What happens when a kid from Lindsborg, Kansas follows his heart to a cloud forest in Ecuador — and then returns after staying for nearly 20 years? Tanner Johnson's answer to that question is one of the most unexpected, quietly profound stories we've heard. He built a bamboo house, married into a local family, taught English to kids from kindergarten through 12th grade, and somewhere along the way, picked up a knife and started carving wood. Now he's back in Kansas, reunited with his family, and using his art to honor the memory of Jewish people lost to the Holocaust — one face at a time.

Highlights

Podcast listener Greg Victors (the Wichita Wardancer) inspired a collaboration with Manhattan High School Orchestra director Cody Toll — exactly the kind of cross-Kansas connection Ask A Kansan was made to create
Tanner grew up in Lindsborg, studied anthropology at K-State, and ended up in an Ecuadorian cloud forest as a volunteer on a bird study — and never really left
He lived for years with no internet, no foreigners within 50 miles, and learned Spanish entirely by immersion in a rural community
He built his own bamboo house, asked for his wife's hand from her brothers (her father had passed), cleared nearly two acres of land with his 90-something-year-old grandfather-in-law, and planted 110 trees during a pandemic military lockdown
Growing violence and crime in Ecuador in 2023 pushed him to bring his family back to Kansas — they got married here, bought a house, and are now all together
His daughters arrived in Kansas with almost no English and had to sink or swim in the school system — and thrived
His woodcarving specialty is realistic faces, with a particular focus on honoring the memory of pre-Holocaust Jewish communities, inspired by Roman Vishniac's photography book A Vanishing World
A face-to-face encounter with antisemitism solidified his decision to pursue a degree in Jewish studies
He's carved over 650 pieces in five years — all by hand, no power carving tools
Sydney debuts the new podcast segment: Fart or Art?

Chapters

0:05 — A Surprise Ask A Kansan Connection

1:23 — Meet Tanner Johnson

3:23 — From Hobby to Woodcarver

5:16 — Lindsborg Roots and Music

6:37 — Anthropology to Ecuador

11:08 — Choosing a Life Abroad

12:51 — Forest Life and Family

16:34 — Pandemic Reality Check

19:07 — Back to Kansas Together

23:24 — Finding Woodcarving Style

25:58 — Tools and Tropical Hardwoods

26:58 — Relearning the Knife

27:25 — Counting 650 Carvings

28:25 — Finding Purpose in Memory

32:01 — Art Form and Antisemitism

35:11 — Choosing Jewish Studies

36:54 — Spiritual Beliefs Explained

39:11 — Hand Tools and Roughouts

41:07 — Where to Find Tanner

43:12 — Hosts Reflect on the Interview

44:04 — Fart or Art Game

52:20 — Episode Wrap and Plugs

Resources

Tanner Johnson Woodcarver — tannerjohnsonwoodcarver.com
Tanner on Instagram — @tannerjohnsonwoodcarver
A Vanished World by Roman Vishniac — the photography book that shaped Tanner's Holocaust memorial carving focus
Zen Mind Jewish Mind — the book Tanner credits for shaping his spiritual perspective

Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com!

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net