Check Out Amy Armstrong-Waldo’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Armstrong-Waldo. 

Hi Amy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been teaching high school English in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for 22 years. I have always been passionate about writing, photography, gardening, and cooking, and in 2013 I started a blog called “Produce with Amy” to share my recipes with others. 

I often use my blog in my classroom to model to my students that social media can be a platform used for positive connections and outreach – especially when you are located in a rural area like the UP. 

In 2015 I met my husband, John. We fell in love, got married, and I became a stepmom to two beautiful children Avalon (16) and Lukas (13). I moved to John’s 28-acre farm, where we acquired a hoop house and try to raise as much of our own food as possible. We raise pigs, chickens (for meat and eggs) and have a sweet turkey named Penelope and two spoiled ducks. Every year we try to add improvements to our homestead with sweat equity. 

Last summer, I became a vendor at the Skandia Farmers Market and sell surplus produce that I grow, maple syrup, free-range eggs, and flower bouquets. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
While I love to write and create content, when I became a stepmother and took on more chores, I had to work hard to find time to blog. I was fortunate to be asked to author a column in a locally published magazine called “Marquette Neighbors” (Skandia is approximately 30 miles from Marquette (the largest city in the Upper Peninsula). This gives me a solid deadline each month; therefore, I have to make time to write. When I first started blogging, I tried to post once per week. Now it is more like once per month. 

This summer my husband and I also launched a non-profit in which I am the social media manager. Managing my time is always a juggling act. 

However, the largest struggle as a blogger is generating traffic. I try to utilize social media as much as possible, but there is so much great content out there. It’s competitive, and I am not always the most tech-savvy. It has been on my list for long time to attend a blogging conference to learn more about the craft. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I try to maintain a positive attitude and am inspired by nature. The Upper Peninsula is steeped in beauty, and I love to record what I see in my writing and my photography. Whether it’s documenting my grove of tulips in the spring, capturing the honey gold maples on our farm in the fall, or snowshoeing in February and capturing the snowbanks turn a purplish hue at dusk. These moments always inspire poetry and helps me decompress and recharge after a stressful day at work. I think that nature has the capacity to give us perspective on every aspect our lives. 

It fills my heart with joy when others reach out to me and tell me that I inspired them to start a flower or vegetable garden, that they tried one of my recipes, or they are learning how to raise chickens or can and preserve food. 

My husband and I bought property in Alaska, where we plan to retire in 8-10 years. We are enamored with the beauty of nature and appreciate things that I think a lot of people often overlook. Nature is grounding and healing. 

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up in a small town called Crystal Falls. I was a dreamer. I loved reading, writing, and wanted to be journalist. I loved fashion to express myself, and I wrote lots of corny poetry. More than anything, I believed in the power of stories, and I still do. In fact, that is the cornerstone of my teaching philosophy. I remember my teachers praising my writing, and it gave me wings. I was thrilled when I was asked to be the editor of our school newspaper. It’s funny now that I think about it. It was a tiny publication called the “Trojan Voice” that I wrote most of the articles for on my Smith Corona typewriter and printed off on the office copy machine. However, I had a team friends that were artists and writers. We charged 50 cents a copy (it was the late 80s, after all), and I walked on clouds the day that the paper came “hot off the press” and we got to distribute to our classmates. 

As a teacher, I also try to give my students opportunities to publish. I try to create the kind of classroom that I would have thrived in as a teenager. My students are often given opportunities to compose their writing in the digital sphere. When I was a teenager, I would have spent hours creating digital stories, and Tik Tok would have been my jam. Digital stories have so much potential and many layers of meaning. I think it is powerful to create a piece of writing where you can add your voice, music, digital images, and even video. As a kid, I never wanted to be a teacher (even though my dad always thought I should be), and now I see why. Being an educator is definitely my calling. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.producewithamy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/producewithamy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/producewithamy
• Twitter: @producewithamy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDWSCg_JcWpV5CUS-ix2GoA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@producewithamy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc