Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world
This podcast tells the stories of women farmers around the world who grow produce and ornamentals, raise animals, and engage in agritourism. Join us for some honest talk--and lots of laughter--about the unique challenges women in agriculture face when balancing the different aspects of farm living: land, crops, livestock, business, family relationships, and personal well-being. Our guests include a cassava grower from Cameroon, an agroforester from North Carolina, a snail farmer from Nigeria, a “chicken midwife” from California, a dairy farmer from New York, a llama farmer from Australia, and many, many more. You won’t want to miss an episode! Your host, Kristen “K” Castrataro, comes from a fifth-generation Rhode Island farm family. She has a rich background in agriculture as a producer, Extension Agent, and farm advisor. She is passionate about farmer mental health and is driven by the conviction that the people feeding our bodies and souls should not feel as if they are starving themselves. K is the founder of Pen Light for Farmers, a business that helps farmers (especially farm women) create purposeful farm lives rich in time, energy, and abundance. You can find her at www.penlightfarmers.com.
Episodes
Recording date: September 29, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode forty-three features Jessica Breaux of Piney Woods Farm as we discuss:
- The emotional and professional impact of spinning and other fiber arts
- The healing power of agriculture and nature
- The relationship between commercial farmers, non-profit agriculture, and food insecurity
- The conn...
Recording date: September 29, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode forty-three features Jessica Breaux of Piney Woods Farm as we discuss:
- The emotional and professional impact of spinning and other fiber arts
- The healing power of agriculture and nature
- The relationship between commercial farmers, non-profit agriculture, and food insecurity
- The conn...
Recording date: September 22, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode forty-two features Liz Ferguson of Four Acres Living Alpacas as we discuss:
- Paying for alpacas by selling socks
- Connecting with customers by connecting customers with livestock
- Pricing hand-made farm products
- Grading alpaca fiber for different purposes
- And much, much more…
Recording date: September 22, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode forty-two features Liz Ferguson of Four Acres Living Alpacas as we discuss:
- Paying for alpacas by selling socks
- Connecting with customers by connecting customers with livestock
- Pricing hand-made farm products
- Grading alpaca fiber for different purposes
- And much, much more…
Recording date: September 21, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode forty-one features Colleen Stegenga of Embracing Change Counseling Services, LLC as we discuss:
- Making the decision to see an animal-assisted therapist for your farm stress
- Understanding farm succession planning stress
- Choosing to take time for yourself so you can be the farmer, par...
Recording date: September 21, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode forty-one features Colleen Stegenga of Embracing Change Counseling Services, LLC as we discuss:
- Making the decision to see an animal-assisted therapist for your farm stress
- Understanding farm succession planning stress
- Choosing to take time for yourself so you can be the farmer, par...
Recording date: September 8, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode forty features Nichelle Scholz of Fox Hill Llamas as we discuss:
- Starting a llama farm…with help from Santa
- Managing llamas differently than other forms of livestock
- Redefining the value of livestock
- Transforming manure into paper products…and profits
- And much, much mor...
Recording date: September 8, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode forty features Nichelle Scholz of Fox Hill Llamas as we discuss:
- Starting a llama farm…with help from Santa
- Managing llamas differently than other forms of livestock
- Redefining the value of livestock
- Transforming manure into paper products…and profits
- And much, much mor...
Recording date: September 17, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! In episode thirty-nine, host K Castrataro indulges in a heart-to-heart chat with YOU, her farm family, about:
- The need for farmers to recognize their purpose apart from the farm
- The personal, relational, financial, and environmental costs of neglecting our purpose
- The role of creativity in ...
Recording date: September 17, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! In episode thirty-nine, host K Castrataro indulges in a heart-to-heart chat with YOU, her farm family, about:
- The need for farmers to recognize their purpose apart from the farm
- The personal, relational, financial, and environmental costs of neglecting our purpose
- The role of creativity in ...
Recording date: September 8, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-eight features Diane McKenzie of McKenzie Hereford Farms Ltd. as we discuss:
- Women’s experiences with farm succession
- Women’s and men’s different roles in perpetuating the family farm
- Women as legitimate continuers of the farm legacy
- The increased need for re...
Recording date: September 8, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-eight features Diane McKenzie of McKenzie Hereford Farms Ltd. as we discuss:
- Women’s experiences with farm succession
- Women’s and men’s different roles in perpetuating the family farm
- Women as legitimate continuers of the farm legacy
- The increased need for re...
Recording date: August 28, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-seven features Kathy Puffer of The Biogas Education Hub as we discuss:
- Harnessing the benefits of agriculture for children with autism
- Using small-scale anaerobic digesters to power your home and farm
- Keeping your purpose in mind when making decisions in your farm life and busin...
Recording date: August 28, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-seven features Kathy Puffer of The Biogas Education Hub as we discuss:
- Harnessing the benefits of agriculture for children with autism
- Using small-scale anaerobic digesters to power your home and farm
- Keeping your purpose in mind when making decisions in your farm life and busin...
Recording date: July 22, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-six features Nicola Westlake of Westy and Worzel as we discuss:
- Finding the opportunities in “voluntary redundancy”
- Integrating into an established farm family as the “in-law”
- Negotiating farm rental agreements
- Creating new meaning and purpose post-farming
- ...
Recording date: July 22, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-six features Nicola Westlake of Westy and Worzel as we discuss:
- Finding the opportunities in “voluntary redundancy”
- Integrating into an established farm family as the “in-law”
- Negotiating farm rental agreements
- Creating new meaning and purpose post-farming
- ...
Recording date: July 20, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-five features Kate Bowen of Meadowdale Farm as we discuss:
- Managing Lyme as a musician, mother, and farmer
- Supporting veterans who want to transition into farming
- Overcoming physical challenges with AgrAbility
- Creating a farm life that adapts to differing levels of staffing and ab...
Recording date: July 20, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-five features Kate Bowen of Meadowdale Farm as we discuss:
- Managing Lyme as a musician, mother, and farmer
- Supporting veterans who want to transition into farming
- Overcoming physical challenges with AgrAbility
- Creating a farm life that adapts to differing levels of staffing and ab...
Recording date: July 13, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-four features Ajoke Lawon of Joks Snail Farm as we discuss:
- Comparing the life cycles of Giant Nigerian Land Snails and dairy cattle
- Starting snail farms in small spaces with minimal capital
- Learning from others’ mistakes…and your own
- Integrating family and farming
- An...
Recording date: July 13, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirty-four features Ajoke Lawon of Joks SnailFarm as we discuss:
- Comparing the life cycles of Giant Nigerian Land Snails and dairy cattle
- Starting snail farms in small spaces with minimal capital
- Learning from others’ mistakes…and your own
- Integrating family and farming
- And...
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