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![Melissa Gilbert on pink ombre background melissa gilbert on pink ombre background](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/benefits-discounts/members-only-access/info-2024/melissa-gilbert-9-quick-questions/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/container_image/articlecontentfragment/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/members-only/member-benefits/2024/01/1140-qq-melissa-gilbert-promo.jpg)
To many, Melissa Gilbert, 59, will forever be Laura Ingalls on the beloved TV show Little House on the Prairie, and she is embracing the community of women who grew up watching her in that role with her lifestyle brand Modern Prairie. The company offers retail items such as home decor, kitchenware and apparel; virtual workshops with cooking, decorating and gardening tips; and an app that offers inspirational messages, craft tutorials and self-care advice. Above all, Gilbert says, she wants Modern Prairie to foster a sense of community and give women a safe place to connect and share ideas — whether that be a recipe or advice for dealing with menopause. She explains her motivation behind the brand, her thoughts on aging and how she plans to celebrate her 60th birthday.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Little House on the Prairie celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Are there any big plans for it?
![Cast of "Little House on the Prairie," Karen Grassle, Michael Landon, Sidney Greenbush, Melissa Gilbert, Melissa Sue Anderson karen grassle, michael landon, sidney greenbush, melissa gilbert and melissa sue anderson](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/benefits-discounts/members-only-access/info-2024/melissa-gilbert-9-quick-questions/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/body_one_cf_one/par3/body_one_callout_one/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/members-only/member-benefits/2024/01/770-qq-melissa-gilbert-secondary.jpg)
There is a big [anniversary festival planned in March] in Simi Valley [California] at the ranch where we filmed. And they’re reconstructing sets and buildings, and the cast is getting back together for that.
What motivated you to start Modern Prairie?
I’d had this idea in the back of my head for a really long time — that there was a way to take the Little House on the Prairie kind of ethos and turn it into something else. When I was younger, it was more of a retail kind of idea. I watched Martha Stewart very closely over the years, and then Gwyneth Paltrow after that, and all of these people who started these lifestyle lines — Chip and Joanna Gaines, and Trisha Yearwood. But as I’ve aged — and I have to give credit to my partner Nicole Haase [Modern Prairie CEO and cofounder]. She really opened my eyes to what it could be. [It’s] more than retail. [It’s] a resource for women, a place where women can gather and share their stories and their strength and their hope and their journeys. I got really excited about that.
What have you learned from the women in the community?
I’ve learned that we all have so much more in common than we think we do. It’s truly remarkable. A lot of my own philosophies were validated because I saw them reflected in so many other women. We’re all trying to advocate for our own health and well-being as we navigate these waters of perimenopause, menopause and postmenopausal life. There’s very, very little information out there, and a lot of women have said “enough.”
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