Farming God

Subscribe for Steve Ray updates at https://tinyletter.com/FarmingGod​ . My great great grandma left the White Earth Reservation in 1915 and our family has never returned. I’m turning 30 and am biking back. Amidst statistical poverty, attacks on Ojibwe culture, and a century of land theft, White Earth, Minnesota is rich in natural beauty and the people carry a truth that they will share if you listen. Donate to Niijii radio here: http://www.niijiiradio.com/​ Subscribe for Steve updates at https://tinyletter.com/FarmingGod​ Thanks to the Ojibwe People’s dictionary for providing the Ojibwe chapter titles. You can look up Ojibwe words and pronunciation here: https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/​ Thanks to my grandma, Maggie Rousu, Merlin Deegan, Joe Allen, Father Joe and the White Earth community. Thanks to Alex. Finally, thanks to my family: past, present, and future, for keeping the threads together.

Follow @St3veRay and subscribe to the email list to hear about upcoming projects.    Featured in this episode: Essential Everyday Mini Pretzels      The End.

David Sleeper is a dog trainer, writer, and philosopher. We spoke a few months back in an abandoned air force base in the high desert of West Texas about David Sleeper’s new book: Imprinting Morality in dogs and humans. Sleeper hopes to have his website i-am-paradox.com live by the end of the week. Learn more about Steve Ray Media here. 

Steve considers money, weather, and the future of podcasting. Sign up for the newsletter EVERYONE is talking about at FarmingGod.org    

The Deep North podcast has launched. On computer> http://deepnorthpodcast.com/ On iPhone> https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-north/id1357648245?ls=1 But Farming god isn't going anywhere. Stay tuned.  Jay Walljasper (author of The Great Neighborhood Book) and Alexandra Connett (Minneapolis transplant) make a case for a city beyond cows, cold, and camp snoopy. Before moving to Minneapolis, Alexandra had no expectations for Minnesota, "Everyone was asking me why I was moving to the middle of nowhere." Since arriving, her experience has been much different than she had imagined.  Walljasper says Alexandra isn't a unique case and that this perception is partially Minnesotans fault. In the age of social media and the brand called you "it's time that MSP set aside its suburban sensibility and proudly say we are a city."  Music by Zack Baltich and intro music by Enjoy the Cat Click here to learn more about Jay Walljasper

Music by: Paul Spring https://paulspring.bandcamp.com/ Paintings by: Sophia http://sophiaheymans.com/ Recipe developed by: https://farminggod.org/

A historical Christmas story featuring everyone’s favorite deer. Stay informed at https://farminggod.org/ Long before the historical Jesus and Black Friday, stories held special significance during this part of the year, the darkest days of winter, the solstice, a time to celebrate the coming of light.  In the 4th century Pope Julius I declared that the 25th of December be the celebration of Jesus’s birth. The timing worked nicely for evangelists, presumably making the pagan to christian conversion an easier sell. When Christianity came to America, the puritans banned Christmas for dislike of decadence.  From 1659 to 1681, Boston residents were fined for displaying Christmas spirit. Contemporary American Christmas is an entity of its own, resting on the shoulders of Charles Dickens and department store jingles. Rudolph originally appeared in a 1939 advertisement for Montgomery Ward, a department store. If we are, after all, living according to a story, we may as well choose a fantastic one.  Public Domain Audio files found at: https://librivox.org/character-building-by-booker-t-washington/ https://librivox.org/the-wind-among-the-reeds-by-william-butler-yeats/ https://librivox.org/ogura-hyakunin-isshu-by-fujiwara-no-teika/ https://librivox.org/search?q=farming&search_form=advanced https://archive.org/details/78_rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer_spike-jones-and-his-city-slickers-rudolph-himself_gbia0018975b

Ruby and Jessica drill holes in the Dakota access pipeline. After limited success in public hearings, encampments, petitions, marches, and rallies, the two admitted to non violent sabotage. In this episode, the two speak publicly about the success they experienced during their 8-month long property destruction campaign, including the piercing of empty & exposed DAPL pipeline valves, as well as setting fire to pipeline machinery. Since coming forward, their home has been raided by the FBI, the two have been named as individuals in a federal lawsuit and both are facing future federal indictment.  Musings to consider: “The duty of privilege is absolute integrity” - John O'Donohue “as the rising smoke of an offering through the sun door, do goes the hero, released from the ego” - Joseph Campbell Hero with a thousand faces “The work is not yours to finish. But neither are you to take no part in it.” -Rabbi Tarfon I’m not condemning what the women did, I’m not condoning it either. But I’d like to talk about it. Email me: steve@farminggod.com with any thoughts. Music by Paul Spring and Brian Thavis. Thanks to the Minneapolis Catholic Workers. 

Russians in rural Wisconsin- celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the Russian Revolution. What did this revolutionary era mean to the people of 20th century Russia? And what does it mean to you and I as we pursue happiness in the land of the free? Former episodes featuring rural Wisconsin ‘Ice age trail’, ‘Cardinal Directions’, and ‘Silicon Valley Fox’ Russian Revolution 1905-1921 By Dr. Mark Steinberg  Country strummin’ by Chip The rest of the the spectacular music by members of the Midwest Bard Club.

Nuns, walkers, bikers, protesters, recreational philosophers, river people feat. Minneapolis and the Mississippi River  Music by Steve

The Minnesota State Fair, "The great Minnesota get together" Studio music by Brian Thavis

The sly ghost of Menlo Park slinks cross country to Wisconsin This episode contains harsh language Thanks to Adam, Gretchen, Sam Music by Brian Travis More on Firewood Farming 

I went camping in the boundary waters. The wilderness and conversations that filled my time lead me to consider climate change in a new way. This story includes a conversation on  Naomi Klein’s 2014 book, This Changes Everything. Smoke signals at farminggod.org  Music by Brian Travis Thank you Collin.

Eight months ago Brian Clark moved to Song of the Morning yoga retreat center in upper Michigan- an ideal space to live his contemplative vocation of meditation, consciousness, and creativity.  Begin meditating:  Because of my time at Song of the Morning Yoga Retreat, I reestablished my contemplative practice (at least for now). If you are interested in beginning a contemplate practice, here are a few resources that were helpful for me along with a few books Brian recommended. Resources: Be Here Now by Ram Dass Mysticism: A study in Mans Spiritual Consciousness by Evelyn Underhill The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity by David Lynch Farming god episodes: • Meditation Pt.1 • Meditation Pt. 2 Thanks to everyone at song of morning for their hospitality. Music by Isak Sommer More helpful tidbits at Farminggod.org 

A yoga retreat in America and the people figuring out what this means. Thanks to everyone at Song of the Morning Yoga Center. Smoke signals at farminggod.org

A yoga retreat center, the McDonalds corporation, and the trees (deciduous and coniferous) that make sense of it all. Peter Block Community: The structure of belonging Music by Isak Sommer covering Elliot Smith Thanks to Dorothy and Song of the morning

Smoke signals on FarmingGod.org Traveling from one place to another and the space between

Travel stories and that animals that see us

Science Mike and Michael Gungor of the Liturgists podcast help me wrestle with what Wild Goose Festival means for Christianity. Originally published after the 2016 Wild Goose Festival, we are joined by a host of authors and speakers who discuss topics ranging from transgender Christianity to support for recovering racists. This episode will undoubtably give you a peek into the slurry known as Wild Goose Festival, happening this weekend in Asheville, NC. If you want more episodes like this, rate and subscribe to Farming god on iTunes or Stitcher. Music in this episode is by Paul Spring. Intro music and horns are by Winston Drei Tod. Thanks to Mike McHargue, Michael Gungar, Tom Sine, Matt Morris, Mirabai Starr, Austin Hartke, Versandra Keningbrew, the band Hardworker, Lawton Higgs Sr., Merideth Owensby, Larry Reed, Rick Meredith and the entire creative team at Wild Goose Festival. 

Smoke Signals at https://farminggod.org/ Poet Mirabai Starr, emergent post-pastor Rick Diamond, Christian Shaman Iris Bolton, professor and social activist Joerg and RoseMarie Rieger, Sunday morning dance church, and a visit to Christian China. Episodes in order of appearance: Meditation Part 1 and 2 Beyond Activism Christian Shaman Iris Bolton Alternative Worship post-pastor Dance Church Christian China and the end of times