The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

Latest Episodes:

86. Loving the World through Simple Living: Reevaluating our "Needs" with Danielle Alvarado of Sustainably Kind Living Apr 08, 2022

Show notes

Learn to make space for what truly makes you happy using the power of refusal and conscious choice, with Danielle Alvarado of Sustainably Kind Living. Danielle’s educational online collective for the conscious consumer provides alternative resources to the harmful fast fashion, home, and beauty industries. Moved by the horrific stories she heard first hand from garment workers in Southeast Asia, Danielle found her calling by advocating for sustainable fashion and for a rejection of harmful and toxic industrial systems. After making the move to Italy to begin her family, Danielle found herself in a small Italian village where sustainable slow-living was simply the norm. Amazed by this new way of life and inspired by her experience in Asia, she began a blog to educate and advocate for a paradigm shift towards simple living. She now preaches about the power to bypass consumerism by asking, “What truly makes us happy?” and “What defines actual need?” Danielle knows that beneath all of the things we think we want, we are really longing for acceptance and connection back to each other and the Earth. She also knows that if we have the privilege to consider sustainable options, then we have the responsibility to select those options. Ultimately, she argues that slow living is, at its core, a call to show ourselves and the world greater empathy.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Please be advised, this episode contains mention of sexual assault and sexual violence.

Topics Covered:

Sustainable Fashion
Consumer Culture
Fast Fashion
Child Labor
Social Inequality
Minimalism
Conscious Consumerism
Slow Fashion
Slow Living

Resources Mentioned:

Guest Info

Connect with Danielle Alvarado at www.sustainablykindliving.com
Instagram @sustainablykindliving and @sustykindliving
Facebook, Sustainably Kind Living
Facebook, Danielle Alvarado
Pinterest, Sustainably Kind Living

Our Website
@weareladyfarmer on Instagram

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

Statements in this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not to be considered as medical or nutritional advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and should not be considered above the advice of your physician. Consult a medical professional when making dietary or lifestyle decisions that could affect your health and well being.

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85. Creating Love and Comfort for the World Through Sustainable Fashion, Natural Dyes and Yoga with Amanda Agricola of Flowy Life Apr 01, 2022

Show notes

Slow sustainable fashion meets yoga in this heart opening episode with our dear Lady Farmer friend, Amanda Agricola. A true renaissance woman, Amanda is the creator of Flowy, a sustainable slow fashion brand providing comfortable, naturally dyed garments for yoga and life, using materials that bring a consciousness to how we cover our bodies. As an artist and entrepreneur, Amanda brings a thoughtful and intentional eye to her products, empowering her customers energetically while also supporting mother earth. A disheartened consumer herself, frustrated by the systemic failures of the apparel industry, Amanda created Flowy out of a desire to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the materials that cover our bodies. Not only does she make her products herself, but Amanda invites participation in the making process through natural dye workshops and by distributing seeds for customers to grow their own dye gardens. She also offers a do-it-yourself dye kit to further encourage awareness of this sustainable process. Working with nature through these hands-on, intuitive methods, Amanda integrates her lifestyle and work with her goal to create a little love and comfort in the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

Yoga
Kundalini yoga
Natural Dyes
Conscious Closet
Slow Fashion
Recycled Materials
Natural Materials
Sustainable Undergarments

Resources Mentioned:

Guest Info

Connect with Amanda at www.flowylife.com
Instagram @flowy.life
Amanda’s blog

Our Website
@weareladyfarmer on Instagram

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

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Small Sustainable Steps: Mary & Emma Chat Reusing Containers, Candles, and More Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

Tune in to this weeks bonus episode with Mary & Emma in our discussion of “product fatigue,” that feeling of overwhelm with all the things on our shelves and under our sinks requiring end-of-use decisions about the packaging and containers. Despite our efforts to purchase sustainably and reduce waste, things seem to pile up and we are left wondering what to do with the remains. With “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” being the mantra for sustainable waste management, how do we decide which is most appropriate for so many products, every day? Join us as we give a couple of examples of our own struggles and solutions, and invite listener input as well!

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

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84. Agroecology, Apples and Sustainable Systems with Horticultural Historian Eliza Greenman Mar 25, 2022

Show notes

Join this "fruitful" and enlightening conversation with tree crops specialist, horticultural historian and agroforestry practitioner Eliza Greenman as she explains the evolution of the apple, horticultural tree crop history and shares her love for fruit exploring. A creator of niche products, Eliza is passionate owner of charcuterie company, HogTree, and is working towards the goal of creating orchard systems that function symbiotically with livestock to replace costly livestock feed. After a time pruning apple trees on an island off the coast of Maine, paired with her time abroad in Germany in apprenticeship with an apple grower and a formative research trip to Asia, the homeland of fruits and nuts, Eliza found her calling and became single- mindedly obsessed with apples. Now she is an advocate for natural wildlife practices and indigenous systems, stressing the importance of eating in season and shying away from global commodities. The conversation includes various types of fruit and nut trees such as pawpaws, mulberry trees, hickory walnuts, acorns, autumn olive and the infamous Bradford Pear, exploring all the ways these beautiful gifts can be nurtured and enjoyed.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

Agroforestry
Agroecology
Permaculture
Food Forests
Perennials
Fruit and Nut Trees
Bradford Pear
Red Delicious
Fire Blight
Heart Rot
Pollarding
Autumn Olive
Silvopasture agroforestry

Resources Mentioned:

US Apple - Lobbying
Back River Market
“Of New York” Series - Catalog of Fruit Varieties
The National Soil Fertility League
North American Fruit Explorers - NAFEX
John Bunker, Fedco Trees
Francis Fenton
Silvopasture is the deliberate integration of trees and grazing livestock operations on the same land. These systems are intensively managed for both forest products and forage, providing both short- and long-term income sources.
Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/practices/silvopasture.php

Guest Info

Connect with Eliza at elizaapples.com
HogTree charcuterie company
Fruit and Fodder
Instagram @elizaapples

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

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83. Creating in Collaborative Community: Slow Fashion that Honors Makers and the Natural World with Megan Borukhovsky of Sister Nettle Mar 18, 2022

Show notes

Step into the world of collaborative art, natural textiles, plants, botanicals and slow fashion with owner entrepreneur and artist Megan Borukhovsky of Sister Nettle. As a mother and artist living in the hills of Tennessee, Megan’s work centers around natural textiles using botanicals, creating slow fashion with a “collaboration over competition” mindset. Sister Nettle strives to offer products that are fulfilling to both the makers and the recipients, creating a beautiful and reciprocal relationship that honors all of the women a part of the process. A community minded business woman, Megan discovered block printing and natural dyeing as an accessible, inclusive and sustainable art form. After a time living off grid as a homesteader, Megan found herself called to a return back to self and to the natural world and continues to embrace the values of slow living in her life and her work. Valuing her fellow artists and makers, Megan believes in sourcing from people who feel valued and called to the work that they do. The end product results in a beautifully slow garment that is created from a place of passion and positivity that sustains both planet and people.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

Natural Textiles
Slow Fashion
Local Sourcing
Embroidery
Entrepreneurship
Women Artisans and Makers
Stinging Nettle
Oeko-tex Linen
Hemp

Resources Mentioned:

Events

Sunchaser Retreats, violaine.orban@gmail.com

Books

Our Wild Farming Life Pre-Order and Author Meet and Greet

Additional Resources:

Cinnamon Ginger Oat Cookie Recipe inside The ALMANAC
The ALMANAC Online Community Membership
Sister Nettle
TS Designs Solid State Clothing

Guest Info

Connect with Megan at sisternettle.com
Instagram @sister.nettle

Our Website
@weareladyfarmer on Instagram

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

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82. Building Community Through Food: Eating Local and the Power of Potlucks with Jason Fowler of Land and Table Mar 11, 2022

Show notes

Discover the power of the potluck as a community forum for the New Agrarian Revival, a movement based in the Bedford, Va. area that offers inspiration for deeply rooted living, cultivating the local food economy and community connection. Our guest today, Jason Fowler, is founder and organizer of Land and Table, an organization that sponsors a monthly potluck event for farmers and like-minded local food enthusiasts, and offers a unique opportunity to gather for a shared meal in an evermore disconnected world. Jason found that not only were these gatherings great opportunities to eat delicious local food, but were formative community building events. Ten years on and the tradition is alive and well, and functions as a time for meaningful connection in reverence for the land, local food, and one another. Throughout the episode, Jason tells his own story of seeking a different way of life for himself and his family, his journey back to the land and his role as community leader in the New Agrarian Revival.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

Local Food
Local Food Movement
Agrarian Philosophy
Community Building

Resources Mentioned:

Books

Podcast Episodes

Great Day Gardens - The Good Dirt Episode 5

Other:

Mountain Run Farm
Terra Numa - Nonprofit Organization
The Parable of the Good Soil
The Stone Soup Story
New Agrarian Revival

Guest Info:

Connect with Jason at landandtable.com
@land_and_table on Instagram
Merch shop: @newagrarianrevival

Follow Us:

Our Website
@weareladyfarmer on Instagram
Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

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81. "Gardening for Everyone" and Slow Living in Pandemic Times with Julia Watkins of Simply Living Well Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

Discover author Julia Watkins' light and loving approach to gardening and to slow living as she shares her perspective on parenting, work, and finding joy and compassion in the midst of it all. As an author, photographer, fellow slow living enthusiast, and Lady Farmer friend, Julia has a wealth of knowledge about how to cultivate a slow and beautiful life in a way that is honest and approachable. Her new book, Gardening for Everyone is a beautiful guide to planning, planting and playing in the garden, that is sure to be a foundational reference for gardening year after year. During this catch-up conversation, Mary and Emma discuss with Julia how life has unfolded during the pandemic, how to find balance as a parent and as a creative, and how to use social media in ways that bring light and connection. In this honest and joyful conversation, Julia inspires an approach to life filled with happiness, grace and grounded in a love for good dirt.

Topics Covered:

Slow Living
Social Media
Gardening
Perennials
Parenting during a Pandemic
Small Space Gardening

Resources Mentioned:

Pre-Order, Gardening for Everyone
Simply Living Well
Subscribe to the Lady Farmer Newsletter
The ALMANAC
Alys Fowler, "The Edible Garden"
The Fisherman and His Wife, Brothers Grimm
Julia Watkins Episode 31

Guest Info:

Connect with Julia at simplylivingwell.com
@simply.living.well on Instagram

Follow Us:

Our Website
@weareladyfarmer on Instagram
The Lady Farmer ALMANAC, our online community

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

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{2021} Reprise 31: Preserving the History of the Underground Railroad with Tony Cohen Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

This week we spoke with historian, nonprofit founder, and author Tony Cohen, who operates Button Farm, Maryland’s only living history center depicting 19th-century slave plantation life and the heroic story of the Underground Railroad. Tony has dedicated his studies and work to preserving the Underground Railroad’s history, historic sites and environments. In this episode, he shares with us stories of his own travels along the Underground Railroad on foot, in an effort to recreate some of the original travelers' sensory experience of the landscape and the monumental physical challenges they endured in the pursuit of freedom. Tony also shares the story of meeting Oprah Winfrey and working with her in preparation for her starring role in the film, BELOVED, based on the book by Toni Morrison. Tony is founder and director of the Menare Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the creation of cutting edge educational programs, including an Underground Railroad immersion experience based on the work he did with Oprah Winfrey.

1:20 - Mary and Emma check in with the Slow Living Challenge

7:10 - The Spring Grow Your Own Food Intensive

Let’s get into the interview!

8:40 - Tony introduces himself and The Menare Foundation

12:50 - Why start a nonprofit?

17:00 - Tony’s experience walking the route of The Underground Railroad

20:00 - Mary’s land and its connection to The Underground Railroad

27:00 - Tracking down your roots along The Underground Railroad

36:00 - Tony’s connection to the Harriet Tubman Museum

38:00 - How Tony got involved with Oprah Winfrey

49:00 - What is Button Farm?

57:00 - Tony’s work in relationship to Good Dirt

Mentions:

Mentioned in this episode:

Join The ALMANAC Community

ALMANAC TGD Discount

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80. The Forest Garden: Exploring Agroforestry and Edible Food Forests with Lincoln Smith of Forested, LLC Feb 25, 2022

Show notes

Discover the wonders of forest agriculture and agroecology with our guest Lincoln Smith, founder of Forested, an edible food forest devoted to sharing research and knowledge surrounding forest gardens through tours, classes and forest to table dinners. As a champion of good dirt, Lincoln believes that growing forest gardens as a form of environmentalism can reintegrate our lives with nature, and reestablish a connection to the forest as a food source. Having trained in landscape design, Lincoln brings his expertise to food forest projects in and around the DC area, and has seen first hand the effects an edible forest garden can have on a community. Forest agroecology is a slow but rewarding process, that can produce vibrant, delicious and often overlooked foods from native species. He knows that like the forest, humans are interconnected and when we rethink our approach to food and to nature, we can rethink our approach to life.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

Edible Food Forests
Forest Gardens
Agronomic Science
Agroecology
Sustainable Landscape Design
Regenerative Agriculture
Rapid Land Development
Permaculture

Resources Mentioned:

Lady Farmer Slow Living Challenge
Forested
University of Maryland
The US Botanic Garden
Maryland Master Gardeners Conference
Groundnut
Black tea chamomilla
Yaupon Holly
Yerba Mate Holly
Trugreen ChemLawn
Hyattsville Public Works, Emerson Street Food Forest
Langley Elementary School Food Forest
Capital City Public Charter School Food Forest
Ddot
The Conway School
Yarrow
Nature by Design
American Native Plants
Chesapeake Natives
Persimmon Spice Latte - sub the pumpkin for persimmon!

Guest Info

Connect with Lincoln at Forested, LLC
Instagram @forested.us
Newsletter
Youtube

Our Website
@weareladyfarmer on Instagram
Join The ALMANAC

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

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Seeking Inspiration: Week 4 Slow Living Challenge Check-In & Wrap Up with Mary & Emma Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

Tune in today for a brief check-in & wrap up from Mary & Emma on the progress of the Lady Farmer 2022 Slow Living Challenge, and to discuss this week's final focus and theme.

Our Website
@weareladyfarmer on Instagram

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

Sowing seeds of slow living is our mantra at Lady Farmer. Simplifying our belongings, prioritizing good choices in food and clothing, and choosing sustainable habits wherever we can all have a positive impact on ourselves, our community and our planet. Every winter for the past few years we’ve taken on a Slow Living Challenge together as a community to bring these ideas into action little by little, day by day, week by week.

This year, we’re excited to offer this free challenge for four weeks, kicking off Monday, January 31st. Each week you will receive a downloadable calendar in your email inbox that includes daily prompts centered around a theme. We’ll be able to share our experiences together in community, with all of us walking alongside you, through #slowlivingchallenge on Instagram or within our private online membership, The ALMANAC. If you’re not yet a member, participation in the challenge gets you a free trial in this community!

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