On this episode of “Death in The Garden,” we spoke with farmer, butcher, and brilliant fellow podcaster, Kate Kavanaugh. Kate is the founder of Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe, located in Denver, CO, creator of the amazing podcast called “Ground Work” which discusses and circumambulates three interconnected themes: mind, body, and soil, as well as a farmer based in New York. The way Kate sees the world is illuminating and refreshing, and we had an instant connection after our first conversation. This episode is one of many we hope to share with Kate.

This episode travels into pretty controversial territory, where we openly discuss our thoughts about abortion, sex, and death and the role that these taboos play in our lives. We discuss what it means to be “resourced” enough to bear or raise children, the importance of choice, and how language informs (or misinforms) our understanding of these deeply challenging topics that pervade this current moment. We deep dive into what undergirds the debate between pro-life and pro-choice, which is fundamentally based around our conceptions of life and death. Where does life begin? When is death not a death, or life not a life? What are we avoiding when we ask these questions rather than sitting with the uncomfortable reality that death is part of life? We also discuss life and death in the context of a farm, we talk about the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, how engaging with death can help us understand our place in the cosmos, and so much more.

Find Kate on Instagram and listen to her fantastic podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

Editing: Jake Marquez

Outro music: “Blinding” by Florence + The Machine

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#41 Kate Kavanaugh - Sex, Birth, Death, and Other Desired Nutrients