FEATURE STORY
Justine Ludwig
Coastal Black Tulip Fest
@justineludwig.co
Black Creek, British Columbia, Canada
https://stan.store/JustineLudwig

Justine Ludwig is an agritourism entrepreneur and homeschool mom, blending family, farming, and business to create memorable experiences on Vancouver Island. Alongside her husband, the couple launched the Coastal Black Pumpkin Festival in 2013, which has grown into a beloved community event. In 2022, they added the Coastal Black Tulip Festival, hand-planting over 300,000 tulips to welcome springtime visitors. A homeschool mom of three, Ludwig brings her children into the entrepreneurial journey, teaching them the values of hard work and creativity. Passionate about agritourism, Ludwig now helps other farmers and homesteaders transform their own farms into thriving event destinations.

REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR
Hadleigh Burch
A Little Wild Farm
@alittlewildfarm
Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada
alittlewildfarm.com

Hadleigh Burch is the face behind the lens at A Little Wild Farm. Her little ‘funny farm’ is home to a menagerie of animals including miniature donkeys, alpacas, pot belly pigs, goats, chickens and honeybees. In her spare time, Burch enjoys knitting with yarn spun from her alpaca fiber, sewing, creating and baking. In the summer months you’ll find her outside in the vegetable garden or tending to her greenhouse. A love for all things wild and inspired by Mother Nature, she is working towards a more sustainable way of living on her farm.

REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR
Erin George
Cookwell Co.
@erinrgeorge
Jefferson, Colorado, USA
cookwellco.com

Erin George is a chef, registered dietitian nutritionist and the owner of Cookwell Co., a food and recipe development business located in a rural ranching community in the Colorado high country. Originally from the Appalachian region, George has a passion for rural living and cooking at home. Although professionally trained, she considers herself a home cook and strives to develop recipes that are accessible within her small town. Her favorite part of her job is helping people gain confidence in the kitchen and bringing honor and excitement back to home cooking.

THESE HANDS OF MINE
Shaunere Lane
Brown Creek Wild Rags
@browncreekrags
Claresholm, Alberta, Canada
browncreekwildrags.com

Brown Creek Wild Rags has been providing excellent quality silk wild rags since 2007. Shaunére Lane and her husband and four children required a supplementary income to their cattle operation, prompting the purchase of their first serger. Loving business and being grateful for her customers, the business has grown by leaps and bounds over 18 years. It helped raise four kids through to university, and continues to ‘help out’ today. Lane explains, “Having the opportunity to create something that people wear and the support I have received will never be taken for granted, my heart is forever full”.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Gloria Niemi
Gloria Niemi Coaching
@operationhappymom
Neebing, Ontario, Canada
glorianiemi.com

Gloria Niemi is a life coach dedicated to assisting mothers overcome postpartum depression and find happiness as a mom. After experiencing PPD seven times, it’s an honor for her to get to help other moms experience the same joy and presence, too. Niemi lives in Thunder Bay, ON with her husband and eight children, on a 160-acre oasis in the woods. In her free time, she loves hiking by Lake Superior, dreaming about her log cabin, reading books with her kids, and just sitting and soaking in the silence.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Sarah Wagner
Dreaming of Homemaking
Rosehill Cottage Estate
@dreamingofhomemaking @rosehillcottageestate
Everson, Washington, USA
dreamingofhomemaking.com

Sarah Wagner is a wife, and mom of four. She went from city life to the country and small space living to wide open spaces, and turning their house into a home. She teaches others along the way with DIY projects, gardening, and adding any animal she can to her farmstead. Learn along with her as she learns to slow down and find the simple life, while continuing to dream big. 

Wagner’s passion is gathering – bringing family, friends and people together. Dreaming BIG they started with a farmstand, and soon they’ll be hosting events, farm to table dinners, and more. Make sure to follow along on all the adventures. 

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Tara Shaw
Loose Grip Athletics
@loosegrip.coaching
Kemptville, Ontario, Canada
loosegripathletics.ca

Tara is a multi-passionate entrepreneur and mother of two girls, living in Kemptville, Ontario. She founded Loose Grip Athletics in 2022 with the mission of empowering others through vulnerability and determination. Living by her values of community, growth, wellness and movement, Shaw enjoys connecting with women and empowering them to live the life they dream of. With over 20 years in the public and private sector, Shaw naturally supports teams and individuals as they navigate personal and professional challenges – fostering clarity, cohesion, and success. As a professional coach and wellness facilitator, she leverages her intuition and insight with a holistic approach to support authentic growth and transformation.  

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Erica Ciardullo
Ciardullo Ranch
@erica_ciardullo
Wellington, Colorado, USA
ciardulloranch.com

Erica Ciardullo is a believer, wife, mother, and first-generation rancher. Ten years ago, she and her family left the city for the country, where they built a cattle company from scratch. Fueled by her love for the land and animals, she expanded beyond beef, creating a line of handcrafted, farm-based goods. Guided by faith, her passion led her to resign from a 16-year teaching career to fully dedicate herself to ranching and producing homegrown products.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Amanda Cleland
81 Petals
@81petals
Listowel, Ontario, Canada
81petals.com

When Amanda Cleland moved to her farm, she fell in love with flowers, and all it entailed. She’s always had a love for the country life after growing up in the country, but having a piece of dirt to call her own changed all that. It meant a place to grow not only her family, but a place to set roots, and plant flowers. Dahlias is the name of the game at 81 Petals, and she grows them in every colour, shape and size. Some of the prettiest even land on the exhibition tables at the local dahlia societies she belongs to. Her biggest love though, is weddings. Taking flowers, arranging them, and giving them to a bride, knowing they have a special place in that couples love story is her favourite.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Stacy Bronec
@stacybronec
Carter, Montana, USA
stacybronec.com

Stacy Bronec is a writer whose work explores the seasons of motherhood, marriage, and farm life. She’s an accidental farm girl learning to love an unexpected life. Bronec lives with her husband and three kids on their family farm and ranch in rural Montana. Her writing has been featured on Coffee + Crumbs, Trailblazher, Motherly, and she’s a contributing author to So God Made a Grandma. When not writing, she enjoys reading, barre workouts, and eating cake (usually not at the same time). She believes bright lipstick is perfect for any occasion. You can follow Bronec’s writing through her Substack, Planting Season. 

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Sarah Denis
St. Isidore Homestead
@st.isidore.homestead
St. Denis, Saskatchewan, Canada
saintisidorehomestead.ca

Sarah Denis comes from a family of farmers in rural Saskatchewan. She and her husband Dan, along with their children, own and operate St. Isidore Homestead near St. Denis. They raise poultry and beef as a farm-to-table endeavor. They also host farmer’s markets to promote small scale agriculture and food traceability. Denis is passionate about rural life, knowing your farmer, homeschooling, and her Catholic faith. On a typical day you can find her creating meals, gardening, teaching, or helping with farm chores. Organizing rural events that serve her community is also on her list of activities as she is co-founder of the Wildflowers Women’s Homestead Conference.