Rural Missouri - February 2025 - 28

Jess offers a variety of locally made items in her roadside stand in Silex. This includes crocheted stuffed animals, candles and cutting boards. " A big
bonus of the small-town setting is that the honor system works. We're not a boutique in downtown St. Louis. I'm here for the folks in the community
who want to treat themselves to a new candle or a fresh-cut bouquet, " she says.
by Ricki Spargo | rspargo@ruralmissouri.coop
ess Ryan never thought she'd live in rural Missouri.
She happily waved goodbye to her small town of 200
when she left for college. Ten years later, she found
herself packing up and moving back to Silex after
meeting her husband, Danny. " I was totally that girl who
said she was never coming back. I was gone for a long
time, " she says. " It was a huge coincidence that my husband
farmed in Silex, despite not growing up here. "
Even though Jess was gone for several years, the Cuivre
River Electric Cooperative member stayed connected to her
small town while living in St. Louis, through a blog called
Roots Out West. " The name originated because my roots
were west of St. Louis, " she says. " I tried to encourage the
people I knew to travel outside of the city, but they always
thought it was too far. Roots Out West started because I
wanted to share places that I thought people needed to
see. There are so many hidden gems out here that I just
J
28 RURAL MISSOURI | FEBRUARY 2025
knew people would love. "
After moving back to Silex and welcoming three daughters,
Jess found herself struggling with the disconnection
that can come with living in a small town compared to the
hustle and bustle of St. Louis. Her social media was full
of creators sharing their exciting lives in the city, but she
found it hard to connect with their Target hauls or unrealistic
date nights.
" As a stay-at-home mom, I didn't have coworkers anymore, "
she says. " I missed those connections. One day I
posted a video about a trip to Dollar General and the awesome
stuff I found there. I called it 'the rural gal's Target.'
It really resonated with a lot of women in rural areas. "
After that, Jess began posting the parts of her life that
were a far cry from her life in the city: making field meals
for her husband during harvest or the new seeds she was
testing in the garden. Her rural gal community began
growing with small town women looking to connect over
their common denominator - rural Missouri. Today, she

Rural Missouri - February 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - February 2025

Contents
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - Cover1
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - Cover2
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - Contents
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - 4
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - 5
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - 6
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - 7
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - 8
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - 9
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Rural Missouri - February 2025 - 11
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Rural Missouri - February 2025 - Cover3
Rural Missouri - February 2025 - Cover4
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201711
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201709
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201611
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201609
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