Modern Ranching Visionary: Faith, Resilience, and the Future of Family Farms

Summary

Podcast Summary: Modern Ranching Visionary: Faith, Resilience, and the Future of Family Farms

Podcast: Living Your Legacy
Host: Rhea Gutierrez (guest-hosting for Rudy Mawer)
Guest: Riley Boshma, Owner of Boshma Farms
Date: January 21, 2026
Episode Focus: Exploring the journey, challenges, and legacy of a modern ranching family, through the lens of faith, resilience, and generational stewardship.

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Episode Overview

This powerful episode dives into the life of Riley Boshma, a single mother of five and the dynamic force behind Boshma Farms in Southern California. Riley opens up about her personal journey through grief and loss, her commitment to maintaining a multigenerational ranching legacy, the role of faith in her resiliency, and her vision for the future of family farming in a rapidly changing world. The conversation touches on mental health, the importance of community and practical skills, and how authentic leadership in agriculture can impact food systems and family unity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introductions & Setting the Scene

[02:19–02:49]

• Riley introduces herself as owner of Boshma Farms, a ranch in Chino, California delivering clean, local beef direct to consumers.
• She emphasizes the mission: “We are cultivating a legacy and we are continuing to keep generational ranching and farming alive where it is a dying breed.” — Riley Boshma [02:19]

2. The Evolution of Boshma Farms

[03:01–03:17]

• Riley’s family background is in dairy farming, but a shift to beef cattle occurred as she and her late husband grew their operation.
• The transition reflects larger industry changes and personal interests.

3. Farming Practices & Nutrition

[03:17–04:16]

• Boshma Farms’ cattle are raised on pasture and supplemented with grass, hay, produce, and finished with some grain for flavor/marbling.
• “Our meat is well known for its flavor and its cleanliness. You can tell the difference when you’re eating Bashma beef.” — Riley Boshma [03:56]

4. The Story and Meaning Behind the Boshma Name

[04:18–05:09]

• Riley shares the family’s immigration story from Holland and stories of resilience dating back to WWII.
• She describes her late husband’s battle with mental health and their shared commitment to “cultivating a legacy.”

5. Grief, Resilience, and Cultivating Legacy

[05:17–06:19]

• Riley discusses moving through grief following her husband’s suicide and the determination to lead by example for her children.
• “I refuse to allow [grief] to take another generation.” — Riley Boshma [05:59]

6. Addressing Mental Health & the Spiritual Journey

[06:19–11:23]

• Riley offers a raw account of her husband’s mental health challenges, the spiritual battle she witnessed, and the support she tried to provide.
• Emphasizes the importance of reaching out for help and the need for deep spiritual and emotional work.
• “The spiritual world is real. I’ve seen it within my husband... I truly pray for all those that are going through that and please reach out to people that can help you.” — Riley Boshma [07:17]

7. Finding Purpose and Divine Guidance

[11:23–12:10]

• Riley describes a “soul knowing” that guided her as she took full ownership of Boshma Farms after her husband’s passing.
• “I just prayed over him...and some God spoke to me and just said, this is your future. You have to do this, and you’re going to do this, and you need to just start moving and trust me.” — Riley Boshma [11:52]

8. The Experience of Healing and Acceptance

[12:10–14:01]

• She shares a pivotal moment driving where she internalized God’s message that her husband had been saved in eternity, and found a measure of peace.
• “Aren’t you just so grateful that he’s out of pain? I did save him. I saved his soul. And isn’t that what it’s all about?” — Riley Boshma [12:42]

9. The Power of Energy, Memory, and Legacy

[14:01–15:08]

• Riley sees her late husband’s essence everywhere on the farm, especially in things once considered “junk” but now precious “treasures” left for her children.

10. The Importance of Community (“Tribe”)

[15:08–16:18]

• Discusses being supported by unexpected people in her time of need and the necessity of having a tribe—especially for those facing hardship.
• “...the people I thought would be in my corner versus who showed up was 90% different, I would say.” — Riley Boshma [15:49]

11. Daily Life and The Family Legacy

[16:18–18:55]

• Details her family’s daily involvement in ranching; her children (ages 10–2) actively help run Boshma Farms.
• Highlights how agriculture is woven into every aspect of daily American life, whether or not people realize it.
• Boshma Farms represents at least six generations of family history in agriculture, reinforcing the responsibility to fight for clean, local food systems.

12. Challenges of Urbanization & Preserving Agriculture

[18:05–18:55]

• The encroachment of development (Amazon, Tesla) in Southern California is pushing out traditional agriculture; Boshma Farms is a rare survivor.
• “We’re like in this little bubble. And so I’m gonna keep it going as long as I can...” — Riley Boshma [18:59]

13. Raising Resilient, Capable Kids Off Devices

[19:14–20:33]

• Riley stresses the value of hands-on learning and getting kids outdoors and off screens, fostering creativity, responsibility, and real-world skills.
• “Devices are fine...But they also need to know how to use their bodies.” — Riley Boshma [20:17]

14. Connection, Future Vision, and Invitation

[20:48–21:38]

• Riley shares how listeners can support or connect with Boshma Farms:
  • Social: @bashmafarms on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
  • Web: bashmafarms.org
  • YouTube: “Hanging with the Boshmas” (her kids’ channel)
• Emphasizes the value of independence and food security, encouraging others to learn how to “shop your freezer” and buy in bulk.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We are cultivating a legacy and we are continuing to keep generational ranching and farming alive where it is a dying breed.”
  — Riley Boshma [02:19]
• “I refuse to allow [the pain] to take another generation.”
  — Riley Boshma [05:59]
• “The spiritual world is real. I’ve seen it within my husband.”
  — Riley Boshma [07:17]
• “It’s crazy to move on when you don’t want to, but you have to just keep moving and you have to believe that there’s something bigger than you.”
  — Riley Boshma [15:47]
• “Devices are fine...But they also need to know how to use their bodies.”
  — Riley Boshma [20:17]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ranching Philosophy & Beef Production: [02:19–04:16]
• Family History & Story of Resilience: [04:18–05:09]
• Mental Health & Spiritual Battles: [06:19–11:23]
• Divine Guidance & Taking Ownership: [11:23–12:10]
• Healing, Acceptance, and Purpose: [12:10–14:01]
• The Power of Community (“Tribe”): [15:08–16:18]
• Daily Family Operations: [16:18–18:55]
• Preserving Farming in Urbanized California: [18:05–18:55]
• Value of Dirt, Skills, and Raising Children: [19:14–20:33]
• How to Connect with Boshma Farms: [20:48–21:38]

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Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, sincere, and hopeful, blending moments of raw grief with uplifting stories of perseverance, humor, and practical wisdom. Riley’s grounded, honest storytelling and Rhea’s empathetic, conversational presence create an episode that is both informative and emotionally resonant.

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For Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for anyone inspired by stories of resilience, family legacy, and entrepreneurship—especially those curious about modern agriculture, mental health advocacy, and the power of faith and community.

Learn more:

• Boshma Farms Website
• [@bashmafarms on social media]
• [Hanging with the Boshmas on YouTube]

Transcript

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Sometimes the darkness does win or triumph, but it also puts us in a place of challenge, but of testing our resilience.

[Riley Bashma]

I know a lot of people have lost, you know, and gone through grief and you know, how that really impacts you and your feeling of what is life about. But I knew I had to show my kids the impact of truly living and even in the pain. So we at Bashma Farms have a slogan that is cultivating a legacy. And so part of that legacy is being able to overcome and be resilient.

[Narrator]

Riley Boschma is a single mom of five, rancher, haybroker and founder of Boschma Farms, a Southern California based business delivering clean local beef direct to families. Through grit and grace, Riley is redefining leadership in agriculture and proving that even in the darkest seasons, something beautiful can still be built.

[Riley Bashma]

We are cultivating a legacy and we are continuing to keep generational ranching and farming alive where it is a dying breed. I'm actually going to give you guys a story that I've never told anyone else and it's one that's. It spans the globe like a super high cold Internet Elvis Preston.

[Narrator]

Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

It's not over until I win the.

[Narrator]

Living your Legacy podcast for those who.

[Riley Bashma]

Live to leave a legacy.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Oh, that is sensational.

[Riley Bashma]

Jordan, open Chicago with the lead.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

You said Paul is the fastest man on the planet.

[Riley Bashma]

You can live your dream.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Welcome to another episode of the Living youg Legacy podcast, the Women in Power edition from For Inside Success. I am Rhea Gutierrez. Joining me today is Riley Bashma from Bashma Farms. Yes, it sounds like a planet from Star wars from the outer rim. We're going to talk about two of my favorite things, which is faith and furries. The two Fs. Where do we start?

[Riley Bashma]

Let's just get into it.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Let's start with an amazing intro. Who are you and what the heck are you doing here?

[Riley Bashma]

My name is Riley like you said and I am the owner of a beef company that sells beef direct to consumers. So you can buy your meat. Meat directly from my farm. And it goes straight farm to table. We are in Southern California, in the Chino area. And yeah, we are cultivating a legacy and we are continuing to keep generational ranching and farming alive where it is a dying breed.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Yeah, I was gonna say quite the livestock. Lauren and I actually share a colleague that has a cattle farm in Michigan, the Packards. So we're very familiar, but they, they milk their cattle, they don't chop them up.

[Riley Bashma]

I came from milking, actually My family were dairy farmers, but over the years, as my husband and I grew our farming and our stuff, we were just more into the beef cattle. So that's kind of how we came to be.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Talk about the mysticism of you are what you eat, where it's like, I'm presuming your cattle are fed specific foods or treated well.

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah. So ours are very nutritionally dense beef, and it's amazing. So our cattle do, but we also supplement them because where we're at in Southern California, we don't have thousands of acres of pasture land, but I do have pasture land. So we raise our cattle on pasture, but we also supplement them. And we supplement them in a really cool way. So they get grass, hay, and then we also feed produce. So the produce really helps the nutritional quality of the meat. And then we do finish with grain because that is where you're going to get your flavor and your marbling. So it is the perfect bl. And our meat is well known for its flavor and its cleanliness. You can tell the difference when you're eating Basma beef.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Wow. I love it. Again, Bashma beef.

[Riley Bashma]

Yes.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Talk about the Basma name. Where does that name come from?

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah, so my husband's passed away. He passed away to mental health. We lost him to suicide a year and a half ago. But his grandfather actually has a really cool story. He came here from Holland and he was a Golden Globe winner in New York, and that's how he paid for his dairy farm. So. And when he was in Holland, my husband told stories about how his grandfather, during the Nazis and all, that he would sell eggs off of his family ranch to keep his mother and. And his siblings safe. So he would sell them so that they wouldn't attack them or take over their ranch. So there's a lot of really cool stories and resilience within the Bashma name that I'm honored to carry on with my five children.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

I was going to say five amazing children, I'm sure. Quite the beautiful legacy. How are you celebrating the Boshman name? How are you celebrating your husband's memory and his legacy?

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah, we're celebrating it by truly trying to continue to live. I know a lot of people have lost, you know, and gone through grief and, you know, how that really impacts you and your feeling of what is life about and how do you move on and live without the one you love? And there's days that are really tough, tough still to this day. And I think it'll be a forever thing that we go through. But I Knew I had to show my kids the impact of truly living and even in the pain. So we at Bashma Farms have a slogan that is cultivating a legacy. And so part of that legacy is being able to overcome and be resilient, even though you've been thrown to the wolves sometimes and bad things happen. And we watched someone we loved more than anything really struggle in life. And unfortunately, you know, that struggle took him. But I refuse to allow that to take another generation.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

It's. It's quite alarming. You know, I. I grew up in Miami, and folks in. In my circles as a Latino, they don't understand what mental health is. It's. It's in the Bible. They call it the demons and negative frequencies. Sometimes the darkness does win or triumph, but it also puts us in a place of. Of challenge, but of testing our resilience. Can you speak to folks that have been tested the same way you have and are constantly being challenged? What do you tell yourself and what do you tell others that feel what you feel? How to carry on and be empowered?

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah. So I'm actually going to give you guys a story that I've never told anyone else, and it's one that's really hard for me. But I think, you know, we're speaking on mental health, and this is a platform that needs to be seen. And thank you for honoring, you know, the Bible and what it says, says and demons and the spiritual world is real. I've seen it within my husband. He's. He was this wonderful man, larger than life and very strong physically. And when he was not in a depressant state mentally, he was a really strong person that a lot of people looked up to and continue to look up to for the legacy that he left. And he went through bouts of depression, so he wasn't always depressed, but I think there's always an underlying because you're trying to bury it. And there's one significant night where at night was the worst for him. And unfortunately, my husband, one of his older brothers, did exactly the same thing, and he found him. And so it really, really impacted Jimmy. And at night, he would walk my halls because he would have ptsd and I would pray over him and I would make sure that he was okay. We have again, five children. And so you can imagine I had four and four years, so I nurs them back to back to back. And then the baby came three years later. And so I kind of always am awake off and on at night. And so I would hear him and get up with him and Pray over him. And there was one night where it was a spiritual battle over him. And I hope that most people never, no one witnesses that. The way that I saw something within him was fighting. He was, you know, this is going to be a lot. But he was on the floor and he was screaming in sickness and sweating like I've never seen someone sweat. And I just prayed over him and prayed over him and prayed over him and eventually he did go away for a 30 day rehab and that really helped for, for some time being. But with mental health, it's an ongoing struggle. It's a life, a life struggle. And you really gotta find extremely, extremely deep. And that's tough. And that's where a lot of people, you know, aren't able to do because it's painful when you do that. It's easier to not deal with it. And when I saw that, I realized in that moment that this was something so much bigger than just him. This could have been generational. It was one of the most horrific things that I've ever seen. And I seen it over the years with him and I just, I truly pray for all those that are going through that and please reach out to people that can help you. But on the other end, I've also seen God move and God work. And when he left us, you could imagine what that felt like. Having five kids, it was the worst feeling in the world to have to tell your little ones that love their dad more than anything and myself to know that I could never hug my husband again or that the plans that we were planning, the life that we had built was gone. You know, even with me moving forward and still controlling our businesses and everything and growing Boshma Farms. And we have another company, a sister company called JVT that my husband started. Even with that, it's not the same.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Oh sure.

[Riley Bashma]

And you have to find where you fit and where what you guys were building together fits. But God moved and is continuing to move in us. And I'm so grateful that I was able to comprehend that and feel it. My children have felt it. And there's definitely moments of impact where God spoke to my soul. It wasn't like I think a lot of people think. I don't ever hear God. God doesn't talk to me, but it's like it's not a voice, it's a knowing, it's a soul knowing. He speaks to your soul. You're a soul, you're a being and it's energy. And when I decided to do Bashma Farms, Boshma Farms was kind of an side entity that we had started together because I was a hairstylist for 15 years. And so I would always talk about our farm and our cows and stuff, and people started wanting to buy beef from us.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

You're manifesting unknowingly?

[Riley Bashma]

Yes, yes. And so we would kind of like, sell beef here and there to friends or whatever, but it was just kind of for fun. We liked having the cows with the kids and riding the horses and stuff, but our main company was his hay brokering company. And so that kind of was the second when he passed and I was taking care of the cows, and it was in a fog. Some God spoke to me and just said, this is your future. You have to do this, and you're going to do this, and you need to just. Just start moving and trust me.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

When did you realize that the crying was actually God touching you? Not pain anymore. It was you moving through the frequency and actually healing. And seeing the light at that tunnel and knowing that that light has actually been the energy of always manifested all.

[Riley Bashma]

Along, that's hard because the pain is still there. But being able to discern where that pain there was. One day I was driving and I was having a really difficult time. It was this past summer, and I just was like, why? Why Jimmy? Why did he have to struggle? Why me? Why did I have to have all these kids and then their dad doesn't get to live to help raise them and teach them the things that I'm not going to be able to teach them? And God just told me, why not to you? Like, and that might sound a little weird to some people, but I, you know, was also asking him, I'm like, why did Jimmy have to struggle? Why couldn't you have saved him here? And God told me, Riley, literally, it was like my soul had these answers all of a sudden, and he's like, riley, I tried. I did. I gave him the chance. And because of the spiritual battle, he couldn't hold on. So I saved him in eternity. And aren't you just so grateful that he's out of pain? I did save him. I saved his soul. And isn't that what it's all about? This is just such a finite time that we live here, which feels like everything because we are humans, and that's what it feels like. But it's not. It's so small. And this is just a sliver of what our goal should be, and that's eternity. And I've been blessed to feel him since he's passed and it has given me a lot of peace. My kids have also on their own. And it's just really incredible to feel that even through all the pain.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Strike me down and I'll be up. I'll be more powerful than you'll ever imagine. Now he's energy. You're.

[Riley Bashma]

Oh, yeah.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

With you all the time.

[Riley Bashma]

And his essence is within everything that we do. It's like crazy after walking around the farm and he was really into old diesel trucks. Our other company is a brokering company and we also have diesel trucks that haul the hay and freight and stuff. And so he would restore old trucks. And so we have lots of old equipment. And my little. My youngest son, Jake, him and my husband would always say, one man's junk is another man's treasure. And so I have lots of treasures and that I was left with and the kids were left with. But wow, how grateful we are that we were left with that before. I'd be like, jimmy, clean this junk off of like, it's a mess. Get rid of this. Why do you have all these old trucks? And now it's like, oh, my gosh, I would never. Because it's him and it's what he was. And the kids get to see that, you know, and feel it still.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

I definitely feel it in this moment in this room, you've truly turned this pain into beauty.

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Talk about that grid and what you're wearing, your belt buckle, your hat, just how you're just gliding through reality and taking your interview. Just having your tribe here with you. Talk about the energy you're feeling, the.

[Riley Bashma]

Tribe, that's a big part of it. Because when you don't feel strong enough, someone is. Hopefully you have someone in your corner and if you don't, that's where she really sounds. Yeah, she's really in your corner. I feel like that's where maybe like, you know, aha. Moment should be. Like, if something happens major in your life, who's in your corner? And to be honest, the people I thought would be in my corner versus who showed up.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

For me, the people that show up.

[Riley Bashma]

Was 90% different, I would say. And I'm grateful and so blessed to have those people even when I wouldn't have necessarily thought it would have been them. It's crazy to move on when you don't want to, but you have to just keep moving and, you know, you have to believe that there's something bigger than you that's out there and just keep on believing that.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Yeah, what are we going to learn about you in your episode and we've learned so much about you in your podcast. But what will we learn about you in your episode?

[Riley Bashma]

You know, one, I hope they learn about Boshma Farms. That is my main goal. Boshma Farms is my passion. It's what I do every single day. It's what my kids do, little kids. I. My kids are 10 to 2.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Wow.

[Riley Bashma]

And there's five of them, three girls and two boys. And every single day we're out there tending to the cattle, working, you know, delegating the trucks and equipment and everything else. And it's truly your life. Like, that's one thing about ranching that I think a lot of people don't understand because it's not in their daily life. Agriculture is in everyone's life. You wear, you wear clothing, you should be supporting ag. You wear makeup, you should be supporting ag. Like, you don't have to be a meat eater to support ag. And there's a beauty within this industry. It's different than anything else because it's generational. We're a family business, a true family business. Like our children are raised up in this. I was raised up in this. My husband was raised up in this. My kids are minimum fifth, sixth generation farmers.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Wow.

[Riley Bashma]

So it's really important to me because imagine all that history that comes along and that's where, you know, you refine what you're doing, you refine the agriculture. And they're the ones that are going to fight for your families to have good, clean food because they know the impact. They're going to fight for your families to keep America strong in what we have not, you know, be doing some of the stuff going on right now, we cattle in my happening in interview.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Mind you, this is so cow.

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah, this is like Alabama and actually California. A lot of people don't know this, but we're one of the biggest ag states.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Really.

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah. And we, I don't know if we still are, but we for sure were the top cattle producers in the country. Yeah, yeah. Everyone thinks that, like Wisconsin, Michigan, that area. And they do, mind you, but we just. Where we were in our little area, Chino, California, had the most dairy cattle in all of the country. And it, it's, you know, the radius of it is. I don't even know. It's pretty small. But it was just a lot and a lot of it has had to leave. So we're one of the last farms like Amazon building is right next to us. They're building a huge a Tesla factory.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

I'm sure. They built it in Austin when I lived there. I was like, oh, there's a big old Texas factory.

[Riley Bashma]

Oh, yeah. They're building stuff all around. It's literally industry all around us. But we're like in this little bubble. And so I'm gonna keep it going as long as I can and, you know, impact how many I can by this. And my children, can you tell the.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Moms that are listening how important it is to get their kids off of devices and right into dirt?

[Riley Bashma]

Oh, my gosh.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Plain dirt.

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Tell the folks how important that is.

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah. It's funny because my kids are homeschooled, but they go to like a two day a week program and all the kids, Ms. Boshma, can we come to your house? Ms. Boshma? Because they just, they come over and they just go buck wild because they don't know what to do with themselves. Because they don't. You know, when they're in dirt, it's usually playing baseball or whatever, which is great if that's what you can provide. But it is such a amazing way to have your kids grow up. My kids can drive tractors, they can drive trucks. I mean, they don't do it by themselves, but they can do it with me.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

I know they're sneaking out.

[Riley Bashma]

They know how to maneuver. They build stuff. Like the boys are always building things with the tool, power tools for their sisters. Like one, my little girl Birdie had her birthday this summer and and my boys made her a little table and chairs so she can little tea parties on all by themselves. And they just from finding scrap wood and stuff, they're so handy and that's what we need in America. We're losing that, we're losing that every single day. Like, devices are fine. My kids go on their devices. They love doing their YouTube, but they also need to know how to use their bodies.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Yes, I completely agree. Speaking as someone that has always been a nerd, I'm like, I'm never, I'm always going to have this nerdy body. Why can't I play an attractor?

[Riley Bashma]

If I could come over to Miami with a cowboy hat on and all you all looking at me like, you're.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

The coolest one here.

[Riley Bashma]

Where did this girl come from?

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Oh, dude. No, you're the coolest one here. Right on, dude. How can folks continue this journey and learn more about you? What's your dot com, what's. What's your social media handle?

[Riley Bashma]

Yeah, so find us on social media like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok at Bashma Farms and then we have a [e-mail] and currently we sell bulk beef, so it's like going to Costco so you can buy. And then we teach you how to shop your freezer, basically, so you don't have to depend on the market. And, hey, that's pretty good. Right now, when. When this world is a little crazy and they want to control.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Yeah, yeah.

[Riley Bashma]

Everything that you're doing, including your food. And so, yeah, just follow along with us. You can sign up for our emails. That's the best way. You get extra perks with that. And then if you want to follow the kids, they have their little YouTube. Hanging with the Boshmas.

[Rhea Gutierrez]

Hanging with the Boshmas. Well, we're going to. We're going to conclude this episode of Hanging with the Bashmas for Inside Success. I am Ray. Guys, here.