The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

In this episode of The Good Dirt Podcast, hosts Mary Kingsley and her daughter Emma talk with Florence Reed, founder of Sustainable Harvest International, a nonprofit that has worked with smallholder farmers in Central America for over 27 years in adopting regenerative farming practices. Florence tells the story of how Sustainable Harvest International got its start, and highlights the importance of healthy soil, biodiversity, and the role of local technical assistance in fostering long-term agricultural transformation. She points out how these practices alone applied to small farms the world over could significantly contribute to the United Nations' goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Florence tells us that there are many inspiring success stories, including one that she shares about a farmer who restored his land and sent both of his daughters to college as a result of his farming success following the SHI program. The conversation offers a hopeful message about the potential for individual and collective action in combating climate change.,00:00 Introduction00:31 Welcome to the Good Dirt Podcast00:57 Guest Introduction: Florence Reed03:25 Florence Reed's Background and Motivation06:04 Early Challenges and Realizations08:05 Founding Sustainable Harvest International11:52 Initial Steps and Early Support14:22 Challenges of Slash and Burn Farming20:40 Sustainable and Regenerative Practices27:42 Community Engagement and Program Implementation30:48 Deciding Where to Work31:32 Challenges and Demand32:17 Global Impact of Small-Scale Farmers33:40 Resistance to Change in Farming Practices39:59 Success Stories and Long-Term Impact46:02 Personal Reflections and Slow Living49:16 Future Plans and Getting InvolvedLINKSSustainable Harvest International Roots of Renewal: A Film on Farming for a Hopeful FutureEliot Coleman: The New Organic GrowerBarbara Damrosch: The Garden PrimerThe Good Life: Helen and Scot Nearing's Sixty Years of Self Sufficient Living ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer: Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community Visit Our Website Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram 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.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:• Wendy Gray Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In celebration of the holiday this week, and upcoming "Black Friday", we're re-airing our favorite slow-living take on the matter...Slow Friday!RE-AIR FROM 11/26/21You're in for something a little different this Friday...it's a solo show with Mary and Emma!At Lady Farmer, we're always thinking about ways to shift our thinking to live into a more slow and sustainable lifestyle, and today is a great opportunity to do just that. What if Black Friday became Slow Friday, and what would that look like?Join us on this week’s episode of The Good Dirt as we share a bit about our own Christmas memories and experiences with gift-giving as well as how we're thinking about being more mindful with our consumer habits during the holiday season.Enjoy this week's episode, let us know what you think, and we'll be back with another interview next week!Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Simplecast, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered: The negative impacts of consumerism and how to think differently about our consumer habits The importance that we have placed on gift-giving and receiving during the holiday season Slow Friday Challenge Resources: Unplug the Christmas Tree Christmas by Peter Spier ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer: Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community Visit Our Website Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram 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.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:• Wendy Gray Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Zandra Zuraw, founder of Slow Style Home, shares her insights on interior design. Slow Style Home is an interior design coaching platform for people looking to create a beautiful, meaningful home without breaking the bank, hiring a designer, or hurting the planet to get one. Zandra discusses her step-by-step framework, the importance of a vision for your space, and offers tips for decluttering and balancing aesthetics with functionality. Zandra also touches on the broader concept of slow living. She encourages everyone to find a personal and meaningful approach to home decoration and stresses the emotional satisfaction that comes from using and transforming what we already have. Listeners are inspired to appreciate and design their living spaces mindfully, focusing on beauty and personal expression.She's currently writing a book about her Slow Style approach to design, to be released in Spring 2025 .and is also the host of the popular podcast, Slow Style Home.00:00 Introduction to Slow Style Home01:23 Zandra Zuraw's Personal Journey02:17 The Concept of Slow Style02:54 Navigating Interior Design Challenges06:37 Creating a Vision for Your Space19:25 Balancing Sentimentality and Practicality22:09 The Impact of Disposable Decor26:18 The Emotional Weight of Objects26:51 Struggles with Waste and Disposal30:29 Decluttering Strategies and Challenges37:18 The Concept of a Slow Home40:04 Balancing Organization and Livability46:56 The Importance of Good Dirt49:17 Final Thoughts and Resources Zandra's Website Slow Style Home Podcast Peter Walsh: Let it Go Tracy McCubbin: Making Space, Clutter Free Monica Leed: Simply Spaced ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer: Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community Visit Our Website Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram 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.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:• Wendy Gray Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this conversation, Casey and Brooke Oberg from Detroit Mulch Company share their journey of transforming tree waste into mulch in the urban landscape of Detroit. They discuss their backgrounds, how they came to the project, various types of mulch, the significance of topsoil and the role of composting in community engagement. The conversation highlights the community impact of their work repurposing organic materials into beneficial mulch, a product that provides environmental sustainability and circularity into the local economy. The discussion also touches on the concept of slow living and how it relates to their work, culminating in a reflection on the meaning of good dirt and its impact on the environment and local communities.Topics Discussed:・The beginnings of Detroit Mulch Company・Sustainable practices in Mulching・Benefits of Mulch Gardening・Addressing concerns about tree waste・Community Impact・The role of mulch in urban revitalization・The future of tree waste management・Encouraging sustainable practices beyond Detroit・The importance of mulch and compost for top soil・Composting practices and community engagement・Embracing slow living and the idea of 'the good dirt'Connect with Brooke and Casey:Detroit Mulch Company WebsiteInstagram: @detroitmulch━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer: Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community Visit Our Website Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram 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.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:• Wendy Gray Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of The Good Dirt, Mary & Emma explore sustainability in the spirits industry with Harrison Holditch of Half Shell Vodka. At just 33 years old, Harrison has pioneered innovative sustainable practices in producing vodka, including using recycled materials and local partnerships. Among Half Shell Vodka's noteworthy achievements is its revolutionary 100% recyclable cardboard bottle made from 94% recycled materials. The discussion covers Harrison's journey, the company’s sustainable practices, and innovations like their unique filtration system using oyster shells and coconut carbon. The episode also highlights the challenges and benefits of adopting sustainable methods in distilling.00:00 Welcome to The Good Dirt01:34 Introducing Half Shell Vodka03:21 Harrison Holditch's Journey09:11 Sustainability Practices at Half Shell Vodka17:26 The Innovation of the Paper Bottle26:05 Sustainability and Glass: A Complex Relationship27:07 The Global Supply Chain and Carbon Footprint29:43 Exploring Alternatives: Paper Bottles and Beyond32:40 Challenges and Innovations in the Spirits Industry37:48 Living the Slow Life: A Personal Perspective39:57 Navigating Natural Disasters: Life on the Gulf Coast41:55 The Good Dirt: What It Means to Us42:58 Where to Find Half Shell Vodka━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our Website· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· 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.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What are more sustainable death practices that we can can consider as alternatives to the expensive and consumptive services offered in the modern funeral industry? CEO of Endswell Cremation Hunter Beattie is our guest today, here to discuss the green burial movement, the problems with our current death rituals and practices and how the process of aquamation offered by his company is another choice over cremation or burial. Hunter shares his honest emotional personal journey with death, the founding of Endswell and the philosophy behind providing thoughtful, compassionate end-of-life services.Topics Discussed· The Good Death Movement· The Green Burial Movement· Misconceptions About Cremation· The Deal with Spreading Ashes· Death Cafe, Death Doulas, and Death Conferences· End of Life Care with Your Parents· Living with Grief· Neurodegenerative Conditions· The Predatory Nature of the Funeral Industry· The History of the Modern Funeral Industry· Working with Hospice Workers· Understanding Aquamation· Green Burial Movement· Community Involvement· Burying On Your Own Land· Reclaiming Death Rituals Rituals and Eco-Friendly Death Care· Eco-Friendly Death CareEpisode Resources:· Listen to The Good Dirt “Episode 65 | Where Nature is Enough: Rethinking Death Practices with Heidi Hannapel of Bluestem Conservation Cemetery· Listen to The Good Dirt “Creating Sustainability in the Death Care Industry with Tom Harries of Earth Funeral”· WorkAway· Final Exit· Read Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond· NPR Article “A plain pine coffin and eco-friendly cremation are the last acts of Desmond Tutu” on Desmond Tutu’s Aquamation· Order of the Good DeathConnect with Hunter Beattie:· Website: https://endswellcremation.com· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endswellaquamationandgallery/· Farewell Earth Network: https://farewellearth.org━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our Website· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· 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.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join Mary and Emma as they discuss a slow living Halloween, the second largest consumer season in the US. From the ancient traditions of the Celtic Samhain celebrations, to the modern day spook fest that dominates this time of year, you'll hear how you can embrace the special beauty and magic of nature during this time, letting go of much of the waste and frenzy but keeping all of the fun!Things Mentioned: Zero Waste Candy Alternatives The Scariest Thing About Halloween is the Plastic Waste National Retail Federation Prediction for Halloween Spending in 2022 About Lady Farmer: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you! Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Original music by John Kingsley. The Good Dirt is a part of the Connectd Podcasts Network.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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Mary welcomes back Krista Arias and her daughter, Fia, from Tierra Soul, a homestead and learning space in Magdalena, New Mexico. They catch up on their conversation from a year ago, discussing ongoing and new projects at Tierra Soul, such as the community cafe project and plans for their first holistic homesteading festival. They also discuss their signature 8 week holistic homesteading online program,"Lazy Lady Living," which provides an overview of multiple topics such as soulful permaculture, sustainable economy, biodynamics, traditional food, cultivated ecology and more. Tierra Soul is now offering "Lazy Lady Living" at a reduced price. Enroll HERE during their fall sale beginning October 15th!Tierra Soul WebsiteEnroll in Lazy Lady Living for $500 off 00:36 Welcoming Krista and Fia from Tierra Soul04:34 Updates from Tierra Soul Homestead09:25 The Evolution of Tierra Soul's Cafe12:34 Challenges and Philosophies of Running a Cafe25:50 The Future of Tierra Soul: Events and Gatherings28:52 Bridging the Gap Between Presenters and Attendees29:51 Influence of Indigenous Ceremonies32:10 Holistic Homesteading Festival: Gather and Give32:22 Introduction to Lazy Lady Living37:11 The Philosophy Behind Lazy Lady Living40:59 The Importance of Connection in Farming45:22 The Feminine Perspective in Permaculture50:15 The Adaptive Nature of Plants and Earth53:43 Concluding Thoughts on Slow Living🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our Website· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· 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 Lady Farmer🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Mary & Emma begin their discussion on consumerism by reflecting on a recent social media trend dubbed "underconsumption', and how that idea overlaps with the fundamentals of slow living. They ask the questions, are we drawn to the true ideals of a lifestyle or the visual aesthetics as represented on social media, and how likely are we to feel compelled to "buy" into it due to feelings of lack in our own lives? Mary and Emma also discuss personal vulnerabilities in consumer habits, referencing their own experiences with fashion, skincare, and digital consumption. The conversation addresses the impact of social media on consumer behavior, emphasizing awareness and conscious decision-making in a consumer-driven society. They conclude by encouraging listeners to balance needs and desires within the context of appropriate consumption as part of a slow living lifestyle.00:00 Introduction to Simple Living00:51 Life Updates and New Beginnings02:01 Exploring Conscious Consumerism02:48 The Trend of Underconsumption03:56 Media Influence on Consumption14:37 Personal Vulnerabilities in Consumerism23:54 Navigating Consumer Habits27:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer: Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community Visit Our Website Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram 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 Lady Farmer🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:• Wendy Gray Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

How do you pursue homesteading while honoring the wildness of the nature around you? The flowers, animals, and flora that live on the land can impact the way you approach your garden. Julie Stonefelt, a full-time park ranger and co-founder of Wild Homestead Living with her husband Kevin, has sought to live off the land while preserving the natural ecosystem of her 2 acre property in the state of Washington. Despite a suburban upbringing, Julie has spent decades honoring a dream she first had with her childhood best friend. Julie is also a breast cancer survivor, and shares her compelling story of discovery and resilience on her journey "from cancer to country living." Her goal is to support others in moving in the direction of a more sustainable lifestyle, regardless of their location, while understanding and respecting the wildness around us all. Julia emphasizes respecting nature in homesteading, creating resilient, conflict-free gardens, and forming symbiotic relationships with wildlife.Topics Discussed· Experiencing Fresh Food· Being a Full Time Park Ranger· Enforcement Rangers vs Interpretive Rangers· Having a Spouse with Type 1 Diabetes· Surviving Breast Cancer· Reviving Old Dreams· Living in Snoqualmie Valley· Gardening with Nature in Mind· The Human-Animal-Nature Connection· Holding Space for Animal’s Natural Habitats· Beavers, Bears, and Coyotes· Creating Your Dream Life· Dealing with Envy Towards Others· Do You Need to Grow all Your Own Food to be a Homesteader?· Challenges of Being an Online Creator· Facing Your Grief· Starting Wild Homestead Living· Reaching Harmony with Wildlife· Resources and Courses for Homesteading· Cancer Journey and Its Impact on Julie’s Approach to HomesteadingEpisode Resources:· Listen to The Good Dirt “166. The Human-Animal Connection with Alison Zak, author of "Wild Asana"· Read "Wild Asana: Animals, Yoga, and Connecting Our Practice to the Natural World" by Alison Zak· Hawthorn Farm· Read "Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest" by Suzanne Simard· Read "The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener" by Eliot ColemanConnect with Julie Stonefelt:· Website: https://wildhomesteadliving.com· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildhomesteadliving/· Courses: https://courses.wildhomesteadliving.com/connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our Website· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· 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.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy