Divas That Care Network
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Divas That Care Network
Feeding The Community, Growing and Nurturing with Love
Join Host Joyce Benning as she interviews a variety of committed women weekly, whom are working to make the world a better place! #DivasThatCare
Bio of Susan Rommelfanger: My love of gardening blossomed under the guidance of my father who encouraged and inspired me from a very young age. I find it empowering and awe-inspiring to put in the work, bury something deep, nurture it, then watch it grow into something beautiful.
Ever since I was a little girl it's been my dream to bring fresh, locally grown, sustainably produced foods to my community and the surrounding communities.
Susan Rommelfanger of Romy Farms shares her journey of sustainable farming on 52 acres in the Flint Hills of Kansas, where she grows produce year-round using innovative high tunnels while nurturing strong community connections. Through her CSA program, apiary, and educational initiatives, Susan demonstrates how small-scale farming can create meaningful relationships between producers and consumers while providing fresh, local food.
• Operating two high tunnels (hoop houses) that extend the growing season throughout the year
• Running a vibrant 17-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program
• Producing raw wildflower honey through their apiary
• Raising chickens and ducks for egg production
• Creating a "Story Walk" that combines literacy with outdoor experiences for families
• Hosting weekly open days (Saturdays 1-4pm) for community members to visit the farm
• Building strong relationships between consumers and farmers through weekly communication
• Supporting local agriculture and keeping tax dollars in the community
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It's Divas that Care Radio Stories, strategies and ideas to inspire positive change. Welcome to Divas that Care, a network of women committed to making our world a better place for everyone. This is a global movement for women, by women engaged in a collaborative effort to create a better world for future generations. To find out more about the movement, visit DivasThatCarecom after the show. Right now, though, stay tuned for another jolt of inspiration.
Speaker 2:Hello and happy April to all. Welcome to Divas that Care Network. I am Joyce Benning and I will be your host for this exciting, invigorating, robust lifestyle show. First, I want to take a moment and thank each one of our listeners that have tuned in live today and the ones that will be listening to the podcast. I am just so very grateful for each one of you, and you are all in for a very special time today, as I have with me a brand-new diva, susan Romolfanger, with Romy Farms, and, oh my, are you going to hear about some great information today as we chat about feeding the community, growing and nurturing with love. Oh goodness, you are all in for a treat. Susan, could you please introduce yourself to our listeners?
Speaker 3:today. Thank you, Joyce, I would love to. My name is Susan Rommelfinger. My husband and I grow on a little over 52 1⁄2 acres here in the beautiful Flint Hills of Cassidy, Kansas. We have an apiary. We also produce raw wildflower-fed honey for our customers. We have a garden area that's a little over a half acre where we have built two high tunnels. One is a 30 by 96, concreted in the ground and the other one is a movable tunnel that is a 30 by 50. And it moves from one location in the garden to the other so that we can amend soil that way without having to take off the plastic. We also have a vibrant 17-member CSA and produce our own chicken and duck eggs here at the farm as well, as we invite people to come to the farm to pick up their products, go through our story walk and also purchase what they like when it's available and they're ready to get started and get planting.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, oh, wow. Girl, you are busy all the time. Wow, that's incredible all that you're doing and all the families that you're helping feed with that half-acre garden. And one thing like you said, you have high tunnels. Some of our listeners may not be aware of what a high tunnel is. Could you explain to them what a high tunnel is and the benefits of using that in your gardening, please?
Speaker 3:I'd love to. Yes, we partnered with NRCS the third 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 that you would normally find on like a nursery greenhouse or a regular what they call a greenhouse with the hard plastic, and so we are able to grow more produce in all conditions and extend our growing season in the high tunnels.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow. So that makes you available to be able to pretty much garden year-round and have our crops available.
Speaker 2:And actually planted in our high tunnels by September in order to grow year-round. Oh, that is just amazing, because most of the times when people think of gardening, they think of springtime, and that's the only time when you're gardening 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 about feeding other families through a project called CSA. Could you explain to our listeners today what CSA is?
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 3:So a CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and that is where our customers prepay for their produce.
Speaker 3:So every week we deliver four to eight different fruits, vegetables or herbs or value-added products to a pickup location and they are able to eat fresh every week without having to go to the grocery store and stand in the lines, and they get to be creative with what they put on their table for their family and for themselves.
Speaker 3:On their table for their family and for themselves, they get fresh, harvested within 36 hours of delivery, all of our products. And it's a way to help farmers like ourselves get started with the growing season. So, for instance, we hire help to come in and plant and seed with everything that we have here. As far as our plants, we start our own plants in our greenhouse and that way they're helping us and giving us a fair wage for what they're getting. And the best part, I think, is that we get to meet our customers and educate them every week through an email that goes out prior to the delivery that tells them what they're going to be getting, along with a recipe and a little bit about what we've been doing at the farm during the week. So they have access to us online and are able to reach out to us via email when we are out in the field, harvesting, planting and growing for them and growing for them.
Speaker 2:Oh my, that is just fantastic. What an awesome way to stay communicated with your customer about. But also, the customer is staying communicated with the grower of the products that they are receiving. They know what's happening, they are aware of what they're getting and I love the recipe too, because some of them may say, okay, what am I supposed to do with this squash or this zucchini? Or, just for an example, throwing some things out there like that, and you are giving them ideas. Plus, they know if they need more information, they have a contact they can get back with. Oh, susan, that is just incredible. What a great benefit you are offering these CSA customers that are receiving your produce. That is awesome. I love it, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you. And I have to ask has this been a passion inside of you all the time or was there something that sparked this, that made you decide this is something you would like to do is to be able to grow and feed the community and nurture it with love.
Speaker 3:Well, ever since I was a little girl, my dad always planted a garden, and I love nurturing plants, watching them grow. It's just that's the fabulous part is seeing that seed pop up and the roots go down, and being able to feed other people. That is something that I've always been involved with and always loved. And then also feeding people, you know, has always been something that I've prided myself on. When I was raising a family, I made you know all of our meals. We didn't go out to eat, we were very thrifty with our budget, and so having that background is, you know, something that has also been an asset to what I think is important as far as being sustainable.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, oh man. So it sounds to me like it's been a passion that's been inside of you and kind of instilled in you in the way you were raised, with having a garden all the time and having being able to eat the benefits of the freshness from the garden, and your passion then grew to want to share that with others. That is beautiful, yes. I love that, oh my goodness, with others. That is beautiful, yes, I love that, oh my goodness.
Speaker 1:Thank you, what a beautiful story.
Speaker 2:Well, I know you offer so many gifts in your ways of feeding others. What is one special, unique gift that you would say that you use on a daily basis? Susan?
Speaker 3:say that you use on a daily basis. Susan, my relationship building is my most special gift I believe that I bring to our business. I love reaching out to people to tell them about what we're doing, sharing that information that is the part that thrills my heart and helps people just improve their lives as well.
Speaker 2: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, you have that personality, that warmness that just comes across, that it's so easy to talk to you I mean, out of all the vendors there we just started chatting and one thing kind of led to another. We just started chatting and one thing kind of led to another. So I see that highlight, that gift that you bring to the Roaming Farms very much, because you are a relationship builder and it's very easy to build a relationship with you. So I can totally back that one up for you, Susan.
Speaker 3:Thank you, thank you. I've had a lot of wonderful women come alongside of our mission and day we're growing here at the farm for our customers.
Speaker 2:What a beautiful attitude, because you're always looking to better everything to be able to provide a better product, a better relationship, more information to your customers. Oh, that is incredible too. That's what makes you very successful, because those, to me, are such crucial assets to be able to have and to share with others what you are doing. So that's beautiful Well thank you.
Speaker 2:As you were talking. You're so welcome. When you introduced yourself, you talked about a story walk. That caught my attention, and I know how beautiful the Flint Hills are in Kansas. What exactly is entailed in a story walk?
Speaker 3:So a story walk can be a lot of different things in different areas of the parts of the country. The Kellogg Foundation was big in providing funding for an opportunity for people to come out to the outdoors and to incorporate literacy into nature by walking through a series of stands where there is a book that is posted on each stand. So all of the stands that we have here at the farm have a page on them that talks about our premier book, and so we encourage people to come out, learn about the story, read the story with their families, spend time together just enjoying nature and being able to access that event, that feeling that they get of being in the country and being able to take their time and not being rushed and just really taking in all of the sights and sounds around them as they're reading our fabulous book.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness. Oh, that is incredible. What a fun way to do a story walk. Now, when you talk about having pages of the book, is this a book that you have specially put together for Rami Farms?
Speaker 3:So this is not a book that I wrote. This is books that I have selected that talk about growing, kindness, sustainability. It could also incorporate some of our books, incorporate math in them as well, and we do rotate our books, so it's not the same book every time, every season, that you come to the farm oh, oh, wow.
Speaker 2:This just sounds like a fantastic way for a family to come out, enjoy nature, meet the producers, like you and your husband, and take some good products back home with them for what you have in season and available, and enjoy nature. Just be out in nature. Oh, that is. I love that story walk. That sounds so interesting. Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun. Now do you?
Speaker 3:do this Well. I can't wait for all the listeners to come and take in the experience and just be in nature with us.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, definitely. Now do you do this certain months out of the year.
Speaker 3: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 and people can come out during that time and go through our story walk and then purchase products from our selection and learn more about where we're going.
Speaker 2:Oh wow. From Saturday from 1 to 4. Now how can our listeners connect with you if they're going okay? This is something I really want to look into, plus possibly the CSA program. How is the best way for them to connect and find out more information about you? Susan?
Speaker 3: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 can reach out to us and we will follow up with them and invite them to learn more about what we're doing.
Speaker 2:Oh, perfect, and we will definitely post all those links because you are doing such incredible, incredible, giving back to the community. I just love it and I love on your website where it says bringing the farmer to consumer relationship back to life, and how true that is. That's exactly what you have talked about here. I just love it. Well, and I knew this interview would just absolutely fly by. What are a couple final tips that you would like to leave with our listeners for today, susan?
Speaker 3:I would like for people to know that they can reach out through pop-up tents and farmer's markets to farmers like ourselves and others that are growing, to help them continue with the expansions, the upkeep. Just supporting local is really what I'd like for people to know is so important in creating a commerce that can help everyone keeping tax dollars in your local area.
Speaker 2: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 I wanted to touch on today. I am going to ask our listeners here at 2, would you be open to come back as a guest again on my Robust Lifestyle show?
Speaker 3:again on my Robust Lifestyle show. I would love to inspire women and girls in doing what their dreams and their passions are, and if I can do that being on the farm and speaking I would love to do that. Joyce, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2:Oh, you are so welcome, susan, and thank you for being on and listeners. You heard her say she will be back on Robust Lifestyles Show, so thank you again, susan. This was just a fabulous time and you have a wonderful, wonderful Monday.
Speaker 3:God bless, thank you.
Speaker 2:Oh same back to you and you are so welcome, and I would like to thank all of our listeners for listening to this incredible interview with our amazing new diva, susan Rommelfanger, and be sure to share this show with all your family and friends. Check out all the other hosts and their shows on DivasThatCarecom. Remember. Have a fantastic day, be kind to all and, as Susan said too, support local. It means so much and you have a connection with how the foods are grown, just like with Susan and her on her farm and her family that's working together. Give your animals a hug and share your love with them. Until we connect again on Robust Lifestyles, stay strong and healthy.
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