This Craft Nation

On Day thirteen of the trip, we talk with Chad Rosen - founder of Victory Hemp Foods.   Chad moved from California in 2014 and put down roots in Northern Kentucky, where Victory Hemp Foods is based. Chad was on the cutting edge of developing Hemp as a legal, American crop and is dedicated to bringing hemp into the rural economy where sustainable economic development is a priority. www.victoryhempfoods.com

We talk with Wes Shugart who founded Music City Leathers, continuing an American tradition by making custom cowboy boots, by hand the old way.  Wes lends an interesting historical perspective, along with a wealth of knowledge about how custom boots go beyond fashion statements and live as an example of functional art.  www.musiccityleather.com    

In Part Two of this incredible farm-tour interview with the legendary Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms, we talk more about the overall farm rotation, but also get deeper into the food systems at large, how food gets to the consumer and how our choices can make a difference.  http://www.polyfacefarms.com/ http://www.polyfacefarms.com/joels-bio/

In Part I of a two-part interview, we tour Polyface Farms with the passionate and whip-smart, Joel Salatin, the "Lunatic Farmer."  Joel shows us everything from his cow-manure-composting pig beds to his mowing and mobbing cattle and his mobile chicken rigs, in this walking tour with loads of information about sustainable agriculture.

Kyle and Fred get a solid night of farmhouse-quality sleep in upstate New York, and enjoy a heartfelt conversation with Deanna Fox,  a food writer, teacher and a kind, supportive voice towards compelling stories and quality-driven, mindfully sourced, food and drink.

Fred and Kyle talk about the world of beer with John Holl, Co-founder and editor of Beer Edge and host of the Drink Beer, Think Beer podcast, over morning beers at Departed Soles brewery in Jersey City, New Jersey

Roger Sadowsky leads Fred and Kyle on a tour of Sadowsky Guitars in a warehouse building in Long Island, NY.  Roger is a world-renown maker, and he generously shares how his approach and methods developed over the years, including the impact of working with clients like Marcus Miller and Will Lee early in his career.  

Kyle and Fred arrive in Baltimore, MD and meet Founder and President of the American Distilling Institute Bill Owens for gin and tonics and lively conversation about brewing, distilling, photography and travel. 

Fred, Kyle, Jeff and Seth introduce the interviews from Third Man Records in the Cass Corridor of Detroit, MI.  They talk about the origin story of Third Man Records, and the context and method of pressing vinyl in the digital age.  

Fred and Kyle connect digitally and reflect on the current state of the project, how COVID-19 will impact the marketplace for makers and craftspeople, and what to expect in Season 3. 

In our final episode of this mini-series of Farm Aid interviews, we talk with Jennifer Fahy, Communications Director for Farm Aid. Jennifer helped put our whole day together and brings an interesting perspective to the entire series that balances the history of Farm Aid with their current and very forward-moving mission and message. 

At Farm Aid's 2018 Farm Advocate event, On the Road to Resilience, we were fortunate to talk with Savi Horne, Executive Director of the Land Loss Prevention Project  founded in 1982 by the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers to curtail epidemic losses of Black owned land in North Carolina.  Savi put many things into perspective, and helped us understand the severity of systemic discrimination; then and now. Joe Schroeder was the in-house Farm Advocate for Farm Aid, overseeing the hotline and working to connect farmers to the resources and organizations that could help.  Like Savi, Joe is straight and to the point; explaining several origins of farm crisis, and how the situation today is similar and different from the crisis of the eighties.  We recently learned that Joe has since gone on to work with farmers in another way.  Farm Aid wishes him well and continues to work with the passion Joe did to bring new farm advocates to the movement.

We continue our Farm Aid 2018 series of interviews from "On the Road to Resilience" with Farm Advocates from across the country, talking with Niaz Dorry, Coordinating Director at Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA) and Executive Director at National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC).  Niaz generously shares her passionate insights on the steps of Lyceum Center in Hartford Connecticut.     

Fred and Kyle chat with Chef Brandon Johns, owner of Grange Kitchen and Bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the tail end of Day Two of the original TCN trip.  Brandon and his crew have been on the bleeding edge of farm-to-table cooking for more than a decade. This rollicking conversation between old friends gets into the nitty gritty of quality and locally conscious cooking and eating; while often comically veering off into the ridiculous.    

We met with Shirley during the all-day workshop for the Farm Advocates in Farm Aid's amazing and inspiring Farm Advocate network.  Her intersection with Farm Aid began in 1986 when she was the Georgia state lead for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives at the inaugural United Farmer and Rancher Congress in 1986, in St. Louis, Missouri. Shirley's story, compassion and humility is moving and compelling.

We visit with the enthusiastically scientific and downright pro-biotic David Klingenberger of The Brinery in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Day two of our cross-country trek. David shares how a bumper crop of cabbage turned into a entrepreneurial adventure and shares his love of fermented foods in a deliciously inviting way. 

Part one of a six-part series of interviews recorded during our day with Farm Aid at their Road to Resilience workshop supporting America's agricultural heroes.  These interviews were for Craft My Under My Host magazine column in collaboration with Farm Aid.   Benny Bunting has served as RAFI-USA’s Lead Farm Advocate for over 20 years. In the course of his remarkably successful career as an advocate, Benny has assisted hundreds of family farmers. In 2008, Benny was awarded the prestigious Nancy Susan Reynolds Award for Personal Service. The organization produced a short video about Benny and his truly tremendous impact on the lives and livelihoods of family farmers.  

Day two of our original TCN trip finds us in Ann Arbor, Michigan, talking to Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman's Community of Businesses.  We start at the Roadhouse, for a sprawling tour before heading to the Deli, where it all started and eventually their Coffee Roaster and Bakehouse, where we talked to partner, Amy Eberling. Ari's unique perspective is compelling and shows through in Zingerman's vision and execution.  This is a longer interview, but a significant example of how individual entrepreneurs can impact their community.  www.zingermans.com

We enjoyed another tremendous Harvest Gathering in the fall of 2018.  We hosted a live conversation on the Farmer's Market Stage with Dede Alder and Joe Short, talking about community, art and the strength of coming together.   Dede Alder Joe Short Earthwork Harvest Gathering Earthwork Music

Fred and Kyle give their take on Day 1, and share the third interview of the day, featuring Daniel Juzwiak and Kara Aubin.  Kara | Daniel Jewelry has since morphed into Daniel Juzwiak Designs.  Daniel and Kara share their process and opinions on making modern & ethical adornment, with sustainable metals paired with ethical gemstones.  Daniel Juzwiak Designs on the Web @daniel.juzwiak.designs  Daniel Juzwiak Designs on Facebook

Fred and Kyle kickoff season two with a talk about what's been happening and what's on deck.  Michigan Brewers Guild, Farm Aid, Harvest Gathering and more...    

Victor Vague is a wet plate photographer in Kalamazoo, MI. This episode takes us back to Day one, and interview number two. Kyle and I met Victor at Earthwork Harvest Gathering 2016. Within seconds of talking to Victor, we could feel that he was the real deal; this was something genuine and something we should experience. Victor's knowledge and passion for his craft showed through so clearly that it was natural to think of him when we started to put our short list of makers together. We had just left Food Dance after a lovely talk and lunch with Julie, and met Victor in his basement studio on the East side of town.

Day 20 at Wanderlust Ironworks in San Antonio, Texas with Autumn and Simon. We were inspired and energized by the enthusiasm and passion this creative and hardworking pair put into their work. www.wanderlustironworks.com  

Joe’s first assignment as a film maker for Southern Foodways Alliance sounds like it was pretty much a dare from founder John T. Edge. Armed with not much more than a camera, a background in anthropology and a genuinely curious storyteller’s heart, Joe made Saving Seeds, which started an SFA tradition. He’s since made dozens of films, sharing the traditions and character of the region with honesty and grace. Kyle and I dropped in on Joe on Day 16 in Water Valley, Mississippi. Check out Joe’s work at www.joeyork.com and watch his inspiring films with the SFA at www.southernfoodways.org  

Fred, Kyle and Emily kick off the new year with an update from their holiday retreat at Red Horse Ranch.  Hear some beverage-fueled travel stories and learn about Emily's Mitten Beer Girl quest. www.mittenbeergirl.com www.kylebice.com   Links for this episode's featured makers Food Dance @food_dance Wanderlust Ironworks  @wanderlust_ironworks  @wanderlustiron Gravitas Drift Boats  @gravitasdriftboats

Meegan Czop runs Great Lakes Yard, which she founded to redirect lumber away from landfills by reclaiming and repurposing it for the building trades. We talked to Meegan on Day 35, the final day of our trip. There’s a lot for you to hear from everywhere in-between, as this is our 56th interview. Her enthusiasm and determination are infectious - so despite our travel patina and road fatigue, we were inspired and curious to dig into her story.

TCN14 is from day six of our trip, featuring Dale Degroff and Adam Seger. We’d been adapting to the pace of New York City, which had us hustling through public transportation and urban navigation. We arrived to the IPic theater, and followed the signs up the escalators to The Tuck Room. Adam pulled a book, pivoting it from its bottom corner, and the entire bookshelf revealed itself to be a door, opening to an expansive, magical “green room.” If you’ve had a cocktail, you have benefited from the influence of Dale DeGroff. He goes by the well-deserved moniker of King Cocktail, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that his work and his writings have directly or indirectly influenced every working bartender out there today. Adam Seger is a remarkable barman, connector and educator with a knack for bringing elegant and sophisticated presentations forward in an adventurous and comfortable way. It was a pleasure to talk to them both about cocktails, over cocktails.

This is a second act, continuing from TCN10. These two conversations are from Sunday afternoon at Harvest. We had a little extra time on our hands, so Kyle and I caught up for the first half and welcomed E-Minor for the second half of this episode.  

Kyle and I got together with Kristen and Brian for lunch during our stop in Los Angeles. We were mere hours off of our 28 hour overnight train ride from San Antonio to LA on the Texas Eagle.  We were a little blinky-eyed, but well-coffeed as we got to the restaurant, ordered food and scouted tables. I setup the wireless microphones, anxiously hoping the hustling restaurant setting would provide some cool, contextual din of ambience to complement our conversation. What can I say, I’m an optimist. That didn’t happen. There was no way were going to make it work. The table’s were packed in tight, the restaurant was full, with a line snaking towards the door, and my headphones revealed the chaos as anything but productive. Thankfully, we realized that Brian and Kristen were coming to Michigan to visit Red Horse Ranch in June, adjacent to a secret awards ceremony in Chicago, that Kristen was not yet allowed to reveal. We made the call to postpone, and I let out semi-exhausted sigh of relief. We enjoyed our lunch and time with Kristen, Brian and their son Max. This conversation took place in my dining room, a couple of months later.

Act 1 from Harvest Gathering 2017 at Earthwork Farm in Lake City, Michigan. Kyle and I took a detour this September and attended our fourth Harvest Gathering. The Harvest Gathering is a pretty remarkable experience - there are thousands of people camping across a couple hundred acres, and the farm includes four stage that welcome more than 125 acts over the course of three days.   It is a very unique village for a short period of time, filled with artists, craftspeople, and enthusiasts of all kinds. 

David’s story is an interesting one, as his path to being a community leader and philanthropist is unusual. He’s also redirected his path by listening and doing. His company, Capstone is a small non profit that has taken previously blighted or vacant lots in the Lower Ninth and developed them into productive gardens and orchards. Located in part of a food desert, Capstone grows and provides food at no cost to those who need it. You can follow us at ThisCraftNation.com or @Thiscraftnation. You can find out more about David’s work at Capstone118.org or by emailing info@capstone118.org

TCN9 includes conversation with Fred, Kyle and Emily at Red Horse Ranch, centered around Fred’s Keynote Address to the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild and his recent announcement about his future.  It’s a little longer than usual, but we hope you’ll agree it’s worth the listen.

TCN8 features Juan F. Thompson, Author & son of Hunter S. Thompson.  It’s our last content from GonzoFest 2017 -- the literary and music festival celebrating the work of Hunter, in Louisville, KY. While this was a significant milepost for our trip, and we’ve enjoyed sharing this content first - it’s actually a bit of a departure from the rest of our interviews.   When we heard they’d lined up an interview with Juan, we were excited, but I was also a little anxious.  I didn’t really know his story, and hadn’t read his book.  I took a deep breath and focused on a bit of an internal conversation. A little threadbare from the trip, I was also pretty into the interview groove, having just conducted just under twenty interviews in the thirteen days prior.  I thought aloud, “we’re going to count on the air of curiosity.”  Kyle and I joined up with Juan after his panel discussion in the Louisville Free Library, and headed to the basement for a chat, which included our new friend Lara from LEO Weekly.  Here’s Juan www.gonzofestlou.com Stories I Tell Myself - Juan F. Thompson

This is TCN7, which includes Acts I & II of GonzoFest in three acts.  In this episode, Kyle and I talk to the founders of GonzoFest, a music and literary festival in Louisville, celebrating the work of Hunter S. Thompson.  GonzoFest lived as a bit of a half-way point on our horizon  — It was Day fourteen for us, so we were well into the thick of acquiring “Travel patina.”  We were also fiercely curious, as we really didn’t know what we were headed into.  Emily joined us that morning, and held down the fort at a TCN booth, as we got a chance to talk with the Denny and Ron who started this festival seven years ago.  We also got to talk with Hunter’s son, Juan - who’s featured in Act III which will be in TCN8.    www.gonzofestlou.com http://www.tappingmyownphone.com/bio/  

The is the first full interview we're sharing from the trip, and it features Gregory Davis, founding member and trumpet player for the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band of New Orleans. Gregory sat with Fred and Kyle on the patio of the Maple Leaf Bar on Oak Street. The band is celebrating forty remarkable years of music this year, and Gregory generously shares the history of how they came together and how their early days of rehearsal-like jam sessions blended the music of traditional brass bands,R & B, and jazz created the Dirty Dozen Brass Band as we know them.  They’re an ingenious mix, combining and enlivening traditional methods with a modern perspective and approach.  They’ve not only created an entire segment or style of music, they’ve also brought daylight to instruments and historical music that could’ve long since gone away. www.dirtydozenbrass.com @dirtydozenbrass

Fred and Kyle talk with vidographers Jeff Hage and Seth Thompson about life, light, collaboration, and the art of it all on Day 12 in Louisville, Kentucky from the hourse recently dubbed, Gonzo House Green Frog Photo Beer Portraits

Fred and Kyle checking in at the end of day five from Brooklyn, NY.  Sharing stories, looking back and looking forward.  

This Craft Nation’s third episode, coming from Amtrak Train number 30, the Capitol Limited , between days three and four of what will be thirty five days out.  We were running the rails from Toledo to Washington DC, on our first overnight train before connecting to Baltimore.  Kyle and I sat in the closed club car a little after Midnight to share some stories and themes from the first few days out on the road discovering This Craft Nation.

Fred, Kyle and Emily talk over coffee, beer and whiskey about how the plans are coming together and how their search for Nick Offerman relates to the Kiss Army.  Were close - we’re excited and ready to share even more content from the road and rails. 

On TCN 1, we share our ideas about how This Craft Nation came to be, what we hope to accomplish and a whole bunch of other stuff.  Buy the ticket, take the ride.