Welcome To Roam To Home

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Hi, I'm Alexa.

SPEAKER_00 0:01

And I'm Rory. And together we are the Romies. We're a husband-wife duo and longtime travelers who believe travel isn't just about where you go. It's about how it shapes the way you live when you get home.

SPEAKER_03 0:14

On the Roamies Podcast, we explore where to travel, how to travel, and why to travel. Through our lens of creativity, wellness, and everyday life.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

We're calling it this season Rome to Home. As we travel near and far, we're sharing the ways we bring inspiration home through food, daily rituals, business and design ideas, and the renovation of our historic picture upward.

SPEAKER_03 0:38

It's all about making travel tangible, livable, and meaningful long after the trip ends.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

So whether you're planning your next adventure or reimagining the life you're building at home, you're in the right place.

SPEAKER_03 0:51

Now, let's get into today's episode.

Why Volunteer Travel Matters

SPEAKER_03 0:57

Hi everyone, welcome to V Is for Volunteer. Now, we could have chosen like vacation for V, or this actually happens to be coming out on election day, so vote. But really, we love providing you with opportunities and information that will equip and inspire you to make travel about more than just a vacation and getting away from it all. Because there are more ways to relax, rejuvenate, and refuel than just by sitting in a pool all day. And there's definitely a place for doing that, but it's not the only way to travel. It's not the only thing to do when you're trying and planning a getaway. Travel can have purpose, be meaningful, and be restorative all at the same time. And that's exactly what we're exploring today. And we're very excited to have Chris Hill with us. Chris is within our organization called Hands Up Holidays, and they offer some really cool opportunities to volunteer while also seeing the world and enjoying what a destination has to offer. And then you're going to hear from a farm where you can actually visit and volunteer on your next trip to New Mexico in Albuquerque, Big Jim Farms, who is supporting this episode along with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture's grown with tradition and taste the tradition logo programs. So we want to give them a big thank you for supporting this episode and helping us help you enjoy and make your travel meaningful and purposeful. And when we talk about bringing home what you gain when you roam, because this is our from roam to home season, we want volunteering to be a big part of that equation. So let's hear from someone who can bring all of this together for you, Chris Hill with Hands Up Holidays.

Meet Chris Hill And The Concept

SPEAKER_03 2:44

Chris, thanks so much for being here.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

It's a delight to be here, Alexa. Thanks so much for having me.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

Sure. Let's just start with first the premise of what you do and what the company is and does. And then, and then maybe once we have that, then let's hear your story behind it and what got you started on that journey.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Cool. Yeah. So Hands Up Holidays is a family specialist provider, not exclusively, but certainly specializing in family trips that are a combination of luxury with sightseeing with giving back through some hands-on volunteering service projects. So typically it's anything from two to two to four days out of a eight to ten day itinerary is the is the giving back part, and the rest of it is customized sightseeing as as whatever that the client wants to do in that destination.

SPEAKER_03 3:38

Okay, great. What got you started with this? Are you the founder?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

I am the founder, yeah. Yeah. So I I was working in in London and ended up my first roommate in in London was uh an English guy who moved down to South Africa. And he ended up becoming a tour guide down there. And he invited me on a trip down during his off season with him and his wife and a couple of others, and I didn't need too much convincing to join him.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

And on that trip, in addition to going on safari and exploring the wonders of Cape Town and the garden route and the winelands, I also helped to build a house for a family in one of the townships just outside of Cape Town. And and this well, it changed my life and it it enriched the whole travel experience for me in sort of two main ways. Firstly, it enabled me to actually interact with the local people and gain insights into their lives and hear their stories. And that was something that I, in all the travels I'd done, been to amazing places, but hadn't really had that level of engagement with the local people. So that was super special. And then secondly, it just felt great to actually make a difference in the lives of the family that we were helping alongside to build the house. And so I got thinking, well, you know, I've learned some pretty good business skills. Why don't I put into something God find a bit more meaningful and fulfilling and make it easy for others to have similar experiences of this combination of sightseeing and and volunteering? And so that was the that was the birthing of what became Hands Up Holidays.

The South Africa Trip That Started It

SPEAKER_03 5:23

Rory and I both kind of, I guess, we cut our teeth growing up with international travel, it being mission trips out of our church. You know, my dad traveled for work all the time. So I grew up with my dad traveling all the time, and he'd come home and tell us stories about the world, you know, and all these neat places, or he'd bring home little souvenir trinkets. And um, and so that's how I could kind of relate to some of the places that he was traveling. But, you know, Lori and I each have that background where it was like a mission trip that took us around the world. And so we have always loved kind of that premise. And but one thing that happens a lot on a mission trip, too, is you maybe out of seven days, six days is the actual mission trip. Cause that's I mean, you're you're going to, you know, build a build a church or build a house or help out this organization or this church or whatever. And um but maybe like only one day of sightseeing or enjoying the area and some of the places that we've been, we've been to some amazing countries, but we've only seen maybe like the slums of that area because that's where we were working. And so this is kind of just a really neat premise that you have because you're still uh having some luxury, you're still having the sightseeing, you're having all of that, but you are also investing in the community, investing where you're traveling. You're not just taking, you know, but you're giving back and plugging in. And so I just that's such a great concept. And do you want to tell us a little bit about some of the trips or some of the stories that come alongside since you started this?

SPEAKER_01 7:09

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Um, I'll I'll I'll start firstly just by saying that as I said, we we do specialize in families. And that came about kind of what's the word, serendipitously, providentially, call it what you will. But when I was setting things up, and we're going back now over 20 years, we we actually launched in 2006, so 20 years ago this year.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

Congrats.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

And and so building up to that, I had young professionals in mind, sort of 25 to 35 year olds, cash rich, time poor, who wanted to have a great vacation and make a difference. But really, right from the get-go, we started getting bookings from families. And I should add, uh, mostly or pretty much exclusively out of the US. And families weren't on my radar.

SPEAKER_03 7:59

Sorry, let me interrupt you just real quick. You mentioned the US. We can tell by your accent, you are not in the US. You want to just tell folks where you're where you are.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Yeah, yeah. So I'm I'm these days I'm in New Zealand, but back then I was in in London, England.

SPEAKER_02 8:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

Uh and so I had really the the UK, I'd been l living, working there. When I was setting it up, I thought that was our main target market. But as I say, right from the get-go, it was it was Americans who were booking with us, and especially American families. And and families just weren't on my radar at all when I was setting this up. And and uh so I was really delighted, but also intrigued. And so I'd ask our family clients as to, you know, why are you booking with us? And they'd say things like, well, our kids come from pretty privileged backgrounds, and we really want them to appreciate just how fortunate they are. Or they'd say, you know, we're looking for a great family bonding experience, and this really nails it for us. And and that really resonated with me. And so, in fairly short order, we started to shift our focus to families, and that's been a very rewarding uh decision to make. And especially, I now have children of my own. I didn't back then, but now I do, and so it's been great to take my own kids on our on our travels with us and doing some of these experiences.

Belize Stoves And Costa Rica Conservation

SPEAKER_01 9:18

So, circling back to what those experiences could look like. Let's take uh some of our more popular ones are things like in uh in Belize, is a trip where the main project is installing eco-friendly stoves in villagers' homes. And these stoves replace the open flames that are traditionally used in in the homes. And they are wonderful in in three main regards. One, by replacing the open flames, the incidence of burns, particularly with young kids running around, is is basically eliminated. And by introducing a chimney to expel the fumes, respiratory problems are dramatically reduced, such as asthma. And then thirdly, they are much more fuel efficient. So from an environmental perspective, they're a win as well. And the beauty of them is that they can be completed in just two or three days. So a family can come and right from the get-go, still be supervised by local experts, of course, but they can go from the traditional open flame to actually completing the stove and handing it over to the family in, as I say, just two or three days. And so you get that feeling of satisfaction of completing the stove as well. And and lots of interaction with the local people. The kids can contribute with making the stoves. They're pretty simple to make, but at the same time, there's lots of opportunity to play with with the local kids as well, and get that sort of engagement. And that blends really nicely with things like exploring that the Mayan ruins that there are in Belize, going out to the Belize Barrier Reef, and doing things like kayaking, there's good nature walks and and opportunities as well to interact with wildlife. Well, not so much interact, but you know, observe wildlife. Um and so that's that's a popular destination. Costa Rica is another one, and there the focus of our of our give back is is twofold. One is around wildlife conservation, where guests can get involved with helping at wildlife rescue centers, with preparing meals for monkeys, parrots, macaws, and other other animals that are being rescued at that time, and creating enrichments to stimulate them and maintaining their enclosures, and really just learning a lot about the animals during their time there. And then the other aspect is helping at a school, particularly with general maintenance, which might be helping to build benches or do some paving of walkways, that sort of thing, that just repair and renovations of schools that are low-income schools in Costa Rica. And that blends really nicely with so many things in Costa Rica. Ziplining, with tree canopy walks, with kayaking, paddleboarding, rafting, stalkling, diving, chocolate making, you name it really. Um you can pretty much do it in Costa Rica. And so that that gives you a flavor of the sort of opportunities that we offer. We focus primarily in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with a bit in Europe and and North America and in and in the Pacific where I'm currently based. But, you know, a couple of stories to share that have really stuck with me. One would be a family that traveled with us to Morocco, and they were helping to build a library for a for a school just outside of Marrakesh. And the trip went really well. Uh, and I, you know, it was another successful trip. I didn't dwell on it until I got a call from I don't know, I got an email from the family a few months later saying, oh, it's it's Christmas time and and I just want to share with you that our kids have said that they they don't want their Christmas gifts this year. They want to send them to the children that they were playing with at the at the school. And I thought, yeah, it's just so wonderful. And um that it speaks volumes for the sort of uh yeah, trying to experience experience that we're trying to create.

SPEAKER_03 13:35

Yes. Um it's a life change and it's a mental shift, it's a mindset shift that is getting created, not just that one experience, but that one experience is training children and families. Not only are you creating a bond in that moment, but those children were affected in their mind of, hey, let's be generous people. You know, and they wouldn't they would not have that same mindset, I don't think, without that experience of interacting one-on-one with those kids. So that is amazing. It's a last ongoing thing. It's you you might invest in one trip, but it's going to be investing in your future as well. I guess that's what I'm trying to say.

Choose A Destination Or A Cause

SPEAKER_01 14:15

You you got it, Alexa. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_03 14:18

So when families choose a trip, can do they do you find most people are going by location and then the whatever the work uh they're gonna do is secondary, or can they search by projects?

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Yep. Yep, great question. Yeah, you can do both. You know, if you were to go to our website, handsupholidays.com, basically you can either search by destination. So there's a you know, across the top there's destinations tab, look at that, and then you can go into Kenya or Thailand or Guatemala, whatever the case may be, and see what opportunities there are to give back and and what leisure activities as well are popular in that destination. Or you can go to the the Ways to Help page and and then look at uh where you can build a house or where you can do wildlife conservation or where you can teach. And so, yeah, you you can go both ways. Um I would say the majority of people probably have the destination in mind first and then and then drill down into into how they can get back, but you know, there's there's there's no set rules.

SPEAKER_03 15:31

Okay. All right.

Finding Partners And Vetting Projects

SPEAKER_03 15:33

And how do the projects come to your attention and how do you find the projects that you're working on?

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Yeah, another great question. Again, no no one way.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

When I was setting things up, so in the sort of early 2000s, I was very fortunate that a good friend of mine was the chief financial officer of a of a major travel company. And he introduced me to the product manager within his company who very generously uh introduced me to the partners that they work with around the world. And and so that helped a lot with my own due diligence and setting things up, knowing that this established company was using these providers. And so that freed me up to focus on finding that the communities and and the service components. And so I spent two years essentially traveling the world and doing just that. So with with assistance from those local operators, so a fair amount of time, they would give me the introductions, you know, given that they're on the ground and and have the local knowledge and so could assist me, and then I would go out and and visit them. But at the same time, as I say, it's that's not the only way. Like another way that springs that springs to mind was just through networking. There was a family friend who is a journalist, and he did a story about uh a gentleman in in Bali who who came across I can't remember the exact details, but it was came across a young young person who wasn't able to go to school because I can't remember the exact details, but they were disabled and and weren't able to attend school for some reason, I can't remember exactly why, but he ended up starting a a charity in Bali for for peop uh disabled people, particularly people who are are missing limbs and so physically disabled. And and that charity, well, then Vodafone, the the big mobile uh phone operator, um, had a foundation and and they enabled their employees to apply for this found to this foundation. And if they were successful, they could go and and still be paid their salary, but go and volunteer for like a year in a community. And and so Vodafone had this connection with this charity in Bali, in Indonesia. And the journalist was aware of both the charity and this person who come who had volunteered and and had moved back to New Zealand. And and so I got in touch with her, and she said, Oh, yeah, I had just an incredible time with them. And what's more, they also do the installation of disabled accessible bathrooms for paraplegics. And and so I went out to to Bali and and visited with them, and and this was another wonderful project that um is very near and dear to my heart. We've I've taken my own children out there as well. And and it's unique for us in that the benefit really accrues to just one person, i.e. the paraplegic, but the impact on their life is so profound that we love to offer it. And so the idea is, well the the context is that in Bali, being a Hindu island, if you are born with a disability, it can be considered bad karma. And and so some of these people lead very isolated, lonely lives because they're sort of hidden away from society. And so to be able to play a part in providing these, as I say, disabled accessible bathrooms, which enables the paraplegia to have this measure of dignity and independence in the context of you know something so personal as going to the bathroom is is really really wonderful. And and so, yeah, we've been, as I say, we've been working with them for about 20 years now and and have had the privilege of installing multiple bathrooms for for paraplegics, which is which has been very special. So, yeah, and then just another quick way to illustrate how these things come about. When I was in the process of setting this up, as I say, going back 20 plus years, uh I did a a course on on you know starting a business. And in that within that course was someone from Ukraine. Um, and she said, you know, you've got to do something in in Ukraine. And so this is well, obviously years before there was any issues there in terms of Ukraine being in the headlines. Right. And so that was another way that we So Ukraine was actually something we offered 20 years ago. So, as I say, lots of different ways, but through just being open, really.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

Yeah, yeah. And just seeing what is out there and where you where you can plug in. Anything else that you'd like to share?

Custom Trips, Budgets, And Support

SPEAKER_01 20:49

Well, well, one thing that springs to mind is that we don't have any set dates or minimum size or anything. Everything is customized for the client. So that could be a family, it could be even an individual or a couple or whatever the case may be. And yes, we do specialize primarily in the in the luxury end of things, which as you can imagine has a higher price point. But that's not to necessarily exclude anyone. I'm so passionate about what we do that we do our utmost to work within any budget. And and so don't necessarily be put off if your budget is a bit lower than what you can see on the website. Get in touch and and we'll we can see what we can do.

SPEAKER_03 21:37

Okay, I love that. And if a group wanted to get together, you could accommodate that as well, like a local court. Totally. Yeah, yeah. Something like that. So it could be a solo trip, it could be a group trip. And like you said, they don't have set dates, so it's not like you have set tours in place that people have to join in and do. They come to you and say, Hey, we wanna go here. And we want to serve. And then you can kind of customize it from there, right?

SPEAKER_01 22:05

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, that's the the starting point to engage in a conversation with me. I actually handle all the inquiries that come through. And so in that conversation, we do a bit of a deep dive into what your preferences are, you know, how long you have to travel, uh, what time of year you want to travel, and and if there are destinations in mind or particular ways you want to help, and then we you go about just refining it and and you know coming up with it might be a short list or it might be just one, who knows. But uh then we proceed to uh put I I'll put together a like a suggested itinerary that fits with uh the the client's aims and objectives and hopes and dreams and and then uh we can iteratively fine-tune it until we get it just right and then get it priced and and booked and then make the make the trip happen.

SPEAKER_03 23:02

Great. And are you available to help if someone like during their trip they need assistance or they have questions, they can reach out to you?

SPEAKER_01 23:11

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I am fully available during a trip um to assist and and love to keep in touch nor mainly via like WhatsApp with our with our clients just to check in regularly to see other trips going. And in addition to that, we have that local 24-7 support as well uh in in all our destinations.

SPEAKER_03 23:34

Great. Now, I haven't searched your website for this specifically, so apologize if it's an obvious thing, but Rory and I keep talking about that we need to get to Japan. Do you have trips in Japan or opportunities in Japan?

SPEAKER_01 23:49

You know, it's funny you should ask that. We are about to to get something going in in Japan, in uh in Okinawa. Okay. Yeah. So watch the space. It's it it's yeah, gonna be going live in really the next few weeks.

SPEAKER_03 24:06

Okay, great. Well, we'll just all have to keep that in mind, won't we?

SPEAKER_01 24:10

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:12

Timing might work well work out well. Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 24:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:17

Well, this sounds really, really fun, and I so appreciate your time. And if folks are just listening, 'cause this is just this is a podcast. So uh if they're driving in their car or something like that and can't check out the show notes, could you spell out your website for them and your where they can find you on socials as well?

SPEAKER_01 24:36

Absolutely. So it's handsuppolidays.com. That's H-A-N-D-S-U-P, H O L I D A Y S dot com.

SPEAKER_02 24:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

And as I say, I will respond personally to all the inquiries that come through. There's uh, you know, contact us or there's a plan my trip uh sections on the website. And in terms of socials, we're on uh you know the the the more major ones, so Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn, uh Twitter, um, all really under hands up holidays.

SPEAKER_03 25:15

Okay, okay. So hands is plural and holidays is plural. So I just I love that you're combining the luxury with the giving back, and that you can have both and more going on in one trip and and be purposeful with your travel. And I really appreciate what you're doing and wish you continued success. And thank you so much for being on our episode and sharing with us.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

Oh, I hugely appreciate you having me, Alexa. It's wonderful to be the V in your alphabet, alphabet podcast.

SPEAKER_03 25:46

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

Have a great day.

SPEAKER_03 25:48

You too, thank you.

Big Jim Farms And Agritourism Volunteering

SPEAKER_03 25:49

Again, thank you so much, Chris, with hands-on holidays. And I want to introduce y'all to Big Gym Farms because they are very cool. You can do agritourism with Big Gym Farms and you can volunteer there at their farm and make that part of a vacation getaway. And they have lots of fun opportunities. And there are, I'm sure, farms around the states and around the world that you could probably go do similar things. But not only do we want to highlight them because they are part of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture's grown with tradition and taste or tradition logo programs, but also because they are just super cool and have a lot of fun things going for them. And they are a really fun part of our roam to home series that we're doing this year. And so I'm really excited to introduce you guys to Chantelle Wagner, and she is the daughter of Big Jim of Big Jim Farms. And so, Chantel, thank you so much for joining us. We are excited to hear about your farm. So, first of all, where are you located?

SPEAKER_02 27:02

I we're from Big Gym Farms in Albuquerque, New Mexico. So we're in the center of the state. We're the only green chili U pick farm in the entire world. We started 10 years ago, and um we've added a lot of different experiences, but our main center mission is green chili. It's a really big deal in New Mexico. It's a very big deal culturally here. All of our food is like green and red chili on everything. So if you've ever visited, you'll kind of know why.

SPEAKER_03 27:34

Right. And having red and green chili on everything is actually kind of really delicious and wonderful. And if you've listened to any of our other episodes, you will hear us talk about that because we definitely concur that that is a super fun way to season food and just to bring some New Mexico home with you. How did this farm get started?

SPEAKER_02 27:54

Our farm got started 10 years ago, but our family's been farming in the same area in the valley in New Mexico by the Rio Grande River for about over a hundred years. So I'm a fourth generation farmer. My great-grandfather came and bought land in the area. We still have the land. There's a like an apple orchard on it. But we opened this space as a place to allow people into the farm and kind of experience what we get to experience, all the things we love about the farm, being outside, connected to the lands, community, and just giving that experience to others. We do like lots of educational opportunities because we really want to teach others about agriculture, but also traditions of New Mexico that are really special to us because we don't want them to get lost. So we do different like cooking classes of like the foods that are special to us, and like Ristro making is basically tying chilies um like in a long string. So we teach people how to do that and uh molly making, just different things that help the community come together, learn from each other, and um just have a good experience.

SPEAKER_03 29:04

And what you're talking about too is in the way I'm hearing it is that you're also teaching others how to carry on these traditions. And that's one fun thing, you know, the the logo program says grown with tradition and taste or tradition, because that is exactly what you're doing with these educational programs and carrying that on. And so not only are you building community, but you're also continuing legacy, and that's really, really cool. Because you have all of these fun things going on at the farm, if someone wanted to come volunteer, I know that if they live locally, that they could come like volunteer on a regular basis, which is my understanding of what uh you have positions like that people could come fill on a regular basis, should they be local to the area. But if someone is traveling and they're they're gonna just make coming to visit your farm, maybe they're coming in time for a workshop or they're coming in time for an educational opportunity or something like that. What are ways that they could volunteer and plug in with you guys if they're on vacation?

SPEAKER_02 30:09

We open up our farm. Anyone can come. We're open every day. It's always free to walk around. But volunteering is kind of just taking it to the next level of really getting uh up close personal experience, kind of see the behind the scenes, what goes into it. And honestly, it's mostly like the therapeutic value. And that's kind of why we have volunteer opportunities because just being outside a morning in the farm is just very calming. Feel really good after, even if it's hard work, out in the sun, like you just feel a sense of accomplishment. You get to see how we grow things in New Mexico and how it's different from maybe other parts of the world and our soil, climate, watering, irrigation systems, just different things that you can learn and see and just to be outside, even if you don't know anything about farming. I have been in the farm my whole life, and whenever I travel, like my main thing I love to do is just to go to other farms, like other agritourism farms. So I am like obsessed. So I feel like it's such a good idea. I didn't really think about before is I could personally go volunteer on these different farms, and I just think it'd be really cool because it's just so scenic and it's like the best way to see a new place is to see the agriculture. It's just it's really nice. So I don't know, I think it'd be a good opportunity, and everybody's welcome. We always have work going on, we always have something going on, and we can accommodate whenever, even if it's short notice or not.

SPEAKER_03 31:36

Okay, okay. Some of the things someone might do, they might be planting seeds or they might be picking chilies or they might be helping with an event, maybe like any specifics that you could mention?

SPEAKER_02 31:48

Yeah, so since we're a UPIC farm, we deal with a lot of customer interactions. So there's more than just farming. So we have like our classes, workshops, we do events like harvest festivals with live music and vendors and things like that. Um, so there's so many different like moving pieces that come into the farm. We do field trips, teaching the kids about growing food. We do farm dinners. So there's like four courses, wine pairings, we bring in a really good chef, and that's a cool experience. So there's just like so much going on, so many things that you could see. If you're in the field doing farm work, it depends on what time of year it is. But you could be planting the seeds, plants, weeding, harvesting, we do farmers markets. So it just kind of depends. In Christmas, the holiday season, we do Christmas trees, we do like holiday like crafts and just like traditions of New Mexico around the holidays. So um, just lots of stuff going on.

SPEAKER_03 32:47

It sounds like it really depends on the time of year. And there'll be something that people can plug into, whether they're coming January, February, March, June, July, whenever. There's there's always something.

SPEAKER_02 33:00

Yeah, there's always something. We do have farm animals too. We don't like harvest the animals or anything, but just we take care of them so people can see them. Uh, we're in a very urban environment. We're in the center of the city. And most people that come to our farm have never really been to a farm. They've never even seen the animals before ever, maybe in a book. Sometimes they don't even know what they are. So it's really cool just to give exposure to people that have never seen the plants, never seen the animals, never seen how food grows. And and as I mentioned again, just the therapeutic value of being outside and connecting to nature, to the soil, to the land, and just like a moment to just like kind of breathe and just take a deep breath and not really worry about anything else. And some sunlight, you know. So, so there's a lot of benefit to just just to come out.

SPEAKER_03 33:52

And because it's New Mexico, it is a more dry climate, so there is less rain. So you are more likely that when on a day you visit, there's gonna be more sunshine.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

You're gonna have yeah, it hardly ever rains. It's only raining lately, but we rarely get rain. There's always, and that's a nice thing, even in the winter, the sun always comes out, you always feel happy. It's always good to get outside, even if it's a little colder.

SPEAKER_03 34:16

Right, right. And Albuquerque is a great city to visit, and also some areas like Santa Fe. We recently did an episode around Santa Fe. What's amazing to me is that you your farm is in Albuquerque itself. And growing up there, I never would have imagined that there would be a farm because there's so much desert. And I because as a kid too, I'm not thinking about where did these all these green chilies that I eat came from? I know they're from New Mexico, but like I don't think of them at a farm growing somewhere, right? I'm just thinking on my plate. Anyway, it's just it's really cool that you guys are in Albuquerque on the Rio Grande and doing that whole thing. That's just really, really cool.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

Thank you. Uh we just love to keep the tradition going and like I said, being fourth generation and hoping that the next generation can still have access to land, access to water, and that we can still keep growing in this region because it is important and special and something that is so nice to share with the community because no, like they just don't know.

SPEAKER_03 35:19

Yeah, yeah. And it's so fun that you have a U-pick. And we have talked about Upics on previous episodes that you can go to a farm and do a U-pick, but you're the only U pick in the world that has green chilies.

SPEAKER_02 35:35

Yeah, yeah. We're the only place that you could go in the field and pick your own chili. There's a lot of U-pick farms all over the country, berries, apples, you know, whatever it is. But we're the only green chili one because New Mexico is all about green chili. So we thought that would be such a nice um, yeah, and people get so excited about it. Like the older generations come because they grew chili with their parents or grandparents and they want to show their grandkids, and it's like super special and emotional because it was lost and they never had that sense then, and then they're able to see it and show it. So yeah, it's just really cool to see like the the full circle of it and then just continue it with each generation.

U-Pick Seasons And Farm Experiences

SPEAKER_03 36:18

So fun. Well, when when you guys go to visit Big Jim Farm, you can go and you pick. Is there a certain month that the you pick is available, or is that year-round as well?

SPEAKER_02 36:31

The season we're open around July and we close around the new year. Um, so it starts with flower picking, then we go green chili season is like August, September, October. So you can come pick chili around that time. We do pumpkins.

unknown 36:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 36:49

But when fiesta is perfect because you kind of get everything, you get the flowers, chili, pumpkins, everything. Because it's all like around the same time. Green chili starts turning red around that time, so you can see the changing of the chilies and the trees and the seasons. Um and then we try we transition to the Christmas mode, like end of November to through December. Okay. And because of our weather in New Mexico, we don't go year-round because we get a real deep freeze in October that kills everything, and we have to replant once it warms up in April, May. So that's kind of um why we're only open seasonally because we're kind of just restricted for more because of our climate.

SPEAKER_03 37:31

Okay. You're open seasonally for the you pick of it. Yes. But after that, people can still come and volunteer. And yes.

SPEAKER_02 37:40

Yeah, because yeah, people can volunteer year-round because we're working year-round.

SPEAKER_03 37:44

Yeah. Okay. Now, you mentioned pumpkin, and so I want to know. I saw you have pumpkin butter. Oh my goodness. So, okay, so yo, let me just tie in, like share with you. So you can go to Big Gym Farms, volunteer, andor just go visit, attend one of the workshops, attend one of their events. But this is our season of roam to home. So you can bring home something that you pick if you visit during that time, but you can also bring home their very cool products. So you have this pumpkin butter, and you mentioned pumpkins. So tell me about pumpkin butter. I don't know. I've heard of apple butter, but I don't know why I don't think I've ever heard of pumpkin butter.

SPEAKER_02 38:28

I mean, it's it's super similar, but I'm I'm obsessed with pumpkin everything. So I'm like super excited. But we have that just like our deaf friend things that we have growing. So we have like cherry jam, peach jam, pumpkin butter, apple butter that we just started doing this year. But my mom's been making it and selling it since I was a little baby. That was kind of like her way to make money, so she didn't have to get like a real job. Right. But uh, we do lots of different things because you can also buy our stuff on our website. So all these items that are not fresh, like our jarred items, you can buy online and we ship anywhere. So we do salsas, powders, honey, red chili. So you could go on to biggymfarms.com, order stuff online, or buy it in person. We go to farmers markets and sell our stuff at the markets as well. So um, it's just a little extra, something nice to to have and to remember your trip by good gifts, Christmas gifts.

SPEAKER_03 39:27

Love it. Yes, yeah, and now's a good time to be buying your Christmas gifts if you're listening when we are releasing this episode. Also, oh, I have to point out too, one thing that's also on your website that you sell that's really fun is you have seeds. Oh my gosh. So you can you can go to the farm, you can learn how they grow them, and you can volunteer there, but you can also then buy some seeds and plant your own in your own garden at home. You can't get more room to home than that, can you, Chantel?

SPEAKER_02 40:02

It's really fun. We started doing it, I believe, last year, the year before, our seeds and selling them online, and we see people from all over the country buy them and grow them and post their pictures of their chilies growing. A lot of people are from New Mexico and move away, and it's so sad because you like never stop dreaming about chili. So it's cool to like try to grow it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:27

Living in Texas, I can attest to that. Yes, it's true.

SPEAKER_02 40:30

Yeah, even though you're close by and you guys have like more options food-wise, it's still not the same. So it's not the same. It's fun. And we just harvest like we have our different like sunflower seeds, different things that we have at our farm, we harvest, and you can buy and grow at home and just be part of the experience. We always want to encourage people to grow their own food, and that's the whole point of our field trips and everything is just to really get people to to to just do it themselves, learn how and learn all these different skills. Yeah, yeah, and just know how how important and special it is and and how challenging it is, you know. Just so an appreciation for the farmers and the dedication it takes. It's a labor of love, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 41:22

Yes, yes. Well, we appreciate your labor and thank you for sharing it with us. Thank you for supporting this episode. You and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture's Grown with Tradition and Taste of Tradition logo programs, who are helping continue these traditions and supporting this agriculture and agritourism. And what a fun way to do all of the things you said. You're you're bringing so much rich knowledge home with you. We can also bring your products home with us. Again, what is your website, Chantel, for people listening?

SPEAKER_02 41:59

So, our website is www.biggymfarms.com. We also have social media you can follow along. It's just Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Big Gym Farms. Uh, that's like the most up-to-date info, like daily, what's going on? You can sign up for any of our classes, workshops, dinners, field trips, buy our products online, get to know who we are. Yeah, collaborate with us on any projects, experiences, volunteer. So reach out. We love to connect and uh to see everybody out there.

SPEAKER_03 42:32

Love that. And Big Jim is actually your dad, right?

SPEAKER_02 42:35

Yeah. So his name is Jimmy, and that's kind of like why we named it Big Jim Forms. He's like a big guy. He's been farming his whole life. That's his only job. He never went to college or anything, did anything besides farming. So he loves it. It's just like he said it's just in our in his blood, in our blood. Like we just love it. So we're super proud and honored to continue on the legacy of farming.

SPEAKER_03 42:57

Thank you for sharing that legacy with us and providing opportunities for people to volunteer and to include giving back. And when when you give back in the this way, you learn so much and you gain so much. And it's really fun to bring that Rome home. Thank you so much, Chantel. Thank you. Really appreciate your time and look forward to having people experience coming to visit you in person and ordering from your website.

SPEAKER_02 43:23

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 43:24

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 43:25

We appreciate

Bring Volunteering Back Home

SPEAKER_02 43:27

it.

SPEAKER_03 43:27

So, how do you and we bring all of this home? Well, you can book a trip with Chris so that your next getaway includes an opportunity to give back, but you don't have to travel far to find ways to volunteer. There are always opportunities right in your own community. And of course, you know, you can plug into your local church. That's a great place to start. I also have a nonprofit that I'm always looking for volunteers for. And as we share in our interview with Big Jim Farms here in Waco, you can even find opportunities to volunteer while you're traveling. We talked about that in episode 107. So we'll put the link to that in the show notes so you can go back and listen to that one as well. Then there's what's happening right here at home with us. So one way Rory has been giving back and volunteering, and something that he's been especially involved with lately is our neighborhood association. And through that, we are able to connect with homes and families right here in our neighborhood who might need a little extra help or assistance. We actually have an event coming up this month where we're partnering with Baylor University to serve our neighbors through some building or painting projects. And it's an opportunity to give our time and physical labor to people who can use a helping hand right here in our hood. And through our neighborhood association, I also learned about our local Waco Civic Theater. And they have lots of opportunities to volunteer and get involved. And in that process, I found out they were putting on Annie. Now, y'all, I love ya. Tomorrow, I've always thought I should be Annie. At some point, I am a curly, red-headed girl and I'm the perfect height and everything. But since I'm not 11 years old, I don't exactly get to play Annie. But I have been cast in the production. So usually when we're Rome, we're doing concerts and performing along the way. But this time I found an opportunity to bring part of what we do home. So I'm volunteering with the Waco Civic Theater, and I get to be a part of this production of Annie. And so it's been such a fun opportunity to meet new people, contribute something I love, and be a part of bringing a show to our community. And of course, I'm having a blast getting to perform in something that's been a little mini dream, something I always thought would be fun to do. So the show runs between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So if you just happen to be in Waco or Texas during the 2026 holiday season, come and see me live. And that's one of the ways we're currently bringing our Rome home. But I think the biggest reminder I've taken away from both of these interviews and from sharing all of this with you is that volunteering always gives something back to you. You come to give, but you leave with your heart full. And it's just so crazy how that works. Scripture says it this way in Luke 6.38: give and it will be given to you. So find a farm, find a vacation, find an organization that reaches into an area you're passionate about that you're deeply connected with. Find a way to give your time, your talents, and your energy because the work you put in just might leave your heart more full than when you arrived. So we want to thank Big Gym Farms for being one of those places where we can plug in and give and also get back all at the same time.

Thanks, Sponsors, And Subscribe

SPEAKER_03 46:35

And so thank Big Gym Farms for supporting this episode. And we also want to thank the New Mexico Department of Agriculture with their Grown with Tradition and Taste of Tradition logo programs for supporting this episode. We really appreciate your support. And we love, because I'm from New Mexico, just love being able to give a little bit of that back, even on this podcast episode, and just different ways to introduce you all to New Mexican cuisine. If you have not yet had a chance to participate in that, uh hop over to biggymfarms.com and grab you something from their website to get you started. And it's a great time to get some gift ideas as well. Well, y'all have a wonderful, wonderful rest of your day. Thank you for joining us, and we'll see you on the next one. We hope we've inspired you this episode.

SPEAKER_00 47:27

So join us next time.

SPEAKER_03 47:28

Please subscribe to, rate, and share our podcast with your friends.

SPEAKER_00 47:31

Or, you know, whomever.

SPEAKER_03 47:33

And please like and follow us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

SPEAKER_00 47:36

We are also on X and on all social platforms. We are at The Romies. That's T H E. R O A M. I E S. And our main hub is our website.

SPEAKER_03 47:47

At www.theromes dot com.

SPEAKER_00 47:50

That's right, that's T H E.

SPEAKER_03 47:52

R O A M. I E S dot com. We'll be there until next time. Yeah, thanks for listening. Bye.