Reframing Rural

Follow Reframing Rural
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Reframing Rural's mission it to cultivate curiosity and conversation across the urban rural divide. The first season, Coming Home, is set in Sheridan County, Montana, which borders Canada, North Dakota, and the most rural county in the United States. Coming Home reflects on geography's role in our understanding of home and features stories of hope and resilience from the Northern Great Plains. Hosted and produced by Megan Torgerson, this narrative nonfiction podcast uses storytelling to reframe the narrative on rural America.

Tree Ring Records


    • Jan 25, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 46m AVG DURATION
    • 39 EPISODES

    4.9 from 57 ratings Listeners of Reframing Rural that love the show mention: rural, stories, great.


    Ivy Insights

    The Reframing Rural podcast is an absolute gem in the world of podcasts. From the moment I hit play, I was hooked by the impeccable production quality and captivating background music. It is truly the best and most informative podcast I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. What sets this podcast apart is its ability to shed light on rural communities in a complex and compelling style. Through each episode, it unravels the stereotypes that surround rural life and provides listeners with an intimate glimpse into a way of living that is often misunderstood.

    One of the standout aspects of this podcast is its representation of rural Montana. As someone who has always been curious about life outside of urban areas, it was refreshing to finally hear stories from a place like rural Montana. The host, Megan, does an exceptional job of painting a vivid picture of what it means to live in such a community. She brings depth and nuance to her storytelling, making it clear that rural life is much more than just simple stereotypes.

    Furthermore, the stories presented in this podcast are simply beautiful. Megan's approach allows her to lovingly undo urban and suburban assumptions about rural life and people. As someone who grew up without direct connection to farming or agriculture, this podcast served as a reminder of how much there is to appreciate about being outside and in deep relationship with land, water, flora, and fauna. It allowed me to develop a sense of gratitude for the labor involved in working the land and being attuned to nature's cycles.

    While there may be some room for improvement in terms of variety or occasional repetition within episodes, these minor drawbacks do not overshadow the overall excellence of The Reframing Rural podcast. It succeeds in lifting up stories that would otherwise go unheard while building collective empathy among listeners from all walks of life.

    In conclusion, I cannot recommend The Reframing Rural podcast enough. Its high production quality combined with its ability to challenge preconceived notions about rural life make it a standout in the podcasting world. By sharing the stories of rural communities, it fosters understanding and appreciation for the hard work that goes into sustaining these regions. Whether you have a specific interest in rural life or simply enjoy compelling storytelling, this podcast is a must-listen.



    Search for episodes from Reframing Rural with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Reframing Rural

    Reframing Rural Update

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2024 2:31


    Megan Torgerson has some big life news to share and is working with collaborators on the creative direction of the fourth season!

    “Groundwork” Episode 10: Creator Roundtable: A Behind-the-Scenes Conversation with Reframing Rural's Audio Engineer, Story Editor and Producer/Host

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 53:26


    In this final installment of Season 3 “Groundwork,” Reframing Rural founder, host and producer, Megan Torgerson speaks with the podcast's audio engineer, Aaron Spieldenner and story editor, Mary Auld about the inspiration behind the season and all the work that goes into producing the show's long-form narrative episodes.

    "Groundwork" Episode 9: A Conversation with Grace Olmstead, author of "Uprooted: Recovering the Legacy of the Places We've Left Behind"

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2023 70:40


    Grace Olmstead is the West's preeminent author on place. In her book "Uprooted: Recovering the Legacy of the Places We've Left Behind” and in this interview, she speaks to rural outmigration, connection to place, the history of how agriculture was industrialized and the future of agriculture in the West amid suburban sprawl and a call to build more just and resilient regional food systems.

    "Groundwork" Episode 8: John Wicks: the Story of a Punk Rock Farmer, his Farming Friends and their Fight to Save the Future of Family Farming in Montana

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2023 71:51


    At 21 John Wicks was faced with the decision to stay in college or come home and save his family's farm. Today he is a leader in Montana's organic and regenerative farming movement and an advocate for family farms across the state, serving as the associate director of Montana Farmers Union. Together with his friends Peyton Cole and Paul Neubauer, John is helping further the understanding that the health of our agricultural lands impacts the health of our communities.

    "Groundwork" Episode 7: Normalizing Mental Health Care in Agricultural Communities, Addressing Farm Stress & Restoring Wellbeing in Rural Montana

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2023 98:38


    Dr. Alison Brennan, MSU Extension's designated mental health specialist, Courtney Brown Kibblewhite with Northern Ag Network and Beyond the Weather, and wellness coach and rancher Lisa Williams discuss mental health resources and stigma around mental health in Montana's rural and agricultural communities. This episode spans data on farm stress, free counseling services for Montana producers and actionable tips for restoring balance and wellbeing to our lives.

    "Groundwork" Episode 6: Winnett ACES: Strengthening Community & Keeping Ranchers on Working Lands

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 65:12


    In Winnett, the only town in the least populated county in Montana, out-of-state absentee land ownership poses a threat to the future of ranching and the preservation of the region's intact prairie ecosystem. To keep people on the land and build a vibrant future for Winnett's main street, the rancher-led nonprofit Winnett ACES is furthering economic and environmental sustainability for Petroleum Co. through local grassroots organizing.

    Bonus Episode: Developing Women Leaders for Montana's Future

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2023 43:08


    This bonus episode features a webinar recorded for the Women's Foundation of Montana, June 2022. “Developing Leaders for Montana's Future” was a virtual conversation about the landscape of women's leadership in the state featuring leaders who've advanced opportunities for young rural women, Montana women business owners and students privileged to experience the perspective-shifting adventure of an international exchange. This panel featured Deena Mansour, the executive director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana, Suzi Berget White, the former business development director of Prospera Business Network and Shannon Stober, the lead facilitator of the Red Ants Pants Foundation's Girls Leadership Program. 

    “Groundwork" Episode 5: Latrice Tatsey & Danielle Antelope on Culturally-Specific and Climate-Smart Blackfeet Food Systems

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 78:59


    The convergence of mountain and prairie ecosystems along the Rocky Mountain Front is the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Blackfeet Nation, home of the Amskapi Piikani, or Blackfeet, for time immemorial. Latrice Tatsey, a rancher and cultural land ecologist with Piikani Lodge Health Institute, and Danielle Antelope, a teacher of wild plant medicines and the executive director of FAST Blackfeet, have long braided their lives into the cycles of this wild and tender land. This episode explores their respective food sovereignty initiatives, how they're helping people regain comfortability on the land, thrive in the face of climate change and restore balance to the plant, animal, land and human communities on the Blackfeet Nation. 

    Bonus Episode: Working Wild U “Wolves in the West | 01 | Defining the Problem”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2023 22:51


    In this bonus episode from Working Wild U, a podcast by Montana State University Extension and Western Landowners Alliance, hosts Jared Beaver and Alex Few explore how people's values impact how they think about wolves and land use in the West.

    "Groundwork" Episode 4: Rural Gentrification in North Idaho

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2023 60:08


    The small North Idaho town of Dover has seen the extraction of timber, cheap labor and the natural amenities that draw tourists and second home owners with high-incomes and high-expectations for the luxuries they're accustomed to. What happens to the natural environment and community cohesion when developers build with higher-income-earners and with profits in mind? What happens to locals when they are priced out or culturally displaced? In this immersive episode, host Megan Torgerson brings listeners to the shores of the Pend Oreille River, the center of Kalispel's homeland for 10,000 years, where she interviews longtime residents, local historians and Dr. Ryanne Pilgeram whose book “Pushed Out: Contested Development and Rural Gentrification in the US West” uses Dover as a case study for how corporations cause destruction in order to profit from spaces with abundant natural beauty.

    “Groundwork” Episode 3: A Conversation with Kathleen McLaughlin on Class Inequality & Cultural Extraction in a Changing Montana

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2022 61:57


    Montana has long held a distinctive place within the mythos of America. Today, it's becoming an ever-more attractive destination for those in search of a stronger sense of community, or an escape, in response to a dizzying and hyper-digital world. In this honest conversation with award-winning, Butte-based journalist, Kathleen McLaughlin, Reframing Rural explores what an influx of wealthy newcomers means for housing access and affordability, open spaces and community cohesion, and how new and established residents of all class backgrounds can work together to create a place where all Montanans can thrive.

    Bonus Episode: Stories for Action, "Strengthening Community in a Changing Montana"

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2022 90:40


    In this bonus episode Stories for Action podcast host Lara Tomov explores how the pressures of rapid growth and development are affecting Montanans, and how community groups like Trust Montana, Successful Gardiner and Reimagining Rural are working to maintain vibrant communities where all Montanans can thrive.

    "Groundwork" Episode 2: Farm Succession in Northeast Montana

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2022 52:31


    After a lifetime farming wheat on the Northern Great Plains, the time has come for Russ Torgerson to retire. In this narrative episode, Reframing Rural producer Megan Torgerson shares the intimate journey of her family's farm succession, giving listeners an inside look into the emotional, legal and financial factors at play with succession planning. Curious what the next generation of farmers are facing, Megan also interviews the Jorgensens, another farm family from NE Montana who is transferring the management of their farm to their son Tanner. What happens in the transitional space between a farms' present caretaker and the next? What becomes of a community when, voluntarily or not, a farmer surrenders their plow. And what does the next generation need in order to keep their families' multigenerational farms going are all questions this episode seeks to explore.

    "Groundwork" Episode 1: An interview with the "farmer's lawyer," Sarah Vogel

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2022 61:38


    The “farmer's lawyer” Sarah Vogel is a hero to farmers across the country. In the 1980s she saved 240,000 family farmers facing foreclosure. In the 2000s she pursued justice for thousands of Native American farmers and ranchers who suffered decades of credit discrimination from the USDA. Sarah continues her fight to save the family farm today, and her new book “The Farmer's Lawyer,” is inspiring others to join her.

    Season 3 "Groundwork" Preview

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2022 6:04


    Reframing Rural's third season will transport listeners to Golden Triangle wheat fields, farmhouse kitchen tables and small mountain town main streets. Combining sound-rich narrative non-fiction episodes with in-depth interviews, season three will shine light on the state of family farming, the resurgence of regenerative techniques in agriculture and the realities of rural gentrification. 

    Bonus Episode: The Modern West

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2022 28:30


    Our friends at The Modern West have a new season out, and we're excited to share part one with you! Like Reframing Rural, The Modern West shares surprising stories from often overlooked rural places, helping to reframe how we think about the West as it is today. In “The Rolling Stone,” the first episode in their “The Great Individualist” series, they break down myths about what it means to be a “real” cowboy. Be sure to catch up on the rest of "The Great Individualist" season and follow The Modern West wherever you get your podcasts.

    Sowing Possibility Episode 10: Emily Stifler Wolfe & Jason Thompson on "Common Ground" (Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2022 47:41


    In part two of Megan's conversation with journalists Emily Stifler Wolfe and Jason Thompson of the “Common Ground Series” published by Montana Free Press, they discuss the threat of desertification, succession planning challenges family farms face and the sixth soil health principle of context.

    Sowing Possibility Episode 9: Emily Stifler Wolfe & Jason Thompson on "Common Ground" (Part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2022 57:57


    Combining profiles of farmers from the Golden Triangle with soil science, history, policy research and transportive imagery, the award-winning “Common Ground” series is sowing hope in the future for farmers across the West. Written by Emily Stifler Wolfe with transportive photography from photo journalist Jason Thompson, “Common Ground,” illuminates the role of regenerative agriculture in fostering resilient rural economies and communities.

    Sowing Possibility Episode 8: Randi Lynn Tanglen, PhD

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2022 60:31


    Randi Lynn Tanglen, PhD grew up in the small NE Montana town of Sidney and turned an early love of literature into a career in education. Randi developed a specialty in hidden voices of 19th century Western American Literature including women, Indigenous and Black authors – a niche that has helped her uncover her family's storied history on the Great Plains. Today Randi leads the statewide humanities council, Humanities Montana, ensuring the public humanities are stewarded in Montana's rural and Tribal communities.

    Sowing Possibility Episode 7: Jeanie Alderson

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2022 57:02


    Jeanie Alderson comes from a storied legacy of ranchers in Southeast Montana. In the 1970s, her parents were among the rural organizers to form Northern Plains Resource Council. Today, Jeanie and her husband Terry are continuing their work standing up for family farms and ranches by fighting against the "Big Four" meatpacking monopoly that's extinguishing competition and dictating prices, forcing some ranches to go out of business.

    Sowing Possibility Episode 6: Ashley Hanson

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2022 72:47


    Ashley Hanson is the director of PlaceBase Productions, a site-specific theater company working with nontraditional actors to create stories specific to small towns, and the founder and executive director of Department of Public Transformation, an artist-led nonprofit that's fostering community connection, civic pride and equitable participation in rural places. This episode explores the role of the arts in facilitating community cohesion and rural community development, and the challenges and opportunities of leading an art nonprofit.

    Sowing Possibility Season 5: Benya Kraus

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 67:10


    Benya Kraus is the co-founder of Lead for America, a national nonprofit nurturing the next generation of rural leaders. Benya embodies the virtue of getting proximate to issues most affecting her rural home, while striving to restore solidarity between disconnected cultures and a divided nation.

    Bonus Episode: Ed Roberson on Creating his Celebrated Podcast, Mountain & Prairie

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2022 51:23


    For an event hosted by the Rural Radio Collective Megan Torgerson sits down with Ed Roberson, the founder and producer of the acclaimed podcast Mountain & Prairie, to hear what he's learned over the past six years producing intelligent and thoughtful conversations that illuminate the unfolding Zeitgeist of the modern American West.

    Sowing Possibility Episode 4: Ben Winchester

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2021 67:00


    Ben Winchester is a rural sociologist whose research into the rural “brain gain” has illuminated the trend of 30- to 49-year-olds migrating to rural America. A purveyor of good news that small towns are not dying, Ben is on a mission to elevate a positive narrative on rural America through the use of applied research and data. This episode spans the history behind the negative rural narrative, how small towns can be more welcoming to newcomers and the positive work happening in the rural development industry.

    Sowing Possibility Episode 3: Miranda Moen

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2021 74:59


    Miranda Moen is a rural architectural designer studying the architecture and cultural history of her ancestors through a Fulbright fellowship in Norway. This stirring conversation covers Miranda's mission to uplift the importance of rural and working class buildings, and how she has come to better understand her cultural identity through study of the built environment.

    Sowing Possibility: Jake Bullinger

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2021 63:19


    Jake Bullinger is a Wyoming native, freelance journalist and new father who covers the politics, culture, economy and environment of the West. In “Sowing Possibility: Episode 2” host Megan Torgerson and Jake discuss red state-blue state binaries, the history of mobility in the west and the potential for climate resilience in resource economies.

    Bonus Episode: Red Ants Pants Music Festival

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2021 37:50


    Following Reframing Rural's interview with Red Ants Pants Founder, Sarah Calhoun, Megan Torgerson heads to Red Ants Pants Music Festival in White Sulphur Springs, Montana where she records powerful performances and speaks with musicians, festival attendees and Red Ants Pants Foundation timber skills workshop facilitators.

    Sowing Possibility: Sarah Calhoun

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2021 49:41


    Sarah Calhoun has long been venerated as a champion of rural causes in Montana and beyond. In the first episode of our Sowing Possibility series, Calhoun explores how her childhood in rural New Brunswick and New England informed her decision to move to the small agricultural town of White Sulphur Springs, Montana. She'll share exciting plans for the future of the Red Ants Pants Foundation and key takeaways on rural resiliency she's gleaned from her years running the Red Ants Pants workwear company and Red Ants Pants Music Festival.

    Season 2 Preview

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2021 4:56


    Reframing Rural's second season "Sowing Possibility" shares conversations with rural advocates from across the Heartland and West. Guided by host Megan Torgerson, this ten episode season leans into intimate and expansive questions about the past and future of rural America while provoking inspired possibilities for a shared future.

    Episode 7: Patchwork Quilt, A Narrated Essay by Megan Torgerson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2021 22:36


    In the final episode of Reframing Rural's inaugural season, founder Megan Torgerson recounts her experience leaving rural Montana to attend college in Missoula, her journey encountering and dismantling rural stereotypes, and why she is working to reframe the narrative on rural America. Offering a glimpse into Megan's childhood, this narrated essay explores how her rural roots informs her work today.

    Bonus Episode: The Modern West

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2021 30:27


    Looking for another podcast set in the American West that weaves family stories, personal inquiry and cultural analysis to uncover issues affecting beloved rural places? Look no further than The Modern West’s Ghost Town(ing) series! In this episode you’ll hear from host Melodie Edwards who will transport you to Walden, Colorado where she interviews her parents about their enduring love for their small town and what compels them to stay.

    Episode 6: A Mother's Day Celebration of Rural Womanhood

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2021 28:10


    This special Mother's Day episode features Kay Brinkman and Renny Torgerson two old friends and rural Montana farm women who have lived in the Scandinavian farming community of Dagmar, since the 1970s. From braving a whiteout with a herd of cattle, to teaching in a two-room school house, these matriarchs are an example of the integral role women play in small towns and rural communities across the country.

    Episode 5: A Snapshot of Family Farming Amid Cycles of Modernization and Migration

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2021 31:23


    The Torgersons have farmed for as far back as the family has record of, at least the 1500s, but likely much longer. Beginning with the onset of industrialization, this episode tracks the story of a family who left Norway for the promise of a better life in America nearly 150 years ago, and how this family continues to preserve its farming legacy in Northeastern Montana despite a dwindling population, unpredictable weather and an unfavorable commodity market.

    Episode 4: Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2020 24:33


    Ralph Summers is a mailman, bus driver, taxidermist and preacher living in Dagmar, Montana. In this episode, we explore the history of rural mail delivery, the value of neighbors, and what it means to have faith.

    Episode 3: Unearthing the Indigenous Narrative in Northeast Montana

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2020 28:00


    Eddie Hentges grew up and later taught history on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Northeast Montana. A descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, he discusses the politics behind looking Native, the history of the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes and how he approaches teaching U.S. high school history through a multicultural and decolonial lens.

    Episode 2: The Scary Prairie Will Not Get the Best of Me

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2020 25:11


    Margaret Hoven and David Anderson moved to Plentywood, Montana from Washington D.C. 15 years ago. Northeastern Montana culture, political memory, change and the power of music are themes explored in this episode named after Margaret's original song "The Scary Prairie Will Not Get the Best of Me" from a play the couple co-wrote, "Dead Thing On the Wall."

    Special Episode: A Note on the "New Normal"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2020 2:55


    Reframing Rural interrupts its lineup of season one stories from residents of Northeastern Montana to reflect on the coronavirus and rural life lessons that can help us get through self-quarantining.          

    Episode 1: Preservation and Motherhood on the Northern Great Plains

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2020 22:57


    Kim Rudnigen is a mother of four, working as an environmental compliance officer in the oil and gas industry in Northeast Montana. In Reframing Rural's first episode, we'll learn from Kim what it is like to raise a family in a county where there are two people per square mile and how the Rudnigens are helping to reinvigorate the community surrounding Dagmar, MT.

    Season 1 Preview

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2020 5:19


    Reframing Rural's mission it to cultivate curiosity and conversation across the urban rural divide. The first season, Coming Home, is set in Sheridan County, Montana, which borders Canada, North Dakota, and the most rural county in the United States. Coming Home reflects on geography's role in our understanding of home and features stories of hope and resilience from the Northern Great Plains. Hosted and produced by Megan Torgerson, this narrative nonfiction podcast reframes the narrative on rural America.

    Claim Reframing Rural

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel