Welcome to Cascade! Cascade is a small Iowa town full of 2,303 of the kindest people you’ll ever meet, beautiful scenery, and a vibrant community spirit, and offers a thriving small-town lifestyle with all of the ‘big city’ amenities in close reach.

This week we’re with Molly Knuth of Molly Knuth Media in Cascade, Iowa. From full time teacher to a stay-at-home-mom to now being a social media boss, Molly is sharing how she built her business and how her personable approach resonated with a small town audience on social media.

On this episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re sitting down on the farm for a conversation with Kenzie Ashcraft of Farm Girl — a rural boutique and general store located in the heart of the Oklahoma prairie.

On this episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Kimberly Joosten of Fourth Street Bakery in Lexington, Texas (pop. 1,177). Fourth Street Bakery, which is only open on Fridays, receives rave reviews from everyone who’s been there, from the locals to the tourists. Kimberly is sharing her story of how she became an accidental baker and part of a carrot cake explosion, selling over half a million pieces of carrot cake, and her gradual transition into rural life.

Today we’re with Brett McPherson of Arcadia, Oklahoma (pop. 247). Brett is the interior designer behind Designer’s Brew, where she has been styling incredible spaces since 2004. She’s sharing how her dream of owning her own interior design firm came to life and some of the hard lessons she’s learned through this journey.

We are launching a farm-to-table cookbook this fall — just in time for gift giving — and we want YOU to be a part of it! This cookbook will celebrate the long-held tradition of supper on the farm and shine a light on the farmers, ranchers, and local businesses who are preserving the farm-to-table tradition.

On today’s podcast we’re with Jasmin Stidham of Stidham Outfitters in Johnson City, Texas (pop. 1,656). Stidham Outfitters started in 2014 when Jasmin and her husband Seth opened a brick and mortar to sell home goods, gifts and apparel — including Seth’s handmade leather goods.

On today’s episode we’re with Todd Weber of The Earlham Echo, a weekly newspaper in Earlham, Iowa (pop. 1,450). This publication started out as a group effort involving several community members, and now Todd and his wife Jennifer have taken over ownership.

Francesca Catalini, the photographer and storyteller behind Sierra Winds, dedicates her time and Instagram account to sharing some of rural America’s remaining treasures. She’s sharing some of her favorite abandoned places in Kansas — which you may want to check out, too.

On today’s podcast we’re with Francesca Catalini, the photographer and storyteller behind the Sierra Winds Instagram account. Francesca has a passion for capturing some of rural America’s remaining treasures before they are forever gone from our landscape.

Today we’re talking with artist Amy Smith and fashion designer Cyndi Sarver of Textile Revival in Leipers Fork, Tennessee (pop. 650). Amy and Cyndi are working together to create wearable art through their one-of-a-kind pieces.

It’s a new year and we’ve got a lot of great stories and new opportunities coming your way! We also want to give you even more ways to share your stories. Here’s how you can be a part…

This yearbook definitely looks a lot different than last year’s...but I’m all about looking for silver linings, and this year there were plenty of them. Perhaps the greatest silver lining is the incredible opportunity we have right now in rural America.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a Christmas movie staple and also usually ranks near the top of any list of inspirational movies. It is hard not to be inspired by George Bailey. But George is not a flawless character, even before his crisis. I’ve written in the past that I prefer flawed heroes because they give us hope for ourselves.

I think it’s quite possible Hallmark has actually been a key driver in some of the rural revival that our communities are experiencing, and they’re telling the small town story better than anyone right now. So how are they doing it?

Meet Callie Taylor Dayton of May Tree Farm, her family’s mountain grown Christmas tree farm, in Maysville, West Virginia (pop. 2,141). Callie is a tourism pro turned economic developer and has a big heart for small towns and small businesses.

Today on the podcast we’re with Abby Roleau of The Gateway Farm in Bristol, Vermont (pop. 3,894). Abby’s talking about how she and her husband are building their dream farm from scratch and starting a business with four kids in tow.

We’re gifting small business owners a package of #shopsmall and #shoprural social media graphics! There are over 50 images to help encourage your followers to shop local over these coming weeks.

Today on the podcast we’re with Tammy Pate of Ryegate, Montana (pop. 234), creator of Art of the Cowgirl. Art of the Cowgirl is a gathering to celebrate cowgirls and their contributions to western lifestyle and culture, and to raise funds to support up and coming artists to expand their knowledge and skills.

Rural Revival presents this season’s best gifts - from good eats and treats to home goods and apparel - all made in America by rural makers and creators. We’ve also added some new experiences to the list this year!