The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

• "The Road Washes Out in Spring: A Poet's Memoir of Living Off the Grid" by Baron Wormser

• "Convenience" by W.S. Merwin

• Listen to The Good Dirt "151. 'Lawns into Meadows' with Author Owen Wormser on Regenerative Agriculture"

Connect with Baron Wormser:

• Website: https://baronwormser.com/

• Books: https://baronwormser.com/books.html

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

167. Being Old-Fashioned on Purpose with Jill Winger Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

Our guest for today is Jill Winger, creator of The Prairie Homestead who over the last 10 years has influenced thousands of people in rediscovering some of the simpler ways of life–helping people grow their own food, cook healthy meals, raise chickens, bake bread—and SO many other things. And yes, she confesses that an old fashioned life can include modern technology, especially in teaching others through online content creation. But Jill’s mission is more than about teaching skills, it’s about guiding others into slowing down and creating a healthier, more centered, balanced lifestyle that includes our modern realities.

Jill started out on a neglected farmstead 40 miles away from the nearest grocery store, and has grown with her passion for practicing this way of life and teaching others how to find it for themselves. She is the author of The Prairie Homestead Cookbook and her latest release: "Old-Fashioned on Purpose: Cultivating a Slower, More Joyful Life". Jill lets Mary and Emma in on her process of content creation for homesteading, running an online business, finding writing once again, and what challenges she's faced in trying to do it all. This episode is for anyone who wants to strike a healthier balance between old-fashioned living and life in the modern world.

Topics Discussed

• Being a Homesteader

• Getting Started without a Background in Farming or Ranching

• Finding an Alternative to the Suburban-White-Picket-Fence Dream

• Sparks of Inspiration & Knowing

• Balancing Old-Fashioned Living with Modern Demands

• How Jill's Support System Helps Her "Do It All"

• Jill's Team & Task Delegation

• How to Get People to Consume Your Content

• The Consumer-Creator Relationship

• Dealing with Technology Addiction as an Online Business

• Creator Sustainability

• Boundaries & Intentionality

• The Pros and Cons of Homesteading's Growing Popularity

• Writing Old-Fashioned on Purpose

• Community

• Raising Kids in a Homestead Lifestyle

• Owning a Restaurant

• Outsourcing Where You Can

• Herbicide Long-Term Damage and Aminopyralid Poisoning

Episode Resources:

• The Prairie Homestead "how to use eggshells" Blog

• The Prairie Homestead "I Think I Poisoned My Garden" Blog

• "Old-Fashioned on Purpose: Cultivating a Slower, More Joyful Life" by Jill Winger

• "The Prairie Homestead Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Heritage Cooking in Any Kitchen" by Jill Winger

• Listen to The Good Dirt "Reclaiming Our Food from Field to Kitchen with CSA Farmer Mo Moutoux of Moutoux Orchard"

Connect with Jill Winger:

• Website: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/

• Follow Jill on IG @jill.winger https://www.instagram.com/jill.winger/

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/theprairiehomestead

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theprairiehomestead

• Links: https://meet.theprairiehomestead.com/IGlinks

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC

• Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Slow Living Through The Seasons | 04 | November Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

How does November feel to you? After the bright and festive days of October with its blue skies and glorious foliage, pumpkin picking and trick-or–treating, we rather suddenly descend into a different vibe altogether. There are certainly many ways to describe this month, but the first that comes to mind is that November is a mood. Listen in as Mary describes how the increasing darkness and sense of melancholy reflects a time for endings, in life and in nature, and reminds us of the beauty and wholeness in the full cycle of the seasons.

Support this podcast and get your own downloadable planting by the moon calendar by becoming a member of The Good Dirt Supporters!

Topics Discussed*:

Planting By the Signs November Blog
November Recipe Blog/Sally Lunn Bread and Pear Clafoutis
My November Guest by Robert Frost
Kate Hill Podcast Episode #55
Planting By the Signs for southern regions
The November Garden: what NOT to do
Beaver Moon
Baking by the signs of the moon
A November challenge

Episode Resources*:

• Raising With the Moon: The Complete Guide to Gardening--and Living--by the Signs of the Moon by Taylor Reese and Jack Pyle

*Some of the linked articles will only be available to current members of The ALMANAC. If you are not currently a member and are interested in subscribing, check out this page for more information.

Support this podcast and get your own downloadable planting by the moon calendar by becoming a member of The Good Dirt Supporters!

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

Our Website

Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram

Email Mary at production@lady-farmer.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share a story about slow living through the seasons!

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

166. The Human-Animal Connection with Alison Zak, author of "Wild Asana" Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Humans are one of hundreds of thousands of lifeforms on this planet, and each has its own unique place in the ecosystem. In this conversation, we're talking about the inherent connection between humans and the world of living things. Our guest is Alison Zak, environmental educator, anthropologist, yoga teacher and author of "Wild Asana: Animals, Yoga, and Connecting Our Practice to the Natural World. This book is a delightful mix of wildlife science, Hindu mythology, Eastern philosophy, and personal stories. Alison sits down with Mary and Emma to discuss the importance of curiosity and wonder in our relationship with nature and how the yoga poses inspired by animals help foster that connection. Alison also shares fascinating insights and stories stemming from her academic studies in human-animal interactions and her involvement in beaver conservation. Tune in to hear things you never knew about beavers as a keystone species in the ecosystem--and about how the creature living in the wall of Mary's kitchen challenges her own feelings about the human-animal connection!

Topics Discussed

• Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time

• Human-Wildlife Conflict

• How Yoga, Wildlife Conservation, Writing, and Anthropology Connect

• Balancing the Mystic with the Scientist

• The Inherent Worth of Animals

• The Academic Path to Conservation

• Anthropomorphism & Anthropo-Denial

• Why We Should Not Separate Humans & Animals

• The Rise of Animal Acceptance & How Dogs Might Save the World

• Coyotes & Wolves and Other Threatening Animals

• Animal Boundaries in Society

• The Creature in the Kitchen

• Keystone Species

• The Human-Beaver Coexistence Fund

• Beavers Before Humans

• The Beaver's Ecological Impact

• The Conservation Movement's Evolution

• Honoring Each Animal

Episode Resources:

• Shop Holy Lamb Products at The Lady Farmer Marketplace!

• "Wild Asana: Animals, Yoga, and Connecting Our Practice to the Natural World" by Alison Zak

• Listen to The Good Dirt: "Jason Schaefer"

• Listen to The Good Dirt "Healing Ourselves, Healing the Earth with Asia Suler, Author of 'Mirrors in the Earth' "

• "Mirrors in the Earth: Reflections on Self-Healing from the Living World" by Asia Suler

Connect with Alison Zak:

• Website: https://alisonzak.com/

• Instagram @animal_asana: https://www.instagram.com/animal_asana/

• Human-Beaver Coexistence Fund on IG @coexistwithbeavers: https://www.instagram.com/coexistwithbeavers/

• Links: https://linktr.ee/aazak127

• A Yogic Lens on Animal Conservation with Alison Zak Podcast

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

165. Talking Trash with Eve Schaub, Author of "A Year of No Garbage" Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

How many of us consider recycling the answer to plastic pollution? We are sold the idea that it's okay to buy and use these materials because they can be recycled into other things. But these claims are ultimately untrue. 95% of the plastic produced in the world goes directly into the landfill, and essentially stays there forever. The small percentage of materials that make it into the recycling system might find a reuse, but will ultimately end up as trash as well, or be shipped overseas to become someone else's garbage. These are some of the shocking truths that are revealed by Eve O. Schaub In her newest book and experiment, "Year of No Garbage: Recycling Lies, Plastic Problems, and One Woman's Trashy Journey to Zero Waste". In this interview, Eve tells the story of how she convinces her entire family to go a year without producing any garbage. With a family of four, it was already a monumental task, and when the pandemic hit just a few months into the experiment, it became even more challenging. However, throughout it all, Eve and her family remained committed to their goal, resulting in a transformative experience. She shares with Mary and Emma her motivations for taking on this no-garbage challenge, describes her experience, and reflects on the valuable lessons she learned along the way. During this experimental year, Eve gained a wealth of knowledge about the pervasive plastic pollution in our soil and bodies, the influence of fossil fuel companies in lobbying for increased plastic production, and the silent epidemic of plastic waste. Despite the alarming nature of her findings, Eve is able to convey this information with a sense of humor and perspective that gets the message across.. Tune in for an insightful and entertaining discussion that will inspire you to reconsider waste and its impact on our lives.

Topics Discussed

• Halloween

• Modern Recycling is Broken

• Single Stream Recycling

• Convincing Your Family to do the Impossible

• Growing Up with Hoarders

• Finding Compromise

• Undergoing the Experiment During 2020

• Waste: The Silent Epidemic

• Resin Identification Code

• Carton Council & TerraCycle

• Why Plastics & Micro Plastics Are so Dangerous

• How Eve Found Activism in This Way

• The Barbie Phenomena

• The Impending Plastic Crisis

• Racism & Classism in Plastic Pollution

• Taking Beyond Plastic 101 with Judith Enck

• How Plastics Use Tobacco Tactics to Lobby the US Government

• Ramping Up Plastic Production by 2050

• Starting with One Small, Manageable Step

• Heating Up Food in Plastic

• Incinerating Plastic

• Chemical Recycling in NOT a good thing

• Eve's Realization that Recycling is a Lie

• How Eve's Cats Taught Her a Great Lesson

• Life After the Experiment

Episode Resources:

• Listen to The Good Dirt, "Seeking Real Solutions to Plastic Pollution with Smruti Aravind of The Story of Stuff"

• Discover Ag Podcast & The Elevate Ag Course

• Listen to The Good Dirt, "Halloween Bonus Episode"

• Watch The Story of Stuff's "The Story of Plastic"

• "Year of No Garbage: Recycling Lies, Plastic Problems, and One Woman's Trashy Journey to Zero Waste" by Eve O. Schaub

• "Year of No Sugar: A Memoir" by Eve Schaub

• "Year of No Clutter: A Memoir" by Eve Schaub

Connect with Eve Schaub:

• Website: https://eveschaub.com/

• Instagram @eveoschaub : https://www.instagram.com/eveoschaub/

• TikTok @eveoschaub : https://www.tiktok.com/@eveoschaub

• Links: https://linktr.ee/Eveschaub

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

34:52

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

164. Healing Ourselves, Healing the Earth with Asia Suler, Author of "Mirrors in the Earth" Oct 20, 2023

Show notes

How can we reconnect ourselves to nature, to the plants and animals around us, and the very Earth we walk upon? This is the topic of discussion with our guest Asia Suler, writer, teacher, mother, earth intuitive, ecological philosopher and author of Mirrors in the Earth: Reflections on Self-Healing from the Living World. Asia has taught her principles to over 20,000 students in 70+ countries, and constantly sees how going on a journey of self-healing and acceptance is the key to being able to heal both ourselves and our place in the ecosystem. In this interview, Asia brings us into the profound ecological history of the Appalachian mountains, the magic and healing potential of the natural world, and the interconnectedness of our personal healing with the healing of the whole world. She believes that when we embody the belief that we are enough as we are, we then we ourselves embody the healing of the Earth.

This episode is brought to you by Dirty Labs: Use code "GOODDIRT" for 20% off your order!

Topics Discussed

• What comes to mind with when we think of mirrors in the earth?

• Asia's Background and Experience Leading to the Writing of her Book.

• Joyful Engagement with the Living World

• Vulvodynia, Lyme Disease, and Chronic Pain

• Western Herbalism

• Finding Your Place in Nature

• Creating One Willow Apothecary

• Flower Essences & The Power of the Violet

• Psycho-emotional States and Inner Blockages

• Intellectual Rationalism

• Growing up In-between Philadelphia and New York

• Watering Plants throughout New York

• Re-connecting with Magic

• Cultivating a Love of Earth in Urban Spaces

• The 10 Year Process Behind "Mirrors in the Earth"

• Self-Realization & Self-Compasson

• The Influence of Indigenous Beliefs

• Earth as a Sentient Being

• Empaths & Sensitives

• Humanity's Place on Earth & The Proclivity towards Narcissism

• Gardens, Boundaries, and Social Media

• The Magic within the Appalachian Mountains

Episode Resources:

• Mirrors in the Earth: Reflections on Self-Healing from the Living World by Asia Suler

Connect with Asia Suler:

• One Willow Apothecaries Website: https://onewillowapothecaries.com/

• YouTube @AsiaSuler : https://www.youtube.com/c/AsiaSuler

• Instagram @asiasuler : https://www.instagram.com/asiasuler/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asiasuler/

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

163. Sailors for Sustainability Searching for Solutions: A Journey Around the World Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

We often hear about the rising tides, the growing storms, the heat that continues to climb. Evidence of climate change is all around us. In 2016, Dutch sailors Floris van Hees and Ivar Smits set off on a voyage around the world searching for answers to the growing crisis. As Sailors for Sustainability, Floris and Ivar have an incredibly inspiring conversation with Emma and Mary directly from their boat out at sea, during which they share their adventures and how they have witnessed firsthand dozens of incredible initiatives that are driving positive transformation around the globe. From sustainable agriculture to renewable energy to school projects, they have encountered wise and passionate individuals, politicians, and organizations who are actively working towards a more sustainable future. Their unwavering optimism and belief in humanity's ability to achieve change will impact you, leaving you feeling as though anything can be possible. Listen for the sea lions in the background, who joined us in this conversation directly from their location at sea!

This episode is brought to you by Dirty Labs: Use code "TGD20" for 20% off your order!

Topics Discussed

• Emma's Wooden Boat Adventures & The Almanac

• Sustainable Solutions in All Areas of Life

• Sailing as a Passion

• Humanity's Dependence on Nature

• A Dream of Sailing Around the World

• Immersion in Different Cultures: Switzerland, Netherlands, and More

• Why Sailing is the Most Sustainable Mode of World Travel

• Alternative Renewable Fuel: Energy from the Sun, the Wind, and the Sea

• Documenting Solutions to Climate Change

• Providing Inspiration & Motivation to Others

• What YOU Can Do

• Using Your Vote to Support the Green Agenda

• Confronting Climate Change & Ecosystem Destruction Upfront

• The State of the Sea and Corals

• Plastics Islands in the Ocean

• Social Inequality

• Agro-Ecology & Brazil

• Dealing with Eco-Grief/Eco-Anxiety

• Day in the Life on the Sea

• Low Points & High Points Out at Sea

• Funding the Project

• Spreading the Message

• The Power of Hope

Episode Resources:

• IG @sailorsforsustainability : https://www.instagram.com/sailorsforsustainability/

• Listen to The Good Dirt September Bonus Episode: Let's Make Good Dirt!

Connect with Sailors for Sustainability:

• Website: https://sailorsforsustainability.nl/

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sailorsforsustainability

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SailorsforSustainability

• Links: https://linktr.ee/sailorsforsustainability

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• "The Green Witch's Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers: 26 Love Spells from Apples to Zinnias" by Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano

• Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

36:41

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162. The Healing Powers of Nature with Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano, co-authors of The Green Witch's Guide to Magical Plants and Flowers Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

Today’s guests are Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano, co-authors of The Green Witch's Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers: 26 Love Spells from Apples to Zinnias, a practical guide on how to bring more love and contentment into your life using elements of nature. In this book, the authors help you unlock the secrets hiding in your garden, transforming everyday flowers, fruits, and plants into delightful foods, bath salts, herbal infusions, soaps, sachets, tinctures, and more. Chris, a lifelong gardener, shares his belief that all plants are magical, while Susan, a chef, artist and performer, tells us how to bring plant magic into the kitchen. Join Mary and Emma as they uncover the secrets hidden in gardens and discover how everyday flowers, fruits, and plants can be transformed into powerful tools for self-care and enchantment.

This episode is brought to you by Dirty Labs: Use code "GOODDIRT" for 20% off your order!

Topics Discussed

• Welcoming Autumn

• Fall Flowers Including: Goldenrods, Calendula Marigold, Black-Eyed Susans, and Zinnias

• Lifetime Love of Plants

• Magical Herbalism

• Recipes for Oils, Candles, Soaps, Tinctures, and Sachets

• Imbuing Magic into the Food We Eat

• The Magical Properties of Apples & Basil

• Strawberry Vodka Recipe

• Strawberry-Basil-Lemon Water Recipe

• Aroniaberries (Chokeberries)

• Plant Potency

• How Acid changes Flavor

• Being a Food Stylist

• Habitat Gardens & Pollinator Stations

• Milkweed & Monarch Butterflies

• Being a Green Witch in New York City

• Green Spaces in a Big City

• The Love Food Movement

Episode Resources:

• Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

• Salt Falt Acid Heat

• The Theodore Payne Foundation

• Listen to The Good Dirt: 151. "Lawns into Meadows" with Author Owen Wormser on Regenerative Agriculture

• Listen to The Good Dirt: 138. The Urgent Need for Restorative Gardening with Mary Reynolds

• "Picture This" Plant Identification App

• Doug Tallamy & the Homegrown National Park

• "Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard" by Douglas W. Tallamy

• The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living

Connect with Chris Young & Susan Ottaviano:

• Susan's Website: https://www.susanottaviano.com/

• Chris's IG @plantymcflowers https://www.instagram.com/plantymcflowers/

• IG @2greenwitches : https://www.instagram.com/2greenwitches/

• Links: https://linktr.ee/2greenwitches

• TikTok @2greenwitches : https://www.tiktok.com/@2greenwitches

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🌻 About Lady Farmer: