MIND + BODY
the Strenuous Life with
Ed Roberson
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.
- Instagram: @mtnprairie
- Podcast/Book Recs/Good News in the West: mountainandprairie.com
- Instagram: @groundworkcollective
- Find a Farm Near You: nearhome.groundworkcollective.com
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Podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting: groundworkcollective.com/disclaimer
Welcome to Mind, Body, and Soil. Join me, Kate Kavanaugh, a farmer, entrepreneur, and holistic nutritionist, as I get curious about human nature, health, and consciousness as viewed through the lens of nature. At its heart, this podcast is about finding the threads of what it means to be humans woven into this earth. I’m digging into deep and raw conversations with truly impactful guests that are laying the ground work for themselves and many generations to come. We dive into topics around farming, grief, biohacking, regenerative agriculture, spirituality, nutrition, and beyond. Get curious and get ready with new episodes every Tuesday!
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
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:
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