Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world
This podcast celebrates the stories of women farmers around the world who are engaged in food production, ornamentals, and agritourism. Join us for some honest farm talk--and lots of laughter--about the unique challenges faced by female farmers as they try to balance their farm and personal lives, support their mental health and well-being, and sustain healthy relationships on and off the farm.
The first season’s guests include a cassava grower from Cameroon, an agroforester from North Carolina, a ”chicken midwife” from California, the Grass Whisperer, and many, many more. You won’t want to miss an episode!
Your host, Kristen ”K” Castrataro, is a fifth-generation farm kid from Rhode Island. She has a rich agricultural background as a producer, Extension Agent, and farm consultant. She is driven by the conviction that the people feeding our bodies and souls should NOT be starving themselves. K is the founder of Pen Light for Farmers, a business that helps farmers (especially farm women) build a farm life and relationships that meet their deepest needs and values. You can find her at www.penlightfarmers.com.
Listen on:
Episodes
Monday Mar 30, 2026
Monday Mar 30, 2026
Recording date: March 9, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode fourteen features Heather Thibeault of Cheeky Tomatoes and Adventures in Gardening as we discuss:
Farming as sport
Investing in new farmers
Growing in terraced “garden rooms”
Using the personal connection to market your farm business
And much, much more…
You will love this skilled and adventurous farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Heather:
A perpetual student in the passion of gardening, Heather Thibeault has over thirty-five years of gardening experience and shares her love for all things gardening at Adventures in Gardening on YouTube. People local to eastern Connecticut can find her roadside stand open in May where you can purchase organically grown heirloom tomato and other vegetable plants and even flowers.
Connect with Heather at:
Website: https://www.cheekytomatoes.com/
Adventures in Gardening on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adventuresingardeningct?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=C3sPFy2NNQZU4qhq&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F16zDj99QL4%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr#
Cheeky Tomatoes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheekytomatoes?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=B5GS2WBoMLGwLHzE&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1Cfn3ddctg%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr#
YouTube: @adventuresingardening
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x
Friday Mar 27, 2026
Friday Mar 27, 2026
Recording date: March 6, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirteen features second-year flower farmer Holly Park of Scout Hill Farm as we discuss:
Creating Clade, the quintessential dahlia software
Choosing the best parents (plant and animal parents, that is!)
Designing gardens and landscapes that work for plants
Growing focal cut flowers all season
And much, much more…
You will love this vibrant and inventive farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Holly:
Holly Park is the founder of Scout Hill Farm, where she grows specialty flowers, especially dahlias, and teaches gardeners how to grow with more intention. She’s also the co-founder of Clade, software built to help flower farms and dahlia collectors organize their inventory and work smarter, not harder.
Connect with Holly at:
Website: https://scouthillfarm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570859175802
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scouthillfarm/
Clade on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/useclade/
Linked In: https://useclade.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScoutHillFarm
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x
Monday Mar 23, 2026
Monday Mar 23, 2026
Recording date: March 6, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode thirteen features second-year flower farmer Holly Park of Scout Hill Farm as we discuss:
Creating Clade, the quintessential dahlia software
Choosing the best parents (plant and animal parents, that is!)
Designing gardens and landscapes that work for plants
Growing focal cut flowers all season
And much, much more…
You will love this vibrant and inventive farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Holly:
Holly Park is the founder of Scout Hill Farm, where she grows specialty flowers, especially dahlias, and teaches gardeners how to grow with more intention. She’s also the co-founder of Clade, software built to help flower farms and dahlia collectors organize their inventory and work smarter, not harder.
Connect with Holly at:
Website: https://scouthillfarm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570859175802
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scouthillfarm/
Clade on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/useclade/
Linked In: https://useclade.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScoutHillFarm
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x
Friday Mar 20, 2026
Friday Mar 20, 2026
Recording date: March 3, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode twelve features Ashley Randle, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources as we discuss:
Actions farmers can take to influence policy…without becoming professional advocates
The value of peer support for farmers
Taking care of yourself while you take care of your farm friends
The affect of changing weather on farmers and their farm operations
And much, much more…
You will love this engaged and engaging farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Ashley:
Ashley was born and raised on her family’s fifth-generation dairy farm in South Deerfield, MA. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics & Management and Animal Science and received her Juris Doctorate from Western New England University School of Law. Prior to serving as the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Ashley was the Member Services Director for Northeast Dairy Producers Association, Inc. and the Marketing Specialist/Special Projects at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.
Connect with Ashley at:
Website: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-agricultural-resources
MassGrown Wellness: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massgrown-wellness
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-e-randle-21b31785/
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x
Monday Mar 16, 2026
Monday Mar 16, 2026
Recording date: March 3, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode twelve features Ashley Randle, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources as we discuss:
Actions farmers can take to influence policy…without becoming professional advocates
The value of peer support for farmers
Taking care of yourself while you take care of your farm friends
The affect of changing weather on farmers and their farm operations
And much, much more…
You will love this engaged and engaging farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Ashley:
Ashley was born and raised on her family’s fifth-generation dairy farm in South Deerfield, MA. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics & Management and Animal Science and received her Juris Doctorate from Western New England University School of Law. Prior to serving as the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Ashley was the Member Services Director for Northeast Dairy Producers Association, Inc. and the Marketing Specialist/Special Projects at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.
Connect with Ashley at:
Website: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-agricultural-resources
MassGrown Wellness: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massgrown-wellness
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-e-randle-21b31785/
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Recording date: February 26, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode eleven features Sydney Raym of Regenerative Ag Design and MTO Kennels as we discuss:
Using Mangalica pigs in regenerative design
Communicating with the land
Breeding Cane Corsos and French Bulldogs
Detoxing in the sauna
And much, much more…
You will love this multi-talented and intuitive farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Sydney:
Sydney Raym is a third-generation farmer and regenerative agriculture designer with lifelong, hands-on experience rooted in land, animals, and ecological systems. As a child, her grandfather taught her to work with soil, livestock, and seasonal rhythms, which helped her develop an intuitive understanding of how healthy ecosystems function when they are respected rather than controlled. As a Native American, she understands the land not as a resource, but a relative — alive, responsive, and deserving of respect. Her approach to regenerative design blends practical experience with a deeply embodied understanding of life cycles, animal behavior, soil biology, and ecological rhythms. She seeks to design regenerative farms and ranches that are productive, resilient, and alive — systems that support both the land and the people who depend on it.
Connect with Sydney at:
Website: https://regenerativeagdesigning.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/regenfarmingcollective
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyraym1111/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/regenerativeagdesigning/?hl=en
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x
Monday Mar 09, 2026
Monday Mar 09, 2026
Recording date: February 26, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode eleven features Sydney Raym of Regenerative Ag Design and MTO Kennels as we discuss:
Using Mangalica pigs in regenerative design
Communicating with the land
Breeding Cane Corsos and French Bulldogs
Detoxing in the sauna
And much, much more…
You will love this compassionate and collaborative farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Sydney:
Sydney Raym is a third-generation farmer and regenerative agriculture designer with lifelong, hands-on experience rooted in land, animals, and ecological systems. As a child, her grandfather taught her to work with soil, livestock, and seasonal rhythms, which helped her develop an intuitive understanding of how healthy ecosystems function when they are respected rather than controlled. As a Native American, she understands the land not as a resource, but a relative — alive, responsive, and deserving of respect. Her approach to regenerative design blends practical experience with a deeply embodied understanding of life cycles, animal behavior, soil biology, and ecological rhythms. She seeks to design regenerative farms and ranches that are productive, resilient, and alive — systems that support both the land and the people who depend on it.
Connect with Sydney at:
Website: https://regenerativeagdesigning.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/regenfarmingcollective
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyraym1111/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/regenerativeagdesigning/?hl=en
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Recording date: February 25, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode ten features Natasha Stein Sutherland of Stein Farms as we discuss:
Sharing decision-making between and within generations
Prioritizing personal passions
Practicing servant leadership
Being authentic
Much, much more!
You will love this compassionate and collaborative farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Natasha:
Natasha comes from a long line of farmers: three generations on her father’s; eight generations on her mother’s. After graduating from Cornell, she spent seven years working on farms in New Zealand before returning to the family dairy farm in New York alongside her father, brother, cousin, husband, and children. They currently have a herd of 1800 cows and are in the process of installing a new rotary parlor.
Connect with Natasha at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Stein-Farms-100063232207975/
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x
Monday Mar 02, 2026
Monday Mar 02, 2026
Recording date: February 25, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode ten features Natasha Stein Sutherland of Stein Farms as we discuss:
Sharing decision-making between and within generations
Prioritizing personal passions
Practicing servant leadership
Being authentic
Much, much more!
You will love this compassionate and collaborative farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Natasha:
Natasha comes from a long line of farmers: three generations on her father’s; eight generations on her mother’s. After graduating from Cornell, she spent seven years working on farms in New Zealand before returning to the family dairy farm in New York alongside her father, brother, cousin, husband, and children. They currently have a herd of 1800 cows and are in the process of installing a new rotary parlor.
Connect with Natasha at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Stein-Farms-100063232207975/
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x
Friday Feb 27, 2026
Friday Feb 27, 2026
Recording date: February 18, 2026
Welcome to the second season of Food, Flowers, & Fun: Visits with farm women from around the world! Episode nine features Kalan Redwood of Redwood Seeds as we discuss:
Rejuvenating during the “off-season”
Appreciating the potential of seeds
Choosing traditional schooling and homeschooling
Building a seed business from the ground up
Much, much more!
You will love this inspiring and informative farmer!
#IYWF2026
About Kalan:
Kalan didn’t choose farming—farming chose her! In her mid-twenties, she met her husband, which started a journey of garden curiosity. After several years growing seeds under contract for other companies, Redwood Seeds was born. They specialize in certified organic, heirloom, and open-pollinated varieties adapted to diverse climates.
Connect with Kalan at:
Website: https://www.redwoodseeds.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redwoodorganicseeds/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redwoodseeds/?hl=en
Connect with K at:
Website: https://www.penlightfarmers.com
YouTube: @k.castrataro3466
Facebook and Instagram: @penlightfarmers
Podcast (audio): https://www.penlightfarmers.com/podcast
Podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVBn53rrIsTwS4ag6hH4DHnxG_Lxqt7x