July 4, 2025 • 39 mins
On this week's episode of The Rural Woman Podcast™, you'll meet Bailey Koch.
Bailey is a 4th generation Farmer and rancher from northern Colorado. She, along with her sister, are working to take over their family’s operation. She is a new mom to 7 month old baby, Colter and he loves getting to tag along to all things around the ranch (skipping naps to ensure he misses nothing).
Bailey raises Australian Shepherds, is a new goat owner, and plans on earning a crazy chicken lady title very soon.
For full show notes, including links mentioned in the show, head over to wildrosefarmer.com/226
. . .
DISCUSSIONS THIS WEEK:
[00:23] - The Hidden Leaders of Agriculture
[01:26] - The Journey of Bailey Koch: A Fourth Generation Rancher
[18:04] - The Transition to Motherhood and Agriculture
[29:27] - Connecting Consumers to Their Food
[31:42] - Finding a Place in Agriculture
. . .
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Meet the Team
Audio Editor | MixBär.
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Sarah R. | Happiness by The Acre
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:40):
Hi, I'm Katelyn Duban and thisis the Rural Woman Podcast. I'm a
first generation farmer whomarried into agriculture. Born and
raised in a city, I was sounfamiliar with where my food came
from, but I was determined tofigure it out. Through my journey
into agriculture, I saw womenwho were strong but humble, often
(01:04):
taking a backseat. To me,these women were leaders who deserved
a seat at the table. I createdthe Rural Women Podcast to share
the voices of women in anindustry whose stories often went
untold. The ruralentrepreneurs who live and breathe
their work full of grit andpride. We come here to share our
(01:27):
stories, to be in communitywith each other, to be challenged
and inspired, but mostimportantly, to be celebrated and
to be heard. We may not alllive farm, ranch or homestead the
same, but we are allconnected. We are rural women and
(01:47):
our stories are worthy ofbeing told. Hey everyone. Welcome
back to another episode of theRural Woman Podcast. Today you'll
meet Bailey Koch. Bailey is afourth generation rancher from Carr,
Colorado. Bailey shares withus her journey of growing up on the
(02:10):
family ranch, navigating theshift into motherhood and working
alongside her sister to carrythe family legacy forward. We talk
about the balancing of ranchlife with raising her son Colter,
challenging misconceptionsabout agriculture and the importance
of self care and community.Bailey also shares how writing has
(02:32):
become a meaningful way toconnect with others in agriculture.
My friends, the connectionpiece in agriculture.
Is huge and a big reason why.
We still do what we do heretoday on the Rural Women Podcast.
And if you are looking toconnect with other incredible women
in agriculture from all overthe world, join us in our Facebook
(02:55):
community, the Rural WomanPodcast Community over on Facebook.
We have a group of over athousand women in in community with
one another there and it is agreat place to come and connect with
other women and other fans ofthe show. We will pop the link to
the Facebook community intoday's show notes. So just scroll
(03:15):
down on your podcast player ofchoice and click and join our group.
Without further ado, myfriends, let's get to this week's
episode with Bailey. Bailey,welcome to the Rural Woman Podcast.
How are you today?
I'm really good. How are you?
(03:35):
I'm doing so well. Thank youso much for joining me. I'm excited
to get to know you more andhear your journey in agriculture.
So for the folks who areunfamiliar with you, tell us who
you are, where you're from andwhat your connection to agriculture
is.
Okay? Yeah, thanks for havingme. My name is Bailey Koch. I am
from Car, Colorado It's alittle small, almost non existent
(03:59):
railroad town. I am the fourthgeneration on my family's farm and
ranch. My sister and I arecurrently working on taking over
the operation where we runaround 250head of commercial cows.
We farm wheat, do some customcombining for corn, and then we raise
all our own hay, which issudex and alfalfa and then some wheat
(04:23):
hay.
So just a little bit of everything.
Yes. Yeah.
And you had mentioned that youare the fourth generation and the
fifth generation is joining ustoday as well.
Yeah, it's been. Everybody'sbeen extremely excited that I had
my son because, you know,having another boy in the family
versus us girls.
(04:44):
So tell me more about thehistory. So you are the fourth generation.
Tell me about the history ofwhen your family started ranching
in that area or how you cameto. To be in that area.
Yeah. So my grandpa, or mygreat grandpa moved up to Colorado
from Missouri. And the storywas that he got really tired of blowing
up tree stumps in his fieldsand he went to where he couldn't
(05:08):
find any trees, which alsomeant there was no water. But he
settled on our family's placeand he had multiple jobs, but he
hauled bread into town onthese long routes. And then my great
grandma raised all the chickenand the eggs that supplied the bigger
city, Fort Collins, near us.And then my dad and my grandpa and
(05:31):
his brother and my uncle andeverybody expanded to where we are
now. There was a ranchdivision in between my uncle or my
great uncle, my grandpa. So welost some land there and changed
our operation a little bit.All that happened before I was born.
And then my sister and I wereborn and we decided we were gonna
(05:53):
show steers and do stuff likethat to kind of be part of it. And
then we just slowly andsteadily got more involved with the
operations and runningequipment and not showing steers,
but being around the cattleand weaning and AI ing and I mean,
a lot of different stuff. Stuff.
You mentioned somethingearlier about, you know, people being
(06:16):
excited that obviously there'sa cute little baby boy on the farm
now, but you and your sistergrew up essentially doing everything
that if you would have had abrother, you would have had to do.
So talk to me about, you know,how your passion for agriculture
was shaped on the ranch andhow you and your sister are still
there today.
Yes. So my dad always told usgrowing up that it wasn't going to
(06:40):
look the same as how he and myuncle did it, but we were more than
capable of doing it. So, Imean, even Though it's been kind
of a weird transition for mydad and my uncle, who really didn't
have girls around growing up.It's been really. We've been very
supported that way. My uncleand my dad go out of their way to
try to make us feel like wecan do whatever we put our minds
(07:03):
to. And then he's. They'vealso done a lot of different research
into different programs,products, and different equipment
we can have to make lifeeasier for us. Like, we now have,
like, a electric fence postpounder, and, like, all this other
stuff that they've reallybranched out for. But I always loved
going and feeding cows when Iwas a kid. And then we started AI
(07:26):
ing for our own show steers.And my sister and I would beg my
dad to take us beforehand,like before school. And we loved
going and checking cows. Wewere like, that is where we really
got into everything. And thenfrom there, we just kind of was,
like, just really widened ourhorizons as far as the farming and
(07:47):
everything else. So we kind ofstarted participating more after
that, for sure.
And I love that they reallyrecognize that there could be that
divide with you know, evenjust physical strength. Like, there's
absolutely nothing wrong withhaving a electric post pounder. And
that, to me, sounds like adream as I, you know, think about
(08:10):
pounding the post. Right. Whatare some of your earliest memories
growing up on the ranch?
I remember we had, like,bottle calves, a story that I always
tell everybody, and they thinkit's hilarious. We were gathering
up our cows to pull out thebulls and wean calves. And my dad
(08:33):
had mentioned to my grandpa,who I was riding with, that we needed
to watch to make sure any cowswere open. And the cows. I watched
this one cow, and she wasopen. And I went to my friend's house
that night, and they wereasking me about gathering up the
cows, and I said, yeah, therewas this cow, and I watched this
bull humper instead of saying,like, he was trying to breed her,
(08:56):
you know, and they justthought it was the funniest thing,
because I was like, five and Itold them that, and I was like, yeah,
that's great. I keep tellingeverybody this story.
Well, farm kids and ranch kidsare probably one of the first to
learn about the birds and thebees. But, you know, obviously, using
the correct terminology whenyou're five.
(09:17):
Yes. Yeah. I was like, thatwas really great.
Yeah. So you grew up on theranch, but you didn't go to school
in a smaller community? Talkto us about going to school in a
more urban area.
So my graduating Class of highschool was 500 kids. And it was definitely
(09:40):
different. Like even in ourmiddle school, which was in the smaller
town I can remember like goingto school and I was like, wow, I
don't really know or likeidentify with anybody. There was
like a few people that hadlike horses or something, but it
was mostly all town kids, sowe didn't really like. I didn't really
connect with anybody for avery long time. And then when we
(10:02):
got into high school my junioryear, so my second to last year,
I decided that I wanted tojoin an FFA program and there wasn't
one at the school. And thenthey actually were adding one. So
I was on the officer team andI helped some start up the FFA program
at the school. But even the agteacher I had at the school, he asked
(10:22):
me one day, he was like, doyou need chick or do you need roosters
to have baby chicks if we havehens? I was like, no, chickens are
asexual. They just duplicate.That's what happens. I was like,
this is supposed to be our agteacher, right?
Well, and you said like, notbeing able to really connect with
(10:43):
your fellow students, likethat can be, you know, being the
outsider in school is never acomfy experience for anyone. To your
knowledge, is the FFA programstill running through the school?
Yep. Yeah, it is. They have ahuge greenhouse now. They've just
changed their oyster fry to adifferent kind of dinner to try to
(11:05):
get a little better fundingbecause they have a another chapter
that started to be kind of acompetitive race between the two
of them, but it's stillrunning and there's two very good
teachers in there now, so.
Well, that's great. Duringschool and obviously after you graduated,
was there any other careerpath that you thought that you would
(11:25):
like to go down versuscontinuing on the farm and ranch?
Growing up, I really wanted tostudy crop genetics and get into
gene splicing and stuff likethat. And then I also wanted to be
an astronomer, but Idefinitely never pictured myself
in a lab coat once I gotolder. And then I worked on a dairy
(11:46):
heifer development program fora while. And then when I went back
to school to get mybachelor's, I was working at a feed
store that's close, called Mom Gars.
Talk to me about, you know,the experience of going to school
for agriculture and beingaround kids who kind of understood
the lifestyle.
(12:07):
It was so different. It wasso, like, refreshing to go to this.
I went to Cheyenne for myfirst two years of college, but it
was so different to go and tobe around people that actually had
had a connection withlivestock, let alone like they came
off a decent sized ranches outin the middle of Wyoming. Like one
guy actually still uses likebig, big horses to feed hay in the
(12:32):
winter. And it's really cool.Like it just was so different to
have that versus these citykids that kind of were like, what's
going on? Which my husband wasone of them. But like, it's definitely.
It was a big change and I hada hard time kind of adjusting to
that even because I was like,well, not, I don't know as much as
(12:55):
everybody else does here. Andlike before I knew probably more
than most people did.
Right. You had mentioned thatyour, your husband, did he grow up
in agriculture or was heagriculture aware or. He was completely
none of it.
He. When we first starteddating, I had told him that I was
weighing in my show steer andhe's like, you're doing what? I was
(13:17):
like, yeah, we sh. I lead thissteer across a scale and then we
see what he weighs and then atthe end we see how much he gained.
And he was like, what do you mean?
Well, it's a completely. LikeI myself, I grew up in the city.
I didn't know anything aboutagriculture until I got here. Some
may say I still don't knowenough about agriculture, but I'm
(13:38):
learning and I think that'skind of a neat thing. And when you
get to immerse yourself indifferent industries and different
ways of life, I think you canbring different perspectives with
your time, through youreducation and even, you know, marrying
your husband who didn't knowanything about agriculture. What
do you think are some of thebiggest misconceptions that you've
(14:00):
come across from folks whodon't really know about the industry?
Oh, I kind of think especiallynow as we're going into like a different
time frame, I would say, likewhere people are like wanting to
homestead and stuff like thatis that I think there's a really
big misconception in between,like big farms and how maybe animals
(14:21):
are treated. Like, you seereally bad situations, but that's
not a lot of them. And then Ialso think like, in between, like
we all have a place at thetable. Like, I've heard somebody
else say that on here, butjust because you have, you have an
organic farm doesn't meanmine's bad because it's not organic.
Like we all have a place atthe table and like all of us working
(14:43):
together would be like hugeinstead of like kind of going against
each other.
Yeah. And just having thatcamaraderie and the understanding
right, like that there's noright way of doing things. There's
different ways. And itdoesn't. Like you said, it doesn't
make one better than theother. It really is a good thing
to have the options forconsumers to purchase with their
(15:06):
buying dollars of what theyvalue. And essentially, that's what
you're doing. When you arebuying groceries at the grocery store,
you are buying what you value.I want to go back to the farm and
ranch. You had mentioned thatyou do custom combining. That is
something that I find veryinteresting. Obviously, we do combining
here, but is very much for ouroperation. So take us through that
(15:29):
process.
Growing up, we used to farmand rent this little chunk of ground
that, like, the Game andWildlife division had. And it was
really well off for what wedid because we didn't have to pay
for any water, and we couldgrow corn there and not have to worry
about the water, because thewater was all provided by these little
duck ponds. But it ended upbeing something that we couldn't
(15:51):
renew our contract with them.So we have all the equipment, and
then we didn't have any corn.So we started cutting this corn for
some neighbors. And there'stwo different farms, and one of them's
a very small dairy, and theyharvest all their own corn and then
flake it and then feed it backto their cows. And then the other
(16:12):
producer is just a littlesmall family operation, and he just
sells all of his corn. Butright around the 1st of November,
my uncle's, like, constantlygoing over there and checking where
the corn is. And then we moveall the equipment over, and then
we start harvesting. And it'sonly, like, usually a week long.
And then we clean up the cornstalks afterwards, bail all the corn
(16:36):
stalks, and then we bring itback and either feed the cows or
sell some of them.
What is the typical growingseason like in northeastern Colorado?
It kind of depends. Last yearwas really dry and hot. It was not
a great year. Our cows arelike. Our pastures are not in good
shape because the cows. Andthere's not enough feed. But typically,
(17:01):
we plant our winter wheat orwe grow red winter wheat, and then
it comes up and we have ouralfalfa. That is. It's on its fourth
year, so we should. We'regonna rip it up and replant it here
soon. But we'll do about twoto three cuttings of alfalfa. We'll
run our wheat hay, and thenwe'll cut all the wheat hay, and
(17:23):
then we replant it to Sudex.We do some fertilizing across there
because it is a rotationalcrop. So it's kind of not always
the best on what it grows. Sowe have to do some nitrogen and stuff
like that on it. But that'sall irrigated ground. And we have
one rotational sprinkler andthat's pretty much all we have for
our rotate or for ourirrigated ground.
(17:46):
And you had said you have. Isit a cow calf operation?
Yes. Yeah.
So when are you guys calving?
We've pushed it back a littlebit, but we've started calving at
the very end of March and intoApril. April here can tend to be
pretty snowy and cold still.That's usually when we get most of
our moisture. There's beensome nasty blizzards we've had around
(18:08):
that time frame. But we calvein between there and we start with
our replacement heifers. Andusually they calve the first couple
weeks. We try to synchronizethem to where they calf at the same
time. And hopefully we getthrough like the night checks and
everything like that quicklyso we're not drug out forever. But
sometimes that doesn't work sofantastic. But they right around,
(18:32):
I believe it's like the 10thor something. The 10th of April is
when we should start calvingthis year.
So talk to me about how beinga new mom has fit into in to all
of those things.
Yeah. When we decided wewanted to have a baby, I told my
husband that the one thing Ididn't want was to be pregnant during
(18:53):
the summer. I did not want tobe heavy pregnant and running around
in the heat. So my son wasborn on April 2. And the day that
he was born, my sister told meThere was like 12 calves born the
same day. So she had to tagall these calves by herself. But
I had helped her tag calves.And it's really. It was kind of,
(19:15):
I mean, comical, I'm sure towatch because my uncle's house, it's
like really close to where ourpasture is where we calve out the
cows. So I think he sits therewith his binoculars and watches us
sometimes just to get a goodlaugh. But it's been a little interesting
because he didn't have greathead control. So I was a little afraid
of going in some of theequipment with him early on and out
(19:37):
in the pastures andeverything. So my sister actually
had to calve out most of thecows this year by herself with my
dad's help. But now he's goingand Feeding with us, and he's had
his first wheat harvest andeverything. So it's been a little
different, like, scaling backon myself and, like, trying to. Trying
(19:58):
to sit at home and be like,okay, well, I should be doing this.
Like, I could be doing this.It's been a little rough to adjust
to that and the being lessproductive, I should say.
Right. I think of you as moreproductive because not only are you
doing all of those things,you're also keeping another human
alive. So that is a reward initself. Right. Talk to me about being
(20:24):
a new mom and, you know, thosestruggles of staying at home if you're
comfortable. Like, how has itbeen, I guess, postpartum when it
comes to supports for you as anew mom?
Well, everybody here has beenreally supportive. I will say that.
Like, there's not been a timewhere I was like, no, I really don't
think I should do that, or,like, I shouldn't. Like, I don't
(20:45):
think I went out to cows forprobably a month or two. And then
I finally went back out, andmy sister was like, let me know if
his head is banging around.Let me know if he's okay. We'll leave.
Like, do whatever. Like, I'msorry. Like, let me know. So everybody's
been really fantastic. It wasprobably pretty rough at first, like,
(21:07):
to kind of adjust to it,because I was, like, I really felt
like I should have been doingmore. I was able to, like, pretty
much take over the heiferchecks at night, though, because
I was feeding him. So it waskind of, like, worked out all right.
But it was. It was rough.Like, when I was, like. At first,
I had these expectations whereI would just, like, set him in the
crib, turn on the baby camera,and I could go do something. And
(21:30):
that didn't quite turn out,Like, I thought, like, in my head,
and I. You know, looking backat it, I was like, that was really
silly to expect that in thefirst place. But it's been more enjoyable
than I thought it should havebeen, really. Like, I'm more happy
when I get to do what I feellike he needs. But it was a weird
adjustment to be like, okay,no, I need to stay. I need to say
(21:53):
no to this. I need to do whathe needs first.
I like what you said about theexpectations, and I think it's very
easy for us to put all ofthese expectations on ourselves and
others, really, like, withCoulter having that expectation that
he's going to nap at this timeand I'm going to be able to do this
this and this. Sometimes thosedon't happen. But the expectations
(22:16):
that I think we put onourselves, sometimes we can be the
hardest on ourselves.
Oh, yeah.
What are some things thatyou're looking forward to in, you
know, the next growing yearwhen it comes to your family as well
as. As the ranch?
I'm hoping that we kind ofkeep going a little farther down
in what we're AI ing. We'retrying to breed back more maternal
(22:39):
genetics. We, for a reallylong time bred what are called club
calves when my sister and Iwere showing. So the cows that we
would keep out of that aren'talways, like, the most productive,
and they're really harderdoing cattle. So we're bringing back
some stuff that's way morematernal. And I really have enjoyed,
like, watching our herd growand change over this. And, like,
(23:03):
including him and things as wego, like, that's just been my biggest,
like, excitement is, like,being able to go through the things
that I went through and maybedo them differently because, like,
I know that I'm comfortablewith him being around it more so
than my mom was, but I'm soexcited to have him around everything
(23:23):
and, like, be part of it. AndI can just, you know, it's just really
exciting to be able to havedifferent stuff for him. Like, we
went and got goats, which isfun, and then we're gonna have chickens
and stuff like that now. Soit's just, like, having all these
little different pieces thathe should be able to enjoy growing
up.
Absolutely. Tell me thethought process behind getting goats.
(23:46):
Why did you do this to yourself?
My sister's fiance, he wentelk hunting, and he decided that
he wanted to get pack animalsof some sort. So they were looking
into getting donkeys orsomething, and they stumbled across
these alpine goats that peopleuse to pack out elk. And he was like,
that's a great idea. So hewent and bought these alpines, and
(24:10):
they're really cool. Like, heactually, like, successfully had
his own little elk hunt andbrought home his elk and packed it
out on the goats, and it wentreally well for them. They're really
sweet. They're pretty goodsized already. They're pretty tall.
They haven't weighed a bunchyet, but they're pretty tall. And
then I was like, well, I'mgonna go get a couple pygmy goats.
And then we went and grabbed acouple pygmy goats. My sister and
(24:32):
I hauled them home in a dogkennel, but they're not quite as
friendly. Somebody had soldthem at our local sale barns. They
Weren't, like, super friendlylike the Alpines are, but they're
funny.
That's awesome. And I lovethat he's. Well, the alpine goats
are using them for somethinguseful. And obviously pygmy goats,
I think are useful becausethey're cute, but we call.
(24:54):
Them cookie and cream. They'rewhite and brown and.
Yeah, very cute. Well, andwhen Colter can run around, I'm sure
he'll be chasing thosechickens and picking up all of their
eggs and.
Oh, yeah, and he loves thegoats. He thinks they're hilarious.
Like, any animal he's reallyinto right now, but he loves the
goats.
(26:00):
Love that. That's so good. Soyou shared with me your. Your Facebook
page before we startedtalking, and I took a look through,
and you do some reallybeautiful writing and sharing on
there. So tell me when thatstarted for you and what your inspiration
is.
I always kind of wrote. It waskind of like an outlet, I guess.
(26:21):
Like, I would kind of writethese little stories or whatever,
and it never really wassomething that I looked that much
into. And then in middleschool, I actually submitted a couple
poems to this contest, and Iwas one of, like, three winners from
my school, and I got reallyinto writing and kind of having this
little journal that I wrotein, and then I would. I went back
(26:46):
to get my bachelor's degree. Iwanted to do some communications.
I wanted to write forsomething, and I wrote a couple articles,
and it just didn't feel right,so I just kept writing my stuff.
And then I got married, and Imade the Makings of a Deal page,
which is what my maiden namewas. And because my sister and I
(27:07):
are both girls, our. Our nameis going to be gone this year. So
it's kind of like. It was kindof like a bittersweet thing for me.
So it was kind of a memory ofthat. But started writing there,
and I just was sharing it,and, I mean, it's not anything I'm
doing anything besides justmaking myself happy writing. So it
is what it is.
(27:27):
I love that, though. That is,like, reason enough to do it and
to write, and your poems andyour stories are beautiful. So I
encourage you to keep doingthat. What do you think is the most
maybe challenging part ofwriting for you? Or is there a challenging
part?
I think it's the consistencyin doing it, so that's. I'll, like,
(27:50):
just kind of think ofsomething when I'm checking cows
or I'm, like, out feeding orrunning a tractor or whatever, I'll
think of, like, this thing towrite down. And then I won't write
it down. And then I'm like,what did I think there? Why did I
not write that down? That andlike having the time to constantly
do it or like publish what I'mwriting, like, it's probably part
of the reason that it's sosmall. Still is. Just like I haven't
(28:12):
devoted the time to it that I should.
It can be hard, right? Like,and like you said, you have an, a
fleeing idea that comes in andout of your brain and you don't have
your phone to type it out or apiece of paper to write it down.
And when it's time to sit downand write, it's like, what, what
did I want to say again?
Yes. Yeah.
So as you and your sister worktowards taking over the family ranch
(28:35):
and the family farm, what aresome goals? The future.
I think one of ours. And thisis just kind of my talking since
my family has gone through aranch division and like I watch my
uncle and my dad maybestruggle with communication. It's
really hard being this closeknit. Like we all live within a mile
(28:56):
of each other. Like we'rereally close together all the time.
We're always in each other'sbusiness. Like, we're just very,
like, we all eat lunchtogether every day. Like it's very,
very close knit. It's reallyhard to have good communication all
the time and to like alwaysgive each other like the grace and
the space that we need to, tolike really work together. Well,
(29:18):
most of the time. And I thinkthat's something my sister and I
really, really try to havebecause we've watched. I mean it
really bothered my grandpawhen we were growing up about his,
his relationship with hisbrother. It was not a good one.
That is probably one of thebest goals I have ever heard anyone
say that they have is to havea goal of good communication. Not
(29:40):
like what we're going toaccomplish, what we're going to like
bring to market next year oranything like that. Good communication.
And like you said, it is soimportant and it's something that
I think is overlooked until weget into situations where good communication
could have saved our bacon beforehand.
Yeah, well, and it, I mean forus since we grew up and watched it,
(30:02):
it's just been so important.And like we've watched each other.
Like our relationship when wewere younger wasn't fantastic. And
then we've like got to wherewe can actually like talk to each
other and we understand whereeach of us is coming from and like
just the way that it is Ourgrowth and everything has just been
a lot better since. That'sbeen what it. What our goals are.
(30:24):
And at the end of the day,like, it. I mean, it matters what
we take and what we grow andwhat we do, but it also matters that
we don't dislike each other.
Right. It still matters. AtThanksgiving dinner, we all want
to be sitting with oneanother. How do you want to move
forward in connectingconsumers to their food? You mentioned
(30:47):
in high school, like, that wasthat big disconnect. Is there anything
that you. That you hope to doin the future to make that connection?
Well, I. That was also kind ofone of the things I liked about writing
was I was like, well, maybe Ican. Even if I reach one person,
like, that's just one person,he can maybe spread that knowledge
to somebody else or, like, gointo more research about it, or he
(31:11):
could, like, go into doingsomething that he liked. Like, who
knows, if I tell somebody,like, oh, I know this random fact
about a goat, like, they maylike goats now, or, you know, they
may want to, like, get bees orsomething like their own, just, like,
spreading the connection. Andthen I've always enjoyed learning
from other people that wereproducing and what they did, because
(31:31):
we're all so different, right?
Yeah. And, you know, we canlearn something from our neighbor,
or we can learn somebody thatlives in a completely different country
from us and what they'redoing. And who knows? Maybe you have
inspired people to get alpinepack goats for their next hunting
season.
Maybe. Maybe. Who knows?
(31:52):
What advice would you give tothe next generation of farmers who
may be navigating challengeswhen it comes to preserving your
family legacy on farms or ranches?
I think it's really hard,especially when you're young, to
not, like, live out yourfamily's name, like, I guess is how
(32:14):
I would say it. Growing up, mydad was always like, oh, yeah, I
farm and ranch for a livingthan anybody that he met. But it
kind of always felt like mysister and I were in a shadow of
what we were. My family raisedpurebred cattle for a really long
time, and they competednationally, and we didn't do that.
So it was kind of like, oh, Iknow your dad, but what do you guys
(32:38):
do? Or, what are you doing?And I think, like, getting out of
the shadow and, like, doingyour own thing and being comfortable
in who you are and what youhave your interest in is huge. On
top of, like, being able to,like, carry forward.
Yeah, absolutely. I thinkmaking a place and space for yourself
(32:58):
in an operation and figure outwhat it Is that you're good at and
what you can be doing tocontribute. Because, you know, there's
so many. I think there's somany pressures on generational farms,
and I think as women finding aplace in an operation, that not only
can you physically do thelabor, can you mentally do the labor
and take the load on of all ofthese other things? The mental load
(33:22):
of a woman on an operation isabsolutely huge. So what is. What
do you do for yourself to takethat time for you? And I know it's
hard as you're holding asleeping baby and I'm asking you
this question.
Yeah, well, it's. Beforehand,I didn't find it as hard. Like, I
(33:42):
really enjoy reading. I. Mysister and I both are fairly active.
We work out and things likethat. But now it's a little harder.
I tend to maybe go get somecoffee more often than I should now.
But I think that, like, it'sbeen easier for me to take the time
for myself once I've, like,put it out of my head that I'm not
(34:03):
just, like, being bad by doingit. Like, there was a really long
time I struggled with, like,going and working out. Especially,
like, I was like, okay, well,I can't do that because I. I need
to be doing something for himinstead. I need to be holding him
or while he's napping. Like, Ishould be cleaning or, like, washing.
Whatever I need to wash orwhatever. But, like, taking that
(34:25):
little bit of time for myselfand, like, doing something that I
actually enjoy, or as he'sgetting a little bit older and, like,
doing more stuff on his own,it's been a lot easier to, like,
like, craft or do whatever.I'm. Do whatever I want to do.
Right. And, you know, we hearthis all the time because it's true.
Like, we can't pour from anempty cup. And if you're depleted,
(34:47):
how are you supposed to showup as a good mom, a good wife, a
good rancher? All of thesethings. Right. We have to take care
of ourselves. And I'm gladyou're taking the time. I also enjoy
peruse into town for a coffeeevery once in a while.
Yeah, I definitely. There'sprobably a. At least weekly visit
we make now, but it's kind of.
(35:09):
That's okay, I think. You knowwhat? I always think I could be doing
a lot worse things. Yeah.
My husband chews, and I'mlike, I don't want to ever hear you
tell me about how expensivethe coffee is ever again. I went
and bought a can of it's chew.And I was like, it was $8.
Oh, that's funny. Bailey, mylast question for you is, what is
(35:32):
the most rewarding part aboutbeing a rural woman for you?
I would say, like, gaining theconnections. I think when I first
started, especially after Ihad him, I felt like I was kind of,
like, alone a little bit, Iguess, just because there really
hadn't been anybody that hadhad a baby or, you know, my dad raised
(35:53):
my sister and I. But it was alittle different. So I felt fairly
alone. And then I was like,well, I want to look. Start listening
to podcasts. And that's when Ifound ears. And I was like, I really
like this. I really like thefact that. That all these other women,
like, have come from differentplaces and they have all different
backgrounds and they're comingtogether and they're all sharing,
like, really good informationand they're all talking about their
(36:15):
own struggles and their owntriumphs and things like that. I
hope going forward I can bemore of an inspiration for others,
I guess is what I would say.
Well, you've already inspiredme. You have tamed Colter. You have
made him go to sleep. All infront of my eyes. So I am impressed.
(36:36):
Taming Coulter is kind of aAll day task.
Yeah, yeah. But he's realsweet. He might be the. Okay, so
Coulter might have a flex.Coulter might be the first boy on
the Rural Woman podcast. So,you know, just don't tell the rest
of them. Coulter, they can't come.
Special exception, Right?
He is. He's kind of real cute.So, Bailey, it has been so great
(37:01):
chatting with you. For thefolks who would like to connect with
you after the show, where canthey find you online?
Yeah, so making of a deal ismy writing page, but you can always
reach out to me on my personalFacebook. My. It's just under Bailey
Coke. That's kind of what Ido. You can check out my Aussies
too, if you want to, at FourAces. Aussies, but they're kind of.
(37:22):
I mean, they're cute.
But I will link everything inthe show notes so people can find
you your cute baby and thecute Bailey. Thank you so much for
sharing your story with metoday. I really appreciate it.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
(37:44):
Thanks for listening to theRural Woman podcast. The Rural Woman
Podcast is more than just apodcast. We are a community. A huge
thank you to the Rural Womanpodcast team. Audio editor Max Hofer.
A special special thanks toour Patreon executive producers,
Sarah Riedner. From Happinessby the Acre to learn how you can
(38:05):
become a Patreon ExecutiveProducer or other ways to financially
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Be sure to hit the Follow orSubscribe button wherever you listen
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be sure to leave a rating andreview on Apple Podcasts or any other
(38:29):
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Send this episode to a friendor share on your social media let's
strengthen and amplify thevoices of women in agriculture together.
(38:54):
Until next time, my friend.Keep sharing your story.
Hi, I'm Katelyn Duban and thisis the Rural Woman Podcast. I'm a
first generation farmer whomarried into agriculture. Born and
raised in a city, I was sounfamiliar with where my food came
from, but I was determined tofigure it out. Through my journey
into agriculture, I saw womenwho were strong but humble, often
(01:04):
taking a backseat. To me,these women were leaders who deserved
a seat at the table. I createdthe Rural Women Podcast to share
the voices of women in anindustry whose stories often went
untold. The ruralentrepreneurs who live and breathe
their work full of grit andpride. We come here to share our
(01:27):
stories, to be in communitywith each other, to be challenged
and inspired, but mostimportantly, to be celebrated and
to be heard. We may not alllive farm, ranch or homestead the
same, but we are allconnected. We are rural women and
(01:47):
our stories are worthy ofbeing told. Hey everyone. Welcome
back to another episode of theRural Woman Podcast. Today you'll
meet Bailey Koch. Bailey is afourth generation rancher from Carr,
Colorado. Bailey shares withus her journey of growing up on the
(02:10):
family ranch, navigating theshift into motherhood and working
alongside her sister to carrythe family legacy forward. We talk
about the balancing of ranchlife with raising her son Colter,
challenging misconceptionsabout agriculture and the importance
of self care and community.Bailey also shares how writing has
(02:32):
become a meaningful way toconnect with others in agriculture.
My friends, the connectionpiece in agriculture.
Is huge and a big reason why.
We still do what we do heretoday on the Rural Women Podcast.
And if you are looking toconnect with other incredible women
in agriculture from all overthe world, join us in our Facebook
(02:55):
community, the Rural WomanPodcast Community over on Facebook.
We have a group of over athousand women in in community with
one another there and it is agreat place to come and connect with
other women and other fans ofthe show. We will pop the link to
the Facebook community intoday's show notes. So just scroll
(03:15):
down on your podcast player ofchoice and click and join our group.
Without further ado, myfriends, let's get to this week's
episode with Bailey. Bailey,welcome to the Rural Woman Podcast.
How are you today?
I'm really good. How are you?
(03:35):
I'm doing so well. Thank youso much for joining me. I'm excited
to get to know you more andhear your journey in agriculture.
So for the folks who areunfamiliar with you, tell us who
you are, where you're from andwhat your connection to agriculture
is.
Okay? Yeah, thanks for havingme. My name is Bailey Koch. I am
from Car, Colorado It's alittle small, almost non existent
(03:59):
railroad town. I am the fourthgeneration on my family's farm and
ranch. My sister and I arecurrently working on taking over
the operation where we runaround 250head of commercial cows.
We farm wheat, do some customcombining for corn, and then we raise
all our own hay, which issudex and alfalfa and then some wheat
(04:23):
hay.
So just a little bit of everything.
Yes. Yeah.
And you had mentioned that youare the fourth generation and the
fifth generation is joining ustoday as well.
Yeah, it's been. Everybody'sbeen extremely excited that I had
my son because, you know,having another boy in the family
versus us girls.
(04:44):
So tell me more about thehistory. So you are the fourth generation.
Tell me about the history ofwhen your family started ranching
in that area or how you cameto. To be in that area.
Yeah. So my grandpa, or mygreat grandpa moved up to Colorado
from Missouri. And the storywas that he got really tired of blowing
up tree stumps in his fieldsand he went to where he couldn't
(05:08):
find any trees, which alsomeant there was no water. But he
settled on our family's placeand he had multiple jobs, but he
hauled bread into town onthese long routes. And then my great
grandma raised all the chickenand the eggs that supplied the bigger
city, Fort Collins, near us.And then my dad and my grandpa and
(05:31):
his brother and my uncle andeverybody expanded to where we are
now. There was a ranchdivision in between my uncle or my
great uncle, my grandpa. So welost some land there and changed
our operation a little bit.All that happened before I was born.
And then my sister and I wereborn and we decided we were gonna
(05:53):
show steers and do stuff likethat to kind of be part of it. And
then we just slowly andsteadily got more involved with the
operations and runningequipment and not showing steers,
but being around the cattleand weaning and AI ing and I mean,
a lot of different stuff. Stuff.
You mentioned somethingearlier about, you know, people being
(06:16):
excited that obviously there'sa cute little baby boy on the farm
now, but you and your sistergrew up essentially doing everything
that if you would have had abrother, you would have had to do.
So talk to me about, you know,how your passion for agriculture
was shaped on the ranch andhow you and your sister are still
there today.
Yes. So my dad always told usgrowing up that it wasn't going to
(06:40):
look the same as how he and myuncle did it, but we were more than
capable of doing it. So, Imean, even Though it's been kind
of a weird transition for mydad and my uncle, who really didn't
have girls around growing up.It's been really. We've been very
supported that way. My uncleand my dad go out of their way to
try to make us feel like wecan do whatever we put our minds
(07:03):
to. And then he's. They'vealso done a lot of different research
into different programs,products, and different equipment
we can have to make lifeeasier for us. Like, we now have,
like, a electric fence postpounder, and, like, all this other
stuff that they've reallybranched out for. But I always loved
going and feeding cows when Iwas a kid. And then we started AI
(07:26):
ing for our own show steers.And my sister and I would beg my
dad to take us beforehand,like before school. And we loved
going and checking cows. Wewere like, that is where we really
got into everything. And thenfrom there, we just kind of was,
like, just really widened ourhorizons as far as the farming and
(07:47):
everything else. So we kind ofstarted participating more after
that, for sure.
And I love that they reallyrecognize that there could be that
divide with you know, evenjust physical strength. Like, there's
absolutely nothing wrong withhaving a electric post pounder. And
that, to me, sounds like adream as I, you know, think about
(08:10):
pounding the post. Right. Whatare some of your earliest memories
growing up on the ranch?
I remember we had, like,bottle calves, a story that I always
tell everybody, and they thinkit's hilarious. We were gathering
up our cows to pull out thebulls and wean calves. And my dad
(08:33):
had mentioned to my grandpa,who I was riding with, that we needed
to watch to make sure any cowswere open. And the cows. I watched
this one cow, and she wasopen. And I went to my friend's house
that night, and they wereasking me about gathering up the
cows, and I said, yeah, therewas this cow, and I watched this
bull humper instead of saying,like, he was trying to breed her,
(08:56):
you know, and they justthought it was the funniest thing,
because I was like, five and Itold them that, and I was like, yeah,
that's great. I keep tellingeverybody this story.
Well, farm kids and ranch kidsare probably one of the first to
learn about the birds and thebees. But, you know, obviously, using
the correct terminology whenyou're five.
(09:17):
Yes. Yeah. I was like, thatwas really great.
Yeah. So you grew up on theranch, but you didn't go to school
in a smaller community? Talkto us about going to school in a
more urban area.
So my graduating Class of highschool was 500 kids. And it was definitely
(09:40):
different. Like even in ourmiddle school, which was in the smaller
town I can remember like goingto school and I was like, wow, I
don't really know or likeidentify with anybody. There was
like a few people that hadlike horses or something, but it
was mostly all town kids, sowe didn't really like. I didn't really
connect with anybody for avery long time. And then when we
(10:02):
got into high school my junioryear, so my second to last year,
I decided that I wanted tojoin an FFA program and there wasn't
one at the school. And thenthey actually were adding one. So
I was on the officer team andI helped some start up the FFA program
at the school. But even the agteacher I had at the school, he asked
(10:22):
me one day, he was like, doyou need chick or do you need roosters
to have baby chicks if we havehens? I was like, no, chickens are
asexual. They just duplicate.That's what happens. I was like,
this is supposed to be our agteacher, right?
Well, and you said like, notbeing able to really connect with
(10:43):
your fellow students, likethat can be, you know, being the
outsider in school is never acomfy experience for anyone. To your
knowledge, is the FFA programstill running through the school?
Yep. Yeah, it is. They have ahuge greenhouse now. They've just
changed their oyster fry to adifferent kind of dinner to try to
(11:05):
get a little better fundingbecause they have a another chapter
that started to be kind of acompetitive race between the two
of them, but it's stillrunning and there's two very good
teachers in there now, so.
Well, that's great. Duringschool and obviously after you graduated,
was there any other careerpath that you thought that you would
(11:25):
like to go down versuscontinuing on the farm and ranch?
Growing up, I really wanted tostudy crop genetics and get into
gene splicing and stuff likethat. And then I also wanted to be
an astronomer, but Idefinitely never pictured myself
in a lab coat once I gotolder. And then I worked on a dairy
(11:46):
heifer development program fora while. And then when I went back
to school to get mybachelor's, I was working at a feed
store that's close, called Mom Gars.
Talk to me about, you know,the experience of going to school
for agriculture and beingaround kids who kind of understood
the lifestyle.
(12:07):
It was so different. It wasso, like, refreshing to go to this.
I went to Cheyenne for myfirst two years of college, but it
was so different to go and tobe around people that actually had
had a connection withlivestock, let alone like they came
off a decent sized ranches outin the middle of Wyoming. Like one
guy actually still uses likebig, big horses to feed hay in the
(12:32):
winter. And it's really cool.Like it just was so different to
have that versus these citykids that kind of were like, what's
going on? Which my husband wasone of them. But like, it's definitely.
It was a big change and I hada hard time kind of adjusting to
that even because I was like,well, not, I don't know as much as
(12:55):
everybody else does here. Andlike before I knew probably more
than most people did.
Right. You had mentioned thatyour, your husband, did he grow up
in agriculture or was heagriculture aware or. He was completely
none of it.
He. When we first starteddating, I had told him that I was
weighing in my show steer andhe's like, you're doing what? I was
(13:17):
like, yeah, we sh. I lead thissteer across a scale and then we
see what he weighs and then atthe end we see how much he gained.
And he was like, what do you mean?
Well, it's a completely. LikeI myself, I grew up in the city.
I didn't know anything aboutagriculture until I got here. Some
may say I still don't knowenough about agriculture, but I'm
(13:38):
learning and I think that'skind of a neat thing. And when you
get to immerse yourself indifferent industries and different
ways of life, I think you canbring different perspectives with
your time, through youreducation and even, you know, marrying
your husband who didn't knowanything about agriculture. What
do you think are some of thebiggest misconceptions that you've
(14:00):
come across from folks whodon't really know about the industry?
Oh, I kind of think especiallynow as we're going into like a different
time frame, I would say, likewhere people are like wanting to
homestead and stuff like thatis that I think there's a really
big misconception in between,like big farms and how maybe animals
(14:21):
are treated. Like, you seereally bad situations, but that's
not a lot of them. And then Ialso think like, in between, like
we all have a place at thetable. Like, I've heard somebody
else say that on here, butjust because you have, you have an
organic farm doesn't meanmine's bad because it's not organic.
Like we all have a place atthe table and like all of us working
(14:43):
together would be like hugeinstead of like kind of going against
each other.
Yeah. And just having thatcamaraderie and the understanding
right, like that there's noright way of doing things. There's
different ways. And itdoesn't. Like you said, it doesn't
make one better than theother. It really is a good thing
to have the options forconsumers to purchase with their
(15:06):
buying dollars of what theyvalue. And essentially, that's what
you're doing. When you arebuying groceries at the grocery store,
you are buying what you value.I want to go back to the farm and
ranch. You had mentioned thatyou do custom combining. That is
something that I find veryinteresting. Obviously, we do combining
here, but is very much for ouroperation. So take us through that
(15:29):
process.
Growing up, we used to farmand rent this little chunk of ground
that, like, the Game andWildlife division had. And it was
really well off for what wedid because we didn't have to pay
for any water, and we couldgrow corn there and not have to worry
about the water, because thewater was all provided by these little
duck ponds. But it ended upbeing something that we couldn't
(15:51):
renew our contract with them.So we have all the equipment, and
then we didn't have any corn.So we started cutting this corn for
some neighbors. And there'stwo different farms, and one of them's
a very small dairy, and theyharvest all their own corn and then
flake it and then feed it backto their cows. And then the other
(16:12):
producer is just a littlesmall family operation, and he just
sells all of his corn. Butright around the 1st of November,
my uncle's, like, constantlygoing over there and checking where
the corn is. And then we moveall the equipment over, and then
we start harvesting. And it'sonly, like, usually a week long.
And then we clean up the cornstalks afterwards, bail all the corn
(16:36):
stalks, and then we bring itback and either feed the cows or
sell some of them.
What is the typical growingseason like in northeastern Colorado?
It kind of depends. Last yearwas really dry and hot. It was not
a great year. Our cows arelike. Our pastures are not in good
shape because the cows. Andthere's not enough feed. But typically,
(17:01):
we plant our winter wheat orwe grow red winter wheat, and then
it comes up and we have ouralfalfa. That is. It's on its fourth
year, so we should. We'regonna rip it up and replant it here
soon. But we'll do about twoto three cuttings of alfalfa. We'll
run our wheat hay, and thenwe'll cut all the wheat hay, and
(17:23):
then we replant it to Sudex.We do some fertilizing across there
because it is a rotationalcrop. So it's kind of not always
the best on what it grows. Sowe have to do some nitrogen and stuff
like that on it. But that'sall irrigated ground. And we have
one rotational sprinkler andthat's pretty much all we have for
our rotate or for ourirrigated ground.
(17:46):
And you had said you have. Isit a cow calf operation?
Yes. Yeah.
So when are you guys calving?
We've pushed it back a littlebit, but we've started calving at
the very end of March and intoApril. April here can tend to be
pretty snowy and cold still.That's usually when we get most of
our moisture. There's beensome nasty blizzards we've had around
(18:08):
that time frame. But we calvein between there and we start with
our replacement heifers. Andusually they calve the first couple
weeks. We try to synchronizethem to where they calf at the same
time. And hopefully we getthrough like the night checks and
everything like that quicklyso we're not drug out forever. But
sometimes that doesn't work sofantastic. But they right around,
(18:32):
I believe it's like the 10thor something. The 10th of April is
when we should start calvingthis year.
So talk to me about how beinga new mom has fit into in to all
of those things.
Yeah. When we decided wewanted to have a baby, I told my
husband that the one thing Ididn't want was to be pregnant during
(18:53):
the summer. I did not want tobe heavy pregnant and running around
in the heat. So my son wasborn on April 2. And the day that
he was born, my sister told meThere was like 12 calves born the
same day. So she had to tagall these calves by herself. But
I had helped her tag calves.And it's really. It was kind of,
(19:15):
I mean, comical, I'm sure towatch because my uncle's house, it's
like really close to where ourpasture is where we calve out the
cows. So I think he sits therewith his binoculars and watches us
sometimes just to get a goodlaugh. But it's been a little interesting
because he didn't have greathead control. So I was a little afraid
of going in some of theequipment with him early on and out
(19:37):
in the pastures andeverything. So my sister actually
had to calve out most of thecows this year by herself with my
dad's help. But now he's goingand Feeding with us, and he's had
his first wheat harvest andeverything. So it's been a little
different, like, scaling backon myself and, like, trying to. Trying
(19:58):
to sit at home and be like,okay, well, I should be doing this.
Like, I could be doing this.It's been a little rough to adjust
to that and the being lessproductive, I should say.
Right. I think of you as moreproductive because not only are you
doing all of those things,you're also keeping another human
alive. So that is a reward initself. Right. Talk to me about being
(20:24):
a new mom and, you know, thosestruggles of staying at home if you're
comfortable. Like, how has itbeen, I guess, postpartum when it
comes to supports for you as anew mom?
Well, everybody here has beenreally supportive. I will say that.
Like, there's not been a timewhere I was like, no, I really don't
think I should do that, or,like, I shouldn't. Like, I don't
(20:45):
think I went out to cows forprobably a month or two. And then
I finally went back out, andmy sister was like, let me know if
his head is banging around.Let me know if he's okay. We'll leave.
Like, do whatever. Like, I'msorry. Like, let me know. So everybody's
been really fantastic. It wasprobably pretty rough at first, like,
(21:07):
to kind of adjust to it,because I was, like, I really felt
like I should have been doingmore. I was able to, like, pretty
much take over the heiferchecks at night, though, because
I was feeding him. So it waskind of, like, worked out all right.
But it was. It was rough.Like, when I was, like. At first,
I had these expectations whereI would just, like, set him in the
crib, turn on the baby camera,and I could go do something. And
(21:30):
that didn't quite turn out,Like, I thought, like, in my head,
and I. You know, looking backat it, I was like, that was really
silly to expect that in thefirst place. But it's been more enjoyable
than I thought it should havebeen, really. Like, I'm more happy
when I get to do what I feellike he needs. But it was a weird
adjustment to be like, okay,no, I need to stay. I need to say
(21:53):
no to this. I need to do whathe needs first.
I like what you said about theexpectations, and I think it's very
easy for us to put all ofthese expectations on ourselves and
others, really, like, withCoulter having that expectation that
he's going to nap at this timeand I'm going to be able to do this
this and this. Sometimes thosedon't happen. But the expectations
(22:16):
that I think we put onourselves, sometimes we can be the
hardest on ourselves.
Oh, yeah.
What are some things thatyou're looking forward to in, you
know, the next growing yearwhen it comes to your family as well
as. As the ranch?
I'm hoping that we kind ofkeep going a little farther down
in what we're AI ing. We'retrying to breed back more maternal
(22:39):
genetics. We, for a reallylong time bred what are called club
calves when my sister and Iwere showing. So the cows that we
would keep out of that aren'talways, like, the most productive,
and they're really harderdoing cattle. So we're bringing back
some stuff that's way morematernal. And I really have enjoyed,
like, watching our herd growand change over this. And, like,
(23:03):
including him and things as wego, like, that's just been my biggest,
like, excitement is, like,being able to go through the things
that I went through and maybedo them differently because, like,
I know that I'm comfortablewith him being around it more so
than my mom was, but I'm soexcited to have him around everything
(23:23):
and, like, be part of it. AndI can just, you know, it's just really
exciting to be able to havedifferent stuff for him. Like, we
went and got goats, which isfun, and then we're gonna have chickens
and stuff like that now. Soit's just, like, having all these
little different pieces thathe should be able to enjoy growing
up.
Absolutely. Tell me thethought process behind getting goats.
(23:46):
Why did you do this to yourself?
My sister's fiance, he wentelk hunting, and he decided that
he wanted to get pack animalsof some sort. So they were looking
into getting donkeys orsomething, and they stumbled across
these alpine goats that peopleuse to pack out elk. And he was like,
that's a great idea. So hewent and bought these alpines, and
(24:10):
they're really cool. Like, heactually, like, successfully had
his own little elk hunt andbrought home his elk and packed it
out on the goats, and it wentreally well for them. They're really
sweet. They're pretty goodsized already. They're pretty tall.
They haven't weighed a bunchyet, but they're pretty tall. And
then I was like, well, I'mgonna go get a couple pygmy goats.
And then we went and grabbed acouple pygmy goats. My sister and
(24:32):
I hauled them home in a dogkennel, but they're not quite as
friendly. Somebody had soldthem at our local sale barns. They
Weren't, like, super friendlylike the Alpines are, but they're
funny.
That's awesome. And I lovethat he's. Well, the alpine goats
are using them for somethinguseful. And obviously pygmy goats,
I think are useful becausethey're cute, but we call.
(24:54):
Them cookie and cream. They'rewhite and brown and.
Yeah, very cute. Well, andwhen Colter can run around, I'm sure
he'll be chasing thosechickens and picking up all of their
eggs and.
Oh, yeah, and he loves thegoats. He thinks they're hilarious.
Like, any animal he's reallyinto right now, but he loves the
goats.
(26:00):
Love that. That's so good. Soyou shared with me your. Your Facebook
page before we startedtalking, and I took a look through,
and you do some reallybeautiful writing and sharing on
there. So tell me when thatstarted for you and what your inspiration
is.
I always kind of wrote. It waskind of like an outlet, I guess.
(26:21):
Like, I would kind of writethese little stories or whatever,
and it never really wassomething that I looked that much
into. And then in middleschool, I actually submitted a couple
poems to this contest, and Iwas one of, like, three winners from
my school, and I got reallyinto writing and kind of having this
little journal that I wrotein, and then I would. I went back
(26:46):
to get my bachelor's degree. Iwanted to do some communications.
I wanted to write forsomething, and I wrote a couple articles,
and it just didn't feel right,so I just kept writing my stuff.
And then I got married, and Imade the Makings of a Deal page,
which is what my maiden namewas. And because my sister and I
(27:07):
are both girls, our. Our nameis going to be gone this year. So
it's kind of like. It was kindof like a bittersweet thing for me.
So it was kind of a memory ofthat. But started writing there,
and I just was sharing it,and, I mean, it's not anything I'm
doing anything besides justmaking myself happy writing. So it
is what it is.
(27:27):
I love that, though. That is,like, reason enough to do it and
to write, and your poems andyour stories are beautiful. So I
encourage you to keep doingthat. What do you think is the most
maybe challenging part ofwriting for you? Or is there a challenging
part?
I think it's the consistencyin doing it, so that's. I'll, like,
(27:50):
just kind of think ofsomething when I'm checking cows
or I'm, like, out feeding orrunning a tractor or whatever, I'll
think of, like, this thing towrite down. And then I won't write
it down. And then I'm like,what did I think there? Why did I
not write that down? That andlike having the time to constantly
do it or like publish what I'mwriting, like, it's probably part
of the reason that it's sosmall. Still is. Just like I haven't
(28:12):
devoted the time to it that I should.
It can be hard, right? Like,and like you said, you have an, a
fleeing idea that comes in andout of your brain and you don't have
your phone to type it out or apiece of paper to write it down.
And when it's time to sit downand write, it's like, what, what
did I want to say again?
Yes. Yeah.
So as you and your sister worktowards taking over the family ranch
(28:35):
and the family farm, what aresome goals? The future.
I think one of ours. And thisis just kind of my talking since
my family has gone through aranch division and like I watch my
uncle and my dad maybestruggle with communication. It's
really hard being this closeknit. Like we all live within a mile
(28:56):
of each other. Like we'rereally close together all the time.
We're always in each other'sbusiness. Like, we're just very,
like, we all eat lunchtogether every day. Like it's very,
very close knit. It's reallyhard to have good communication all
the time and to like alwaysgive each other like the grace and
the space that we need to, tolike really work together. Well,
(29:18):
most of the time. And I thinkthat's something my sister and I
really, really try to havebecause we've watched. I mean it
really bothered my grandpawhen we were growing up about his,
his relationship with hisbrother. It was not a good one.
That is probably one of thebest goals I have ever heard anyone
say that they have is to havea goal of good communication. Not
(29:40):
like what we're going toaccomplish, what we're going to like
bring to market next year oranything like that. Good communication.
And like you said, it is soimportant and it's something that
I think is overlooked until weget into situations where good communication
could have saved our bacon beforehand.
Yeah, well, and it, I mean forus since we grew up and watched it,
(30:02):
it's just been so important.And like we've watched each other.
Like our relationship when wewere younger wasn't fantastic. And
then we've like got to wherewe can actually like talk to each
other and we understand whereeach of us is coming from and like
just the way that it is Ourgrowth and everything has just been
a lot better since. That'sbeen what it. What our goals are.
(30:24):
And at the end of the day,like, it. I mean, it matters what
we take and what we grow andwhat we do, but it also matters that
we don't dislike each other.
Right. It still matters. AtThanksgiving dinner, we all want
to be sitting with oneanother. How do you want to move
forward in connectingconsumers to their food? You mentioned
(30:47):
in high school, like, that wasthat big disconnect. Is there anything
that you. That you hope to doin the future to make that connection?
Well, I. That was also kind ofone of the things I liked about writing
was I was like, well, maybe Ican. Even if I reach one person,
like, that's just one person,he can maybe spread that knowledge
to somebody else or, like, gointo more research about it, or he
(31:11):
could, like, go into doingsomething that he liked. Like, who
knows, if I tell somebody,like, oh, I know this random fact
about a goat, like, they maylike goats now, or, you know, they
may want to, like, get bees orsomething like their own, just, like,
spreading the connection. Andthen I've always enjoyed learning
from other people that wereproducing and what they did, because
(31:31):
we're all so different, right?
Yeah. And, you know, we canlearn something from our neighbor,
or we can learn somebody thatlives in a completely different country
from us and what they'redoing. And who knows? Maybe you have
inspired people to get alpinepack goats for their next hunting
season.
Maybe. Maybe. Who knows?
(31:52):
What advice would you give tothe next generation of farmers who
may be navigating challengeswhen it comes to preserving your
family legacy on farms or ranches?
I think it's really hard,especially when you're young, to
not, like, live out yourfamily's name, like, I guess is how
(32:14):
I would say it. Growing up, mydad was always like, oh, yeah, I
farm and ranch for a livingthan anybody that he met. But it
kind of always felt like mysister and I were in a shadow of
what we were. My family raisedpurebred cattle for a really long
time, and they competednationally, and we didn't do that.
So it was kind of like, oh, Iknow your dad, but what do you guys
(32:38):
do? Or, what are you doing?And I think, like, getting out of
the shadow and, like, doingyour own thing and being comfortable
in who you are and what youhave your interest in is huge. On
top of, like, being able to,like, carry forward.
Yeah, absolutely. I thinkmaking a place and space for yourself
(32:58):
in an operation and figure outwhat it Is that you're good at and
what you can be doing tocontribute. Because, you know, there's
so many. I think there's somany pressures on generational farms,
and I think as women finding aplace in an operation, that not only
can you physically do thelabor, can you mentally do the labor
and take the load on of all ofthese other things? The mental load
(33:22):
of a woman on an operation isabsolutely huge. So what is. What
do you do for yourself to takethat time for you? And I know it's
hard as you're holding asleeping baby and I'm asking you
this question.
Yeah, well, it's. Beforehand,I didn't find it as hard. Like, I
(33:42):
really enjoy reading. I. Mysister and I both are fairly active.
We work out and things likethat. But now it's a little harder.
I tend to maybe go get somecoffee more often than I should now.
But I think that, like, it'sbeen easier for me to take the time
for myself once I've, like,put it out of my head that I'm not
(34:03):
just, like, being bad by doingit. Like, there was a really long
time I struggled with, like,going and working out. Especially,
like, I was like, okay, well,I can't do that because I. I need
to be doing something for himinstead. I need to be holding him
or while he's napping. Like, Ishould be cleaning or, like, washing.
Whatever I need to wash orwhatever. But, like, taking that
(34:25):
little bit of time for myselfand, like, doing something that I
actually enjoy, or as he'sgetting a little bit older and, like,
doing more stuff on his own,it's been a lot easier to, like,
like, craft or do whatever.I'm. Do whatever I want to do.
Right. And, you know, we hearthis all the time because it's true.
Like, we can't pour from anempty cup. And if you're depleted,
(34:47):
how are you supposed to showup as a good mom, a good wife, a
good rancher? All of thesethings. Right. We have to take care
of ourselves. And I'm gladyou're taking the time. I also enjoy
peruse into town for a coffeeevery once in a while.
Yeah, I definitely. There'sprobably a. At least weekly visit
we make now, but it's kind of.
(35:09):
That's okay, I think. You knowwhat? I always think I could be doing
a lot worse things. Yeah.
My husband chews, and I'mlike, I don't want to ever hear you
tell me about how expensivethe coffee is ever again. I went
and bought a can of it's chew.And I was like, it was $8.
Oh, that's funny. Bailey, mylast question for you is, what is
(35:32):
the most rewarding part aboutbeing a rural woman for you?
I would say, like, gaining theconnections. I think when I first
started, especially after Ihad him, I felt like I was kind of,
like, alone a little bit, Iguess, just because there really
hadn't been anybody that hadhad a baby or, you know, my dad raised
(35:53):
my sister and I. But it was alittle different. So I felt fairly
alone. And then I was like,well, I want to look. Start listening
to podcasts. And that's when Ifound ears. And I was like, I really
like this. I really like thefact that. That all these other women,
like, have come from differentplaces and they have all different
backgrounds and they're comingtogether and they're all sharing,
like, really good informationand they're all talking about their
(36:15):
own struggles and their owntriumphs and things like that. I
hope going forward I can bemore of an inspiration for others,
I guess is what I would say.
Well, you've already inspiredme. You have tamed Colter. You have
made him go to sleep. All infront of my eyes. So I am impressed.
(36:36):
Taming Coulter is kind of aAll day task.
Yeah, yeah. But he's realsweet. He might be the. Okay, so
Coulter might have a flex.Coulter might be the first boy on
the Rural Woman podcast. So,you know, just don't tell the rest
of them. Coulter, they can't come.
Special exception, Right?
He is. He's kind of real cute.So, Bailey, it has been so great
(37:01):
chatting with you. For thefolks who would like to connect with
you after the show, where canthey find you online?
Yeah, so making of a deal ismy writing page, but you can always
reach out to me on my personalFacebook. My. It's just under Bailey
Coke. That's kind of what Ido. You can check out my Aussies
too, if you want to, at FourAces. Aussies, but they're kind of.
(37:22):
I mean, they're cute.
But I will link everything inthe show notes so people can find
you your cute baby and thecute Bailey. Thank you so much for
sharing your story with metoday. I really appreciate it.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
(37:44):
Thanks for listening to theRural Woman podcast. The Rural Woman
Podcast is more than just apodcast. We are a community. A huge
thank you to the Rural Womanpodcast team. Audio editor Max Hofer.
A special special thanks toour Patreon executive producers,
Sarah Riedner. From Happinessby the Acre to learn how you can
(38:05):
become a Patreon ExecutiveProducer or other ways to financially
support the show. Head on overto wildrosefarmer.com to learn more.
Be sure to hit the Follow orSubscribe button wherever you listen
to the podcast to get thelatest episodes directly on your
playlist. And if you arelistening loving the show, please
be sure to leave a rating andreview on Apple Podcasts or any other
(38:29):
platform that accepts ratingsand reviews. You can connect with
us on social media, theWhirlwoman podcast, and with me ildrosefarmer.
One of the best ways you cansupport the show is by sharing it.
Send this episode to a friendor share on your social media let's
strengthen and amplify thevoices of women in agriculture together.
(38:54):
Until next time, my friend.Keep sharing your story.
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