Liz Wagner

Investigative Journalist at KNTV-TV (San Jose, CA)

Journalist. Mom. Wife. Lover of theater, podcasts and the great outdoors.

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Articles

Why a Farm Stand Can Be a Community Hub [Opinion]

3 weeks ago | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

The beauty and challenge of running a small business are the personal connections we forge with the folks who, week after week, continue to put their trust in us to feed their families. I keep thinking about the amazing community we continue to build, the people we grow up with and evolve with, and my memories of the patrons we lost along the way. It’s a big responsibility for so many reasons, as are the rewards.
Get Caught Up on Paperwork Before Growing Season Ramps Up Again [Opinion]

2 months ago | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

I got up this morning and decided to head outside for the day. Three layers of thermals, two pairs of pants, two pairs of socks, one set of coveralls, one jacket, one gaiter (a new development from one of my crew, and it is oh so warm) and one hat later, I’m ready to go. First, the errands. Check on the chickens, check on the buildings, check on the tunnels. Tunnels look sparse. I really should have spent more time seeding those tunnels sooner. With what time? Oh, right. Maybe next season.
How One Farmer is Practicing Self-Care This Winter [Opinion]

Dec 2, 2024 | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

As the physical drive of summer and fall drops off precipitously here at the end of the season, I’ve been feeling a bit out of sorts. I felt it coming, even before the season really did slow, and I tried to get out ahead of it. I sat and planned and really started to think about what I could do over the next few months to keep up the level of endorphins that carry me through the most challenging parts of summer.
This Farm Stand is More Than a Farm Stand, It's a Community Staple [Opinion]

Nov 20, 2024 | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the last couple of months. I was invited to speak about my experiences running a retail farm shop at an event this winter, so this thread has been winding around and around in my brain now for some time. Are we more than just a place to sell our wares? Sure. We are first, and foremost, a farm stand. We grow food, we feed people, and we buy in others’ excess to help move their food and feed even more people.
How One Farmer is Embracing Inclusion in Agriculture, and Reaping the Rewards [Opinion]

Aug 13, 2024 | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

A local organization approached me a few seasons back about bringing on a volunteer for a day or two a week. He was a young man with autism who really enjoys working outside and prefers working alone. I hesitated for a long while. I had never worked with this demographic at all and, up until this point, I really hadn’t worked with anyone who wasn’t my own age or older. But, the organization was really proactive in promoting these sorts of experiences for their members.
How To Maximize Productivity During Long Summer Days [Opinion]

Jun 23, 2024 | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

I’m always so excited about these long days and nights. Even if it’s going to be in the 90s a month earlier than it really should be, there is still some way to map out a full day that’s not totally awful. Wake up incredibly early (but it’s in the daylight), work outside for a few hours. Get to the other farm and tackle that mountain of paperwork during the heat of lunchtime — or maybe prep some food projects or switch all of the trays in the dehydrator.
Why a Former City Girl Longs for Green Pastures [Opinion]

May 20, 2024 | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

I grew up in corn fields. That’s a sentence I used to start a college essay about a million (actually 15) years ago. In that essay, I talked about transitioning to living in the city — finding the green spaces and farmers markets, and talking to the neighbors while I watered my plants in our window boxes. There was so much I loved about the pace and action of the city when I was younger.
A List of Anxieties That Come With Spring Planting [Opinion]

Mar 16, 2024 | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

Over the last few days at the farm stand, I’ve come in to work and watched the giant auger from the well-drilling company at work. Our well at the stand property started to collapse a month or so back, and trying to get out ahead of this before the main season was the number one winter priority. Of course, the neighbor’s well collapsed the month before. And a bunch of folks just a few miles away have been drilling second wells and grappling with sediment on and off over the last decade, as well.
How This Farmer is Adapting Her Practices to Weather Climate Change

Feb 22, 2024 | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

I wandered down to Lancaster for an ag conference last week. Just for a day, just for a few hours. But it was one of those situations where — after a day with my peers — I felt reinvigorated about what we do season in and season out. I didn’t feel so alone, and I felt I had been given permission to think about how my work style can change in the face of a challenging season.
Learn How High Tunnels Allow Vegetable Farmers to Grow Year Round

Jan 24, 2024 | lancasterfarming.com | Liz Wagner

January is the time for resting, planning and organizing. There’s finally some snow on the ground, which means it’s time to stay out of the fields. Truly, winter is a beautiful thing. That all being said, January is also a great time to be working in the high tunnels. High tunnels are still relatively new for me (we’ve had ours for four seasons now) but they’ve allowed me to keep my vegetable operation growing throughout all four seasons.