NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 29, 2026)—From building ranching operations from the ground up to transforming family farms into thriving businesses and connecting new audiences with agriculture through social media, the women featured in Season 8 of FarmHER + RanchHER are making their mark on rural America.
The RFD-TV original series returns Thursday, October 29, at 8:30 p.m. ET, with host Kirbe Schnoor traveling across the American West to share the personal stories behind the women, families, and businesses helping shape today’s agricultural landscape. Episodes will also be available to stream on RFDTV+.
This season takes viewers from the apple orchards of Washington and hazelnut farms of Oregon to cattle ranches and family farms throughout the West. Along the way, audiences will meet women who have built social media communities, launched innovative agricultural businesses, overcome personal challenges, and found their own paths in an industry deeply rooted in tradition.
“What I love most about FarmHER + RanchHER is that no two women or their stories are alike,” said Kirbe Schnoor, host of FarmHER + RanchHER. “Some grew up knowing exactly what their future in agriculture would look like, while others found their way into it later in life. Getting to spend time with these women, hear their stories, and experience their everyday lives is what makes this show so special. I can’t wait for viewers to meet them.”
FarmHERs + RanchHERs featured in Season 8 include:
Dayla Ulrich | Parowan, Utah
Sweet Pea Farm and Orchard | Instagram: @sweetpeafarmandorchard
For Dayla Ulrich, farming is about more than what grows in the fields. It’s about the relationships, community, and connections that make agricultural life meaningful.
Chelsey Butterfield | Hyrum, Utah
Golden Hour Ranch | Instagram: @goldenhouranch
First-generation rancher Chelsey Butterfield shares her journey of building a life in agriculture, navigating challenges, and finding purpose along the way while giving her online community a glimpse into the realities of ranch life.
Saydee Longhurst | Shelley, Idaho
Family Wheat & Hay Farm | Instagram: @saydeeofficial
Continuing generations of family farming, Saydee Longhurst helps carry forward her family’s agricultural operation while using photography and social media to connect consumers with the people and work behind their food.
Kate Stephens | North Central Montana
Kate’s Ag – Farm to Fashion | Instagram: @kates_ag
Fourth-generation wheat farmer and agricultural entrepreneur Kate Stephens uses social media and authentic storytelling to connect consumers with agriculture, challenge misconceptions, and share life on her family’s Montana farm.
Amy Rhodes | Etna, Wyoming
Salt River Ranch | Instagram: @saltriver.ranch
First-generation rancher Amy Rhodes is creating her own future in agriculture through determination, hard work, and a willingness to forge a new path.
Brittany Johnson | Eastern Washington
Hillside Highland | Instagram: @hillsidehighland
Following the loss of her father, Brittany Johnson found a renewed sense of purpose in ranching and began building an agricultural legacy of her own.
Janie VanWinkle | Grand Junction, Colorado
VanWinkle Ranch | Facebook: Janie VanWinkle
Raised in a multigenerational ranching family, Janie VanWinkle offers a firsthand look at the responsibility, dedication, and everyday realities of sustaining a family ranch.
Alyssa Barsanti | Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado
Marigold Livestock Company
Founder of Marigold Livestock Company, first-generation rancher Alyssa Barsanti is building a sustainable livestock business focused on regenerative grazing, responsible land stewardship, and producing quality, pasture-raised meat.
Lilly Bauer | Alvadore, Oregon
Alvadore Dryer | Instagram: @_lilbitnuts
Growing up in Oregon’s hazelnut industry gave Lilly Bauer a deep appreciation for family farming. Today, she’s helping continue that legacy and the agricultural traditions behind it.
Venise Cunningham and Belinda Kelly | Buckley, Washington
Simple Goodness Sisters / Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm | Instagram: @simplegoodnesssisters
The entrepreneurial sisters behind Simple Goodness Sisters have transformed farm-grown fruits, herbs, and flowers into a thriving beverage business featuring handcrafted syrups and their Simple Goodness Soda Shop, bringing their garden-to-glass vision to customers beyond the farm.
Kait Thornton | Tonasket, Washington
Apple Girl Kait / Family Apple & Pear Orchard | Instagram: @applegirlkait
Known to her online community as “Apple Girl Kait,” fourth-generation orchardist Kait Thornton is bringing a fresh perspective to her family’s apple and pear operation while using social media to share the realities of farming and connect consumers with the people growing their food.
“One of the things I’m most proud of with FarmHER + RanchHER is that we’re giving these women a national platform to share their stories,” said Raquel Gottsch Koehler, Chief Marketing + Creative Officer and Co-Owner of Rural Media Group. “There are so many fascinating people and businesses throughout rural America that deserve more recognition. Whether these women are reaching new audiences through social media, creating businesses from what they grow and raise, or working to keep their family operations going for another generation, they’re showing just how diverse and entrepreneurial agriculture is today. That’s exactly the kind of storytelling we believe in at RFD-TV.”
Season 8 of FarmHER + RanchHER premieres Thursday, October 29, at 8:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV, with episodes also available to stream on RFDTV+. For more information about the series, visit RFDTV.com.
About Rural Media Group
Rural Media Group is an independent, family-owned media Company where rural stories live. The Company reaches more than 50 million households nationwide through its television, streaming, digital, and audio platforms, including RFD-TV, RFDTV+, and Rural Radio Channel 143 on SiriusXM.
Rural Media Group announced a transition to new brand names on January 26, 2026. The Company is no longer transitioning to those brand names at this time.
Programming includes live news, market coverage, and original shows rooted in agriculture, food, music, work, and rural community life. The Company is headquartered in Nashville, with production studios on Music Row and at the Auction Barn Studio in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.
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