Mind, Body, and Soil

Heather Hansman knows a thing or two about water. Adventurer, writer, and journalist, Heather Hansman embarked on a journey some years ago to raft the length of the Green River from the headwaters in Wyoming down through Utah. Along the way, she looked at shareholders along the length of the river: ranchers and ag, fisheries and fisherman, outdoorsmen and recreational users, rural and urban endeavors - and she puts it all together in her beautiful book Down River. Heather has also recently published Powder Days and her wonderful essays are found in publications from Outside to Scientific American. We talk a lot about water in the West - especially as the 100 year anniversary of the Colorado River Compact, which determined how the Colorado River water would be divided between 7 states, comes around this year. We dive into where that compact stands now and the issues facing water rights in the West now and in coming years. We also talk about how we connect to water - which is often through our time in nature. We dig into Heather’s adventures, connection to nature,  seasonal living, and so much more.

We Also Talk About

• Our brains and bodies on nature - from cold plunges and beyond
• How to connect to local water initiatives
• & so much more!
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Resources:

Instagram: @hhansman

Heatherhansman.com

Scott Carney’s The Wedge

Wintering by Catherine May

Further Reading:

• Down River by Heather Hansman
• Powder Days by Heather Hansman
• Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner
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Instagram: @groundworkcollective

Find a Farm: nearhome.groundworkcollective.com

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Podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting: groundworkcollective.com/disclaimer

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Lynn Goodwin and Kim Welch are helping others connect to their health, the land, and their dharma - and they started with ghee. Farmtrue founders Lynn and Kim wanted to share the Ayurvedic principles that had changed their lives and knew that ghee was the perfect gateway - but their business stretches far beyond their 100% grass-fed and grass-finished ghee. In this episode, we let a lot of truths bubble up to the surface. We talk about living in connection with the seasons and nature and the basics of Ayurveda. We have a very open conversation about what it means to really source from local farmers and to be true to your mission as a business. We get vulnerable about the triumphs, hardships, and evolution of small business ownership. Not to mention - a deep dive into fat and ghee.

We Also Talk About:

• Finding spirituality and connection in nature
• Separating your value from your business
• Living out your dharma
• Seeking balance and harmony in mind, body, and soil.
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Resources:

Instagram: @farmtrue

Farmtrue.com

15% discount on all Farmtrue products with code ‘KATEKAV15’

Join the Ground Work Collective:

Instagram: @groundworkcollective

Find a Farm: nearhome.groundworkcollective.com

Podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting: groundworkcollective.com/disclaimer

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Brad Marshall knows a thing or two about fat. Farmer, butcher, chef, and molecular biologist; Brad has looked at fat through a lot of different lenses. He is known for his work around diets low in polyunsaturated fatty acids, more commonly known as PUFAs. We dig deep on the detrimental effects these are having on human, and even animal, health. Whether looking at PUFAs in vegetable oils or corn and soy fed hogs, we explore just how PUFAs are changing us.

We also get to explore how Brad translated his knowledge of PUFAs into his farming practices with pigs, exploring mob rotational grazing pigs and the incredible intuition of a hog’s palate for plants. We look at how the American, and even the global, diet has changed over the years and its implications for health. We dig into the financial model around farming, butcher shops, and the need for financial sustainability to exist alongside environmental sustainability.

Not to mention - we have a fair bit of fun - put two butchers and farmers in a conversation and watch as Brad breaks down a complicated topic with a lot of levity. This is a great episode for those that want to dig really deep into the science of fat and the art of raising pigs.

We Also Talk About

• History of the food system
• The Croissant Diet
• & more
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Resources:

Instagram: @fire_inabottle

Twitter: @fire_bottle

Fireinabottle.net

https://firebrandmeats.com

Join the Ground Work Collective:

Instagram: @groundworkcollective

Find a Farm: nearhome.groundworkcollective.com

Episode Webpage

Shele Jessee is a polymath. Rancher, shepherd, tanner, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and beyond, Shele Jessee of Hollow Bone shares a peek into her philosophy and life in the Central Coast of California. We talk about her journey back to the land and into the world of ranching alongside stories around the state of drought and trust in rural communities in the West. Shele weaves the magic of turning her relationship with nature tactile through hide tanning and slow fashion. We dive into reciprocal relationships - both on and off the land. Shele shares her ideas around creating and finding beauty in the every day - ideas that I’m sure will resonate with all listeners.

We Also Talk About

• Ranching on leased land
• Supply chains
• Intuition and living a life full of feeling
• Entrepreneurship
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Resources:

Instagram: @_hollowbone_

hollowboneonline.com

Join the Ground Work Collective:

Instagram: @groundworkcollective

Find a Farm: nearhome.groundworkcollective.com

More: groundworkcollective.com

Podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting: groundworkcollective.com/disclaimer

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Alicia Brown is rooted in intention and it translates to every aspect of her farm, Edible Uprising, in Troy, NY. In this podcast, we start from the ground up, exploring how Alicia and her husband, Ben, approached starting a vegetable farm with over 150 weekly CSA  shares on just an acre of land. It all starts with soil, and we cover the way they care for the soil food web first on their farm. The result? The most delicious and nutrient dense vegetables and vibrant flowers you’ve ever seen. And it’s no coincidence - we discuss how the decline in soil health has directly correlated to the decline in nutrient density in our food. We also dive into what it means to run a human powered farm and to care for our bodies as farmers, what regenerating farmland across the country might look like, about efficiency and functionality and where beauty fits in, and so much more.

We Also Talk About

• Human powered farming
• Looking at soil testing
• The loss of nutrients in soil and food
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Resources:

Instagram: @edibleuprisingfarm

Edibleuprisingfarm.com

Join the Ground Work Collective:

Instagram: @groundworkcollective

Find a Farm Near You: nearhome.groundworkcollective.com

More: groundworkcollective.com

Podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting: groundworkcollective.com/disclaimer

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Ed Roberson, host of the Mountain and Prairie podcast and Conservation Director at the Palmer Land Conservancy, shares his journey through both his personal and professional life. We weave through Ed’s career in real estate that led him into conservation work in the West and his personal evolution and exploration in everything from ultramarathons to meditation. Ed is as inspiring as he is dynamic, as dedicated a father as he is a storyteller, and as voracious a reader as he is a conservationist.

We Also Talk About

• Meditation, breathwork, running
• Creating a practice around reading
• Rising above distraction
• Teddy Roosevelt
• Water rights in the West
• Conservation work
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Resources:

Instagram: @mtnprairie

Podcast/Book Recs/Good News in the West: mountainandprairie.com

Show Links:

Free Will by Sam Harris

Strenuous Life Speech by Theodore Roosevelt

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams 

Join the Ground Work Collective:

Instagram: @groundworkcollective

Find a Farm Near You: nearhome.groundworkcollective.com

More: groundworkcollective.com

Podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting: groundworkcollective.com/disclaimer

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In this inaugural solo episode, I cover my personal journey while weaving in the themes of mind, body, and soil that we’ll explore in future episodes. I talk about how my curiosity around nature and the meat industry led me to a career in regenerative agriculture, the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and how working with regenerative farms and seeing nature’s incredible resiliency taught me about my own resiliency. This first episode is part my own human journey, part history of agriculture, and part the mirror that nature holds up for us to find our own nature.

Resources:

Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Westerndaughters.com, nearhome.groundworkcollective.com

Join the Ground Work Collective:

Instagram: @groundworkcollective

Find a Farm Near You: nearhome.groundworkcollective.com

More: groundworkcollective.com

Podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting: groundworkcollective.com/disclaimer

Episode Webpage

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