Julie Friend - Embracing Slow Food | #80

Farm tour #5 baby.

This one was really cool. Julie has great energy and speaks to some of most important issues surrounding regenerative farming. Enjoy!

Follow the tour live

Julie Friend is a first-generation farmer who left city life in Chicago to return to her family’s land in western Maryland and build a regenerative livestock operation from the ground up. Her journey began with a personal health shift and quickly evolved into a deep commitment to ecological farming and ethical animal care.

Wildom Farm raises grass-fed beef and lamb, forest-raised pork, pastured poultry, and produces small-batch lard-based skincare. Focused on land regeneration, nutrient-dense food, and whole-animal use, the farm serves its local community through direct sales, farm dinners, and hands-on education.

Key Topics:

• Julie’s transition from urban business to regenerative farming
• The emotional complexity of raising and processing animals
• Whole-animal use and on-farm value-adding (bone broth, lard, hides)
• The economics and realities of small-scale food production
• Why local sourcing and consumer education matter

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Why “normal” meat is expensive—and what feedlots distort
 00:06:30 Discovering regenerative agriculture through Whole30
 00:08:30 Leaving Chicago and returning to steward family land
 00:17:00 First animal slaughter and why it never gets easier
 00:21:00 Whole-animal use: skincare, hides, and broth
 00:27:00 The slow economics of beef and forecasting challenges
 00:35:00 How to talk to your local farmer and ask good questions
 00:43:00 The cost of organic feed vs. conventional operations
 00:52:00 Why lard is uniquely suited for skincare
 01:04:00 Advice for women in agriculture or looking to join
 01:08:00 The emotional toll of farming

Connect with Julie

Website
Lard
Regenerative Meat
Instagram

Follow the tour on YouTube