Mind, Body, and Soil

Episode 117: In this conversation, Kate sits down with Cutter Wood to discuss his new book Earthly Materials: Journeys Through Our Bodies’ Emissions, Excretions, and Disintegrations. It’s a poignant and touching exploration of the often-overlooked aspects of our physical being: our body's "effluvia." From the science of mucus to our last breath, from our tears to our flatulence, Cutter delves into the interconnectedness of bodily materials and how these substances reflect our shared vulnerability, humanity, and care for one another. These substances are sometimes hidden for reasons of sanitation, but also because they remind us of our fragility and mortality, which means—this is also a podcast abut death. Cutter brings humor, depth, and honesty to his exploration of the body’s excretions and emissions, reminding us that these “leaky meat suits” are also what connect us. 

Find Cutter:

Earthly Materials: Journeys Through Our Bodies’ Emissions, Excretions, and Disintegrations

Website: Cutterwood.com

Instagram: @cuttermwood

X: @cuttermwood

Related Episodes:

Episode 51: Heidi Boucher talks about Caring for our Dead at Home

Episode 90: Rose George on Sh*t, Shipping, and Blood

Episode 70: Scott Carney on Sleep 

Episode 67: Dan Egan on Phosphorous

Support Kate:

Patreon

Substack

PayPal-Leave a One Time Tip

Affiliates:

REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.life

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. 

HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

NAMARI ACTIVE WEAR: 10% off using code Kate10

Episode 116: In this conversation, Kate sits down with John Seabrook, author of The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, to explore the intersection of farming, family history and intergenerational trauma, and the evolution of the agricultural industry. John shares insights from his family's farming legacy, discussing the transformation from traditional farming to mechanization and industrialization. The dialogue delves into labor, farming, class, legacy, industrialization, and more—a historical conversation that highlights the complexities and challenges faced by the agricultural sector today.

Kate and John also explore the complexities of family dynamics, brand identity, and the expectations placed upon him by his family legacy. He reflects on the blurred lines between the real family and the branded image they created, the impact of generational trauma, and the challenges of reconciling his family's history with the truth. They also touch on the mythologizing of the American dream, ultimately asking what we do with narratives that we’ve inherited, and how to tell new stories for the living. 

Find John:

The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty

Website

Instagram: @jmseabrook

X: @jmseabrook

Related Episodes:

Episode 86: Nicola Twilley and the history of the cold chain and refrigeration

Episode 72: Ben Goldfarb talking about how building roads changed America

Episode 75: Cole Mannix on intergenerational farming 

Episode 108: Alice Driver on immigrant workers in modern poultry processing

Episode 88: Steven Kurutz on the legacy of American manufacturing 

Episode 104: Will Bardenwerper on how baseball builds communities

Support Kate:

Patreon

Substack

PayPal-Leave a One Time Tip

Affiliates:

REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.life

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. 

HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

NAMARI ACTIVE WEAR: 10% off using code Kate10

Episode 115: In this episode, Kate sits down with Jordan Thomas to talk about his new book When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World. It might not be the conversation you expect, opening by exploring fire’s centrality to what it is to be human and how relational and contextual fire is. Jordan guides us through the last ten thousand years of fire use by Indigenous communities. Jordan then does a dive into understanding the intertwining of fire and capitalism through the last 300 years, culminating in the last decade or so of megafires, fueled by climate change. Jordan is an anthropologist and former wildland firefighter and while he’s sharing how fire has transformed our world, he also shares how the process of writing this book transformed him, and the joy, grief, trauma, and love he goes through in his search to better understand fire. The conversation winds down talking about prescribed burns and using fire with intention. In the end, Kate and Jordan come back around to relationships and how much they matter in exploring how humanity might once again shift their relationship with fire. 

Jordan's Book: When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World

Related Episodes:

Episode 112: Mariah Blake on PFAS, Chemicals in Firefighting 

Episode 61:Robbie Krapfel on Fighting Fire

Episode 95: Brock Dolman on Fire, Water, and Beavers

Episode 72: Ben Goldfarb on Beavers, Built and Natural Worlds

Episode 85: John Vaillant on Fire

Episode 93: John Perlin on our Relationship to Wood and Forests

Episode 113: Marguerite Holloway on Our Relationship to Forests

Support Kate:

Patreon

Substack

PayPal-Leave a One Time Tip

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.life

Affiliates:

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. 

HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

NAMARI ACTIVE WEAR: 10% off using code Kate10

Episode 114: In this conversation, Kate Kavanaugh sits down with author Chris Berdik to discuss his new book 'Clamor: How Noise Took Over the World and How We Can Take It Back'. They dive into the often-overlooked significance of sound in both our personal lives and the natural world. Chris shares insights into the biology of hearing, the impacts of hearing loss, and the pervasive issue of noise pollution—both for humans and wildlife. At its heart, it’s about how sound connects us to the world at large and to one another. 

The discussion explores the evolutionary importance of sound, how our auditory experiences shape our connection to the environment, and the broader implications of noise on our well-being (and the importance of preventing hearing loss). They also touch on how sound can shift environments: from hospitals to neighborhoods. Ultimately, this conversation highlights the critical relationship between sound, human and environmental health, and community engagement in shaping healthier soundscapes.

X: @chrisberdik

Website

Newsletter 

Clamor: How Noise Took Over the World - and How We Can Take It Back

Resources Mentioned:

Soundprint App

Related Episodes: 

Episode 90: Sh*t, Shipping, and Blood: Upending Taboos and Exploring the Ignored with Rose George

Episode 72: Circular Economies and Linear Infrastructure: the Complex Interplay of Roads, Beavers, and Ecosystems with Ben Goldfarb

Episode 83: A Planetary Pulse of Connection: Exploring the Ocean, Science, and Beyond with Helen Czerski 

Episode 58: Exploring the Mystery + Embracing the Unknown with Fred Provenza

Support Kate:

Patreon

Substack

PayPal-Leave a One Time Tip

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.life

Affiliates:

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. 

HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

NAMARI ACTIVE WEAR: 10% off using code Kate10

Episode 113: In this episode, Kate sits down with author Marguerite Holloway to explore her new book ‘Take to the Trees: A Story of Hope, Science, and Self-Discovery in America’s Imperiled Forests’. Marguerite takes us on a deeply personal journey as she learns to climb trees at a women’s tree climbing workshop—an experience that shifts her perspective—quite literally—and opens her up to new ways of seeing the world. From Aspens to Magnolias, and Hemlocks to Beeches, she brings us into the hidden lives of trees, tracing their biology, history, and the complex relationships they share with our ecosystems.

As we dive into the perils trees face in a warming climate, we also talk about the from arborists, biologists, and ecologists who are working tirelessly to protect them. This conversation brings into focus the often-overlooked world of trees, challenging ‘plant blindness’ and shifting them from the periphery to the center of our attention. At its heart, the conversation is about reconciling the hard truths of ecological loss with the enduring hope that comes from connecting with nature in such a direct and transformative way. This episode is as much about trees as it is about seeing the world through a new lens—one that invites us to reimagine our relationship with the living world around us.

Find Marguerite: 

Take to the Trees: A Story of Hope, Science, and Self-Discovery in America’s Imperiled Forests

X: @marg_holloway

LinkedIn

New Yorker Articles

Womens Tree Climbing Workshop 

Related Episodes:

Episode 93: The Wood Age: Humans and the Forests That Made Them Human with John Perlin

Episode 87: Complexity, Cooperation, and Beauty - A New Story for Earth with Ferris Jabr

Episode 72: Circular Economies and Linear Infrastructure: The Complex Interplay of Roads, Beavers, and Ecosystems with Ben Goldfarb

Episode 66: We are the Drivers of Our Species Tomorrows with Cat Bohannon

Episode 95: Basins of Relations: Water, Fire, Beavers, and beyond with Brock Dolman

Episode 99: Living Into the Life You Want with Caroline Nelson

Support Kate:

Patreon

Substack

PayPal-Leave a One Time Tip

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.life

Affiliates:

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. 

HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

NAMARI ACTIVE WEAR: 10% off using code Kate10

Episode 112: In this episode, Kate is joined by journalist Mariah Blake to discuss her new book, ‘They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals.’ Together, they trace the buried history of PFAS and forever chemicals—synthetic chemicals first developed in the 1930’s—that would go on to saturate everything from firefighting foam to clothes to town water supplies, with devastating consequences for public health.

The conversation centers on the story of Hoosick Falls, New York, where a small community uncovered widespread PFAS contamination in their drinking water and began a fight for justice. Kate and Mariah explore the regulatory ignorance that allowed this to happen, the role of DuPont and other chemical giants in shaping the response, and how communities are rising to meet the crisis.

They discuss how outrage becomes a catalyst for environmental change, and how ordinary people—farmers, military families, and local organizers—are now on the front lines of the PFAS fight. Through the lens of Blake’s reporting, this episode is a powerful look at what happens when chemical convenience collides with human health, and how resilience grows in even the most contaminated ground.

Find Mariah:

They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals by Mariah Blake

Instagram: @mariahcblake

X: @mariahcblake

Support Kate: 

Patreon

Substack

PayPal-Leave a One Time Tip

Resources Mentioned

Plastic List created by Nat Friedman: https://www.plasticlist.org 

Plastic: A Toxic Love Story by Susan Freinkel 

Dr. Max Liboiron — https://civiclaboratory.nl 

Time Bombing the Future by Rebecca Altman 

Richard Rhodes Making of Atomic Bomb

Related Episodes:

Episode 85 with John Vaillant on Consumption, the Petrochemical Industry

Episode 82 with Jay Owens on Dust, Testing the Bomb, Our Polluted World

Episode 83 with Helen Czerski on the Ocean

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.life

Affiliates:

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. 

HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

NAMARI ACTIVE WEAR: 10% off using code Kate10

Episode 111: In this episode, Kate sits down with Tabitha Rose from Skin Fancy to go deep. At once, it’s an exploration of building a bioregional supply chain for a skincare company and looking to the plants and ingredients that are attuned to an ecosystem to create an incredible skincare line. It’s also an episode about Tabitha and she invites us into her wisdom with beautiful poignancy, sharing about how we’re shaped and respond to life’s surprises, motherhood, growing into our purpose, and embracing change. Tabitha also shares about the alchemical process of making hydrosols, working with distillation and copper. It’s a big metaphor for the episode, because Tabitha distills so much care and deep thought into how she navigates life that so many listeners will resonate with. 

Find Tabitha

Website: https://skinfancy.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinfancy

Other Episodes:

Episode 19: Learning to Come Home to Yourself with Lacey Jean

Episode 49: Choosing the Stories We Tell Ourselves with Caroline Nelson

Episode 99: Living the Life You Want with Caroline Nelson

Episode 84: Choosing what to Carry into the Future with Cate Havstad

Episode 45: The Discipline/Pleasure Axis with Alex Rosenberg-Rigutto

Support Kate: 

Patreon

Substack

PayPal-Leave a One Time Tip

Best of Movement Focused Episodes:

Episode 94: An Ecology of Movement with Katy Bowman 

Episode 109: We Can Pick Up and Carry Heavy Loads: Exploring Movement in Context with Kate Kavanaugh

Episode 64: One Foot in Front of the Other with Kate Kavanaugh

Episode 77: Our Relationship to Resources with Kate Kavanaugh

Episode 54: Staying Human is the Greatest Skill with Daniel Vitalis

Episode 22: Building Strength from the Inside Out with Ashleigh VanHouten

Episode 2: The Strenuous Life with Ed Roberson

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.life

Affiliates:

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. 

HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

Episode 110. In this conversation, Kate sits down with author Bonnie Tsui to talk about her new book On Muscle: The Stuff that Moves Us and Why It Matters. This episode explores themes of strength, resilience, and the interplay between the physical and the philosophical. Kate and Bonnie have a wide ranging discussion that spans the metaphor and biology of muscle, how death brings us into the present, and the joy found in movement and play. They touch on how strength is also about what moves us, not just physically, but socially, touching on the importance of collective movement and community resilience. It’s an exploration into how physical activities can foster connection and healing. They also delve into the science behind movement, the significance of finding connection in everyday life, and the power of incremental change in personal strength. The conversation concludes with a light-hearted discussion about whales, joy, and the connections we share with nature.

Find Bonnie: 

Instagram: @bonnietsui8

Website

On Muscle: The Stuff that Moves Us and Why It Matters

Sarah and the Big Wave

Why We Swim

American Chinatown

Support Kate: 

Patreon

Substack

PayPal-Leave a One Time Tip

Best of Movement Focused Episodes:

Episode 94: An Ecology of Movement with Katy Bowman 

Episode 109: We Can Pick Up and Carry Heavy Loads: Exploring Movement in Context with Kate Kavanaugh

Episode 64: One Foot in Front of the Other with Kate Kavanaugh

Episode 77: Our Relationship to Resources with Kate Kavanaugh

Episode 54: Staying Human is the Greatest Skill with Daniel Vitalis

Episode 22: Building Strength from the Inside Out with Ashleigh VanHouten

Episode 2: The Strenuous Life with Ed Roberson

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.life

Affiliates:

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. 

HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

Episode 109. In this episode, I (Kate Kavanaugh) reflect on my personal journey with movement from a practical and philosophical standpoint all while weaving it into some of the bigger themes that we’ve been exploring on the podcast around how we move resources to our bodies and how that itself changes our movement. I start out with some historical context of movement and resources, the impact of sedentarism on our bodies, and the concept of shifting baselines in understanding how our bodies work. I share my experience with chronic illness and how movement has been a source of strength and resilience and how I’ve navigated continuing to move even, and especially, when it feels really hard. This is about the transformative power of physical activity–mentally, physically, and socially. I talk about my movement why–including health, aging, enjoyment, and, yes, even vanity. I talk a little about my home gym, scaling movement, and some tips for making yourself move when it feels hard. It’s a lot of fun, it’s thoughtful, a little heavy at times, but we can carry the load together!

Find Kate: 

Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Support Kate: 

Patreon

Substack

PayPal-Leave a One Time Tip

Resources Mentioned:

On Muscle: The Stuff that Moves Us and Why It Matters by Bonnie Tsui

Lizette Pompa

Steph Rose, Phase 6

Ben Bruno

Kara Duval, Range

Dr. Susie Spurlock, Supple Strength

Best of Movement Focused Episodes:

Episode 94: An Ecology of Movement with Katy Bowman 

Episode 68: One Foot in Front of the Other with Kate Kavanaugh

Episode 77: Our Relationship to Resources with Kate Kavanaugh

Episode 54: Staying Human is the Greatest Skill with Daniel Vitalis

Episode 22: Building Strength from the Inside Out with Ashleigh VanHouten

Episode 2: The Strenuous Life with Ed Roberson

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.life

Affiliates:

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. 

HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

Episode 108. (note: recorded Fall of 2024) This conversation with Alice Driver about her book Life and Death of the American Worker: The Immigrants Taking on America’s Largest Meatpacking Company delves into the often unseen and harsh realities faced by workers in the meat industry. The discussion highlights the dangerous working conditions, the isolation and fear perpetrated by meatpacking plant owners, and the challenges workers face in organizing for better labor rights. It also touches on the broader implications of the true cost of food. 

Find Alice: 

Life and Death of the American Worker: The immigrants Taking on America’s Largest Meatpacking Company by Alice Driver 

Website

Best of Exploring Labor and Working Conditions:

Episode 92: NAFTA is in All of Our Bodies with Alyshia Gálvez

Episode 90: Sh*t, Shipping, and Blood: Exploring the Ignored and Unseen with Rose George

Episode 82: Dust: Salvage, Water, and Hope with Jay Owens

Episode 81: The Tapestry of American Manufacturing with Rachel Slade

Support the Podcast:

Substack

Leave a one-time Tip