FarmHouse

Welcome to FarmHouse, a Lancaster Farming podcast where the resilient women of agriculture come together to share their compelling stories and discover shared experiences. Join your hosts, Candice Wierzbowski and Stephanie Speicher, as they engage in insightful conversations with remarkable women spanning the entire agricultural landscape. From the barn and fields to the classrooms, boardrooms and halls of government, women are making a big difference in agriculture. Hear their stories on FarmHouse. Dive deep into the narratives that shape the industry, as FarmHouse brings you the voices and experiences of women in agriculture. Tune in to be inspired, informed, and connected as we celebrate the incredible stories of these trailblazing women on FarmHouse.

Closing the FarmHouse Door 03/26/2026

Lard, Livestock and Learning to Farm With Julie Schroeder 03/19/2026

Meet the 2026 PA Fair Queen With Olivia Morrissey 03/12/2026

Meet the 2026 PA Fair Queen With Olivia Morrissey This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re speaking with , the 2026 Pennsylvania Fair Queen. Morrissey, of the Lebanon Area Fair, was crowned state queen Jan. 24 during a competition with 64 other young women. “I was so honored to be chosen,” Morrissey said. “There were a lot of qualified women there and it was great to meet all of them. It was definitely an honor.” Morrissey didn’t grow up farming, but she was involved with the Lebanon County 4-H Friends club, participating in a variety of projects and activities including photography and cooking. Her main project was sewing, which led her down her current path. Morrissey is studying fashion design and fiber at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. “I definitely wouldn’t be interested in pursuing fashion design if I hadn’t done 4-H and taken sewing,” she said. Her minor in fibers was inspired by the national Make It With Wool contest. “There’s a lot of misconceptions about wool,” Morrissey said. “People think it’s itchy, it’s hot — and it can be. But there’s also a glorious side of wool. It regulates temperature. You can hang it up if it gets dirty or if it smells bad and the smell will just dissipate on its own. It’s so interesting and a lot of people don’t know about that.” Morrissey was also a member of the Little Dutchmen FFA at Annville-Cleona High School, where she served as her chapter’s historian. Taking ag classes in high school inspired her to focus her royal reign on promoting agricultural education. “I want to be an advocate and teach people about what farmers do for us, and what agriculture as an industry means for our world,” Morrissey said. While she is away in Georgia for part of her tenure, she will be home in Pennsylvania for the summer’s busy fair season. Her goal is to visit all 65 fairs that were represented by a queen at the state contest. “I don’t know if that’s a reasonable number, but I would like to see all of (the contestants) again,” Morrissey said. “It would be great to go to as many as I can.” /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/40386830

Betting the Farm With Beth Hoffman 03/05/2026

Shining a Light on ‘Women’s Work’ With Audra Mulkern 02/26/2026

Shining a Light on ‘Women’s Work’ With Audra Mulkern This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re speaking with Audra Mulkern, the creator of “,” a documentary about the history of women in agriculture in the U.S. “Women’s Work” chronicles women’s roles and contributions to American agriculture starting with Indigenous farming practices and ending in the present day. Along the way, Mulkern explores the stories of women who farmed without recognition. “Women have always farmed, but their contributions and legacies have been buried by history’s plow,” Mulkern says in the film. The documentary dives into the stories of several female farmers and the challenges they’ve had to overcome. In one story, homesteader Marge Mullen moved to Alaska with her husband in 1947, chasing the promise of cheap land. After establishing their farm, her husband’s health prevented him from working and Mullen took over as the sole farmer on their property. However, due to land ownership laws at the time, Mullen’s name was never on the deed despite the fact she was performing all of the physical labor on the farm. “For so many years, women were relegated to ‘wife,’” said Mulkern. “They were not honoring women with the title ‘farmer.’ And you know what I love about the word farmer is that it has no gender. The word is not gendered at all. But somehow we all think of men when we talk about the word farmer.” Mullen’s story is one of many reflecting women’s journey to equality — both in regard to civil rights and in farming — and Mulkern is passionate about making sure these stories get told, from enslaved women to immigrant farmers bringing new ideas to American agriculture. “Everybody knows the story about the farmer passing his farm down to his son, but when do we ever hear about the grandmother, the mother and the daughter all farming together?” Mulkern said. “Those are beautiful stories and we need to hear them.” “Women’s Work” can be viewed on PBS.com. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/40226975

Finding Your True North With Megan Bogle 02/19/2026

Thousands of Bees and Unique Honey Flavors With Lauren Sattazahn 02/12/2026

Thousands of Bees and Unique Honey Flavors With Lauren Sattazahn This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re speaking with Lauren Sattazahn, a commercial apiarist. Sattazahn and her husband John Tittle own Tittle Apiaries in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. The apiary has about 2,000 hives and makes a variety of honey as well as beeswax products. Additionally, Tittle Apiaries offers pollination services for farmers. “When we have larger crops — when you’re talking hundreds of acres — you can break it down to a science of how many hives you need per acre to really pollinate what you’re trying to get,” Sattazahn said. One of the apiary’s biggest annual pollination jobs is taking hives to Maine to pollinate the wild blueberry fields. And the blueberry honey made from that pollination is one of the best sellers. “I feel like Maine is just the place for blueberry honey. It just comes out much better there,” she said. In addition to the blueberry honey, Tittle Apiaries sells spring, summer and fall honeys, all made from flower pollination in Pennsylvania. “The bees are pollinating different things throughout each season, so that’s what’s going to give your variation in color and flavor,” Sattazahn said. Sattazahn said one of her favorite parts of the job is offering honey tastings while selling at markets — and the reactions that come from tasting the different varieties. “They say ‘honey is honey.’ But once you get them to try the differences, they’re blown away.” Sattazahn said. With the business growing to thousands of hives, the apiary partners with landowners to serve as hive hosts throughout the year. “We’ve had a lot of people that we’ve kept bees on their land that have said that they’ve noticed a big difference in their home garden or their flower bed,” Sattazahn said. “It’s nice to know that it’s benefiting both of us.” The bees are overwintered in Georgia to keep the hives thriving during Pennsylvania’s cold season. Tittle Apiaries sells honey wholesale, online, at an on-farm stand, and at a variety of farmers market and vendor events. “Our foundation of sales really lies on wholesale,” Sattazahn said. “But I’ve noticed that being a part of the community, like our market sales, that seems to just help really building relationships the most.” /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/40065420

From Birth to Butchering With Lulu Redder 02/05/2026

A Love for All Plants and All-Purpose Sheep With Annie Hasz 01/29/2026

Merging Farm Life and City Life With Lindsay Eshelman 01/22/2026

Merging Farm Life and City Life With Lindsay Eshelman This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we spoke with Lindsay Eshelman of Plow Farms. Eshelman grew up on the Plowville, Pennsylvania, farm that specializes in Christmas trees, and while she still does work with the farm today, she spends much of her time living in New York City. “I’m kind of the leading voice in PR and marketing, and more importantly experience,” Eshelman said. “My role is to bring the experience to the farm and to create this capsule of joy and Christmas that we have.” One of the biggest ways Eshelman creates joy on the farm is its annual . Each year, hundreds of Newfoundland dogs come to Plow Farms to haul Christmas trees for customers. What started as an event with a few dogs and handful of attendees has turned into a massive event with people coming from out of state to spend the whole day surrounded by huge, fluffy dogs and Christmas trees. “I took a video of it and I put it online and we got a million views on this video, which blew my mind. It was a 15-second clip of a dog walking through the snow,” Eshelman said. “The Newfoundland has gone from being our pet to basically being the face of the farm.” While Eshelman runs her family farm’s marketing, she also works in marketing outside the farm, including previous jobs with celebrities and global food companies. These experiences led her to a lot of travel, where she’s gotten to see firsthand how farming works around the world. “Seeing how other countries are fostering agriculture in a modern way but also keeping traditions is what I love to take back to the farm,” Eshelman said. “One hand meets another. As I get all this global experience it makes me love my farm even more.” Growing up on a farm has benefited her by teaching her the value of hard work. But her time spent living in the city has shown her how important it is to get people to visit farms. “The more things we can do to get people to the farm and to experience this agro-entertainment I think is really exciting,” Eshelman said. “I want to build that as part of Plow Farms’ identity and narrative.” /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/39813355

It's Time to Get Excited About Sheep's Milk Cheese With Julia Inslee 01/15/2026

Farming Fish Sustainably and Ethically With Brittany Peachey 01/08/2026

Farming Fish Sustainably and Ethically With Brittany Peachey This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking to Brittany Peachey, the aquaculture operations manager at in Hudson, New York. Peachey’s interest in aquaculture was born from an aquatic biology class in college. After earning her master’s degree in aquaculture nutrition, she came to work at Hudson Valley Fisheries, a fish farm that specializes in sustainably raised steelhead trout. Peachey was recently awarded the New York State Fair Golden Hoof Award, which is given in recognition of outstanding animal care and husbandry. She acknowledges it’s unusual for a fish farm to be considered for such an award and is grateful not only for the honor but for the opportunity for fish to be included in animal welfare discussions. “Fish welfare is increasingly important in the marketplace, not just from a business point of view but from an ethical point of view as well,” Peachey said. “People will argue, do fish feel pain? And to be honest, I don’t think from a producer standpoint we need to think that way. Let’s assume that they do and then grow them in the best way possible.” Peachey works in many aspects of Hudson Valley’s operations, including its recirculating aquaculture system, or RAS, which allows the facility to reuse 95% of its water. “RAS farms tend to be more efficient with water resources as compared to more traditional forms of fish farming. So, we’re producing more fish with less water,” said Peachey. In addition to using an RAS, Hudson Valley sends fish waste to a composting facility to be used for fertilizer, continuing its emphasis on sustainability while catering to a growing market. Peachey argues that the comparison between farmed and wild-caught fish should be put to rest, particularly given sustainable aquaculture practices and the risks of overfishing. “With fish being such a healthy protein source, we want people to eat more fish. Where’s that going to come from without the price skyrocketing? It’s going to be aquaculture,” said Peachey. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/39518875

Celebrating Christmas Trees and Cookies in the Festive FarmHouse 12/18/2025

Building Community Through Education With Denise Bosworth 12/11/2025

Building Community Through Education With Denise Bosworth This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re speaking with Denise Bosworth of Rohrbach’s Farm. Bosworth is part of the farm’s fourth generation and runs the farm market in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Bosworth and her husband, Dan, returned to the farm in 2013 to begin a new culinary venture, Big Dan’s BBQ. In 2015, Bosworth officially took over the farm market portion of the business and her brother, Mark Rohrbach, took over the farming operation. “I like to say my brother grows the food, Dan cooks the food and I throw the party,” Bosworth said. “We all definitely bring our own strengths to the table but then work together to bring it all together.” Bosworth gives a lot of credit to the farm’s third generation — her parents, aunt and uncle. While the transition wasn’t necessarily planned and executed perfectly, she said mutual respect and conversation led to the farm’s current success. In addition to running the farm market, Bosworth also does community and educational outreach. She has written two agricultural-themed children’s books, “Penelope Pumpkin” and “Are They Ready Yet: A Strawberry Story From a Pennsylvania Farm.” “I always say, if I could only grow two things, it would be pumpkins and strawberries,” Bosworth said. Additionally, she launched a nonprofit called Seeds of the Future to provide agriculture education and farm experiences that are accessible, affordable and relevant. The organization focuses on students and people with special needs with a goal of helping the community. “I think women represent agriculture incredibly well,” Bosworth said. “If we want kids to be part of agriculture now and in the future, we have to represent it well.” On Nov. 1, Rohrbach’s Farm was announced as one of seven recipients of Lancaster Farming’s Recipients were nominated and voted on by Lancaster Farming readers. “To be acknowledged on this platform with these other people is extremely humbling to me,” Bosworth said. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/39344620

Award-Winning Sustainable Farming With Casey Wisch 12/04/2025

Award-Winning Sustainable Farming With Casey Wisch This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking to Casey Wisch, co-owner of in Lovettsville, Virginia. Wisch’s interest in farming began in college. After graduating, she spent time in New Zealand and Australia where she first encountered permaculture and experienced being part of an agricultural community. When she returned to the U.S., she and her now husband began working toward founding Long Stone Farm. “We wanted to start this grazing operation and we wanted to produce good clean meat for our community, and we wanted to pursue a better path forward for our own farm,” said Wisch. “And so it was kind of those values and ideas that drove us to start Long Stone Farm.” At Long Stone Farm, Wisch and her husband raise pastured beef, pork, poultry and eggs with a focus on sustainability. They were recently honored for their hard work with a . The award is given to Virginia farmers who have implemented conservation practices to protect water quality. “This is a lifetime achievement award for me,” said Wisch. A meeting with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation further inspired Wisch to continue sustainable farming efforts. “They showed the different watersheds and we got a really clear understanding of exactly where our runoff goes and what that day-to-day work really means in terms of watershed health,” Wisch said. “And it was really amazing to know that those day-to-day decisions are really impacting our overall region.” When she’s not focused on keeping her farm sustainable, Wisch is busy marketing the operation and raising the family’s four children. She wears many hats but knows she’s doing what she was meant to do. “There’s multitasking happening all the time. There’s things that need care and attention and details. And I think women are set up for this. We were made to do this,” Wisch said. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/39250150

For the Love of Farming: A 70th Anniversary Special 10/30/2025

Dare to Return to the Haunted FarmHouse 10/23/2025

Blending Herbs and Making Tea With Katelyn Melvin 10/16/2025

Empowering People, Empowering Ag With Tonya Van Slyke 10/09/2025

The Many Uses of Native Plants With Cathryn Pugh 09/30/2025

The Many Uses of Native Plants With Cathryn Pugh This week on the FarmHouse, we’re talking to Cathryn Pugh, a forestry educator with Penn State Extension. Pugh specializes in agroforestry, nontimber forest products and native plants. She is also the president of the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society. There are five main aspects of agroforestry: silvopasture, alley cropping, windbreaks, riparian buffers and forest farming. “Agroforestry can fit into a lot of different places,” Pugh said. “It’s essentially thinking about how to incorporate trees into agricultural spaces.” While Pugh works with farmers to help them learn how to best incorporate trees and native plants into their land, she also works a lot with homeowners both through Extension and the Native Plant Society. “People want native plants,” she said. Pugh has found that a lot of people want to add more natives to help provide for birds and pollinators. “Native plants are the foundation of your ecosystem,” Pugh said. “Native plants have been here for so long, they have co-evolved with all of the native insects and birds.” Another big pull for natives is that they are often easier to take care of. “Native plants are lower maintenance overall. They have evolved to be in this place,” Pugh said. “It’s going to save you a lot of time and energy in the long run to have native plants in your space.” But while interest in natives is growing, not everyone can easily identify these plants and know which ones would work best in their landscapes. The Pennsylvania Native Plant Society is working to make finding native plants easier. “We have a program we’re really proud of called the Green Seal Pledge,” Pugh said. “This program encourages nurseries to sign and pledge that they will sell 50% or more of their nursery stock as native plants.” Pugh also works with farmers to add nontimber forests products to their land, such as maple, ramps or ginseng. There are also native plants that can be used creatively, such as woody florals, willow for weaving and black walnut for dyes. “I’m trying to think about ways that we can really make things like riparian buffers enticing to farmers that have products that are easy enough to get into, that have markets that exist,” Pugh said. “If we can make it accessible, maybe we can make a shift in this where it’s a win-win situation for the environment and for the farmer.” Learn More: Penn State Extension Pennsylvania Native Plant Society Forest Snapshot — September 2025 Forest Snapshot — July 2025 The Green Illusion Ramps (Allium tricoccum) /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/38410355

Turning Food Waste Into Compost With 'Fly Lady' Aubrey Fornwalt 09/25/2025

Turning Food Waste Into Compost With 'Fly Lady' Aubrey Fornwalt This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking with Aubrey Fornwalt, the founder and owner of in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Full Circle uses black soldier flies to convert food waste from the surrounding community into manure and compost. Fornwalt also sells the black soldier fly larvae as feed to poultry operations. It’s the first bioconversion operation of its kind in the state. Fornwalt didn’t always want to be in the decomposition business. She began her career as a graphic designer, and although she was composting her own food waste, she felt she could be doing more. Fornwalt began researching permaculture and soon bought her first fly larvae. “I just looked up where to buy larvae online and the first batch came from eBay. That was in 2017, I think. And I just didn’t stop. I didn’t get grossed out. I thought it was pretty cool,” she said. Fornwalt now collects food waste from several local restaurants and over 20 households and has become locally known for her bioconversion operation. “I do have the nickname ‘The Fly Lady’ around town,” she joked. “And I wear that as a badge of honor.” Once collected, the food waste is processed through a grinder and then fed to the fly larvae. The operation can manage between 250-300 pounds of food waste each day. While the larvae will eat any kind of food waste, Fornwalt noticed they have a preference for junk food. “The larvae themselves eat everything. They eat meat and cheese and bread, like the great American carby diet. They’re not picky,” Fornwalt said. “But they’re more excited about the fat and the protein and the carbs. Definitely the higher fat content, they like that.” Since its founding, Full Circle has successfully diverted over 200,000 pounds of food waste from landfills. While that waste would have eventually decomposed on its own, Fornwalt argues bioconversion is the better option. “I think the return on investment with the insects versus mechanical utilization, nature is so much more efficient than we are,” she said. “And if we take the time to watch how it works and take cues from it and not necessarily try to outsmart it, I think we could do a lot of really cool things.” You can watch the video about Full Circle Bioconversion mentioned in the interview . /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/38337945

Merging Science and People With Heidi Reed 09/18/2025

Merging Science and People With Heidi Reed This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking to Heidi Reed, an agronomy educator with Penn State Extension. Reed was recently part of a crop conditions tour across the state, and this year’s corn and soybean yields are looking average to below average, mainly due the dry conditions. “Unless somebody has an irrigated field, I don’t think any yield records are going to be broken this year,” Reed said. The dry summer came on the heels of a very wet spring, making it a tough weather year for Pennsylvania farmers. Prolonged stretches of weather are becoming more common in the state. “When I talk to farmers who have been doing this for a long time, they’re seeing less predictable seasons and more extreme weather events,” Reed said. “When there’s a drought, it’s a very bad drought. And then when we get rain, it’s 6 inches all at once.” One thing Reed suggests to help mitigate the weather extremes is soil conservation. “Focusing on soil health is not necessarily something that you’re going to see reflected in the checkbook,” she said. “But every time we increase the percent of soil organic matter, our soil is able to hold onto more of that water when we do get it and store that water so it’s available to the crop when we have a drought and stay intact instead of washing away when we get extreme, pounding rainfall.” Reed has recently been doing some work on seeding cover crops using drones. She said drone use has become more commonplace and affordable in agriculture over the past few years. “It’s a tool in the toolbox, right?” she said. “There’s a time and a place where it can really effectively be used and other times where it just doesn’t make sense.” Reed is incorporating some of her Extension research into Lancaster Farming’s column that she recently took over after longtime columnist Leon Ressler retired. “I am enjoying carrying on the tradition,” Reed said. While she plans on keeping the structure of the column the same, she does hope to add some of her own narrative and personality each week. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/38239085

Woodlands Don't Manage Themselves: Foresty Planning With Kathy Smith 09/11/2025

Woodlands Don't Manage Themselves: Foresty Planning With Kathy Smith This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking with Kathy Smith, the program director for the Ohio Woodland Stewards Program at Ohio State University. Smith knew early on that she wanted to work outside and was interested in natural resource management. Forestry felt like a natural fit. “I appreciate being able to understand the trees and how we can utilize trees to solve problems, make things better, and also help landowners to deal with the issues that they have,” Smith said. Smith spent the first 11 years of her career working as a watershed forester with the Ohio Division of Forestry before coming to Ohio State in 2001. As the program director, Smith works closely with farmers on how they can integrate trees into their operations. “A lot of times you’re looking at things like windbreaks that would, if placed properly, increase crop production. Or riparian buffers where we can filter out nutrients and pesticides before they hit the body of water,” Smith said. She also advises landowners, particularly farmers, on how to use trees to strike a balance between protecting wild animals and limiting their damage to crops. “Different tree species provide different things for wildlife. So you kind of have to think about is this something that is going to be highly desirable by certain species? Maybe that’s not what I want to put in this location,” Smith said. “You do have to pay attention to what the tree species are and what those benefits are.” The key, according to Smith, is appreciating that woodlands are a living ecosystem. Living systems change over time, and property owners need to be prepared to tackle new challenges that may come up, like invasive species. She advises farmers to think of their long-term goals for their land and use those to direct their decisions. “I always tell landowners, whether it’s on a napkin or a piece of paper or just in your head, you kind of need to think about what you want from the woods,” Smith said. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/38146165

Helping Students Find Their Ag Paths With Wendy Powers 09/04/2025

Helping Students Find Their Ag Paths With Wendy Powers This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking with Wendy Powers, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland. Powers is the first woman to serve in the role, effective July 1. She didn’t grow up in agriculture, but her undergrad experience at Cornell University made her interested in the field. Since then, Powers has studied and worked in agriculture at land grant universities, coming to Maryland from Washington State University. “I am tremendously loyal to the land grant mission,” Powers said. “When I look at the work we are doing in the land grant colleges, we are making a difference every day.” Powers has worked in ag education all throughout the U.S. She’s spent her first few months in Maryland getting to know both the university’s ag college and the state’s ag industry as a whole. “With agriculture being the largest economic driver for the state, it is highly diverse across the state,” Powers said. “While the scale may be different than California and other states, the importance of agriculture and natural resources to the state of Maryland is really unparalleled compared to other states.” Maryland’s fall semester began Sept. 2, and Powers said she is looking forward to welcoming the largest class in the College of Agriculture to date. “The youth today are committed to solving some of the biggest problems,” Powers said. “I’m just impressed every time I meet our students by how much they’ve accomplished, how much they’ve overcome, and where they want to be going forward.” One of her goals as dean is to help students find their way into the ag industry — whether that be animal science, aquaponics or even fermentation. “I’m really committed to helping others who maybe didn’t grow up in agriculture, don’t have that background, figure out their path to an amazing career in agriculture and natural resources,” Powers said. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/38072550

Aquaponics and Giving Back to the Community With Yemi Amu 08/28/2025

Aquaponics and Giving Back to the Community With Yemi Amu This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking with Yemi Amu, the founder and director of , an outdoor aquaponics farm and education center in Brooklyn, New York. Amu is originally from Nigeria and belongs to the Yoruba ethnic group. Her Yoruba roots have influenced much of her work in the U.S., from the name of her operation to the style of farming. Oko is a Yoruba word that loosely translates to farm, but in fact has a deeper tie to agriculture. “The true meaning is a place where agriculture is the center of life and activity,” Amu said. “And that’s sort of what we’re trying to to build at Oko Farms.” Amu was drawn to aquaponics in part because water conservation, which is a pressing issue in Nigeria, is inherently integrated into its farming methods. “I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and water conservation was huge for us,” Amu said. “So type of aquaculture that centered as a type of agriculture, food production that centered water conservation, was a big deal for me.” Oko Farms grows a variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs, which are sold at farmers markets. It also grows fiber-producing plants like flax, which, along with indigo and dye plants, has drawn people interested in textile and fiber arts to the farm. The other side of the aquaponics operation is the fish. Oko Farms features a variety, including carp, catfish and tilapia. Some of the fish are used solely for farming while other are used for food, sometimes at farm-to-table meals or given away to community fridges. Community is at the heart of Oko Farms, which strives in its mission to educate the public. The farm offers classes on wellness, culinary education, textile arts and, of course, aquaponics. Amu and her team welcome visitors to the farm for tours and classes on how they can use aquaponics to grow food for themselves — even if it’s on their windowsills or countertops. It’s all about sustainability and addressing food justice. “Anyone, anywhere in the world should be able to grow food for themselves if they choose to,” said Amu. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/37977525

Encouraging Equine Enthusiasts of All Ages With Fran Severn 07/17/2025

Encouraging Equine Enthusiasts of All Ages With Fran Severn This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking to Fran Severn, a writer and equestrian whose passion for horses inspired her to write “” Severn grew up in downtown Baltimore where horses and barns were scarce, but that didn’t stop her from developing an affinity for all things equine. “I think loving horses is in your DNA and I always wanted horses in my life,” Severn said. She began riding after college and, as her journalism career expanded to covering the Kentucky Derby and events at the Kentucky Horse Park, she eventually purchased her first horse. However, life got busy and riding took a backseat until Severn was in her 50s. That return sparked a revelation: There were few resources available for older women getting back into horses. Severn saw an opportunity to combine her love of horses and her writing talents and published “Riders of a Certain Age.” Severn’s book tackles the physical, emotional and practical challenges of riding later in life, including health considerations, finances and long-term horse care planning. It’s become a handy resource for an expanding group of riders. “It’s pretty clear that the fastest growing demographic in the recreational horse world is women, 55 plus,” Severn said. The notion that people are still interested in active recreational activities past middle age is still novel to some. “It was always presumed, you hit 65, you’re going to play canasta, maybe take your kids on a Disney cruise, and not do much else,” Severn said. “And I think maybe because some of the researchers are starting to hit our age, they’re discovering that that’s not the case. We can do pretty much everything.” Severn has followed up “Riders of a Certain Age” with several publications. “Creating Your Journey” is a journaling guide for older riders, and “Barn Fires“ is a practical guide to fire prevention inspired by her own experience with a barn fire. Her latest publication, “Barn Hacks,” is the product of an 18-month labor of love that compiles over 1,000 tips from around the equine world — including how to use sauerkraut to treat abscesses. More Information Check out Lancaster Farming's newest podcast, Super Smart Farm Show! Kids have a lot of questions about farming, and the Super Smart Farm Show, Lancaster Farming's podcast for kids, has a lot of answers. Join us each week as we explore kid-friendly topics like why bees are important and why sheep need hair cuts. We here at the Super Smart Farm Show know it’s fun to ask questions and wonder about the world we live in, especially when it comes to learning about how farmers feed and take care of us. Listen to the trailer . /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/37402520

Growing Wholesale Flower Bouquets With Michelle Elston 07/10/2025

Growing Wholesale Flower Bouquets With Michelle Elston This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking to Michelle Elston, who owns in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Elston sells most of her flowers wholesale to grocery stores and local shops. She also offers bulk flower buckets and has a bouquet club flower CSA. Her 10-acre farm produces more than 25,000 bouquets for stores and 450 party buckets for events. “I really truly never imagined Roots to be the farm that it is today,” Elston said. Elston’s journey to Roots started when she studied plant science at Cornell University. She and her husband later moved to Massachusetts where they ended up buying a garden center. But after having their first child, they decided to move back to Elston’s hometown, where she soon after started her own flower farm and grew Roots to the successful business it is today. “That’s sort of been the fun part of my path is pairing business with ag or horticulture,” Elston said. Most of the flowers grown at Roots are hot summer annuals like sunflowers, marigolds and celosias. Elston focuses on variety selection that will work the best with the climate and will yield the best production. “I really believe the best sustainability practice is choosing the right plant to begin with,” Elston said. “We get super nerdy here on our farm with variety selection.” She does a lot of trials to find out what works best. “Farming is like, there are a million variables all the time,” Elston said. “And so if you can pay attention to that, it’s like the whole process is a giant experiment where things are changing all the time and you’re always learning.” When Elston first started flower farming, she sold bouquets at a local farmers market. However, she realized that wholesale works better for her. She didn’t want to cut her market customers off completely, which is why she began her CSA bouquet club, which has over 100 members. “A lot of our (CSA) sales are gifts,” Elston said. “Flowers are a luxury, so it makes just a wonderful, wonderful gift because it is a slight indulgence.” In addition to flower farming, Elston is the treasurer of the . She also offer consulting services to flower growers who are a few years into their farming journeys. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/37337320

Welcoming Visitors to the Farm With Kathy McCaskill 07/03/2025

Welcoming Visitors to the Farm With Kathy McCaskill This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re joined by Kathy McCaskill, co-owner and operator of in Rembert, South Carolina. McCaskill originally hails from upstate New York, where she grew up on an out-of-operation dairy farm. After marrying, she and her husband bought their South Carolina property and began slowly but surely setting up a livestock operation that sells directly to the local farmers market and from the farm store. Tragedy struck the farm in 2007, when the farmhouse burned down, but McCaskill now sees it as part of a larger plan for her family. “We lost 30 years in 30 minutes when we lost the house. And it took us to our knees,” she said. “But I always tell people, God had a plan. Look what we have now.” In the wake of the fire, the McCaskills rebuilt their home, now as empty nesters. After realizing they had more space than they needed, they transformed part of the home into a bed and breakfast. Welcoming guests to the farm isn’t limited to those staying at the bed and breakfast, though. Old McCaskill Farm routinely hosts school groups and visitors with tours and event days, like shearing day in the spring. It’s important to teach people about agriculture and where their food comes from, says McCaskill. The disconnect between consumers and farming can be surprising, she said, reliving an interaction she’d had with a woman who’d recently purchased her own chickens. “I said, ‘Don’t you love those fresh eggs?’ And she said, ‘Oh, we don’t eat the eggs.’ And I said, ‘You don’t, what do you do with them?’ She said, ‘We throw them in the woods,’” McCaskill recalled. “I said, ‘Ma’am, why do you throw your eggs in the wood?’ (She said) because the chicken poops them out.” In addition to educating the public about the farm, McCaskill also makes and sells prepared food at the farmers market and farm store and helps host a farm-to-table lunch at Old McCaskill’s farm every Friday. /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/37237155

Building the Real Organic Project with Linley Dixon 06/26/2025

Experimenting With Whole Milk in Schools With Krista Byler 06/19/2025

Experimenting With Whole Milk in Schools With Krista Byler This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking with Krista Byler, the food service director at Union City Area School District in Pennsylvania whose whole milk study caught the attention of the dairy industry. Byler’s district had been offering fat free and 1% milks with student lunches, but thanks to a study conducted by the student council, Byler was aware much of the milk students bought ended up in the trash. On top of that, many students weren’t buying milk at all. “It was kind of a double-edged sword. We had students no longer taking milk and a lot of those who did choose it were not drinking it,” Byler said. It made her want to take action. While still only offering fat free and 1% milk, Byler measured how much milk was being wasted. It came to about 3 gallons a day. After two months, the school began offering whole milk, both unflavored and chocolate. Again, Byler studied how much milk was being drunk and how much was being wasted. She found that when whole milk was available, the 3 gallons of milk being thrown out went down to 19 ounces — a 95% reduction in waste. Furthermore, the amount of milk students bought and consumed climbed 50% in that time. Byler then surveyed the students on how they felt about the expanded offerings. “Their overwhelming answer was we want a choice. We want what tastes good, what has a good mouthfeel, what is satisfying,” said Byler. “It’s not that we’re asking for everyone to have whole milk. We’re just asking to be able to offer a full variety so that they can choose.” Byler’s findings captured the interest of the dairy industry, and earlier this year where she addressed her study and its findings. Aside from milk, Byler is also passionate about providing nutritious and, just as important, tasty lunches for her students. Her district has won an HMI Award for innovation in school meal preparation, and much of the food her district serves is prepared from scratch. “Our students are way more food savvy than we were when we went to school,” said Byler. “It’s a lot like putting a puzzle together to make sure the nutrition lines up with the menu mix, which also lines up with student wants and needs. So it’s definitely an interesting process.” More Information /episode/index/show/d8412bcd-927c-4426-8a26-bdf3b3f21a45/id/37039730

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