We are pleased to present to you the new season of the In Her Boots podcast. The theme of this season, and the new direction of the show, is "Bootless." This shift is explained in this sneak peak of the first three episodes with new host Tiffany LaShae. Through Tiffany's conversations with her guests, the podcast shares and highlights the stories of Black and Brown women who traditionally have not had a platform to use their voice.  Tiffany is a farmer, researcher, educator, and activist with a diverse background in food justice, regenerative agriculture, afroecology, agroecology, ‘permac ..read more

Today, we talk to Dr. JohnElla Holmes, executive director of the Kansas Black Farmers Association and part of the wheat farming community in Kansas. She shares a deep-rooted story of resilience from her family’s farming history and building the African American agricultural community in Nicodemus, Kansas. Hear how being proactive, asking questions, and cultivating community add up to strength to stay in farming for the long haul. JohnElla retired from Kansas State University in 2015 to come "home" to historic Nicodemus, Kansas, which is the oldest all-African-American town west of the Mississi ..read more

Today for our "Resilience Boot Camp" series, Kelsey Ducheneaux shares how her Indigenous roots drive her work, building on the themes she talked about in her MOSES Conference workshop this past February. It’s all about connections for Kelsey, from observing and appreciating the diversity on our land to building awareness to know when soil is depleted. Kelsey Ducheneaux is a member of the Lakota Sioux Nation. She is the fourth generation at the DX Ranch on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, offering locally raised beef for direct sale. Kelsey also works as the Natural Resources Director and ..read more

Mariann Holm of Holm Boys Dairy talks about the turning points in her life that cultivated grit—the courage and resolve to be a farmer. From taking the risk to leave a cushy corporate gig in California to start their organic dairy in Wisconsin to successfully battling thyroid cancer when the odds were not in her favor, Mariann inspires us all to change life’s curveballs into opportunities to make us stronger farmers and women. Mariann and her husband, Doran, own a grass-based organic farm in Dunn County, Wisconsin, where they raise organic dairy heifers. Mariann is an organic crop and livestoc ..read more

We continue our series about women doing conservation work on their land, talking today with Deirdre Birmingham of The Cider Farm. She shares her land stewardship journey and offers tips for tapping into agency expertise and various funding opportunities. Deirdre Birmingham runs The Cider Farm with her husband, John Bondi, in Mineral Point Wisconsin. They raise organic English and French cider apples which are pressed into a variety of hard ciders and apple brandy, which you can sample at their tasting room in Madison. A life-long conservationist, Deirdre has worked extensively to add conserva ..read more

Today on our In Her Boots podcast, we’re talking about tools for land conservation with Jennifer Filipiak of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy. A champion for women landowners, Jen explains what a conservation easement is and how this can be an important tool to strategically preserve your land with your conservation goals in mind. Want to keep your farm in agriculture and protect it from development? Listen in for ideas and resources. Jennifer Filipiak serves as Executive Director of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, a land trust in Southwest Wisconsin dedicated to protecting the natural ..read more

As part of our special "Women Caring for the Land" series, we're talking today with Thelma Heidel-Baker of Bossie Cow Farm in Wisconsin. Thelma shares how she detoured from an academic career in entomology—she’s actually a bug doctor with her Ph.D.—to return to her family farm to re-craft a livelihood for her young family. Thelma’s passion for conservation shines as she gives us practical advice on setting up conservation strategies, noting that land stewardship is a journey. She encourages us to follow what naturally fascinates us...which, in her case, is insects. Thelma Heidel-Baker and her ..read more

Dr. Jean Eells talks about women landowners and their historic roles on farms, sharing tips based on her research into the best ways to help these landowners learn about conservation practices they can put into practice on their land. If you're a woman who owns land you farm or rent out or you work in conservation programs, listen in to hear about ways we can encourage conservation practices. Dr. Jean Eells operates E Resources Group, an evaluation and research business working with private businesses, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations to facilitate and evaluate projects to im ..read more

We are wrapping up our series with Inga Witscher of Around the Farm Table, talking today about communications strategies for women farmers to share our stories. Hear her tips and ideas to present your best barn boot forward when the media visit your farm and advice on feeling comfortable on camera from her seasoned experience hosting the TV show Around the Farm Table. Inga Witscher is a fourth-generation dairy farmer who owns and operates a micro-dairy in western Wisconsin, turning the milk from her 8 grass-fed cows into a raw milk cheddar. She is also the co-creator and host of the PBS series ..read more

We’re continuing with Inga Witscher of Around the Farm Table and St. Isidore’s Farmstead Creamery as she shares her personal experience dealing with disaster when her barn and new creamery project burned to the ground. Listen to her inspiring story of resilience, self-care, and the importance of community support to heal and rebuild even stronger. Inga Witscher is a fourth-generation dairy farmer who owns and operates a micro-dairy in western Wisconsin, turning the milk from her 8 grass-fed cows into a raw milk cheddar. She is also the co-creator and host of the PBS series “Around the Farm Tab ..read more