CommonGround Farmers


Love for the land, our families, our friends and our food – that’s what fuels our CommonGround community. Scroll down to learn where our volunteers are located, or Contact Us to get involved.

CommonGround Missouri

Back to Our Farmers

Laura Brown

Rolla, Missouri

Our Farm: beef cattle, chickens, corn, soybeans, vegetables, wheat

My Work: farmer, wife, mom, kindergarten teacher

My Hobbies: cooking, photography, travel, overall fitness

Ask Me About: animal nutrition, welfare and antibiotics

About Me: My husband and I, along with our three children, farm in Phelps County, Missouri. We raise beef cattle, and our children show cattle at the local fairs. We have one of the few row-crop farms in our area and have many visitors stop by to watch the planting, growing and harvesting process. We recently began a custom fertilizer-spray service and are staying very busy with that as well. I love to share our story and answer your questions!

Twitter: @tbkmom

Instagram: @mrsljb

Kylie Epperson

Vandalia, Missouri

Our Farm: Corn, soybeans and hogs

My Work: Mom, farmer, podcast co-host 

My Hobbies: Running, Fitness, Golf, Camping             

Ask Me About: Sustainability and Conservation, Animal Ag/Antibiotics, Hormones (in meat and milk), Food Safety, Family Farms vs. Corporate Farms

About Me: I farm in Northeast Missouri with my husband, Jordan, his parents and our three kids. We currently raise corn, soybeans and hogs. I have a background in education but my role, other than mom, varies from parts runner, to bookkeeper to financial manager and more. Since 2018, I’ve been sharing our farming story through my blog, the Midwest Farm Wives podcast and just by conversations. I enjoy sharing how my family farm grows healthy, nutritious food using less water, less land, less chemicals and fertilizer than ever before.

Instagram: @thegratefulfarmwife

Facebook: The Grateful Farm Wife and Epperson Family Farms

Sharon Gibson

Norborne, Missouri

Our Farm: corn, soybeans

My Work: farmer, wife, mom

My Hobbies: baking, traveling

Ask Me About: biotechnology/GMOs, food prices, food safety, family farms vs. corporate farms

About Me: Before I began farming with my husband, I worked as an adolescent counselor. Now my role on the farm is bookkeeper, parts runner and planner. I enjoy the freedom and flexibility the farm offers and that I can spend time at home with my family.

Geralyn Gloe

Hermann, Missouri

Our Farm: beef cattle, corn, soybeans

My Work: farmer, wife, mom

My Hobbies: baking, cooking, singing, reading

Ask Me About: animal welfare, antibiotics and animal health, farm ownership, GMO foods

About Me: I farm with my husband, raising beef cattle and growing corn and soybeans. Caring for the land is a top priority for us –a family even sold us their land after renting it to our family for more than 60 years because we take such pride in maintaining it. I know that our farm will stay in our family for generations to come, so I want to make sure we work hard to take care of it and improve it. I am passionate about agriculture and would like to provide accurate and truthful information to consumers who have questions.

Kate Lambert

Laclede, Missouri

Our Farm: beef cattle, corn, sheep, soybeans

My Work: farmer, wife, mom, farm appraiser

My Hobbies: baking, cooking, writing, photography, blogging, running/fitness

Ask Me About: animal agriculture, animal nutrition and animal welfare

About Me: I grew up in suburban Chicago, about 65 miles from downtown. I was a member of the National FFA Organization and loved working with animals. I never dreamed I would end up on a large farm. I met my husband through FFA as a teenager. Now, we raise two kids on our farm in Missouri. As a mother, I understand the same pressure that all moms feel regarding the nutritional choices we make for our kids. I’d love for you to ask me the questions on your mind about food and how it’s raised.

Website: Uptown Sheep

Facebook:  Uptown Farms

Anita Marlay

Camdenton, Missouri

Our Farm: former beef cattle farmer

My Work: wife, mom, registered dietitian

My Hobbies: cooking, gardening, food preservation, writing

Ask Me About: food safety, hormones in meat and milk, local and organic foods

About Me: I am a registered dietitian who has a strong farm background, growing up on an Iowa farm raising beef, hogs, corn and soybeans. My husband and I operated our own cow/calf operation prior to moving to Missouri. Although we currently do not actively farm, we continue to be involved in agriculture with my husband managing cattle ranches previously and currently working for an ag exporter. As a dietitian, I work to dispel the many myths and negative misconceptions that are out there concerning agriculture. I find it both interesting and challenging that it is harder to find the truth about how food is raised than it is to find misinformation. I want to be a truly helpful resource to people regarding food nutrition and agriculture.

Facebook: @acommonsensenutritionist, LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anita-marlay-50344413

I also write a weekly nutrition article which can be found here: http://www.lakenewsonline.com/search?text=marlay&start=1

Kelly Marshall

Maysville, Missouri

Our Farm: chickens, corn

My Work: farmer, wife, mom

My Hobbies: baking, writing, photography, blogging, arts and crafts, movies, reading

Ask Me About: biotechnology and GMOs

About Me: Farming for us is a family affair! My husband and I farm with his parents and brother. I also home school our children and we are foster parents for the state of Missouri. It’s my passion to give consumers correct information based on my knowledge of our farm in order for them to make food decisions. I’m happy to answer your questions!

Website: Daddy’s Tractor

Twitter: @daddystractor

Instagram: @daddystractor

Laura Nothdurft

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Our Farm: beef cattle, corn, milo, soybeans, wheat

My Work: farmer, wife, mom, coordinator of youth ministries

My Hobbies: baking, crocheting, photography, singing

Ask Me About: GMO foods, sustainability

About Me:  My husband, Jeremie, and I have two young children. I grew up on a beef cattle farm, and now, with my husband’s family, we are primarily responsible for the crops on the farm. My passions for agriculture, my faith and teenagers drew me to a career as a high school agriculture education teacher (and middle school Spanish teacher) for five years. I’m also the part-time Director of Youth Ministries at our church. You can usually find there me hanging out with students from church, managing our household, daydreaming about blog posts, traveling, or my next big Pinterest project – with the baby and toddler always in tow!

Facebook: Laura Nothdurft

Laura Oliver

Wellsville, Missouri

Our Farm: corn, soybeans, wheat, beef cattle

My Work: farmer, wife, mom

My Hobbies: baking, cooking, photography, arts and crafts, travel, movies

Ask Me About: biotechnology and GMOs, animal nutrition, animal welfare and antibiotics, food safety

About Me: My husband and I are first generation farmers. He built his farming operation after his small 4-H and FFA projects. I did not grow up on a farm and was very new to agriculture until we met. I am proud that we have built our operation that includes row crops and 100 head of cattle and that it continues to grow. In addition to our farming operation, we also operate a small trucking business in which we haul grain, feed, meal and fertilizer for local elevators.

Angela Sutter

Taylor, Missouri

Our Farm: corn, soybeans

My Work: farmer, wife, mom, manager of an irrigation company

My Hobbies: baking, cooking, singing, arts and crafts, reading, riding horses

Ask Me About: biotechnology and GMOs

About Me: My husband is a fourth-generation farmer, and we farm with his grandpa, father and brother. Additionally, my husband, father-in-law and brother-in-law own and operate Landmark Irrigation, Inc. I want to share the truth about food because it is so important that people know where their food comes from and how it was raised and grown.

Kristi Sutton

Potosi, Missouri

Our Farm: alfalfa, beef cattle, soybeans

My Work: farmer, full-time agricultural business student

My Hobbies: baking, cooking, photography

Ask Me About: animal nutrition and welfare

About Me: I help out with all aspects of the farm in order to keep our operation running smoothly. I check cattle daily, help with yearly calving and vaccinations, and maintain the records for the farm. I feel blessed that I have the knowledge and ability to teach others about the importance of agriculture.

Addie Yoder

Leonard, Missouri

Our Farm: corn, soybeans, beef cattle

My Work: farmer, wife, mom, life coach

My Hobbies: baking, movies, reading

Ask Me About: biotechnology/GMOs, sustainability and conservation, family farms vs. corporate farms

About Me: I am a wife and a mother of four. My husband, Joshlin, and I farm with his parents and his brother’s family in northeast Missouri. Additionally, I am CEO and founder of Grace & Growth with Addie, my life coaching business. In addition to working with CommonGround, I belong to the National Corn Growers Association and I love being part of this organization! Our farm is part of the Soil Health Partnership and we work with SHP and other organizations to run different cover crop and conservation trials on our farm to help increase soil health. Feel free to ask me any questions about CommonGround. I believe in it so much!

Facebook: Grace & Growth with Addie

Instagram: @addie.yoder