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Today we are chatting with Donna Del Rey, owner of Relish Culinary Adventures.

Relish Culinary Adventures (love the name!) is a culinary program that brings together talented chefs and fabulous cuisine at a variety of captivating rural locations including farms and orchards, to create one-of-a-kind authentic cooking classes, culinary tours and excursions, and catering services.

Based in Healdsburg, California, in the heart of the Sonoma County wine country, Relish offers culinary events on a wide range of topics from wine country cuisine to ethnic specialties, cheese making to wild mushroom foraging - the mushroom foraging is one of my favorites! . In addition, Relish hosts activities that bring people together in the kitchen, such as private cooking parties and corporate team-building events.

Donna has such an authentic and transparent nature. Owning your own business is hard and requires a lot of resiliency, risk, leaps of faith, and strategic thinking and planning. But it sometimes requires you to react and do things that are not aligned with the initial vision and plan. And when you need to do this, you sometimes feel a sense of desperation, that you are doing everything to make your business survive, even if it doesn’t completely align with the vision. However, I believe that pivoting and diversifying is sometimes necessary in order to survive and eventually thrive. And that is what happened to Donna. She pivoted, she diversified her income streams…she survived…and now she is thriving once again. That is the real journey of an entrepreneur.

And, although Relish Culinary and its mission to connect people to where their food comes from is at the forefront of our discussion, I think Donna’s openness about her business challenges and ability to be flexible, are truly at the heart of our discussion and is such an important story to be told.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Donna!

Relish Culinary Adventures
Relish Culinary Calendar of Events
Culinary Tours
Relish Culinary Instagram
Relish Culinary Facebook
Dry Creek Peach

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

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I have been doing a lot of local traveling, really digging into the northeast US where my agriculture focus seems to be currently taking me. I visited a bean festival at a farm in Sheffield, Massachusetts (MA), located in the southern part of the Berkshires. The Berkshires or Berkshire County is located in Western Massachusetts, with New York State very close to the west, Connecticut to the south, and Vermont to the north.

Before going to the festival I met a friend for lunch at the Berkshire Food Coop and explored the downtown area of Great Barrington, MA. Kind of fell in love with the vibe of the whole area - the energy, the outdoor air, the agriculture focus….everything about it. Of course I grabbed a few brochures related to farming and local businesses and came across something called Berkshares…a local Currency Program. BerkShares is the best-known contemporary example of a place-based currency. They have over 300 participating locally-owned and community-minded businesses that support Berkshares to keep money circulating in the region, thereby contributing to a greater local multiplier effect. My marketing and business development mind immediately recognized what a brilliant marketing and loyalty program that this currency program really is.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Jared Spears, the Marketing Director of Berkshares. Berkshares is a program that came out of the Schumacher Center for a New Economics. They work to envision the elements of a just and regenerative global economy, undertake to apply these elements in the Berkshires; and develop the educational programs to share the results more broadly, thus encouraging replication.

Stay tuned for an interesting history on how the Berkshares local currency initiative got started and transformed out of some previous programs including Deli Dollars and Berkshire Farm Preserve Notes. Jared provided me with a good understanding of the local economics that contributed to the launch of this local currency. Enjoy my conversation with Jared Spears.

Berkshares
Berkshire Community Land Trust
Farmstead for Farmers Initiative
Schumacher Center for new economics

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

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We left New York and it was 27 degrees Fahrenheit and mild. We arrived in Grenada a little over four hours later and it was 78 degrees, partly sunny and fairly humid. Earl, our driver, was awaiting our arrival. He drove us in his car to the ‘countryside’ on the north west side of Grenada. The roads were thin and very windy with spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. Houses were located on both sides of the road – some on stilts overlooking the water and others embedded in the mountainside of green vegetation. This was the beginning of our agriculture adventure in Grenada…

An hour later, we arrived at Crayfish Bay Organics, a 200-year old, 15-acre cacao farm. We met Kim and Lylette Russell – owners of the estate and Crayfish Bay Chocolate. Kim, a very entertaining, determined, and hard working man of English descent, lived most of his life on the water in the Caribbean and most recently settled down in Grenada. Lylette was originally from Guyana, South America and lived a good part of her life in St. Lucia. Kim and Lylette connected online and live and work their estate at Crayfish Bay.

Their land produces cacao, bananas, plantains, oranges, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, guava, mango, passion fruit, grapefruit, avocado, star fruit, and so much more.

This trip to Grenada was truly an agricultural immersion and adventure…which included cacao growing, chocolate making, tree and farm to table food, spice tours, hiking, tons of exploring….and, most importantly, connecting with such dedicated people. These are the things that keep people coming back and visiting Crayfish Bay year after year.

Enjoy my conversation with Lylette Russell from Crayfish Bay Organics.

Crayfish Bay Organics
The Little House, Crayfish Bay Airbnb
The Tree House, Crayfish Bay Airbnb

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

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Brian Sullivan, Gayle Okumura Sullivan and son Patrick Sullivan purchased Dry Creek Peach in 2000 and are approaching 25 years with the farm. Dry Creek Peach, located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, California is surrounded by wine country. They are the last remaining fruit farm in the valley with 1000 peach trees. They are the only dedicated, certified organic peach farm in the county.

The farm produces about 30 varieties of peaches between Memorial Day and Labor Day, some of which will make your mouth water as Gayle describes them in our podcast interview.

Gayle and Brian knew very little about farming and specifically peach farming when entering this business. But they quickly recognized the unique beauty and bounty of the farm, and they took the leap of faith.

Well, almost 25 years later, they have fine-tuned and expanded the business, learning and adjusting as they go, tackling new and unique challenges every farm season, and leading with a focus and dedication to producing the highest quality peaches. This focus has opened up unique marketing and distribution opportunities. It’s easy to see why their fruit is savored by famous chefs and food entrepreneurs.

Picture yourself in Sonoma County, CA among the peach trees and enjoy my chat with Gayle and Brian.

Dry Creek Peach
Russian River Brewing
Alley 6 - Peach Brandy
Relish Culinary
Dry Creek Valley Sonoma Wine Country
Outstanding in the Field

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

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Steve and Sandy are the inspiring founders of East Tennessee Homestead Alliance. Sandy reached out to me about the podcast a few months ago. We ended up speaking on the phone about homesteading and what it really is all about. Many people, including myself who is close to farming and all about sustainability, have this impression of homesteading as a far reaching goal that we would not be capable of doing or achieving in our current environments… that you need to be living out in the boonies without electricity to be even considered a homesteader. Well, Sandy’s description of homesteading is not that at all. She basically broke homesteading down to a simple definition - homesteading is all about keeping a steady home. That anyone can homestead and integrate homesteading regardless of their living situation and environment. I thought that her definition was brilliant and creates a sense of “I can do this.”

So Steve and Sandy are doing just that…they are teaching people how to homestead through their own life learnings and mastery and through the network they have formed in East Tennessee.

And how does this tie into Agritourism? Well it ties in in many ways, but most importantly through education… through programs, retreats, alliance events, and, most importantly, through how Steve and Sandy live their own lives. Steve and Sandy each have inspiring and humbling stories about how they came together and have spent over 39 years making each day count.

I hope you are left with a feeling of inspiration and exhilaration after listening to my chat with Steve and Sandy!

Steve and Sandy
Wildbody School of Wellness
East Tennessee Homestead Alliance

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

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• HeartBeet Farms
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• About Jen Ross, The Agri-Tourist Podcast Host
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Rachael Callahan is currently California’s Statewide Agritourism Coordinator focused on the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program through UC Davis. Originally from Delaware, Rachael stumbled into sustainable agriculture from her graduate studies and has focused on local and regional food systems. She spent time in Belize working on a demonstration agroforestry farm looking at and modeling indigenous land stewardship and farming. She then spent time in Nantucket working for a non profit focused on bolstering the local food economy. She eventually moved to Washington DC to work on an urban farm. Her experiences working in very different and unique communities aligned with her education allowed her to expand her scope of work and take on a challenging role as statewide agritourism opportunity in California.

In her role, Rachael provides training to farmers and ranchers interested in diversifying their income via agritourism. She examines trends, impacts, challenges, and barriers and identifies solutions. She also focuses on capacity and network building by connecting farmers throughout the state. Rachael is constantly inspired by the resilience, determination, creativity and innovation of California’s agricultural producers and is very grateful for being in a role that supports them. Enjoy my conversation with Rachael Callahan.

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program
Agritourism in California
Maya Mountain Research Farm, Belize

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

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Before she turned 10 years old, she already knew all about zucchini, white eggplant, garlic scapes, heirloom tomatoes, how to tell basil vs. mint vs. oregano, when to plant garlic, and what to pair lavender honey with. My daughter Anna just turned 20-years old in September 2024 and is pursuing a college major in Economics and minor in Sustainability. She also just finished a summer of 70 hour workweeks and an amazing internship with Moka Origins.

Our very first podcast episode was with one of the founders of Moka Origins, Jeff Abella. Moka Origins is working to make cacao and coffee a sustainable source of income for farmers around the world. 165 million people depend on cacao or coffee for their livelihood, however many aren’t paid a living wage and are stuck in poverty. To end this poverty cycle, Moka Origins pays more to farmers for their beans which they use to craft healthier, better tasting chocolate and coffee.

Moka offers Origin Adventures…incredible adventures to connect people with their global cacao and coffee sourcing partners. My daughter Anna had the opportunity to spend a week at the Moka Origins headquarters in Honesdale, PA and to participate in their Origin Adventure in Mexico. In our podcast episode with Jeff Abella, we took a deep dive into all his current origin adventures, but Anna took us a bit deeper and we explored details about her personal experiences on her trip to Mexico.

Hearing about this trip through the eyes and inspiration of a 20-year old, is a unique perspective and one that I truly enjoyed. I am really excited for everyone to virtually meet my daughter Anna and very humbled to have the opportunity to interview her so early in her career journey. Maybe one day when she has advanced in her career path, she will reflect fondly on this interview. Enjoy my conversation with Anna Morrongiello.

Cocoa Economy - Crisis or Opportunity?
Moka Origin Mexico Adventure Trip
Riding the Donkey to the Organic Cacao Farm in DR
Women Chocolate Makers Breaking Boundaries in DR
Agri-Tourist Podcast Episode 1 - Jeff Abella, Moka Origins

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

• Agri-Tourist.com
• HeartBeet Farms
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• About Jen Ross, The Agri-Tourist Podcast Host
• Global Agritourism Network

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Laurelee Blanchard, Founder and President of Leilani Farm Sanctuary, and author of “Finding Paradise”, left a lucrative career at a Commercial Real Estate Firm to devote her life to animal protection and humane education. In 1999, she cashed out her life savings and moved from Orange County, California, to Hawaii to the island of Maui. Laurelee acquired an eight-acre parcel of land, on which she created a farm sanctuary—a refuge where animals would be protected from neglect, abuse, and slaughter.

Leilani Farm Sanctuary is a non-profit organization, home to nearly three hundred rescued animals. They include goats, chickens, rabbits, ducks, a donkey, geese, deer, cats, pigs, sheep, turkeys, guinea pigs and tortoises. The Sanctuary provides educational programs for school groups and special-needs visitors and offers tours and humane education to the general public. They now host weddings at this majestic sanctuary in Maui. What better way to start a life with someone special…by giving back and supporting animals from neglect, abuse and slaughter.

I want to add that I read Laurelee’s book Finding Paradise after I did this interview. Laurelee overcame so many intense personal and financial struggles to maintain and keep her animals at the sanctuary. She gave everything of herself to stay aligned with her mission and to help these animals thrive. During our conversation many of these struggles were not evident in the way that her book discusses them so I highly recommend you read her book. I am humbled by Laurelee and all that she stands for…. She is humanely human.

Leilani Farm Sanctuary
Finding Paradise Book

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

• Agri-Tourist.com
• HeartBeet Farms
• Instagram
• About Jen Ross, The Agri-Tourist Podcast Host
• Global Agritourism Network