Leslie Witter shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Leslie, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Fall marks the beginning of a slow down in our seasonal work load, so one of the things bringing me joy is a little more time for self-care. I’ve been reintroducing HIIT workouts and yoga into my daily routine and it feels so good to move my body and clear my mind.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Leslie Witter, farmer and owner of Root to Rise Gardens, a half acre market garden just outside of Red Lodge, MT. We use organic and regenerative agricultural practices to grow high-quality greens and quick crops that we market hyper-locally within 4 miles of the farm. Our goals are to increase the availability of local veggies in our cold climate, foster soil & ecosystem health, and provide a living wage & good quality of life for ourselves & future workers. We also aim to encourage more community involvement in local food. One new aspect of the business that we’ve been working on the past few years is developing a work-trade program. Currently, we host 11 work-traders during the summer season who each work a weekly 3-hr shift in exchange for a $45 veggie box. This has been a great way to build community, get more folks involved in growing food and help meet our labor needs.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Maybe the world was already telling me, but as a young girl I wanted to be a princess, a supermodel, an actress, a dancer… all of the glamorous things. And I was, playing dress up as each of these roles. Most people who know me only as an adult would laugh at this as these days you find me with dirt under my finger nails working in the soil, in well-worn farm clothes, eschewing makeup and loving it! But, before the world told me, I also loved the outdoors and the connection I felt in nature. That sticks with me and influences what I do and where I find meaning today.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
One thing I’ve learned through the struggles of starting a business is the necessity of taking care of yourself and filling your own cup. At the end of my first season with a different iteration of the business (Airbnb plus market garden), I was totally drained from pushing myself too hard and a few small things that went wrong almost pushed me over the edge to burnout and breakdown. Still a work in progress, but this taught me to try to always leave energy and space for ‘one more thing’ because those ‘one more things’ that you didn’t plan for inevitably pop up.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I could also be getting it totally wrong, but personally I’m skeptical about the focus on AI. Our morality, ethics and ability to think through consequences of technological adoption seem to often lag behind the speed of technology. I’d proceed with caution. As just one small example, I could ask ChatGPT to answer this question, right? It might (or might not) spit out a perfectly fine answer. But, there’s value and learning in having to think through and articulate things ourselves.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing?
I feel so lucky to be doing work that I’m passionate about and feel is important. But, one thing I’m still working on 9 years in to the business is finding the balance. I’ll regret not showing up more for my family and friends, not going for more hikes and raft trips with my true love, not slowing down a little more to ‘just be’ instead of thinking about what’s next on the ‘to do’ list. On the flip side, I’d also certainly regret letting go of the business dream and settling in to a 9-5 that I’m not passionate about. So, I keep working to achieve a better balance and am grateful to be finding other people who are also passionate about the local food vision that are willing to help me get there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.root2risegardens.com/
- Instagram: @root2risegardens
- Facebook: @root2risegardens
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