The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

Our discussion today is with Mary Ellen Dowd, a Communications Associate at TerraCycle, Inc. TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Across 21 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to rethink waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community across a wide range of accessible programs, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and individuals, and has raised over $44 million for schools and nonprofits since its founding more than 15 years ago. In this conversation, we talk about how the Terracycle services can bring our home recycling practices to a new level. To learn more about TerraCycle and join them on their journey to move the world from a linear economy to a circular one, please visit www.terracycle.com.Topics Covered: Mary Ellen's background What is Terra Cycle and how they take recycling to the next level The Zero-Waste Box Free Recycling Programs Recycling is a process that is governed by economics What happens to the contents of Zero-Waste Box  Bausch and Lomb partnership Origins of Terracycle The value of trash Eliminating the idea of waste The Loop circular shopping system, or the modern milkman How the good dirt connects to waste and the economy  How can the zero-waste box be more accessible to the individual?  What happens when the Zero Waste Box is returned to Terracycle How Terracycle addresses microplastics  The problem of cigarette butts  Actionable steps for individuals "Wish-cycling" How Terracycle addresses scale Connect with Terracycle: Terracycle's website, terracycle.com On Instagram @terracycle On Facebook @TerraCycle This episode is Sponsored by True Leaf Market:Use our promo code: TGD10 - for $10 off an order of $50 or more (expires June 15th. Limit to one use per customer) at https://www.trueleafmarket.com/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 podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball. 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

Our guest today is Jeremy Lang of Pela, the company that started with a product that you hold every day - the world’s first compostable phone case. Jeremy had the courage to spend years experimenting with new materials to try and find an alternative to plastic that could be used in everyday products.Pela’s mission is to make sustainable products the new normal and they recently launched another product, a home countertop composter called Lomi to help solve the food waste and plastic problem. Lomi became the most successful cleantech crowdfunding campaign of all time, raising over $9M. Pela and Lomi are now creating a waste innovation category with a goal of eliminating 10 billions pounds of waste on their mission to create a waste-free future, a testament to Jeremy’s belief in creating businesses as a force of good– to leave the world a better place. We are so much in awe of Jeremy and the innovative technologies he has spearheaded through his company and products. In this episode, we're hearing and talking about new technologies that are already addressing some of our most pressing problems and have given us real hope that some things are moving in the right direction.Topics discussed: The story of Pela and how it started with compostable phone cases  How Pela came up with a home composter The problem of food waste Food waste as a valuable natural resource "Wasting food" vs food waste or food scraps The Lomi home composter From food waste to good dirt Home composter reduces the weight of food waste by 70%   Trials with taking the Lomi compost dirt straight to farms  Demographics of those using the home composter  How the home composter is carbon neutral  End-of-life plan for the home composter Responsibility Economy Cutting out the compost facilities with the home composter The Lomi-approved certification program Compostable materials for everyday life increasing with consumer demand Responsibility of the consumer vs. responsibility of the manufacturer The issue of plastic water bottles being recycled into clothing Can technology help with the current problem of plastic on the planet? Connect with Jeremy: Pela's Website Get your own Lomi Composter! On Instagram @pelacase and @getlomi This episode is Sponsored by True Leaf Market:Use our promo code: TGD10 - for $10 off an order of $50 or more (expires June 15th. Limit to one use per customer) at https://www.trueleafmarket.com/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 podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball. 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

Our guest today is Laurell Sims, Co-Founder & CEO of Urban Growers Collective in Chicago, here to talk about food accessibility and the development of community-based food systems. Urban Growers Collective (UGC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was co-founded by Laurell Sims and Erika Allen in the fall of 2017. Working closely with community partners, their approach is to demonstrate and to support communities in developing systems of their own where food is grown, prepared, and distributed within the community itself.Urban Grower's Collective operates 8 urban farms on 11 acres of land, predominantly located on Chicago’s South Side. These farms are production-oriented but also offer opportunities for staff-led education, training, leadership development, and food distribution. Each farm utilizes organic growing methods, intensive growing practices, and year-round production strategies to best maximize growing space.In this conversation, we talk about the numerous programs operating within UGC that are helping not only to bring food to underserved areas but to facilitate youth involvement and outreach programs for positive community impact. Laurell is active in the Chicago Food Policy Action Council and formerly served on the Board of Directors for Slow Food Chicago and Green City Market. In 2011, Laurell was selected as a Bold Food Fellow, a State Department exchange with farmers from Uganda and Kenya, and has managed development projects with urban farms in Haiti. In her spare time, Laurell is a volunteer magician for Open Heart Magic which provides bedside magic for hospitalized children.Topics Discussed: How Laurell came to the Urban Grower's Collective ReVision Urban Farm in Boston The impact of the urban farming movement  The eight farms and programs within in the Urban Grower's Collective Healing aspects of community spaces Fresh Moves Mobile Market Linkup Illinois for food assistance Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark Prescription for Health, Howard Brown Health Center Food Justice and privilege  Food waste in Chicago How policy and racism affect grocery store access Farm Bus in Richmond, Mark Lilly Midwest Foods Wholesaler USDA Food boxes April Jones on The Good Dirt Julia Skinner on The Good Dirt The challenge of land access, particularly for BIPOC growers Green Era Urban Farm in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood in Chicago The anaerobic digester as mitigation for food waste Soil contamination and remediation Wasted! The Story of Food Waste Chicago Food Policy Action Council Connect with Laurell & the UGC: Urban Grower's Collective website On Instagram @urbangrowerscollective Donate or Volunteer with the Urban Grower's Collective! This episode is Sponsored by True Leaf Market:Use our promo code: TGD10 - for $10 off an order of $50 or more (expires June 15th. Limit to one use per customer) at https://www.trueleafmarket.com/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 podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball. 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 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 Follow Us: Our Website Instagram Original Music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we're talking to Brandi Stanley, host of the podcast This Plus That. Brandi makes a living out of making connections. If creativity is the ability to connect the seemingly un-connectable, that’s the art she practices. In love with the space between things—the intersections and the paradoxes—she's constantly looking for what insights can be gained when we mash the unexpected together and the growth that happens when we learn to hold complexity. We had a great time talking with Brandi about so many things, from the hustle culture to church history, from empty calories as a metaphor to the gift economy, and of course all of the good dirt in between all of it. If you enjoy “connecting the dots” as they say, and discovering how much more we all have in common with each other than we think, then you’ll love this conversation.Topics Discussed: Brandi's journey to creating her Podcast This Plus That, and finding her way to doing what she loves The Great Resignation  Wendell Berry Steve Jobs Nathan Myhrvold Ishmael by Daniel Quinn Charles Eisenstein and the gift economy The hustle culture and passive income in an extractive economy The idea of finding "aliveness" in what we do Consuming Empty Calories as a metaphor  Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Connecting the seemingly unconnectable Soil and social justice  Christianity and the Industrial Food System Nutrient depletion in our soil means nutrient-deficient food Groundwork Podcast - Interview with Alicia Brown Emily McElroy Intersections of Painting Plus Prayer How church history impacted our relationship with nature in western civilization How our language impacts the way we think and act in the world Emergent Strategy by Adrian Marie Brown  Living into the new story Connect with Brandi: Brandi's Podcast, This Plus That On Instagram @thisplusthatpod On Youtube, This Plus That Podcast This episode is Sponsored by True Leaf Market:Use our promo code: TGD10 - for $10 off an order of $50 or more (expires June 15th. Limit to one use per customer) at https://www.trueleafmarket.com/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 podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball. 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

Today our guest is Jenni Harris, daughter of Will Harris and 5th generation Harris family member at White Oak Pastures. In the mid-90s, her father Will Harris recognized the problems in late 20th-century agriculture and decided to take his whole operation back to the days of his great-grandfather. He gave up chemical inputs and animal confinement farming and began implementing regenerative farming before it was even a word. White Oak pasture-raises 10 species of livestock, eggs, organic vegetables, and honey on almost 5,000 acres of land and does it in what they call a “radically traditional way.” Jenni is here to talk to us about White Oak Pastures and how they have continued to evolve as an online source for high-quality meat while maintaining not only a commitment to land stewardship and sustainability but to their rural community as well.Topics Discussed: The story of White Oak Pastures Jenni's early knowledge that she was gay and her journey away from her hometown The transition of the farm back to more traditional practices How the farm changed over the years in order to achieve resilience  The challenge for conventional farmers to change to a different model The challenges for the grass-fed beef industry for American farmers Meat production as a contributor to climate change Sacred Cow by Diana Rodgers - it's not the cow, it's the how! Epic Provisions, owned by General Mills measuring soil assessments to demonstrate the livestock as a regenerative product Carbon emissions in the Impossible Burger White Oak Pastures Rural Revival  The value of knowing your farmer Connect with White Oak Pastures: Their website, whiteoakpastures.com White Oak Pastures Online Shop On Instagram @whiteoakpastures On Facebook @whiteoakpastures This episode is Sponsored by True Leaf Market:Use our promo code: TGD10 - for $10 off an order of $50 or more (expires June 15th. Limit to one use per customer) at https://www.trueleafmarket.com/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 podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball. 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

Today's guest is Claire Dunn, here with us to dive deeply into the mysteries of nature and psyche through the pathways of deep nature connection. Speaking to us from Melbourne, Australia, Claire is a writer, speaker, barefoot explorer, rewilding facilitator, and founder of Nature’s Apprentice, a platform for education and guidance in rewilding our souls and the planet. For the last 15 years, Claire has been facilitating individuals in ancestral earth skills, deep ecology, ecopsychology, soul-centric nature-based practice, village building, dance, ceremony, and contemporary wilderness rites-of-passage. Claire is the author of the memoir, My Year Without Matches, which tells the story of her year living wild – and the recently released memoir Rewilding the Urban Soul exploring how we might embody wild consciousness even while living in the setting of a city.Topics Covered: Rewilding as a new human movement Cultivation of a "Wild Mind" Claire's childhood and background in the environmental movement  How Claire's introduction to primitive earth skills led her more deeply into the human nature relationship  Richard Lou The Last Child in the Woods Vitamin N (Nature)  Tom Brown's Tracker School in New Jersey Australia's first Independent Wilderness Studies Program Claire's one-year self-initiated deep nature immersion The sacred order of survival Bill Plotkin Claire's emergence from her immersion, and sharing the immersion experience with the world Nature's Apprentice Rewilding the Urban Soul - Claire Dunn My Year Without Matches Jon Young's Core Routines of Nature Common threads of people who come to Claire for instruction What is a vision quest?  The urgency of climate change Bringing back the species of the wild human Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone Connect with Claire: Her website, naturesapprentice.com.au/ Claire's Books: Rewilding the Urban Soul My Year Without Matches Follow her on Instagram @_natures_apprentice_ Claire's Facebook 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 This episode is Sponsored by True Leaf Market:Use our promo code: TGD10 - for $10 off an order of $50 or more (expires June 15th. Limit to one use per customer) at https://www.trueleafmarket.com/Original music by John Kingsley. The Good Dirt podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball.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

Our guest today is Tom Harries, co-founder and CEO of Earth™, a sustainable funeral brand specializing in soil transformation. So what is soil transformation, and what does it have to do with death care and burial? What does it share in common with the green burial movement —and how is it different? Tom has been innovating in the funeral industry for almost a decade, and in this conversation he tells us not only about this carbon-neutral alternative to burial or cremation, but also about how his company is providing ways to reimagine funerals, providing a more sustainable and modern alternative to all aspects of conventional death care.Topics covered; Join the ALMANAC for fall! Tom's entry into the death care industry Making funeral service sustainable Traditional death care practices From funeral logistics to soil transformation  What is soil transformation, the process and how it differs from cremation and burial Building a 21st-century experience in death care How does soil transformation differ from green burial? The issue of land availability for human body disposition The results of soil transformation, what is the quality of the soil from the human remains? Goals for Earth™ The cost of soil transformation relative to cremation and other current death care practices  Preplanning for death care Legalization of the soil transformation process Our conversation with Heidi Hannapel about Green Burial Connect with Tom: The Earth Funeral website: https://earthfuneral.com/ On Instagram @earth_funeral On Facebook @joinearth 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 This episode is Sponsored by True Leaf Market:Use our promo code: TGD10 - for $10 off an order of $50 or more (expires June 15th. Limit to one use per customer) at https://www.trueleafmarket.com/Original music by John Kingsley. The Good Dirt podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball.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

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 Get 15% off your order of all-natural plant fertilizers from BIOS Nutrients with the code LADYFARMER15.Original music by John Kingsley. The Good Dirt podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball. 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

Today’s guest is Monique Allen, CEO and Creative Director of The Garden Continuum, a landscaping design company that brings the principles of regenerative agriculture to ornamental gardening. The central work of The Garden Continuum is to create outdoor living spaces, both public and private, that draw people out into those spaces and begin to build that reconnection with nature. In this episode, you’ll hear how Monique's approach infuses life back into systems and landscapes that have been abused by degenerative practices. You'll hear her explain the difference in a landscape as something pretty to look at, compared with what she calls a “life scape,” or a space that calls you in and actually asks you to interact with nature in an active and participatory way. You’ll also hear about her book, Stop Landscaping, Start Lifescaping. Through regenerative gardening, Monique breathes new life into the soil, and through her personalized landscape business coaching she helps clients build a high-integrity business reflecting care for the entire earth community.Topics Discussed: Monique's journey as a landscape gardener to regenerative ornamental gardening Ornamental gardening means we aren't growing for food   Monique's central work is to draw people outdoors and reconnect them with nature The Lifescape method Straw Hat Park and Pocket Parks Creating a sense of place The Japanese practice of Shinto  How Monique applied regenerative farming practices to her ornamental garden designs and her business Finding inspiration for her book project Operating a hyperlocal business The pricing challenge of regenerative landscaping/ incremental investing Biochar A discussion of tilling How to prepare the soil for a garden How gardens change people and their lives Regeneration for entrepreneurs Monique's ideas about slow living and good dirt Monique's Book, Stop Landscaping, Start LifeScaping Connect with Monique: Monique's Website, thegardencontinuum.com/ On Instagram @thegardencontinuum Monique's Book, Stop Landscaping, Start LifeScaping 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 Get 15% off your order of all-natural plant fertilizers from BIOS Nutrients with the code LADYFARMER15.Original music by John Kingsley. The Good Dirt podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball.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