Ep 082 Hermit Pond Farm: Cashmere, Kashmir and Houses of the Holy
No, we’re not in India for this one, if you wondered about that after that title. We’re closer to Rhinebeck, New York for this week’s podcast. On October 17-18 the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival will be held – albeit virtually – so we’re taking you back to remember the fun from last year. We’re celebrating all things fiber, including the beloved cashmere sweater. Okay, so this podcast is not so much focusing on the sweater (that’s Elara’s vote), as it is foc...
28 Sep 202022min
Ep 081 The Morgan, Part 2: I Walk the Line (and trot, and gallop)
Justin Morgan DID have a horse. And it was a beauty. One of the quintesenntially American breeds, the Morgan horse sprang from the loins of a stallion named Figure, a.k.a. Justin Morgan(‘s) Horse. And that was not the only Spring that Sprung, as anything that trots or drives in North America probably can thank Mr. Morgan, piano teacher and blacksmith on-the-side for participating in the cancellation of debt through livestock trading, leading to a subsequent horse breeding ca...
21 Sep 202034min
Ep 080 Dawn Wind Morgans: Justin Morgan Was a Composer...But We All Remember the Horse
This week is the first part of two on the indomitable little powerhouse horse known as the Morgan. Justin Morgan probably would have done just fine as a composer and the local town clerk, but he did have an equine that became much better known than he was (thank you, Marguerite Henry). We met up with Pam McDermott of Dawn Wind Morgans in Myrtle Creek, Oregon in the summer of 2017. Pam graciously sat down and spoke with us about the connection she feels with this little hors...
14 Sep 202040min
Ep 079 Is New Coke ever the same as Old Coke?
The Labor Day holiday here in the United States is a time to remember the contributions of the everyday workers to the building of our country, and to tip our hats to the labor movement. The first week in September is the point in time to remember other things as well – the unofficial end of summer, the start of school, and the moment where it becomes gauche to wear white in the traditional fashion universe. Having come from Eastern stock, there’s more than a little of that last t...
7 Sep 202025min
Ep 078 Bentwood Alpacas & Yaks: The New Bos – Not the Same as the Old Bos
The Great American Cattle Drive 2020 was an exciting trip for us, with farm visits to see American Milking Devons, Ancient White Park Cattle, and Yaks. Wait – Yaks? Okay, so the “Cattle” in “Cattle Drive” part was a little fast and loose on the list near the end (we try not to limit ourselves, if you can tell). The genus “Bos” does include cattle, aurochs, bison and yaks, but yaks, including “Bos grunniens” are technically not in the “cattle” clump, so we stretching GACD a l...
31 Aug 202039min
Ep 077 Fires In California: Thinking Of Our Friends
As we watched the news and saw the fires ravaging over one million acres in California this past week, all Elara and I could think of were some of the people we've met along our journeys, and their proximity to the danger zone. The fires in the west have only gotten worse each year. Whether you believe in climate change or not, there is one thing for certain...weather patterns are changing. If it's severe rain and flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes, or fires...it not only affects p...
24 Aug 202016min
Ep 076 Seed Savers Exchange: Into the Wild. Yes, we’re referring to a cow.
We’re back! When all was said and done, the Great American Cattle drive chalked up 8,500 miles, 22 states, 38 days and a partridge in a pear tree. And everything the caretakers (nieces and nephews) were in charge of was still alive upon our return – plus a few extra as-yet-to-be-determined biting things inhabiting the house. We still don’t know what those are, but we do know that when things change in nature – subtractions (us) and additions (the kids) – it can sometimes imp...
17 Aug 202049min
Ep 075 The Oregon Trail: You have died of Cholera. Or Heat. Or Sturgis.
Rick, Elara, Little Mule (newly named car) and Bessie (not-quite-newly named trailer) are nearly home after almost 6 weeks on the road on the Great American Cattle Drive 2020. After a quick detour across historic Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California, they have decided that they definitely have the good life travelling in the modern age. Especially with air conditioning. The Oregon Trail. The California Trail. The Mormon Trail. The Bozeman Trail.&n...
10 Aug 20208min
