The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

April Gargiulo, founder of the skin-care company Vintner's Daughter, closes the loop between winemaking, soil health and sustainable skincare, as she tells the story of the slow beauty company she created to reflect her desire for quality, love for the earth, and production with an old-world mindset. April works from the foundation that fewer and better products are the remedy to a market built for overconsumption, and approaches skincare with the attitude of a winemaker: focusing on whole plants, active ingredients, quality sourcing, and soil health, resulting in a product made to an exacting standard of quality.For April, slow living means leaning into terroir, the unique flavor of a place that it carries due to the composition of the soil in which things are grown. Her intentionality and desire to engage with the details of the making process fuel her ability to serve her specific community, just as creators would have done in the pre-industrial age.Topics Covered: Slow Beauty Winemaking Holistic Skincare Routine Soil Health and Terroir from a Skincare Perspective Creating Products with a “Fewer, Better” Mindset Conscious Consumption Resources Mentioned:  Spirit Weavers Gathering Rosemary Gladstar Buddhist Economics Gargiulo Vineyards Guest Info: Connect with April Gargiulo Vintner’s Daughter Instagram @vintnersdaughter Follow Us: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram The Lady Farmer ALMANAC 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.

Fiber farmer Lisa Mitchell encourages listeners to embrace a beginner’s mindset and connect to the earth through handwork and making as she tells us the story of her major life shift, from striving for success as an art therapist in the suburbs, to slow living on a guanaco farm in the Pacific Northwest. Guanacos, the undomesticated ancestors of the alpaca, produce a unique and high-quality wool, but are often challenging to work with, and are not commonly farmed in the United States. In the absence of mentors and educational resources, Lisa and her husband set about spending significant time learning how to care for these special animals through experience, trial, and error, resulting in a fiber farm producing the highest quality wool on the market. Lisa seeks to “live with her hands” as she creates, and to practice making as an act of love - for the animals she lives alongside, for other people, and for the earth.Topics Covered: Seeking a different life Guanacos and Guanaco Wool Learning to Work with Natural Fibers Working with Natural Dye Embracing Beginner’s Mind Creating as an Act of Love Connecting with Reality Through Hand Work Resources Mentioned: Black Sheep GatheringGuest Info: Lisa Mitchell's Website and Online Store, A Fiber Life Instagram: @afiberlife Podcast: https://afiberlife.com/podcast/ Follow Us: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram The Lady Farmer ALMANAC 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 about individual actions you can take to mitigate climate change and make sustainability attainable for everyone, with Stephanie Miller, author of Zero Waste Living the 80/20 Way and founder of Zero Waste in DC. Stephanie left her job as a climate change specialist for the World Bank in order to simplify her own life, confront the disconnect she felt between her life and her work, and to take personal steps toward sustainability. She now empowers others in her community to examine their waste practices and connect with local resources for low-waste living.Stephanie recognizes how paralyzing it can be to think about climate change, and encourages listeners to focus on what she calls the “magic three”: focus on food, ditching plastic, and recycling right, growing more confident and conscious with each choice. The joy and connection that result from low-waste living are paradigm shifting in themselves.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered: The 80/20 Way - Perfection is not the answer Sustainability in Food Choices The greenwashing of “plant-based.”  Sustainable meat production vs standard industrial CAFO operations The problem of food waste Purge Plastic / Easy Alternatives Recycle Right/ the problem of “Wish-Cycling” The community-building aspect of cultivating a more sustainable lifestyle Finding joy in sustainable living  Resources Mentioned:  Stephanie’s Book: Zero Waste Living the 80/20 Way Coining "dirt" to mean gossip: Ernest Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises Connect with Stephanie Miller: Zero Waste in DC Instagram @zerowasteindc Follow Lady Farmer: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram The Lady Farmer ALMANAC 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.

Join us in this conversation about the ins and outs of sustainable fashion, how it has evolved over the last decade and where it might be headed. In this episode, Shannon Lohr, sustainable fashion expert and founder of Factory 45, discusses her own journey in apparel production and her subsequent launch of Factory 45 as an online business school for entrepreneurs launching ethical, sustainable fashion brands. Shannon teaches courses on the entire process of brand development, from fundraising and marketing to production and manufacturing. She seeks to educate and empower both consumers and business owners to make sustainable choices as they buy, sell, and manufacture, focusing on the major benefits of these choices rather than on fear or shame.Shannon believes that more conscious consumers lead to a brighter future. As customers gradually come to know their purchasing power and begin to think about the impact of their buying choices, the market evolves and shifts toward a more sustainable outcome. While it doesn’t happen all at once, Shannon urges us to trust the process and keep making positive choices every day.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered: Sustainable Fashion Ethical Fashion Supply Chain Textile Manufacturing Rana Plaza Collapse Fashion Revolution Week Resources Mentioned:  Factory 45 https://factory45.co/ The Crowdfunding Factory https://crowdfundingfactory.co/ Guest Info Connect with Shannon Lohr  http://www.shannonlohr.com/ Instagram: @factory45co Follow Us: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram 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.

Challenge yourself to think a little deeper about what you buy with Rose and Doug Phillips of Conscious Clothing as they talk slow fashion, conscious consumption, staying authentic as business owners, and the “hearts and minds campaign,” encouraging consumers to delve into the impact of their purchasing power. Founded in Michigan in 2006, Conscious Clothing designs and creates beautiful, sustainable, and ethically sourced staple garments to complement a capsule wardrobe - all sewn in the USA. Rose and Doug are not just passionate about sustainable clothing, but also cultivate opportunities for sustainable living through their business, creating systems that allow sewers to work on their own schedules at home and seeking authentic collaborations and relationships with like-minded companies. For them, the good dirt is all about those relationships: with others, with our purchases, and with the earth.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered: Slow Fashion Natural Fibers Conscious Consumerism Sustainable Fashion Slow Living Clothing Manufacturing Recycled Materials Microplastics Resources Mentioned:  Conscious Clothing https://www.consciousclothing.net/ “The True Cost” Documentary https://truecostmovie.com/ Guest Info Connect with Conscious Clothing Instagram: @consciousclothing Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/consciousclothing_/pins/ TikTok: @consciousclothing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consciousclothing5104 Follow Us: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram 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.

It’s #fashionrevolutionweek! We have a special bonus episode up for you today where we're chatting about our own personal stories regarding shopping, clothing, and the slow fashion journey.Tune in to listen to us chat about the ongoing fight against fast fashion, the beacon of hope that is slow living, and how to get in on the fashion revolution movement!Never miss an episode of The Good Dirt! Opt-in HERE to get a text from us whenever a new episode drops ✨ 🌿 Fashion Revolution Rana Plaza Collapse Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026Sowing 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.

What do heritage livestock breeds have to do with sustainable and regenerative farming practices? For Aliza Eliazarov, photography was the discipline that helped her to confront the disconnect she felt with her relationship to her food sources and the land, and opened the door to the importance of preserving heritage breeds and supporting the regenerative farms that are raising them. Join us as we talk with Aliza, author of “On the Farm” a photo book about heritage livestock breeds, about her stunning livestock portraiture, our shared love of animals, and the benefits of raising heritage and rare animal breeds in contrast with conventional farming practices. Aliza’s livestock photography career began when she noticed chickens in a community garden in New York city and decided to start photographing them. Since then, she has made portraits of all kinds of farm animals, from ducks to bison. Her work takes animals out of the context of the farm, focusing on the animals themselves and giving the viewer the opportunity to consider the role that these animals might play in their lives. Aliza believes that slow living comes easier through the observation and companionship of animals.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered: Photography  Conservation  Preservation Heritage Breeds  Resources Mentioned:  Modern Farmer Magazine Tammy White Good Dirt Episode  Liz Riffle Good Dirt Episode  Angela Ferraro Fanning Good Dirt Episode  “On the Farm”, Aliza’s Book  “Best Dog Book”, In Production  Guest Info: Connect with Aliza Eliazarov at alizaeliazarov.com Instagram @aliza.eliazarov Facebook, Aliza Eliazarov Follow Us: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram The Lady Farmer ALMANAC 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 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:  Elizabeth Kline Good Dirt Episode  Fashion Revolution  The True Cost Documentary  Wildling Shoes  The Foresting School  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 Follow Us: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram 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.

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:  Maryland Institute College of Art  Ishamel by Daniel Quinn Tomorrow will be Better by Betty Smith  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith The ALMANAC  Guest Info Connect with Amanda at www.flowylife.com  Instagram @flowy.life Amanda’s blog  Follow Us: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram 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.

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!Follow Us: Our Website @weareladyfarmer on Instagram The Lady Farmer ALMANAC 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.