Episode #160

Kate Kavanaugh

Overcoming Fears Surrounding Death, The Sixth Mass Extinction, Becoming a Butcher and Farmer, and More

There’s this elegant conversation that’s happening between our environment and our biology and our mental health at any given moment. Click To Tweet

Farmer, butcher, and butcher shop owner, Kate Kavanaugh and her husband have been an incredible mentor and resource to Martha and I as we start our farm.

We met years ago when Kate ran her butcher shop, Western Daughters, in Denver and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

Her evolution is insanely impressive and inspiring.

She’s really been a guiding light in helping us figure out so many things on our farm.

In this episode, Kate and I dive into a ton of different and great topics like how the move from city life to farm life has been, the importance of regenerative agriculture for the planet and population, Kate’s fears surrounding death and how she overcame them, the sixth mass extinction, and her personal journey from being a vegetarian to becoming a butcher and farmer.

Our environment is dictating a lot of our biology. Click To Tweet

Kate also shares how her farm is doing, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and what she would tell people who would like to start a farm of their own.

Here’s a peek at the episode breakdown:

  • What Kate does and how she defines herself
  • How Kate’s various backgrounds attributed to her evolution and the common threads that connected all of the pieces
  • The fears Kate experienced surrounding death
  • The sixth mass extinction and how this affects us
  • The stories that were pervasive in Kate’s life surrounding death
  • Kate’s incredible journey from being a vegetarian to becoming a butcher and farmer
  • What the transition to becoming a meat eater felt like
  • How Kate ended up opening a butcher shop
  • The biggest lessons Kate’s learned along this journey
  • The point Kate realized that she needed to produce the meat she sells
  • What it was like for Kate to move from Denver to a farm in upstate New York
  • What it’s like living in a rural community
  • How can someone live this lifestyle when they also need to make an income?
  • What Kate’s farming experience has been like so far
  • What Kate did when faced with the tough decision of what to do with a pet goat that passed away in a tragic accident on her farm
  • Building spirituality
  • Kate’s future plans over the next several years
  • More about Farm Finder, including what that is and why it’s so beneficial for people looking for locally-sourced, ethically-raised meat

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