Grit and Grace in the Heartland: Women In Agriculture

About Grit and Grace in the Heartland: Women In Agriculture

Grit and Grace in the Heartland: Women in Agriculture is the podcast celebrating the strength, resilience, and wisdom of women who work the land and feed our communities. Through honest conversations and real-life stories, we explore the challenges, triumphs, and everyday realities of women in agriculture—from farms and ranches to policy and rural life. Rooted in the heartland, this podcast amplifies voices that blend hard-earned grit with enduring grace.

Publisher

Mary Lewis

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Jan 2026

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

70 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Winter Gardening on the Wyoming Prairie with Heather Goddard

   Winter gardening in a harsh climate is possible, and Heather Goddard of Lusk, Wyoming, is here to tell us how she does it! Join Mary and Leah for a conversation about growing food for a family of eight, improving challenging soil, conserving water, and keeping fresh vegetables available well into winter. Heather shares practical tips for overwintering root vegetables, choosing cold-hardy crops, using deep mulch and plastic for insulation, and preparing the garden for colder weather. She also explains how compost, aged manure, cover crops, and gray water can help make a garden more productive and sustainable. Along the way, we talk about seasonal eating, food security, the value of traditional gardening knowledge, and why sometimes the best way to prepare for winter is to work with nature instead of against it. In this episode, we discuss: How Heather gardens in Wyoming's challenging Zone 4B climate Preparing and improving difficult garden soil Using buckwheat and rye as cover crops Planting fall vegetables at the right time Protecting carrots, beets, and turnips through winter Using straw mulch and plastic to insulate crops Conserving water and making the most of available resources Growing food to stretch the family budget Why seasonal eating and traditional food storage still matter Heather is a busy ranch wife, homeschooling mom of six daughters, photographer, and passionate gardener who has learned to make the most of the resources available to her family. Her experience is a wonderful reminder that growing food is about more than gardening. It is about resilience, creativity, and providing for the people we love. Find Heather: Look for Heather Goddard on Facebook and Goddard's Garden on social media. Visit gritandgraceintheheartland.com or find Grit and Grace in the Heartland: Women in Agriculture on Facebook to connect with Mary and Leah. Thanks for listening, and until next time, have some grit and grace!

2. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Calves, College and the Chaos of Fall

   Fall is one of the busiest seasons on the ranch, but there is more to this time of year than harvest and cooler weather. Mary and Leah catch up on family life, the challenges of changing seasons, and the important reminder that we all have value, no matter what our work looks like. Leah shares reflections from a women's Christian retreat, where conversations about comparison, grief, purpose, and finding joy in different stages of life made a lasting impression. She also talks about how Maggie is adjusting to college, learning to face academic challenges, and finding her own way away from home. Then the conversation heads to the ranch, where Leah explains what fall and winter look like in a diversified farming and ranching operation. From weaning calves and monitoring their health to managing harvest delays and preparing for winter, there is plenty of work to keep everyone busy. In this episode, we talk about: Fall weather, pesky insects, and delayed harvest Carol Connare and the new 2027 Old Farmer's Almanac Letting go of comparison and learning to appreciate others Finding purpose through life's changes and challenges The emotional ups and downs of sending a child to college What calf weaning involves and why animal care never takes a day off The demanding rhythm of harvest season Why ranching is about responsibility, purpose, and caring for God's creation Join Mary and Leah for an honest conversation about family, faith, farming, and finding meaning in every season of life. Connect with us: Visit gritandgraceintheheartland.com or find Grit and Grace in the Heartland: Women In Agriculture on Facebook.

3. 

   5 Oct 2026

   From Lavender Dreams to a Growing Nebraska Farm

   What happens when you take a dream, plant 1,500 lavender plants, lose the entire crop, and decide to keep going? Donnita Jimmis of Loup Lavender in Nebraska knows the answer. In this episode, Mary and Leah talk with Donnita about building a small agricultural business while working a full-time job and raising a family. She shares the challenges of growing in sandy soil, dealing with unpredictable weather, drought, wildfire, weeds and the loss of her first lavender crop. Donnita also talks about starting flowers from seed, running a weekend farm stand, creating bouquets, using conservation funding to install drip irrigation and establish pollinator areas, and her dreams of eventually opening a storefront and gathering space. It is a conversation about perseverance, learning as you go, family, community and finding new ways to make agriculture work. In this episode: Starting a lavender farm from seed Losing a crop and starting over Growing in Nebraska's sandy soil Conservation grants and drip irrigation Flower farming and building bouquets Farm stand life and community support Dried flowers and future plans for lavender Balancing farming with a full-time job Keeping land productive for future generations Dreaming about a storefront and community gathering space Connect with Loup Lavender LLC on Facebook or visit louplavender.com. A big thank you to Donnita for sharing her story and reminding us that sometimes the biggest part of farming is simply deciding to keep going.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.3 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Contact Grit and Grace in the Heartland: Women In Agriculture

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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