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Meet the Explorers
From the Field
Capturing Every Mile
Our team is constantly on the move, uncovering hidden gems and local favorites across the state. They gather the insights, photos, and itinerary ideas you need to move from browsing to exploring, ensuring you have the confidence to start your own Iowa adventure.
Real people. Real road trips. Real Iowa.
The EOH Explorers
Meet the Explorers documenting the spirit of rural Iowa. Through their travels, they highlight small towns, local businesses, and unique experiences so others can follow the trail and discover the Heartland for themselves.
Farm-mom and wife working full-time, raising show-cattle kids (ages 9–18), curating fair season, family ag experiences, and rural Iowa bucket lists.
I am a wife and designer from small-town Iowa who appreciates aesthetic and inspiring spaces including coffee shops, breweries, local restaurants, and Iowa’s landscapes.
Farm mom of three active boys and strategic marketer sharing real rural Iowa life—community-building, family exploration, and the everyday rhythm of raising a family in the Evolution of the Heartland.
Wife and mom living in rural Iowa, who loves small-town traditions, community moments and making everyday life an adventure.
Work-from-home entrepreneur and mom of three sharing family-centered Iowa adventures, road-trip gems, and work-from-anywhere travel through the Evolution of the Heartland lens.
Notes from the Road
Explorer Travel Journals
Get inspired by our stops and start mapping your own route. Whether it’s a legendary small-town diner or a vibrant city festival, see Iowa through a local lens and find your next destination, one mile at a time.
EOH Explorer Series | Springtime at Silo Ridge Peony Farm
There are some places that simply make you stop and smile, and Silo Ridge Peony Farm near Milford is one…
EOH Explorer Series | A Coffee Stop Worth the Detour
One of my favorite parts of exploring Iowa is discovering places that care deeply about what they do. Sometimes it’s…
EOH Explorer Series | Strawberry Picking at Bruck Hillside Acres
Some of my favorite rural Iowa adventures are the simplest ones. No big crowds. No complicated plans. Just fresh air,…
EOH Explorer Series | Littlefield Recreation Area
Littlefield Recreation Area: Family-Friendly Cabins & Outdoor Adventure Near Exira, Iowa As a busy work-from-home mom of three, I’m always…
EOH Explorer Series | Gehling Greenhouse
If you’ve spent much time driving Iowa gravel roads, you know some of the best places don’t look flashy from…
EOH Explorer Series | Rail Explorers Boone Division
There are some experiences that feel like they belong on a bucket list the second you try them, and Rail…
EOH Explorer Series | A Spring Tradition at Pella Tulip Time
Some places never lose their magic, no matter how many times you visit. For me, Pella is one of those…
Explore Iowa With Us
Want to be an Explorer or an EOH Influencer?
We are always looking for fresh perspectives and creative creators to join our team. If you’re passionate about Iowa travel and love sharing your adventures with a dedicated audience, we want to hear from you! Contact us to learn more about our upcoming partnership opportunities and how you can become the next voice for Evolution of the Heartland.
Telling Iowa’s Story Together
Influencers we Have Partnered with
Our influencers help bring the state’s hidden gems and vibrant landscapes to life through their unique lenses.
Michelle Marine
Michelle Marine is an Eastern Iowa-based writer, photographer, and modern homesteader who has teamed up with Evolution of the Heartland to showcase the best of small-town Iowa. As the creator of the lifestyle platform Simplify, Live, Love, Michelle specializes in sustainable travel and family-friendly farm adventures. Explore her curated road trip logs below to discover budget-friendly itineraries and hidden gems across the Heartland.
Kristen Keeler
Based in Wichita, Kansas, Kristen is the voice behind Midwest Travel Mama, a popular family travel platform dedicated to inspiring families to embrace outdoor adventures across the region. Based out of Kansas, Kristen teamed up with Evolution of the Heartland to share her out-of-state perspective on Iowa’s best hidden gems, hiking trails, and small-town culture. Explore her family-tested travel logs below to plan your next memorable Midwest road trip with the kids. Read Kristen’s family adventure feature:
Holly Houg
Holly is a passionate home chef, creator of Happiness in the Kitchen with Holly, and local business champion dedicated to bringing fresh, wholesome recipes to life. Partnering with Evolution of the Heartland, Holly bridges the gap between Iowa’s rich agritourism and the kitchen table. She specializes in highlighting local makers, farm-to-table food systems, and small-town entrepreneurs who make the Heartland thrive. Explore her feature below to discover how to turn authentic rural Iowa into simple, meaningful experiences for the whole family.
Scott Siepker
Scott Siepker is an actor, writer, producer, and filmmaker. Scott started off as a stage actor at Iowa State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in psychology. Scott has gone on to co-found the film company, Iowa Filmmakers, which has been responsible for the Iowa Nice series of hit videos that included a two-season run on ESPNU’s College Football Daily. Though Scott is best known for his work as the Iowa Nice Guy, he is a versatile, veteran actor of stage and screen, drama and comedy. Check out his exclusive featured video below to experience a humorous, authentic, and fast-paced look at life and innovation across the Heartland.
Kim Reiner
With a background of two decades in journalism, nonprofit marketing, public relations, and social media, Kim Reiner knows there’s more than one way to communicate with an audience. For more than 11 years, she’s been writing Oh My! Omaha, growing it to become a valuable and free resource for Midwest-based travelers looking for their next adventure. She’s written one book, Lost Restaurants of Omaha, and contributed to several others. She lives in Omaha with her husband and two kids, who have all learned to wait to eat a meal until Mom has taken a picture.
Mary Pat Sass/Jena Ochsner
Jena & Mary Pat, farmwives with a shared love for family, farm, and community, bring humor, heart, and wisdom to their podcast “Beyond The Crops.” They delve into the joys and challenges of rural life, from modern farming techniques to balancing family and farm duties, all while sharing cherished recipes and traditions. Their stories inspire appreciation for the beauty of everyday life on the land, making their podcast a delight for anyone who values hard work, resilience, and the simple joys of a rural connection. Tune into their featured episode below to experience the true resilience, hard work, and simple joys that define Heartland communities.
Shelby Smith
Shelby Smith, hails from Ames, Iowa, where she grew up on a family farm. An active youth, she played numerous sports, including college basketball in Philadelphia. Following college, Shelby joined the Sport Changes Life program in Ireland, where she played and coached basketball, earned an MSc in Finance from Trinity College Dublin, and worked at the National Bank of Canada. Unsatisfied with banking, she returned to Iowa in 2017, assisted with the harvest, and began Gym-N-Eat Crickets. Now residing in Collins, Iowa, Shelby manages her cricket farm, enjoys hiking, biking, running, and weightlifting. She also hosts the podcast “Building in a Small Town,” featuring entrepreneurs, community leaders, policy makers, and more who are building things in communities of 10,000 or less.
Sarah Davis
Sarah is an adventurous spirit who has lived in China, moved across the U.S., and pursued diverse hobbies, including outdoor rock climbing. Despite this, she was very cautious about her career until her father’s passing prompted her to resign from an unfulfilling job. This led to creating “Breathing Wind,” a podcast and community dedicated to de-stigmatizing grief and loss through authentic conversations. The podcast’s success inspired Sarah to go full-time into podcast production and coaching. Now based in Des Moines, she enjoys exploring local spots and continues to thrive in her mission to spread compassion and support through her work. Her latest podcast, “Warmly Iowa,” takes listeners on a journey of rediscovery, exploring the beauty and complexity of life in Iowa.
Darcy Maulsby
A fifth generation farmer and Iowa’s Storyteller, Darcy Maulsby is no stranger to rural Iowa. She grew up on a Century Farm in northwestern Iowa where her family grew corn and soybeans and had a farrow-to-finish hog operation. She was a child of the 1980s farm crisis and was floundering about what to do when she decided to attend Central College in Pella, Iowa with a general communications major.
While she thought she had found her niche as an agricultural online editor, it was in the days of the dot-com crash in the early 2000s, and she was laid off. She decided to go back to the farm and has been there ever since, continuing to tell Iowa’s best stories.
Olio in Iowa
Megan, a Chicago native turned willing Iowan, has called Des Moines home for the past 15 years and embraced everything the Hawkeye State has to offer. In 2012, she started Olio in Iowa to explore her new hometown, which has since evolved into a blog documenting her roadside adventures and love for road-tripping. Megan has driven coast to coast, discovering unique small towns, roadside attractions, and “world’s largest” things, believing that getting there is half the fun. In addition to freelance writing for various organizations and outlets, she is a published author. Her first book, “Iowa Supper Clubs,” was released in August 2020, followed by “Secret Iowa: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” in September 2023.
Des Moines Parent
In April 2015, Erin Huiatt, mother of two and wife to Travis, acquired Des Moines Parent from its previous owner, Thomas Brogan. She aimed to expand and enhance this valuable resource for central Iowa parents. Erin serves on the board of the Des Moines Children’s Museum and is President of FemCity Des Moines. She is a dependable resource and a key connector for parents seeking support and connections within her community and beyond. Learn more about Erin and her journey in Des Moines, Iowa.
Michelle Miller
Michelle’s journey is a fascinating one, from city fashionista to farm advocate. Raised in Wisconsin surrounded by agriculture, she initially pursued a career in fashion, working for Gucci and thriving in bustling cities. After traveling the world, yearning for her roots and a growing interest in food origins led her to embrace sustainable farming. She then spent nearly eight years living with a commercial farmer in Iowa, where “The Farm Babe” social media platform was born.
Michelle’s mission is to bridge the gap between consumers and farmers by debunking myths and providing unbiased education on modern agriculture. Now residing in Florida, she uses her podcast and platform to raise awareness and advocate for science-based practices in the agricultural industry. Michelle’s story is a testament to her passion for agriculture and her dedication to sharing the truth about our food system.