Kate Kavanaugh is an entrepreneur and regenerative agriculture advocate who co-owns and operates Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe in Denver, Colorado. Along with her partner Josh Curtiss, Kate sells fresh, local, grass-fed and pasture-raised meats that are all raised and harvested within 150 miles of Denver. Although she has been featured in such notable publications as The New York Times and Forbes, Kate is most proud of the deep connections she has formed with regenerative ranchers and farmers– and the positive impact her business has had on the land.
As you’ll hear in our conversation, Kate is deeply committed to regenerative agriculture and specifically the role that ruminants play in the health of soil and grasslands in the American West and beyond. She’s also a seasoned businesswoman who has paid her dues and suffered the bumps and bruises that come with any entrepreneurial endeavor. And it is the combination of her passion, toughness, curiosity, and willingness to think outside the box that has made Western Daughters such an inspiring success story.
I had a great time chatting with Kate, and I learned a lot from our conversation. We started by talking about the story of Western Daughters–how the business began, challenges of running a brick and mortar store, and specifics around how the company supports local agriculture. We discuss Kate’s upbringing in Colorado and how she felt a deep connection to the land and the environment from an early age. We talk about Kate’s childhood commitment to vegetarianism and why she began eating meat again at age 20. We also chat about Kate and Josh’s exciting recent purchase of a farm in upstate New York, and how they plan to balance Western Daughters with farming their new land. We discuss food’s role in mental health, and Kate graciously shares some of her daily practices that help her manage anxiety and depression. Kate is a voracious reader, so there are tons of good books mentioned– be sure the check out the episode notes for links to all the books and more. Hope you enjoy!
Photos courtesy of Kate Kavanaugh
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Episode Notes
Topics Discussed:
- 3:15 – Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe, explained
- 4:45 – Kate’s early interest in agriculture
- 6:15 – Kate’s seriousness as a child
- 8:45 – Ending her run with vegetarianism
- 10:30 – Authors that helped Kate understand regenerative ag
- 11:15 – Starting Western Daughters
- 13:15 – Tribalism around food
- 15:45 – New York Times article
- 17:45 – Working with farmers and ranchers
- 22:45 – The ins and outs of regenerative ag
- 29:15 – The challenges of explaining regenerative ag to the masses
- 30:45 – Unexpected challenges of running Western Daughters
- 34:45 – Economic challenges of regenerative ag
- 37:45 – Kate and Josh’s new farm!
- 40:15 – Realities of running a brick and mortar business
- 45:15 – Thoughts on leaving the West
- 49:00 – Advice to people who want to farm
- 53:00 – Heroes and mentors
- 55:30 – Managing mental health
- 1:00:45 – Diet’s role in mental health
- 1:03:45 – Favorite books
- 1:04:45 – Favorite documentaries
- 1:06:15 – Favorite location in the West
- 1:07:15 – Most powerful outdoor experience
- 1:08:45 – Best advice ever received
- 1:10:45 – Request of the listeners
Information Referenced:
- Kate on Instagram
- Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe
- New York Times article
- Range by David Epstein
- For the Love of Land by Jim Howell
- Wendell Berry
- Aldo Leopold
- The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan
- Melissa Clark
- EatWild.org
- Cottonwood Creek Farms
- Earl Butz
- Jim Howell interviews One and Two
- Land Institute’s roots photo
- Homestead Act
- Heather Hansman episode
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
- Wes Jackson
- Cate Havstad episode
- USDA
- AgAmerica
- Slow Money
- The Biggest Little Farm
- Clint and MaryKay Buckner
- Jillian Lukiwski episode
- Consulting the Genius of the Place by Wes Jackson
- The Land Institute
- Waking Up meditation app
- For the Love of Soil by Nicole Masters
- The Third Plate by Dan Barber
- Fantastic Fungi
- Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
- Zach Bush
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these as well:
- Cate Havstad – Cultivating Creativity & Craftsmanship
- Christine Su – The Business of Healthy Grasslands
- Sarah Wentzel-Fisher – Conservation in the Radical Center
- Emilene Ostlind – Storytelling for the New West
- Live in Bozeman – Cate Havstad, Jillian Lukiwski, Becca Skinner & Juanita Vero
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