Kate Watters & Mike Knapp
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Today, we’re trying something a little different. Instead of talking to one interesting person, we’re going to speak with two — Kate Watters and her husband, Dr. Mike Knapp, proprietors of Wild Heart Farm in Rimrock, AZ. Kate is a trained botanist and master gardener, and Mike is a naturopath and holistic physician. I met them quite by accident — they listed their farm as a place where a transient camper like myself could post up for a few nights, and something about camping at an organic neighborhood farm felt like exactly the right choice for this project.
Beyond being wonderful hosts, they’re both great cooks and amazing musicians. We had dinner a few times while I was there, and on more than one occasion, they broke out their guitars and sang in beautiful two-part harmony while I plated our meals. Their farm is an amazing little oasis in the middle of the high desert. They have gardens full of food for themselves, and Kate makes her living growing and selling stunning flower arrangements for all kinds of events.
I came to stay with them because I needed a place to stage myself while I found a more permanent spot closer to Sedona. We recorded this conversation almost two months ago, and had dinner together that night. We went shopping in their garden for our ingredients. They made beautiful battered squash blossoms stuffed with queso fresco and herbs. I made a bright and spicy posole verde using their chilis and an herb called pepicha — strong like cilantro, but without the soapiness that apparently only I can taste. After dinner, we sat in the cool autumn evening and recorded this conversation. Forgive the audio here and there — like I said, this was an experiment, and I only have two mics, so they were sharing. If you’re a Patreon subscriber, be on the lookout for some bonus content from this episode where they take us on an audio tour of their gardens. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.