Meet the crew
Our Emmy award-winning team
Audra Mulkern, executive producer/host/Writer/narrator
Audra is a James Beard nominee (with creative partner, Debbie Weingarten), writer, photographer, TEDx and international keynote speaker who’s changing the way we see the people who grow our food.
She is the founder of “The Female Farmer Project™” – a multi-platform and award winning documentary project that chronicles the rise of women working in agriculture around the world. From in-depth stories, personal essays, photographic portraits, a podcast and actively working to pass legislation on behalf of farmers and farmworkers -- the project gives a powerful voice to the fastest growing demographic in agriculture-- the female farmer. In 2012, she stood in the middle of a farmers’ market and had an epiphany. She saw women everywhere—growing food, raising livestock, making cheese. They were stewarding a vibrant local economy. They were at the forefront of the food movement. The visibility of these female farmers made Audra question the gender stereotypes inherent in agriculture and prompted her to dig deeper. With a background at a major software company in business development and marketing, she may have seemed an unlikely candidate to become the leading documentarian of this blossoming agricultural movement. But in many ways, it made sense - she has created deep roots in a rural farming community and had witnessed widespread gender stereotyping and discrimination in the technology industry.
Kara Rowe, co-Executive Producer/Editor
Raised on a wheat and cattle ranch in Eastern Washington, Kara has worked in television and video for nearly 20 years with experience in national, regional, and local projects. She specializes in agriculture, history, outdoor, and natural resource topics. She is the founder and CEO of KR Creative and is an accomplished writer and photographer who served as editor of Wheat Life magazine for many years. Kara has written numerous scripts for entertainment, non-profit and commercial pieces. She also co-created and produced long-format television shows such as the Outdoor Channel’s Montana Secrets and the Emmy-winning regional program, Washington Grown. She was named a Western Innovator by the Capital Press in 2014. Recently, Kara wrote and produced the documentary, The Gamble: The Washington Potato Story. Kara still has ties to her family farm and serves on the Spokane Agribusiness Council, Farm Forum Committee, and is a member of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers and Washington Cattlemen's Association. She is also a member of the Washington State Historical Society.
Debbie Weingarten, Writer/PRODUCER
Debbie is a writer and editor based in North Carolina who is most drawn to long-form creative nonfiction and reported pieces. As a writer, her goal is to create dynamic work with a strong sense of place, compelling voices, and that sweet spot between straight-talk and lyricism. As a reader and viewer, she likes work that begs questions, breaks rules, and paints a damn good picture.
In addition to writing and editing, she has a background in food systems, agriculture, and community organizing. Through her writing, she amplifies the voices of farmers by tackling intersecting issues, including rural poverty, behavioral health, racism, water issues, food insecurity among food and agricultural workers, and more. Her farming and food writing has been featured in a long list of regional and national publications, both print and digital, including the 2016 and 2017 Best of Food Writing anthologies. She works with the Female Farmer Project to document women in agriculture. In 2019, she and Audra were finalists for the James Beard Award in Investigative Reporting.
Tómas Guzman, Director of Photography
Tómas has a degree in video production from the Art Institute in Seattle. He works on our feature film productions, nonfiction, and commercial work, with 2nd Unit and EPK credits for Thomas Jane’s Give ‘em Hell, Malone, Christian Slater’s Lies & Illusions, and Leelee Sobieski’s Finding Bliss. Tomas has provided principal Photography for all of our documentaries including Hidden Stories, Montana’s Black Past, The Story of Us, the Women who Shaped Montana, The Gamble, An Alien Place, and An Alien Place the Fort Missoula Detention Camp 1941-1944.
Greta Hardin, Producer, Writer, Research
A history buff on the side, and a science geek for life – Greta has degrees in Biology and Education. She’s taught AP Chemistry, led Elementary School Art Programs, and written a cookbook for beginners at the Farmers Market. She’s currently running her family’s forestry business, and producing a podcast on the history of American Food. Such wide-ranging interest and a passion for research and writing mean a chance to dig into the past and present roles of Women in growing, harvesting, and producing our food is about as exciting as it gets.
Joanna Arlow MA, JD, Research
Joanna Arlow (MA, JD) is a professional documentary photographer, lawyer, and former historian living in Olympia, Washington. Shortly after her husband Greg, a veteran of the US Navy special forces, died by suicide in 2011, Jo left her career as an attorney advising state and local governments on the mental health and criminal justice systems. Drawing on her previous life as a legislative attorney, she has advocated for change in suicide prevention policy and the mental health system, including on behalf of those involved in agriculture work. Her legal background and work as an advanced student and instructor of the social and legal history of women and gender in the United States still informs her photography and research work today.
Ryan Rowe, Photographer
Ryan has been working in the industry for over 20 years on global, national, regional, and local projects. His talents range from extraordinary outdoor photography to very specific and detailed food photography. What sets Ryan’s work apart from others is his knack for making the ordinary magnificent. His creative eye and attention to detail allow him to get more out-of-ordinary scenes and subjects than most photographers. Whether it’s being on a hilltop at 3 a.m. to catch the perfect sunrise, or shooting edgy raw photos for athletes, his work ethic and character are of the highest integrity. Having published a coffee table book in 2011 for the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, he has also crafted extraordinary photos of landscapes, farms, and people. In addition to his experience as a still photographer, he’s also the director of photography for dozens of commercials and has produced material for Summit Media, Firesteel Films, and Tahoe Films. The list of television shows includes Montana Secrets, Familiar Waters, Washington Grown, and Eye of the Hunter.
Ian Lowe, Producer, Editor
Ian has been the brain behind-the-scenes of Washington Grown for the past three years. A Gonzaga grad, Ian grew up in the Inland Northwest and worked for years as a videographer and editor for KREM news. In 2019 he made the jump to creative video work at North by Northwest. Ian’s overall talent in video production makes him uniquely suited for our agriculture and food projects. Ian has also worked on other NxNW and KR video projects for Hospice of Spokane, Washington Wheat Foundation and the Washington Potato Commission.
Kimberly Hogberg, Producer
Based in Helena, Kimberly has a Masters’ Degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Montana and a Bachelor of Arts in History. For 20 years Kim has worked on a variety of award-winning documentaries, TV shows and videos. Kim first fell in love with creating historical documentaries when she served as an associate producer for the critically acclaimed documentary Jailed for their Words: When Free Speech Died in Wartime America. Kim has produced and edited multiple videos, documentaries and TV shows. She produced and edited the Emmy-nominated documentary An Alien Place, the Fort Missoula Detention Camp 1941-1944. She also was an associate producer for the documentary The Gamble and for seven years she has served as a co-producer and editor on the popular and Emmy-award winning TV show Washington Grown. She partnered with the Extreme History project to produce the short film The Story of Us, The Women Who Shaped Montana. Most recently she partnered with the Montana Historical Society to create a 60-minute documentary about the history and experiences of African Americans in Montana entitled, Hidden Stories Montana’s Black Past. Kim has a passion for storytelling and bringing history alive through the use of digital media.