Our current situation has reminded us all just how vital our local businesses are to our communities. These are the businesses who have done countless great things for all of us over the years, and now more than ever it’s time to return the favor and show our support.

Looking for a good read to get you through the #coronapocalypse? I’m always up for a good story of adventure and grit. Here are a few of my favorites (and I will continue to add more). Enjoy!

This week on the podcast we’re in Ainsworth, Nebraska with Haley Miles of Sandhills Blue. Haley is a small town love wedding photographer serving rural and ranch couples, with a heart for entrepreneurship and a passion for creating opportunity in small towns.

This week on the podcast we’re with Keith and Sandi Mitcham of Mitcham Livestock. Keith and Sandi decided to move across the country with a few cattle and their life savings to go all in on reviving this feedlot that had a great past but needed a little love.

I get asked all the time, what does it take to start reviving a small town? I can honestly say there are two key ingredients I see over and over in rural communities that are thriving: vision and momentum. So, what are some ways to create momentum?

For this week’s podcast episode we met up with Tess Maune in Pawhuska. Tess is an avid hunter, noodler, and outdoorswoman, as well as an award winning journalist and founding board director for the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation.

This week on the podcast we’re in Brookville, Kansas (pop. 262) with Ryley Wimer of Savannah Sevens, an online western boutique that mixes mainstream fashion with rodeo and western style. Ryley’s sharing about her journey from a degree in construction management to creating an online boutique.

This week we’re in Enid, Oklahoma with Kent and Becky Evatt of Red Bird Farm, a working Christmas tree and blackberry farm that also hosts seasonal events and workshops, a petting zoo, and offers fresh produce and apparel.

If you’ve followed Rural Revival from the beginning, then you’ve probably heard me give credit to Nashville for inspiring me to start the Rural Revival podcast. From the time I moved here, I found myself seeing Nashville’s businesses through the lens of, ‘hey, that could work really well in a small town.’

This week on the podcast we’re in Virden, Illinois (pop. 3,354) with Katie Dowson of Seed Life, a lifestyle brand and one stop shop for all things seed. Katie’s sharing all about how she’s built this business and carved her own unique spot in the ag world.

In our fast-paced world, there’s something special about slowing down and recording your travels in a journal. Plus, time can become distorted when on the road, and writing and documenting can help link your experiences to exact dates and people and places.

This week on the podcast we’re in Riverside, Iowa (pop. 993) with Lynne Thomas of Barnstorm Coffee. Lynne is a self-taught barista with a mobile coffee shop, where she does pop ups and events all over the midwest.

I will be honest that I would not have had the courage to say we are road trip worthy. But our incredible customers and visitors are the ones who began commenting: “Worth the drive!”, “Plan a road trip here” and “We will be back!”

This week on the podcast we’re talking with Hannah Esch of Oak Barn Beef in Unadilla, Nebraska (pop. 311). Hannah started Oak Barn Beef to sell her family’s beef direct to consumer, all while being a full-time student.

This week we’re in Moville, Iowa (pop. 1,613) with Melissa Nelson of Hungry Canyon, a farm and ranch-related greeting card business that got its start from a valentine Melissa made for her husband when they were dating in college.

This week on the podcast we’re with David Hernandez and Tereasa Surratt of Camp Wandawega in Elkhorn, Wisconsin (pop. 10,084), where they have transformed the camp from a dilapidated property into one of the top 100 hotels in the world.

I recently attended a FarmHer Grow event as a mentor to the high school and college girls in attendance. We had some great conversations about careers and next steps and figuring out what to do with your life. One of the questions I asked each group of girls was, do you want to live rural? Their answers lit a fire in me.

What better way to wrap up 2019 than with a YEARBOOK to celebrate!! To everyone who we met and spent time with over the past year, your stories of hard work, risk, perseverance, and grit have inspired us all. Thanks for allowing me to share your stories and be a part of your journey!

With 2019 drawing to a close, we’re looking back on these great small towns we’ve been able to highlight over this past year. You’ll notice all of these towns have populations less than 5,500 — proof that no town is too small for revival!

This week on the podcast we’re in West Salem, Wisconsin (pop. 5,026) with Cassie Everson of Wanderlust Skulls. Cassie’s sharing about her journey from agronomist to stay-at-home-mom to entrepreneur.