The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

Our guests today are Janessa Leone, founder of the sustainable luxury brand Janessa Leoné, and Rachel Cantu, supply chain and sustainability advisor, and founder of Simplify and Grow Business Consulting. The Janessa Leone brand is bringing the healing potential of regenerative agriculture and rethinking our global textile supply chain. Janessa Leoné makes beautiful, thoughtful products with impact in mind–hats, accessories and knits. Since launching in 2013– the company has emerged as a leader in sustainability, releasing earlier this year, the first collection of carbon-negative sweaters to be made entirely in the USA We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, including... how sustainability and luxury pair together Janessa's personal journey in this space–and what has motivated her to pivot her business in this way  the tensions around sustainability in the fashion industry  how regenerative business can heal ecosystems  how to measure impact, and how to share that impact to educate and empower customers Topics Covered & Links: Victory Chimes Windjammer Tour Join the ALMANAC for Fall! Establishing a regenerative clothing brand Creating transparent supply chains from scratch Rachel Cantu's business, Simplify + Grow Regeneration vs . sustainability What is Regenerative? Janessa's journey with chronic health issues and her discovery of regenerative agriculture Quantifying carbon impact How Janessa's personal journey evolved her business What makes wool special Our conversation with Sheep Inc's Edzard Van Der Wyck Rambouillet sheep and wool How the regenerative ranch co-op works Textile Exchange - leading organization in terms of standards development Responsible Wool Standard Shaniko Wool Co in Oregon Rachel's experience with large brands, pros and cons of large and small scale production Janessa's Leone's highest priorities as a company Luxury and Sustainability Connect with Janessa and Rachel: The Janessa Leone Website: janessaleone.com/ On Instagram @janessaleone Simplify + Grow Consulting by Rachel Cantu About Lady Farmer:Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout.Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.

Our guest today is April Jones, founder of the Pinehurst farmer's market in Columbia, South Carolina and an advocate for the food justice and food sovereignty movement. April is a writer, a public speaker, a blogger, a recipe developer book reviewer, and is passionate about community gardens and farmer's markets. She contributes content to her blog, Frolicking Americana, and to numerous publications, including Mother Earth News, Country Lore, The Natural Farmer, The Agrarian Trust, Cornucopia Institute, and Farmer's Market Coalition. April's work is in creating a resilient food system, farmer's markets and creating community change around food.Some of the topics covered in this conversation include food apartheid as opposed to food justice and food sovereignty, the value of farmer's markets in community and culture, soil mitigation, bringing civility into our communities, and how food reflects value systems.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, Youtube, or on your favorite podcast platform. Topics Covered: Beginning of Pinehurst Farmer's Market Food Apartheid/ food deserts Food Justice and Food Sovereignty How the farmer's market benefits the community Farmer's Markets as a reflection of local culture Soil mitigation Bringing resources to communities Educating for food sovereignty Civility in our communities Value systems reflected through food Resources Mentioned: Baker Creek Seed Company Angus King Ari Shapiro (NPR) Laura Ingalls Wilder Agrarian Trust (VA) Native Indigenous Conference (MN) Connect with April: @pinehurstfarmersmarket on Facebook April's Blog, Frolicking Americana About Lady Farmer:Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout.Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.

In this episode, we talk about growing food in small spaces and food preservation, regional foods, and the benefits of a front yard garden.Our guest for this episode is Kris Bordessa, a long-time gardener, certified Master Food Preserver, and award-winning book author. Kris lives in Hawaii, and is learning to grow food in a climate that’s vastly different from where she grew up. She loves helping people learn that they can provide for themselves, from producing food to cooking at home. Kris's most recent book is Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living (National Geographic). She’s the founder of the site by the same name, Attainable Sustainable (attainable-sustainable.net), where she writes about food from the ground up, covering gardening, recipes, food preservation, and green(er) living. In this conversation, we talk about the food supply in Hawaii, growing food in small spaces and food preservation, regional foods (the strawberry guava, for example) and the benefits of a front yard garden. We even get a sneak peek at Kris's next book on how to make your own staples. Be the first to hear about it here!Topics discussed: A cautionary tale about garden grafting from The New Yorker, May 1965  The food supply situation in Hawaii Kris's book, Attainable Sustainable Nemo the pig Growing food in small spaces Single harvest vs. cut-and-come-again crops Growing and preserving food in Hawaii Strawberry Guava Fermenting as a preservation technique The front yard garden Kris's course on container gardening What does sustainability mean to Kris? Creating staples from scratch  Connect with Kris On Instagram @attainablesustainable Buy Kris' book, Attainable Sustainable Kris' website and blog, attainable-sustainable.net About Lady Farmer:Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout.Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.

Learn how a region's foodways can be one of the most fascinating tell the history and culture of a specific time and place. If you're interested in food, development and land use planning, and stories, this episode is for you!Claudia Kousoulas and Ellen Letourneau are the co-authors of A Culinary History of Montgomery County, Maryland. This is the second book in which they have explored the food heritage of Montgomery County, the first being Bread and Beauty: A Year in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve, which is full of beautiful photographs and wonderful recipes representing our region. Their current book is all about how the history of our area is tied in with food. In terms of where you live, looking at food history is a way of looking at how your culture and community have evolved over time. During this conversation, we hear lots of stories about the people and foodways of this region. We also talk about the history of Montgomery County and the Agricultural Preserve, the heritage of indigenous people in the region, development and land use planning, supply chain issues, and more. Topics Covered and Links: Bread and Beauty A Culinary History of Montgomery County, Maryland. Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve Eating as a Political Act Caroline Taylor on The Good Dirt Supply Chain Issues Tony Cohen on The Good Dirt Button Farm Living History Center Glen Echo Park Culinary Historians of Washington The Seneca Quarry The C and O Canal The Capital Crescent Trail TDR's or Transferable Development Rights Indigenous People of this Region Chataqua Movement Montgomery County Farm Women's Cooperative Bill Marriott and Hot Shoppes in D.C. Josiah Henson Museum Connect with Ellen and Claudia: On Facebook @mococulinaryhistory Buy the Book, A Culinary History of Montgomery County, Maryland. About Lady Farmer:Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout.Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.

What aspects of the back-to-school season are tapping into core memory making, and how much is just consumer hype? Listen in as Mary & Emma peel away the marketing from the emotion, and discuss ideas for reframing this season in a more sustainable way for kids AND parents.Things Mentioned: Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food - An Eater's Manifesto Lady Farmer Marketplace Wool Lunchbox Jute Sandwich Bag Jackalo Clothing About Lady Farmer:Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout.Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.

Sara Buscaglia is the creator of Farm and Folk, which is a fusion of her work as both sustainable organic farmer and folk textile artist. Sara believes that the magic and alchemy of farming and art are one and the same, and her passion for transferring natural color to natural fibers is a fascination that only grows stronger as the years roll by.In this conversation we talk about how Sara came to be an organic farmer, her evolution as an artist, her quilting practice and shared thoughts on social media and consumerism. Join us to hear the inspiring story of Sara's slow living journey and the decisions that have influenced her family's intentional lifestyle.Topics Covered: Finding farming as a lifestyle Sara's evolution as a fabric artist What is folk art?  The early years of CSA's The intersection of farming and art Their experience hemp farming Sarah's quilting journey and practice Sara's upcoming book project with Abrams Sara's Instagram practice Consumerism culture, and raising children within it Resources Mentioned: Indian Runner Ducks Marlee Grace Interview Cookie Washington Interview Noco Hemp Expo Farm and Folk Logo Design, @Untodust Connect with Farm & Folk On Instagram @farmandfolk Sara's website and online shop: https://www.farmandfolk.com/ About Lady Farmer:Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout.Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.

Today’s guests are Heidi Barr of Kitchen Garden Textiles and Emma de Long of Knee High Farm, who have joined forces in the Pennsylvania Flax Project, aiming to revitalize the flax for linen industry in their region for the benefit of both urban and rural communities. Their goals are to create an industry built on the principles of radical inclusion, environmental stewardship and social justice, and to create clean jobs across the industries of farming, milling, weaving, cut and sew manufacturing.Their story as a team begins on March 12, 2020 when the two met to have a conversation about a natural dye project. Their chat quickly turned into an enthusiastic musing about the possibilities of Pennsylvania grown linen and the Pa. Flax Project began. In this episode we chat about the history of linen in this country and the challenges of reinstating it as a viable domestic industry, creating connection in a globalized economy, and issues with product transparency and consumer awareness. Heidi and Emma are excited to expand their commitment to the local economy and textile supply chain, recognizing that local self reliance and choosing to produce natural fibers on regenerative farms is an important step towards a healthy future. Topics Covered: The history of textile production in the US Heidi and Emma's journey to growing flax domestically The process of turning flax in to linen fiber How linen compares to other natural fibers, particularly hemp, and the impacts on our soils PA Flax Project's process to regionalize flax seed varieties Rethinking the wedding industry, and the desire for domestically-grown and sewn gowns Consumption culture and the influence of social media The next steps for PA Flax, and their crowdfunding goals Resources Mentioned: Magic Fashion Trade Show Chico Flax Episode Amy DuFault Episode Crowdfunding Campaign Connect with the PA Flax Project: Their Website: https://paflaxproject.com/ Square Yard Project Heidi's Company, Kitchen Garden Textiles Emma's Farm, Kneehigh Farm @paflaxproject on Instagram PA Flax Project on Go Fund Me About Lady Farmer:Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout.Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.

In this episode, Mary and Emma are talking to Julia Skinner of Root: Historic Food for the Modern World. Root was born from Julia's deep love for community and a belief in the power of food to tell stories, connect us to place and to each other, and to build a bridge to the past.Julia's work is all about food, history, food stories, where it comes from and the people behind it. She loves fostering connections with other people and with the earth around us. Julia is especially interested in learning and teaching about fermentation, demonstrating to people the ease and accessibility of preparing delicious and healthy food using this ancient and powerful food preservation technique.Topics Covered: Exploring historic cookbooks Julia’s discovery of historical cooking traditions Types of fermentation she has explored How to start fermenting The growing popularity of traditional foods Shifting food interests during the pandemic Food Access Milk Kefir Food as medicine Resources Mentioned: Julia's website--Root Kitchens Our Fermented Lives. by Julia Skinner The English Housewife by Gervase Markham The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz Free99Fridge, Atlanta Umi Feeds Goodr Sowans Celtic Porridge The Fermentation School Son-Mat --(Korean) Hand taste, the unique quality and taste food has from an individual's touch, care, and experience; the way food tastes different when made by different people, often used to describe the taste of mom's cooking. Connect with Julia:  Root Kitchens Website: https://root-kitchens.com/ @rootkitchens on Instagram Julia's Books, Classes and Courses Root Kitchens Newsletter on Substack About Lady Farmer:Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout.Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.

Edzard van der Wyck is the co-founder of Sheep Inc., a sustainable apparel company that creates carbon negative knitwear made from merino wool. Sheep Inc's revolutionary approach starts at the source - the farm! Their partnership with regenerative farms in New Zealand and innovative manufacturing processes allow them to maintain a carbon negative status from sheep to sweater.In this episode, we talk about the impact of the fashion industry on our climate, how Sheep Inc was born, why they chose to start at the raw materials, regenerative sheep wool farms and how they work, and why carbon neutral goals are not enough. We also discuss how we can collectively shift to a more sustainable economy as a whole, and Edzard's hope for what the future of purchasing looks like.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, Youtube, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered: The impact of the fashion industry on our climate Sheep Inc's innovative manufacturing process Regenerative sheep farming in New Zealand Why carbon neutral goals are not enough How Sheep Inc maintains its carbon negative status Sustainably dyeing their garments How Sheep Inc avoids waste or deadstock in their manufaturing The future of transparency and shopping sustainably How social pressure may have a role in a more sustainable future The true cost of fashion, and our perceived value of apparel The durability of natural fibers Why transparency is important, but may not be enough in the future Resources Mentioned:  Lady Farmer ALMANAC Membership ZQ Merino Connected Dot Sheep Inc’s Website: https://sheepinc.com/ On Instagram @sheepinc 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 a shoutout. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.

What does it mean for humans to live sustainably on the earth? Andrew Schwartz, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of The Institute for Ecological Civilization, a non-profit promoting long-term solutions for the wellbeing of people and the planet, helps us pull apart that question. Andrew is also the Executive Director of the Center for Process Studies and Assistant Professor of Process and Comparative Theology at Claremont School of Theology. In this conversation, we’re talking about fundamental shifts in many of our most basic assumptions about our relationship with each other and the environment, and the role each of us plays in the way forward towards a worldwide, life-supporting community.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, Youtube, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered: How Andrew came to his interest in ecology through religion How The Institute for Ecological Civilization came into being Explanation of The Institute for Ecological Civilization and its mission The Centrality of the Human Experience Genesis as a directive for the human role in the web of creation Deep Ecology Are we fighting for human survival or earth's survival? EcoCiv partners and programs Where are the solutions? Does change happen from within the system, outside the system or from the top down? Who is getting it right? Who do we support? Resources Mentioned:  Rose of Sharon Sacred Harp Hymn 254 Don Shiva David Corton Jeremy Lent Ishmael by Daniel Quinn Aspen Institute Philip Clayton John Cobb What is Ecological Civilization by Andrew Schwartz and Philip Clayton Claremont School of Theology Willamette University Water for South Sudan Wellbeing Economy Alliance Connect with Andrew and the Institute for Ecological Civilization: EcoCiv website: https://ecociv.org/ On Instagram @ecociv_ Listen to the EcoCiv Podcast About Lady Farmer:Lady Farmer is a sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand, with education around sustainability and sustainable living at the forefront of our mission. Lady Farmer is proud to produce The Good Dirt podcast. Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC Leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or tell us what the good dirt means to you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com Support your Good Dirt at home with BIOS Nutrients! Listeners of The Good Dirt podcast can enjoy 15% off BIOS Nutrients organic, natural fertilizers using the code LADYFARMER15 at checkout.Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Statements 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.