) stick to the script and dive into Jess’s business story—how Gather was born, how Market in the Mountains exploded, and how this whole thing somehow started with a cold chicken lunch and a DM.

We talk about what it really means to build community from scratch when you live way out of town. Jess shares the “aha moment” that made her realize rural women needed more than a Facebook group, they needed a room, a seat, and a steak knife that didn’t snap. And you’ll hear the backstory on how a few flower centerpieces, a busted name tag system, and a spark of rebellion against crappy hotel banquet rooms led to a full-blown rural movement.

You’ll hear us unpack:

• The not-so-glamorous start of Gather and the surprising inspiration behind it
• How dressing up to connect turned into a six-figure market with over 3,500 attendees
• Why listening to your community beats any fancy business plan
• The real economic impact of Market in the Mountains (spoiler: $2 million!)
• What it means to be seen—by your dad, your neighbors, and your local FFA teens

We hope this episode inspires you to trust your gut, even if it starts with a four-hour field idea that nobody thinks will work. Because you might just be the one to put your small town on the map.

👉 Make sure to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode! And if this one hit home, we’d love for you to leave a review—it means the world to us.

Connect with GUEST:

• Guest links

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website

Resources & Links:

• Market In The Mountain Tickets

In today’s episode, we flip the script a bit, Kendall takes the mic as interviewer and Jess shares the raw, behind-the-scenes story of Moose Valley Ranch. From law enforcement in Montana to hosting thousands of shoppers in a hayfield-turned-market, this one’s a ride.

And spoiler: it’s not all Instagram-perfect market days. We dive into the reality of what it’s like to run a business on family land when not everyone in the family is on board.

What we get into:

• Jess’s unexpected journey from highway patrol to founder of Moose Valley Ranch
• The heartbreak and grit of building a business where you weren’t always seen as part of the plan
• Honest talk about family dynamics, sibling tension, and what succession planning actually looks like in real life
• Why agritourism can be a game-changer but also bring its own kind of heat

We talk about the mental load of building a dream that doesn’t just rely on hard work, but also on family dynamics and generational land. If you’ve ever felt like the “outsider” in your own family’s operation or like your ideas get treated more like hobbies than businesses, this one will hit close to home.

We hope you walk away from this episode feeling less alone, and more empowered to carve your own path (even if it’s through the thorn bushes on the back corner of the family ranch).

Make sure to hit follow so you never miss an episode, and if Jess’s story resonated with you, send her a message or leave us a review. We love hearing from you.!

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website 

Resources & Links:

• Market In The Mountains Tickets
• The Stepmom, The Sibling, and The Succession Plan

In today’s episode, Kendall and Jessica are peeling back the layers on a trend we’re seeing everywhere—and feeling in our own businesses too: local is back, baby. From conversations in the DMs to storefronts popping up in tiny towns, it seems like more and more rural women are asking the same thing: do I even want to ship anymore?

We dive deep into the nitty-gritty of what it actually costs to run a delivery model—from shipping meat across provinces to packing gelato for cross-country trips. Kendall shares the real math behind their farm’s margins (spoiler: growth doesn’t always mean profit), and Jessica reflects on the emotional weight of pivoting when things just don’t align anymore. Whether you’re wondering if it’s time to raise your prices, shut down shipping, or open a farm store, this one’s for you.

You’ll hear us unpack:

• Why convenience doesn’t always pay off (for the business owner)
• The emotional and financial weight of changing business models
• How pricing creep and unexamined expenses can slowly drain profit
• The myth of “just open an Instagram and sell meat boxes”
• And why there’s no shame in going hyper local

We hope you take this conversation as permission to rethink what success looks like—for your business, your family, and your actual life. If it doesn’t feel good anymore, maybe it’s time to shift. That’s not failure. That’s wisdom.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode of real talk like this!

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website

This week on The Workhorse Podcast, we’re handing the mic to the next generation—literally! Jessica and Kendall are joined by Jagger, Kendall’s (almost) 18-year-old stepson, for a heartfelt and hilarious look at what it’s really like growing up on a working farm.

From his earliest memories helping build the Central Park Farms sign, to his first job cleaning farrowing pens, Jagger shares what he’s learned, what he loves, and what he’d do differently if he were in charge tomorrow. We talk nap schedules, excavator dreams, tractor crashes, and launching his own business.

Whether you’re a farm mama wondering what legacy your kids are absorbing or you're dreaming of starting your own family business, this episode will give you the laughs, insight, and inspiration you didn’t know you needed.

To round it out, Jessica’s own two boys hop on the mic to share what farm life means to them—freedom, egg stands, and a future full of silver coins and pickles.

• What it’s really like growing up with entrepreneurial farm moms
• Jagger’s journey from pig pen duty to running weekend farm ops
• Behind the scenes of launching his own brand: Jagger’s Jerky
• Balancing teen life, school, and butcher shop responsibilities
• The generational pride and weight of keeping the legacy alive
• Bonus: A peek into the Garza kids’ egg stand and pickle business dreams

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website

Join Jessica Garza and Kendall Ballantine for another candid episode of Straight Talk, where they tackle your anonymous questions with unfiltered honesty. In this 45-minute deep dive, they cover everything from social media consistency and decision fatigue to controversial business opinions and the realities of running multiple companies.

What You'll Get:

• Real strategies for social media consistency during burnout
• Practical tips for managing decision fatigue as an entrepreneur
• Behind-the-scenes look at their actual daily schedules
• AI applications for rural business owners
• Their controversial business 'hill to die on'

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Resources & Links:

• Make AI Your New Business Workhorse

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website

*IF APPLICABLE* Some of the links mentioned are affiliate links, which helps to support this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

In today's episode, Jessica and Kendall share the big news about major changes coming to their business partnership and coaching model. What started as a four-hour financial meeting for Kendall turned into a complete pivot away from their monthly group coaching membership to an entirely new approach focused on implementation and results.

The hosts get candid about recognizing when something isn't serving your business anymore - even when it's profitable and successful. They discuss the guilt of seeing members pay monthly without logging in, the challenge of serving women at vastly different business stages, and the realization that constant education without implementation creates a hamster wheel of learning without progress.

Drawing from Kendall's personal experience taking two different types of courses in 2024 - one monthly subscription style and one intensive container - they discovered the power of structured, time-bound programs with built-in accountability. The new model will focus on helping women execute specific goals within their businesses rather than consuming endless content.

They reveal their first two program topics: AI for rural businesses (which has fundamentally changed how Kendall operates and recently helped Jessica secure $17,000 in grant funding) and starting a rural business from idea to implementation. Both programs are designed to move women from learning to doing, with homework, accountability, and real business outcomes.

The episode offers valuable insights for anyone questioning whether their current business model still serves their goals and community, showing that sometimes the boldest move is burning it all down to build something better.

• Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Join the Workshop!

Make AI Your New Business Workhorse

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website

In today's episode, Kendall and Jess are spilling the tea on what's really happening with social media right now.

With members asking questions about plummeting engagement, vanity metrics diving, and the dreaded "algorithm struggles," they're here to set the record straight on what's actually happening with your content—and what you can do about it.

From the good old days of guaranteed reach (remember when you just posted a picture of dinner with that terrible rainbow filter?) to today's demanding content landscape, they break down the real reasons your posts might not be performing and how to fix it.

They talk about:

• Why follower count doesn't equal business success (and when it actually matters)
• The difference between being an influencer and running a product-based business
• How to turn down brand deals that don't align with your revenue goals
• Why your "boring" content might be your biggest sales driver
• The real reason people aren't seeing your posts (hint: it's probably not shadowbanning)
• How consumers are engaging differently now—and what that means for your content
• Why your store hours post matters even if it gets zero likes
• The step-by-step approach to actually improving your content strategy

Whether you're frustrated with low engagement or trying to figure out if social media is even worth your time, this episode breaks down exactly how to approach content creation as a rural business owner.

Reminder: You're not creating content for yourself—you're creating it for your customers. Every post should have a purpose they can connect with.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Connect with Kendall:

• Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
• Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

• Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch 
• Check out her website

Resources & Links:

• Anonymous Questions Submission 
• Guest Spot on the Podcast