An intense battle with mental illness took Duane Brandsma away from his family's farm and the work that he had cared so deeply about. Duane gives an inside look into the deeply personal details of what really happened when he says he "cracked," and why he's now speaking out about the mental health crisis among farmers. The post Duane Brandsma | #048 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Real Food Real People

Duane Brandsma | #048

Growing up in Guatemala, Enrique Mendoza never expected that he would one day run his own dairy farm here in Washington state. But after working for Everson-area dairy farmer Jerry Van Dellen for several years, Enrique found he loved dairy farming and began working toward owning his own farm. The post Enrique Mendoza | #047 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Enrique Mendoza | #047

Host Dillon Honcoop's grandfather produced milk for 45 years and raised a family on a small family dairy near Lynden, Wash. 90-year-old Lawrence Honcoop sits down with his podcaster grandson for a personal reflection on the challenges and triumphs he faced over the years, all the way back to being raised by a single mom with her own small farm just out of the Great Depression. The post Lawrence Honcoop | #046 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Lawrence Honcoop | #046

She's a high school teacher and first-generation organic blueberry farmer who, along with her husband, grew her farm from the ground up. Oh, and they distill craft liquor, too. Mariah Butenschoen of Breckenridge Blueberries and Probably Shouldn't Distillery shares about the risks and the hardships they faced on their journey to realize a dream that many said wasn't possible. The post Mariah Butenschoen | #045 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Mariah Butenschoen | #045

A rare medical condition nearly took the life of organic dairy farmer Corby Groen earlier this year. He shares the amazing story of how doctors raced to figure out what was killing him from the inside, and how his family and the surrounding community was able to keep the farm going while he was hospitalized for months. The post Corby Groen | #044 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Corby Groen | #044

Even with a successful career in fashion, entertainment and marketing in LA, Macala Wright wasn't happy or healthy. She explains how she reached her breaking point, turning to farming and real food to heal her body and mind, and ultimately bringing her life full circle. The post Macala Wright | #043 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Macala Wright | #043

She could have gone into a career in marketing, but instead Kristyn Mensonides chose to return to her family's dairy farm. In this week's episode, Kristyn gives us a look inside life as a herd manager working with her family and a team of workers to produce milk for a farmer-owned cooperative. The post Kristyn Mensonides | #042 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Kristyn Mensonides | #042

Riley Hille is a Ritzville-area family farmer and wheat seed consultant. She says she's proof that you don't have to grow up on a farm to become a farmer. The post Riley Hille | #041 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Riley Hille | #041

Despite the nature of her job as an administrator, Viridianna Barajas feels very connected to the food produced at the dairy where she's office manager and HR director. She opens up about her family's heritage of growing and making food. The post Viridianna Barajas | #040 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Viridianna Barajas | #040

She's been around dairy farming her whole life, and managed to find a life partner who shares her passion for raising animals and producing milk. Katie Harris gives us a look inside life on a real Washington dairy, and the rollercoaster ride that it can be. The post Katie Harris | #039 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Katie Harris | #039

Although he's just out of college, Blake Carson has been growing food for years alongside his grandpa. Now as he helps other farmers, Blake sees a future with more food grown locally in spite of the challenges. The post Blake Carson | #038 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Blake Carson | #038

Vegetable farmer Rosella Mosby grows literally tons of local food just minutes from the heart of Seattle. She shares some big challenges our food system faces to make locally-grown produce more available. The post Rosella Mosby | #037 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Rosella Mosby | #037

An unexpected path led Kady Porterfield from her family's California ranch here to Washington state. She has a passion for helping the people behind our food, and shares her dream for her future. The post Kady Porterfield | #036 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Kady Porterfield | #036

A freak incident almost killed Steve Pabody, completely changing his perspective on how he manages his small farm in Ferndale, WA. Hear how he and his wife started Triple Wren Farms with no farming experience, and grew it into a diverse, thriving operation. The post Steve Pabody | #035 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Steve Pabody | #035

He grew up in Europe on a small family dairy, but he now runs a large dairy in Eastern Washington. Meet Case VanderMuelen, and hear his story of growth as he demystifies how large dairy farms really work. The post Case VanderMuelen | #034 appeared first on Real Food Real People.

Case VanderMuelen | #034

On a journey to discover the real stories of the people who grow our food

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Real Food Real People

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