Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Haselmayer.
Hi Liz, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It all started 4 years ago when our oldest daughter was in second grade. We’re a homeschooling family, so as the school year was progressing, I started looking for a nutrition curriculum to teach our daughter about the foods we eat, where they come from, and how she can best navigate our complex food system. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything that aligned with our family’s food values. As a hunting family who lives in the suburbs, we have a unique closeness to some portions of our food–the venison we hunt and process by hand in our home–and yet we are far removed from our other sources of nourishment. We cook simple, whole ingredients, using traditional fats like lard, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, and butter. We enjoy sourdough baked goods and farm-fresh milk and try our best to utilize the entire animal in our cooking.
The food education programs that were on the market at the time spoke nothing about sourcing our food or the farmers, ranchers, and food producers who make it. They also completely ignored the various types of farming–organic, conventional, biodynamic, etc. I took issue with this because we believe learning about food requires us to understand what it is and how it’s grown. So I set out to create a real-food-centered nutrition workbook to do exactly that. To teach the next generation about food and farming, to help them decipher what’s best for their bodies even when the experts disagree, and to lay a framework for children to understand true nourishment.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Since no one had ever created a real–food-centered curriculum for children, I wasn’t totally sure how much demand there would be for the resource. I knew our family would benefit from it, and at the time, that’s all that really mattered. When we launched our first workbook in April 2021, I was surprised at the response. We had a small kick-off event where we sold through a case of curriculum, and shortly after that, we had a huge burst of sales due to some virtual social media shares. We quickly realized other families needed this curriculum as much as we did.
Even with our initial burst of success, I wouldn’t call the journey “easy.” I’ve always tried to run the business as lean as possible, meaning I do the behind-the-scenes work as well as the creative. I resisted the urge to hire a social media team and took on all of the inventory management, packaging, and shipping myself. We turned our basement into a workhorse and we’ve continued to stretch our family’s capacity as we run this business together. I’m thankful for my hustle at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey because now that I’m in a place to hire our first team member, I can confidently say I understand (and have done) every part of the role I am asking them to do.
This isn’t to say I haven’t had help along the way. We have hired wonderfully talented artists and editors for our various print and digital resources. We also rely on our local printer and our gracious post-office staff.
One of my most unexpected challenges has been around my personal identity as a business owner. Being a homeschooling mother to three daughters, much of my day is spent at home with our girls. It wasn’t until recently that I finally accepted that I have been working a full-time job in the margins of my days. It was hard for me to admit Homegrown had changed my daily routine at all. I so enjoy our home-centric lifestyle, and while we still maintain much of the same rhythms, the added workload is most definitely felt at the end of each day.
As you know, we’re big fans of Homegrown Education. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At our core, Homegrown Education empowers folks to embrace real food. We’ve created a full line of resources that facilitate meaningful conversations around food and farming. From children’s nutrition curriculum to meal plans, to a podcast and more, we hope to educate, empower, and equip families in their pursuit of true nourishment.
I’m proud of the community around Homegrown. I get messages every day from families who are making small changes in their life to improve their health and form a deeper connection with their food. It’s beautiful to watch and humbling to take part in.
The real food movement is gaining momentum every year, and truthfully, we’re just a small part of that. But Homegrown has really set out to be an agent for change–change in the smallest of places–the family kitchen. Our family wants, more than anything, to get people back into their kitchens and to connect with others through food. We believe real food education is the key to food freedom and a true understanding of health. The best place to learn is right at home.
Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Much of my networking has been done online. Social media gets a bad rap (for many reasons) but when handled appropriately, it can actually be a great place for connection and inspiration. Find the people you want to be in community with and be generous with your time and information.
I’ve been blessed to form relationships with so many people in the real food space who have helped me deepen my understanding of the issues I care most about. I call these “industry mentors.” Find someone in your industry or area of interest who is further ahead in life than you are. These people are indispensable.
Having a personal mentor is something I’m only just now in search of. As mentioned before, my roles as a mother and business owner are at a bit of a crossroads and I’m finding it increasingly important to surround myself with other women in a similar life stage.
Pricing:
- Homegrown Nutrition Curriculum Level One: $30
- Early Elementary Intro to Real Food Activity Book: $35
- What’s for dinner? Six-week Meal Plan: $35
- What’s for breakfast? Nourishing Morning Meals + Recipes: $42 (releasing November 21st)
- Real Food Guide (PDF only): $18
- GROW Coloring Book: $9.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.homegrowneducation.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homegrown_education/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhomegrowneducation
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-homegrown-podcast/id1611220209
