Words & Photos by: Kate Kavanaugh
of Ground Work & Western Daughters
Josh and I met eleven years ago. He’s a master carpenter, and I’m a photographer/writer/nutritionist. Together, we also work as chefs, butchers, and—most recently—farmers.
Seven years ago, we opened Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe in Denver, Colorado. Our goal from the outset was to bring meat to market that was good for the land, good for the animals, and good for our health. We started from the soil and worked our way up, partnering with ranchers who shared our principles along the way. At the time of this writing, we’ve put over five million dollars back into the hands of regenerative ranchers to help fund environmentally sound grazing and agricultural practices.
About a year ago, we decided it was our turn to work the land. We purchased a small farm in upstate New York and began experimenting with our own regenerative methods. We’ve spent years visiting farms and learning from the industry’s innovators; now, we’re developing our own techniques—finding new ways to raise livestock, new ways to nourish the soil and the grass, and new ways to prepare our product.
As regenerative farmers, we’re always trying to think 100 years into the future. We know the work we put in today will have an impact on tomorrow; that the soil we cultivate now will be capturing carbon for years. Knowing that we’re laying the groundwork for future generations keeps us motivated—even when the going gets tough.
That impulse to look ahead is what keeps us coming back to Taylor Stitch time and time again. We need clothes that work as hard as we do—that can stand up to a full day in the field and won’t end up in a landfill in a year or two. So far, our TS gear has survived just about everything under the sun: wrangling cattle and pigs, working with our hands in the harsh northern winters, and innumerable days in the dirt. Longevity aside, we know that Taylor Stitch cares about how their materials are sourced, how their products are made, and what kinds of relationships they’re building along the way. Those considerations are central to the work we do, both as butchers and as farmers, and it feels good to support a brand that shares our values.
We want people to trust in our process and our products just like we’ve come to trust Taylor Stitch. It’s been a long journey, and it’s far from over, but that’s all right by us—as long as we keep looking ahead, we’ll never run out of steam.
