This conversation with Helen Rebanks was recorded live and on stage at the 2025 Old Salt Festival, held on the Mannix Family Ranch in Helmville, Montana. If you were there, you know how special the moment was. If you weren’t—well, I’m glad you’re here now. Even though we were on a stage, in front of a crowd, the conversation had the quiet, reflective feel of two friends talking over a kitchen table—fitting, given how much of Helen’s story centers around that most sacred of domestic spaces.

Helen is the author of "The Farmer’s Wife: My Life in Days," a beautiful and deeply grounded book about food, family, work, and the often invisible labor that holds it all together. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the joys and struggles of farm life, raising kids, writing honestly without self-pity, and why the kitchen table might just be the most important place in the world. Helen shares stories from her own life and reads a few powerful passages from the book—including one that could double as the Old Salt manifesto.

A huge thank you to Cole Mannix, the Mannix family, and the Old Salt crew for making this event—and this conversation—possible. It’s not every day that a bestselling British author makes the trek to a working ranch in western Montana, but Helen did just that, along with her husband James and two of their four children, Molly and Tom. I’m so happy they made the journey, and I came away deeply grateful for the time we shared and the conversations we had.

Whether you’re a rancher, parent, reader, cook, or just someone trying to live a life of purpose and connection, Helen’s story has something for you. So give it a listen—and if you haven’t already, pick up a copy of "The Farmer’s Wife." You’ll be glad you did.

Check out the episode notes for links to everything and thanks so much for listening.

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The Farmer’s Wife: My Life in Days
Old Salt Festival
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/helen-rebanks/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

2:00 - Introducing Helen
4:04 - Helen reads from The Farmer’s Wife
6:49 - Structuring the book
9:46 - Real work
12:26 - Helen reads again, connecting to Old Salt
17:00 - Shiny individuals and self-autonomy
18:55 - Empathy and compassion
25:23 - Parenting advice from Helen
27:35 - Helen’s take on Montana
31:03 - Staying positive within the chaos
33:14 - Mums can change the world
36:23 - Beginning of audience Q&A
37:24 - Q: Did Helen ever regret her choices?
40:26 - Q: How do we get young people into this lifestyle?
44:10 - Helen and Wendell Berry
45:00 - Book recs (just read memoirs!)
46:39 - What would Helen tell her young self?
48:32 - Helen’s favorite recipes from the book
50:54 - Parting words

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