Food as a Path to Freedom

At Heroes and Horses, Mackenzie Fink’s work begins far beyond the idea of fixing what’s broken. As co-founder and wellness director, she helps guide combat veterans through 41-day wilderness journeys designed to strip away labels, expectations, and old narratives, and replace them with agency, embodiment, and trust—both in themselves and in the land beneath their feet. 

Her role is deeply relational and restorative, rooted in the belief that healing happens not through force, but through remembrance: of who we are, how our bodies work, and what nourishes us at the most fundamental level. That philosophy extends into the home as well, through the Resilient Heart spouse program she created, shaped by her lived experience as a military wife and mother navigating the quiet weight carried alongside service.

It is from this environment—tested in the wilderness, lived on a Montana homestead, and forged through personal health challenges—that The Anti-Inflammatory Farmacy: Traditional Wisdom Guided by Science was born. Part cookbook, part guide, the book reframes food as one of our most powerful healing tools, offering 55 whole-food recipes grounded in four pillars: whole foods, balanced nutrition, simplicity, and intuitive eating. From quick spirulina smoothies to Korean beef bowls cooked over campfires, the recipes are designed to meet real life where it is, while eliminating processed foods and inflammatory ingredients that disrupt the body’s natural balance.

More than a collection of meals, The Anti-Inflammatory Farmacy invites readers to rebuild a sacred relationship with nourishment—bridging ancient wisdom and modern science, and reminding us that true medicine often begins not in a pharmacy, but on the farm.

We sat down with Fink to discuss her new cookbook and the importance of human connection to food and land; and how food, she feels, can ultimately lead to freedom. 

Palomino County: Your work sits at the intersection of food, wellness, land, and lived experience. How do you describe what you’re trying to create? 

Mackenzie Fink: It’s about restoring balance. We’ve created separation from our food sources and from the land. People don’t even realize where their food comes from or what's in their food. That separation has led to dysfunction and ignorance. My work is about shortening that gap and inviting people back into relationship, not just intellectually, but through felt experience.

PC: What do you mean by the “felt experience,” and why is that important?

Fink: Real learning doesn’t happen through words alone. It happens through the senses, through taste and smell, rhythm and presence. We’re intentionally moving away from traditional book tours for this project and toward intimate, curated meal experiences where people can actually feel what it means to be nourished. The message is deep, even if the food itself is simple.

PC: That philosophy shows up clearly in your cookbook. What was your intention behind its structure and tone?

Fink: I wanted it to be radically accessible. This book isn’t for “chefs.” It’s for people who think they can’t cook, who are busy, overwhelmed, or disconnected. The language is plain on purpose. The recipes are simple on purpose. Empowerment doesn’t come from perfection; it comes from realizing, “I can actually do this.”

PC: The number 55 appears throughout the book, from the price tag to the number of recipes you’ve included. What does that represent?

Fink: In several traditions I work with, including Richard Rudd’s “Gene Keys,” the number 55 represents freedom. On its shadow side, it’s victimhood; at its highest expression, it’s liberation. Giving people their power back and reminding them that they ultimately are the carriers of their own power is what this is all about.

PC: Your perspective on freedom is shaped not only by food and land, but by proximity to war. How has that influenced your work?

Fink: I haven’t been to war, but I’ve lived through 13 combat deployments alongside my husband, Micah. The vibration of war enters every crevice of a home. Families experience the underbelly, the dark side of war, and that darkness became one of my greatest teachers about freedom. Freedom comes from removing the shackles of your own mind. I believe that we are the prisoner and the prison guard of our own minds. 

PC: You’re deeply connected to work supporting military families and spouses. Why is that so important?

Fink: Simply put, war is a family experience. It doesn’t end when someone comes home. Often, spouses become the emotional and physical backbone of the household. They may come home, but they're not really there. They're not present. They are unable to fulfill their roles and responsibilities. That’s why launching our spouse program through Heroes and Horses felt essential. Healing isn’t individual—it’s relational. And when we restore balance within families, we restore it within communities.

PC: What do you hope people walk away with, whether from your book or your experiences?

Fink: I hope they come away with a sense of agency and a reminder that they carry their own power. When we reconnect with our food, our bodies, and the land, we remember who we are. When we reclaim our power as individuals, acknowledging that we are ultimately responsible for ourselves and all the choices that we make, we find freedom. That happens through the restoration of balance and honoring our bodies as the temples that they are, housing divine intelligence. 

Photos by Green Door Photography.

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