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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Divas that Care
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This is a global movement forwomen, by women engaged in a
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To find out more about themovement, visit DivasThatCarecom
(00:24):
after the show.
Right now, though, stay tunedfor another jolt of inspiration.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hello and happy April
to all.
Welcome to Divas that CareNetwork.
I am Joyce Benning and I willbe your host for this exciting,
invigorating, robust lifestyleshow.
First, I want to take a momentand thank each one of our
listeners that have tuned inlive today and the ones that
will be listening to the podcast.
(00:52):
I am just so very grateful foreach one of you, and you are all
in for a very special timetoday, as I have with me a
brand-new diva, susanRomolfanger, with Romy Farms,
and, oh my, are you going tohear about some great
(01:13):
information today as we chatabout feeding the community,
growing and nurturing with love.
Oh goodness, you are all in fora treat.
Susan, could you pleaseintroduce yourself to our
listeners?
Speaker 3 (01:30):
today.
Thank you, Joyce, I would loveto.
My name is Susan Rommelfinger.
My husband and I grow on alittle over 52 1⁄2 acres here in
the beautiful Flint Hills ofCassidy, Kansas.
We have an apiary.
We also produce rawwildflower-fed honey for our
(01:53):
customers.
We have a garden area that's alittle over a half acre where we
have built two high tunnels.
One is a 30 by 96, concreted inthe ground and the other one is
a movable tunnel that is a 30by 50.
(02:14):
And it moves from one locationin the garden to the other so
that we can amend soil that waywithout having to take off the
plastic.
We also have a vibrant17-member CSA and produce our
own chicken and duck eggs hereat the farm as well, as we
(02:40):
invite people to come to thefarm to pick up their products,
go through our story walk andalso purchase what they like
when it's available and they'reready to get started and get
planting.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh, my goodness, oh,
wow.
Girl, you are busy all the time.
Wow, that's incredible all thatyou're doing and all the
families that you're helpingfeed with that half-acre garden.
And one thing like you said,you have high tunnels.
Some of our listeners may notbe aware of what a high tunnel
(03:25):
is.
Could you explain to them whata high tunnel is and the
benefits of using that in yourgardening, please?
Speaker 3 (03:34):
I'd love to.
Yes, we partnered with NRCS thethird year that we were growing
in obtaining two high tunnels,or they're called hoop houses.
They're a like a greenhouse,but they're six mil plastic
instead of a hard plastic thatyou would normally find on like
(03:58):
a nursery greenhouse or aregular what they call a
greenhouse with the hard plastic, and so we are able to grow
more produce in all conditionsand extend our growing season in
(04:18):
the high tunnels.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Oh, wow.
So that makes you available tobe able to pretty much garden
year-round and have our cropsavailable.
(04:50):
And actually planted in our hightunnels by September in order
to grow year-round.
Oh, that is just amazing,because most of the times when
people think of gardening, theythink of springtime, and that's
the only time when you'regardening outside that it can
work.
But with these high tunnels,you're able to garden year-round
and feed not only your family.
But you were talking aboutfeeding other families through a
(05:13):
project called CSA.
Could you explain to ourlisteners today what CSA is?
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Yes.
So a CSA stands for CommunitySupported Agriculture, and that
is where our customers prepayfor their produce.
So every week we deliver four toeight different fruits,
vegetables or herbs orvalue-added products to a pickup
(05:45):
location and they are able toeat fresh every week without
having to go to the grocerystore and stand in the lines,
and they get to be creative withwhat they put on their table
for their family and forthemselves.
On their table for their familyand for themselves, they get
(06:06):
fresh, harvested within 36 hoursof delivery, all of our
products.
And it's a way to help farmerslike ourselves get started with
the growing season.
So, for instance, we hire helpto come in and plant and seed
(06:30):
with everything that we havehere.
As far as our plants, we startour own plants in our greenhouse
and that way they're helping usand giving us a fair wage for
what they're getting.
And the best part, I think, isthat we get to meet our
(06:51):
customers and educate them everyweek through an email that goes
out prior to the delivery thattells them what they're going to
be getting, along with a recipeand a little bit about what
we've been doing at the farmduring the week.
So they have access to usonline and are able to reach out
(07:14):
to us via email when we are outin the field, harvesting,
planting and growing for themand growing for them.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Oh my, that is just
fantastic.
What an awesome way to staycommunicated with your customer
about.
But also, the customer isstaying communicated with the
grower of the products that theyare receiving.
They know what's happening,they are aware of what they're
getting and I love the recipetoo, because some of them may
(07:46):
say, okay, what am I supposed todo with this squash or this
zucchini?
Or, just for an example,throwing some things out there
like that, and you are givingthem ideas.
Plus, they know if they needmore information, they have a
contact they can get back with.
Oh, susan, that is justincredible.
(08:07):
What a great benefit you areoffering these CSA customers
that are receiving your produce.
That is awesome.
I love it, thank you.
Thank you.
And I have to ask has this beena passion inside of you all the
(08:28):
time or was there somethingthat sparked this, that made you
decide this is something youwould like to do is to be able
to grow and feed the communityand nurture it with love.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Well, ever since I
was a little girl, my dad always
planted a garden, and I lovenurturing plants, watching them
grow.
It's just that's the fabulouspart is seeing that seed pop up
and the roots go down, and beingable to feed other people.
(09:08):
That is something that I'vealways been involved with and
always loved.
And then also feeding people,you know, has always been
something that I've pridedmyself on.
When I was raising a family, Imade you know all of our meals.
(09:28):
We didn't go out to eat, wewere very thrifty with our
budget, and so having thatbackground is, you know,
something that has also been anasset to what I think is
important as far as beingsustainable.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Oh, yes, oh man.
So it sounds to me like it'sbeen a passion that's been
inside of you and kind ofinstilled in you in the way you
were raised, with having agarden all the time and having
being able to eat the benefitsof the freshness from the garden
, and your passion then grew towant to share that with others.
(10:15):
That is beautiful, yes.
I love that, oh my goodness,with others.
That is beautiful, yes, I lovethat, oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Thank you, what a
beautiful story.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Well, I know you
offer so many gifts in your ways
of feeding others.
What is one special, uniquegift that you would say that you
use on a daily basis?
Susan?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
say that you use on a
daily basis.
Susan, my relationship buildingis my most special gift I
believe that I bring to ourbusiness.
I love reaching out to peopleto tell them about what we're
(10:59):
doing, sharing that informationthat is the part that thrills my
heart and helps people justimprove their lives as well.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yes, oh, that is
beautiful.
And I can back that one up too,because when you and I met at
the Shop Kansas Farms event, youhave that personality, that
warmness that just comes across,that it's so easy to talk to
you I mean, out of all thevendors there we just started
(11:33):
chatting and one thing kind ofled to another.
We just started chatting andone thing kind of led to another
.
So I see that highlight, thatgift that you bring to the
Roaming Farms very much, becauseyou are a relationship builder
and it's very easy to build arelationship with you.
So I can totally back that oneup for you, Susan.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Thank you, thank you.
(12:22):
I've had a lot of wonderfulwomen come alongside of our
mission and day we're growinghere at the farm for our
customers.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
What a beautiful
attitude, because you're always
looking to better everything tobe able to provide a better
product, a better relationship,more information to your
customers.
Oh, that is incredible too.
That's what makes you verysuccessful, because those, to me
(12:50):
, are such crucial assets to beable to have and to share with
others what you are doing.
So that's beautiful Well thankyou.
As you were talking.
You're so welcome.
When you introduced yourself,you talked about a story walk.
That caught my attention, and Iknow how beautiful the Flint
(13:13):
Hills are in Kansas.
What exactly is entailed in astory walk?
Speaker 3 (13:21):
So a story walk can
be a lot of different things in
different areas of the parts ofthe country.
The Kellogg Foundation was bigin providing funding for an
opportunity for people to comeout to the outdoors and to
(13:42):
incorporate literacy into natureby walking through a series of
stands where there is a bookthat is posted on each stand.
So all of the stands that wehave here at the farm have a
(14:05):
page on them that talks aboutour premier book, and so we
encourage people to come out,learn about the story, read the
story with their families, spendtime together just enjoying
nature and being able to accessthat event, that feeling that
(14:32):
they get of being in the countryand being able to take their
time and not being rushed andjust really taking in all of the
sights and sounds around themas they're reading our fabulous
book.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Oh, my goodness.
Oh, that is incredible.
What a fun way to do a storywalk.
Now, when you talk about havingpages of the book, is this a
book that you have specially puttogether for Rami Farms?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
So this is not a book
that I wrote.
This is books that I haveselected that talk about growing
, kindness, sustainability.
It could also incorporate someof our books, incorporate math
(15:28):
in them as well, and we dorotate our books, so it's not
the same book every time, everyseason, that you come to the
farm oh, oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
This just sounds like
a fantastic way for a family to
come out, enjoy nature, meetthe producers, like you and your
husband, and take some goodproducts back home with them for
what you have in season andavailable, and enjoy nature.
Just be out in nature.
(16:02):
Oh, that is.
I love that story walk.
That sounds so interesting.
Wow, that sounds like a lot offun.
Now do you?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
do this Well.
I can't wait for all thelisteners to come and take in
the experience and just be innature with us.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Oh, yes, definitely.
Now do you do this certainmonths out of the year.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Now do you do this
certain months out of the year,
so we do this on our open day,which is on Saturdays from 1 to
4.
Someone is here at the farm andpeople can come out during that
time and go through our storywalk and then purchase products
from our selection and learnmore about where we're going.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Oh wow.
From Saturday from 1 to 4.
Now how can our listenersconnect with you if they're
going okay?
This is something I really wantto look into, plus possibly the
CSA program.
How is the best way for them toconnect and find out more
(17:15):
information about you?
Susan?
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Well, we have lots of
different ways that they can
connect.
We have a Facebook page,ramifarmscom is our website and
we are also on Instagram.
So any of those ways they canreach out to us and we will
follow up with them and invitethem to learn more about what
(17:41):
we're doing.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Oh, perfect, and we
will definitely post all those
links because you are doing suchincredible, incredible, giving
back to the community.
I just love it and I love onyour website where it says
bringing the farmer to consumerrelationship back to life, and
how true that is.
That's exactly what you havetalked about here.
(18:04):
I just love it.
Well, and I knew this interviewwould just absolutely fly by.
What are a couple final tipsthat you would like to leave
with our listeners for today,susan?
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I would like for
people to know that they can
reach out through pop-up tentsand farmer's markets to farmers
like ourselves and others thatare growing, to help them
continue with the expansions,the upkeep.
(18:43):
Just supporting local is reallywhat I'd like for people to
know is so important in creatinga commerce that can help
everyone keeping tax dollars inyour local area.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Oh, yes, what a
beautiful tip.
I love supporting local.
Oh, that is awesome.
That is perfect.
And, susan, this went so fast.
There's so many more things Iwanted to touch on today.
I am going to ask our listenershere at 2, would you be open to
(19:22):
come back as a guest again onmy Robust Lifestyle show?
Speaker 3 (19:27):
again on my Robust
Lifestyle show.
I would love to inspire womenand girls in doing what their
dreams and their passions are,and if I can do that being on
the farm and speaking I wouldlove to do that.
Joyce, thank you so much forhaving me.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Oh, you are so
welcome, susan, and thank you
for being on and listeners.
You heard her say she will beback on Robust Lifestyles Show,
so thank you again, susan.
This was just a fabulous timeand you have a wonderful,
wonderful Monday.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
God bless, thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Oh same back to you
and you are so welcome, and I
would like to thank all of ourlisteners for listening to this
incredible interview with ouramazing new diva, susan
Rommelfanger, and be sure toshare this show with all your
family and friends.
Check out all the other hostsand their shows on
(20:29):
DivasThatCarecom.
Remember.
Have a fantastic day, be kindto all and, as Susan said too,
support local.
It means so much and you have aconnection with how the foods
are grown, just like with Susanand her on her farm and her
family that's working together.
(20:49):
Give your animals a hug andshare your love with them.
Until we connect again onRobust Lifestyles, stay strong
and healthy.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Thanks for listening.
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