In the Grain: Kansas to Ecuador and Back with Tanner Johnson | Kansas Carver

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 (  / tannerjohnsonwoodcarver  ) A Vanished World by Roman Vishniac — the photography book that shaped Tanner's Holocaust memorial carving focus (https://a.co/d/0huct66E) Zen Mind Jewish Mind — the book Tanner credits for shaping his spiritual perspective (https://a.co/d/0hTr71mR) Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net