219. The Mail Run: From Churchtown Dairy

This week we’ve got some special news, and a mail run. That is, I reply to some of the text messages coming from you through the new link in our episode show notes. And I’m coming to you from the extraordinary Churchtown Dairy in New York, after attending an event last night at their amazing barn venue, with guest-of-honour, the globally renowned author and previous podcast guest, Judith Schwartz.

This episode has chapter markers and a transcript, if you’d like to navigate the conversation that way (available on most apps now too). The transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully provides greater access for those who need or like to read.

Recorded 29 August 2024.

Title slide: Yours truly in the farmhouse reading room where this was recorded (pic: Olivia Cheng).

See more photos on the website, and for more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
By Jeremiah Johnson.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests (thanks to Josie Symons).

Thanks for listening!

Chapters

• 0:00 Some special news
• 4:20 First mail
• 10:15 Second mail

Transcript

AJ: 0:06

Hey there, Anthony James, here for The RegenNeration with a brief mid-week bulletin of sorts coming to you from the extraordinary Churchtown Dairy in New York State. It's the night after an event here featuring the brilliant author Judith Schwartz, who wrote Cows ave the Planet, ater in Plain Sight and more recently the Reindeer Chronicles which you might remember hearing about in episode 175 last year. We've been staying with Judith and her wonderful husband, brilliant author in his own right, Tony Eprile, up in Vermont but came down for this event as she was a special guest of honor. It was a beautiful event and just stunning to hear about what's happening here at the dairy too. I'll have more from here on the substance of that later, but I'll put a link in the show notes for now as well.

AJ: 0:58

So, excuse the voice a little, I'm a bit rough. It's been a big week actually. It was only yesterday morning that I was filming with another previous guest on the podcast from episode 193, New York filmmaker John Feldman. He graciously filmed for Australian Story, the brilliant national program on ABC, a national broadcaster back home in Australia, because they are going to do an episode on Kachana Station Australia. Because they are going to do an episode on Kachana Station, one of the most popular and captivating stories ever on this podcast and I was on the interview list but of course not at home. So John kindly filmed an interview over Zoom here in New York State and it was an early start to make the time zones work and it's been a big week in general. So yes, there's a little fatigue, but also it means the next full episode will be next week, A heck of a story on the Great Buffalo Restoration on the Great Plains of the US Turtle Island. So stand by for that.

AJ: 1:56

But I want to talk a little more to where I am before I go on with what I wanted to share on this episode primarily. I wanted to share on this episode primarily. I'm in, I guess, a sort of library reading room of the farmhouse guest house they've got here at Churchtown. It's a pretty small room books on the shelves surrounding me, all four walls stacked floor to ceiling, a couple of stately windows that face out to the grounds, lovely, tight sound, which just made me want to sit in here forever and pull out the microphone to speak to you from here. And it's in the house. I believe that Abby Rockefeller herself stays in when she's here. She's the owner of the estate here. Apparently it's been in the family a while but now doing some extraordinary regenerative stuff. Don't know the deeper story yet, but I'll be meeting some people later and and, like I said, we'll share more from here later.

AJ: 2:49

But just this ambience in here is stunning and it's I mean it's pretty stately building and to go into the bathroom and there are dry toilets which, coming off the back of some conversations I've been having around here already about how good we are at dry toilets now, how crazy it is, we still crap in our drinking water it was great to see, particularly when you least expect it, in a pretty well-to-do, immaculately renovated farmhouse. And what we'll also do shortly is have breakfast and I've seen some raw milk from here in the fridge which you can sell in New York State and I'm told people actually cross the border to buy it in New York State. I'm also told there are some other places back home in Australia that sell it under the guise of bathing milk because you can't sell it any other way, but indeed people drink it. Anyway, the more we're learning about the microbiome, the more all this starts to sound important and make sense. So this non-milk drinker will try some of that later too. And back on the event venue, before I let that go, a huge dome housed barn that is the winter home for the cows and that doesn't even stop the events rolling in there. They sing to the cows, but they also have Shakespeare playing out of there. Last Night's Event with Judy, of course, concerts and in itself it's a visual extravaganza, and the centrepieces you approach as you come in from the road. Yeah, have a look at the photos if you can, and, of course, check out their website, with thanks to Grace and the team for having us here and to Judy and Tony.

AJ: 4:26

So this week you may have noticed in a recent episode that I responded to the first bit of fan mail, quote unquote, I'd received. That's the name my host podcast platform, buzzsprsprout, has given the new facility they've introduced. It's a single click function in the show notes enabling you to text the show directly from wherever you are. But I can't reply there, so instead I replied to that first anonymous message in show. Since then, a couple more pieces of fan mail have arrived and it's been wonderful to receive. So after wondering how best to do this more systematically, I thought I'd create this little bulletin dedicated to responding to you On that note, then. Thanks, ernie, for your message.

AJ: 5:10

A couple of weeks ago, after listening to the re-release of my conversation with Alan Savory Hi, anthony. I just after listening to the re-release of my conversation with Alan Savory Hi, anthony. I just finished listening to the Alan Savory episode where he put the burden of fixing the lot on you personally. He was right, I believe any one person can make a difference. Why not you? Was wondering if you'd thought more about it, about taking that on and what you might do about it, was wondering if there's anything I could do to help or support you. I'm not sure I'd be one of those five to six people who could get the Prime Minister's ear and get things rolling although stranger things have happened but I can sign a petition, write a letter or show up if you need me. I'll assume you're thinking I'm crazy and I am a little, but mainly I don't want to go out in paralysis either. I'm a single mum of two and the only thing I can truly do for my kids is get off the effing fence. Keep up the great work and don't underestimate yourself. Regards, ernie. Thanks a lot, ernie.

AJ: 6:12

Your last few lines there are really moving and, oh yeah, I've thought a lot about Alan's words since then. That conversation was back at the end of 2020, and it's been the subject of many others I've had since with others about taking that on, as you put it. It's funny that I'm replying to you now too, in a way in the wake of last week's episode from Aldo Leopold's shack, to you now too, in a way in the wake of last week's episode from Aldo Leopold's shack. My guest in that episode was Katie Ross, and her question that I ended up making the episode opener was along the lines of what regenerative impact an individual can have in just acting or writing or whatever in their most authentic and passionate way, just following the call and offering it to the world as fully as possible. Given Aldo's and Alan's enormous impact though never done alone, of course I believe Alan was right, too, that any one person can make a difference in this way. So for me, how this has played out since has been partly with the podcast, of course. How this has played out since has been partly with the podcast, of course, partly with the gambles. My family and I have taken with that, and to do it on location, with people in their places, that still feels important and transformative, partly with taking on other roles I'd never done before. I still don't market myself as an MC, for example, but when it comes to events and people I believe in, I'm there and I'm there and I'm just glad I haven't made a mess of any so far, as far as I can tell at least, and on that explicitly political level Alan was talking about. Well, I'm yet to meet a Prime Minister, even though one granted me an award in his name once, but I think I and so many others have helped reshape what is expected of the office since that chat with Alan.

AJ: 7:57

I'm talking primarily about the community independence movement that's taken off since, including in our federal seat of Curtin. You may have heard some of the stories on the podcast. There'll be more too, I can tell you when we get home in the lead up to the 2025 federal election, as the movement only continues to grow, and fast. It's been part of many conversations here too, I can tell you leading up to this federal election in the US in November. More on that soon too.

AJ: 8:25

Incidentally, I always feel like saying I'm not against any other party or candidates. Mostly, I'm for democracy, and this movement is proving to be the major circuit breaker in regenerating our democracy right now in Australia, and that is good for all of us. I've a feeling it will also mean no major party has a majority government for a while in Australia from 2025. And the notion of a parliament operating like a parliament, like where we respectfully and constructively talk with each other to best overall outcomes. I'd give anything for that, and maybe me personally. Meeting a Prime Minister isn't as important in this context. If my genuinely representative MP is doing that, if power is more dispersed generally among other genuinely representative MPs and so on, perhaps my role best assists to create those conditions in other ways and to help others get better at creating those conditions. Maybe some of us break through to Alan Savory-like influence, but I think the key to regeneration is when the rest of the village can and does make it happen everywhere together, and on that, thanks so very much for your offer of support together. And on that, thanks so very much for your offer of support.

AJ: 9:43

Knowing that you're listening means a lot. Of course, as it is, you could support financially by becoming a subscribing member if you can, but it sounds like you've got enough on your plate, so no pressure there. You can share the podcast. Of course. That can be a lovely and important way to extend the gift and stand by for a few other things in the pipeline, including some more interactive stuff with subscribers. Then, of course, we can get behind our local independent candidates and farmers and everything else. Don't hesitate to keep in touch if you feel something cool and keep me posted on what getting off the fence turns into for you.

AJ: 10:18

I'd love to hear and from Catherine Dolphin, also the podcast's newest subscriber and the source of the original anonymous mail. I've just learned this time Catherine wrote Hi, I've been listening to your podcast as I plant trees in Pilliger outback, new South Wales. I've just subscribed as I appreciated your way of being in conversation and it occurred to me to suggest my daughter's co-op, the Community Power Agency. Her name is Jarrah Hicks. They're engaged with our leaders to consult community in the transition. Your talking with Paul Hawken made me think you'd be inspired knowing what they're doing. Blessings on all your endeavours, catherine. Thanks so much, catherine. Really good of you to say and really good of you to subscribe. Both are very much appreciated. And, jeez, I love hearing stories like yours of how and where you tune in Nice to learn of Pilliger too. I hope I'm pronouncing that right From a quick search online looks like a very special place.

AJ: 11:20

Doesn't your message relate back powerfully to Ernie's too? And, for that matter, the independents movement given Helen Haines, leading voice in parliament for community stake in the energy transition? Yes, I'm very interested in Jarra's work in the agency. I was just saying to my wife, Olivia, the other day that an area I used to spend a lot of time in was the energy transition, but while it's been present in the podcast, it's been less covered in a direct sense since the podcast started. I used to write more about it prior to that, but I can sense the time coming to bring that focus up a little. Given the energy source switch itself won't regenerate life, but the ways we do the switch can. Would love to speak with Jarra about it sometime after returning home. Meantime blessings your way too, and to you all thanks for listening to the first Mail Run episode and see you next week.